Core Glossary
08 Core Glossary — 2 Timothy (English → Mandarin)
This glossary consolidates every load-bearing term identified in 07_semantic_analysis.md, spanning 2 Timothy chapters 1–4 in full. It extends the baseline Romans translation_memory.json without contradicting it. Terms marked REUSE carry the baseline rendering forward unchanged. Terms marked NEW are proposed for this curriculum and require risk-tier review before being written into translation memory in a later Phase 1 step. Risk tiers follow the baseline’s four-tier framework (Critical / High / Medium / Low).
Legend: REUSE = already fixed in baseline TM, use exactly as recorded. NEW = proposed in this document.
A. Terms Reused Exactly from the Baseline Romans Translation Memory
| English Term | Mandarin | Pinyin | Risk (baseline) | 2 Timothy Occurrences | Doctrine Link(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| gospel | 福音 | fúyīn | Medium | 1:8, 1:10, 2:8, 4:5 | Faithful Transmission of the Gospel; Charge to Preach the Word |
| grace | 恩典 | ēndiǎn | Critical | 1:2, 1:9, 2:1 | (background to all doctrines) |
| faith | 信心 | xìnxīn | High | 1:5, 3:15, 4:7 | Faithful Transmission; Perseverance |
| righteousness | 义 | yì | Critical | 2:22, 3:16, 4:8 | Inspiration/Sufficiency of Scripture; Assurance of Reward |
| salvation | 救恩 | jiùēn | Critical | 2:10, 3:15 | Assurance of Reward; Inspiration of Scripture |
| apostle | 使徒 | shǐtú | Low | 1:1, 1:11 | Apostleship (background) |
| called/calling | 蒙召的 / 呼召 | méngzhào de / hūzhào | High | 1:9 | Faithful Transmission (background) |
| holy | 圣洁 | shèngjié | High | 1:9 | Guarding Sound Doctrine (background) |
| sanctification | 成圣 | chéngshèng | Critical | 2:21 | Guarding Sound Doctrine |
| resurrection | 复活 | fùhuó | Critical | 2:8, 2:18 | Faithful Transmission; Apostasy (false teachers deny it) |
| lord | 主 | zhǔ | Critical | throughout | Assurance of Reward; Charge to Preach |
| peace | 平安 | píng’ān | Medium | 1:2 | (background) |
| spiritual gifts | 属灵恩赐 | shǔlíng ēncì | Medium | 1:6 | Faithful Transmission |
| thanksgiving | 感恩 | gǎn’ēn | Low | 1:3 | (background) |
| kingdom_of_god | 神的国 | Shén de guó | Medium | 4:1, 4:18 | Charge to Preach the Word |
| sin | 罪 | zuì | High | 3:6 | Apostasy and False Teachers |
| glory | 荣耀 | róngyào | Medium | 2:10 | Assurance of Reward |
| power_of_god | 神的大能 | Shén de dà néng | High | (1:7 root concept) | Guarding Sound Doctrine |
| messiah/christ | 基督 | Jīdū | Critical | throughout | all doctrines (Christ as anchor) |
| election | 拣选 | jiǎnxuǎn | High | 2:10 | Assurance of Reward |
| david | 大卫 | Dàwèi | Medium | 2:8 | Faithful Transmission |
| seed_of_david | 大卫的后裔 | Dàwèi de hòuyì | High | 2:8 | Faithful Transmission |
| jesus | 耶稣 | Yēsū | Critical | throughout | all doctrines |
| god | 神 | Shén | Critical | throughout | all doctrines |
| holy_spirit | 圣灵 | Shènglíng | Critical | 1:14 | Guarding Sound Doctrine |
| father | 父 | fù | High | 1:2 | (background) |
| exhort | 劝勉 | quànmiǎn | Low | 4:2 | Charge to Preach the Word |
B. New Terms Proposed for This Curriculum
B.1 Inspiration and Sufficiency of Scripture
| English Term | Greek | Mandarin | Pinyin | Risk | Doctrine | Collision / Rationale Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scripture / sacred writings | γραφή / ἱερὰ γράμματα | 圣经 | shèngjīng | High | Inspiration/Sufficiency | 经 (jīng) shared with Confucian Classics (五经) and Buddhist/Daoist sutras (佛经/道经); must be taught as unique divine self-revelation |
| God-breathed / inspired | θεόπνευστος | 神所感示的 | shén suǒ gǎnshì de | Critical | Inspiration/Sufficiency | Must never suggest human spirit-mediumship (通灵) channeling; God’s own breath through human authors under his superintendence |
| inspiration (doctrine-level noun) | (θεοπνευστία, theological term) | 默示 | mòshì | Critical | Inspiration/Sufficiency | Matches baseline doctrine registry’s existing “圣经的默示” naming convention; note rare homophone with 末世 (“last days,” see B.6) |
| wisdom unto salvation | σοφίσαι εἰς σωτηρίαν | 使人有智慧，可以得救 | shǐ rén yǒu zhìhuì, kěyǐ déjiù | Medium | Inspiration/Sufficiency | 智慧 risks blending with Buddhist 般若智慧 (liberating insight via practice); anchor strictly to faith in Christ |
| teaching | διδασκαλία / διδαχή | 教训 / 教导 | jiàoxun / jiàodǎo | Medium | Inspiration/Sufficiency; Guarding Sound Doctrine | Modern colloquial 教训 often means “a scolding/hard lesson”; keep formal register |
| reproof | ἔλεγχος | 督责 | dūzé | Medium | Inspiration/Sufficiency | — |
| correction | ἐπανόρθωσις | 使人归正 | shǐ rén guī zhèng | Medium | Inspiration/Sufficiency | — |
| training in righteousness | παιδεία (ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ) | 教导人学义 | jiàodǎo rén xué yì | High | Inspiration/Sufficiency | Bound to Critical baseline term 义; must not read as Confucian self-cultivation of the virtue 义 |
| complete/equipped (man of God) | ἄρτιος / ἐξηρτισμένος | 完全 / 预备（行） | wánquán / yùbèi xíng | Medium | Inspiration/Sufficiency | 完全 risks blending with attained spiritual “perfection” (cf. forbidden 修成正果); this is sufficiency-for-service, not self-attained enlightenment |
| good work(s) | ἔργον ἀγαθόν | 善事 | shàn shì | Medium-High | Inspiration/Sufficiency | 善事/善行 is Buddhist merit-accumulation vocabulary (行善积德); teach as fruit of grace, never merit toward salvation |
| word of God not bound | ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ οὐ δέδεται | 神的道却不被捆绑 | shén de dào què bù bèi kúnbǎng | High | Inspiration/Sufficiency | 道 collision; avoid implying the words possess independent, talisman-like (符) magical potency |
B.2 Perseverance under Suffering
| English Term | Greek | Mandarin | Pinyin | Risk | Doctrine | Collision / Rationale Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| suffer hardship (for the gospel) | συγκακοπαθέω / κακοπαθέω | 同受苦难 / 忍受苦难 | tóng shòu kǔnàn / rěnshòu kǔnàn | High | Perseverance | Recurs 1:8, 2:3, 4:5; core vocabulary of the doctrine |
| endure | ὑπομένω | 忍耐 | rěnnài | Medium | Perseverance | Also used for μακροθυμία (4:2); keep both senses distinguishable in context notes |
| soldier / athlete / farmer (metaphors) | στρατιώτης / ἀθλέω / γεωργός | 精兵 / 运动员 / 农夫 | jīngbīng / yùndòngyuán / nóngfū | Low | Perseverance | Generic disciplined-effort metaphors; low collision risk |
| persecutions, sufferings | διωγμοί, παθήματα | 逼迫、苦难 | bīpò, kǔnàn | High | Perseverance | Must preserve the universal scope: “all who desire to live godly…will be persecuted” |
