Core Glossary
08 Core Glossary — 1 Timothy (English → Mandarin)
How to Use This Glossary
- Status = REUSE (baseline): term and risk tier already fixed by the Romans Language Package; apply exactly as recorded, no re-derivation.
- Status = NEW (1 Timothy): term newly analyzed for this curriculum; risk tier proposed here following the same Critical/High/Medium/Low framework as
doctrine_risk_registry.json; pending theologian sign-off before entering translation memory. - Risk tiers: Critical = human theologian review every occurrence; High = human theologian review; Medium = native speaker review; Low = automated review sufficient.
A. Reused Baseline Terms Appearing in 1 Timothy
| English | Mandarin | Pinyin | Risk | Doctrine link | Key 1 Timothy references |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| God | 神 | Shén | Critical | God | 1:1-2, 2:3-5, 3:15-16, 6:13-16 |
| Jesus | 耶稣 | Yēsū | Critical | Lordship of Christ | 1:1-2, 1:15, 6:3, 6:14 |
| Christ | 基督 | Jīdū | Critical | Messianic Promise | 1:1-2, 1:12-16, 2:5, 3:13, 3:16, 5:11, 5:21, 6:3, 6:13-14 |
| Lord | 主 | zhǔ | Critical | Lordship of Christ | 1:2, 1:12, 1:14, 6:3, 6:14-15 |
| grace | 恩典 | ēndiǎn | Critical | Grace | 1:2, 1:14, 6:21 |
| faith | 信心 | xìnxīn | High | Faith | 1:2, 1:5, 1:14, 1:19, 2:15, 3:9, 3:13, 4:1, 4:6, 4:12, 5:8, 5:12, 6:10-12, 6:21 |
| gospel | 福音 | fúyīn | Medium | Gospel | 1:11 |
| salvation | 救恩 | jiùēn | Critical | Salvation | 1:15, 2:4, 2:15, 4:16 |
| law | 律法 | lǜfǎ | High | Fulfillment of Prophecy / Sound Doctrine | 1:7-9 |
| sin | 罪 | zuì | High | Universal Human Accountability | 1:9, 1:15, 5:20, 5:22, 5:24 |
| righteousness | 义 | yì | Critical | Salvation | 6:11 |
| holy | 圣洁 | shèngjié | High | Sanctification | 2:8, 2:15 |
| sanctification / sanctified | 成圣 / 使圣洁 | chéngshèng / shǐ shèngjié | Critical | Sanctification | 4:5 |
| glory | 荣耀 | róngyào | Medium | Deity of Christ | 1:17, 3:16 |
| apostle | 使徒 | shǐtú | Low | Apostleship | 1:1, 2:7 |
| father | 父 | fù | High | Adoption into God’s Family | 1:2 |
| peace | 平安 | píng’ān | Medium | Peace with God | 1:2 |
| thanksgiving | 感恩 | gǎn’ēn | Low | Thanksgiving | 2:1 |
| intercession | 代求 | dàiqiú | Medium | Prayer and Intercession | 2:1 |
| gentiles | 外邦人 | wàibāngrén | Medium | Unity of Jews and Gentiles / Mission | 2:7, 3:16 |
| church | 教会 | jiàohuì | Medium | Church as God’s People | 3:5, 3:15 |
| spiritual gifts | 属灵恩赐 | shǔlíng ēncì | Medium | Spiritual Gifts | 4:14 |
| prophecy | 预言 | yùyán | Medium | Fulfillment of Prophecy | 1:18, 4:14 |
| incarnation (doctrine name) | 道成肉身 | dào chéng ròushēn | Critical | Incarnation | 3:16 |
| son of God (comparative Christological framework) | 神的儿子 | Shén de érzi | Critical | Sonship of Christ | (background for 3:16’s christological hymn) |
B. New Terms Introduced by 1 Timothy (Proposed for Translation Memory)
Sound Doctrine vs. False Teaching
| English | Original | Translit. | Mandarin | Pinyin | Risk | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| sound doctrine | ὑγιαίνουσα διδασκαλία | hygiainousa didaskalia | 纯正的教训 | chúnzhèng de jiàoxùn | High | Standard measured against apostolic gospel, not cultural respectability. See 1:10, 6:3. |
| to teach a different doctrine | ἑτεροδιδασκαλέω | heterodidaskaleō | 传别的教训 | chuán bié de jiàoxùn | High | 1:3, 6:3. |
| myths | μῦθος | mythos | 荒渺无据的话语 | huǎngmiǎo wújù de huàyǔ | Medium | 1:4, 4:7. |
| genealogies | γενεαλογία | genealogia | 家谱 | jiāpǔ | Medium | 1:4. Collision risk: Chinese clan/ancestor-veneration genealogies; clarify Paul condemns speculative misuse, not lineage records themselves. |
| conscience | συνείδησις | syneidēsis | 良心 (also 心 in 3:9) | liángxīn (xīn) | High | 1:5,19; 3:9; 4:2. Confucian collision: 良心 in Mencian thought is an innately good moral sense; biblical conscience can be corrupted/seared and needs cleansing. |
| deceitful spirits | πνεύματα πλάνα | pneumata plana | 迷惑人的邪灵 | míhuo rén de xiélíng | High | 4:1. NEVER bare 灵 — must read 邪灵 to preserve 圣灵/邪灵 distinction. |
| teachings of demons | διδασκαλίαι δαιμονίων | didaskaliai daimoniōn | 鬼魔的教训 | guǐmó de jiàoxùn | High | 4:1. |
| seared conscience | καυστηριάζω τὴν συνείδησιν | kaustēriazō tēn syneidēsin | 良心如同被热铁烙惯了一般 | liángxīn rú tóng bèi rètiě làoguàn le yī bān | Medium | 4:2. |
| forbid marriage / abstain from foods | κωλυόντων γαμεῖν, ἀπέχεσθαι βρωμάτων | kōlyontōn gamein, apechesthai brōmatōn | 禁止嫁娶，禁戒食物 | jìnzhǐ jiàqǔ, jìnjiè shíwù | High | 4:3. Collision with Buddhist monastic celibacy/vegetarian asceticism; frame as Paul’s condemnation of this specific error. |
| falsely called knowledge | ψευδώνυμος γνῶσις | pseudōnymos gnōsis | 假冒的知识 | jiǎmào de zhīshì | High | 6:20. Collision with Buddhist “wisdom/gnosis” (智慧/般若) vocabulary. |
| mystery of the faith | μυστήριον τῆς πίστεως | mystērion tēs pisteōs | 真道的奥秘 | zhēndào de àomì | High | 3:9. Distinguish from esoteric secret-transmission (密传) traditions — this “mystery” is openly disclosed to all. |
| guard the deposit | τὴν παραθήκην φύλαξον | tēn parathēkēn phylaxon | 守住所托付的 | shǒuzhù suǒ tuōfù de | High | 6:20. Public apostolic deposit entrusted to the whole church, not an esoteric master-to-disciple secret lineage. |
Qualifications for Church Leadership (Elders and Deacons)
| English | Original | Translit. | Mandarin | Pinyin | Risk | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| overseer / bishop | ἐπίσκοπος | episkopos | 监督 | jiàndū | High | 3:1-2. Modern secular sense = “supervisor”; must be established as a spiritual shepherding office, functionally identical to elder (长老). |
| office of overseer | ἐπισκοπή | episkopē | 监督的职分 | jiàndū de zhífèn | Medium | 3:1. |
| elder | πρεσβύτερος | presbyteros | 长老 | zhǎnglǎo | High | 5:1, 5:17, 5:19. Collision: also the title for senior Buddhist monks (长老, Sthavira) and a secular term for a clan elder. |
| council of elders | πρεσβυτέριον | presbyterion | 长老会 | zhǎnglǎohuì | Medium | 4:14. Also the standard Chinese name for the Presbyterian denomination; disambiguate contextually. |
| deacon | διάκονος | diakonos | 执事 | zhíshì | Medium | 3:8, 3:10, 3:12-13. Historically also a general bureaucratic/temple-functionary title in Chinese usage. |
| women (deacons’ wives / women deacons) | γυναῖκας | gynaikas | 女执事 | nǚ zhíshì | High | 3:11. Established CUV rendering resolves a genuine Greek ambiguity (“wives” vs. “women deacons”); flag the ambiguity in all teaching contexts. |
| husband of one wife | μιᾶς γυναικὸς ἀνήρ | mias gynaikos anēr | 只作一个妇人的丈夫 | zhǐ zuò yī gè fùrén de zhàngfu | High | 3:2, 3:12. Collision with historic Chinese concubinage (妻妾制) and modern “mistress culture” (小三); teach as positive requirement of monogamous fidelity. |
| above reproach / blameless | ἀνεπίλημπτος / ἀνέγκλητος | anepilēmptos / anegklētos | 无可指责 | wú kě zhǐzé | Low | 3:2, 3:10. Two Greek synonyms, one Mandarin rendering — teach as equivalent standards. |
| sober-minded | νηφάλιος | nēphalios | 有节制 | yǒu jiézhì | Low | 3:2, 3:11. |
| self-controlled | σώφρων | sōphrōn | 自守 | zìshǒu | Medium | 3:2. Distinguish from Confucian 克己 (social self-restraint); this is Spirit-enabled character. |
| respectable | κόσμιος | kosmios | 端正 | duānzhèng | Low | 3:2. |
| hospitable | φιλόξενος | philoxenos | 乐意接待远人 | lèyì jiēdài yuǎnrén | Low | 3:2. |
| able to teach | διδακτικός | didaktikos | 善于教导 | shànyú jiàodǎo | Low | 3:2. |
| not a drunkard | πάροινος (negated) | paroinos | 不因酒滋事 | bù yīn jiǔ zīshì | Low | 3:3. |
| not violent | πλήκτης (negated) | plēktēs | 不打人 | bù dǎ rén | Low | 3:3. |
| gentle | ἐπιεικής | epieikēs | 温和 | wēnhé | Low | 3:3. |
| not quarrelsome | ἄμαχος | amachos | 不争竞 | bù zhēngjìng | Low | 3:3. |
| not a lover of money | ἀφιλάργυρος | aphilargyros | 不贪财 | bù tāncái | Medium | 3:3. Anticipates 6:6-10’s Godliness-and-Contentment doctrine. |
