Core Glossary
08 Core Glossary — 1 Corinthians (English → Mandarin)
This glossary consolidates every load-bearing term identified in 07_semantic_analysis.md, organized first by terms reused exactly from the Romans baseline translation memory (no re-derivation, per hard rule), then by new terms introduced by 1 Corinthians, grouped by curriculum doctrine. Risk tiers follow the baseline’s four-tier framework (Critical / High / Medium / Low) and its review-routing convention (Critical/High → human theologian; Medium → native speaker; Low → automated).
Part 1 — Terms Reused Exactly from the Romans Baseline Translation Memory
These terms recur across 1 Corinthians and MUST use the baseline Mandarin rendering without modification. Full rationale is recorded in the baseline translation_memory.json; only new contextual occurrences in 1 Corinthians are noted here.
| Term | Mandarin | Pinyin | Risk (baseline) | Key 1 Corinthians Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| gospel | 福音 | fúyīn | Medium | 1:17; 4:15; 9:12-18, 23; 15:1-2 |
| grace | 恩典 | ēndiǎn | Critical | 1:4; 3:10; 15:10; 16:23 |
| faith | 信心 / 信 | xìnxīn / xìn | High | 2:5; 13:2, 13; 15:2, 11, 14, 17 |
| righteousness | 义 | yì | Critical | 1:30 |
| justification | 称义 | chēngyì | Critical | 6:11 |
| salvation | 救恩 | jiùēn | Critical | 1:18, 21; 15:2 |
| apostle | 使徒 | shǐtú | Low | 1:1; 4:9; 9:1-2, 5; 12:28-29; 15:5, 7, 9 |
| called / calling | 蒙召的 / 呼召 | méngzhào de / hūzhào | High | 1:1-2, 9, 24, 26; 7:15-24 |
| holy | 圣洁 | shèngjié | High | 3:17; 7:14, 34 |
| saints | 圣徒 | shèngtú | High | 1:2; 6:1-2; 14:33; 16:1, 15 |
| sanctification | 成圣 | chéngshèng | Critical | 1:30 (implied); 6:11 |
| resurrection | 复活 | fùhuó | Critical | 15:1-58 (pervasive) |
| lord | 主 | zhǔ | Critical | pervasive; esp. 12:3 (“Jesus is Lord”); 15:57-58 |
| son of God | 神的儿子 | Shén de érzi | Critical | 1:9 (implied, “his Son”) |
| peace | 平安 | píng’ān | Medium | 1:3; 7:15; 14:33; 16:11 |
| spiritual gifts | 属灵恩赐 | shǔlíng ēncì | Medium | 12:1-11; 14:1-40 (ministry sense only — see Part 2 note on 7:7’s distinct sense) |
| thanksgiving | 感恩 | gǎn’ēn | Low | 1:4; 14:16-18; 15:57 |
| fellowship | 团契 | tuánqì | Low | 1:9; 10:16 |
| church | 教会 | jiàohuì | Medium | 1:2; 4:17; 6:4; 7:17; 10:32; 11:16, 18, 22; 12:28; 14:4-35; 15:9; 16:1, 19 |
| law | 律法 | lǜfǎ | High | 7:39 (implied); 9:8-9, 20-21; 14:34; 15:56 |
| sin | 罪 | zuì | High | 6:18; 7:28, 36; 8:12; 15:3, 17, 34, 56 |
| gentiles | 外邦人 | wàibāngrén | Medium | 1:23 (implied); 5:1; 10:32; 12:2 |
| glory | 荣耀 | róngyào | Medium | 2:7-8; 10:31; 11:7, 15; 15:40-43 |
| prophet / prophecy | 先知 / 预言 | xiānzhī / yùyán | Low / Medium | 12:10, 28-29; 13:2, 8-9; 14:1-40 |
| covenant | 约 | yuē | High | 11:25 |
| election | 拣选 | jiǎnxuǎn | High | 1:27-28 |
| intercession | 代求 | dàiqiú | Medium | 14:14-15 (prayer context, extended sense) |
| providence | 神的护理 | Shén de hùlǐ | High | 12:6, 11 (implied — one God working all things) |
| power of God | 神的大能 | Shén de dà néng | High | 1:18, 24; 2:4-5; 6:14; 15:43 |
| messiah / christ | 基督 | Jīdū | Critical | pervasive |
| jesus | 耶稣 | Yēsū | Critical | pervasive |
| god | 神 | Shén | Critical | pervasive |
| holy spirit | 圣灵 | Shènglíng | Critical | 2:10-14; 3:16; 6:19; 12:3-13 |
| father | 父 | fù | High | 1:3; 8:6; 15:24 |
| exhort | 劝勉 | quànmiǎn | Low | 4:16; 16:15-16 (encouragement contexts) |
| imputed righteousness | 算为义 | suàn wéi yì | Critical | (thematically underlies 1:30, 6:11; no direct restatement in 1 Cor) |
Governance note: any future occurrence of these terms in 1 Corinthians teaching material must be checked against this table before translation; no alternative renderings are permitted regardless of local context, per the baseline’s Critical/High absolute-enforcement rule.
Part 2 — New Terms Introduced by 1 Corinthians (by Doctrine)
Doctrine: The Cross as Wisdom and Power (chs. 1-2)
| Term | Greek | Transliteration | Mandarin | Pinyin | Risk | Chapters | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| division/schism | σχίσμα | schisma | 分党 | fēndǎng | High | 1 | 党 carries modern political-party connotation; must convey loyalty-faction rivalry, not legitimate pluralism. |
| wisdom | σοφία | sophia | 智慧 | zhìhuì | Critical | 1, 2, 3, 12 | Collides with Confucian Five Constant Virtues and Buddhist prajñā-wisdom (attainable through cultivation); God’s wisdom is revealed and received by faith, not achieved. |
| foolishness | μωρία | mōria | 愚拙 | yúzhuō | High | 1 | Deliberate divine paradox — must not read as endorsing genuine irrationality. |
| cross | σταυρός | stauros | 十字架 | shízìjià | Medium | 1 | Risk is secularization/decorative-symbol drift, not syncretism; must restore scandal/saving-power content. |
| mystery | μυστήριον | mystērion | 奥秘 | àomì | High | 2, 4, 13, 14, 15 | Distinguish from esoteric occult secrets/Daoist inner-alchemy “secret transmission” and divinatory hidden knowledge. |
| spiritual person / natural person | πνευματικός / ψυχικός | pneumatikos / psychikos | 属灵的人 / 属血气的人 | shǔlíng de rén / shǔ xiěqì de rén | High | 2 | 血气 risks a TCM/qigong vital-energy reading rather than “unregenerate human nature apart from the Spirit.” |
| mind of Christ | νοῦς Χριστοῦ | nous Christou | 基督的心 | Jīdū de xīn | Medium | 2 | Must not flatten to generic positive thinking or virtue. |
Doctrine: Christian Unity versus Factionalism (chs. 1-4, 11-14)
| Term | Greek | Transliteration | Mandarin | Pinyin | Risk | Chapters | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| fleshly/carnal | σάρκινος / σαρκικός | sarkinos / sarkikos | 属肉体的 | shǔ ròutǐ de | High | 3 | Avoid dualistic body-is-evil folk-Buddhist reading; describes sin-dominated immaturity, not physicality itself. |
| temple of God | ναός θεοῦ | naos theou | 神的殿 | Shén de diàn | Critical | 3, 6 | Extends baseline church/temple caution (庙/寺/道观); avoid geomantic/idol-housing/appeasement-ritual associations. |
| reward | μισθός | misthos | 赏赐 | shǎngcì | High | 3 | Must not collapse into Buddhist merit-accounting (功德); this is post-salvation gracious reward for Spirit-empowered service. |
| servant (of Christ) | ὑπηρέτης | hypēretēs | 执事 | zhíshì | Low-Medium | 4 | — |
| steward | οἰκονόμος | oikonomos | 管家 | guǎnjiā | Medium | 4 | Trust/accountability nuance must be retained. |
| body of Christ | σῶμα Χριστοῦ | sōma Christou | 基督的身体 | Jīdū de shēntǐ | High | 12 | Organic Spirit-united interdependence, not voluntary association or bureaucracy. |
| member (of the body) | μέλος | melos | 肢体 | zhītǐ | Medium | 6, 12 | — |
| order | τάξις | taxis | 次序 | cìxù | Low-Medium | 14 | — |
Doctrine: Church Discipline and Holiness (chs. 5-6)
| Term | Greek | Transliteration | Mandarin | Pinyin | Risk | Chapters | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| sexual immorality | πορνεία | porneia | 淫乱 | yínluàn | High | 5, 6, 7 | Serious sin against body/community holiness, not mere social-propriety breach. |
