Core Glossary
08 Core Glossary — 2 Peter — English → Mandarin
Purpose
This glossary consolidates every load-bearing theological term identified in 07_semantic_analysis.md across the whole of 2 Peter (chapters 1–3), organized by curriculum doctrine. Terms already established in the baseline Romans translation_memory.json are marked [BASELINE — REUSED EXACTLY] and carry forward their recorded Mandarin rendering, risk tier, and rejection list without modification. New terms specific to 2 Peter are marked [NEW] and assigned a risk tier using the same Critical/High/Medium/Low definitions as the baseline doctrine_risk_registry.json. This glossary must be merged into translation_memory.json before any Phase 2 segment translation of 2 Peter begins.
1. Doctrine: The Reliability and Inspiration of Scripture
| English Term | Greek (Translit.) | Mandarin | Risk | Status | Chapter(s) | Risk Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scripture | γραφή/γραφαί (graphē/graphai) | 经 / 圣经 (jīng / Shèngjīng) | Critical | [NEW] | 1:20; 3:16 | Collides with the generic Chinese 经 used for Confucian classics (五经), Daoist canon (道经), and Buddhist sutras (佛经). Must be taught as verbally God-breathed, not sage-wisdom or ritual literature. |
| own/private interpretation | ἰδία ἐπίλυσις (idia epilysis) | 私意解说 (sīyì jiěshuō) | High | [NEW] | 1:20 | Warns against imposing self-generated meaning on the text; pair with στρεβλόω note below. |
| moved/carried along [by the Spirit] | φερόμενοι (pheromenoi, from φέρω) | 被圣灵感动 (bèi Shènglíng gǎndòng) | Critical | [NEW] | 1:21 | Must be distinguished from trance-writing/spirit-medium channeling (扶乩, 通灵); Scripture is a Spirit-superintended, human-authored, closed, trustworthy canon, not ongoing mediumistic dictation. |
| prophecy | προφητεία (prophēteia) | 预言 (yùyán) | Medium | [BASELINE — REUSED EXACTLY] | 1:19–21 | Baseline note applies: distinguish from divination (算卦/占卜). |
| prophet | προφήτης (prophētēs) | 先知 (xiānzhī) | Low | [BASELINE — REUSED EXACTLY] | 1:19; 2:1 (ψευδοπροφήτης, “false prophet,” 假先知) | Baseline note applies: distinguish from a fortune-teller (算命先生). |
| twist/distort [Scripture] | στρεβλόω (strebloō) | 强解 (qiáng jiě) | High | [NEW] | 3:16 | Direct pair with ἐπίλυσις above; twisting Scripture is treated as leading to destruction, not merely poor exegesis. |
| prophetic word | προφητικὸς λόγος (prophētikos logos) | 先知的话 / 更确的预言 (xiānzhī de huà) | High | [NEW] | 1:19 | Confirms, does not compete with, eyewitness testimony as ground of certainty. |
2. Doctrine: Growing in Christian Virtue
| English Term | Greek (Translit.) | Mandarin | Risk | Status | Chapter(s) | Risk Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| faith | πίστις (pistis) | 信心 (xìnxīn) | High | [BASELINE — REUSED EXACTLY] | 1:1, 1:5 | Baseline note applies: object of faith must remain Christ specifically. |
| virtue/excellence | ἀρετή (aretē) | 德行 (déxíng) | High | [NEW] | 1:5 | Collides with the Confucian virtue-term 德 (道德/品德), suggesting self-cultivated moral achievement; must be taught as Spirit-enabled growth built on a prior gift of faith, not autonomous self-cultivation (修身). |
| knowledge (informed discernment) | γνῶσις (gnōsis) | 知识 (zhīshí) | Medium-High | [NEW] | 1:5–6; 3:18 | Distinguish from ἐπίγνωσις below; do not collapse the two into one Mandarin term. |
| knowledge (relational, of God/Christ) | ἐπίγνωσις (epignōsis) | 认识 (rènshi) | High | [NEW] | 1:2, 1:3, 1:8; 2:20; 3:18 | Recurs as a major theme word; must be distinguished from Chan Buddhist sudden-enlightenment insight (悟) and generalized esoteric gnosis; this is relational trust-knowledge, growing through ordinary means. |
| self-control | ἐγκράτεια (egkrateia) | 节制 (jiézhì) | Medium | [NEW] | 1:6 | Minor collision with Buddhist precept-keeping (持戒); clarify as grace-enabled, not merit-generating. |
| steadfastness/perseverance | ὑπομονή (hypomonē) | 忍耐 (rěnnài) | Medium | [NEW] | 1:6 | Keep distinct from μακroθυμία’s 恒久忍耐 (God’s patience, ch. 3) — same root character, different referent (human vs. divine). |
| godliness | εὐσέβεια (eusebeia) | 敬虔 (jìngqián) | High | [NEW] | 1:6-7; 3:11 | Must be anchored explicitly to the true God/Christ; risk of reading as generic religious devoutness transferable to any deity, or as ancestor-veneration filial piety (孝敬祖先). |
| brotherly affection | φιλαδελφία (philadelphia) | 弟兄相爱的心 (dìxiōng xiāng’ài de xīn) | Medium | [NEW] | 1:7 | Distinguish from sworn-brotherhood ritual bonding (结拜); see baseline fellowship/团契 note. |
| love | ἀγάπη (agapē) | 爱 / 爱心 (ài / àixīn) | Low-Medium | [NEW] | 1:7 | Standard term; capstone of the virtue chain. |
| calling and election | κλῆσις καὶ ἐκλογή (klēsis kai eklogē) | 呼召 / 拣选 (hūzhào / jiǎnxuǎn) | High | [BASELINE — REUSED EXACTLY] | 1:10 | Confirmed, not earned, by visible growth in virtue. |
| grow | αὐξάνω (auxanō) | 长进 / 增长 (zhǎngjìn / zēngzhǎng) | Low-Medium | [NEW] | 3:18 | Closes the book’s virtue-growth theme, tied to grace (恩典) and knowledge (知识), both reused exactly. |
| diligent; spotless and blameless | σπουδάζω / ἄσπιλος καὶ ἀμώμητος | 殷勤 / 无玷污、无瑕疵 | Medium | [NEW] | 3:14 | Connects to baseline sanctification caution: fruit of grace-given hope, not self-perfection. |
3. Doctrine: False Teachers and Their Judgment
| English Term | Greek (Translit.) | Mandarin | Risk | Status | Chapter(s) | Risk Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| false teacher | ψευδοδιδάσκαλος (pseudodidaskalos) | 假师傅 (jiǎ shīfu) | High | [NEW] | 2:1 | 师傅 evokes a Chinese religious/martial-arts master honorific; clarify the fraud is doctrinal corruption from within the church, not mere lack of skill. |
| heresy/destructive opinion | αἵρεσις (hairesis) | 异端 (yìduān) | High | [NEW] | 2:1 | Retain the specific NT sense (denial of Christ’s redeeming lordship), not merely “a rival school of thought.” |