| manage household well | καλῶς προϊστάμενον τοῦ οἴκου | kalōs proistamenon tou oikou | 好好管理自己的家 | hǎohǎo guǎnlǐ zìjǐ de jiā | Medium | 3:4, 3:12. Resonance with, but not identity to, Confucian 家国同构 ideology. |
| submission | ὑποταγή | hypotagē | 顺服 | shùnfú | Medium | 3:4. |
| dignity | σεμνότης | semnotēs | 端庄 | duānzhuāng | Low | 2:2, 3:4, 3:8, 3:11. |
| new convert | νεόφυτος | neophytos | 初入教的 | chū rù jiào de | Low | 3:6. |
| puffed up with conceit | τυφόω | typhoō | 自高自大 | zì gāo zì dà | Medium | 3:6, 6:4. |
| condemnation / snare of the devil | κρίμα / παγὶς τοῦ διαβόλου | krima / pagis tou diabolou | 魔鬼所受的刑罚 / 魔鬼的网罗 | móguǐ suǒ shòu de xíngfá / móguǐ de wǎngluó | Medium | 3:6-7. 魔鬼 = the personal devil, distinct from folk “ghosts” (鬼). |
| good testimony from outsiders | μαρτυρία καλὴ ἀπὸ τῶν ἔξωθεν | martyria kalē apo tōn exōthen | 在教外有好名声 | zài jiào wài yǒu hǎo míngshēng | Medium | 3:7. Connects to 面子 (face) cultural dynamics. |
| double-tongued | δίλογος | dilogos | 一口两舌 | yī kǒu liǎng shé | Low | 3:8. |
| greedy for dishonest gain | αἰσχροκερδής | aischrokerdēs | 不贪不义之财 | bù tān bùyì zhī cái | Medium | 3:8. |
| clean conscience (rendered “heart”) | καθαρὰ συνείδησις | kathara syneidēsis | 清洁的心 | qīngjié de xīn | High | 3:9. Note divergence from 良心 elsewhere — same Greek term, two Mandarin renderings; teach as equivalent. |
| let them be tested | δοκιμάζεσθωσαν | dokimazesthōsan | 先受试验 | xiān shòu shìyàn | Low | 3:10. |
| not slanderers | μὴ διαβόλους | mē diabolous | 不说谗言 | bù shuō chányán | Medium | 3:11. Lexical trap: same word as “the devil” (3:6-7) used here as a common adjective. |
| faithful in all things | πιστὰς ἐν πᾶσιν | pistas en pasin | 凡事忠心 | fánshì zhōngxīn | Low | 3:11. |
| good standing | βαθμὸς καλός | bathmos kalos | 美好的地步 | měihǎo de dìbù | Medium | 3:13. Must not read as merit contributing to justification. |
| confidence / boldness | παρρησία | parrēsia | 胆量 | dǎnliàng | Low | 3:13. |
| trustworthy saying | πιστὸς ὁ λόγος | pistos ho logos | 这话是可信的 | zhè huà shì kěxìn de | Medium | 1:15, 3:1, 4:9. Formulaic apostolic-reliability marker. |
| laying on of hands | ἐπίθεσις τῶν χειρῶν | epithesis tōn cheirōn | 按手 | ànshǒu | High | 4:14, 5:22. Distinguish from qigong “energy transmission” (气功发功) touch/gesture practices. |
| rebuke publicly | ἐνώπιον πάντων ἔλεγχε | enōpion pantōn elenche | 在众人面前责备他 | zài zhòngrén miànqián zébèi tā | Medium | 5:20. Sensitive given 面子 (face) norms; requires native-speaker review. |
| double honor | διπλῆ τιμή | diplē timē | 加倍的尊敬 | jiābèi de zūnjìng | Medium | 5:17. |
Christ as the One Mediator
| English | Original | Translit. | Mandarin | Pinyin | Risk | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mediator | μεσίτης | mesitēs | 中保 | zhōngbǎo | Critical | 2:5. Must never be equated with folk-religious/Buddhist/Daoist intermediary figures (spirit mediums, bodhisattvas, ancestor tablets, temple priests as go-betweens). Christ is the ONE exclusive mediator. |
| ransom | ἀντίλυτρον | antilytron | 赎价 | shújià | High | 2:6. Distinguish from karmic-debt repayment (还债/消业) or folk ritual payments to spirits (买命钱). |
Public Worship and Prayer
| English | Original | Translit. | Mandarin | Pinyin | Risk | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| prayer | προσευχή | proseuchē | 祷告 | dǎogào | Low | 2:1, 2:8. |
| supplication | δέησις | deēsis | 祈求 | qíqiú | Low | 2:1. |
| modesty | αἰδώς | aidōs | 廉耻 | liánchǐ | Medium | 2:9. Teach as inward reverence, not merely external dress code. |
| self-control (in dress context) | σωφροσύνη | sōphrosynē | 自守 | zìshǒu | Medium | 2:9. Same Mandarin as σώφρων (3:2); teach as related word-family. |
| quietness / silence | ἡσυχία | hēsychia | 安静 | ānjìng | Critical | 2:11-12. Actively debated interpretive scope (local vs. universal); flag for mandatory theologian review, do not prejudge the debate in rendering. |
| exercise authority over / domineer | αὐθεντέω | authenteō | 辖管 | xiáguǎn | Critical | 2:12. Rare, contested word; flag the interpretive debate explicitly in every teaching use. |
| good works | καλὰ ἔργα / ἀγαθὰ ἔργα | kala erga / agatha erga | 善行 | shànxíng | Medium | 2:10, 3:1, 5:10, 5:25, 6:18. NOTE: baseline rejected 善行 as an alternative rendering for “righteousness” (义) in Romans — here it correctly denotes ordinary “good deeds/works,” a different concept; do not conflate the two uses. |
The Church as Pillar of Truth
| English | Original | Translit. | Mandarin | Pinyin | Risk | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| household of God | οἶκος θεοῦ | oikos theou | 神的家 | Shén de jiā | Medium | 3:15. |
| church of the living God | ἐκκλησία θεοῦ ζῶντος | ekklēsia theou zōntos | 永生神的教会 | yǒngshēng Shén de jiàohuì | Medium | 3:15. |
| pillar and foundation of the truth | στῦλος καὶ ἑδραίωμα τῆς ἀληθείας | stylos kai hedraiōma tēs alētheias | 真理的柱石和根基 | zhēnlǐ de zhùshí hé gēnjī | High | 3:15. Church upholds/displays truth; does not generate or govern it independently of Scripture/apostolic teaching. |
| mystery of godliness | τὸ τῆς εὐσεβείας μυστήριον | to tēs eusebeias mystērion | 敬虔的奥秘 | jìngqián de àomì | High | 3:16. |
| manifested in the flesh | ἐφανερώθη ἐν σαρκί | ephanerōthē en sarki | 在肉身显现 | zài ròushēn xiǎnxiàn | Critical | 3:16. Reuses baseline 道成肉身 framework and Critical caution. |
| vindicated / justified in the Spirit | ἐδικαιώθη ἐν πνεύματι | edikaiōthē en pneumati | 被灵称义 | bèi líng chēngyì | CRITICAL | 3:16. Direct tension with baseline rule (never bare 灵). CUV itself uses bare 灵 here. MUST retain CUV text but require mandatory accompanying teaching note identifying this as the Holy Spirit’s vindication of Christ, at every occurrence, without exception. |
| seen by angels / proclaimed among nations / believed on in the world / taken up in glory | ὤφθη ἀγγέλοις / ἐκηρύχθη ἐν ἔθνεσιν / ἐπιστεύθη ἐν κόσμῳ / ἀνελήμφθη ἐν δόξῃ | (see above) | 被天使看见 / 被传于外邦 / 被世人信服 / 被接在荣耀里 | (see above) | Low/Medium | 3:16. Closing lines of the christological hymn; 外邦/荣耀 reuse baseline terms and risk notes. |
Godliness and Contentment
| English | Original | Translit. | Mandarin | Pinyin | Risk | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| godliness | εὐσέβεια | eusebeia | 敬虔 | jìngqián | High | 2:2, 3:16, 4:7-8, 5:4, 6:3, 6:5-6, 6:11. Central term of the letter. Distinguish from generic religious devoutness applicable to any deity (cf. baseline 虔诚 caution under Faith). |
| train yourself for godliness | γύμναζε σεαυτὸν πρὸς εὐσέβειαν | gymnaze seauton pros eusebeian | 操练自己以致敬虔 | cāoliàn zìjǐ yǐzhì jìngqián | High | 4:7. Collision with Daoist/qigong bodily-energy cultivation (气功修炼); this is Spirit-enabled, not technique-based. |
| bodily training | σωματικὴ γυμνασία | sōmatikē gymnasia | 身体的操练 | shēntǐ de cāoliàn | Medium | 4:8. |
| godliness as a means of gain | πορισμὸς εἶναι τὴν εὐσέβειαν | porismos einai tēn eusebeian | 敬虔是得利的门路 | jìngqián shì délì de ménlù | High | 6:5. Parallels transactional folk-religious piety (worship for material fortune); text explicitly condemns this. |
| contentment | αὐτάρκεια | autarkeia | 知足 | zhīzú | High | 6:6. Deep resonance with Daoist “知足者富”; distinguish God-trust-based contentment from philosophical detachment/wu-wei. |
| love of money | φιλαργυρία | philargyria | 贪财 | tāncái | Medium | 6:10. |
| gentleness | πραϋπαθία | prau(o)pathia | 温柔 | wēnróu | Low | 6:11. |
| eternal life | ζωὴ αἰώνιος | zōē aiōnios | 永生 | yǒngshēng | High | 6:12, 6:19. Distinguish from Daoist physical-immortality-seeking (长生不老). |
| the good confession | καλὴ ὁμολογία | kalē homologia | 美好的见证 | měihǎo de jiànzhèng | Medium | 6:12-13. CUV overlaps “confession” and “testimony” vocabulary; link to Romans 10:9’s salvation confession. |