| poured out (as a libation) | σπένδομαι | 我现在被浇奠 | wǒ xiànzài bèi jiāodiàn | Critical/High | Perseverance; Assurance of Reward | 浇奠/祭奠 is precise Chinese ancestor-veneration libation vocabulary; must be clearly bounded as a Greco-Roman/OT sacrificial metaphor for Paul’s life of service, never conflated with ancestral-spirit ritual |
| the Lord stood by me and strengthened me | παρέστη…ἐνίσχυσεν | 主站在我旁边，加给我力量 | zhǔ zhàn zài wǒ pángbiān | Low | Perseverance | Personal, relational comfort; reuses 主 |
| delivered from the lion’s mouth | ἐρρύσθην ἐκ στόματος λέοντος | 从狮子口里被救出来 | cóng shīzi kǒu lǐ bèi jiù chūlái | Low | Perseverance | Vivid deliverance idiom |
B.3 Guarding Sound Doctrine
| English Term | Greek | Mandarin | Pinyin | Risk | Doctrine | Collision / Rationale Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| sound teaching / sound words | ὑγιαίνουσα διδασκαλία / ὑγιαινόντων λόγων | 纯正的道理 / 纯正话语 | chúnzhèng de dàolǐ / chúnzhèng huàyǔ | Critical | Guarding Sound Doctrine | Title-anchor term; CUV’s purity-idiom loses the Greek health/disease metaphor (cf. γάγγραινα, 2:17) — recover explicitly in teaching notes; also carries 道 collision |
| the (entrusted) deposit | παραθήκη | 所交托的 / 所托付的 | suǒ jiāotuō de | Critical | Guarding Sound Doctrine; Faithful Transmission | Must not be read through the Chan Buddhist 传法 (dharma-transmission) lineage framework; this is safeguarding a fixed, already-complete apostolic message |
| guard | φυλάσσω | 保守 | bǎoshǒu | High | Guarding Sound Doctrine | Paired with 圣灵 (Critical, reuse) at 1:14 |
| rightly handle (the word of truth) | ὀρθοτομέω | 按着正意分解（真理的道） | ànzhe zhèngyì fēnjiě (zhēnlǐ de dào) | Critical | Guarding Sound Doctrine | Core doctrinal-accuracy term; carries 道 collision; must be taught as faithful transmission of a fixed message, not creative reinterpretation |
| profane empty-talk | βεβήλους κενοφωνίας | 世俗的虚谈 | shìsú de xūtán | Medium | Guarding Sound Doctrine | — |
| gangrene (spreading error) | γάγγραινα | 像毒疮一样蔓延 | xiàng dúchuāng yīyàng mànyán | Medium | Guarding Sound Doctrine | Pair with 纯正/健康-teaching contrast to preserve health metaphor |
| pattern of sound words | ὑποτύπωσις ὑγιαινόντων λόγων | 纯正话语的规模 | chúnzhèng huàyǔ de guīmó | High | Guarding Sound Doctrine | Same 纯正/道 collision as above |
| vessels of honor/dishonor | σκεῦος εἰς τιμήν / εἰς ἀτιμίαν | 贵重的器皿 / 卑贱的器皿 | guìzhòng de qìmǐn / bèijiàn de qìmǐn | Medium | Guarding Sound Doctrine | — |
| repentance | μετάνοια | 悔改 | huǐgǎi | High | Guarding Sound Doctrine; Apostasy | Distinguish from regret (懊悔) or ritual expiation (拜忏/做法事); God-given inward reorientation, not transactional ritual |
B.4 Faithful Transmission of the Gospel
| English Term | Greek | Mandarin | Pinyin | Risk | Doctrine | Collision / Rationale Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| commit to faithful men | παράθου πιστοῖς ἀνθρώποις | 交托给忠心的人 | jiāotuō gěi zhōngxīn de rén | Critical | Faithful Transmission | Core generational-transmission verse (2:2); 忠心 carries secondary Medium note re: Confucian ruler-loyalty (忠) — clarify as faithfulness to gospel truth |
| unfeigned/sincere faith | ἀνυπόκριτος πίστις | 无伪的信心 | wúwěi de xìnxīn | Medium | Faithful Transmission | Modifies reused 信心; models transmission through Lois and Eunice |
| laying on of hands | ἐπίθεσις τῶν χειρῶν | 按手 | ànshǒu | Medium | Faithful Transmission | Distinguish from qi-transmission/healing-touch of qigong and folk-healing practice |
| rekindle (the gift) | ἀναζωπυρέω | 从新挑起 | chóngxīn tiǎoqǐ | Medium | Faithful Transmission | Renewed use of an already-given gift, not pursuit of new supernatural power |
| spirit of power, love, sound-mindedness | δύναμις, ἀγάπη, σωφρονισμός | 刚强、仁爱、谨守 | jiāngqiáng, rén’ài, jǐnshǒu | High | Faithful Transmission | 仁爱 collides with the Confucian Five Constant Virtue 仁 (rén); clarify as Spirit-given gift, not self-cultivated virtue — direct parallel to baseline’s Critical 义 flag |
B.5 The Charge to Preach the Word
| English Term | Greek | Mandarin | Pinyin | Risk | Doctrine | Collision / Rationale Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| preach the word | κήρυξον τὸν λόγον | 传道 | chuándào | Critical | Charge to Preach the Word | Title-anchor term; 道 collision — must be explicitly taught as proclaiming the apostolic gospel message, not an impersonal Daoist Way |
| I charge (you) | διαμαρτύρομαι | 我…嘱咐你 | wǒ…zhǔfù nǐ | High | Charge to Preach the Word | Must retain weight of a sworn, witnessed charge before God and Christ |
| judge the living and the dead | κρίνειν ζῶντας καὶ νεκρούς | 审判活人死人 | shěnpàn huórén sǐrén | High | Charge to Preach the Word; Assurance of Reward | Personal act of Christ, not impersonal cosmic reckoning (报应) |
| appearing | ἐπιφάνεια | 显现 | xiǎnxiàn | High | Charge to Preach the Word; Assurance of Reward | Two unique historical events (1:10, 4:1/4:8), not a repeatable manifestation (cf. forbidden 化身/下凡 under incarnation) |
| in season, out of season | εὐκαίρως ἀκαίρως | 无论得时不得时 | wúlùn dé shí bù dé shí | Low | Charge to Preach the Word | — |
| reprove, rebuke, exhort | ἔλεγξον, ἐπιτίμησον, παρακάλεσον | 责备、警戒、劝勉 | zébèi, jǐngjiè, quànmiǎn | Low | Charge to Preach the Word | 劝勉 REUSE from baseline |
| evangelist | εὐαγγελιστής | 传福音者 | chuán fúyīn zhě | Medium | Charge to Preach the Word | Preserve as a distinct ministry office; do not collapse into generic “preacher” |
| ministry | διακονία | 职分 / 事工 | zhífèn / shìgōng | Low-Medium | Charge to Preach the Word | — |
B.6 Apostasy and False Teachers in the Last Days
| English Term | Greek | Mandarin | Pinyin | Risk | Doctrine | Collision / Rationale Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| the last days | ἐν ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις | 末后的日子 / 末世 | mòhòu de rìzi / mòshì | Critical | Apostasy | Distinguish from Buddhist cyclical kalpa-ending cosmology (劫) and Chinese folk-millenarian movements; extends baseline’s 弥勒 flag. Note homophone with 默示 (“inspiration”) — same pinyin “mòshì,” different characters; flag for oral contexts |
| form of godliness denying its power | μόρφωσις εὐσεβείας…δύναμιν ἠρνημένοι | 有敬虔的外貌，却背了敬虔的实意（能力） | yǒu jìngqián de wàimào, què bèi le jìngqián de shíyì | Critical | Apostasy | 敬虔 risks generic-piety reading applicable to any deity’s devotees; must anchor to the true God’s actual transforming power |
| godliness | εὐσέβεια | 敬虔 | jìngqián | High | Apostasy | Parallel caution to baseline’s rejected 虔诚 under “faith” |
| impostors/deceivers | γόηται | 骗子 | piànzi | Medium | Apostasy | Avoid 邪术士 (which over-specifies literal sorcery) |
| turn away (from truth) | ἀποστρέφω | 转离 / 转去不听 | zhuǎnlí | High | Apostasy | Deliberate abandonment, not passive forgetting; recurs 1:15, 4:4 |