| Master/Sovereign Owner | δεσπότης (despotēs) | 主宰 (zhǔzǎi) | High | [NEW] | 2:1 | Distinct from κύριος/主; stresses absolute ownership by right of purchase. Must not soften to ordinary 主人. |
| bought/redeemed | ἀγοράζω (agorazō) | 买赎 (mǎishú) | Medium | [NEW] | 2:1 | Avoid flattening to bare commerce; avoid resonance with 放生 (folk merit-buying life-release practice). |
| judgment | κρίσις (krisis) | 审判 (shěnpàn) | High | [NEW] | 2:3-4, 2:9 | Personal, judicial verdict; distinguish from impersonal karmic retribution (报应, per baseline sin note). |
| hell (Tartarus) | ταρταρόω (tartaroō) | 地狱 (dìyù) | Critical | [NEW] | 2:4 | Collides with the Buddhist/folk multi-tier underworld (十八层地狱) with karmic-release possibility via ritual (超度, baseline Critical). Here: a holding place for certain judgment, not a purgatorial way-station. |
| righteous [person] | δίκαιος (dikaios) | 义人 (yìrén) | Critical | [BASELINE — REUSED EXACTLY] (adjectival form of δικαιοσύνη/义) | 2:5, 2:7-8 | Applied to Noah and Lot; consistent with, not contradicting, the forensic sense established in Romans. |
| freedom/license | ἐλευθερία (eleutheria) | 自由 (zìyóu) | Medium | [NEW] | 2:19 | False teachers’ promised “freedom” is actually bondage to corruption. |
| slave [of corruption] | δοῦλος (doulos, negative sense) | 奴仆 / 奴隶 (núpú / núlì) | Medium | [NEW] | 2:19 | Same Greek word as 1:1’s honorific self-designation (仆人); context-sensitive, opposite moral valence. |
| error/deception | πλάνη (planē) | 错谬 / 迷惑 (cuòmiù / míhuò) | Medium | [NEW] | 2:18; 3:17 | Standard term for doctrinal deception. |
| flood; Noah; Lot; Sodom and Gomorrah; Balaam | κατακλυσμός; Νῶε; Λώτ; Σόδομα/Γόμορρα; Βαλαάμ | 洪水; 挪亚; 罗得; 所多玛和蛾摩拉; 巴兰 | Low | [NEW — proper names/historical refs.] | 2:5-16 | Standard CUV transliterations; minor cultural echo with Yu the Great flood myth (大禹治水), doctrinally low risk. |
4. Doctrine: The Certainty of Christ’s Return
| English Term | Greek (Translit.) | Mandarin | Risk | Status | Chapter(s) | Risk Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| coming/return (parousia) | παρουσία (parousia) | 降临 (jiànglín) | Critical | [NEW] | 1:16; 3:4 | Sharpest syncretism risk in the book: structurally parallels Maitreya Buddhism’s anticipated future-Buddha coming (弥勒下生), which the baseline already flags for the Messiah/基督 entry. Must be taught as the one, final, bodily, visible return of Christ — never a repeatable manifestation (下凡/化身, already forbidden in baseline for incarnation) nor one of several anticipated future saviors. |
| eyewitness | ἐπόπτης (epoptēs) | 亲眼见过 / 目击者 (mùjīzhě) | Medium | [NEW] | 1:16 | Direct, verifiable sensory experience; not visionary/trance “spiritual sight” (灵视). |
| myths | μῦθος (mythos) | 捏造的虚言 (niēzào de xūyán) | Medium | [NEW] | 1:16 | Do not soften to 传说 (legend), which carries a tone of credible sacred lore in Chinese religious culture. |
| power [of Christ] | δύναμις (dynamis) | 大能 (dà néng) | High | [BASELINE — REUSED, adapted] | 1:16 | Baseline 神的大能 pattern, here of Christ’s power specifically tied to his return. |
| majesty | μεγαλειότης (megaleiotēs) | 威荣 (wēiróng) | Medium | [NEW] | 1:16 | Keep distinct from 面子 (face/social prestige), per baseline glory note. |
| Majestic Glory | μεγαλοπρεπὴς δόξα | 极大的荣耀 (jí dà de róngyào) | Medium | [NEW — built on baseline 荣耀] | 1:17 | Reverent circumlocution for God the Father; uses baseline glory-root term with intensifying modifier. |
| beloved Son | ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός | 我的爱子 (wǒ de àizǐ) | Critical | [NEW — built on baseline 神的儿子] | 1:17 | Inherits Critical rating from baseline Sonship-of-Christ entry; never merely honorific/adoptive sonship. |
| holy mountain | ἅγιον ὄρος | 圣山 (shèng shān) | High | [NEW — built on baseline 圣洁] | 1:18 | Distinguish from Chinese sacred-mountain traditions (五岳, Buddhist sacred mountains) where holiness derives from resident deities/feng shui; here holiness is event-specific divine manifestation. |
| morning star | φωσφόρος (phōsphoros) | 晨星 (chénxīng) | Medium | [NEW] | 1:19 | Fixed messianic image of certain future fulfillment; avoid astrological star-omen reading (占星). |
| scoffer/mocker | ἐμπαίκτης (empaiktēs) | 好讥诮的人 (hào jīqiào de rén) | Medium | [NEW] | 3:3 | Those who doubt specifically the parousia’s certainty. |
5. Doctrine: The Day of the Lord and Final Judgment
| English Term | Greek (Translit.) | Mandarin | Risk | Status | Chapter(s) | Risk Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| the Day of the Lord | ἡμέρα Κυρίου (hēmera Kyriou) | 主的日子 (Zhǔ de rìzi) | Critical | [NEW — built on baseline 主] | 3:10 | Must be taught as a singular, linear, non-repeating historical climax, not conflated with the Buddhist cyclical kalpa (劫: 成劫/住劫/坏劫/空劫) or with Chinese cyclical dynastic historiography (治乱循环, per baseline Fulfillment-of-Prophecy note). |
| elements [of creation] | στοιχεῖα (stoicheia) | 有形质的（万物） (yǒu xíngzhì de wànwù) | Medium | [NEW] | 3:10, 3:12 | Must not be rendered using Five-Elements cosmology vocabulary (五行), an unrelated metaphysical framework. |
| new heavens and new earth | καινὸς οὐρανὸς καὶ καινὴ γῆ | 新天新地 (xīn tiān xīn dì) | High | [NEW — established Chinese Christian phrase] | 3:13 | Distinguish from secular utopianism (乌托邦) and from Buddhist cyclical kalpa-renewal; concrete hope of a physical creation permanently indwelt by righteousness. |
| creation | κτίσις (ktisis) | 创造 / 受造之物 (shòuzào zhī wù) | Low-Medium | [NEW] | 3:4 | Standard term. |
| judgment | κρίσις (krisis) | 审判 (shěnpàn) | High | [NEW — see also §3 above] | 3:7 | See False Teachers section; same term, cosmic scope here. |
6. Doctrine: Patience of God’s Timing
