Semantic Analysis
Semantic Analysis: 1 Corinthians (Full Book) — English → Maithili
Purpose and Method
This document extends the baseline Romans Language Package for maithili to the 1 Corinthians curriculum. Every term already recorded in translation_memory.json and bible_term_registry.json (the Romans baseline) is reused exactly — its rendering, transliteration, risk tier, and rejected alternatives are not renegotiated here. Where a 1 Corinthians term is doctrinally identical to a Romans term (e.g. “gospel,” “grace,” “resurrection,” “called,” “church,” “saints,” “faith,” “sin,” “law,” “glory,” “fellowship,” “kingdom of God”), this document marks it [REUSED — baseline] and does not repeat the full baseline rationale, only notes anything 1 Corinthians-specific about its use.
New terms unique to 1 Corinthians’ doctrinal content — the resurrection of believers (not only Christ), factionalism, the wisdom/folly of the cross, church discipline, marriage/singleness, idol meat and conscience, the Lord’s Supper, spiritual gifts and the body metaphor, ἀγάπη-love, and order in worship — are analyzed fresh, applying the same cultural-collision discipline the baseline established for Mithila: avoid अवतार, मोक्ष/मुक्ति, धर्म, सती, संत, शक्ति, वरदान (alone), ब्रह्म/परमात्मा, and watch continually for collision with (a) Mithila’s Ram-Sita/Vidyapati Vaishnava devotional tradition, (b) Panjikaran caste-lineage consciousness, (c) Shakta/Tantric practice (Ugratara and related shrines), and (d) Mithila’s historic identity as a center of Sanskrit pandit scholarship and Nyaya logic.
Fields applied to every load-bearing term: Original word | Transliteration | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual-theological meaning | Maithili rendering & risk.
PART A — Core Passage: 1 Corinthians 15:1–11 (Verse-by-Verse)
15:1 — “Now I make known to you, brothers, the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand”
| Original | Translit. | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual-theological meaning | Maithili rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| γνωρίζω | gnōrizō | to make known, cause to know | inform; declare; remind of what is already known | ”make known,” “declare,” “remind” | Paul is not introducing new content but re-anchoring the Corinthians in the already-received apostolic message before the resurrection argument begins | बुझाएब (bujhāeb) — Low risk, plain verb |
| εὐαγγέλιον | euangelion | good news, proclamation | authoritative announcement of saving news | ”gospel,” “good news” | The fixed content of apostolic proclamation (death, burial, resurrection per Scripture), stated as a summary creed | सुसमाचार [REUSED — baseline, High risk] — must not be softened to casual “news” |
| παρελάβετε | parelabete | you received (aorist) | receiving a tradition/teaching handed to one | ”received,” “accepted” | Technical rabbinic/discipleship language for receiving a fixed tradition — pairs with παρέδωκα in v.3 | ग्रहण कएल (grahaṇ kael) — Medium risk: must read as receiving a fixed authoritative deposit, not casually “hearing about” |
| ἑστήκατε | hestēkate | you have stood, stand firm | stable position; steadfastness | ”stand,” “stand firm” | Continuing to stand in the gospel as the ground of the Corinthians’ present Christian identity | स्थिर छी (sthir chī) — Low risk |
15:2 — “by which you are being saved, if you hold fast the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain”
| Original | Translit. | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual-theological meaning | Maithili rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| σῴζεσθε | sōzesthe | you are being saved (present passive) | ongoing, present-tense experience of salvation | ”are being saved,” “are saved” | Salvation as a present, continuing reality grounded in the fixed gospel content, not a one-time karmic transaction | उद्धार [REUSED — baseline, Critical risk]: रूप “उद्धार पाबि रहल छी” — never मुक्ति/मोक्ष |
| κατέχετε | katechete | hold fast, retain firmly | grip; retain; keep a firm grasp | ”hold fast,” “hold firmly” | Continuing, active grasp of the gospel content as the condition of persevering salvation | दृढ़तासँ पकड़ने रहब (dṛḍhatāsã̃ pakaḍne rahab) — Low/Medium risk |
| εἰκῇ | eikē | without cause, in vain, for nothing | groundlessly; purposelessly | ”in vain,” “for nothing” | Warns that a “belief” disconnected from the fixed apostolic content (esp. bodily resurrection, denied later in the chapter) is empty | व्यर्थ (vyarth) — Low risk |
15:3 — “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures”
| Original | Translit. | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual-theological meaning | Maithili rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| παρέδωκα … ἐν πρώτοις | paredōka … en prōtois | I handed down/delivered … among the first things | formal transmission of core tradition, ranked as primary | ”delivered as of first importance,” “passed on as most important” | Marks vv.3-5 as the earliest known creedal summary of the gospel, received by Paul himself (likely within years of the crucifixion) | सर्वप्रथम सौंपल (sarvaprathama saumpal) — Medium risk: must convey formal, prioritized transmission, not casual retelling |
| Χριστὸς ἀπέθανεν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν | Christos apethanen hyper tōn hamartiōn hēmōn | Christ died on behalf of our sins | substitutionary/representative death for sin | ”died for our sins” | Substitutionary atonement — Christ’s death addresses moral guilt before a personal God, not ritual impurity or karmic debt | पाप [REUSED — baseline, High risk]; “ख्रीष्ट हमरा सभक पापक हेतु मरलाह” — केओ कर्मफलक विचारसँ बुझय नहि चाही |
| κατὰ τὰς γραφάς | kata tas graphas | according to the Scriptures | fulfillment formula pointing to OT prophecy | ”according to the Scriptures,” “as the Scriptures said” | Same fulfillment logic flagged in the Romans baseline (Fulfillment of Prophecy doctrine) — linear historical fulfillment, not a cyclical avatar-descent pattern | शास्त्र अनुसार (śāstra anusār) — High risk: “शास्त्र” is also the word for Hindu scriptural/legal corpus (Dharmaśāstra, etc.); a translator note must anchor this to the Hebrew OT, not the region’s own śāstra tradition |
15:4 — “that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures”
| Original | Translit. | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual-theological meaning | Maithili rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἐτάφη | etaphē | he was buried | physical burial, confirming a real death | ”was buried” | Confirms the reality of Christ’s physical death — the corpse was actually interred, not merely apparently dead | गाड़ल गेलाह (gāṛal gelāh) — Low risk |
| ἐγήγερται | egēgertai | he has been raised (perfect tense — abiding result) | permanent, completed act with ongoing effect | ”was raised,” “has been raised” | The perfect tense signals a resurrection with continuing present reality — Christ remains risen | पुनरुत्थान [REUSED — baseline, Critical risk]: NEVER पुनर्जन्म. This is the doctrinal anchor verse for the whole book — every later use of resurrection language in ch. 15 must trace back to this bodily, historical, once-for-all event |
| τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ τρίτῃ | tē hēmera tē tritē | on the third day | specific, dated, historical marker | ”on the third day” | Historical specificity — not mythic or cyclical time | तेसर दिन (tesar din) — Low risk |
15:5 — “and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve”
| Original | Translit. | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual-theological meaning | Maithili rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ὤφθη | ōphthē | he was seen, he appeared | objective visual appearance to witnesses | ”appeared,” “was seen by” | Establishes eyewitness verifiability — resurrection is a publicly checkable historical claim, not a private mystical vision | देखा देलनि (dekhā delani) — honorific verb form required for Christ as subject — Medium risk |
| Κηφᾷ | Kēpha | Cephas (Aramaic “rock”) | Peter’s Aramaic name | ”Cephas,” “Peter” | Peter’s Aramaic name, used here as in Galatians; translator note should identify Cephas = Peter for readers unfamiliar with the dual naming | कैफा (Kaifā) — Low risk; add note “कैफा, अर्थात् पतरस” |
| τοῖς δώδεκα | tois dōdeka | the Twelve | fixed title for the twelve apostles as a body | ”the twelve,” “the Twelve” | Official apostolic college, not merely a headcount | बारहो (bārho) — Low risk |
15:6 — “Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep”
| Original | Translit. | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual-theological meaning | Maithili rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἐφάπαξ | ephapax | at one time, once for all | single simultaneous occasion | ”at one time,” “on one occasion” | Emphasizes a single, large, simultaneous group of witnesses — enhancing verifiability | एकहि बेर (ekahi ber) — Low risk |
| μένουσιν ἕως ἄρτι | menousin heōs arti | remain until now | continuing to be alive at time of writing | ”remain until now,” “are still alive” | Paul invites the Corinthians to go verify the claim with living eyewitnesses — a strikingly falsifiable historical appeal | आइयो जीवित छथि (āiyo jīvit chathi) — Low risk |
| ἐκοιμήθησαν | ekoimēthēsan | fell asleep | euphemism for death, common in Jewish and early Christian usage | ”fallen asleep,” “died" | "Sleep” as a euphemism for a believer’s death — implies a temporary state from which one will be awakened at the resurrection, not annihilation or rebirth | सूति गेलाह (sūti gelāh) — Medium risk: this “sleep” euphemism must be explained in a translator note as pointing to bodily resurrection ahead, not to be confused with the region’s own transmigration/rebirth idiom for death |
15:7 — “Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles”
| Original | Translit. | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual-theological meaning | Maithili rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ἰακώβῳ | Iakōbō | James | proper name — the Lord’s brother, later Jerusalem church leader | ”James” | A skeptic (cf. John 7:5) transformed into a believer and leader by a personal resurrection appearance | याकूब (Yākūb) — Low risk |
| τοῖς ἀποστόλοις πᾶσιν | tois apostolois pasin | to all the apostles | a wider circle than “the Twelve” (v.5) | “all the apostles” | Confirms a broader apostolic commissioning group beyond the Twelve | प्रेरित [REUSED — baseline, Medium risk]: “सभटा प्रेरितकेँ” |
15:8 — “Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me”
| Original | Translit. | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual-theological meaning | Maithili rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἔσχατον δὲ πάντων | eschaton de pantōn | last of all | final in the sequence of appearances | ”last of all” | Paul places himself last in the sequence, marking a decisive close to the resurrection-appearance list | सभसँ अंतमे (sabhasã̃ antame) — Low risk |
| ἔκτρωμα | ektrōma | one untimely born; a miscarried/stillborn child | abrupt, premature, unexpected, out-of-due-season birth | ”one untimely born,” “one abnormally born” | Paul’s self-description as an unlikely, “untimely” apostle — appointed abruptly, out of the normal course, after having persecuted the church | अकाल जन्मल शिशु (akāl janmal śiśu) — Medium risk: vivid, self-deprecating image; a translator note should clarify this is Paul’s own humility-metaphor for his abrupt, undeserved apostolic calling, not a comment on human birth in general |
15:9 — “For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God”
| Original | Translit. | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual-theological meaning | Maithili rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἐλάχιστος τῶν ἀποστόλων | elachistos tōn apostolōn | least of the apostles | superlative of smallness/insignificance | ”the least of the apostles” | Genuine humility grounded in Paul’s persecuting past, not false modesty | प्रेरितसभमे सबसँ छोट (preritsabhme sabsã̃ choṭ) — Low risk |
| καλεῖσθαι | kaleisthai | to be called | passive infinitive of the calling-verb | ”to be called” | Same verb root as the baseline’s “called/calling” doctrine — here of the specific office of apostleship, not of salvation generally | बजाओल [REUSED — baseline, High risk] — context-sensitive per the baseline’s own note; here it is the calling to apostolic office |
| ἐδίωξα τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ θεοῦ | ediōxa tēn ekklēsian tou theou | I persecuted the church of God | active persecution of the assembly | ”persecuted the church of God” | Paul’s pre-conversion identity as persecutor makes his apostleship an emphatic case study in grace, not merit | मण्डली [REUSED — baseline, Medium risk]: “मैं परमेश्वरक मण्डलीकेँ सतौलहुँ” |
15:10 — “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me”
| Original | Translit. | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual-theological meaning | Maithili rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| χάριτι θεοῦ | chariti theou | by the grace of God | instrumental dative of unmerited favor | ”by the grace of God” | The theological center of the verse: Paul’s transformation from persecutor to apostle is credited entirely to unmerited divine favor, not to his own repentance-merit | अनुग्रह [REUSED — baseline, High risk]: this is arguably the single clearest illustration in the whole book of the baseline’s grace-vs-merit distinction — must resist any reading that credits Paul’s zealous labor (below) as the cause rather than the fruit of grace |
| κενή | kenē | empty, in vain, without effect | fruitless; without result | ”in vain,” “without effect” | Grace received is not inert — it produces real fruit (Paul’s labors), but the labor itself remains grace’s fruit, not its cause | व्यर्थ नहि भेल (vyarth nahi bhel) — Low risk |
| ἐκοπίασα | ekopiasa | I labored, I worked hard | strenuous exertion, toil | ”I worked harder,” “I labored more” | Paul’s intense ministry effort — the passage’s key theological tension (labor genuinely occurred, yet is wholly attributed to grace) must be preserved, not resolved by softening either clause | परिश्रम कएलहुँ (pariśram kaelhũ) — Medium risk: care must be taken that the following clause (“not I, but grace”) is not perceived as contradicting or erasing this labor, but as reframing its ultimate source |