| leaven / unleavened | ζύμη / ἄζυμος | zymē / azymos | 面酵 / 无酵(的饼) | miànjiào / wú jiào (de bǐng) | Medium | 5 | OT background-knowledge gap, not syncretism; requires explanatory teaching. |
| Passover (lamb) | πάσχα | pascha | 逾越节(的羔羊) | Yúyuèjié (de gāoyáng) | Critical | 5 | Must not be read as a repeatable appeasement-offering like ongoing folk sacrificial ritual (祭祀); unique, once-for-all fulfillment. |
| deliver to Satan | παραδίδωμι τῷ Σατανᾷ | paradidōmi tō Satana | 交给撒但 | jiāo gěi Sādàn | High | 5 | Redemptive, restoration-oriented discipline, not a curse or exorcism ritual. |
| body | σῶμα | sōma | 身体 (CUV variant: 身子) | shēntǐ (shēnzi) | High | 6 | Individual bodily holiness without dualistic devaluation of the body. |
| bought with a price | ἀγοράζω (+ τιμῆς) | agorazō | 重价买来 | chóngjià mǎi lái | High | 6 | Grace-framed costly purchase, not cold commercial transaction or folk soul-redemption ritual. |
Doctrine: Marriage and Singleness (ch. 7)
| Term | Greek | Transliteration | Mandarin | Pinyin | Risk | Chapters | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| marriage | γάμος | gamos | 婚姻 | hūnyīn | Medium | 7 | Cultural pressure toward marriage-as-filial-duty may distort Paul’s even-handed treatment. |
| virgin/unmarried person | παρθένος | parthenos | 童身 | tóngshēn | Medium | 7 | Avoid framing as either spiritually superior (ascetic ideal) or socially stigmatized. |
| gift (personal calling) | χάρισμα | charisma | 恩赐 (alone, distinct sense) | ēncì | High | 7 | Requires disambiguation from corporate ministry-gift sense (属灵恩赐, chs. 12/14); same Greek word, different referent. |
| self-control | ἐγκράτεια | egkrateia | 节制 | jiézhì | Medium | 7 | Spirit-enabled restraint, not Confucian 克己 self-cultivated willpower. |
Doctrine: Christian Liberty and Idol Meat (chs. 8-10)
| Term | Greek | Transliteration | Mandarin | Pinyin | Risk | Chapters | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| idol | εἴδωλον | eidōlon | 偶像 | ǒuxiàng | Critical | 8, 10, 12 | Direct intersection with active ancestral-tablet/deity-image/temple-idol veneration in Chinese folk religion. |
| food sacrificed to idols | εἰδωλόθυτον | eidōlothyton | 祭偶像之物 | jì ǒuxiàng zhī wù | Critical | 8, 10 | Maps onto live practice of eating temple-festival/ancestor-rite redistributed food; requires direct pastoral framing. |
| conscience | συνείδησις | syneidēsis | 良心 | liángxīn | Medium-High | 8, 10 | Must be Christ-formed conscience, not autonomous Confucian innate moral sense. |
| knowledge | γνῶσις | gnōsis | 知识 | zhīshi | Medium | 8, 13 | Distinguish from Buddhist enlightened-insight categories (悟/智); here intellectual/doctrinal understanding lacking love. |
| idolatry | εἰδωλολατρία | eidōlolatria | 拜偶像 | bài ǒuxiàng | Critical | 10 | Must be distinguished sharply from the permitted “eating” of ch.8; the line is worship/ritual participation, not food itself. |
| demon | δαιμόνιον | daimonion | 鬼 / 鬼魔 | guǐ / guǐmó | Critical | 10 | Inherited CUV term collides with folk “ancestor ghost” category; requires sustained doctrinal distinction in every occurrence, not a lexical fix. |
| table of the Lord / table of demons | τράπεζα κυρίου / τράπεζα δαιμονίων | trapeza kyriou / trapeza daimoniōn | 主的桌子 / 鬼的筵席 | Zhǔ de zhuōzi / guǐ de yánxí | High | 10 | Parallels real temple-associated communal meals and ancestor-veneration feasts. |
| temptation | πειρασμός | peirasmos | 试探 | shìtàn | Medium | 10 | — |
| right/authority | ἐξουσία | exousia | 权柄 | quánbǐng | Medium | 9 | Distinct sense from Romans 13’s governing-authority usage; here a personal ministerial entitlement, voluntarily surrendered. |
| crown/wreath | στέφανος | stephanos | 冠冕 | guānmiǎn | Medium | 9 | Athletic victor’s wreath, not royal/imperial crown (王冠). |
Doctrine: The Lord’s Supper (ch. 11)
| Term | Greek | Transliteration | Mandarin | Pinyin | Risk | Chapters | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| head | κεφαλή | kephalē | 头 | tóu | Critical | 11 | Collides with Confucian Three Bonds patriarchal hierarchy (三纲); requires careful theological framing, mandatory theologian review. |
| Lord’s Supper | κυριακὸν δεῖπνον | kyriakon deipnon | 主的晚餐 | Zhǔ de wǎncān | Critical | 11 | Must be distinguished from ancestral memorial-meal offerings (祭祖) made to the dead; this is a meal with the living Lord, by the living church. |
| body and blood (in the Supper) | σῶμα καὶ αἷμα | sōma kai haima | 身体和血 | shēntǐ hé xiě | Critical | 11 | Avoid magical-transformation folk reading and blood-oath sworn-brotherhood collision (结拜). |
| unworthily | ἀναξίως | anaxiōs | 不按理 | bù àn lǐ | Medium | 11 | Manner-of-participation warning, not a statement of ultimate salvific worth. |
| tradition(s) | παράδοσις | paradosis | 传统 / 所传给你们的 | chuántǒng / suǒ chuán gěi nǐmen de | Medium-High | 11 | Cross-reference with 15:3’s transmission vocabulary (παραδίδωμι/παρέλαβον) for consistency. |
Doctrine: Spiritual Gifts and the Body of Christ (ch. 12, 14)
| Term | Greek | Transliteration | Mandarin | Pinyin | Risk | Chapters | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| baptize/baptism | βαπτίζω / βάπτισμα | baptizō / baptisma | 洗礼 | xǐlǐ | High | 1, 12 | Distinguish from Daoist/Buddhist/folk ritual purification bathing (净身); signifies Spirit-wrought union with Christ, not a magical/self-performed technique. |
| varieties (of gifts) | διαίρεσις | diairesis | 分别 / 不同 | fēnbié / bùtóng | Low | 12 | — |
| tongues | γλῶσσα (pl. γλῶσσαι) | glōssa | 方言 | fāngyán | High | 12, 13, 14 | Semantic-gap risk: ordinary meaning is “regional dialect,” with no supernatural connotation; requires consistent clarifying context. |
| interpretation | ἑρμηνεία | hermēneia | 翻译 / 解释 | fānyì / jiěshì | Low | 12, 14 | — |
| healing | ἴασις | iasis | 医病 | yī bìng | Low-Medium | 12 | Distinguish from qigong/folk-energy healing (气/法力), per baseline power_of_god caution. |
Doctrine: Love as the Greater Way (ch. 13)
| Term | Greek | Transliteration | Mandarin | Pinyin | Risk | Chapters | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| love | ἀγάπη | agapē | 爱 | ài | Critical | 13 | Must be distinguished from romantic love (爱情), mere affection (喜欢), Confucian role-calibrated benevolence (仁), and Buddhist non-attachment compassion (慈悲). CUV’s unqualified 爱 is doctrinally deliberate and must be retained with a strong clarifying note. |
| hope | ἐλπίς | elpis | 盼望 | pànwàng | Medium | 13, 15 | Distinguish from generic wishful/fortune-seeking hope (folk 福-related hoping); grounded in the secured future event of resurrection. |
Doctrine: Order in Worship (ch. 11, 14)
(See also κεφαλή/头 above under Lord’s Supper, and τάξις/次序, γλῶσσα/方言, ἑρμηνεία/翻译 above under Body of Christ/Spiritual Gifts — these terms serve both doctrines and are not repeated here to avoid duplication.)