| myths | μῦθος | 无稽之谈 | wújī zhī tán | Medium | Apostasy | Forbidden substitution: never 神话 (shénhuà) — contains 神 (God) and misleadingly implies “God’s own story” |
| turn aside / go astray | ἐκτρέπω | 偏离正道 | piānlí zhèngdào | Medium | Apostasy | Contains 道; ensure “正道” (the right way) reads as sound apostolic teaching, not an esoteric path |
| itching ears | κνηθόμενοι τὴν ἀκοήν | 耳朵发痒 | ěrduo fāyǎng | Low | Apostasy | Vivid idiom, low risk |
| teachers (false, sought after) | διδάσκαλοι | 师傅 | shīfu | Medium | Apostasy | Daoist priest/martial-arts master lineage connotation; keep distinct from legitimate 教师 |
| deceiving and being deceived | πλανῶντες καὶ πλανώμενοι | 欺骗人也被欺骗 | qīpiàn rén yě bèi qīpiàn | Medium | Apostasy | Root 迷/欺 shares field with 迷信 (superstition), already rejected under baseline “faith” |
| deny (him) | ἀρνέομαι | 不认他 | bù rèn tā | High | Apostasy | Full weight of denial of Christ, not mere “refuse” |
B.7 Assurance of Reward
| English Term | Greek | Mandarin | Pinyin | Risk | Doctrine | Collision / Rationale Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| the crown of righteousness | ὁ τῆς δικαιοσύνης στέφανος | 那公义的冠冕 | nà gōngyì de guānmiǎn | Critical | Assurance of Reward | Title-anchor term; must not be read as (a) an earthly/imperial crown of political rule, or (b) a self-attained spiritual “fruit” (cf. forbidden 修成正果); a gracious reward from the righteous Judge |
| fought the good fight, finished the race, kept the faith | τὸν καλὸν ἀγῶνα ἠγώνισμαι, τὸν δρόμον τετέλεκα, τὴν πίστιν τετήρηκα | 那美好的仗我已经打过了，当跑的路我已经跑尽了，所信的道我已经守住了 | — | Critical | Assurance of Reward; Perseverance | ”所信的道” carries 道 collision; τηρέω (“kept”) echoes φυλάσσω (“guard the deposit,” 1:14) — unify thematically |
| righteous Judge | δίκαιος κριτής | 公义的审判者 | gōngyì de shěnpàn zhě | High | Assurance of Reward | Personal just verdict, not impersonal karmic ledger (报应) |
| those who have loved his appearing | ἀγαπηκόσι τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν αὐτοῦ | 爱慕他显现的人 | ài mù tā xiǎnxiàn de rén | High | Assurance of Reward | Reuses 显现; same collision note |
| reserved/laid up | ἀπόκειμαι | 存留 | cúnliú | Low | Assurance of Reward | — |
| the Lord will rescue me…into his heavenly kingdom | ῥύσεταί με ὁ κύριος…εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἐπουράνιον | 主必救我脱离诸般的凶恶，也必救我进他的天国 | — | Medium | Assurance of Reward | 神的国/救恩 pattern reuse; 天国 (heavenly kingdom) as extension |
C. Proper Names (Established CUV Forms — Low Risk, No New Vocabulary)
| English | Mandarin | Pinyin | Chapter(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timothy | 提摩太 | Tímótài | 1:2 (recipient) |
| Paul | 保罗 | Bǎoluó | 1:1 |
| Lois | 罗以 | Luóyǐ | 1:5 |
| Eunice | 友尼基 | Yǒuníjī | 1:5 |
| Onesiphorus | 阿尼色弗 | Ānísèfú | 1:16 |
| Phygelus, Hermogenes | 腓吉路, 黑摩其尼 | Féijílù, Hēimóqíní | 1:15 |
| Hymenaeus, Philetus | 许米乃, 腓理徒 | Xǔmǐnǎi, Féilǐtú | 2:17 |
| Jannes, Jambres | 雅尼, 佥庇 | Yǎní, Jūnbì | 3:8 |
| Demas | 底马 | Dǐmǎ | 4:10 |
| Crescens | 革勒士 | Gélèshì | 4:10 |
| Titus | 提多 | Tíduō | 4:10 |
| Luke | 路加 | Lùjiā | 4:11 |
| Mark | 马可 | Mǎkě | 4:11 |
| Tychicus | 推基古 | Tuījīgǔ | 4:12 |
| Carpus | 加布 | Jiābù | 4:13 |
| Alexander (coppersmith) | 亚历山大 | Yàlìshāndà | 4:14 |
| Prisca, Aquila | 百基拉, 亚居拉 | Bǎijīlā, Yàjūlā | 4:19 |
| Erastus | 以拉都 | Yǐlādū | 4:20 |
| Trophimus | 特罗非摩 | Tèluófēimó | 4:20 |
| Eubulus, Pudens, Linus, Claudia | 友布罗, 布田, 利奴, 革老底亚 | — | 4:21 |
No new theological vocabulary attaches to these proper names; they are noted here for full-book coverage completeness.
D. Summary Risk Counts (This Curriculum’s New Terms Only)
| Risk Tier | Count | Review Routing (per baseline convention) |
|---|---|---|
| Critical | 13 | Human theologian |
| High | 14 | Human theologian |
| Medium | 22 | Native speaker review |
| Low | 15 | Automated review |
These counts cover Section B new-term proposals only; Section A baseline-reused terms retain their original baseline risk tier and routing and are not recounted here to avoid double-counting against the baseline doctrine_risk_registry.json totals.
Critical Risk Terms
Grace
Approved rendering: 恩典
Transliteration: ēndiǎn
Doctrine: Grace
Rejected alternatives: 功德, 造化, 福气, 阴德
Original: χάρις
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package; reuse exactly. Recurs at 1:2, 1:9, 2:1 (‘be strengthened in the grace that is in Christ Jesus’), grounding Timothy’s ministry apart from personal achievement or merit-accounting (功德).
Righteousness
Approved rendering: 义
Transliteration: yì
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: 道德, 善行
Original: δικαιοσύνη
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package; reuse exactly. Recurs at 2:22, 3:16 (‘training in righteousness’), 4:8 (‘crown of righteousness’). Every occurrence requires the standing distinguishing note against the Confucian virtue 义 (one of the Five Constant Virtues, 仁义礼智信) cultivated by personal moral effort.
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; reuse exactly. Recurs at 2:10, 3:15, and background to 4:18. NEVER 解脱 or 超度.
Sanctification
Approved rendering: 成圣
Transliteration: chéngshèng
Doctrine: Sanctification and Purity for Ministry
Rejected alternatives: 修身, 修炼
Original: ἁγιασμός / ἡγιασμένον
Category: Sanctification
Inherited from Romans package; reuse exactly. 2 Timothy 2:21’s ‘cleanse himself… made holy’ is central to this curriculum’s Sanctification and Purity for Ministry doctrine; must never be presented as self-achieved Neo-Confucian sagehood-cultivation.
Resurrection
Approved rendering: 复活
Transliteration: fùhuó
Doctrine: Faithful Transmission of the Gospel
Rejected alternatives: 轮回, 投胎, 还魂
Original: ἀνάστασις / ἐγηγερμένον
Category: Eschatology
Inherited from Romans package; reuse exactly. Recurs at 2:8 (affirmed of Christ, core gospel content Timothy must transmit) and 2:18 (denied by false teachers Hymenaeus and Philetus, a concrete case of apostasy). NEVER 轮回/投胎/还魂.
Lord
Approved rendering: 主
Transliteration: zhǔ
Doctrine: Christ’s Return and Final Judgment
Rejected alternatives: 主人, 老爷
Original: κύριος
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package; reuse exactly. Recurs throughout 2 Timothy (1:2, 1:8, 1:16-18, 2:7, 2:19, 2:22, 2:24, 4:8, 4:14, 4:17-18, 4:22).
Messiah
Approved rendering: 基督
Transliteration: Jīdū
Doctrine: Apostasy and False Teachers in the Last Days
Rejected alternatives: 弥勒, 救世主式泛称
Original: Χριστός
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package; reuse exactly. Recurs throughout 2 Timothy as part of ‘Christ Jesus.’ NEVER conflate with 弥勒 (Maitreya) — this extends directly into 2 Timothy’s ‘last days’ vocabulary (see last_days).