| οὐκ ἐγὼ δὲ ἀλλὰ ἡ χάρις τοῦ θεοῦ ἡ σὺν ἐμοί | ouk egō de alla hē charis tou theou hē syn emoi | not I, but the grace of God with me | grace as an active, accompanying divine agent | ”not I, but the grace of God with me” | Grace is personified as an active co-worker, not a passive credit balance — directly resists any merit-based (कर्मफल) framing of Paul’s ministry success | ”हमरा नहि, बल्कि परमेश्वरक अनुग्रह जे हमर सङ्ग अछि” — High risk: must not read as false modesty but as a doctrinal claim about the ultimate cause of fruitful ministry |
15:11 — “Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed”
| Original | Translit. | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual-theological meaning | Maithili rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| κηρύσσομεν | kēryssomen | we preach, we proclaim | authoritative, heraldic proclamation | ”we preach,” “we proclaim” | United apostolic proclamation regardless of which apostle delivers it — the message, not the messenger, is central | प्रचार करैत छी (pracār karait chī) — Low risk |
| ἐπιστεύσατε | episteusate | you believed | past act of coming to trust | ”you believed” | Ties directly back to v.1-2: what the Corinthians believed is this fixed, apostolic, eyewitness-attested gospel content | विश्वास [REUSED — baseline, High risk] — “अहाँ सभ एहि तरहेँ विश्वास कएलहुँ” |
PART B — Chapter-by-Chapter Study, 1 Corinthians 1–16
Chapter 1 — Factionalism, the Cross, and Wisdom
| Original | Translit. | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual-theological meaning | Maithili rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| σχίσμα | schisma | tear, split, division | a rent in cloth (Matt 9:16) extended to factional division in a community | ”division,” “schism,” “split” | Named divisions within the Corinthian church over apostolic loyalty (Paul/Apollos/Cephas/Christ factions) — the presenting problem of the whole letter | फूट (phūṭ) — High risk: native Maithili word for “split/rift”; must be distinguished from ordinary social/political factionalism as a spiritual failure — division in the body of Christ, addressed further at ch. 12 |
| ἔρις | eris | strife, contention, rivalry | quarreling, discord | ”quarreling,” “strife,” “contentions” | Named alongside divisions as evidence of Corinthian immaturity (“fleshly,” 3:3) | झगड़ा (jhagṛā) — Low/Medium risk |
| σοφία (τοῦ κόσμου) | sophia (tou kosmou) | wisdom (of the world) | human philosophical/rhetorical sophistication as a cultural value (esp. Greco-Roman rhetoric) | “worldly wisdom,” “wisdom of this age,” “human wisdom” | Contrasted sharply with the “foolish” message of the cross; God has made the wisdom of the world foolish (1:20) | बुद्धि (buddhi) — High risk: Mithila is historically renowned as a center of Sanskrit pandit scholarship and the Navya-Nyāya school of logic (associated with Gaṅgeśa Upādhyāya); a message that “confounds the wise” and calls human philosophical wisdom foolishness risks being heard as anti-intellectualism or as a slight against this region’s own most cherished cultural identity unless carefully framed as addressing self-sufficient human wisdom that excludes the cross, not learning as such |
| μωρία | mōria | foolishness, folly | that which appears absurd or worthless by ordinary standards | ”foolishness,” “folly” | The cross is “foolishness” to those perishing but “the power of God” to those being saved (1:18) — a deliberate paradox | मूर्खता (mūrkhatā) — Medium risk: must be clearly bounded to “as it appears to unbelieving human wisdom,” not stated as an absolute descriptor of the gospel |
| σταυρός | stauros | cross, stake of execution | instrument and site of Roman capital punishment | ”cross” | The central symbol/message of Christian proclamation; here “the word of the cross” (ὁ λόγος τοῦ σταυροῦ) | क्रूस (krūs) — Low risk, established transliteration convention in North Indian Bible translation |
| δύναμις (θεοῦ) | dynamis (theou) | power (of God) | might, capability, effective force | ”power of God” | The cross, though appearing weak, is in fact God’s saving power (1:18, 1:24) | परमेश्वरक सामर्थ्य [REUSED — baseline, High risk]: never शक्ति |
| καυχάομαι | kauchaomai | to boast | pride oneself in, glory in | ”boast,” “glory in” | Paul insists that no one may boast before God (1:29,31) — boasting is redirected entirely to the Lord | घमंड करब (ghamaṇḍ karab) — Low risk |
| κλητός / κλῆσις | klētos / klēsis | called / calling | God’s summons | ”called,” “calling” | 1:1 (Paul called an apostle), 1:2 (called to be saints), 1:9 (called into fellowship), 1:26 (calling of the Corinthians themselves, “not many wise…”) | बजाओल / बजाओल जाएब [REUSED — baseline, High risk] |
| ἐκλέγομαι | eklegomai | to choose, select | election/selection | ”chosen,” “elect” | 1:27-28: God chose (ἐξελέξατο) the foolish/weak/low/despised things of the world to shame the wise/strong — reframes Corinthian social hierarchy | परमेश्वरक चुनाव [REUSED — baseline, High risk] applied here to God’s choice of unlikely people, directly relevant to Panjikaran caste-status concerns: God’s election overturns worldly status categories, a point requiring careful, unsoftened translation |
| ἐκκλησία (τοῦ θεοῦ) | ekklēsia (tou theou) | assembly (of God) | the local gathered church | ”church of God” | 1:2, addressed to “the church of God that is in Corinth” | मण्डली [REUSED — baseline, Medium risk] |
| ἅγιοι | hagioi | saints, holy ones | set-apart believers, corporate | ”saints,” “sanctified ones” | 1:2, “called to be saints” (κλητοῖς ἁγίοις) | पवित्र जन [REUSED — baseline, High risk] |
| χάρις | charis | grace | unmerited favor | ”grace” | 1:3-4, greeting and thanksgiving for grace given | अनुग्रह [REUSED — baseline, High risk] |
| μαρτύριον (τοῦ Χριστοῦ) | martyrion (tou Christou) | testimony (of Christ) | witness/confirming evidence | ”testimony of Christ” | 1:6 | गवाही (gavāhī) — Low risk |
Chapter 2 — The Spirit and the Wisdom of God
| Original | Translit. | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual-theological meaning | Maithili rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| σοφία θεοῦ ἐν μυστηρίῳ | sophia theou en mystēriō | God’s wisdom in a mystery | hidden divine wisdom now disclosed | ”wisdom of God in a mystery,” “hidden wisdom” | 2:7 — God’s wisdom, previously hidden, now revealed in the crucified/risen Christ | बुद्धि (reuse) + μυστήριον below |
| μυστήριον | mystērion | mystery, secret | something formerly hidden, now disclosed by revelation to those who receive it | ”mystery,” “hidden truth” | Not an esoteric truth reserved for a spiritual elite through ritual initiation, but God’s plan now openly proclaimed in the gospel to all who believe | रहस्य (rahasya) — High risk: रहस्य is also the vocabulary of Tantric/Shakta esoteric literature (e.g. texts styled ”…रहस्य”) associated with regional Shakta shrine traditions (cf. Ugratara, flagged in the baseline for “power of God”); a translator note must clarify that the biblical “mystery” is God’s plan disclosed to all believers through the gospel, not secret knowledge reserved for ritually initiated adepts |