Doctrine: The Resurrection of Christ and Believers (ch. 15)
| Term | Greek | Transliteration | Mandarin | Pinyin | Risk | Chapters | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| received (tradition) | παραλαμβάνω | paralambanō | 领受 / 接受 | lǐngshòu / jiēshòu | Medium-High | 11, 15 | Fixed apostolic deposit received, not a personally-formed opinion or one lineage-teaching among several. |
| delivered (tradition) | παραδίδωμι | paradidōmi | 传给 / 传授 | chuán gěi / chuánshòu | High | 11, 15 | Historically-anchored eyewitness deposit, not philosophical wisdom transmission (cf. Confucian 经典的传授). |
| hold fast | κατέχω | katechō | 持守 | chíshǒu | Medium | 15 | Persevering adherence to specific gospel content, not generic willpower-based perseverance. |
| for (substitutionary) | ὑπὲρ | hyper | 为 / 替 | wèi / tì | Critical | 15 | 为 alone risks a merely-topical “concerning” reading; substitutionary sense (替, “in place of”) must be preserved. |
| according to the Scriptures | κατὰ τὰς γραφάς | kata tas graphas | 照圣经所说 / 正如经上所记 | zhào Shèngjīng suǒ shuō | High | 15 | Linear one-time historical fulfillment, not the cyclical dynastic order-chaos-order pattern (治乱循环). |
| was buried | ἐτάφη | etaphē | 埋葬 | máizàng | High | 15 | Affirms real bodily death; guards against docetic or reanimation-folklore (还魂) readings. |
| was raised (perfect) | ἐγήγερται | egēgertai | 复活 (reuse) + stative aspect note | fùhuó | Critical | 15 | Perfect-tense “abiding result” nuance should be preserved (e.g., 已经复活了) beyond simple past tense. |
| appeared | ὤφθη | ōphthē | 显现 | xiǎnxiàn | Critical | 15 | Must not be read as a vision/dream/ghost-sighting (幻象, 显灵, 见鬼); an objective bodily appearance to eyewitnesses. |
| at one time | ἐφάπαξ | ephapax | 一次 / 同时 | yí cì / tóngshí | Low-Medium | 15 | Historical-evidential simultaneity of mass witness. |
| fallen asleep | ἐκοιμήθησαν | ekoimēthēsan | 睡了 | shuì le | High | 15 | Hope-filled euphemism for death awaiting a single future bodily awakening; distinguish from rebirth-cycle metaphors (投胎/轮回). |
| one untimely born | ἔκτρωμα | ektrōma | 未足月而生的 / 不合时的人 | wèi zúyuè ér shēng de | Medium-High | 15 | Unusual/uncomfortable stillbirth imagery; recommend functional-equivalence gloss preserving Paul’s humility point. |
| least / worthy | ἐλάχιστος / ἱκανός | elachistos / hikanos | 最小的 / 配 | zuì xiǎo de / pèi | Low-Medium | 15 | — |
| persecuted | ἐδίωξα | ediōxa | 逼迫 | bīpò | Low | 15 | — |
| in vain / empty | κενή | kenē | 落空 / 徒然 | luòkōng / túrán | High | 15 | Grace produces real fruit without becoming merit; guard against reintroducing works-earns-standing reading. |
| labored | ἐκοπίασα | ekopiasa | 劳苦 / 劳碌 | láokǔ / láolù | Medium-High | 15 | Labor is fruit of grace, not its cause. |
| with me | σὺν ἐμοί | syn emoi | 与我同在 / 和我一同做工 | yǔ wǒ tóngzài | Medium | 15 | Grace remains the acting subject; avoid synergistic co-equal-partner phrasing. |
| we preach | κηρύσσομεν | kēryssomen | 传讲 / 宣讲 | chuánjiǎng / xuānjiǎng | Medium | 15 | Herald-style authoritative proclamation, not private teaching or fortune-telling forecast. |
| spiritual body | σῶμα πνευματικόν | sōma pneumatikon | 属灵的身体 | shǔlíng de shēntǐ | Critical | 15 | Real transformed physical body, not a disembodied ghost or Buddhist intermediate-state body (中阴身). |
| perishable / imperishable | φθαρτός / ἄφθαρτος | phthartos / aphthartos | 能坏的 / 不能坏的 | néng huài de / bù néng huài de | Medium | 15 | — |
| last Adam | ἔσχατος Ἀδάμ | eschatos Adam | 末后的亚当 | mòhòu de Yàdāng | High | 15 | Two-figure typology (first/last Adam), not a serial/reincarnation framework; requires Genesis background. |
| victory | νῖκος | nikos | 得胜 | déshèng | Medium | 15 | Tied explicitly to resurrection hope, not generalized triumphalism. |
| sting | κέντρον | kentron | 毒钩 | dúgōu | Low | 15 | — |
Closing Material (ch. 16)
| Term | Greek | Transliteration | Mandarin | Pinyin | Risk | Chapters | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| collection | λογία | logia | 捐项 | juānxiàng | High | 16 | Distinguish from temple merit-donation practice (功德箱); grace-motivated solidarity gift, not a merit-generating transaction. |
| Maranatha | μαράνα θά | marana tha | 马拉纳他 (+ gloss 主必要来) | Mǎlānàtā | Medium | 16 | Opaque transliteration; requires explanatory note, cf. baseline treatment of Abba (阿爸). |
| holy kiss | φίλημα ἅγιον | philēma hagion | 圣洁的亲嘴 | shèngjié de qīnzuǐ | Low-Medium | 16 | Cultural-strangeness risk (greeting-kiss atypical in Chinese custom), not doctrinal collision. |
| accursed | ἀνάθεμα | anathema | 咒诅 / 被咒诅 | zhòuzǔ / bèi zhòuzǔ | High | 16 | Solemn covenantal exclusion pronouncement, not folk magical curse-casting (下咒). |
Risk Tier Summary (New Terms Only)
| Risk | Count | Review Routing |
|---|---|---|
| Critical | 13 | Human theologian (mandatory) |
| High | 20 | Human theologian (mandatory) |
| Medium-High | 5 | Human theologian (recommended) |
| Medium | 16 | Native speaker review |
| Low-Medium | 5 | Native speaker review |
| Low | 9 | Automated review |
Highest-priority Critical terms for Phase 2 human theologian review: 智慧 (wisdom), 神的殿 (temple of God), 逾越节 (Passover), 偶像/祭偶像之物 (idol/idol food), 拜偶像 (idolatry), 鬼/鬼魔 (demons), 头 (head/headship), 主的晚餐 (Lord’s Supper), 身体和血 (body and blood), 爱 (love), 属灵的身体 (spiritual body), 显现 (appeared), 为/替 (substitutionary “for,” 15:3).
This glossary must be merged into an updated translation_memory.json (Phase 1 Step 8 / Phase 2 pre-flight) before any 1 Corinthians segment translation begins, per the baseline’s Translation Memory Load and Enforcement Instructions.
Critical Risk Terms
Grace
Approved rendering: 恩典
Transliteration: ēndiǎn
Doctrine: Grace
Rejected alternatives: 功德, 造化, 福气, 阴德
Original: χάρις
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package (unmodified). NEVER 功德/阴德. 15:10 (‘by the grace of God I am what I am… his grace was not in vain… yet not I, but the grace of God’) is the curriculum’s pivotal grace-not-merit verse: labor is the fruit of grace, never a meritorious addition to it. Also occurs 1:4; 3:10; 16:23.
Righteousness
Approved rendering: 义
Transliteration: yì
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: 道德, 善行
Original: δικαιοσύνη
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package (unmodified). 1:30 presents Christ himself as ‘our righteousness’ from God — a gift found in Christ, not the achieved Confucian virtue of the same character. Every occurrence in a justification context requires the baseline’s distinguishing note.
Justification
Approved rendering: 称义
Transliteration: chēngyì
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: 修成正果, 赎罪
Original: δικαίωσις / ἐδικαιώθητε
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package (unmodified). 6:11’s threefold conversion description (‘washed, sanctified, justified’) must retain the forensic, completed-declaration sense; NEVER 修成正果.
Salvation
Approved rendering: 救恩
Transliteration: jiùēn
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: 解脱, 超度, 得道
Original: σωτηρία / σῴζω
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package (unmodified). 15:2’s present-tense ‘you are being saved’ must preserve ongoing reality grounded in a completed past event, without implying salvation is incomplete pending merit. Also occurs 1:18, 21.
Sanctification
Approved rendering: 成圣
Transliteration: chéngshèng
Doctrine: Sanctification
Rejected alternatives: 修身, 修炼
Original: ἁγιασμός / ἡγιάσθητε
Category: Sanctification
Inherited from Romans package (unmodified). 6:11 pairs it with justification as a completed reality, not an ongoing self-effort project; every occurrence requires the baseline’s Neo-Confucian self-cultivation clarifying note. Underlies 1:30.
Resurrection
Approved rendering: 复活
Transliteration: fùhuó
Doctrine: Resurrection of Christ
Rejected alternatives: 轮回, 投胎, 还魂
Original: ἀνάστασις
Category: Eschatology
Inherited from Romans package (unmodified). This rule is more load-bearing here than anywhere else in the curriculum: 1 Corinthians 15 is devoted entirely to defending this doctrine against active denial (15:12). Pervasive throughout ch. 15; also 6:14.
Lord
Approved rendering: 主
Transliteration: zhǔ
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Rejected alternatives: 主人, 老爷
Original: κύριος
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package (unmodified). 12:3’s ‘Jesus is Lord’ (耶稣是主) is the mark of Spirit-given speech; 15:57-58 grounds believers’ labor ‘in the Lord.’ Must never be softened toward 主人/老爷.
Son Of God
Approved rendering: 神的儿子
Transliteration: Shén de érzi
Doctrine: Sonship of Christ
Rejected alternatives: 天子, 神人
Original: υἱὸς θεοῦ
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package (unmodified). Implied at 1:9 (‘his Son’) and presupposed throughout the resurrection argument of ch. 15; NEVER 天子, never abbreviated to 神人.
Messiah
Approved rendering: 基督
Transliteration: Jīdū
Doctrine: Messianic Promise
Rejected alternatives: 弥勒, 救世主式泛称
Original: Χριστός
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package (unmodified). Pervasive throughout 1 Corinthians, especially as the resurrection-defining title in 15:1-58. NEVER conflated with 弥勒 (Maitreya).