| English Term | Greek (Translit.) | Mandarin | Risk | Status | Chapter(s) | Risk Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| patience/longsuffering [of God] | μακροθυμία (makrothymia) | 恒久忍耐 (héngjiǔ rěnnài) | High | [NEW] | 3:9, 3:15 | Deliberately distinguished by modifier from ὑπομονή’s plain 忍耐 (1:6, human perseverance). Teach as purposive mercy giving opportunity for repentance, not fatalistic “heaven’s timing” (天意, adjacent to baseline’s Providence Critical caution) or divine helplessness. |
| delay/be slow | βραδύνω (bradynō) | 耽延 (dānyán) | Medium | [NEW] | 3:9 | Answers the scoffers’ charge directly; must not imply divine negligence or inability. |
| salvation | σωτηρία (sōtēria) | 救恩 (jiùēn) | Critical | [BASELINE — REUSED EXACTLY] | 3:15 | ”Our Lord’s patience means salvation” — baseline note applies in full (never 解脱/超度). |
| time/season | χρόνος (chronos) | 时候 / 时间 (shíhòu / shíjiān) | Low | [NEW] | 3:8 (“with the Lord one day is as a thousand years”) | Standard term; emphasizes God’s transcendence of human time-reckoning, not cyclical cosmic time. |
7. Doctrine: Divine Nature and Escaping Corruption
| English Term | Greek (Translit.) | Mandarin | Risk | Status | Chapter(s) | Risk Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| divine nature / partakers of the divine nature | θεία φύσις / θείας φύσεως κοινωνοί | 得与神的性情有分 (dé yǔ Shén de xìngqíng yǒu fèn) | Critical | [NEW] | 1:4 | The single highest-risk new term-pair in 2 Peter. Collides directly with (1) Daoist internal-alchemy “cultivating to become immortal” (修炼成仙) and (2) Buddhist innate Buddha-nature (佛性) awaiting awakening. Must be taught as a gift of grace received through Christ’s promises, producing moral transformation and escape from corruption — never an innate potential unlocked by technique, nor an ontological merger erasing the Creator-creature distinction. Mandatory theologian review at every occurrence. |
| divine power | θεία δύναμις (theia dynamis) | 神的大能 (Shén de dà néng) | High | [BASELINE — REUSED, adapted] | 1:3 | Here emphasizes sustaining/enabling power for godly living, distinct from (but consistent with) Romans 1:16’s saving-power sense. |
| corruption | φθορά (phthora) | 败坏 (bàihuài) | High | [NEW] | 1:4; 2:12, 2:19 | Moral/spiritual ruin produced by ἐπιθυμία; distinguish from ritual impurity (不洁) concerns in folk religion. |
| desire/lust | ἐπιθυμία (epithymia) | 私欲 / 情欲 (sīyù / qíngyù) | Medium | [NEW] | 1:4; 2:10, 2:18 | Standard moral-theological term. |
| promise | ἐπάγγελμα/ἐπαγγελία (epaggelma/epaggelia) | 应许 (yìngxǔ) | Medium | [NEW] | 1:4; 3:4, 3:9, 3:13 | Gracious, self-obligating divine pledge; distinguish from a negotiated bargain (合同/契约, per baseline covenant note) or a fortune-teller’s forecast. |
| Savior | σωτήρ (sōtēr) | 救主 (Jiùzhǔ) | High | [NEW] | 1:1, 1:11; 2:20; 3:2, 3:18 | Distinguish from popular Chinese rescuer-deities (e.g., Guanyin, 救苦救难观世音) petitioned for present relief; Christ is the unique, once-for-all Savior from sin and judgment. |
8. Baseline Terms Confirmed for Reuse (No Deviation Permitted)
The following baseline translation_memory.json entries recur in 2 Peter and must be reused exactly with no modification: 神 (God), 耶稣 (Jesus), 基督 (Christ/Messiah), 主 (Lord), 神的儿子 (Son of God), 圣灵 (Holy Spirit), 信心 (faith), 恩典 (grace), 义/义人 (righteousness/righteous), 荣耀 (glory), 平安 (peace), 圣洁 (holy), 使徒 (apostle), 先知 (prophet), 预言 (prophecy), 呼召/蒙召的 (calling/called), 拣选 (election), 神的国 (kingdom of God), 救恩 (salvation), 罪 (sin).
Risk Tier Summary for 2 Peter
| Risk Tier | Count (new terms) | Count (reused baseline terms) | Review Routing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical | 7 (γραφή, φερόμενοι/inspiration, παρουσία, ἀγαπητός/beloved Son, ταρταρόω/hell, ἡμέρα Κυρίου, θεία φύσις/divine nature) | 5 (神, 耶稣, 基督, 圣灵, 救恩, 义/义人) | Human theologian — mandatory every occurrence |
| High | 12 (γραφή-adjacent ἐπίλυσις, στρεβλόω, ἀρετή, ἐπίγνωσις, εὐσέβεια, ψευδοδιδάσκαλος, αἵρεσις, δεσπότης, κρίσις, καινὸς οὐρανὸς καὶ καινὴ γῆ, μακροθυμία, φθορά, σωτήρ) | 6 (信心, 荣耀-family, 圣洁, 呼召/拣选, 神的国, 恩典-contrast contexts) | Human theologian |
| Medium | ~16 (μῦθος, ἐπόπτης, μεγαλειότης, φωσφόρος, ἐμπαίκτης, στοιχεῖα, βραδύνω, ἀγοράζω, ἐλευθερία, δοῦλος, πλάνη, γνῶσις, ἐγκράτεια, ὑπομονή, φιλαδελφία, ἐπάγγελμα, ἐπιθυμία, σπουδάζω-pair) | 2 (平安, 荣耀 non-Critical uses) | Native speaker review |
| Low | ~8 (proper names/historical refs., σκήνωμα, ἔξοδος, πταίω, ἀγάπη, χρόνος, αὐξάνω, κτίσις) | 2 (使徒, 先知) | Automated review |
This glossary must be merged into an updated translation_memory.json (version increment required) before Phase 2 segment translation of 2 Peter begins, per the enforcement procedure in 12_ai_translation_requirements.md.
Critical Risk Terms
God
Approved rendering: 神
Transliteration: Shén
Doctrine: Deity of Christ / God the Father
Rejected alternatives: 上帝, 天, 老天爷
Original: θεός
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package exactly, no deviation. 2 Peter 1:17 identifies God the Father as the source of the Transfiguration voice; monotheism and personal address must remain explicit in every occurrence.
Jesus
Approved rendering: 耶稣
Transliteration: Yēsū
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Original: Ἰησοῦς
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package exactly, no deviation.
Messiah
Approved rendering: 基督
Transliteration: Jīdū
Doctrine: Messianic Promise / Certainty of Christ’s Return
Rejected alternatives: 弥勒, 救世主式泛称
Inherited from Romans package exactly, no deviation. In 2 Peter the Maitreya-collision risk already flagged in the baseline intensifies because the letter’s own parousia language (降临) sits structurally close to Chinese Buddhist millenarian expectation of Maitreya’s future descent (弥勒下生); reinforce the baseline prohibition on 弥勒 with equal force whenever 基督 appears near return/coming language (1:16; 3:4).