| ψυχικὸς ἄνθρωπος | psychikos anthrōpos | natural/soulish person | one governed by natural human faculties, without the Spirit | ”natural person,” “unspiritual person” | The person without the Spirit cannot receive/discern spiritual truths (2:14) | प्राणिक मनुष्य (prāṇik manuṣya) — Medium risk: new coinage from प्राण (life-breath/soul), paired below with आत्मिक |
| πνευματικῶς ἀνακρίνεται | pneumatikōs anakrinetai | is discerned spiritually | requires Spirit-given faculty of judgment | ”spiritually discerned” | Only those with the Spirit can rightly evaluate spiritual truth (2:14-15) | आत्मिक रूपसँ जाँचल जाइत अछि (ātmik rūpasã̃ jā̃cal jāit achi) — Medium risk |
| πνεῦμα (τοῦ θεοῦ) | pneuma (tou theou) | Spirit (of God) | the personal, divine Spirit who searches all things | ”Spirit of God” | 2:10-11, the Spirit as the one who reveals and searches the depths of God | पवित्र आत्मा [REUSED — baseline, Critical risk] |
| νοῦς Χριστοῦ | nous Christou | mind of Christ | Christ’s own perspective/understanding, given to believers | ”mind of Christ” | 2:16 — believers, through the Spirit, share Christ’s own understanding | ख्रीष्टक मन (Khrīṣṭak man) — Low risk |
Chapter 3 — Field, Building, Temple
| Original | Translit. | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual-theological meaning | Maithili rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| γάλα / βρῶμα στερεόν | gala / brōma stereon | milk / solid food | immature vs. mature spiritual capacity | ”milk,” “solid food” | Metaphor for the Corinthians’ spiritual immaturity, evidenced by their factionalism (3:1-3) | दूध / ठोस भोजन (dūdh / ṭhos bhojan) — Low risk |
| σαρκικός | sarkikos | fleshly | governed by the unredeemed human nature | ”fleshly,” “worldly,” “carnal” | Applied to the Corinthians’ jealousy/strife as evidence of immaturity, not unbelief per se | शारीरिक/मांसिक (śārīrik) — Medium risk; distinguish from merely “physical” |
| θεμέλιος | themelios | foundation | the base on which a building rests | ”foundation” | Christ alone is the one foundation (3:11); no other foundation can be laid | नींव (nī̃v) — Low risk |
| πῦρ (δοκιμάσει) | pyr (dokimasei) | fire (will test) | eschatological testing/refining fire | ”fire will test,” “fire will reveal” | Each believer’s ministry work will be tested by fire at judgment (3:13) — quality, not salvation itself, is at stake | आगि परीक्षा लेत (āgi parīkṣā let) — Medium risk |
| μισθός | misthos | wage, reward | payment for labor performed | ”reward” | 3:8, 14 — reward for faithful ministry labor, contingent on the quality of work built on the one foundation | प्रतिफल (pratiphal) — High risk: must be distinguished from कर्मफल (automatic karmic fruit of action, already rejected in the baseline for “grace”); this reward is God’s gracious response to Spirit-enabled faithful labor, not a cosmic mechanical consequence |
| ναός θεοῦ | naos theou | temple of God | God’s dwelling place | ”temple of God,” “God’s temple” | 3:16-17 — the Corinthian church corporately is God’s temple, indwelt by the Spirit; defiling it (through division) invites God’s judgment | मन्दिर (mandir) — High risk: मन्दिर strongly evokes a physical Hindu shrine housing a मूर्ति; a translator note must clarify this is a metaphor for the Spirit’s indwelling presence in the gathered community (and, in 6:19, the individual believer’s body), not a literal building or an invitation to self-divinization |
Chapter 4 — Stewards and Apostolic Suffering
| Original | Translit. | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual-theological meaning | Maithili rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| οἰκονόμος | oikonomos | household steward/manager | one entrusted with managing another’s household/resources | ”steward,” “manager” | Apostles as stewards entrusted with the mysteries of God (4:1) — accountable to the master, not to popular opinion | भण्डारी (bhaṇḍārī) — Low/Medium risk |
| μυστήρια θεοῦ | mystēria theou | mysteries of God | the gospel truths entrusted to apostolic stewardship | ”mysteries of God” | See ch. 2 μυστήριον note | रहस्य (reuse) — High risk per ch. 2 note |
| κρίνω | krinō | to judge | evaluate, pass judgment | ”judge” | Paul refuses human judgment of his ministry, deferring to the Lord’s judgment (4:3-5) | न्याय करब (nyāya karab) — Low risk |
| θέατρον | theatron | theater, spectacle | public display, especially of the condemned in Roman arenas | ”spectacle,” “a show” | Apostles made a spectacle to the world, angels, and men — public, humiliating display, echoing gladiatorial imagery (4:9) | तमाशा (tamāśā) — Low risk |
| βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ | basileia tou theou | kingdom of God | God’s reign | ”kingdom of God” | 4:20 — “the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power” | परमेश्वरक राज्य [REUSED — baseline, Medium risk] |
Chapter 5 — Church Discipline and the Passover
| Original | Translit. | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual-theological meaning | Maithili rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| πορνεία | porneia | sexual immorality | broad category of illicit sexual conduct | ”sexual immorality,” “fornication” | 5:1 — a specific, tolerated case (a man with his father’s wife) that the church failed to discipline | व्यभिचार (vyabhichār) — Medium/High risk: broader than the common Maithili sense of “adultery” alone; a note should clarify porneia covers the full range of sexual immorality, not only marital infidelity |
| ζύμη | zymē | leaven, yeast | agent of pervasive influence, usually corrupting in NT usage | ”leaven,” “yeast” | 5:6-8 — a little leaven (unaddressed sin) corrupts the whole community; tied to the Passover/unleavened bread image | खमीर (khamīr) — Medium risk |
| παραδοῦναι τῷ Σατανᾷ | paradounai tō Satana | to hand over to Satan | formal act of church discipline placing an unrepentant member outside the church’s protective fellowship | ”deliver to Satan,” “hand over to Satan” | 5:5 — severe corrective discipline aimed at eventual restoration, not vindictive punishment | शैतानक हाथमे सौंपब (śaitānak hāthme saumpab) — High risk: must be clearly framed as restorative discipline exercised by the gathered church, not a curse or private act of malice |
| τὸ πάσχα ἡμῶν … Χριστός | to pascha hēmōn … Christos | our Passover … Christ | Christ identified as the fulfillment of the Passover lamb | ”Christ, our Passover lamb” | 5:7 — Christ’s sacrificial death fulfills the Passover pattern | फसह (phasah) — Medium risk: established North Indian Bible transliteration for Passover; a translator note should distinguish this once-for-all, historically-fulfilled sacrifice from ongoing animal-sacrifice/blood-offering practice at regional Shakta shrines (cf. baseline’s Ugratara note) |
Chapter 6 — Lawsuits, the Body, and Purchase
| Original | Translit. | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual-theological meaning | Maithili rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| κρίνεσθαι | krinesthai | to go to law, be judged | civil litigation | ”go to law,” “sue” | 6:1-8 — believers taking each other to secular courts, shaming the church’s testimony | मुकदमा करब (mukadmā karab) — Low risk |
| ἅγιοι κρινοῦσιν τὸν κόσμον | hagioi krinousin ton kosmon | the saints will judge the world | future eschatological role of believers | ”the saints will judge the world” | 6:2-3 — believers’ future dignity contrasted with their present pettiness in suing each other | पवित्र जन (reuse) संसारक न्याय करता — Medium risk |