| King of kings and Lord of lords | βασιλεὺς τῶν βασιλευόντων καὶ κύριος τῶν κυριευόντων | basileus tōn basileuontōn kai kyrios tōn kyrieuontōn | 万王之王，万主之主 | wàn wáng zhī wáng, wàn zhǔ zhī zhǔ | Critical | 6:15. Not primacy within a pantheon (contrast Jade Emperor 玉皇大帝); absolute, unique sovereignty. |
| immortality | ἀθανασία | athanasia | 不朽 | bùxiǔ | Medium | 6:16. Distinguish from Daoist “immortal” (神仙) attained through cultivation. |
| unapproachable light | φῶς ἀπρόσιτον | phōs aprositon | 人不能靠近的光 | rén bùnéng kàojìn de guāng | Low | 6:16. |
| storing up a good foundation | ἀποθησαυρίζοντας ἑαυτοῖς θεμέλιον καλόν | apothēsaurizontas heautois themelion kalon | 积成美好的根基 | jīchéng měihǎo de gēnjī | Medium | 6:19. Must not read as merit-accounting (功德); this is fruit/overflow of grace-given generosity. |
Care for Widows and the Household of Faith
| English | Original | Translit. | Mandarin | Pinyin | Risk | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| widow | χήρα | chēra | 寡妇 | guǎfù | High | 5:3-16. Historic Confucian widow-chastity ideology (守节, 贞节牌坊); text calls for structured church care and permits/encourages remarriage of younger widows (5:14). |
| widow indeed | ὄντως χήρα | ontōs chēra | 真是寡妇的 | zhēn shì guǎfù de | High | 5:3, 5:5, 5:16. Technical term for those wholly dependent on church support. |
| repay their parents | ἀμοιβὰς ἀποδιδόναι τοῖς προγόνοις | amoibas apodidonai tois progonois | 报答父母 | bàodá fùmǔ | Medium | 5:4. Compatible with, but distinct in grounding from, Confucian filial piety (孝). |
| muzzle the ox | κημόω βοῦν ἀλοῶντα | kēmoō boun alōnta | 笼住牛的嘴 | lóng zhù niú de zuǐ | Low | 5:18. OT quotation (Deut 25:4) grounding ministerial support. |
| two or three witnesses | δύο ἢ τριῶν μαρτύρων | dyo ē triōn martyrōn | 两三个见证人 | liǎng sān gè jiànzhèngrén | Low | 5:19. |
| partiality | πρόσκλισις | prosklisis | 偏心 | piānxīn | Low | 5:21. |
| slaves under the yoke / masters | δοῦλοι ὑπὸ ζυγόν / δεσπόται | douloi hypo zygon / despotai | 奴仆在轭下 / 主人 | núpú zài è xià / zhǔrén | Medium | 6:1-2. 主人 is a correct, non-Christological use of “master” — distinguish carefully from 主 (Lord, reserved exclusively for God/Christ). |
C. Terms Requiring Mandatory Theologian Review (Critical Tier Summary)
| Term | Reference(s) | Reason for Critical flag |
|---|---|---|
| 中保 (mediator) | 2:5 | Exclusive-mediator claim collides with Chinese folk/Buddhist/Daoist intermediary-figure worldview |
| 在生产上得救 (saved through childbearing) | 2:15 | Risk of implying works-based or gender-differentiated soteriology, contradicting baseline’s Critical grace/faith framework |
| 辖管 (exercise authority/domineer, αὐθεντέω) | 2:12 | Rare, contested word central to unresolved leadership/gender debate |
| 安静 (quietness/silence, ἡσυχία) | 2:11-12 | Debated interpretive scope (local vs. universal application) |
| 女执事 (women/deaconesses, γυναῖκας) | 3:11 | Established CUV rendering resolves a genuine Greek ambiguity; must be flagged every time |
| 在肉身显现 (manifested in the flesh) | 3:16 | Reuses baseline’s Critical Incarnation doctrine (道成肉身) |
| 被灵称义 (vindicated in the Spirit) | 3:16 | Direct textual collision with baseline’s “never bare 灵” rule — CUV itself uses 灵 without 圣 prefix here |
| 万王之王，万主之主 (King of kings, Lord of lords) | 6:15 | Reuses baseline’s Critical exclusive-Lordship doctrine; risk of dynastic/pantheon misreading |
D. Risk Tier Summary for 1 Timothy New Terms
| Risk | Count (new terms) | Review routing |
|---|---|---|
| Critical | 8 | Human theologian, every occurrence |
| High | 24 | Human theologian |
| Medium | 26 | Native speaker review |
| Low | 22 | Automated review |
This glossary must be loaded alongside the Romans-curriculum translation_memory.json and bible_term_registry.json for all Phase 2 work on 1 Timothy. New terms above are proposed additions pending theologian sign-off; upon approval they must be written into an updated translation_memory.json (version incremented) before Phase 2 segment translation begins, per the Glossary Enforcement Priority Order established in 12_ai_translation_requirements.md.
Critical Risk Terms
God
Approved rendering: 神
Transliteration: Shén
Doctrine: Deity of Christ / Divine Sovereignty
Rejected alternatives: 上帝, 天, 老天爷
Original: θεός
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package, unchanged. 1 Timothy 1:1-2, 2:3-5, 3:15-16, 6:13-16 repeatedly name God as the sole, living, sovereign God; 3:15’s ‘living God’ (永生神) reinforces monotheism against Chinese folk-deity plurality.
Jesus
Approved rendering: 耶稣
Transliteration: Yēsū
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Original: Ἰησοῦς
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package, unchanged. Occurs throughout 1 Timothy (1:1-2, 15; 6:3, 13-14).
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, unchanged. 1 Timothy 1:15-16, 2:5, 3:16 use 基督 in contexts of mediation and incarnation; never conflate with 弥勒 (Maitreya).
Lord
Approved rendering: 主
Transliteration: zhǔ
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Rejected alternatives: 主人, 老爷
Original: κύριος
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package, unchanged. 1 Timothy 1:2,12,14; 6:3,14-15 (culminating in 6:15’s 万主之主) require exclusive Lordship sense. Contrast with 6:1-2’s legitimate ordinary use of 主人 for human masters (δεσπότης) — that usage must never soften 主 itself.
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, unchanged. 1 Timothy 1:14 (‘the grace of our Lord overflowed to me’) and 1:15-16 (mercy to ‘the foremost’ of sinners) intensify the baseline’s grace-vs-merit warning: Paul’s testimony must not be reframed as an especially large merit-reversal within a 功德/阴德 ledger.
Salvation
Approved rendering: 救恩
Transliteration: jiùēn
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: 解脱, 超度, 得道
Original: σωτηρία
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package, unchanged. 1 Timothy 1:15 and 2:4 anchor this doctrine; NEVER 解脱/超度. Note interaction with the new Critical term saved_through_childbearing (2:15) below, which must never imply a second, works-based salvation mechanism.
Righteousness
Approved rendering: 义
Transliteration: yì
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: 道德, 善行
Original: δικαιοσύνη
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package, unchanged. 1 Timothy 6:11 lists 义 among virtues Timothy must ‘pursue’; even in this exhortation context, must still carry the Critical flag distinguishing it from the Confucian virtue 义 (one of the Five Constant Virtues), since the underlying Mandarin word is identical.
Sanctification
Approved rendering: 成圣
Transliteration: chéngshèng
Doctrine: Sanctification
Rejected alternatives: 修身, 修炼
Original: ἁγιάζω / ἁγιασμός
Category: Sanctification
Inherited from Romans package, unchanged. 1 Timothy 4:5 uses the verb form (ἁγιάζεται, ‘is made holy’) regarding food received with thanksgiving; even the verb form must retain the Critical caution against Neo-Confucian self-cultivation into sagehood — sanctification here is God’s declarative/Spirit act via ‘the word of God and prayer,’ not ritual purification of food.
Incarnation
Approved rendering: 道成肉身
Transliteration: dào chéng ròushēn
Doctrine: Incarnation
Rejected alternatives: 化身, 转世, 下凡
Original: ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο (cf. ἐφανερώθη ἐν σαρκί, 1 Tim 3:16)
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package, unchanged. 1 Timothy 3:16’s christological hymn opens with ‘manifested in the flesh’ (在肉身显现), the theological event this term names; never 化身/下凡/转世. See new term manifested_in_the_flesh below for the specific 3:16 rendering.
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, unchanged. Serves as background Christological framework for 1 Timothy 3:16’s hymn and 1:15-17’s doxology; never 天子/神人.