Lord
Approved rendering: 主
Transliteration: zhǔ
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Rejected alternatives: 主人, 老爷
Original: κύριος
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package exactly, no deviation. 2 Peter’s title ‘our Lord and Savior’ (1:1 etc.) and ‘the Day of the Lord’ (3:10) both build on this term; must not soften 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 exactly, no deviation. Background term for 2 Peter 1:17’s possessive form ‘my beloved Son’ (see new entry beloved_son); NEVER 天子 (‘Son of Heaven’, the imperial Mandate-of-Heaven title), a collision especially live at the Transfiguration scene.
Holy Spirit
Approved rendering: 圣灵
Transliteration: Shènglíng
Doctrine: Sanctification / Inspiration of Scripture
Rejected alternatives: 祖灵, 灵
Original: πνεῦμα ἅγιον
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package exactly, no deviation. 2 Peter 1:21 is the letter’s master verse for the doctrine of the Reliability and Inspiration of Scripture (see new entry carried_along_by_holy_spirit); never 灵 alone or 祖灵.
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 exactly, no deviation. 2 Peter 1:2 and 3:18 both anchor grace as the ground of calling and the sphere of ongoing growth; NEVER 功德/阴德, the merit-ledger framework 2 Peter’s virtue chain (1:5-9) is especially vulnerable to being misread through.
Righteousness
Approved rendering: 义
Transliteration: yì
Doctrine: Salvation / Christ as the Unique Savior
Rejected alternatives: 道德, 善行
Original: δικαιοσύνη
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package exactly, no deviation. 2 Peter 1:1 attributes 义 to ‘our God and Savior,’ and 3:13 makes it the permanent moral character of the new creation; every justification-adjacent use still requires the Confucian-virtue distinguishing note.
Salvation
Approved rendering: 救恩
Transliteration: jiùēn
Doctrine: Salvation / Patience of God’s Timing
Rejected alternatives: 解脱, 超度, 得道
Original: σωτηρία
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package exactly, no deviation. 2 Peter 3:15 explicitly makes salvation the fruit of the Lord’s patience; NEVER 解脱/超度.
Beloved Son
Approved rendering: 我的爱子
Transliteration: wǒ de àizǐ
Doctrine: Deity and Sonship of Christ at the Transfiguration
Rejected alternatives: 天子, 神人, 受宠的儿子
Original: ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός
Category: Christology
New term for 2 Peter, built on baseline 神的儿子. The Father’s direct address confirming Christ’s unique, eternal, divine Sonship at the Transfiguration (2 Peter 1:17). Inherits Critical rating of son_of_god; must never be softened toward adoptive or merely honorific sonship, and must not echo 天子 (‘Son of Heaven’, imperial Mandate-of-Heaven title).
Righteous Person
Approved rendering: 义人
Transliteration: yìrén
Doctrine: Judgment of Fallen Angels and the Ancient World
Rejected alternatives: 道德高尚的人, 圣人
Original: δίκαιος
Category: Salvation
New term for 2 Peter, built on baseline 义/righteousness as adjectival form. Applied to Noah and Lot (2 Peter 2:5-8). Must remain consistent with the forensic sense established in Romans, not the Confucian virtue; describes covenant-faithful character flowing from right relationship with God, not autonomous moral perfection.
Divine Nature
Approved rendering: 得与神的性情有分
Transliteration: dé yǔ Shén de xìngqíng yǒu fèn
Doctrine: Divine Nature and Escaping Corruption
Rejected alternatives: 神性, 佛性, 修炼成仙, 得道, 成仙
Original: θεία φύσις / θείας φύσεως κοινωνοί
Category: Divine Nature
New term for 2 Peter; the single highest-risk phrase in the book, on par with 成圣 in the baseline. Collides directly with (1) Daoist internal-alchemy ‘cultivating to become immortal’ (修炼成仙) through esoteric technique, and (2) Buddhist innate Buddha-nature (佛性) awaiting awakening through meditative practice. Must be taught as a gift of grace received through faith in Christ’s promises, producing moral transformation and escape from corruption — never an innate potential unlocked by technique, nor an ontological merger dissolving the Creator-creature distinction. Mandatory theologian review at every occurrence (2 Peter 1:4).
Scripture
Approved rendering: 经/圣经
Transliteration: jīng/Shèngjīng
Doctrine: Reliability and Inspiration of Scripture
Rejected alternatives: 经典, 圣典
Original: γραφή / γραφαί
Category: Scripture
New term for 2 Peter (γραφή/γραφαί). 经 is the generic Chinese character for any authoritative classical text (Confucian 五经, Daoist 道经, Buddhist 佛经). Every doctrinal occurrence must make explicit this is not sage-wisdom literature but the verbally God-breathed record of a personal God’s self-disclosure. 2 Peter 3:16 extends this category to include Paul’s letters, an early witness to forming NT canon-consciousness.
Carried Along By Holy Spirit
Approved rendering: 被圣灵感动
Transliteration: bèi Shènglíng gǎndòng
Doctrine: Reliability and Inspiration of Scripture
Rejected alternatives: 扶乩, 通灵, 灵感
New term for 2 Peter (φερόμενοι ὑπὸ Πνεύματος Ἁγίου, 1:21), the master verse for Scripture’s inspiration. Must be distinguished from Chinese folk-religious/spiritist trance-writing (扶乩, ‘planchette writing’) and spirit-medium channeling (通灵), in which a human medium’s consciousness is displaced. Biblical inspiration engages the prophet’s own mind and vocabulary fully even as the Spirit superintends the result, producing a fixed, closed, trustworthy canon, not ongoing mediumistic dictation.
Parousia Return
Approved rendering: 降临
Transliteration: jiànglín
Doctrine: Certainty of Christ’s Return
Rejected alternatives: 下生, 应化, 化身, 下凡, 转世
Original: παρουσία
Category: Eschatology
New term for 2 Peter (παρουσία, 1:16; 3:4). The single sharpest syncretism risk in the book: structurally parallel to Chinese Buddhist millenarian expectation of Maitreya’s future descent (弥勒下生, Mílè xiàshēng), historically invoked by Chinese folk-millenarian and rebel movements. Must be taught as the one, final, bodily, visible, non-repeating return of Christ — never one of several anticipated future world-saviors, nor a repeatable manifestation-descent (应化/化身/下凡, already forbidden in the baseline for incarnation).
Day Of The Lord
Approved rendering: 主的日子
Transliteration: Zhǔ de rìzi
Doctrine: Day of the Lord and Final Judgment
Rejected alternatives: 劫, 治乱循环式的天数
Original: ἡμέρα Κυρίου
Category: Eschatology
New term for 2 Peter (ἡμέρα Κυρίου, 3:10), built on baseline 主. Must be taught as a singular, linear, non-repeating historical climax of cosmic judgment and renewal, never conflated with the Buddhist cyclical kalpa (劫: 成劫/住劫/坏劫/空劫) or with cyclical Chinese dynastic historiography (治乱循环).
Hell Tartarus
Approved rendering: 地狱
Transliteration: dìyù
Doctrine: Judgment of Fallen Angels and the Ancient World
Rejected alternatives: 阴间, 十八层地狱式描述
Original: ταρταρόω
Category: Eschatology
New term for 2 Peter (ταρταρόω, 2:4). 地狱 is the standard Chinese Buddhist/folk term for the multi-tiered underworld of karmic punishment (十八层地狱), from which release is sometimes sought through ritual intervention (超度, already Critical-flagged in the baseline) or reincarnation. Here it must be taught as a place of holding for certain, final judgment reserved for fallen angels (and by extension the unrepentant) — not a purgatorial way-station open to ritual or merit-based release.