Jesus
Approved rendering: 耶稣
Transliteration: Yēsū
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Original: Ἰησοῦς
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package (unmodified). Used pervasively, including the salvation confession of 12:3.
God
Approved rendering: 神
Transliteration: Shén
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
Rejected alternatives: 上帝, 天, 老天爷
Original: θεός
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package (unmodified). This package standardizes on 神 (Shen edition) throughout 1 Corinthians. NEVER 上帝/天/老天爷 within this package.
Holy Spirit
Approved rendering: 圣灵
Transliteration: Shènglíng
Doctrine: Sanctification
Rejected alternatives: 祖灵, 灵
Original: πνεῦμα ἅγιον
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package (unmodified). Especially critical in 1 Corinthians given the demon/ancestor-ghost collision documented under ‘demon’ below — 圣灵 must never be assimilated to any category of the folk-religious spirit world. Occurs 2:10-14; 3:16; 6:19; 12:3-13.
Imputed Righteousness
Approved rendering: 算为义
Transliteration: suàn wéi yì
Doctrine: Justification by Faith
Rejected alternatives: 修成正果的义, 自义
Original: ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην (thematic echo)
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package (unmodified). No direct restatement in 1 Corinthians but the doctrine underlies 1:30 and 6:11’s ‘you were… justified’; must not be rendered as earned righteousness.
Wisdom
Approved rendering: 智慧
Transliteration: zhìhuì
Doctrine: The Cross as Wisdom and Power
Rejected alternatives: 般若智慧（佛教用语）, 才智
Original: σοφία
Category: Wisdom and the Cross
NEW TERM. σοφία, chs. 1-3, 12. 智慧 is one of the Confucian Five Constant Virtues (仁义礼智信) and the central category in Chinese Buddhist soteriology (般若智慧, prajñā attained through cultivation). Every occurrence contrasting divine and worldly wisdom requires a note: God’s wisdom in the cross is revealed and received by faith, never achieved through moral or contemplative cultivation.
Temple Of God
Approved rendering: 神的殿
Transliteration: Shén de diàn
Doctrine: The Body as Temple of the Holy Spirit
Rejected alternatives: 庙, 寺, 道观
Original: ναός θεοῦ
Category: Church
NEW TERM. ναός θεοῦ, 3:16-17 (corporate church); 6:19 (individual body). Extends the baseline’s church-vs-temple caution (never 庙/寺/道观). Must affirm God’s indwelling presence without importing folk-temple associations of geomantic siting, idol-housing, or ritual appeasement offerings to a resident deity.
Passover Lamb
Approved rendering: 逾越节的羔羊
Transliteration: Yúyuèjié de gāoyáng
Doctrine: Church Discipline and Holiness
Rejected alternatives: 祭祀用的羊（暗示可重复的献祭仪式）
Original: πάσχα
Category: Discipline and Holiness
NEW TERM. πάσχα, 5:7. Must be sharply distinguished from ongoing Chinese folk/ancestral sacrificial-offering practices (祭祀, 拜拜) intended to appease deities or ancestors on a recurring basis — Christ’s Passover sacrifice is a unique, historical, once-for-all fulfillment, never a repeatable ritual offering.
Idol
Approved rendering: 偶像
Transliteration: ǒuxiàng
Doctrine: Christian Liberty and Idol Meat
Original: εἴδωλον
Category: Idolatry and Liberty
NEW TERM. εἴδωλον, 8:4; 10:19; 12:2. CRITICAL: directly and unavoidably intersects with veneration before ancestral tablets, deity images, and temple idols still active in Chinese folk religion; requires pastoral clarity distinguishing the idol’s ontological non-existence as a rival god from cultural ancestor-honoring practices, without softening the real prohibition.
Food Sacrificed To Idols
Approved rendering: 祭偶像之物
Transliteration: jì ǒuxiàng zhī wù
Doctrine: Christian Liberty and Idol Meat
Original: εἰδωλόθυτον
Category: Idolatry and Liberty
NEW TERM. εἰδωλόθυτον, 8:1-13; 10:23-11:1. Maps with unusual precision onto a live contemporary Chinese practice — food offered at temple festivals, funerals, and ancestor-rites is commonly redistributed and eaten by extended family; teaching materials must address this real situation directly and pastorally.
Idolatry
Approved rendering: 拜偶像
Transliteration: bài ǒuxiàng
Doctrine: Christian Liberty and Idol Meat
Original: εἰδωλολατρία
Category: Idolatry and Liberty
NEW TERM. εἰδωλολατρία, 10:14-22. Must be clearly distinguished from the permissible ‘eating idol meat with a clear conscience’ of ch. 8 — Paul’s line is between eating (which may be permissible) and worshiping/ritually participating (which is always forbidden). Requires explicit teaching given how integrated food, worship, and family ritual are in Chinese life.
Demon
Approved rendering: 鬼 / 鬼魔
Transliteration: guǐ / guǐmó
Doctrine: Christian Liberty and Idol Meat
Original: δαιμόνιον
Category: Idolatry and Liberty
NEW TERM (inherited CUV lexical choice, not freely selectable). δαιμόνιον, 10:20-21. 鬼 in ordinary Mandarin denotes a deceased human’s wandering or vengeful ghost, frequently an ancestor spirit requiring appeasement — an entirely different category from a fallen angelic being in rebellion against God. No lexical fix resolves this collision; requires sustained doctrinal teaching at every occurrence, mandatory theologian review each time, not a one-time note.
Head
Approved rendering: 头
Transliteration: tóu
Doctrine: Order in Worship
Rejected alternatives: 领袖（丢失关系性意象）, 来源（片面化解读）
Original: κεφαλή
Category: Worship and Sacrament
NEW TERM. κεφαλή, 11:3. CRITICAL: direct collision risk with the Confucian Three Bonds (三纲, especially 夫为妻纲, ‘the husband is the guide/head of the wife’) — an already normative hierarchical, duty-bound patriarchal framework. Requires careful theological framing distinct from both uncritical endorsement and over-corrective erasure; mandatory human theologian review for every occurrence in 11:2-16.
Lords Supper
Approved rendering: 主的晚餐
Transliteration: Zhǔ de wǎncān
Doctrine: The Lord’s Supper
Rejected alternatives: 祭祖式纪念餐（暗示向死者献祭）
Original: κυριακὸν δεῖπνον
Category: Worship and Sacrament
NEW TERM. κυριακὸν δεῖπνον, 11:17-34. Must be sharply distinguished from ancestral memorial-meal offerings (祭祖, 扫墓祭拜) presented ritually to the deceased — this is a meal shared with the living Lord by the living congregation, proclaiming a completed, once-for-all sacrifice.
Body And Blood
Approved rendering: 身体和血
Transliteration: shēntǐ hé xiě
Doctrine: The Lord’s Supper
Rejected alternatives: 结拜式的血（暗示兄弟结盟血誓）
Original: σῶμα καὶ αἷμα
Category: Worship and Sacrament
NEW TERM. σῶμα καὶ αἷμα, 11:23-27. Must avoid a magical-transformation folk-talisman reading and any collision with blood-oath sworn-brotherhood bonding (结拜, the Peach Garden oath already flagged in the baseline fellowship entry).
Love
Approved rendering: 爱
Transliteration: ài
Doctrine: Love as the Greater Way
Rejected alternatives: 仁（儒家角色化伦理美德）, 慈悲（佛教式无执同情）, 爱情（浪漫爱情式误读）
Original: ἀγάπη
Category: Love
NEW TERM (inherited CUV lexical choice for this curriculum). ἀγάπη, ch. 13. Must be distinguished from romantic love (爱情), mere affection (喜欢), the Confucian relational virtue 仁 (a role-calibrated duty cultivated through moral effort), and Buddhist non-attachment compassion (慈悲). CUV’s deliberate choice of the unqualified, simple 爱 is doctrinally significant and must be preserved with the strongest possible clarifying teaching note.
Substitutionary For
Approved rendering: 为 / 替
Transliteration: wèi / tì
Doctrine: The Resurrection of Christ and Believers
Rejected alternatives: 关于（弱化为纯粹话题关联）
Original: ὑπὲρ
Category: Resurrection
NEW TERM. ὑπὲρ, 15:3. Mandarin 为 alone can be read merely as ‘concerning/regarding’; translators must select or supplement with 替 (‘in place of, on behalf of’) or explanatory phrasing to preserve the substitutionary-atonement sense — Christ died in place of sinners, not merely ‘in connection with’ sin.
Appeared
Approved rendering: 显现
Transliteration: xiǎnxiàn
Doctrine: The Resurrection of Christ and Believers
Rejected alternatives: 显灵（民间神灵显现）, 见鬼（鬼魅出现）, 幻象（暗示主观幻觉）
Original: ὤφθη
Category: Resurrection
NEW TERM. ὤφθη, 15:5-8. Must not be rendered with vocabulary suggesting a vision, apparition, or dream, nor folk vocabulary for a ghost’s appearance/haunting — both common frameworks in Chinese folk religion for a deceased person ‘appearing,’ both of which would reduce the bodily resurrection to a spirit-sighting.