Jesus
Approved rendering: 耶稣
Transliteration: Yēsū
Doctrine: Christ’s Return and Final Judgment
Original: Ἰησοῦς
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package; reuse exactly. Recurs throughout, typically as ‘Christ Jesus.‘
God
Approved rendering: 神
Transliteration: Shén
Doctrine: Inspiration and Sufficiency of Scripture
Rejected alternatives: 上帝, 天, 老天爷
Original: θεός
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package; reuse exactly (Shen edition standard). Recurs throughout 2 Timothy, including as the origin of θεόπνευστος (‘God-breathed,’ 3:16, see god_breathed).
Holy Spirit
Approved rendering: 圣灵
Transliteration: Shènglíng
Doctrine: Guarding Sound Doctrine
Rejected alternatives: 祖灵, 灵
Original: πνεῦμα ἅγιον / τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package; reuse exactly. 2 Timothy 1:14, ‘guard the good deposit… by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us’ — links Guarding Sound Doctrine directly to the Spirit’s personal enabling, never an impersonal ancestral spirit (祖灵) or generic 灵.
God Breathed
Approved rendering: 神所感示的
Transliteration: shén suǒ gǎnshì de
Doctrine: Inspiration and Sufficiency of Scripture
Rejected alternatives: 通灵所传的, 灵感的
Original: θεόπνευστος
Category: Scripture
θεόπνευστος (2 Timothy 3:16), the doctrinal center of Inspiration of Scripture. NEVER suggest human spirit-mediumship (通灵, tōnglíng) or trance-channeling, a recognizable Chinese folk-religious practice in which a medium receives and transmits messages from a spirit. NEVER weaken to 灵感 (secular creative ‘inspiration’). Scripture is God’s own breath through human authors under his sovereign superintendence.
Inspiration
Approved rendering: 默示
Transliteration: mòshì
Doctrine: Inspiration and Sufficiency of Scripture
Original: θεόπνευστος (theological abstraction)
Category: Scripture
Doctrine-level noun naming the fact and mode of Scripture’s divine origin, matching this curriculum’s doctrine-registry naming convention. CRITICAL flag: rare homophone with 末世 (mòshì, ‘last days,’ see last_days) — same pinyin, different characters. Flag for oral/catechetical contexts to avoid confusing Inspiration of Scripture with the Apostasy doctrine.
Poured Out Libation
Approved rendering: 我现在被浇奠
Transliteration: wǒ xiànzài bèi jiāodiàn
Doctrine: Perseverance under Suffering
Rejected alternatives: 祭奠
Original: σπένδομαι
Category: Perseverance
σπένδομαι (4:6). 浇奠/祭奠 is precise Chinese ancestor-veneration libation vocabulary, in which wine is poured out to honor or appease departed ancestors. Must be explicitly taught as a Greco-Roman/OT sacrificial-offering metaphor for a life spent in God’s service, never conflated with ancestral-spirit ritual.
Sound Teaching
Approved rendering: 纯正的道理 / 纯正话语
Transliteration: chúnzhèng de dàolǐ / chúnzhèng huàyǔ
Doctrine: Guarding Sound Doctrine
Original: ὑγιαίνουσα διδασκαλία / ὑγιαινόντων λόγων
Category: Doctrine
ὑγιαίνουσα διδασκαλία / ὑγιαινόντων λόγων (1:13, 4:3). Title-anchor term for Guarding Sound Doctrine. CUV’s purity-idiom 纯正 loses the underlying Greek health-vs-disease metaphor (cf. γάγγραινα, 2:17); teaching materials must recover the health/disease contrast explicitly. Also carries the pervasive 道 collision.
Entrusted Deposit
Approved rendering: 所交托的 / 所托付的
Transliteration: suǒ jiāotuō de / suǒ tuōfù de
Doctrine: Guarding Sound Doctrine
Rejected alternatives: 传法
Original: παραθήκη
Category: Doctrine
παραθήκη (1:12, 1:14). Must never be read through the lens of Chan/Zen Buddhist 传法 (dharma-transmission), a living, evolving mind-to-mind teaching passed to a chosen successor. The apostolic deposit is a fixed, already-complete message to be safeguarded unchanged.
Rightly Handle
Approved rendering: 按着正意分解（真理的道）
Transliteration: ànzhe zhèngyì fēnjiě (zhēnlǐ de dào)
Doctrine: Guarding Sound Doctrine
Original: ὀρθοτομέω
Category: Doctrine
ὀρθοτομέω (2:15). Core doctrinal-accuracy term; carries the pervasive 道 collision. Must be taught as faithful, accurate transmission of a fixed apostolic message, not creative interpretive freedom or an evolving ‘path’ of realization.
Commit To Faithful Men
Approved rendering: 交托给忠心的人
Transliteration: jiāotuō gěi zhōngxīn de rén
Doctrine: Faithful Transmission of the Gospel
Original: παράθου πιστοῖς ἀνθρώποις
Category: Transmission
παράθου πιστοῖς ἀνθρώποις (2:2). Core generational-transmission verse (four-generation chain: Paul-Timothy-faithful men-others). 忠心 carries a secondary Medium-risk note: 忠 is also a core Confucian virtue of loyalty owed to a ruler/state; clarify as faithfulness to entrusted gospel truth, not political or clan loyalty. Shares the παραθήκη/deposit theology and must avoid the Chan Buddhist dharma-transmission (传法) framework.
Preach The Word
Approved rendering: 传道
Transliteration: chuándào
Doctrine: The Charge to Preach the Word
Rejected alternatives: 讲道, 说法, 讲学
Original: κήρυξον τὸν λόγον
Category: Ministry
κήρυξον τὸν λόγον (4:2). Title-anchor term for The Charge to Preach the Word. Uses 道 for λόγος, inheriting the pervasive dào-collision with impersonal Daoist cosmic metaphysics flagged under the baseline’s 道成肉身. Must be taught explicitly as proclaiming the fixed apostolic gospel message, never an impersonal Way or generic moral teaching. NEVER 说法 (Buddhist dharma-talk framing) or generic 讲学 (Confucian moral lecturing).
Last Days
Approved rendering: 末后的日子 / 末世
Transliteration: mòhòu de rìzi / mòshì
Doctrine: Apostasy and False Teachers in the Last Days
Rejected alternatives: 劫
Original: ἐν ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις
Category: Apostasy
ἐν ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις (3:1). Title-anchor term. Must be distinguished from Buddhist cyclical kalpa-ending cosmology (劫, jié) and from Chinese folk-millenarian movements anticipating a coming cosmic renewal/savior-figure, extending the baseline’s Critical 弥勒/Messiah flag. CRITICAL secondary flag: 末世 is a rare homophone of 默示 (mòshì, ‘inspiration,’ see inspiration entry) — same pinyin, different characters — a live risk in oral/catechetical contexts.
Form Of Godliness
Approved rendering: 有敬虔的外貌，却背了敬虔的实意（能力）
Transliteration: yǒu jìngqián de wàimào, què bèi le jìngqián de shíyì (nénglì)
Doctrine: Apostasy and False Teachers in the Last Days
Original: μόρφωσις εὐσεβείας… τὴν δὲ δύναμιν αὐτῆς ἠρνημένοι
Category: Apostasy
μόρφωσις εὐσεβείας… τὴν δὲ δύναμιν αὐτῆς ἠρνημένοι (3:5). 敬虔 risks being read as generic religious devoutness applicable to devotion at any temple or shrine (incense-offering, ancestor-veneration reverence); must be anchored to the true God and the Holy Spirit’s actual transforming power, echoing the baseline’s rejection of 虔诚 under ‘faith.‘
Crown Of Righteousness
Approved rendering: 那公义的冠冕
Transliteration: nà gōngyì de guānmiǎn
Doctrine: Assurance of Reward
Rejected alternatives: 修成正果, 成仙
Original: ὁ τῆς δικαιοσύνης στέφανος
Category: Reward
ὁ τῆς δικαιοσύνης στέφανος (4:8). Title-anchor term for Assurance of Reward. Must not be read as (a) an earthly/imperial crown denoting political rule, echoing the baseline’s Mandate-of-Heaven/emperor concerns under Sonship of Christ, or (b) a self-attained spiritual ‘fruit’ comparable to 修成正果 or Daoist immortality-attainment (成仙), already forbidden under justification in the baseline. A gracious reward from the righteous Judge, not merit-earned status.