High Risk Terms
Father
Approved rendering: 父
Transliteration: fù
Doctrine: Adoption into God’s Family / Deity and Sonship of Christ at the Transfiguration
Rejected alternatives: 祖先, 老天爷
Original: Πατήρ
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package exactly, no deviation. In 2 Peter 1:17, God the Father bestows honor and glory on the Son and speaks from the Majestic Glory; keep distinct from ancestor veneration (祭祖), where care flows from descendants to ancestors, an inverted direction from the biblical Father who honors and cares for the Son and his children.
Glory
Approved rendering: 荣耀
Transliteration: róngyào
Doctrine: Deity of Christ / Deity and Sonship of Christ at the Transfiguration
Rejected alternatives: 面子, 光宗耀祖
Original: δόξα
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package exactly, no deviation. Recurs in 2 Peter 1:17 (‘honor and glory’ received by Christ from the Father) and as root for the new compounds 极大的荣耀 (Majestic Glory) and 威荣 (majesty, see new entries). Keep distinct from 面子/光宗耀祖.
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 exactly, no deviation. 2 Peter 1:1 describes Gentile believers’ faith as ‘of equal standing’ with the apostles’ own faith; object of faith (Christ) must remain explicit.
Called
Approved rendering: 蒙召的
Transliteration: méngzhào de
Doctrine: Assurance through Confirmed Calling and Election
Rejected alternatives: 受命于天, 天命所归
Original: κλητός
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package exactly, no deviation.
Calling
Approved rendering: 呼召
Transliteration: hūzhào
Doctrine: Assurance through Confirmed Calling and Election
Rejected alternatives: 天命, 命运
Original: κλῆσις
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package exactly, no deviation. Paired with 拣选 in 2 Peter 1:10 as something believers are exhorted to ‘confirm’ through visible growth in virtue, never to earn.
Election
Approved rendering: 拣选
Transliteration: jiǎnxuǎn
Doctrine: Assurance through Confirmed Calling and Election
Rejected alternatives: 天命, 命运, 缘分
Original: ἐκλογή
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package exactly, no deviation. NEVER 缘分 (predestined fortuitous connection, folk-Buddhist), especially relevant given 2 Peter 1:10’s pairing with 呼召.
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 exactly, no deviation. The corrupting force false teachers have failed to escape (2 Peter 2).
Holy
Approved rendering: 圣洁
Transliteration: shèngjié
Doctrine: Deity and Sonship of Christ at the Transfiguration
Rejected alternatives: 清净, 圣人般的
Original: ἅγιος
Category: Sanctification
Inherited from Romans package exactly, no deviation. Root for the new compound 圣山 (holy mountain, 2 Peter 1:18) and applied to prophets and commandments (3:2).
Power Of God
Approved rendering: 神的大能
Transliteration: Shén de dà néng
Doctrine: Divine Nature and Escaping Corruption
Rejected alternatives: 气, 法力
Inherited from Romans package exactly, no deviation. Reused/adapted in 2 Peter 1:3 (θεία δύναμις, divine power granting all things pertaining to life and godliness) — see new entry divine_power for the context-specific note; this occurrence emphasizes sustaining/enabling power for godly living, distinct from but consistent with Romans 1:16’s saving-power sense. NEVER 气 or 法力.
Savior
Approved rendering: 救主
Transliteration: Jiùzhǔ
Doctrine: Christ as the Unique Savior
Rejected alternatives: 救世主式泛称, 救苦救难观世音式称号
Original: σωτήρ
Category: Salvation
New term for 2 Peter (σωτήρ). Christ as the unique, once-for-all Savior from sin and eschatological judgment (2 Peter 1:1, 1:11; 2:20; 3:2, 3:18). Distinguish from popular Chinese rescuer-deities such as Guanyin (救苦救难观世音), petitioned for present relief through devotional practice and re-petitioned indefinitely.
Holy Mountain
Approved rendering: 圣山
Transliteration: shèng shān
Doctrine: Deity and Sonship of Christ at the Transfiguration
Rejected alternatives: 灵山, 仙山
Original: ἅγιον ὄρος
Category: Sanctification
New term for 2 Peter, built on baseline 圣洁. The Mount of Transfiguration (2 Peter 1:18), holy because of a one-time, event-specific divine manifestation. Distinguish from Chinese sacred-mountain traditions (Daoist 五岳, Buddhist sacred peaks such as Wutai/Emei) where holiness derives from resident deities, feng shui power, or accumulated ritual merit at the site.
Power Of Christ
Approved rendering: 大能
Transliteration: dà néng
Doctrine: Certainty of Christ’s Return
Rejected alternatives: 气, 法力
Original: δύναμις
Category: Christology
New term for 2 Peter (δύναμις, 1:16), adapting the baseline 神的大能 pattern in construct with Christ specifically, tied to the certainty of his future return. NEVER 气 or 法力.
Divine Power
Approved rendering: 神的大能
Transliteration: Shén de dà néng
Doctrine: Divine Nature and Escaping Corruption
Rejected alternatives: 气, 法力
Original: θεία δύναμις
Category: God
2 Peter 1:3 (θεία δύναμις): God’s power granting believers all things pertaining to life and godliness. Reuses the baseline power_of_god translation exactly; this occurrence emphasizes sustaining/enabling power for godly living rather than saving power at conversion. NEVER 气 or 法力.
Corruption
Approved rendering: 败坏
Transliteration: bàihuài
Doctrine: Divine Nature and Escaping Corruption
Rejected alternatives: 不洁, 污秽
Original: φθορά
Category: Divine Nature
New term for 2 Peter (φθορά). Moral ruin produced by ἐπιθυμία, from which believers escape through the divine nature (1:4; 2:12, 19). Distinguish from ritual impurity (不洁) concerns in folk religion; this is moral corruption remedied by participation in the divine nature through Christ, not by ritual cleansing.
Prophetic Word
Approved rendering: 先知的话/更确的预言
Transliteration: xiānzhī de huà / gèng què de yùyán
Doctrine: Reliability and Inspiration of Scripture
Original: προφητικὸς λόγος
Category: Scripture
New term for 2 Peter (προφητικὸς λόγος + βεβαιότερον). The unified body of Spirit-given OT prophetic testimony, confirmed (not superseded) by apostolic eyewitness testimony (2 Peter 1:19). ‘More sure’ must not be misread as implying the eyewitness testimony was uncertain.
Private Interpretation
Approved rendering: 私意解说
Transliteration: sīyì jiěshuō
Doctrine: Reliability and Inspiration of Scripture
Rejected alternatives: 个人理解
Original: ἰδία ἐπίλυσις
Category: Scripture
New term for 2 Peter (ἰδία ἐπίλυσις, 1:20). A reader’s or interpreter’s self-generated meaning imposed on prophetic Scripture. Pairs with twist_scripture (3:16) as the book’s complete warning against self-willed readings, especially relevant given divination traditions (占卜/算卦) that treat a text as a private oracle.