Holy Spirit
Approved rendering: 圣灵
Transliteration: Shènglíng
Doctrine: Sanctification
Rejected alternatives: 祖灵, 灵
Inherited from Romans package, unchanged: always the compound 圣灵, never bare 灵. IMPORTANT 1 TIMOTHY-SPECIFIC TENSION: the established CUV text of 1 Timothy 3:16 renders πνεύματι as bare 灵 without the 圣 prefix (see new term vindicated_in_the_spirit below). This is a genuine collision between established CUV translation tradition and this baseline rule; the base CUV text must be retained for textual fidelity, but every occurrence of 3:16 requires a mandatory theologian’s note clarifying the referent is the Holy Spirit.
Women Deacons
Approved rendering: 女执事
Transliteration: nǚ zhíshì
Doctrine: Qualifications for Church Leadership (Elders and Deacons)
Rejected alternatives: 执事的妻子 (as an alternative unambiguous rendering, not adopted because it silently resolves the ambiguity in the opposite direction)
Original: γυναῖκας
Category: Church Leadership
New term (3:11, CORE PASSAGE). γυναῖκας is genuinely ambiguous in the Greek (deacons’ wives vs. women deacons in their own right). The established CUV rendering 女执事 resolves this ambiguity as an interpretive choice, not a neutral literal translation. MANDATORY: every teaching use must disclose that the underlying Greek is ambiguous and that translation traditions differ.
Mediator
Approved rendering: 中保
Transliteration: zhōngbǎo
Doctrine: Christ as the One Mediator
Rejected alternatives: 灵媒, 神明代言人泛称
Original: μεσίτης
Category: Mediation
New term (2:5). HIGHEST-DENSITY COLLISION POINT in the letter: must never be confused with Chinese folk religion’s many intermediary figures — spirit mediums (灵媒), ancestor tablets as go-betweens with deceased forebears, bodhisattvas interceding for devotees, or temple priests performing rites on a petitioner’s behalf. εἷς μεσίτης (‘one mediator’) is emphatically exclusive; every occurrence requires the explicit exclusivity clause ‘只有一位中保.‘
Quietness In Learning
Approved rendering: 安静
Transliteration: ānjìng
Doctrine: Gender and Ministry Roles in Corporate Worship
Original: ἡσυχία
Category: Worship
New term (2:11-12). ἡσυχία’s behavioral-demeanor range exceeds Mandarin 安静’s default acoustic/physical-quiet sense. Actively debated interpretive scope (local Ephesian situation vs. universal principle); the rendering must NOT prejudge the debate by importing ‘total silence/exclusion’ beyond the lexical range. MANDATORY theologian review, every occurrence, no exceptions.
Exercise Authority Domineer
Approved rendering: 辖管
Transliteration: xiáguǎn
Doctrine: Gender and Ministry Roles in Corporate Worship
Original: αὐθεντέω
Category: Worship
New term (2:12). αὐθεντέω is a rare word (only NT occurrence) contested between a neutral ‘exercise authority’ and a negative ‘domineer/usurp authority’ sense. 辖管 reflects only one interpretive tradition. MANDATORY: flag the lexical debate explicitly at every occurrence; never present as settled consensus.
Saved Through Childbearing
Approved rendering: 在生产上得救
Transliteration: zài shēngchǎn shàng déjiù
Doctrine: Gender and Ministry Roles in Corporate Worship
Original: σωθήσεται διὰ τῆς τεκνογονίας
Category: Worship
New term (2:15). One of the most exegetically disputed clauses in the Pastorals (readings include physical preservation through childbirth, sanctification worked out through motherhood, or salvation secured through ‘the Childbearing,’ i.e. Christ’s birth). MUST NEVER be read as salvation-by-works achieved through the biological act of bearing children, contradicting the baseline’s Critical grace/faith framework and Romans 3:22’s ‘no distinction.’ MANDATORY theologian note at every occurrence stating plainly that women are not saved by a different mechanism than men.
Manifested In The Flesh
Approved rendering: 在肉身显现
Transliteration: zài ròushēn xiǎnxiàn
Doctrine: Incarnation and Vindication of Christ (Christological Hymn)
Rejected alternatives: 化身, 下凡
Original: ἐφανερώθη ἐν σαρκί
Category: Ecclesiology
New term (3:16). Reuses the baseline’s Critical Incarnation doctrine (道成肉身): the personal, eternal Word taking flesh permanently and uniquely, never a temporary or repeatable bodhisattva-style manifestation (化身/下凡).
Vindicated In The Spirit
Approved rendering: 被灵称义
Transliteration: bèi líng chēngyì
Doctrine: Incarnation and Vindication of Christ (Christological Hymn)
Rejected alternatives: 被圣灵称义 (theologically correct but departs from the established CUV text)
Original: ἐδικαιώθη ἐν πνεύματι
Category: Ecclesiology
New term (3:16). STANDING EXCEPTION — DIRECT COLLISION WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT BASELINE RULE: the established CUV text itself renders πνεύματι as bare 灵, the exact construction the baseline’s Critical Holy Spirit note forbids (‘never use 灵 alone’). Retain CUV’s 被灵称义 as base text to preserve textual fidelity, but require a MANDATORY accompanying theologian’s note at every occurrence, without exception, identifying this as the Holy Spirit’s vindication of Christ — not a human spirit, an ancestral spirit (祖灵), or an unspecified spiritual force. No Phase 2 automated pipeline may approve a segment containing this term without theologian sign-off.
King Of Kings Lord Of Lords
Approved rendering: 万王之王，万主之主
Transliteration: wàn wáng zhī wáng, wàn zhǔ zhī zhǔ
Doctrine: Divine Sovereignty and the Kingship of God
Rejected alternatives: 万岁式的至高统治者
Original: βασιλεὺς τῶν βασιλευόντων καὶ κύριος τῶν κυριευόντων
Category: Godliness
New term (6:15). Reuses the baseline’s Critical exclusive-Lordship doctrine (主). Must not be read through Chinese imperial titulature (e.g., 万岁) or the Daoist folk-pantheon’s Jade Emperor (玉皇大帝), sometimes styled supreme ruler over a hierarchy of lesser gods. Asserts God’s unique, absolute sovereignty over literally every other authority, not primacy within a comparable pantheon.
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, unchanged. In 1 Timothy, πίστις additionally functions as a noun for ‘the body of faith/doctrine’ (1:19, 4:1, 6:10) alongside the personal-trust sense; context must clarify which sense is active without introducing a second Mandarin term.
Law
Approved rendering: 律法
Transliteration: lǜfǎ
Doctrine: Sound Doctrine versus False Teaching
Rejected alternatives: 礼, 道德规范, 法律
Original: νόμος
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package, unchanged. 1 Timothy 1:7-9 addresses false teachers who want to be ‘teachers of the law’ without understanding it; still never equated with 礼 (Confucian ritual propriety) or 法律 (secular law).
Sin
Approved rendering: 罪
Transliteration: zuì
Doctrine: Universal Human Accountability
Rejected alternatives: 报应, 罪犯式的罪
Original: ἁμαρτία / ἁμαρτωλός
Category: Sin
Inherited from Romans package, unchanged. 1 Timothy 1:9,15 and 5:20,22,24 (public sin among elders) extend the term into pastoral discipline contexts; still distinct from karmic 报应.
Holy
Approved rendering: 圣洁
Transliteration: shèngjié
Doctrine: Sanctification
Rejected alternatives: 清净, 圣人般的
Original: ἅγιος / ὅσιος
Category: Sanctification
Inherited from Romans package, unchanged. 1 Timothy 2:8 (‘holy hands’) and 2:15 describe holiness as a visible outworking of faith; avoid Daoist/Buddhist ritual-purity connotations (清净).
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, unchanged. Appears in the 1:2 greeting formula; same caution against ancestor-veneration framing (祭祖) applies.
Sound Doctrine
Approved rendering: 纯正的教训
Transliteration: chúnzhèng de jiàoxùn
Doctrine: Sound Doctrine versus False Teaching
Rejected alternatives: 异端 (as primary rendering), 正统教义泛称
Original: ὑγιαίνουσα διδασκαλία
Category: Sound Doctrine
New term (1:10; 6:3). 纯正 risks being read as conformity to social/institutional respectability rather than to the specific apostolic gospel; every occurrence must anchor to ‘the gospel entrusted to Paul’ (1:11), not left to stand alone as a generic orthodoxy claim.
Teach Different Doctrine
Approved rendering: 传别的教训
Transliteration: chuán bié de jiàoxùn
Doctrine: Sound Doctrine versus False Teaching
Rejected alternatives: 异端, 不同的看法
Original: ἑτεροδιδασκαλέω
Category: Sound Doctrine
New term (1:3; 6:3). REJECT 异端 as the primary rendering: in modern Mandarin it carries heavy connotations of institutional/political heterodoxy (state-banned sects, ‘cults’) and risks an external cult-panic framing rather than Paul’s internal pastoral warning about doctrinal content. Must not be softened to a mere ‘different opinion’ either.
Conscience
Approved rendering: 良心
Transliteration: liángxīn
Doctrine: Conscience and Moral Integrity
Original: συνείδησις
Category: Sound Doctrine
New term (1:5,19; 4:2; also rendered 心 at 3:9, see clean_conscience). CRITICAL COLLISION: in Mencian Confucian anthropology 良心 denotes an innately good moral sense requiring only cultivation; biblical conscience can be corrupted, defiled, or ‘seared’ (4:2) and requires active cleansing through faith, not self-cultivation. Both Mandarin renderings (良心 and 心) must be taught as the identical Greek faculty.