Fought Finished Kept
Approved rendering: 那美好的仗我已经打过了，当跑的路我已经跑尽了，所信的道我已经守住了
Transliteration: nà měihǎo de zhàng wǒ yǐjīng dǎguò le, dāng pǎo de lù wǒ yǐjīng pǎojìn le, suǒ xìn de dào wǒ yǐjīng shǒuzhù le
Doctrine: Assurance of Reward
Original: τὸν καλὸν ἀγῶνα ἠγώνισμαι, τὸν δρόμον τετέλεκα, τὴν πίστιν τετήρηκα
Category: Reward
τὸν καλὸν ἀγῶνα ἠγώνισμαι, τὸν δρόμον τετέλεκα, τὴν πίστιν τετήρηκα (4:7). ‘所信的道’ renders πίστις with 道, inheriting the pervasive dào-collision. τηρέω (‘kept’) echoes φυλάσσω’s ‘guard the deposit’ (1:14, see guard) — both verbs of faithful custody over time should be taught as thematically unified across the letter.
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; reuse exactly. Recurs at 1:5 (Timothy’s inherited faith), 3:15 (‘faith in Christ Jesus’), 4:7 (‘kept the faith,’ rendered within 所信的道 — see fought_finished_kept). The underlying trust-sense must remain recoverable even where πίστις is idiomatically ‘the faith’ rather than the act of trusting.
Called
Approved rendering: 蒙召的
Transliteration: méngzhào de
Doctrine: Divine Calling to Ministry
Rejected alternatives: 受命于天, 天命所归
Original: κλητός / κλῆσις (verbal form καλέσαντος)
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package; reuse exactly. In 2 Timothy 1:9, God ‘called us to a holy calling’ — the personal, relational summons, never impersonal 天命所归.
Calling
Approved rendering: 呼召
Transliteration: hūzhào
Doctrine: Divine Calling to Ministry
Rejected alternatives: 天命, 命运
Original: κλῆσις
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package; reuse exactly. 2 Timothy 1:9’s ‘holy calling’ (ἁγία κλῆσις) grounds this curriculum’s Divine Calling to Ministry doctrine.
Holy
Approved rendering: 圣洁
Transliteration: shèngjié
Doctrine: Sanctification and Purity for Ministry
Rejected alternatives: 清净, 圣人般的
Original: ἅγιος
Category: Sanctification
Inherited from Romans package; reuse exactly. Modifies ‘calling’ at 1:9. Avoid 清净 (Daoist/Buddhist ritual-purity term).
Sin
Approved rendering: 罪
Transliteration: zuì
Doctrine: Apostasy and False Teachers in the Last Days
Rejected alternatives: 报应, 罪犯式的罪
Original: ἁμαρτία / ἁμαρτωλός
Category: Sin
Inherited from Romans package; reuse exactly. 2 Timothy 3:6 describes false teachers preying on ‘women weighed down with sins.’ Distinguish from 报应 (karmic retribution).
Power Of God
Approved rendering: 神的大能
Transliteration: Shén de dà néng
Doctrine: Divine Calling to Ministry
Rejected alternatives: 气, 法力
Original: δύναμις θεοῦ
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package; reuse exactly. Root concept behind 1:7’s ‘spirit of power’ (see spirit_power_love_soundmind) and 1:8’s ‘by the power of God.’ NEVER 气 or 法力.
Election
Approved rendering: 拣选
Transliteration: jiǎnxuǎn
Doctrine: Assurance of Reward
Rejected alternatives: 天命, 命运, 缘分
Original: ἐκλεκτοί
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package; reuse exactly, applied to the noun form 蒙拣选的人. 2 Timothy 2:10, Paul endures ‘for the sake of the elect.’ NEVER 天命/命运/缘分.
Seed Of David
Approved rendering: 大卫的后裔
Transliteration: Dàwèi de hòuyì
Doctrine: Faithful Transmission of the Gospel
Original: σπέρμα Δαυίδ / ἐκ σπέρματος Δαυίδ
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package; reuse exactly. 2 Timothy 2:8 pairs this with ‘raised from the dead’ as core gospel content Timothy must ‘remember.‘
Father
Approved rendering: 父
Transliteration: fù
Doctrine: Thanksgiving and Personal Testimony
Rejected alternatives: 祖先, 老天爷
Original: πατήρ
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package; reuse exactly. 2 Timothy 1:2 greeting.
Scripture
Approved rendering: 圣经
Transliteration: shèngjīng
Doctrine: Inspiration and Sufficiency of Scripture
Original: γραφή / ἱερὰ γράμματα
Category: Scripture
New term for this curriculum. Renders γραφή / ἱερὰ γράμματα (3:15-16). 经 (jīng) is shared with the Confucian Five Classics (五经) and Buddhist/Daoist sutras (佛经/道经); must be taught as God’s unique self-revelation, not one sage-canon among others. The universal claim ‘all/every Scripture’ (πᾶσα γραφή, 3:16) must be preserved as a claim about the whole canon, not softened.
Training In Righteousness
Approved rendering: 教导人学义
Transliteration: jiàodǎo rén xué yì
Doctrine: Inspiration and Sufficiency of Scripture
Original: παιδεία (ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ)
Category: Scripture
παιδεία ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ (3:16). Bound to the Critical term 义 (righteousness); must not be read as Confucian moral cultivation of the virtue 义 through self-effort, but Scripture-formed growth in righteousness already granted in Christ.
Good Work
Approved rendering: 善事
Transliteration: shàn shì
Doctrine: Inspiration and Sufficiency of Scripture
Rejected alternatives: 行善积德
Original: ἔργον ἀγαθόν
Category: Scripture
ἔργον ἀγαθόν (3:17). 善事/善行 is the exact vocabulary of Buddhist merit-accumulation (行善积德); must be taught as the fruit of Scripture-formed faith, never as merit accruing toward salvation, paralleling the baseline’s Critical 恩典-vs-功德 distinction.
Word Of God Not Bound
Approved rendering: 神的道却不被捆绑
Transliteration: shén de dào què bù bèi kúnbǎng
Doctrine: Guarding Sound Doctrine
Original: ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ οὐ δέδεται
Category: Scripture
ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ οὐ δέδεται (2:9). Carries the pervasive 道 collision; must clarify this is God’s sovereign superintendence of his own message’s spread, not an inherent quasi-magical potency in the words themselves (cf. Daoist talismans/符, fú).
Suffer Hardship
Approved rendering: 同受苦难 / 忍受苦难
Transliteration: tóng shòu kǔnàn / rěnshòu kǔnàn
Doctrine: Perseverance under Suffering
Original: συγκακοπαθέω / κακοπαθέω
Category: Perseverance
συγκακοπαθέω / κακοπαθέω, core recurring vocabulary of this curriculum’s central doctrine (1:8, 2:3, 4:5). Purposeful, Christ-centered suffering — not the Buddhist view of suffering (苦) as an inherent feature of existence to be transcended through detachment, nor 报应 (karmic retribution).
Persecutions Sufferings
Approved rendering: 逼迫、苦难
Transliteration: bīpò, kǔnàn
Doctrine: Perseverance under Suffering
Original: διωγμοί, παθήματα
Category: Perseverance
διωγμοί, παθήματα (3:11-12): ‘all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.’ Must preserve the universal scope of this promise, not soften it into an exceptional or avoidable hardship.
Guard
Approved rendering: 保守
Transliteration: bǎoshǒu
Doctrine: Guarding Sound Doctrine
Original: φυλάσσω
Category: Doctrine
φυλάσσω, paired with reused 圣灵 (Critical) at 1:14: ‘guard the good deposit… by the Holy Spirit.’ Also echoed by τηρέω (‘kept,’ 4:7, see fought_finished_kept); teach these as thematically unified across the letter.