Twist Scripture
Approved rendering: 强解
Transliteration: qiáng jiě
Doctrine: Reliability and Inspiration of Scripture
Rejected alternatives: 误解, 曲解
Original: στρεβλόω
Category: Scripture
New term for 2 Peter (στρεβλόω, 3:16). To distort the meaning of Scripture, including Paul’s letters, leading to destruction. Direct pair with private_interpretation (1:20); together they form the book’s complete warning against imposing self-willed readings on the God-breathed text.
New Heavens New Earth
Approved rendering: 新天新地
Transliteration: xīn tiān xīn dì
Doctrine: New Creation Hope
Rejected alternatives: 乌托邦, 劫后重生的世界
Original: καινὸς οὐρανὸς καὶ καινὴ γῆ
Category: Eschatology
New term for 2 Peter (καινὸς οὐρανὸς καὶ καινὴ γῆ, 3:13), an established Chinese Christian phrase. Distinguish from secular utopianism (乌托邦) devoid of righteousness and from the Buddhist cyclical kalpa-renewal pattern; concrete hope of a physical creation permanently indwelt by righteousness.
Patience Of God
Approved rendering: 恒久忍耐
Transliteration: héngjiǔ rěnnài
Doctrine: Patience of God’s Timing
Rejected alternatives: 天意, 命运式的耐心
Original: μακροθυμία
Category: Providence
New term for 2 Peter (μακροθυμία, 3:9, 15). Deliberately distinguished by its modifier from ὑπομονή’s plain 忍耐 (human perseverance, 1:6). Must be taught as God’s purposive mercy giving opportunity for repentance, not fatalistic ‘heaven’s timing’ (天意, adjacent to the baseline’s Critical-caution Providence entry) nor divine slowness or inability.
Virtue
Approved rendering: 德行
Transliteration: déxíng
Doctrine: Growing in Christian Virtue
Rejected alternatives: 修身, 修养
Original: ἀρετή
Category: Virtue
New term for 2 Peter (ἀρετή, 1:5). Collides with the core Confucian virtue-term 德 (道德/品德/美德), denoting moral excellence cultivated through personal discipline and social ritual propriety (礼) — directly parallel to the baseline’s Critical collision on 义/righteousness. Must be taught as Spirit-enabled growth built on faith already given by grace (1:1, 1:3), not autonomous self-cultivation (修身).
Relational Knowledge
Approved rendering: 认识
Transliteration: rènshi
Doctrine: Growing in Christian Virtue
Rejected alternatives: 悟, 灵知
Original: ἐπίγνωσις
Category: Virtue
New term for 2 Peter (ἐπίγνωσις, 1:2, 1:3, 1:8; 2:20; 3:18). A major recurring theme word. Must be distinguished from Chan Buddhist sudden-enlightenment insight (悟) and generalized esoteric gnosis; this is relational trust-knowledge of a personal God and of Christ specifically, growing through ordinary means, not a mystical breakthrough attained through meditative technique.
Godliness
Approved rendering: 敬虔
Transliteration: jìngqián
Doctrine: Growing in Christian Virtue
Rejected alternatives: 虔诚, 孝敬祖先
Original: εὐσέβεια
Category: Virtue
New term for 2 Peter (εὐσέβεια, 1:6-7; 3:11), the goal of divine power (1:3) and Christian living (3:11). Closely resembles the baseline’s rejected alternative 虔诚 for faith, flagged there as ‘too broad’. Must be explicitly anchored to the true God revealed in Christ, not read as generic religious devoutness transferable to any deity, nor conflated with filial piety toward ancestors (孝敬祖先) or folk temple ritual reverence.
False Teacher
Approved rendering: 假师傅
Transliteration: jiǎ shīfu
Doctrine: False Teachers and Their Judgment
Rejected alternatives: 冒牌大师
Original: ψευδοδιδάσκαλος
Category: False Teachers
New term for 2 Peter (ψευδοδιδάσκαλος, 2:1). 师傅 is the standard honorific for a master-teacher in Chinese Buddhist, Daoist, martial-arts, and craft-guild contexts. Must be supplemented with explanatory framing that the fraud is specifically doctrinal — denial of Christ’s redemptive lordship — not mere lack of skill or lineage legitimacy.
Heresy
Approved rendering: 异端
Transliteration: yìduān
Doctrine: False Teachers and Their Judgment
Rejected alternatives: 异见学派
Original: αἵρεσις
Category: False Teachers
New term for 2 Peter (αἵρεσις, 2:1). Retain the specific NT sense (denial of Christ’s redeeming lordship) rather than the broader Chinese historical usage of ‘heterodox school’ applied to any rival philosophical or religious faction.
Master Sovereign Owner
Approved rendering: 主宰
Transliteration: zhǔzǎi
Doctrine: False Teachers and Their Judgment
Rejected alternatives: 主人
Original: δεσπότης
Category: Christology
New term for 2 Peter (δεσπότης, 2:1), distinct from 主/κύριος. Must not be softened to ordinary 主人 (already a rejected alternative for κύριος in the baseline); stresses Christ’s absolute ownership by right of purchase, a stronger claim than a generic master-servant social relationship.
Judgment
Approved rendering: 审判
Transliteration: shěnpàn
Doctrine: Judgment of Fallen Angels and the Ancient World / Day of the Lord and Final Judgment
Rejected alternatives: 报应
Original: κρίσις
Category: Eschatology
New term for 2 Peter (κρίσις, 2:3-4, 2:9; 3:7). God’s certain, personal, judicial verdict against fallen angels, false teachers, unrepentant sinners, and the cosmos. Distinguish from impersonal karmic retribution (报应, already flagged under the baseline’s sin entry).
Medium Risk Terms
Kingdom Of God
Approved rendering: 神的国
Transliteration: Shén de guó
Doctrine: Assurance through Confirmed Calling and Election
Rejected alternatives: 天下, 王朝
Original: βασιλεία
Category: Kingdom
Inherited from Romans package exactly, no deviation. In 2 Peter 1:11 specified as 永远的国 (eternal kingdom); see new entry entrance_eternal_kingdom.
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 exactly, no deviation. 2 Peter 1:2: peace multiplied to believers through knowledge (ἐπίγνωσις) of God and Christ; distinguish from the everyday amulet-blessing sense of 平安.
Prophecy
Approved rendering: 预言
Transliteration: yùyán
Doctrine: Reliability and Inspiration of Scripture
Rejected alternatives: 算卦, 占卜
Original: προφητεία
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package exactly, no deviation. 2 Peter 1:20-21 explicitly denies human will as its origin.
Majestic Glory
Approved rendering: 极大的荣耀
Transliteration: jí dà de róngyào
Doctrine: Deity and Sonship of Christ at the Transfiguration
Rejected alternatives: 伟大的神明
Original: μεγαλοπρεπὴς δόξα
Category: God
New term for 2 Peter, built on baseline 荣耀 with an intensifying modifier per translation-memory consistency rules. A reverent circumlocution for God the Father in his full splendor, the source of the Transfiguration voice (2 Peter 1:17).