Spiritual Body
Approved rendering: 属灵的身体
Transliteration: shǔlíng de shēntǐ
Doctrine: The Resurrection of Christ and Believers
Rejected alternatives: 中阴身式描述（佛教中间状态身）, 无形灵体（暗示无实体的鬼魂）
Original: σῶμα πνευματικόν
Category: Resurrection
NEW TERM. σῶμα πνευματικόν, 15:44. Highest-ambiguity risk in the chapter: must be sharply distinguished from a disembodied ghost/spirit surviving without a body, and from the Buddhist intermediate-state body (中阴身). Always gloss as ‘the same body, transformed and Spirit-empowered,’ never as ‘a body made of spirit-substance instead of physical substance.‘
High Risk Terms
Faith
Approved rendering: 信心
Transliteration: xìnxīn
Doctrine: Faith
Rejected alternatives: 虔诚, 迷信, 信仰
Original: πίστις
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package (unmodified). Object of faith in 15:2, 11, 14, 17 must remain recoverable as the specific gospel content of 15:3-5. Also occurs 2:5; 13:2, 13.
Called
Approved rendering: 蒙召的
Transliteration: méngzhào de
Doctrine: Divine Calling
Rejected alternatives: 受命于天, 天命所归
Original: κλητός
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package (unmodified). Occurs 1:1-2, 24, 26, both to apostleship and to salvation/sainthood; must remain a personal, relational summons, never Mandate-of-Heaven-style cosmic entitlement.
Calling
Approved rendering: 呼召
Transliteration: hūzhào
Doctrine: Divine Calling
Rejected alternatives: 天命, 命运
Original: κλῆσις
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package (unmodified). 7:15-24 uses this term for the state in which God has called each believer, to be lived out rather than anxiously escaped; never 天命 alone.
Holy
Approved rendering: 圣洁
Transliteration: shèngjié
Doctrine: Sanctification
Rejected alternatives: 清净, 圣人般的
Original: ἅγιος
Category: Sanctification
Inherited from Romans package (unmodified). Describes believers’ children (7:14) and bodies (7:34); avoid 清净 (Daoist/Buddhist ritual-purity term).
Saints
Approved rendering: 圣徒
Transliteration: shèngtú
Doctrine: Sainthood
Rejected alternatives: 圣人, 高僧
Original: ἅγιοι
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package (unmodified). Ordinary designation for the whole church, including the Jerusalem relief-collection recipients (16:1, 15); never 圣人 (the elevated Confucian sage category). Also occurs 1:2; 6:1-2; 14:33.
Law
Approved rendering: 律法
Transliteration: lǜfǎ
Doctrine: Fulfillment of Prophecy
Rejected alternatives: 礼, 道德规范, 法律
Original: νόμος
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package (unmodified). Referenced in 9:8-9, 20-21 (apostolic freedom from and accommodation to it) and 14:34; 15:56. NEVER equate with 礼 or 法律.
Sin
Approved rendering: 罪
Transliteration: zuì
Doctrine: Universal Human Accountability
Rejected alternatives: 报应, 罪犯式的罪
Original: ἁμαρτία
Category: Sin
Inherited from Romans package (unmodified). Central to 15:3 (‘Christ died for our sins’) and 15:17, 34, 56; also 6:18; 7:28, 36; 8:12. Distinguish from 报应 (karmic retribution).
Covenant
Approved rendering: 约
Transliteration: yuē
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant
Rejected alternatives: 合同, 契约
Original: διαθήκη
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package (unmodified). 11:25’s ‘the new covenant in my blood,’ instituted at the Lord’s Supper, is one of the most doctrinally weighted occurrences of this term in the NT; avoid 合同/契约.
Election
Approved rendering: 拣选
Transliteration: jiǎnxuǎn
Doctrine: Effectual Calling
Rejected alternatives: 天命, 命运, 缘分
Original: ἐκλογή / ἐξελέξατο
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package (unmodified). 1:27-28’s deliberate choosing of the socially lowly (foolish, weak, despised things of the world) directly counters any status-hierarchy reading of divine favor. NEVER 天命/命运/缘分.
Providence
Approved rendering: 神的护理
Transliteration: Shén de hùlǐ
Doctrine: Providence
Rejected alternatives: 天意, 命运
Original: ὁ αὐτὸς θεός ὁ ἐνεργῶν τὰ πάντα (cf. 12:6, 11)
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package (unmodified). 12:6, 11’s ‘the same God who works all things… as he wills’ underlines personal, purposive divine agency in gift-distribution, not an impersonal cosmic mechanism (天意).
Power Of God
Approved rendering: 神的大能
Transliteration: Shén de dà néng
Doctrine: Power of God for Salvation
Rejected alternatives: 气, 法力
Original: δύναμις θεοῦ
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package (unmodified). Forms the direct doctrinal bridge from Romans 1:16 into 1 Corinthians’ Cross-as-Wisdom-and-Power doctrine: 1:18, 24 (the cross as God’s power); 2:4-5; 6:14; 15:43 (resurrection power). NEVER 气/法力.
Father
Approved rendering: 父
Transliteration: fù
Doctrine: Adoption into God’s Family
Rejected alternatives: 祖先, 老天爷
Original: πατήρ
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package (unmodified). Occurs 1:3; 8:6 (‘one God, the Father’); 15:24. Distinguish from ancestor veneration (祭祖) and 祖先/老天爷.
Division
Approved rendering: 分党
Transliteration: fēndǎng
Doctrine: Christian Unity versus Factionalism
Rejected alternatives: 派别（过于中立）, 分裂（过强，暗示暴力性破裂）
Original: σχίσμα
Category: Church
NEW TERM. Established CUV rendering for σχίσμα (1:10-13). 党 carries a strong modern political-party connotation (政党); must be taught as sinful personality-loyalty faction rivalry within one body (around Paul/Apollos/Cephas), never softened into legitimate difference of opinion or acceptable pluralism.
Foolishness
Approved rendering: 愚拙
Transliteration: yúzhuō
Doctrine: The Cross as Wisdom and Power
Rejected alternatives: 荒谬, 无知
Original: μωρία
Category: Wisdom and the Cross
NEW TERM. μωρία, 1:18-25. Established CUV term. Must be taught as an intentional divine paradox — appearing foolish only to those without faith — never as an admission that the gospel is genuinely irrational.
Mystery
Approved rendering: 奥秘
Transliteration: àomì
Doctrine: The Cross as Wisdom and Power
Rejected alternatives: 秘术, 天机
Original: μυστήριον
Category: Wisdom and the Cross
NEW TERM. μυστήριον, 2:1, 7; also 4:1, 13:2, 14:2, 15:51. Must be distinguished from esoteric occult secrets (秘术) and Daoist inner-alchemy ‘secret transmission’ teachings; biblical mystery is truth freely disclosed by God’s Spirit to all believers, not privileged knowledge reserved for spiritual adepts.
Spiritual Person Natural Person
Approved rendering: 属灵的人 / 属血气的人
Transliteration: shǔlíng de rén / shǔ xiěqì de rén
Doctrine: The Cross as Wisdom and Power
Rejected alternatives: 血气不足的人（中医式误读）
Original: πνευματικός / ψυχικός
Category: Wisdom and the Cross
NEW TERM. πνευματικός / ψυχικός, 2:14-15. Established CUV pair. 血气 (xiěqì) risks a Traditional Chinese Medicine/qigong reading of bodily vital energy rather than unregenerate human nature apart from the Spirit; always pair the two halves of the contrast and gloss on first use.
Fleshly Carnal
Approved rendering: 属肉体的
Transliteration: shǔ ròutǐ de
Doctrine: Christian Unity versus Factionalism
Rejected alternatives: 肉体本恶式措辞
Original: σάρκινος / σαρκικός
Category: Church
NEW TERM. σάρκινος/σαρκικός, 3:1-3. Must be distinguished from a dualistic body-is-evil reading common in folk-Buddhist thought; describes sin-dominated spiritual immaturity, not physicality itself as inherently corrupt. Pair with 属灵 as the positive counterpart.
Reward
Approved rendering: 赏赐
Transliteration: shǎngcì
Doctrine: Apostolic Ministry and Stewardship
Rejected alternatives: 功德
Original: μισθός
Category: Church
NEW TERM. μισθός, 3:8, 14-15. Must be carefully distinguished from the Buddhist merit-accounting worldview (功德) already forbidden for ‘grace’ in the baseline; this reward is God’s gracious response to Spirit-empowered service after salvation is secured by grace, never a ledger determining salvation itself.