| μέλος (Χριστοῦ) | melos (Christou) | member (of Christ) | body-part, limb | ”member,” “part of the body” | 6:15 — “your bodies are members of Christ” — anticipates the fuller body-metaphor of ch. 12 | अंग (aṅga) — High risk; see extended note at ch. 12 |
| ναὸς τοῦ ἐν ὑμῖν ἁγίου πνεύματος | naos tou en hymin hagiou pneumatos | temple of the Holy Spirit within you | the individual believer’s body as God’s dwelling | ”temple of the Holy Spirit” | 6:19 — extends the ch. 3 corporate temple image to the individual body | मन्दिर (reuse) — High risk, per ch. 3 note; here applied to the individual body, requiring even more care against confusion with self-divinization |
| ἠγοράσθητε τιμῆς | ēgorasthēte timēs | you were bought with a price | commercial purchase language applied to redemption | ”bought with a price” | 6:20 — believers belong to God because he purchased them at the cost of Christ’s death | दाममे किनल गेलहुँ (dāmme kinal gelhũ) — High risk: connects to but is distinct from the baseline’s छुटकारा (redemption); a note should tie this purchase-image to Christ’s atoning death, not a literal financial transaction or the karmic “settling of a debt” |
Chapter 7 — Marriage, Singleness, and Calling
| Original | Translit. | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual-theological meaning | Maithili rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| γάμος | gamos | marriage | the marital union | ”marriage,” “to marry” | Ch. 7 passim — Paul addresses marriage as good but not obligatory | विवाह (bibāh) — High risk: Mithila reveres the Sita-Ram marriage as the region’s own cultural and devotional ideal (commemorated at Vivah Panchami, Janakpur); Paul’s relatively lower estimation of marriage relative to devoted singleness (7:1, 7:8, 7:32-35) must be handled carefully so it reads as Paul’s pastoral counsel for a particular situation, not a devaluation of marriage as an institution, and must not be illustrated using the Sita-Ram marriage narrative |
| ἄγαμος | agamos | unmarried | single, without a spouse | ”unmarried,” “single” | 7:8, 32-34 — the unmarried state as an opportunity for undivided devotion | अविवाहित (avivāhit) — Medium risk |
| παρθένος | parthenos | virgin | a person (usually female) who has not had sexual relations | ”virgin” | 7:25-38 — instructions specifically regarding virgins/unmarried young people | कुमारी (kumārī) — Medium risk |
| χωρίζω / ἀφίημι | chōrizō / aphiēmi | to separate / to leave, divorce | marital separation/divorce | ”separate,” “divorce,” “leave” | 7:10-15 — instructions on separation and divorce, including the “Pauline privilege” | अलग होएब (alag hoeb) — Medium risk |
| κέκληκεν | keklēken | has called | God’s calling to one’s present life-situation | ”has called” | 7:17-24 — “walk in the state in which God called you” — calling applied to social/marital status, not merely to salvation | बजाओल [REUSED — baseline, High risk] |
| δοῦλος / ἐλεύθερος | doulos / eleutheros | slave / free person | social-legal status | ”slave,” “bondservant” / “free person” | 7:21-23 — one’s social status (including slavery) does not determine spiritual standing; “you were bought with a price” reused from 6:20 | दास / स्वतंत्र (dās / svatantra) — Medium risk: must not be conflated with the region’s caste-based bonded-labor history in a way that either trivializes or over-politicizes Paul’s pastoral point |
| ἐνεστῶσα ἀνάγκη | enestōsa anankē | present distress/necessity | a specific, likely temporary, crisis situation | ”present distress,” “impending crisis” | 7:26 — the pastoral rationale for Paul’s counsel favoring singleness in this letter | वर्तमान संकट (vartamān saṅkaṭ) — Low risk |
Chapter 8 — Idol Meat, Knowledge, and Conscience
| Original | Translit. | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual-theological meaning | Maithili rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| εἰδωλόθυτον | eidōlothyton | thing sacrificed to idols | meat left over from pagan sacrificial offerings, often sold in the marketplace | ”food sacrificed to idols,” “idol meat” | 8:1-13 — central practical dilemma: may believers eat meat previously offered to idols? | मूर्तिपूजामे चढ़ाओल भोजन (mūrtipūjāme caṛhāol bhojan) — Critical/High risk: must NOT use भोग (bhog), the standard Maithili/Hindi term for food offered to a deity and then distributed as blessed prasad — that word would positively sanctify exactly the practice Paul treats as spiritually neutral-but-risky; the rendering must read descriptively (“food that was offered in idol worship”), not devotionally |
| εἴδωλον | eidōlon | idol, image | a cult-image; by extension the “god” it represents | ”idol” | 8:4 — “an idol has no real existence”; yet 10:20 clarifies demons are the reality behind idol worship | मूर्ति (mūrti) — High risk: a common, neutral Maithili word for any image/statue (including revered Hindu deity images); a translator note must clarify Paul’s polemical point (the idol itself is powerless, yet not spiritually neutral — see 10:20) without implying that Hindu मूर्ति-images in general are being casually dismissed as mere art |
| γνῶσις (φυσιοῖ) | gnōsis (physioi) | knowledge (puffs up) | intellectual knowledge/insight, contrasted with love | ”knowledge puffs up” | 8:1-2 — knowledge without love produces arrogance; love, not knowledge, builds up | ज्ञान (jñāna) — High risk: ज्ञान is the central term of the Hindu jñāna-mārga (path of knowledge) tradition, in which liberating knowledge is itself the means of release; Paul’s point that ज्ञान without प्रेम is spiritually worthless directly challenges a knowledge-centered soteriology and needs a translator note making this contrast explicit |
| συνείδησις | syneidēsis | conscience | inner moral awareness/judgment | ”conscience” | 8:7-12 — a “weak” believer’s conscience can be wounded by watching a “strong” believer eat idol meat | विवेक (vivek) — High risk: विवेक is also the technical term in Advaita Vedanta (and in the name of Swami Vivekananda) for the discriminative faculty distinguishing the eternal Self from the non-eternal; a note must clarify Paul’s use is ordinary moral conscience regarding a specific practice, not this philosophical discernment-faculty |
| πρόσκομμα | proskomma | stumbling block | an obstacle causing another to trip/fall (spiritually) | “stumbling block,” “occasion to stumble” | 8:9 — the “strong” believer’s liberty must not become a stumbling block to the “weak” | ठोकर (thokar) — Low/Medium risk |
Chapter 9 — Apostolic Rights and Athletic Discipline
| Original | Translit. | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual-theological meaning | Maithili rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἐξουσία | exousia | authority, right | legitimate claim/entitlement | ”right,” “authority” | 9:4-6, 12, 18 — Paul’s right to material support, voluntarily foregone | अधिकार (adhikār) — Low risk |
| τοῖς πᾶσιν γέγονα πάντα | tois pasin gegona panta | I have become all things to all people | flexible, self-denying missionary adaptability | ”all things to all people” | 9:19-23 — Paul’s principle of cultural accommodation for the sake of the gospel, without compromising its content | सभक हेतु सभ किछु बनि गेलहुँ (sabhak hetu sabh kichu bani gelhũ) — Medium risk |