Majesty
Approved rendering: 威荣
Transliteration: wēiróng
Doctrine: Apostolic Eyewitness Testimony
Rejected alternatives: 面子, 威风
Original: μεγαλειότης
Category: Christology
New term for 2 Peter. The visible, glorious splendor of Christ witnessed at the Transfiguration, previewing his return (2 Peter 1:16). Keep distinct from 面子 (face/social prestige), per baseline glory note.
Entrance Eternal Kingdom
Approved rendering: 进入永远的国的门路
Transliteration: jìnrù yǒngyuǎn de guó de ménlù
Doctrine: Assurance through Confirmed Calling and Election
Rejected alternatives: 功德换来的入场券
Original: εἴσοδος εἰς τὴν αἰώνιον βασιλείαν
Category: Kingdom
New term for 2 Peter, built on baseline 神的国. The rich welcome believers who grow in virtue will receive into Christ’s eternal kingdom (2 Peter 1:11). Entrance is granted by grace confirmed through fruit, never earned by accumulated merit (功德).
Desire Lust
Approved rendering: 私欲/情欲
Transliteration: sīyù/qíngyù
Doctrine: Divine Nature and Escaping Corruption
Original: ἐπιθυμία
Category: Divine Nature
New term for 2 Peter (ἐπιθυμία). Sinful desire/craving producing corruption (1:4; 2:10, 18). Standard moral-theological term; low collision risk.
Promise
Approved rendering: 应许
Transliteration: yìngxǔ
Doctrine: Scoffers’ Denial of the Parousia / Divine Nature and Escaping Corruption
Rejected alternatives: 合同, 契约, 算命的预测
Original: ἐπάγγελμα / ἐπαγγελία
Category: Covenant
New term for 2 Peter (ἐπάγγελμα/ἐπαγγελία). God’s gracious, self-obligating pledge, the means by which believers become partakers of the divine nature (1:4) and the object the scoffers doubt (3:4, 9, 13). Distinguish from a negotiated bargain (per baseline covenant note) or a fortune-teller’s forecast.
Eyewitness
Approved rendering: 亲眼见过/目击者
Transliteration: qīnyǎn jiànguò / mùjīzhě
Doctrine: Apostolic Eyewitness Testimony
Rejected alternatives: 灵视, 有灵感的见证人
Original: ἐπόπτης
Category: Scripture
New term for 2 Peter (ἐπόπτης, 1:16). Must retain direct, verifiable sensory experience, not visionary or trance-induced ‘spiritual sight’ (灵视) associated with folk spirit-mediums, even though the underlying Greek term was also used of mystery-cult initiates.
Myths
Approved rendering: 捏造的虚言
Transliteration: niēzào de xūyán
Doctrine: Apostolic Eyewitness Testimony
Rejected alternatives: 传说, 神话
Original: μῦθος
Category: Scripture
New term for 2 Peter (μῦθος, 1:16). Must not be softened into 传说 (legend), which in Chinese religious culture carries a tone of cherished, semi-credible sacred lore (e.g. 神话传说); the text’s point is that apostolic testimony is emphatically not that kind of material.
Morning Star
Approved rendering: 晨星
Transliteration: chénxīng
Doctrine: Certainty of Christ’s Return
Rejected alternatives: 占星预兆
Original: φωσφόρος
Category: Eschatology
New term for 2 Peter (φωσφόρος, 1:19). A fixed messianic image of certain future fulfillment. Avoid confusion with astrological star-omen reading (占星) in Chinese fortune-telling tradition.
Scoffer
Approved rendering: 好讥诮的人
Transliteration: hào jīqiào de rén
Doctrine: Scoffers’ Denial of the Parousia
Rejected alternatives: 怀疑论者
Original: ἐμπαίκτης
Category: Eschatology
New term for 2 Peter (ἐμπαίκτης, 3:3). Those who mock the delay of Christ’s promised return, ties directly to the Certainty-of-Christ’s-Return doctrine.
Elements Of Creation
Approved rendering: 有形质的（万物）
Transliteration: yǒu xíngzhì de (wànwù)
Doctrine: Day of the Lord and Final Judgment
Rejected alternatives: 五行
Original: στοιχεῖα
Category: Eschatology
New term for 2 Peter (στοιχεῖα, 3:10, 12). The physical constituents of the created cosmos, to be dissolved by fire. Must not be rendered using vocabulary associated with the Chinese Five Elements cosmology (五行: wood, fire, earth, metal, water), an entirely distinct metaphysical framework.
Creation
Approved rendering: 创造/受造之物
Transliteration: chuàngzào / shòuzào zhī wù
Doctrine: Day of the Lord and Final Judgment
Original: κτίσις
Category: Eschatology
New term for 2 Peter (κτίσις, 3:4). The created order, invoked by scoffers as continuing unchanged since the beginning. Standard term, low collision risk.
Delay
Approved rendering: 耽延
Transliteration: dānyán
Doctrine: Scoffers’ Denial of the Parousia
Original: βραδύνω
Category: Providence
New term for 2 Peter (βραδύνω, 3:9). To be slow, denied of the Lord’s promise in direct answer to the scoffers’ charge. Must not imply divine negligence or inability.
Knowledge Discernment
Approved rendering: 知识
Transliteration: zhīshí
Doctrine: Growing in Christian Virtue
Rejected alternatives: 悟, 灵知
Original: γνῶσις
Category: Virtue
New term for 2 Peter (γνῶσις, 1:5-6; 3:18). Practical discernment added to virtue. Must be kept permanently distinct from relational_knowledge (认识, ἐπίγνωσις); collapsing both into one Mandarin term erases Peter’s deliberate variation.
Self Control
Approved rendering: 节制
Transliteration: jiézhì
Doctrine: Growing in Christian Virtue
Rejected alternatives: 持戒
Original: ἐγκράτεια
Category: Virtue
New term for 2 Peter (ἐγκράτεια, 1:6). Minor collision with Buddhist precept-keeping self-restraint (持戒); clarify as Spirit-enabled self-governance flowing from faith, not merit-generating ascetic discipline.
Steadfastness
Approved rendering: 忍耐
Transliteration: rěnnài
Doctrine: Growing in Christian Virtue
Original: ὑπομονή
Category: Virtue
New term for 2 Peter (ὑπομονή, 1:6). Steadfast endurance under trial. Keep distinct from patience_of_god’s 恒久忍耐 (God’s forbearance, ch. 3) by omitting the intensifying modifier — same root character, different referent.
Brotherly Affection
Approved rendering: 弟兄相爱的心
Transliteration: dìxiōng xiāng’ài de xīn
Doctrine: Growing in Christian Virtue
Rejected alternatives: 结拜
Original: φιλαδελφία
Category: Virtue
New term for 2 Peter (φιλαδελφία, 1:7). Love for fellow believers. Distinguish from sworn-brotherhood ritual bonding (结拜), already flagged under the baseline’s fellowship/团契 note.
Love
Approved rendering: 爱/爱心
Transliteration: ài/àixīn
Doctrine: Growing in Christian Virtue
Original: ἀγάπη
Category: Virtue
New term for 2 Peter (ἀγάπη, 1:7). The capstone virtue of the growth chain. Standard term.