Body Of Christ
Approved rendering: 基督的身体
Transliteration: Jīdū de shēntǐ
Doctrine: Spiritual Gifts and the Body of Christ
Rejected alternatives: 机构式团体（弱化有机联结）
Original: σῶμα Χριστοῦ
Category: Church
NEW TERM. σῶμα Χριστοῦ, 12:12-27. Must convey organic, Spirit-united interdependence, not a voluntary social organization or a hierarchical bureaucratic/clan structure common in Chinese institutional thinking. Reinforce with 肢体 (member) language.
Apostolic Tradition Delivered
Approved rendering: 传给 / 传授
Transliteration: chuán gěi / chuánshòu
Doctrine: Apostolic Tradition and Eyewitness Testimony
Rejected alternatives: 经典的传授（儒家式师承框架）
Original: παραδίδωμι
Category: Apostolic Ministry
NEW TERM. παραδίδωμι, 11:2, 23; 15:3. Must be distinguished from the transmission of classical wisdom-teaching in the Confucian tradition (经典的传授) — this is a historically anchored eyewitness deposit of a completed redemptive event and apostolic instruction, not philosophical wisdom handed master-to-disciple.
Apostolic Tradition Received
Approved rendering: 领受 / 接受
Transliteration: lǐngshòu / jiēshòu
Doctrine: Apostolic Tradition and Eyewitness Testimony
Rejected alternatives: 师承式传承（暗示多个平行谱系）
Original: παραλαμβάνω
Category: Apostolic Ministry
NEW TERM. παραλαμβάνω, 11:23; 15:1, 3. Must convey receiving an authoritative, fixed deposit rather than personally forming an opinion; risks being read through the Confucian master-disciple transmission model (师承) as one lineage-teaching among several rather than a unique, once-delivered apostolic deposit.
Traditions
Approved rendering: 传统 / 所传给你们的
Transliteration: chuántǒng / suǒ chuán gěi nǐmen de
Doctrine: Apostolic Tradition and Eyewitness Testimony
Rejected alternatives: 祖传习俗（暗示人为祖俗而非使徒权威）
Original: παράδοσις
Category: Apostolic Ministry
NEW TERM. παράδοσις, 11:2. 传统 also carries a generic ‘ancestral/customary’ sense in everyday Mandarin; must be taught as apostolic, Spirit-authorized instruction, not mere ancestral custom. Cross-reference with 15:3’s transmission vocabulary for glossary consistency.
Sexual Immorality
Approved rendering: 淫乱
Transliteration: yínluàn
Doctrine: Church Discipline and Holiness
Rejected alternatives: 失礼（弱化为社会失当）
Original: πορνεία
Category: Discipline and Holiness
NEW TERM. πορνεία, chs. 5, 6, 7. Must be presented as a serious sin against God and the body, not merely a breach of social propriety or loss of face (面子).
Deliver To Satan
Approved rendering: 交给撒但
Transliteration: jiāo gěi Sādàn
Doctrine: Church Discipline and Holiness
Rejected alternatives: 下咒（民间诅咒仪式）, 驱邪（暗示驱魔法术）
Original: παραδίδωμι τῷ Σατανᾷ
Category: Discipline and Holiness
NEW TERM. παραδίδωμι τῷ Σατανᾷ, 5:5. Must be taught as redemptive, restoration-oriented church discipline, not a magical curse or exorcistic ritual, avoiding collision with folk 下咒 curse-casting.
Body Individual
Approved rendering: 身体
Transliteration: shēntǐ
Doctrine: The Body as Temple of the Holy Spirit
Rejected alternatives: 肉体（暗示身体本恶）
Original: σῶμα
Category: Discipline and Holiness
NEW TERM. σῶμα, 6:15-20 (CUV variant 身子, shēnzi, identical meaning). Extends the temple-of-God caution to the individual body specifically; must affirm bodily holiness without dualistic body-is-evil folk-Buddhist framing.
Bought With A Price
Approved rendering: 重价买来
Transliteration: chóngjià mǎi lái
Doctrine: The Body as Temple of the Holy Spirit
Rejected alternatives: 赎命（暗示民间买命/买运习俗）
Original: ἀγοράζω (+ τιμῆς)
Category: Discipline and Holiness
NEW TERM. ἀγοράζω (+ τιμῆς), 6:20. Established CUV phrase. Must be taught within a grace framework (Christ’s costly, gracious purchase), not as a cold commercial transaction, and must not be conflated with folk practices of ritually ‘redeeming’ a person’s fate or a departed soul.
Gift Personal Calling
Approved rendering: 恩赐
Transliteration: ēncì
Doctrine: Marriage and Singleness
Original: χάρισμα
Category: Marriage
NEW TERM (distinct sense of the same head noun as spiritual_gifts). χάρισμα, 7:7. CUV renders 7:7 with 恩赐 alone. Requires an explicit disambiguation note in every occurrence so learners do not conflate this personal vocational gift (for marriage or celibacy) with the corporate ministry gifts (属灵恩赐) of chs. 12/14.
Conscience
Approved rendering: 良心
Transliteration: liángxīn
Doctrine: Christian Liberty and Idol Meat
Original: συνείδησις
Category: Idolatry and Liberty
NEW TERM. συνείδησις, 8:7-12; 10:25-29. 良心 is also a live Confucian ethical category (an innate, self-sufficient moral sense); must be taught here as a conscience formed under the lordship of Christ and Scripture, not an autonomous inner moral compass.
Table Of The Lord Table Of Demons
Approved rendering: 主的桌子 / 鬼的筵席
Transliteration: Zhǔ de zhuōzi / guǐ de yánxí
Doctrine: Christian Liberty and Idol Meat
Original: τράπεζα κυρίου / τράπεζα δαιμονίων
Category: Idolatry and Liberty
NEW TERM. τράπεζα κυρίου/δαιμονίων, 10:21. Directly parallels the real cultural situation of attending temple-associated communal meals or ancestor-veneration feasts; requires explicit pastoral application distinguishing table-fellowship allegiance.
Baptism
Approved rendering: 洗礼
Transliteration: xǐlǐ
Doctrine: Baptism and Union with Christ
Rejected alternatives: 净身（道教/民间净化仪式）
Original: βαπτίζω / βάπτισμα
Category: Worship and Sacrament
NEW TERM. βαπτίζω/βάπτισμα, 1:13-17; 12:13. Must be distinguished from ritual purification bathing in Daoist/Buddhist/folk practice (净身, performed by a ritual specialist); Christian baptism signifies Spirit-wrought union with Christ, not a magical or self-performed purification technique.
Tongues
Approved rendering: 方言
Transliteration: fāngyán
Doctrine: Spiritual Gifts and the Body of Christ
Original: γλῶσσα
Category: Spiritual Gifts
NEW TERM. γλῶσσα, 12:10, 28; 13:1, 8; 14:1-40. In ordinary Mandarin usage 方言 simply means ‘regional dialect’ with no supernatural connotation; readers may fail to recognize a spiritual gift is being described at all unless the term is consistently paired with clarifying language (e.g., 圣灵所赐的方言).
According To The Scriptures
Approved rendering: 照圣经所说 / 正如经上所记
Transliteration: zhào Shèngjīng suǒ shuō / zhèng rú jīng shàng suǒ jì
Doctrine: The Resurrection of Christ and Believers
Original: κατὰ τὰς γραφάς
Category: Resurrection
NEW TERM. κατὰ τὰς γραφάς, 15:3-4. Must be taught as linear, one-time historical fulfillment, not the cyclical dynastic-rise-and-fall pattern (治乱循环) many readers intuitively bring to long historical narrative — same collision flagged in the Romans baseline’s Fulfillment of Prophecy doctrine.
Was Buried
Approved rendering: 埋葬
Transliteration: máizàng
Doctrine: The Resurrection of Christ and Believers
Original: ἐτάφη
Category: Resurrection
NEW TERM. ἐτάφη, 15:4. Must be retained explicitly to guard against any docetic-flavored reading and to block a ‘spirit returned’ folk-ghost-story reading (还魂) — burial establishes real bodily death prior to a real bodily resurrection.
Fallen Asleep
Approved rendering: 睡了
Transliteration: shuì le
Doctrine: The Resurrection of Christ and Believers
Rejected alternatives: 投胎（暗示轮回转世）
Original: ἐκοιμήθησαν
Category: Resurrection
NEW TERM. ἐκοιμήθησαν, 15:6, 18, 20, 51. CUV convention for this NT death-euphemism. Must be distinguished from Buddhist metaphors of death as a transition within an ongoing rebirth cycle (投胎/轮回, already forbidden under baseline resurrection rules) — ‘sleep’ here implies a single future awakening, not an intermediate rebirth-state.
One Untimely Born
Approved rendering: 未足月而生的 / 不合时的人
Transliteration: wèi zúyuè ér shēng de / bù héshí de rén
Doctrine: The Resurrection of Christ and Believers
Original: ἔκτρωμα
Category: Resurrection
NEW TERM. ἔκτρωμα, 15:8. Involves unusual and potentially uncomfortable miscarriage/stillbirth imagery in Mandarin; recommend a functional-equivalence gloss preserving Paul’s point of unworthy, unexpected recipient of grace over a clinical literal rendering.