| ἀγών / τρέχω / βραβεῖον | agōn / trechō / brabeion | contest / to run / prize | athletic competition imagery | ”race,” “run,” “prize” | 9:24-27 — the Christian life as disciplined, purposeful effort toward an eternal prize | दौड़ / दौड़ब / पुरस्कार (dauṛ / dauṛab / puraskār) — Low risk |
| ἄφθαρτος στέφανος | aphthartos stephanos | imperishable crown/wreath | a victor’s wreath that does not decay, contrasted with a perishable athletic garland | ”imperishable crown” | 9:25 — contrasted with the athletic games’ perishable laurel wreath; anticipates ch. 15’s imperishability language | अविनाशी मुकुट (avinaśī mukuṭ) — High risk: see extended note on अविनाशी at ch. 15 |
| ὑπωπιάζω | hypōpiazō | to strike under the eye, discipline severely | to buffet/subdue (boxing metaphor) | “discipline my body,” “buffet my body” | 9:27 — Paul’s rigorous self-discipline to remain fit for ministry, not a doctrine of bodily self-punishment for merit | देहकेँ वशमे करब (dehke vaśme karab) — Medium risk: must not be read as an ascetic merit-earning practice akin to regional tapasyā (austerity) traditions |
Chapter 10 — Israel’s Warning, the Table of the Lord
| Original | Translit. | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual-theological meaning | Maithili rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἐβαπτίσθησαν εἰς τὸν Μωϋσῆν | ebaptisthēsan eis ton Mōusēn | were baptized into Moses | typological application of “baptism” to Israel’s Red Sea/cloud experience | ”baptized into Moses” | 10:2 — Israel’s wilderness experience as a typological warning to the Corinthians | बपतिस्मा (baptismā) — New term, Medium risk: standard transliteration in North Indian Bible translation; not previously in the Romans baseline but required here — should be added to translation memory going forward |
| πνευματικὸν βρῶμα / πόμα | pneumatikon brōma / poma | spiritual food / spiritual drink | the manna and water from the rock, understood as types pointing to Christ | ”spiritual food,” “spiritual drink” | 10:3-4 — Israel’s wilderness provision prefigures Christ | आत्मिक भोजन / आत्मिक पेय (ātmik bhojan / ātmik pey) — Low risk |
| ἡ πέτρα … ὁ Χριστός | hē petra … ho Christos | the rock … was Christ | typological identification of Christ with the rock that gave water | ”the Rock was Christ” | 10:4 — a striking pre-existence/typological claim about Christ’s presence with Israel | चट्टान … ख्रीष्ट छलाह (caṭṭān … Khrīṣṭ chalāh) — Medium risk |
| τράπεζα κυρίου / τράπεζα δαιμονίων | trapeza kyriou / trapeza daimoniōn | table of the Lord / table of demons | cultic participation imagery — sharing a sacrificial table binds one to what/whom the table represents | ”the Lord’s table” / “the table of demons” | 10:21 — participation in pagan sacrificial meals is participation with demons, incompatible with the Lord’s table | प्रभुक मेज / दुष्ट आत्मासभक मेज (prabhuk mej / duṣṭa ātmāsabhak mej) — High risk: directly relevant to Mithila’s active Shakta ritual-offering practices; must communicate genuine spiritual incompatibility, not merely social etiquette |
| κοινωνία | koinōnia | participation, fellowship | shared partaking that creates real spiritual union | ”participation,” “fellowship,” “sharing” | 10:16-18 — the cup and bread are a κοινωνία in Christ’s blood/body, just as eating sacrifices is κοινωνία with the altar | सङ्गति [REUSED — baseline, Low risk] — here applied specifically to sacramental participation, a stronger sense than ordinary social fellowship |
Chapter 11 — Head Coverings and the Lord’s Supper
| Original | Translit. | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual-theological meaning | Maithili rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| κεφαλή | kephalē | head | literal head; metaphorically, source/authority | ”head” | 11:3 — “the head of every man is Christ…the head of a wife is her husband” — a hierarchy-of-relationship metaphor | शिर (śir) — Medium/High risk: must retain the literal/metaphorical double sense without collapsing into a purely social-authority reading disconnected from Christ as the pattern |
| κατακαλύπτω | katakalyptō | to cover, veil | covering the head, esp. in worship | ”cover the head,” “veil” | 11:4-16 — instructions on head coverings during prayer/prophecy | सिर ढाकब / घूँघट (śir ḍhākab / ghũghaṭ) — High risk: Mithila already has a strong existing custom of women veiling (ghũghaṭ/purdah) for social-modesty reasons; a translator note must distinguish Paul’s stated theological rationale (a symbol connected to the created order, 11:7-10) from the region’s existing social-modesty custom, so that the passage is not read as simply endorsing an already-familiar cultural practice without its own doctrinal grounding, nor dismissed as “only culture” |
| δόξα (ἀνδρός / γυναικός) | doxa (andros / gynaikos) | glory (of man / of woman) | honor, reflected glory in a relationship | ”glory of man,” “glory of woman” | 11:7 — woman as the glory of man, within the created-order argument | महिमा [REUSED — baseline, High risk] — here in the relational, not divine-radiance, sense; context must disambiguate from महिमा used of God’s own glory |
| κυριακὸν δεῖπνον | kyriakon deipnon | the Lord’s supper | the ordinance instituted by Christ, distinguished from an ordinary communal meal | ”the Lord’s Supper” | 11:20 — Paul rebukes the Corinthians for turning this into a divisive, gluttonous ordinary meal rather than a unifying remembrance | प्रभु भोज (prabhu bhoj) — High risk (new coinage): Mithila’s caste-conscious social feasting customs (bhoj) carry strong purity/commensality rules about who may eat with whom; a translator note must clarify that the Lord’s Supper unites all believers regardless of caste/lineage status (directly reinforcing the baseline’s “unity_of_jews_and_gentiles” doctrine) and is a remembrance ordinance, not a status-marked community feast |
| τὸ σῶμα καὶ τὸ αἷμα (τοῦ κυρίου) | to sōma kai to haima (tou kyriou) | the body and the blood (of the Lord) | the bread and cup as Christ’s body and blood, given in remembrance | ”body and blood of the Lord” | 11:23-27 — the words of institution | देह आ लहू (deh ā lahū) — High risk; requires clear symbolic/memorial framing distinct from literal cannibalistic misunderstanding on one hand, and from empty ritual on the other |
| ἀνάμνησις | anamnēsis | remembrance | active recollection/re-presentation, not mere memory-recall | ”remembrance,” “in remembrance of me” | 11:24-25 | स्मरण (smaraṇ) — Low risk |
| ἀναξίως | anaxiōs | unworthily | in a manner inconsistent with the meal’s sanctity (context: without regard for fellow believers, esp. the poor) | “in an unworthy manner” | 11:27, 29 — warns against careless/divisive participation | अयोग्य रीतिसँ (ayogya rītisã̃) — Medium risk: clarify this concerns the manner of participation (esp. disregard for others), not personal sinlessness as a prerequisite |
| διακρίνων τὸ σῶμα | diakrinōn to sōma | discerning the body | recognizing the significance of Christ’s body — both the elements and the gathered church | ”discerning the body” | 11:29 — failure to discern the body brings judgment | देहकेँ पहचानब (dehke pahacānab) — Medium risk |