Deceitful Spirits
Approved rendering: 迷惑人的邪灵
Transliteration: míhuo rén de xiélíng
Doctrine: Eschatological Apostasy and Demonic Deception
Rejected alternatives: 灵 (bare), 鬼
Original: πνεύματα πλάνα
Category: Sound Doctrine
New term (4:1). Must use 邪灵, never bare 灵, to preserve the absolute 圣灵-vs-any-other-spirit distinction. Distinct from folk ‘ghosts’ (鬼); these are morally culpable false-teaching influences, not ancestral or nature spirits.
Teachings Of Demons
Approved rendering: 鬼魔的教训
Transliteration: guǐmó de jiàoxùn
Doctrine: Eschatological Apostasy and Demonic Deception
Rejected alternatives: 祖灵, 鬼魂
Original: διδασκαλίαι δαιμονίων
Category: Sound Doctrine
New term (4:1). 鬼魔 is the established Chinese Christian term for ‘demon,’ distinct from ancestral ghosts (祖灵/鬼魂) placated in folk religion; elevates false teaching to spiritual warfare rather than mere error.
Forbid Marriage Abstain Foods
Approved rendering: 禁止嫁娶，禁戒食物
Transliteration: jìnzhǐ jiàqǔ, jìnjiè shíwù
Doctrine: Eschatological Apostasy and Demonic Deception
Original: κωλυόντων γαμεῖν, ἀπέχεσθαι βρωμάτων
Category: Sound Doctrine
New term (4:3). Strong surface resemblance to honored Buddhist monastic celibacy and vegetarian/fasting disciplines (素食, 守斋); must be framed as Paul’s condemnation of THIS SPECIFIC false teaching’s denial of creation’s goodness (4:4), never as a general critique of Buddhist practice or asceticism as such.
Falsely Called Knowledge
Approved rendering: 假冒的知识
Transliteration: jiǎmào de zhīshì
Doctrine: Guarding the Deposit of Faith
Rejected alternatives: 智慧, 般若
Original: ψευδώνυμος γνῶσις
Category: Sound Doctrine
New term (6:20). Must be distinguished from Buddhist wisdom/gnosis attainment vocabulary (智慧, 般若); critiques a specific proto-Gnostic false teaching’s claim to exclusive spiritual insight, not learning or intellect as such.
Mystery Of The Faith
Approved rendering: 真道的奥秘
Transliteration: zhēndào de àomì
Doctrine: Guarding the Deposit of Faith
Rejected alternatives: 密传, 口传心授式的奥秘
Original: μυστήριον τῆς πίστεως
Category: Sound Doctrine
New term (3:9). 奥秘 must be distinguished from esoteric secret-transmission traditions in Chinese Buddhism/Daoism (密传); the biblical mystery is openly disclosed to the whole church, not reserved for initiates.
Guard The Deposit
Approved rendering: 守住所托付的
Transliteration: shǒuzhù suǒ tuōfù de
Doctrine: Guarding the Deposit of Faith
Rejected alternatives: 密传守则
Original: τὴν παραθήκην φύλαξον
Category: Sound Doctrine
New term (6:20). No single Mandarin noun equivalent exists for παραθήκη (‘the thing entrusted’); retain the verb-phrase, supplemented at first occurrence with 所托付的真道. Must be distinguished from esoteric master-to-disciple secret-transmission lineages (口传心授, 密传) — the apostolic deposit is public, unchanging gospel truth entrusted to the whole church, never an inner-circle secret.
Overseer
Approved rendering: 监督
Transliteration: jiàndū
Doctrine: Qualifications for Church Leadership (Elders and Deacons)
Original: ἐπίσκοπος
Category: Church Leadership
New term (3:1-2, CORE PASSAGE). Modern secular Mandarin uses 监督 for a workplace supervisor/inspector; must be taught as a spiritual shepherding office functionally identical to 长老 (elder), not a separate managerial rank or an episcopal hierarchy rank. Mandatory equivalence statement at first use: ‘监督 = 长老, same office, different functional title.‘
Elder
Approved rendering: 长老
Transliteration: zhǎnglǎo
Doctrine: Qualifications for Church Leadership (Elders and Deacons)
Original: πρεσβύτερος
Category: Church Leadership
New term (5:1,17,19). Crowded semantic neighborhood: also the title of senior Buddhist monks (Sthavira), a secular clan-elder honorific, and the standard Chinese name for the Presbyterian denomination (长老会). Must be anchored to the ch.3 qualification list at every occurrence, not generic seniority or monastic rank.
Husband Of One Wife
Approved rendering: 只作一个妇人的丈夫
Transliteration: zhǐ zuò yī gè fùrén de zhàngfu
Doctrine: Qualifications for Church Leadership (Elders and Deacons)
Rejected alternatives: 一夫一妻的男人 (compressed idiom, rejected as too legalistic/checkbox-sounding)
Original: μιᾶς γυναικὸς ἀνήρ
Category: Church Leadership
New term (3:2,12, CORE PASSAGE). Collides with historic Chinese legal concubinage (妻妾制, abolished 1930) and the contemporary ‘mistress’ phenomenon (小三). Must be taught as a POSITIVE requirement of monogamous fidelity, not merely a prohibition, and without silently resolving the underlying exegetical debate (serial monogamy vs. general fidelity vs. simply ‘married’).
Clean Conscience
Approved rendering: 清洁的心
Transliteration: qīngjié de xīn
Doctrine: Conscience and Moral Integrity
Original: καθαρὰ συνείδησις
Category: Church Leadership
New term (3:9, CORE PASSAGE). CUV shifts the rendering of συνείδησις here from 良心 (used at 1:5,19; 4:2) to 心 (‘heart’); both must be taught as the identical Greek faculty so learners do not perceive two different organs.
Laying On Of Hands
Approved rendering: 按手
Transliteration: ànshǒu
Doctrine: Qualifications for Church Leadership (Elders and Deacons)
Rejected alternatives: 气功发功, 隔空发功
Original: ἐπίθεσις τῶν χειρῶν
Category: Church Leadership
New term (4:14; 5:22). Must be distinguished from qigong ‘energy transmission’ touch/gesture practices (气功发功/隔空发功); this is a symbolic commissioning act accompanying the Spirit’s own prior gifting, not a channel that itself confers supernatural power.
Ransom
Approved rendering: 赎价
Transliteration: shújià
Doctrine: Christ as the One Mediator
Rejected alternatives: 还债, 消业, 买命钱
Original: ἀντίλυτρον
Category: Mediation
New term (2:6). Must be distinguished from karmic-debt repayment (还债/消业) or folk ritual payments to appease spirits (买命钱 in folk exorcism); Christ’s ransom is a one-time, fully sufficient sacrificial payment, not an ongoing ritual transaction.
Pillar And Foundation Of Truth
Approved rendering: 真理的柱石和根基
Transliteration: zhēnlǐ de zhùshí hé gēnjī
Doctrine: The Church as Pillar of Truth
Original: στῦλος καὶ ἑδραίωμα τῆς ἀληθείας
Category: Ecclesiology
New term (3:15). Must be clarified: the church upholds and displays revealed truth; it does not generate or possess authority over truth independent of Scripture and apostolic teaching — a distinction that matters given both historic imperial-sponsored religious-institution patterns and contemporary institutional-authority expectations.
Mystery Of Godliness
Approved rendering: 敬虔的奥秘
Transliteration: jìngqián de àomì
Doctrine: The Church as Pillar of Truth
Original: τὸ τῆς εὐσεβείας μυστήριον
Category: Ecclesiology
New term (3:16). Same 奥秘 caution as mystery_of_the_faith applies — distinguish from generic ‘religious mystery’ applicable to any faith tradition and from esoteric secret-transmission (密传) traditions.
Godliness
Approved rendering: 敬虔
Transliteration: jìngqián
Doctrine: Godliness and Contentment
Rejected alternatives: 虔诚
Original: εὐσέβεια
Category: Godliness
New term; the letter’s central term (2:2; 3:16; 4:7-8; 5:4; 6:3,5-6,11). Generic enough in modern Mandarin to describe devoutness toward any deity or tradition; every first occurrence per teaching unit must anchor explicitly to ‘reverent devotion to the God revealed in Jesus Christ,’ not generic religiosity.
Train For Godliness
Approved rendering: 操练自己以致敬虔
Transliteration: cāoliàn zìjǐ yǐzhì jìngqián
Doctrine: Godliness and Contentment
Rejected alternatives: 气功修炼式的操练
Original: γύμναζε σεαυτὸν πρὸς εὐσέβειαν
Category: Godliness
New term (4:7). 操练/修炼-adjacent vocabulary sits directly inside the Daoist/qigong bodily-cultivation semantic field (气功修炼); must be clarified as Spirit-enabled, Scripture-and-prayer-centered discipline aimed at Christlike character, explicitly NOT a technique for accumulating spiritual power or vital energy.
Godliness As Means Of Gain
Approved rendering: 敬虔是得利的门路
Transliteration: jìngqián shì délì de ménlù
Doctrine: Godliness and Contentment
Original: πορισμὸς εἶναι τὴν εὐσέβειαν
Category: Godliness
New term (6:5). Strikingly parallels transactional folk-religious piety (offering worship/incense to wealth-gods 财神 for material fortune); must be taught as Paul’s explicit condemnation of this error — a natural teaching bridge if handled without caricaturing folk practice.