Diligence Blamelessness
Approved rendering: 殷勤/无玷污、无瑕疵
Transliteration: yīnqín / wú diànwū, wú xiácī
Doctrine: New Creation Hope
Rejected alternatives: 修身达到的无过
Original: σπουδάζω / ἄσπιλος καὶ ἀμώμητος
Category: Virtue
New term for 2 Peter (σπουδάζω / ἄσπιλος καὶ ἀμώμητος, 3:14). Connects to the baseline sanctification caution: this diligence is the fruit of grace-given hope in the coming Day, not autonomous self-perfection (修身).
Redeemed Bought
Approved rendering: 买赎
Transliteration: mǎishú
Doctrine: False Teachers and Their Judgment
Rejected alternatives: 购买, 放生式赎回
Original: ἀγοράζω
Category: Salvation
New term for 2 Peter (ἀγοράζω, 2:1). Christ’s purchase of the false teachers themselves, whom they nonetheless deny. Avoid flattening into a bare commercial transaction; avoid resonance with the folk-Buddhist merit practice of ‘buying life release’ (放生), a self-generated merit act, the opposite of Christ’s purchase of sinners by his own sacrifice.
Freedom License
Approved rendering: 自由
Transliteration: zìyóu
Doctrine: False Teachers’ Immorality and False Promise of Freedom
Original: ἐλευθερία
Category: False Teachers
New term for 2 Peter (ἐλευθερία, 2:19). Freedom falsely promised by false teachers, who are themselves enslaved to corruption. Contrast with slave_of_corruption; the false teachers’ promised ‘freedom’ is actually license leading to bondage, the inverse of true gospel freedom.
Slave Of Corruption
Approved rendering: 奴仆/奴隶
Transliteration: núpú/núlì
Doctrine: False Teachers’ Immorality and False Promise of Freedom
Original: δοῦλος
Category: False Teachers
New term for 2 Peter (δοῦλος, negative sense, 2:19). The false teachers’ actual condition of bondage to corruption. Same Greek word as the honorific self-designation in 1:1 (仆人, see servant_of_christ) but opposite moral valence; context-sensitive Mandarin choice required.
Error Deception
Approved rendering: 错谬/迷惑
Transliteration: cuòmiù/míhuò
Doctrine: False Teachers’ Immorality and False Promise of Freedom
Original: πλάνη
Category: False Teachers
New term for 2 Peter (πλάνη, 2:18; 3:17). Doctrinal error and deception spread by false teachers. Standard term.
Servant Of Christ
Approved rendering: 仆人
Transliteration: púrén
Doctrine: Apostolic Authority and Servanthood
Rejected alternatives: 奴才
Original: δοῦλος
Category: Church
New term for 2 Peter (δοῦλος, positive sense, 1:1). Peter’s honorific self-designation of total, voluntary consecration to Christ. Distinguish from clan/household servitude status in traditional Chinese social hierarchy; contrast with the negative sense of the same Greek word in 2:19 (see slave_of_corruption).
Low Risk Terms
Apostle
Approved rendering: 使徒
Transliteration: shǐtú
Doctrine: Apostolic Authority and Servanthood
Rejected alternatives: 宗师, 大师
Original: ἀπόστολος
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package exactly, no deviation. Peter’s self-designation in 2 Peter 1:1 and 3:2. Avoid 宗师/大师.
Prophet
Approved rendering: 先知
Transliteration: xiānzhī
Doctrine: Reliability and Inspiration of Scripture
Rejected alternatives: 算命先生
Original: προφήτης
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package exactly, no deviation. Also underlies 假先知 (false prophet) at 2 Peter 2:1, distinguished by the 假- prefix, and the new compound 先知的话 (prophetic word).
Time Of The Lord
Approved rendering: 时候/时间
Transliteration: shíhòu/shíjiān
Doctrine: Patience of God’s Timing
Original: χρόνος
Category: Providence
New term for 2 Peter (χρόνος, 3:8, ‘with the Lord one day is as a thousand years’). Standard term; emphasizes God’s transcendence of human time-reckoning, not cyclical cosmic time.
Grow In Grace
Approved rendering: 长进/增长
Transliteration: zhǎngjìn/zēngzhǎng
Doctrine: Growth in Grace and Knowledge
Original: αὐξάνω
Category: Virtue
New term for 2 Peter (αὐξάνω, 3:18). The book’s closing exhortation, tied to grace (恩典) and knowledge (知识), both reused exactly.
Flood
Approved rendering: 洪水
Transliteration: hóngshuǐ
Doctrine: Judgment of Fallen Angels and the Ancient World
Original: κατακλυσμός
Category: False Teachers
New term for 2 Peter (κατακλυσμός, 2:5; 3:6). God’s judgment on the ancient corrupt world, from which Noah’s family was rescued. Minor cultural echo with the Chinese flood-taming myth (大禹治水, Yu the Great); doctrinally low risk, worth only a brief clarifying note.
Noah
Approved rendering: 挪亚
Transliteration: Nuóyà
Doctrine: Judgment of Fallen Angels and the Ancient World
Original: Νῶε
Category: False Teachers
Standard CUV transliteration (2 Peter 2:5).
Lot
Approved rendering: 罗得
Transliteration: Luódé
Doctrine: Judgment of Fallen Angels and the Ancient World
Original: Λώτ
Category: False Teachers
Standard CUV transliteration (2 Peter 2:7-8).
Sodom And Gomorrah
Approved rendering: 所多玛和蛾摩拉
Transliteration: Suǒduōmǎ hé Émólā
Doctrine: Judgment of Fallen Angels and the Ancient World
Original: Σόδομα καὶ Γόμορρα
Category: False Teachers
Standard CUV transliteration (2 Peter 2:6).
Balaam
Approved rendering: 巴兰
Transliteration: Bālán
Doctrine: Judgment of Fallen Angels and the Ancient World
Original: Βαλαάμ
Category: False Teachers
Standard CUV transliteration (2 Peter 2:15-16).
Tent Body
Approved rendering: 帐棚(身体)/身体
Transliteration: zhàngpéng (shēntǐ) / shēntǐ
Doctrine: Mortality and Departure
Original: σκήνωμα
Category: Christian Life
New term for 2 Peter (σκήνωμα, 1:13-14). A metaphor for Peter’s physical body, soon laid aside in death. Caution against importing Daoist body-as-discardable-vessel dualism (羽化/仙去); Peter’s tone is sober anticipation of death, not spiritual escape from an inferior body.
Departure
Approved rendering: 离世/去世
Transliteration: líshì/qùshì
Doctrine: Mortality and Departure
Original: ἔξοδος
Category: Christian Life
New term for 2 Peter (ἔξοδος, 1:15). A euphemism for Peter’s approaching death, echoing the Exodus narrative. Standard term.
Stumble
Approved rendering: 跌倒
Transliteration: diēdǎo
Doctrine: Assurance through Confirmed Calling and Election
Original: πταίω
Category: Christian Life
New term for 2 Peter (πταίω, 1:10). To fall or stumble, avoided by those who practice the virtue chain. Standard term.
Referenced passages