Chapter 12 — Spiritual Gifts and One Body
| Original | Translit. | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual-theological meaning | Maithili rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| χαρίσματα | charismata | grace-gifts | Spirit-given enablements for the common good | ”spiritual gifts,” “gifts” | 12:4 — “there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit” | आत्मिक वरदान [REUSED — baseline, Medium risk] |
| διακονίαι / ἐνεργήματα | diakoniai / energēmata | services / workings | varied forms of ministry and Spirit-empowered activity | ”varieties of service,” “varieties of activities” | 12:5-6 — diversity within unity, all from the same Lord/Spirit/God | सेवा / कार्य (sevā / kārya) — Low risk |
| γλῶσσαι | glōssai | tongues | Spirit-given utterance, in unknown or foreign languages | ”tongues,” “other tongues” | 12:10, 28, 30; ch. 14 — a specific spiritual gift, requiring interpretation for corporate benefit | अन्य भाषा (anya bhāṣā) — High risk: must be clearly distinguished from ecstatic trance-speech associated with spirit-possession/oracular phenomena at regional Shakta shrines; a translator note should clarify this is an intelligible or Spirit-interpreted gift for edification, exercised in order (see ch. 14), not uncontrolled possession-trance |
| σῶμα (Χριστοῦ) | sōma (Christou) | body (of Christ) | the church as a single organism with Christ as head, believers as interdependent members | ”body of Christ” | 12:12-27 — the church’s unity-in-diversity, modeled on a human body | देह (deh) — reuse; “ख्रीष्टक देह” — see combined note below |
| μέλος / μέλη | melos / melē | member(s), limb(s) | individual body parts, each necessary and mutually honoring | ”members,” “parts” | 12:12-27 — “the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you”; “God has so composed the body…that there may be no division…but…the members may have the same care for one another”; weaker/less honorable members are given greater honor | अंग (aṅga) — Critical/High risk: this is one of the most theologically loaded terms in the whole book for Mithila specifically. The Puruṣasūkta (Ṛgveda 10.90), foundational to the region’s inherited caste theology, describes the four varṇas as arising hierarchically from different body-parts of the cosmic Puruṣa (Brahmins from the mouth, Kṣatriyas from the arms, Vaiśyas from the thighs, Śūdras from the feet) — a body-metaphor that grounds social hierarchy. Paul’s body-metaphor does the opposite: it argues that “weaker,” “less honorable” members are indispensable and are to be given greater honor, explicitly to prevent division (12:22-25). A translator note is required at every occurrence warning against reading 1 Corinthians 12 as compatible with, or an echo of, Puruṣasūkta body-caste theology — it is a direct theological counter-argument to hierarchical body-part theology, not an equivalent regional parallel |
Chapter 13 — Love, the Greater Way
| Original | Translit. | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual-theological meaning | Maithili rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἀγάπη | agapē | love | selfless, willed, sacrificial love, not dependent on the worthiness of its object | ”love,” “charity” (KJV) | 13:1-13 — love as the necessary animating quality of all spiritual gifts and Christian life; without it, gifts, knowledge, and even self-sacrifice are worthless | प्रेम (prem) — Critical risk: Mithila’s most celebrated devotional-poetic tradition, Vidyāpati’s songs, center on the romantic/erotic love (śṛṅgāra rasa) of Rādhā and Krishna, and प्रेम in ordinary Maithili usage carries strong romantic/emotional connotations from this tradition; ἀγάπη here is willed, self-giving, sacrificial love that “does not seek its own” (13:5) — the opposite orientation from śṛṅgāra romantic longing. A mandatory translator note at every occurrence of ch. 13’s प्रेम must state explicitly that this is not romantic/emotional love (and must not be illustrated via Radha-Krishna imagery), but the selfless love described in the chapter’s own definition (13:4-7) |
| ζηλόω | zēloō | to envy, be jealous | envious rivalry | ”envy,” “is jealous” | 13:4 — “love does not envy” | ईर्ष्या करब (īrṣyā karab) — Low risk |
| περπερεύεται / φυσιοῦται | perpereuetai / physioutai | boasts / is puffed up | arrogant self-display | ”boasts,” “is arrogant/puffed up” | 13:4 — echoes 8:1’s γνῶσις φυσιοῖ, reinforcing the knowledge-vs-love contrast | घमंड करब / फूलब (ghamaṇḍ karab / phūlab) — Low risk |
| τὸ τέλειον | to teleion | the perfect, the complete | fullness/completeness, contrasted with the “partial” (ἐκ μέρους) | “the perfect,” “the complete” | 13:10 — when the complete comes, the partial (prophecy, tongues, knowledge) will pass away | पूर्ण (pūrṇa) — Low risk |
| μένει … ἀγάπη | menei … agapē | remains/abides … love | permanence of love beyond faith and hope | ”love remains,” “the greatest of these is love” | 13:13 — faith, hope, love abide; love is greatest | विश्वास [REUSED — baseline] + प्रेम (see above) |
Chapter 14 — Order in Worship: Prophecy and Tongues
| Original | Translit. | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual-theological meaning | Maithili rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| προφητεία | prophēteia | prophecy | intelligible, Spirit-given proclamation, preferred by Paul over uninterpreted tongues for corporate edification | ”prophecy” | 14:1-5 — prophecy is preferred because it edifies the church, unlike uninterpreted tongues | भविष्यवाणी [REUSED — baseline, Low risk] |
| οἰκοδομή | oikodomē | building up, edification | constructive strengthening of the community | ”edification,” “building up” | 14:3-5, 12, 26 — the controlling criterion for all worship practices in this chapter | reuse mutual_edification doctrine term, उन्नति (unnati) — Low risk |
| ἑρμηνεία | hermēneia | interpretation | translation/explanation of an utterance in tongues | ”interpretation” | 14:13, 26-28 — tongues must be interpreted for corporate benefit or remain silent in the assembly | व्याख्या (vyākhyā) — Low risk |
| εὐσχημόνως καὶ κατὰ τάξιν | euschēmonōs kai kata taxin | decently and in order | fitting, orderly conduct | ”decently and in order” | 14:40 — the chapter’s summarizing principle for corporate worship | व्यवस्थित रीतिसँ आ क्रमसँ (vyavasthit rītisã̃ ā kramasã̃) — Low risk |
| σιγάτωσαν | sigatōsan | let them be silent | instruction for silence in a specific worship context | ”keep silent,” “be silent” | 14:34-35 — a much-debated instruction regarding women’s speech in the assembled congregation | चुप रहब (cup rahab) — Medium/High risk: given Mithila’s existing social patterns around women’s public speech and purdah customs, this passage requires very careful handling in later curriculum stages so it is taught within its full biblical-theological context (including 11:5, which assumes women do pray and prophesy aloud) and is not used to reinforce an unexamined cultural restriction as if it were the passage’s plain, context-free meaning; flagged here for downstream doctrinal-review attention, not resolved at the glossary level |
Chapter 15 — Resurrection (continued beyond the core passage, vv. 12–58)
(Verses 1–11 are treated in full in Part A above.)