Contentment
Approved rendering: 知足
Transliteration: zhīzú
Doctrine: Godliness and Contentment
Original: αὐτάρκεια
Category: Godliness
New term (6:6). Deep resonance with Laozi’s ‘知足者富’ (Dao De Jing 44) and Buddhist detachment from desire — the letter’s deepest philosophical-tradition overlap. Must be clarified as flowing from active trust in God’s personal provision (6:17), not philosophical detachment, suppression of desire, or wu-wei (无为) technique.
Eternal Life
Approved rendering: 永生
Transliteration: yǒngshēng
Doctrine: Godliness and Contentment
Rejected alternatives: 长生不老
Original: ζωὴ αἰώνιος
Category: Godliness
New term (6:12,19). Must be distinguished from Daoist physical-immortality-seeking (长生不老, historically pursued through alchemy and internal cultivation); biblical eternal life is resurrection life granted by God in Christ, not a physically-extended present life achieved through spiritual technique.
Widow
Approved rendering: 寡妇
Transliteration: guǎfù
Doctrine: Care for Widows and the Household of Faith
Original: χήρα
Category: Widows and Mercy Ministry
New term (5:3-16). Historic Confucian widow-chastity ideology (守节, commemorated by ‘chastity arches’ 贞节牌坊) both stigmatized widows and pressured them against remarriage; 1 Timothy 5:14 actually RECOMMENDS remarriage for younger widows. Teaching must neither reinforce widow-shaming stigma nor imply the text opposes remarriage.
Widow Indeed
Approved rendering: 真是寡妇的
Transliteration: zhēn shì guǎfù de
Doctrine: Care for Widows and the Household of Faith
Original: ὄντως χήρα
Category: Widows and Mercy Ministry
New term (5:3,5,16). Technical term defining the specific category (no family support, enrolled for church care) eligible for structured ongoing church support; not a general honorific.
Savior
Approved rendering: 救主
Transliteration: Jiùzhǔ
Doctrine: Apostolic Calling and Grace Shown to the Foremost of Sinners
Rejected alternatives: 弥勒式救世主泛称
Original: σωτήρ
Category: Calling and Grace
New term (1:1; 2:3; 4:10). Must be kept distinct from generic folk ‘savior’ figures (cf. baseline Messiah note on 弥勒/Maitreya); denotes the unique, historical Savior who has already accomplished salvation. 4:10’s ‘especially of those who believe’ qualifier must be retained so as not to imply universal salvation apart from faith.
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, unchanged. 1 Timothy 1:11 describes the gospel as ‘entrusted’ to Paul, reinforcing the Guarding-the-Deposit-of-Faith doctrine.
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, unchanged. 1 Timothy 1:17 (doxology) and 3:16 (‘taken up in glory’) reuse this term; avoid collapsing into 面子 (face) or ancestral honor (光宗耀祖).
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, unchanged. Part of 1 Timothy 1:2’s greeting formula; same distinction from amulet-style 平安 blessing applies.
Intercession
Approved rendering: 代求
Transliteration: dàiqiú
Doctrine: Prayer and Intercession
Rejected alternatives: 求签, 问卜
Original: ἔντευξις
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package, unchanged. 1 Timothy 2:1 lists intercession among the four prayer-terms for ‘all people, kings and all who are in high positions’; distinct from 求签/问卜.
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, unchanged. 1 Timothy 2:7 (‘a teacher of the Gentiles’) and 3:16 (‘proclaimed among the nations’); never 夷人.
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, unchanged. Central to 1 Timothy 3:5,15 (household imagery, ‘church of the living God’); never 庙/寺/道观.
Spiritual Gifts
Approved rendering: 属灵恩赐
Transliteration: shǔlíng ēncì
Doctrine: Spiritual Gifts
Rejected alternatives: 法力, 神通
Original: χάρισμα
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package, unchanged. 1 Timothy 4:14 speaks of Timothy’s own gift given through prophecy and the laying on of hands; never 神通/法力.
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, unchanged. 1 Timothy 1:18 and 4:14 refer to prophecies made over Timothy; distinct from 算卦/占卜.
Myths
Approved rendering: 荒渺无据的话语
Transliteration: huǎngmiǎo wújù de huàyǔ
Doctrine: Sound Doctrine versus False Teaching
Rejected alternatives: 神话, 传说
Original: μῦθος
Category: Sound Doctrine
New term (1:4; 4:7). Avoid 神话/传说 (folk-tale/legend vocabulary), which carries cultural-heritage value distinct from Paul’s point of theological unreliability.
Genealogies
Approved rendering: 家谱
Transliteration: jiāpǔ
Doctrine: Sound Doctrine versus False Teaching
Original: γενεαλογία
Category: Sound Doctrine
New term (1:4). 家谱 carries significant weight in Chinese clan-identity and ancestor-veneration culture; must clarify Paul condemns speculative, divisive misuse for doctrinal disputation, not genealogy or family heritage as such.
Seared Conscience
Approved rendering: 良心如同被热铁烙惯了一般
Transliteration: liángxīn rú tóng bèi rètiě làoguàn le yī bān
Doctrine: Conscience and Moral Integrity
Original: καυστηριάζω τὴν συνείδησιν
Category: Sound Doctrine
New term (4:2). Vivid extension of the ch.1 conscience theme; describes false teachers themselves as having lost moral sensitivity.
Office Of Overseer
Approved rendering: 监督的职分
Transliteration: jiàndū de zhífèn
Doctrine: Qualifications for Church Leadership (Elders and Deacons)
Original: ἐπισκοπή
Category: Church Leadership
New term (3:1, CORE PASSAGE). Compound noun form of 监督; same office-vs-managerial-rank caution applies.
Council Of Elders
Approved rendering: 长老会
Transliteration: zhǎnglǎohuì
Doctrine: Qualifications for Church Leadership (Elders and Deacons)
Original: πρεσβυτέριον
Category: Church Leadership
New term (4:14). Also the standard Chinese name for the Presbyterian denomination; context must clarify this refers to the functional body of elders in a local congregation, not a denominational identity.
Deacon
Approved rendering: 执事
Transliteration: zhíshì
Doctrine: Qualifications for Church Leadership (Elders and Deacons)
Original: διάκονος
Category: Church Leadership
New term (3:8,10,12-13, CORE PASSAGE). Historically also a general bureaucratic or temple-functionary title in Chinese usage; first occurrence should specify ‘教会中按圣经标准设立的执事’ to forestall a generic-functionary reading.
Self Controlled
Approved rendering: 自守
Transliteration: zìshǒu
Doctrine: Qualifications for Church Leadership (Elders and Deacons)
Rejected alternatives: 克己
Original: σώφρων / σωφροσύνη
Category: Church Leadership
New term (3:2, CORE PASSAGE; also 2:9’s σωφροσύνη). Must be distinguished from Confucian 克己 (self-restraint cultivated for social harmony/propriety); biblical self-control is Spirit-enabled character, not merely social self-regulation.
Not Lover Of Money
Approved rendering: 不贪财
Transliteration: bù tāncái
Doctrine: Qualifications for Church Leadership (Elders and Deacons)
Original: ἀφιλάργυρος
Category: Church Leadership
New term (3:3, CORE PASSAGE). Must be linked forward to 6:6-10’s Godliness-and-Contentment doctrine, not read as an isolated personal-virtue item.
Manage Household Well
Approved rendering: 好好管理自己的家
Transliteration: hǎohǎo guǎnlǐ zìjǐ de jiā
Doctrine: Qualifications for Church Leadership (Elders and Deacons)
Original: καλῶς προϊστάμενον τοῦ ἰδίου οἴκου
Category: Church Leadership
New term (3:4,12, CORE PASSAGE). Resonates with, but must be decoupled from, Confucian 家国同构 ideology, in which a well-run household legitimizes public authority as social-hierarchical performance rather than tested godly character.
Submission
Approved rendering: 顺服
Transliteration: shùnfú
Doctrine: Qualifications for Church Leadership (Elders and Deacons)
Original: ὑποταγή
Category: Church Leadership
New term (3:4, CORE PASSAGE). Children’s respectful order within the household; not a term for authoritarian domination.
Puffed Up With Conceit
Approved rendering: 自高自大
Transliteration: zì gāo zì dà
Doctrine: Qualifications for Church Leadership (Elders and Deacons)
Original: τυφόω
Category: Church Leadership
New term (3:6; 6:4, CORE PASSAGE). Pride is the specific spiritual danger of premature leadership.
Snare Of The Devil
Approved rendering: 魔鬼的网罗
Transliteration: móguǐ de wǎngluó
Doctrine: Qualifications for Church Leadership (Elders and Deacons)
Rejected alternatives: 鬼所设的圈套 (folk-ghost-flavored alternative, rejected)
Original: κρίμα τοῦ διαβόλου / παγὶς τοῦ διαβόλου
Category: Church Leadership
New term (3:6-7, CORE PASSAGE). 魔鬼 must be kept distinct from generic folk ‘ghosts’ (鬼) or nature-spirits; names a real, personal spiritual adversary, not impersonal fate or bad luck.
Good Testimony From Outsiders
Approved rendering: 在教外有好名声
Transliteration: zài jiào wài yǒu hǎo míngshēng
Doctrine: Qualifications for Church Leadership (Elders and Deacons)
Original: μαρτυρία καλὴ ἀπὸ τῶν ἔξωθεν
Category: Church Leadership
New term (3:7, CORE PASSAGE). Connects to 面子 (face/reputation) cultural dynamics flagged generally in the Romans baseline; must be framed as gospel-credibility, not mere face-preservation.