Pattern Of Sound Words
Approved rendering: 纯正话语的规模
Transliteration: chúnzhèng huàyǔ de guīmó
Doctrine: Guarding Sound Doctrine
Original: ὑποτύπωσις ὑγιαινόντων λόγων
Category: Doctrine
ὑποτύπωσις ὑγιαινόντων λόγων (1:13). Same 纯正/道 collision as sound_teaching; leads directly into 1:14’s charge to guard the deposit.
Repentance
Approved rendering: 悔改
Transliteration: huǐgǎi
Doctrine: Apostasy and False Teachers in the Last Days
Rejected alternatives: 懊悔, 拜忏, 做法事
Original: μετάνοια
Category: Doctrine
μετάνοια (2:25). Must be distinguished from mere regret (懊悔) or ritual expiation/atonement-performance such as 拜忏 or 做法事 (folk-Buddhist/Daoist penitential rites offsetting wrongdoing); biblical repentance is a God-given inward reorientation, not a transactional ritual.
Spirit Power Love Soundmind
Approved rendering: 刚强、仁爱、谨守
Transliteration: gāngqiáng, rén’ài, jǐnshǒu
Doctrine: Divine Calling to Ministry
Original: δύναμις, ἀγάπη, σωφρονισμός
Category: Transmission
δύναμις, ἀγάπη, σωφρονισμός (1:7), the Spirit’s gift replacing fear. 仁爱 collides with the Confucian Five Constant Virtue 仁 (rén), cultivated by personal moral effort within relationships — a direct parallel to the baseline’s Critical flag on 义/righteousness. Must be taught as a Spirit-given gift, not a self-cultivated Confucian virtue.
Charge Solemnly
Approved rendering: 我在神和基督耶稣面前嘱咐你
Transliteration: wǒ zài shén hé Jīdū Yēsū miànqián zhǔfù nǐ
Doctrine: The Charge to Preach the Word
Original: διαμαρτύρομαι
Category: Ministry
διαμαρτύρομαι (4:1). Must retain the weight of a sworn, witnessed charge before God and Christ, not a casual request.
Judge Living Dead
Approved rendering: 审判活人死人
Transliteration: shěnpàn huórén sǐrén
Doctrine: Christ’s Return and Final Judgment
Original: κρίνειν ζῶντας καὶ νεκρούς
Category: Christology
κρίνειν ζῶντας καὶ νεκρούς (4:1). Must remain a personal act of the returning Christ upon specific individuals, not an impersonal cosmic reckoning parallel to 报应 (karmic retribution, flagged under ‘sin’ in the baseline).
Appearing
Approved rendering: 显现
Transliteration: xiǎnxiàn
Doctrine: Christ’s Return and Final Judgment
Rejected alternatives: 化身, 下凡
Original: ἐπιφάνεια
Category: Christology
ἐπιφάνεια (1:10, 4:1, 4:8). Must be taught as exactly two unique, unrepeatable historical events (past incarnation, future return), never a recurring divine manifestation like a bodhisattva’s periodic appearance (化身/下凡, already forbidden under the baseline’s Incarnation doctrine).
Godliness
Approved rendering: 敬虔
Transliteration: jìngqián
Doctrine: Apostasy and False Teachers in the Last Days
Rejected alternatives: 虔诚
Original: εὐσέβεια
Category: Apostasy
εὐσέβεια (3:5, background 3:12). Parallel caution to the baseline’s rejected 虔诚 under ‘faith’: must not be read as generic piety directed at any deity or practice.
Turn Away
Approved rendering: 转离 / 转去不听
Transliteration: zhuǎnlí / zhuǎn qù bù tīng
Doctrine: Apostasy and False Teachers in the Last Days
Original: ἀποστρέφω
Category: Apostasy
ἀποστρέφω (1:15, 4:4). Must convey deliberate abandonment of received truth or a person, not passive forgetting.
Truth
Approved rendering: 真道 / 真理
Transliteration: zhēndào / zhēnlǐ
Doctrine: Apostasy and False Teachers in the Last Days
Original: ἀλήθεια
Category: Apostasy
ἀλήθεια (4:4). 真道 carries the pervasive 道 collision; 真理 is the safer default where an idiomatic ‘the truth’ gloss is not required, reserving 真道 for contexts already anchored by clarifying teaching.
Deny Him
Approved rendering: 不认他
Transliteration: bù rèn tā
Doctrine: Apostasy and False Teachers in the Last Days
Original: ἀρνέομαι
Category: Apostasy
ἀρνέομαι (2:12-13). Must retain full weight as denial of Christ, not softened to mere ‘refuse.‘
Righteous Judge
Approved rendering: 公义的审判者
Transliteration: gōngyì de shěnpàn zhě
Doctrine: Assurance of Reward
Rejected alternatives: 报应式的审判者
Original: δίκαιος κριτής
Category: Reward
δίκαιος κριτής (4:8). Must be a personal God rendering a just verdict on a specific person, not an impersonal cosmic ledger-keeper administering karmic retribution (报应, already flagged under ‘sin’ in the baseline).
Loved His Appearing
Approved rendering: 爱慕他显现的人
Transliteration: ài mù tā xiǎnxiàn de rén
Doctrine: Assurance of Reward
Original: ἀγαπηκόσι τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν αὐτοῦ
Category: Reward
ἀγαπηκόσι τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν αὐτοῦ (4:8). Reuses 显现; same collision note as appearing — one of exactly two unique historical events, not a repeatable manifestation.
Abolished Death
Approved rendering: 废去死的权势
Transliteration: fèiqù sǐ de quánshì
Doctrine: Christ’s Return and Final Judgment
Original: καταργήσαντος τὸν θάνατον
Category: Christology
καταργήσαντος τὸν θάνατον (1:10). Connects directly to the Critical baseline term 复活 (resurrection); must be taught as a completed, historical victory over death, not an ongoing process of transcending suffering.
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; reuse exactly. Recurs in 2 Timothy at 1:8, 1:10, 2:8, 4:5, always tied to Paul’s sufferings and Timothy’s ministry.
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; reuse exactly. Part of the expanded greeting triad at 1:2 (grace, mercy, peace).
Spiritual Gifts
Approved rendering: 属灵恩赐
Transliteration: shǔlíng ēncì
Doctrine: Divine Calling to Ministry
Rejected alternatives: 法力, 神通
Original: χάρισμα
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package; reuse exactly. 2 Timothy 1:6 refers to Timothy’s specific ordination gift (χάρισμα), received through the laying on of Paul’s hands, which he must ‘rekindle’ (see rekindle_gift).
Kingdom Of God
Approved rendering: 神的国
Transliteration: Shén de guó
Doctrine: Christ’s Return and Final Judgment
Rejected alternatives: 天下, 王朝
Original: βασιλεία
Category: Kingdom
Inherited from Romans package; reuse exactly. Recurs at 4:1 (‘his kingdom’) and 4:18 (‘his heavenly kingdom,’ 天国, an extension of this reused pattern). Avoid 天下/王朝.
Glory
Approved rendering: 荣耀
Transliteration: róngyào
Doctrine: Assurance of Reward
Rejected alternatives: 面子, 光宗耀祖
Original: δόξα
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package; reuse exactly. 2 Timothy 2:10, believers obtain salvation ‘with eternal glory.’ Avoid 面子/光宗耀祖.
David
Approved rendering: 大卫
Transliteration: Dàwèi
Doctrine: Faithful Transmission of the Gospel
Original: Δαυίδ
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package; reuse exactly. 2 Timothy 2:8.
Wisdom Unto Salvation
Approved rendering: 使人有智慧，可以得救
Transliteration: shǐ rén yǒu zhìhuì, kěyǐ déjiù
Doctrine: Inspiration and Sufficiency of Scripture
Rejected alternatives: 般若智慧式的智慧
Original: σοφίσαι εἰς σωτηρίαν
Category: Scripture
σοφίσαι εἰς σωτηρίαν (3:15). 智慧 risks blending with Buddhist 般若智慧 (prajñā-wisdom, liberating insight attained through meditative practice); must anchor wisdom strictly to ‘salvation through faith in Christ Jesus,’ never self-attained spiritual insight.