| Original | Translit. | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual-theological meaning | Maithili rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἀνάστασις νεκρῶν | anastasis nekrōn | resurrection of the dead | the general, future bodily resurrection of all believers, not only Christ’s own resurrection | ”resurrection of the dead” | 15:12-34 — Paul argues that denying a future general resurrection logically undermines Christ’s own resurrection and the entire gospel | पुनरुत्थान [REUSED — baseline, Critical risk], extended here as मृतकक पुनरुत्थान (mṛtakak punaruthān) — the doctrine now explicitly widens from Christ’s own resurrection (Romans’ focus) to believers’ future bodily resurrection; NEVER पुनर्जन्म, and a note is required distinguishing this one-time future bodily event from repeated rebirth within saṃsāra |
| ἀπαρχή | aparchē | firstfruits | the first, representative portion of a harvest, guaranteeing and typifying the whole | ”firstfruits” | 15:20, 23 — Christ is the “firstfruits” of those who have fallen asleep, guaranteeing believers’ own future resurrection | पहिल फल (pahil phal) — High risk: Mithila’s major regional festival Chhath centers on firstfruit/agricultural offerings to the sun deity; a translator note must clarify that Christ as “firstfruits” is not an offering given to God to secure divine favor, but Christ’s own resurrection as the first installment guaranteeing believers’ future resurrection — the direction of the analogy is reversed from a votive-offering framework |
| τάγμα | tagma | order, rank | sequence in a series | ”order,” “turn” | 15:23 — “each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ” | क्रम (kram) — Low risk |
| ὁ ἔσχατος ἐχθρὸς … ὁ θάνατος | ho eschatos echthros … ho thanatos | the last enemy … death | death personified as a defeated enemy | ”the last enemy to be destroyed is death” | 15:26 — death’s ultimate, guaranteed defeat through Christ’s resurrection | मृत्यु … अंतिम शत्रु (mṛtyu … antim śatru) — Low risk |
| σῶμα ψυχικόν / σῶμα πνευματικόν | sōma psychikon / sōma pneumatikon | natural/soulish body / spiritual body | the present, perishable body vs. the future, Spirit-empowered resurrection body | ”natural body” / “spiritual body” | 15:44 — the resurrection body is a real, transformed body, not disembodied spirit-existence | प्राणिक देह / आत्मिक देह (prāṇik deh / ātmik deh) — High risk: must be clear this describes two states of one continuous bodily existence, not a doctrine of the soul discarding the body permanently (which would move toward, rather than away from, common regional assumptions about liberation from embodiment) |
| φθαρτός / ἄφθαρτος | phthartos / aphthartos | perishable / imperishable | subject to decay/death vs. not subject to decay/death | ”perishable” / “imperishable” | 15:42, 50-54 — the resurrection body is raised imperishable | नाशवान् / अविनाशी (nāśvān / avinaśī) — Critical/High risk: अविनाशी is the very term the Bhagavad Gītā (2:17-25) uses for the ātman’s own inherent, uncreated immortality (“the soul is never born and never dies… it is not slain when the body is slain”). Paul’s “imperishable” describes a transformed, resurrected physical body, granted by God at a future point in time through Christ’s resurrection — categorically different from a philosophical claim about the soul’s innate, timeless immortality apart from the body. A mandatory translator note distinguishing these two claims is required at every occurrence in this chapter |
| μυστήριον (ἀλλαγησόμεθα) | mystērion (allagēsometha) | mystery (we shall be changed) | a truth now disclosed about the sudden transformation of living believers at Christ’s return | ”mystery…we shall all be changed” | 15:51-52 | रहस्य (reuse) — High risk per ch. 2 note |
| τὸ κέντρον τοῦ θανάτου | to kentron tou thanatou | the sting of death | death’s power to wound/harm, rooted in sin | ”the sting of death” | 15:55-56 — “the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law” | मृत्युक डंक (mṛtyuk ḍaṅk) — Low risk |
| ἡ δύναμις τῆς ἁμαρτίας ὁ νόμος | hē dynamis tēs hamartias ho nomos | the power of sin is the law | the Mosaic law, by exposing sin, gives sin its condemning power | ”the power of sin is the law” | 15:56 | reuse व्यवस्था / पाप [baseline] — High risk retained from baseline |
| νῖκος | nikos | victory | triumph, especially over death | ”victory” | 15:54-57 — “death is swallowed up in victory… thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” | विजय (vijay) — Low risk |
| ἑδραῖος, ἀμετακίνητος | hedraios, ametakinētos | steadfast, immovable | firm, unshaken stability | ”steadfast, immovable” | 15:58 — the practical exhortation flowing from the resurrection hope | दृढ़ आ अटल (dṛḍha ā aṭal) — Low risk |
| ὁ κόπος ὑμῶν οὐκ ἔστιν κενὸς | ho kopos hymōn ouk estin kenos | your labor is not in vain | assurance that resurrection-grounded labor has lasting significance | ”your labor is not in vain” | 15:58 — echoes 15:10’s κενή (Paul’s own grace-labor was “not in vain”) | परिश्रम व्यर्थ नहि (pariśram vyarth nahi) — Low risk |
Chapter 16 — The Collection, Final Greetings, Maranatha
| Original | Translit. | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual-theological meaning | Maithili rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| λογεία εἰς τοὺς ἁγίους | logeia eis tous hagious | collection for the saints | a gathered financial offering for needy believers (Jerusalem church) | “the collection for the saints” | 16:1-4 — practical instructions for giving | पवित्र जन [REUSED — baseline] + चंदा (candā, “collection”) — Medium risk: must be distinguished from temple-donation customs (चढ़ावा/दान given to a deity or shrine); this is material aid given to needy fellow believers, not a votive offering |
| κατὰ μίαν σαββάτου | kata mian sabbatou | on the first day of the week | the day of Christ’s resurrection, already the pattern for Christian gathering/giving | ”on the first day of the week” | 16:2 — implicit evidence of established Sunday gathering practice, tied to the resurrection | सप्ताहक पहिल दिन (saptāhak pahil din) — Low risk |
| θύρα … ἀνεῳγμένη | thyra … aneōgmenē | a door…opened | opportunity for effective gospel ministry | ”a wide door for effective work” | 16:9 | द्वार खुजल अछि (dvār khujal achi) — Low risk |
| μαρὰν ἀθά | maran atha | Our Lord, come! (Aramaic) | urgent eschatological prayer/exclamation | ”Maranatha,” “Our Lord, come” | 16:22 — preserved Aramaic exclamation, paralleling the baseline’s treatment of “Abba” | मरनाता (maranātā) — Medium risk: retain the transliteration (per the baseline’s Abba precedent) rather than reducing it to a plain Maithili phrase, to preserve its function as an ancient, church-wide liturgical cry |
| φίλημα ἅγιον | philēma hagion | holy kiss | a customary greeting among believers, marking familial affection within the church | ”holy kiss” | 16:20 — a call to warm, tangible expression of Christian unity | पवित्र चुम्बन (pavitra cumban) — Medium risk: a cultural-adaptation note may be needed regarding appropriate greeting customs in the Maithili context without losing the underlying call to warm, unifying affection among believers |
Summary of Cross-Chapter Doctrinal Threads
| Curriculum Doctrine | Anchoring Chapters | Key New Terms |
|---|---|---|
| The Resurrection of Christ and Believers | 15 (core), also 6:14 | पुनरुत्थान (reused), मृतकक पुनरुत्थान, अविनाशी, प्राणिक/आत्मिक देह, पहिल फल |
| Christian Unity versus Factionalism | 1, 3, 11, 12 | फूट, झगड़ा, अंग/देह (body metaphor) |
| The Cross as Wisdom and Power | 1, 2 | बुद्धि, मूर्खता, क्रूस, सामर्थ्य (reused) |
| Church Discipline and Holiness | 5, 6 | व्यभिचार, खमीर, शैतानक हाथमे सौंपब, फसह |
| Marriage and Singleness | 7 | विवाह, अविवाहित, कुमारी, अलग होएब |
| Christian Liberty and Idol Meat | 8, 9, 10 | मूर्तिपूजामे चढ़ाओल भोजन, मूर्ति, विवेक, ज्ञान, ठोकर, दुष्ट आत्मासभक मेज |
| The Lord’s Supper | 10, 11 | प्रभु भोज, देह आ लहू, स्मरण, अयोग्य रीतिसँ |
| Spiritual Gifts and the Body of Christ | 12, 14 | आत्मिक वरदान (reused), अन्य भाषा, अंग, व्याख्या |
| Love as the Greater Way | 13 | प्रेम |
| Order in Worship | 11, 14 | सिर ढाकब/घूँघट, व्यवस्थित रीतिसँ आ क्रमसँ, चुप रहब (flagged for review) |
Chapters reviewed in full; no chapter of 1 Corinthians was found to contribute zero new theological vocabulary — every chapter is represented above.