Greedy For Dishonest Gain
Approved rendering: 不贪不义之财
Transliteration: bù tān bùyì zhī cái
Doctrine: Qualifications for Church Leadership (Elders and Deacons)
Original: αἰσχροκερδής
Category: Church Leadership
New term (3:8, CORE PASSAGE). Directly relevant given deacons’ likely handling of church funds/charity distribution (cf. widow care, ch.5).
Not Slanderers
Approved rendering: 不说谗言
Transliteration: bù shuō chányán
Doctrine: Qualifications for Church Leadership (Elders and Deacons)
Original: μὴ διαβόλους
Category: Church Leadership
New term (3:11, CORE PASSAGE). Lexical trap: διάβολος names ‘the devil’ as a proper noun two verses earlier (3:6-7) but functions here as a common adjective, ‘slanderous.’ Must not import ‘devil’ imagery into this clause.
Good Standing
Approved rendering: 美好的地步
Transliteration: měihǎo de dìbù
Doctrine: Qualifications for Church Leadership (Elders and Deacons)
Original: βαθμὸς καλός
Category: Church Leadership
New term (3:13, CORE PASSAGE). Must not be taught as merit contributing to justification (already Critical under baseline 恩典/义); this is recognition within the church community, not a soteriological transaction.
Trustworthy Saying
Approved rendering: 这话是可信的
Transliteration: zhè huà shì kěxìn de
Doctrine: Guarding the Deposit of Faith
Original: πιστὸς ὁ λόγος
Category: Church Leadership
New term (1:15; 3:1; 4:9). A formulaic marker certifying a statement as authoritative apostolic tradition (occurs 5x across the Pastorals); must not be flattened to a generic transition phrase.
Rebuke Publicly
Approved rendering: 在众人面前责备他
Transliteration: zài zhòngrén miànqián zébèi tā
Doctrine: Church Discipline
Original: ἐνώπιον πάντων ἔλεγχε
Category: Church Leadership
New term (5:20). Highly sensitive given Chinese face-preservation (面子) norms around public correction; requires native-speaker cultural review to preserve the necessary corrective force without excessive softening or needless humiliation.
Double Honor
Approved rendering: 加倍的尊敬
Transliteration: jiābèi de zūnjìng
Doctrine: Qualifications for Church Leadership (Elders and Deacons)
Original: διπλῆ τιμή
Category: Church Leadership
New term (5:17). Grounds material support for teaching elders — connects leadership qualification to practical church economics.
Modesty
Approved rendering: 廉耻
Transliteration: liánchǐ
Doctrine: Gender and Ministry Roles in Corporate Worship
Original: αἰδώς
Category: Worship
New term (2:9). Must be taught as inward reverence and self-respect before God, not merely an externally-imposed dress code; 廉耻 in general Mandarin usage risks connoting only avoidance of public disgrace.
Good Works
Approved rendering: 善行
Transliteration: shànxíng
Doctrine: Public Worship and Prayer
Original: καλὰ ἔργα / ἀγαθὰ ἔργα
Category: Worship
New term (2:10; 3:1; 5:10,25; 6:18). NOTE: the Romans baseline explicitly REJECTED 善行 as an alternative rendering for ‘righteousness’ (义); here 善行 correctly denotes ordinary good deeds, a distinct concept. Do not conflate the two uses across curricula.
Household Of God
Approved rendering: 神的家
Transliteration: Shén de jiā
Doctrine: The Church as Pillar of Truth
Original: οἶκος θεοῦ
Category: Ecclesiology
New term (3:15). Connects to baseline Adoption doctrine (儿子的名分); must be taught as a relational family, not an institutional bureaucracy.
Church Of The Living God
Approved rendering: 永生神的教会
Transliteration: yǒngshēng Shén de jiàohuì
Doctrine: The Church as Pillar of Truth
Original: ἐκκλησία θεοῦ ζῶντος
Category: Ecclesiology
New term (3:15). Reuses baseline 教会+神; ‘living’ implicitly contrasts the true God with lifeless idols, relevant given Chinese folk-religious idol/image veneration.
Taken Up In Glory
Approved rendering: 被接在荣耀里
Transliteration: bèi jiē zài róngyào lǐ
Doctrine: Incarnation and Vindication of Christ (Christological Hymn)
Original: ἀνελήμφθη ἐν δόξῃ
Category: Ecclesiology
New term (3:16). Reuses baseline 荣耀 (glory) and its risk note; closes the hymn with Christ’s exaltation.
Bodily Training
Approved rendering: 身体的操练
Transliteration: shēntǐ de cāoliàn
Doctrine: Godliness and Contentment
Original: σωματικὴ γυμνασία
Category: Godliness
New term (4:8). Same Daoist bodily-cultivation collision risk as train_for_godliness should be kept in view when teaching these verses together.
Love Of Money
Approved rendering: 贪财
Transliteration: tāncái
Doctrine: Godliness and Contentment
Original: φιλαργυρία
Category: Godliness
New term (6:10). Reuses the not_lover_of_money root established at 3:3.
Good Confession
Approved rendering: 美好的见证
Transliteration: měihǎo de jiànzhèng
Doctrine: Godliness and Contentment
Original: καλὴ ὁμολογία
Category: Godliness
New term (6:12-13). CUV overlaps ‘confession’ and ‘testimony’ vocabulary; when teaching alongside Romans 10:9’s salvation confession (耶稣是主, already Critical in the baseline), clarify these belong to the same category of public profession of faith.
Immortality
Approved rendering: 不朽
Transliteration: bùxiǔ
Doctrine: Divine Sovereignty and the Kingship of God
Rejected alternatives: 神仙, 仙人
Original: ἀθανασία
Category: Godliness
New term (6:16). Must be distinguished from the Daoist ‘immortal’ (神仙/仙人), a human believed to have attained deathlessness through alchemical or spiritual cultivation; God’s immortality is inherent and uncreated, never an achieved status.
Storing Up Good Foundation
Approved rendering: 积成美好的根基
Transliteration: jīchéng měihǎo de gēnjī
Doctrine: Godliness and Contentment
Rejected alternatives: 功德积累式的根基
Original: ἀποθησαυρίζοντας ἑαυτοῖς θεμέλιον καλόν
Category: Godliness
New term (6:19). Must not read as merit-accounting (功德); this is the fruit/overflow of grace-given generosity, not a spiritual bank account contributing to salvation.
Repay Parents
Approved rendering: 报答父母
Transliteration: bàodá fùmǔ
Doctrine: Care for Widows and the Household of Faith
Original: ἀμοιβὰς ἀποδιδόναι τοῖς προγόνοις
Category: Widows and Mercy Ministry
New term (5:4). Overlaps with, but is theologically distinct in grounding from, Confucian filial piety (孝); should be taught as flowing from Christian godliness and love, not merely fulfillment of a cultural debt tied to ancestor veneration.
Slaves Under The Yoke
Approved rendering: 奴仆在轭下
Transliteration: núpú zài è xià
Doctrine: Household Relationships and Social Order
Original: δοῦλοι ὑπὸ ζυγόν
Category: Widows and Mercy Ministry
New term (6:1-2). Must be carefully framed as addressing the pastoral reality of a specific ancient social structure, not a timeless endorsement of slavery/servitude; avoid parallels that dignify historic Chinese bonded-servant or feudal-serf hierarchies.
Masters
Approved rendering: 主人
Transliteration: zhǔrén
Doctrine: Household Relationships and Social Order
Original: δεσπότης
Category: Widows and Mercy Ministry
New term (6:1-2). δεσπότης here is a legitimate, non-Christological use of ‘master’; must not bleed into softening 主 (Lord, reserved exclusively for God/Christ in Christological contexts, e.g. 6:15’s 万主之主).
Mercy
Approved rendering: 怜悯
Transliteration: liánmǐn
Doctrine: Apostolic Calling and Grace Shown to the Foremost of Sinners
Original: ἔλεος
Category: Calling and Grace
New term (1:2,13,16). Part of the greeting formula (grace/mercy/peace); distinct from but allied with grace (恩典). 1:16’s ‘I received mercy’ anchors Paul’s testimony of undeserved compassion; must not be reframed as an especially large merit-reversal within a 功德 ledger.
King Of The Ages
Approved rendering: 永世的君王
Transliteration: yǒngshì de jūnwáng
Doctrine: Divine Sovereignty and the Kingship of God
Rejected alternatives: 王朝式的君王
Original: βασιλεὺς τῶν αἰώνων
Category: Calling and Grace
New term (1:17). Reuses the caution already established under the baseline’s Kingdom-of-God doctrine: must not be read through the lens of a this-worldly dynasty (王朝) or ‘all under heaven’ (天下) framing.
Good Fight
Approved rendering: 那美好的仗
Transliteration: nà měihǎo de zhàng
Doctrine: Apostolic Calling and Grace Shown to the Foremost of Sinners
Original: καλὴ στρατεία / καλὸς ἀγών
Category: Calling and Grace
New term (1:18; cf. 6:12’s καλὸς ἀγών). Military/athletic metaphor for faithful perseverance; must render identically at both occurrences for cross-document consistency.
Deliver To Satan
Approved rendering: 交给撒但
Transliteration: jiāo gěi Sǎdàn
Doctrine: Church Discipline
Rejected alternatives: 下咒式的驱逐
Original: παραδίδωμι τῷ Σατανᾷ
Category: Calling and Grace
New term (1:20). Must be distinguished from folk cursing/exorcism rituals; this is a formal act of church discipline aimed at eventual restoration, not a magical curse invoking a spirit-being.
Hope
Approved rendering: 盼望
Transliteration: pànwàng
Doctrine: Apostolic Calling and Grace Shown to the Foremost of Sinners
Original: ἐλπίς
Category: Calling and Grace
New term (1:1, ‘Christ Jesus our hope’). Reused throughout the letter’s warnings against apostasy; same caution as the baseline’s fatalism warnings under Election/Providence applies — must not be read as impersonal wishful fortune.