Teaching
Approved rendering: 教训 / 教导
Transliteration: jiàoxun / jiàodǎo
Doctrine: Inspiration and Sufficiency of Scripture
Original: διδασκαλία / διδαχή
Category: Scripture
διδασκαλία / διδαχή, one of Scripture’s four purposes (3:16) and part of the preaching charge (4:2). Modern colloquial Mandarin often hears 教训 as ‘a scolding’ or ‘a hard lesson learned from misfortune’; register must stay formal/instructional.
Reproof
Approved rendering: 督责
Transliteration: dūzé
Doctrine: Inspiration and Sufficiency of Scripture
Original: ἔλεγχος
Category: Scripture
ἔλεγχος, one of Scripture’s four purposes (3:16); cognate verb ἔλεγξον appears in the preaching charge (4:2, see reprove_rebuke_exhort).
Correction
Approved rendering: 使人归正
Transliteration: shǐ rén guī zhèng
Doctrine: Inspiration and Sufficiency of Scripture
Original: ἐπανόρθωσις
Category: Scripture
ἐπανόρθωσις, one of Scripture’s four purposes (3:16); Scripture actively corrects course, not merely diagnoses.
Complete Equipped
Approved rendering: 完全 / 预备（行）
Transliteration: wánquán / yùbèi xíng
Doctrine: Inspiration and Sufficiency of Scripture
Rejected alternatives: 修成正果式的完全
Original: ἄρτιος / ἐξηρτισμένος
Category: Scripture
ἄρτιος / ἐξηρτισμένος (3:17). 完全 risks blending with Buddhist/Daoist attained ‘perfection/completion’ adjacent to the baseline’s forbidden 修成正果; must be taught as Scripture-equipped sufficiency for service, not self-attained enlightenment.
Man Of God
Approved rendering: 属神的人
Transliteration: shǔ shén de rén
Doctrine: Inspiration and Sufficiency of Scripture
Original: ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ ἄνθρωπος
Category: Scripture
ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ ἄνθρωπος (3:17), an OT idiom for a prophet/minister. Must not be misread as an honorific implying a special sage-class, paralleling the baseline’s caution on 圣人 under ‘saints.‘
Endure
Approved rendering: 忍耐
Transliteration: rěnnài
Doctrine: Perseverance under Suffering
Original: ὑπομένω
Category: Perseverance
ὑπομένω; also used for μακροθυμία (patience) at 4:2. Two senses (enduring hardship vs. patiently bearing with people in correction) must be kept distinguishable in teaching notes even though the same two characters render both.
Profane Empty Talk
Approved rendering: 世俗的虚谈
Transliteration: shìsú de xūtán
Doctrine: Guarding Sound Doctrine
Original: βέβηλοι κενοφωνίαι
Category: Doctrine
βέβηλοι κενοφωνίαι (2:16). Worthless, irreverent chatter Timothy must avoid, contrasted with rightly handling the word.
Gangrene
Approved rendering: 像毒疮一样蔓延
Transliteration: xiàng dúchuāng yīyàng mànyán
Doctrine: Guarding Sound Doctrine
Original: γάγγραινα
Category: Doctrine
γάγγραινα (2:17). Should be actively paired with sound_teaching’s health/disease contrast to recover the metaphor lost in the CUV purity-idiom.
Vessels Honor Dishonor
Approved rendering: 贵重的器皿 / 卑贱的器皿
Transliteration: guìzhòng de qìmǐn / bèijiàn de qìmǐn
Doctrine: Guarding Sound Doctrine
Original: σκεῦος εἰς τιμήν / εἰς ἀτιμίαν
Category: Doctrine
σκεῦος εἰς τιμήν / εἰς ἀτιμίαν (2:20-21). Concrete household-object metaphor for believers’ responsibility to purify themselves for honorable service; low direct religious collision.
Unfeigned Faith
Approved rendering: 无伪的信心
Transliteration: wúwěi de xìnxīn
Doctrine: Faithful Transmission of the Gospel
Original: ἀνυπόκριτος πίστις
Category: Transmission
ἀνυπόκριτος πίστις (1:5). Modifies the reused High-risk term 信心; models faithful generational transmission through Lois and Eunice.
Laying On Of Hands
Approved rendering: 按手
Transliteration: ànshǒu
Doctrine: Divine Calling to Ministry
Rejected alternatives: 气功发气式的按手
Original: ἐπίθεσις τῶν χειρῶν
Category: Transmission
ἐπίθεσις τῶν χειρῶν (1:6). Must be distinguished from qi-transmission or healing-touch rituals in Chinese qigong, martial-arts, or folk-healing practice, which transfer an impersonal energy (气) rather than commissioning to an office by apostolic authority.
Rekindle Gift
Approved rendering: 从新挑起
Transliteration: chóngxīn tiǎoqǐ
Doctrine: Divine Calling to Ministry
Original: ἀναζωπυρέω
Category: Transmission
ἀναζωπυρέω (1:6). Timothy must actively renew use of a gift already given, not pursue new supernatural power; distinguish from occult power-acquisition concepts.
Evangelist
Approved rendering: 传福音者
Transliteration: chuán fúyīn zhě
Doctrine: The Charge to Preach the Word
Rejected alternatives: 传道的
Original: εὐαγγελιστής
Category: Ministry
εὐαγγελιστής (4:5). CUV often generalizes this to 传道的 (‘one who preaches’), which risks collapsing a distinct ministry office into the generic act of preaching; retain 传福音者 to preserve the distinct role.
Impostors Deceivers
Approved rendering: 骗子
Transliteration: piànzi
Doctrine: Apostasy and False Teachers in the Last Days
Rejected alternatives: 邪术士
Original: γόητες
Category: Apostasy
γόητες (3:13). 邪术士 evokes literal sorcery and may unhelpfully suggest occult practice rather than doctrinal fraud; 骗子 is the safer default rendering.
Myths
Approved rendering: 无稽之谈
Transliteration: wújī zhī tán
Doctrine: Apostasy and False Teachers in the Last Days
Rejected alternatives: 神话
Original: μῦθος
Category: Apostasy
μῦθος (4:4). FORBIDDEN SUBSTITUTION: never 神话 (shénhuà), which literally contains 神 (God/deity) and would misleadingly suggest ‘God’s own story’ rather than a baseless human fabrication.
Turn Aside
Approved rendering: 偏离正道
Transliteration: piānlí zhèngdào
Doctrine: Apostasy and False Teachers in the Last Days
Original: ἐκτρέπω
Category: Apostasy
ἐκτρέπω (4:4). Contains 道; ensure ‘正道’ (the right way) is read as sound apostolic teaching, not a superior esoteric path.
Teachers Sought
Approved rendering: 师傅
Transliteration: shīfu
Doctrine: Apostasy and False Teachers in the Last Days
Original: διδάσκαλοι
Category: Apostasy
διδάσκαλοι (4:3), teachers accumulated by those craving novelty. 师傅 in Chinese religious/folk culture also denotes a Daoist priest or martial-arts master with a personal disciple-lineage; keep distinct from legitimate 教师/使徒 vocabulary used of Paul’s own office.
Deceiving Deceived
Approved rendering: 欺骗人也被欺骗
Transliteration: qīpiàn rén yě bèi qīpiàn
Doctrine: Apostasy and False Teachers in the Last Days
Rejected alternatives: 迷信式的迷惑
Original: πλανῶντες καὶ πλανώμενοι
Category: Apostasy
πλανῶντες καὶ πλανώμενοι (3:13), mutual self-reinforcing deception. Shares a root field with 迷信 (míxìn, ‘superstition,’ already a rejected alternative for ‘faith’ in the baseline); prefer 欺骗/迷惑 with care.
Snare Of Devil
Approved rendering: 魔鬼的网罗
Transliteration: móguǐ de wǎngluó
Doctrine: Apostasy and False Teachers in the Last Days
Original: παγὶς τοῦ διαβόλου
Category: Apostasy
παγὶς τοῦ διαβόλου (2:26). Must retain the personal, deliberate nature of the devil’s entrapment, not an impersonal misfortune.