In Vain Empty
Approved rendering: 落空 / 徒然
Transliteration: luòkōng / túrán
Doctrine: The Resurrection of Christ and Believers
Original: κενή
Category: Resurrection
NEW TERM. κενή, 15:10. Must be handled carefully alongside the grace/merit collision already flagged for 恩典: grace produces real labor without grace becoming merit — the labor is evidence of grace’s effectiveness, not a separate meritorious contribution.
Labored
Approved rendering: 劳苦 / 劳碌
Transliteration: láokǔ / láolù
Doctrine: The Resurrection of Christ and Believers
Original: ἐκοπίασα
Category: Resurrection
NEW TERM. ἐκοπίασα, 15:10. Teaching must make explicit that labor is the fruit of grace, not its cause, guarding against the same works-earns-standing collision flagged for 落空/徒然 above.
Last Adam
Approved rendering: 末后的亚当
Transliteration: mòhòu de Yàdāng
Doctrine: The Resurrection of Christ and Believers
Rejected alternatives: 转世式亚当序列（暗示轮回谱系）
Original: ἔσχατος Ἀδάμ
Category: Resurrection
NEW TERM. ἔσχατος Ἀδάμ, 15:22, 45-49. Requires Genesis/OT background teaching, since Adam typology is unfamiliar without prior instruction, and must be clarified as a two-term typological structure (first Adam/last Adam), not a serial-succession or reincarnation-lineage framework.
Collection
Approved rendering: 捐项
Transliteration: juānxiàng
Doctrine: Grace-Motivated Giving
Rejected alternatives: 功德箱式捐献（佛教/民间功德累积框架）
Original: λογία
Category: Stewardship and Giving
NEW TERM. λογία, 16:1-4. Must be distinguished from the Buddhist/folk-temple practice of donating for merit (功德箱, ‘merit box’ donations believed to accrue merit or favor) — a grace-motivated act of love and church solidarity, not a merit-generating religious transaction.
Accursed
Approved rendering: 咒诅 / 被咒诅
Transliteration: zhòuzǔ / bèi zhòuzǔ
Doctrine: Church Discipline and Holiness
Rejected alternatives: 下咒式表达（暗示法术性诅咒）
Original: ἀνάθεμα
Category: Discipline and Holiness
NEW TERM. ἀνάθεμα, 16:22. Must be distinguished from folk curse-casting practices (下咒, magical hexing performed by a ritual specialist); a solemn, covenantal statement of ultimate exclusion from love for the Lord, pronounced by the apostolic community, not a magical technique for harming another person.
Medium Risk Terms
Gospel
Approved rendering: 福音
Transliteration: fúyīn
Doctrine: Gospel
Rejected alternatives: 好消息, 喜讯
Original: εὐαγγέλιον
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package (unmodified). 1 Corinthians 15:1-2 stresses this gospel is a received, fixed apostolic deposit (see 领受/传给 below) defined by 15:3-5, on which believers presently stand and are being saved — not a generic ‘good news’ open to revision. Occurs also at 1:17; 4:15; 9:12-18, 23.
Peace
Approved rendering: 平安
Transliteration: píng’ān
Doctrine: Peace with God
Rejected alternatives: 安宁, 平安符式的平安
Original: εἰρήνη
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package (unmodified). Extended in 7:15 and 14:33 to peaceable relationships within marriage and corporate worship; distinguish from the generic well-wishing sense in the closing greeting of 16:11.
Spiritual Gifts
Approved rendering: 属灵恩赐
Transliteration: shǔlíng ēncì
Doctrine: Spiritual Gifts
Rejected alternatives: 法力, 神通
Original: χαρίσματα
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package (unmodified). This is the corporate, ministry-empowerment sense (12:1-11; 14:1-40) and must be kept distinct from the singular 恩赐 personal-vocation sense in 7:7 (see gift_personal_calling below).
Church
Approved rendering: 教会
Transliteration: jiàohuì
Doctrine: Church as God’s People
Rejected alternatives: 庙, 寺, 道观
Original: ἐκκλησία
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package (unmodified). Extends into direct tension with the ‘temple of God’ (神的殿) sanctuary metaphor of 3:16-17 and 6:19 — see temple_of_god below. NEVER 庙/寺/道观.
Gentiles
Approved rendering: 外邦人
Transliteration: wàibāngrén
Doctrine: Unity of Jews and Gentiles
Rejected alternatives: 夷人, 外国人
Original: ἔθνη
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package (unmodified). One of the three constituencies of the church named alongside Jews (1:23; 5:1; 10:32; 12:2). NEVER 夷人.
Glory
Approved rendering: 荣耀
Transliteration: róngyào
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
Rejected alternatives: 面子, 光宗耀祖
Original: δόξα
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package (unmodified). Risk of collapse into 面子/光宗耀祖 heightened by 11:7’s honor/glory-of-man-and-woman language and 15:40-43’s graded resurrection-body glory. Also occurs 2:7-8; 10:31.
Prophecy
Approved rendering: 预言
Transliteration: yùyán
Doctrine: Fulfillment of Prophecy
Rejected alternatives: 算卦, 占卜
Original: προφητεία
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package (unmodified). Ranked as a spiritual gift of high value for edification (12:10; 13:2, 8-9; 14:1-40); 13:8’s ‘prophecies will cease’ concerns the passing of this gift’s present-age form, not Scripture’s authority. Distinguish from 算卦/占卜.
Intercession
Approved rendering: 代求
Transliteration: dàiqiú
Doctrine: Prayer and Intercession
Rejected alternatives: 求签, 问卜
Original: προσεύχομαι (cf. 14:14-15)
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package (unmodified, extended prayer sense). 14:14-15’s praying ‘with the spirit’ and ‘with the mind’ extends this category. Distinguish from 求签/问卜.
Cross
Approved rendering: 十字架
Transliteration: shízìjià
Doctrine: The Cross as Wisdom and Power
Original: σταυρός
Category: Wisdom and the Cross
NEW TERM. σταυρός, 1:17-18, 23. Established, near-exclusively Christian compound. Chief risk is secularization/decorative-symbol drift (a recognizable generic religious/fashion motif in modern urban China) rather than syncretism; teaching must restore its scandal and saving-power content.
Mind Of Christ
Approved rendering: 基督的心
Transliteration: Jīdū de xīn
Doctrine: The Cross as Wisdom and Power
Rejected alternatives: 积极思维（生活方式化误读）
Original: νοῦς Χριστοῦ
Category: Wisdom and the Cross
NEW TERM. νοῦς Χριστοῦ, 2:16. Must not be flattened into a generic call to ‘think positively’ or ‘be virtuous’; denotes Spirit-given participation in Christ’s own understanding.
Servant Of Christ
Approved rendering: 执事
Transliteration: zhíshì
Doctrine: Apostolic Ministry and Stewardship
Original: ὑπηρέτης
Category: Church
NEW TERM. ὑπηρέτης, 4:1. Describes apostles as Christ’s servants, not partisans of human factions; ensure it is not read as servitude to a human patron/faction, which would undercut the anti-factionalism argument of chs. 1-4.
Steward
Approved rendering: 管家
Transliteration: guǎnjiā
Doctrine: Apostolic Ministry and Stewardship
Original: οἰκονόμος
Category: Church
NEW TERM. οἰκονόμος, 4:1-2. Should retain the sense of entrusted accountability to God, not to human factions/patrons; a helpful bridge to the existing Chinese household-steward concept, provided merit-based self-justification is avoided.
Member Of The Body
Approved rendering: 肢体
Transliteration: zhītǐ
Doctrine: Spiritual Gifts and the Body of Christ
Original: μέλος
Category: Church
NEW TERM. μέλος, 6:15; 12:12-27. Established CUV term; ensure it conveys an organically indispensable part, not a merely functional or replaceable role.
Order
Approved rendering: 次序
Transliteration: cìxù
Doctrine: Order in Worship
Rejected alternatives: 议事程序（官僚化误读）
Original: τάξις
Category: Church
NEW TERM. τάξις, 14:40. Should convey Spirit-given orderliness for edification, anchored to 14:26’s stated purpose (‘let all things be done for building up’), not bureaucratic procedural formality for its own sake.
Rights Authority
Approved rendering: 权柄
Transliteration: quánbǐng
Doctrine: Apostolic Ministry and Stewardship
Original: ἐξουσία
Category: Apostolic Ministry
NEW TERM. ἐξουσία, 9:4-18. Distinct sense from the governing-authority usage in Romans 13 (also ἐξουσία); here a personal ministerial entitlement voluntarily surrendered for the gospel’s sake, not governmental power.
Crown Wreath
Approved rendering: 冠冕
Transliteration: guānmiǎn
Doctrine: Apostolic Ministry and Stewardship
Rejected alternatives: 王冠（帝制式误读）
Original: στέφανος
Category: Apostolic Ministry
NEW TERM. στέφανος, 9:25. Established CUV term. Must not be conflated with a royal/imperial crown of political rule (王冠); an athlete’s victory-wreath image denoting reward for disciplined service, not sovereign authority.