Love Agape
Approved rendering: 爱
Transliteration: ài
Doctrine: Godliness and Contentment
Original: ἀγάπη
Category: Calling and Grace
New term (1:5,14; 2:15; 4:12; 6:11). 爱 alone is the everyday word for all kinds of love including romantic love (爱情) and family affection; theological contexts should specify 神的爱 or pair with self-giving language to make the specifically agape sense clear.
Transgression
Approved rendering: 过犯
Transliteration: guòfàn
Doctrine: Gender and Ministry Roles in Corporate Worship
Original: παράβασις
Category: Calling and Grace
New term (2:14, describing Eve’s fall). Tied to the baseline ‘sin’ (罪) family.
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, unchanged. 1 Timothy 1:1 and 2:7 identify Paul as apostle and ‘teacher of the Gentiles’; no significant new collision risk.
Thanksgiving
Approved rendering: 感恩
Transliteration: gǎn’ēn
Doctrine: Thanksgiving
Original: εὐχαριστία
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package, unchanged. 1 Timothy 2:1 and 4:3-4 (food received ‘with thanksgiving’) extend the term into everyday provision, still addressed to God specifically.
Exhort
Approved rendering: 劝勉
Transliteration: quànmiǎn
Doctrine: Mutual Edification
Inherited from Romans package, unchanged. 1 Timothy 5:1 reuses this term: Timothy is to ‘exhort’ (not harshly rebuke) an older man as a father — warm, relational correction, not disciplinary harshness.
Above Reproach
Approved rendering: 无可指责
Transliteration: wú kě zhǐzé
Doctrine: Qualifications for Church Leadership (Elders and Deacons)
Original: ἀνεπίλημπτος / ἀνέγκλητος
Category: Church Leadership
New term (3:2,10, CORE PASSAGE). Two distinct Greek synonyms (ἀνεπίλημπτος, ἀνέγκλητος) rendered identically; teach as functionally equivalent standards for overseers and deacons, not two different bars.
Sober Minded
Approved rendering: 有节制
Transliteration: yǒu jiézhì
Doctrine: Qualifications for Church Leadership (Elders and Deacons)
Original: νηφάλιος
Category: Church Leadership
New term (3:2,11, CORE PASSAGE). Root sense of sobriety from wine, extended to general clear judgment.
Respectable
Approved rendering: 端正
Transliteration: duānzhèng
Doctrine: Qualifications for Church Leadership (Elders and Deacons)
Original: κόσμιος
Category: Church Leadership
New term (3:2, CORE PASSAGE). Public conduct consistent with the gospel.
Hospitable
Approved rendering: 乐意接待远人
Transliteration: lèyì jiēdài yuǎnrén
Doctrine: Qualifications for Church Leadership (Elders and Deacons)
Original: φιλόξενος
Category: Church Leadership
New term (3:2, CORE PASSAGE). Practical outworking of Christian love toward outsiders and itinerant believers.
Able To Teach
Approved rendering: 善于教导
Transliteration: shànyú jiàodǎo
Doctrine: Qualifications for Church Leadership (Elders and Deacons)
Original: διδακτικός
Category: Church Leadership
New term (3:2, CORE PASSAGE). Ties church leadership directly to Sound Doctrine — an overseer must be able to refute error.
Not A Drunkard
Approved rendering: 不因酒滋事
Transliteration: bù yīn jiǔ zīshì
Doctrine: Qualifications for Church Leadership (Elders and Deacons)
Original: πάροινος (negated)
Category: Church Leadership
New term (3:3,8, CORE PASSAGE).
Not Violent
Approved rendering: 不打人
Transliteration: bù dǎ rén
Doctrine: Qualifications for Church Leadership (Elders and Deacons)
Original: πλήκτης (negated)
Category: Church Leadership
New term (3:3, CORE PASSAGE). Leadership must model peace, not coercion.
Gentle
Approved rendering: 温和
Transliteration: wēnhé
Doctrine: Qualifications for Church Leadership (Elders and Deacons)
Original: ἐπιεικής
Category: Church Leadership
New term (3:3, CORE PASSAGE). Positive counterpart to violence and quarrelsomeness.
Not Quarrelsome
Approved rendering: 不争竞
Transliteration: bù zhēngjìng
Doctrine: Qualifications for Church Leadership (Elders and Deacons)
Original: ἄμαχος
Category: Church Leadership
New term (3:3, CORE PASSAGE).
Dignity
Approved rendering: 端庄
Transliteration: duānzhuāng
Doctrine: Qualifications for Church Leadership (Elders and Deacons)
Original: σεμνότης / σεμνός
Category: Church Leadership
New term (2:2; 3:4,8,11, CORE PASSAGE).
New Convert
Approved rendering: 初入教的
Transliteration: chū rù jiào de
Doctrine: Qualifications for Church Leadership (Elders and Deacons)
Original: νεόφυτος
Category: Church Leadership
New term (3:6, CORE PASSAGE). Guards against premature elevation to leadership.
Double Tongued
Approved rendering: 一口两舌
Transliteration: yī kǒu liǎng shé
Doctrine: Qualifications for Church Leadership (Elders and Deacons)
Original: δίλογος
Category: Church Leadership
New term (3:8, CORE PASSAGE). Integrity of speech required of those entrusted with practical church ministry.
Tested Before Service
Approved rendering: 先受试验
Transliteration: xiān shòu shìyàn
Doctrine: Qualifications for Church Leadership (Elders and Deacons)
Original: δοκιμαζέσθωσαν
Category: Church Leadership
New term (3:10, CORE PASSAGE). 试验 defaults in modern Mandarin to a scientific/laboratory ‘experiment’; a light contextual gloss (‘character observed/tested over time’) is recommended to avoid a laboratory-experiment register mismatch. Establishes a process, not instantaneous appointment.
Faithful In All Things
Approved rendering: 凡事忠心
Transliteration: fánshì zhōngxīn
Doctrine: Qualifications for Church Leadership (Elders and Deacons)
Original: πιστὰς ἐν πᾶσιν
Category: Church Leadership
New term (3:11, CORE PASSAGE). Reuses baseline 信 (faith) root.
Confidence
Approved rendering: 大有胆量
Transliteration: dà yǒu dǎnliàng
Doctrine: Qualifications for Church Leadership (Elders and Deacons)
Original: παρρησία
Category: Church Leadership
New term (3:13, CORE PASSAGE). Fruit of faithful service — confident freedom before God and others.
Prayer
Approved rendering: 祷告
Transliteration: dǎogào
Doctrine: Public Worship and Prayer
Original: προσευχή
Category: Worship
New term (2:1,8). First of four prayer-terms in 2:1.
Supplication
Approved rendering: 祈求
Transliteration: qíqiú
Doctrine: Public Worship and Prayer
Original: δέησις
Category: Worship
New term (2:1). Paired with prayer to stress urgent asking.
Seen By Angels
Approved rendering: 被天使看见
Transliteration: bèi tiānshǐ kànjiàn
Doctrine: Incarnation and Vindication of Christ (Christological Hymn)
Original: ὤφθη ἀγγέλοις
Category: Ecclesiology
New term (3:16). Part of the christological hymn’s cosmic scope.
Proclaimed Among The Nations
Approved rendering: 被传于外邦
Transliteration: bèi chuán yú wàibāng
Doctrine: Incarnation and Vindication of Christ (Christological Hymn)
Original: ἐκηρύχθη ἐν ἔθνεσιν
Category: Ecclesiology
New term (3:16). Reuses baseline 外邦人 (Gentiles); connects to Mission-to-the-Nations doctrine established in the Romans baseline.
Believed On In The World
Approved rendering: 被世人信服
Transliteration: bèi shìrén xìnfú
Doctrine: Incarnation and Vindication of Christ (Christological Hymn)
Original: ἐπιστεύθη ἐν κόσμῳ
Category: Ecclesiology
New term (3:16). Reuses baseline 信 (faith) root.
Gentleness
Approved rendering: 温柔
Transliteration: wēnróu
Doctrine: Godliness and Contentment
Original: πραϋπαθία
Category: Godliness
New term (6:11). Positive virtue contrasted with the quarrelsome love of controversy (6:4-5).
Unapproachable Light
Approved rendering: 人不能靠近的光
Transliteration: rén bùnéng kàojìn de guāng
Doctrine: Divine Sovereignty and the Kingship of God
Original: φῶς ἀπρόσιτον
Category: Godliness
New term (6:16). Reuses baseline 荣耀 (glory) theme; underscores God’s utter transcendence.
Muzzle The Ox
Approved rendering: 笼住牛的嘴
Transliteration: lóng zhù niú de zuǐ
Doctrine: Care for Widows and the Household of Faith
Original: κημόω βοῦν ἀλοῶντα
Category: Widows and Mercy Ministry
New term (5:18). OT quotation (Deut 25:4) grounding ministerial support.
Two Or Three Witnesses
Approved rendering: 两三个见证人
Transliteration: liǎng sān gè jiànzhèngrén
Doctrine: Church Discipline
Original: δύο ἢ τριῶν μαρτύρων
Category: Widows and Mercy Ministry
New term (5:19). Safeguards due process for accusations against an elder.
Partiality
Approved rendering: 偏心
Transliteration: piānxīn
Doctrine: Church Discipline
Original: πρόσκλισις
Category: Widows and Mercy Ministry
New term (5:21). Warns against unequal treatment in matters of discipline.
Referenced passages