Rescue Heavenly Kingdom
Approved rendering: 主必救我脱离诸般的凶恶，也必救我进他的天国
Transliteration: zhǔ bì jiù wǒ tuōlí zhūbān de xiōng’è, yě bì jiù wǒ jìn tā de tiānguó
Doctrine: Assurance of Reward
Original: ῥύσεταί με ὁ κύριος ἀπὸ παντὸς ἔργου πονηροῦ, καὶ σώσει εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἐπουράνιον
Category: Reward
ῥύσεταί με ὁ κύριος…εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἐπουράνιον (4:18). Reuses the 救恩/神的国 pattern; 天国 (‘heavenly kingdom’) is an extension of the reused kingdom_of_god term.
Will Of God
Approved rendering: 神的旨意
Transliteration: shén de zhǐyì
Doctrine: Divine Calling to Ministry
Rejected alternatives: 天意, 命运
Original: θέλημα θεοῦ
Category: God
θέλημα θεοῦ (1:1), grounding Paul’s apostleship. Must be kept distinct from impersonal 天意/命运 fatalism, paralleling the baseline’s providence note.
Promise Of Life
Approved rendering: 生命的应许
Transliteration: shēngmìng de yìngxǔ
Doctrine: Faithful Transmission of the Gospel
Original: ἐπαγγελία ζωῆς
Category: Covenant
ἐπαγγελία ζωῆς (1:1), grounding Paul’s apostolic ministry. Must be read as a covenantal promise from a personal God fulfilled in Christ, not a generic assurance of longevity or fortune.
Ashamed
Approved rendering: 以…为耻
Transliteration: yǐ…wéi chǐ
Doctrine: Perseverance under Suffering
Original: ἐπαισχύνομαι
Category: Perseverance
ἐπαισχύνομαι (1:8, 1:12, 1:16). Must retain the social-courage dimension of refusing shame despite social cost, without collapsing into the unrelated 面子 (‘face’) concept.
Die Live With Christ
Approved rendering: 与他同死/同活
Transliteration: yǔ tā tóng sǐ / tóng huó
Doctrine: Assurance of Reward
Original: συναποθνήσκω, συζῶ
Category: Christology
συναποθνήσκω, συζῶ (2:11). Grounds both Perseverance and Assurance of Reward doctrines; must retain the personal, relational union-with-Christ sense, not a generic shared-fate idiom.
Forsook Demas
Approved rendering: 离弃了我
Transliteration: líqì le wǒ
Doctrine: Apostasy and False Teachers in the Last Days
Original: ἐγκατέλιπεν
Category: Apostasy
ἐγκατέλιπεν (4:10). Demas’s concrete, named abandonment of Paul out of love for the present world; connects to the Apostasy doctrine as a real, personal, historically-named danger, not merely a theoretical warning.
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; reuse exactly. Recurs at 1:1, 1:11 as Paul’s self-designation grounding the authority of his charge to Timothy.
Thanksgiving
Approved rendering: 感恩
Transliteration: gǎn’ēn
Doctrine: Thanksgiving and Personal Testimony
Original: εὐχαριστία / εὐχαριστῶ
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package; reuse exactly. 2 Timothy 1:3, Paul’s thanksgiving for Timothy.
Exhort
Approved rendering: 劝勉
Transliteration: quànmiǎn
Doctrine: The Charge to Preach the Word
Original: παρακαλέω
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package; reuse exactly. 2 Timothy 4:2, part of the preaching charge triad (reprove, rebuke, exhort; see reprove_rebuke_exhort).
Disciplined Perseverance Metaphors
Approved rendering: 精兵 / 运动员 / 农夫
Transliteration: jīngbīng / yùndòngyuán / nóngfū
Doctrine: Perseverance under Suffering
Original: στρατιώτης / ἀθλέω / γεωργός
Category: Perseverance
στρατιώτης / ἀθλέω / γεωργός (2:3-6): soldier, athlete, farmer. Generic disciplined-effort metaphors; low collision risk.
Lord Stood By Me
Approved rendering: 主站在我旁边，加给我力量
Transliteration: zhǔ zhàn zài wǒ pángbiān, jiā gěi wǒ lìliàng
Doctrine: Perseverance under Suffering
Original: ὁ κύριός μοι παρέστη καὶ ἐνίσχυσέν με
Category: Perseverance
ὁ κύριός μοι παρέστη καὶ ἐνίσχυσέν με (4:17). Reuses baseline 主 in a pastoral-comfort context; low collision risk.
Delivered Lions Mouth
Approved rendering: 从狮子口里被救出来
Transliteration: cóng shīzi kǒu lǐ bèi jiù chūlái
Doctrine: Perseverance under Suffering
Original: ἐρρύσθην ἐκ στόματος λέοντος
Category: Perseverance
ἐρρύσθην ἐκ στόματος λέοντος (4:17). Vivid deliverance idiom; low collision risk.
In Season Out Of Season
Approved rendering: 无论得时不得时
Transliteration: wúlùn dé shí bù dé shí
Doctrine: The Charge to Preach the Word
Original: εὐκαίρως ἀκαίρως
Category: Ministry
εὐκαίρως ἀκαίρως (4:2). Constant readiness regardless of favorable or unfavorable circumstance; low collision risk.
Reprove Rebuke Exhort
Approved rendering: 责备、警戒、劝勉
Transliteration: zébèi, jǐngjiè, quànmiǎn
Doctrine: The Charge to Preach the Word
Original: ἔλεγξον, ἐπιτίμησον, παρακάλεσον
Category: Ministry
ἔλεγξον, ἐπιτίμησον, παρακάλεσον (4:2). παρακάλεσον reuses baseline 劝勉 (Low risk); other two verbs carry low independent collision risk.
Ministry Service
Approved rendering: 职分 / 事工
Transliteration: zhífèn / shìgōng
Doctrine: The Charge to Preach the Word
Original: διακονία
Category: Ministry
διακονία (4:5). Timothy’s total pastoral office/assignment; low collision risk.
Itching Ears
Approved rendering: 耳朵发痒
Transliteration: ěrduo fāyǎng
Doctrine: Apostasy and False Teachers in the Last Days
Original: κνηθόμενοι τὴν ἀκοήν
Category: Apostasy
κνηθόμενοι τὴν ἀκοήν (4:3). Vivid idiom preserved literally in the CUV tradition; low collision risk.
Reserved Laid Up
Approved rendering: 存留
Transliteration: cúnliú
Doctrine: Assurance of Reward
Original: ἀπόκειμαι
Category: Reward
ἀπόκειμαι (4:8). The crown is already ‘laid up’ or reserved for Paul by God; low collision risk, standard vocabulary for a secured future reward.
Mercy
Approved rendering: 怜悯
Transliteration: liánmǐn
Doctrine: Thanksgiving and Personal Testimony
Original: ἔλεος
Category: God
ἔλεος (1:2), part of the expanded greeting triad (grace, mercy, peace); low collision risk.
Spirit Of Fear
Approved rendering: 胆怯的心
Transliteration: dǎnqiè de xīn
Doctrine: Divine Calling to Ministry
Original: πνεῦμα δειλίας
Category: Transmission
πνεῦμα δειλίας (1:7), contrasted with the Spirit’s gift of power, love, and sound-mindedness (see spirit_power_love_soundmind); low collision risk.
Illuminated
Approved rendering: 光照
Transliteration: guāngzhào
Doctrine: Christ’s Return and Final Judgment
Original: φωτίσαντος
Category: Christology
φωτίσαντος (1:10), life and immortality brought to light through the gospel; standard illumination-of-truth vocabulary, low collision risk.
Faithful Saying
Approved rendering: 这话是可信的
Transliteration: zhè huà shì kě xìn de
Doctrine: Guarding Sound Doctrine
Original: πιστὸς ὁ λόγος
Category: Doctrine
πιστὸς ὁ λόγος (2:11), the Pastoral Epistles’ formula introducing the creedal statement of 2:11-13; low collision risk.
Departure
Approved rendering: 我离世的时候到了
Transliteration: wǒ lí shì de shíhòu dào le
Doctrine: Assurance of Reward
Original: ἀνάλυσις
Category: Reward
ἀνάλυσις (4:6), a euphemism for death as release for the next stage of God’s purpose. Death reframed as release, not annihilation or an ending to be feared; low collision risk.
Referenced passages