Leaven Unleavened
Approved rendering: 面酵 / 无酵(的饼)
Transliteration: miànjiào / wú jiào (de bǐng)
Doctrine: Church Discipline and Holiness
Original: ζύμη / ἄζυμος
Category: Discipline and Holiness
NEW TERM. ζύμη/ἄζυμος, 5:6-8. OT Passover imagery applied to purging sin from the church. Chief risk is an OT-background knowledge gap (unfamiliar to most Mandarin-speaking readers) rather than syncretism; requires explanatory teaching material.
Marriage
Approved rendering: 婚姻
Transliteration: hūnyīn
Doctrine: Marriage and Singleness
Original: γάμος
Category: Marriage
NEW TERM. γάμος, ch. 7. Chinese cultural pressure toward marriage as filial/social duty (延续香火, continuing the family line) may cause Paul’s even-handed treatment of marriage and singleness to be misread as devaluing marriage; teaching should clarify both are legitimate callings.
Unmarried Virgin
Approved rendering: 童身
Transliteration: tóngshēn
Doctrine: Marriage and Singleness
Original: παρθένος
Category: Marriage
NEW TERM. παρθένος, 7:25-38. Established CUV term. Must avoid framing celibacy as either spiritually superior (echoing ascetic self-cultivation ideals) or as an imposed social stigma, given strong Chinese social pressure on unmarried adults.
Self Control
Approved rendering: 节制
Transliteration: jiézhì
Doctrine: Marriage and Singleness
Rejected alternatives: 克己（儒家自我修养式误读）
Original: ἐγκράτεια
Category: Marriage
NEW TERM. ἐγκράτεια, 7:9. Must be distinguished from the Confucian self-discipline ideal of 克己 (‘restraining the self’ through moral cultivation); biblical self-control is Spirit-enabled, not self-generated virtue.
Knowledge
Approved rendering: 知识
Transliteration: zhīshi
Doctrine: Christian Liberty and Idol Meat
Rejected alternatives: 悟（佛教式领悟）
Original: γνῶσις
Category: Idolatry and Liberty
NEW TERM. γνῶσις, 8:1-3; 13:2, 8. Some risk of conflation with the Buddhist category of enlightened insight (悟) attained through spiritual practice; here γνῶσις is intellectual/doctrinal understanding that can exist without love and can therefore mislead.
Temptation
Approved rendering: 试探
Transliteration: shìtàn
Doctrine: Christian Liberty and Idol Meat
Original: πειρασμός
Category: Idolatry and Liberty
NEW TERM. πειρασμός, 10:1-13. Standard established usage; ensure it is read as moral testing rather than fatalistic misfortune.
Unworthily
Approved rendering: 不按理
Transliteration: bù àn lǐ
Doctrine: The Lord’s Supper
Original: ἀναξίως
Category: Worship and Sacrament
NEW TERM. ἀναξίως, 11:27-29. Established CUV phrase. A manner-of-participation warning, not a statement about ultimate salvific worthiness; must not imply salvation can be lost through improper posture at a single meal.
Healing
Approved rendering: 医病
Transliteration: yī bìng
Doctrine: Spiritual Gifts and the Body of Christ
Rejected alternatives: 气功治疗（民间能量治疗式误读）
Original: ἴασις
Category: Spiritual Gifts
NEW TERM. ἴασις, 12:9, 28. Must be distinguished from qigong or folk-energy healing practices (气/法力), per the baseline’s power-of-God caution; a Spirit-given enablement, not a cultivated technique.
Hope
Approved rendering: 盼望
Transliteration: pànwàng
Doctrine: Christian Hope in the Resurrection
Rejected alternatives: 求福式盼望（民间祈福误读）
Original: ἐλπίς
Category: Love
NEW TERM. ἐλπίς, 13:13; 15:19. Must be distinguished from generic wishful hoping or fortune-seeking hope for good luck (cf. the baseline’s 福-related folk-fortune caution); Christian hope is confident expectation grounded in the secured future event of bodily resurrection.
Hold Fast
Approved rendering: 持守
Transliteration: chíshǒu
Doctrine: The Resurrection of Christ and Believers
Rejected alternatives: 恒心/毅力式误读（意志力自我坚持）
Original: κατέχω
Category: Resurrection
NEW TERM. κατέχω, 15:2. Must convey persevering faithfulness to specific gospel content, not vague religious perseverance or willpower-based self-discipline (cf. Confucian 恒心/毅力).
We Preach
Approved rendering: 传讲 / 宣讲
Transliteration: chuánjiǎng / xuānjiǎng
Doctrine: The Resurrection of Christ and Believers
Original: κηρύσσομεν
Category: Resurrection
NEW TERM. κηρύσσομεν, 15:11. Herald-proclamation sense should be distinguished from a teacher’s private instruction or a fortune-teller’s forecast, reinforcing the settled, non-negotiable nature of the gospel content just recited.
Perishable Imperishable
Approved rendering: 能坏的 / 不能坏的
Transliteration: néng huài de / bù néng huài de
Doctrine: The Resurrection of Christ and Believers
Original: φθαρτός / ἄφθαρτος
Category: Resurrection
NEW TERM. φθαρτός/ἄφθαρτος, 15:42, 50-54. Standard descriptive vocabulary; minor risk beyond ensuring consistency with 属灵的身体.
Victory
Approved rendering: 得胜
Transliteration: déshèng
Doctrine: The Resurrection of Christ and Believers
Original: νῖκος
Category: Resurrection
NEW TERM. νῖκος, 15:54-57. Should be tied explicitly to resurrection hope, not generalized into vague this-worldly triumphalism.
Maranatha
Approved rendering: 马拉纳他
Transliteration: Mǎlānàtā
Doctrine: Christian Hope in the Resurrection
Original: μαράνα θά
Category: Stewardship and Giving
NEW TERM. μαράνα θά, 16:22. Aramaic exclamation preserved untranslated, cf. baseline’s treatment of Abba (阿爸). Opaque without a gloss (‘主必要来’ / ‘我们的主，请来！’); requires an explanatory note on first use.
Low Risk Terms
Apostle
Approved rendering: 使徒
Transliteration: shǐtú
Doctrine: Apostleship
Rejected alternatives: 宗师, 大师
Original: ἀπόστολος
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package (unmodified). 15:9’s ‘least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle’ requires the term to carry both the formal office and Paul’s grace-humbled unworthiness. Also occurs 1:1; 4:9; 9:1-2, 5; 12:28-29; 15:5, 7.
Thanksgiving
Approved rendering: 感恩
Transliteration: gǎn’ēn
Doctrine: Thanksgiving
Original: εὐχαριστία
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package (unmodified). Occurs at 1:4; 14:16-18; 15:57.
Fellowship
Approved rendering: 团契
Transliteration: tuánqì
Doctrine: Christian Fellowship
Rejected alternatives: 交情, 结拜
Original: κοινωνία
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package (unmodified). 10:16 extends this term to Table-fellowship (participation in Christ’s body/blood); avoid 结拜 (sworn-brotherhood bonding), especially relevant here given the Lord’s Supper collision risk.
Prophet
Approved rendering: 先知
Transliteration: xiānzhī
Doctrine: Inspiration of Scripture
Rejected alternatives: 算命先生
Original: προφήτης
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package (unmodified). A regulated speaking office in corporate worship (12:28-29; 14:1-40). Distinguish from 算命先生.
Exhort
Approved rendering: 劝勉
Transliteration: quànmiǎn
Doctrine: Mutual Edification
Original: παρακαλέω
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package (unmodified). Paul’s appeal in 4:16 and the mutual encouragement of 16:15-16.
Interpretation
Approved rendering: 翻译 / 解释
Transliteration: fānyì / jiěshì
Doctrine: Spiritual Gifts and the Body of Christ
Original: ἑρμηνεία
Category: Spiritual Gifts
NEW TERM. ἑρμηνεία, 12:10; 14:5, 13, 27. Standard vocabulary; minimal risk.
Varieties Of Gifts
Approved rendering: 分别 / 不同
Transliteration: fēnbié / bùtóng
Doctrine: Spiritual Gifts and the Body of Christ
Original: διαίρεσις
Category: Spiritual Gifts
NEW TERM. διαίρεσις, 12:4-6. Standard vocabulary; minimal risk.
Sting
Approved rendering: 毒钩
Transliteration: dúgōu
Doctrine: The Resurrection of Christ and Believers
Original: κέντρον
Category: Resurrection
NEW TERM. κέντρον, 15:55-56. Vivid metaphor requiring only a brief gloss; no doctrinal collision.
Holy Kiss
Approved rendering: 圣洁的亲嘴
Transliteration: shèngjié de qīnzuǐ
Doctrine: Christian Fellowship and Greetings
Original: φίλημα ἅγιον
Category: Stewardship and Giving
NEW TERM. φίλημα ἅγιον, 16:20. Established CUV phrase. Chief risk is cultural strangeness (kissing as greeting is atypical in contemporary Chinese social custom) rather than doctrinal collision; requires a cultural-background note, not a different term.
Referenced passages