Core Glossary
08 Core Glossary — Ephesians (English → Mandarin)
This glossary consolidates every load-bearing term identified in 07_semantic_analysis.md across the full book of Ephesians (chapters 1–6), for promotion into the shared Phase 2 translation memory. Terms already fixed in the baseline Romans translation_memory.json are marked [Baseline — reuse exactly] and are not renegotiable. New terms introduced by the Ephesians curriculum are marked [New — Ephesians] and are proposed here with a provisional risk tier for theologian ratification before Phase 2 translation begins.
Risk tiers follow the baseline doctrine_risk_registry.json definitions exactly (Critical / High / Medium / Low).
Section A — Baseline Terms Reused Exactly (as they occur in Ephesians)
| English Term | Mandarin | Pinyin | Risk | Doctrine Link | Ephesians Refs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| God | 神 | Shén | Critical | Deity of Christ / God | throughout | Reuse baseline god exactly. |
| Jesus | 耶稣 | Yēsū | Critical | Lordship of Christ | throughout | Reuse baseline jesus exactly. |
| Christ / Messiah | 基督 | Jīdū | Critical | Messianic Promise | throughout | Reuse baseline messiah exactly. |
| Lord | 主 | zhǔ | Critical | Lordship of Christ | 1:2,3,15,17; 4:1,5,17; 5:8,10,17,19,20,22; 6:1,4,7,8,9,10,21,23,24 | Never 主人/老爷. |
| Holy Spirit | 圣灵 | Shènglíng | Critical | Holy Spirit | 1:13; 2:18,22; 3:5,16; 4:3,4,30; 5:18; 6:17,18 | Never 灵 alone or 祖灵. |
| Father | 父 | fù | High | Adoption | 1:2,3,17; 2:18; 3:14; 4:6; 5:20; 6:2,4,23 | Distinguish from ancestor veneration. |
| Grace | 恩典 | ēndiǎn | Critical | Grace | 1:6,7; 2:5,7,8; 3:2,7,8; 4:7,29; 6:24 | Never 功德/阴德/造化. |
| Faith | 信心 | xìnxīn | High | Faith | 1:15; 2:8; 3:12,17; 4:5,13; 6:16,23 | Object of faith = Christ. |
| Salvation / Saved | 救恩 / 得救 | jiùēn / dé jiù | Critical | Salvation | 1:13; 2:5,8; 6:17 | Never 解脱/超度. |
| Gospel | 福音 | fúyīn | Medium | Gospel | 1:13; 3:6; 6:15,19 | Clarify vs. folk 福 fortune-language. |
| Saints | 圣徒 | shèngtú | High | Sainthood | 1:1,15,18; 3:8,18; 4:12; 5:3; 6:18 | Never 圣人/高僧. |
| Holy | 圣洁 | shèngjié | High | Sanctification | 1:4; 2:21; 5:27 | Never 清净. |
| Church | 教会 | jiàohuì | Medium | Church as God’s People | 1:22; 3:10,21; 5:23–32 | Never 庙/寺/道观. |
| Gentiles | 外邦人 | wàibāngrén | Medium | Unity of Jews/Gentiles | 2:11; 3:1,6,8; 4:17 | Never 夷人. |
| Glory | 荣耀 | róngyào | Medium | Deity of Christ | 1:6,12,14,17,18; 3:13,16,21 | Never 面子/光宗耀祖. |
| Sin | 罪 | zuì | High | Universal Human Accountability | 2:1 | Never 报应. |
| Election | 拣选 | jiǎnxuǎn | High | Election | 1:4 (ἐκλέγομαι, verb form) | Never 天命/命运/缘分. |
| Calling | 呼召 | hūzhào | High | Divine/Effectual Calling | 1:18; 4:1,4 | Never 天命. |
| Adoption / Sonship | 儿子的名分 | érzi de míngfèn | High | Adoption | 1:5 | Never 过继. |
| Peace | 平安 | píng’ān | Medium | Peace with God | 1:2; 2:14,15,17; 4:3; 6:15,23 | Distinguish folk-amulet 平安. |
| Kingdom of God | 神的国 / 基督和神的国 | Shén de guó | Medium | Kingdom Mission | 5:5 | Never 天下/王朝. |
| Power of God | 神的大能 | Shén de dà néng | High | Power of God for Salvation | 1:19; 3:7,20; 6:10 | Never 气/法力. |
| Resurrection (raised) | 复活 | fùhuó | Critical | Resurrection | 1:20; 2:6 | Never 轮回/投胎/还魂. |
| Thanksgiving | 感恩 | gǎn’ēn | Low | Thanksgiving | 1:16; 5:4,20 | Standard term. |
| Covenant | 约 | yuē | High | Covenant | 2:12 (“covenants of promise”) | Never 合同/契约. |
| Apostle | 使徒 | shǐtú | Low | Apostleship | 1:1; 2:20; 3:5; 4:11 | Never 宗师/大师. |
| Prophet | 先知 | xiānzhī | Low | Inspiration of Scripture | 2:20; 3:5; 4:11 | Never 算命先生. |
Section B — New Terms Introduced by Ephesians (Proposed for Translation Memory)
| English Term | Original (Greek) | Mandarin | Pinyin | Risk | Doctrine Link | Ephesians Refs | Alternatives Rejected | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blessing | εὐλογία | 福气 | fúqì | Medium | Election/Grace | 1:3 | 恩惠 (too generic) | Shares 福 root with folk fortune-language; clarify as Christ-given spiritual blessing, not luck. |
| Predestined | προορίζω | 预定 | yùdìng | Critical | Election and Predestination in Christ | 1:5, 1:11 | 天命所归, 命中注定 | Never equate with Mandate of Heaven or impersonal fate; personal, relational, “in Christ.” |
| Redemption | ἀπολύτρωσις | 救赎 | jiùshú | High | Salvation | 1:7, 1:14 | 解脱, 赎当式救赎 | Christ’s blood is the price; not a generic commercial buy-back or Buddhist liberation. |
| Forgiveness (of trespasses) | ἄφεσις | 赦免 | shèmiǎn | Medium | Salvation | 1:7 | — | Forensic, once-secured, not repeatable ritual absolution. |
| Trespass(es) | παράπτωμα | 过犯 | guòfàn | Medium | Universal Human Accountability | 1:7; 2:1,5 | — | Distinct from 罪 (broader condition); specific transgressions. |
| Mystery | μυστήριον | 奥秘 | àomì | High | The Mystery of Christ Revealed | 1:9; 3:3-9; 5:32; 6:19 | 玄机, 秘传 | Publicly revealed truth, not esoteric/initiate-only secret. |
| Plan / Stewardship | οἰκονομία | 计划 / 职分 | jìhuà / zhífèn | Medium | The Mystery of Christ Revealed | 1:10; 3:2,9 | — | Disambiguate cosmic plan vs. personal ministry-trust by context. |
| Inheritance | κληρονομία | 基业 | jīyè | High | Adoption | 1:11,14,18; 5:5 | 家产, 遗产 | Distinguish from clan-inheritance tied to ancestor rites/过继. |
| Purpose | πρόθεσις | 定意 | dìngyì | Low-Medium | Election / Providence | 1:11; 3:11 | — | Disambiguate from θέλημα (旨意) in context. |
| Sealed (with the Spirit) | σφραγίζω | 印记 | yìnjì | High | Assurance of Salvation | 1:13; 4:30 | 符 (talisman) | God’s ownership-mark/guarantee, not a magical protective charm. |
| Guarantee / Pledge | ἀρραβών | 凭据 | píngjù | Medium | Assurance of Salvation | 1:14 | — | God’s guarantee to the believer, not a human-produced pledge. |
| Rulers, Authorities, Powers, Dominions | ἀρχή/ἐξουσία/δύναμις/κυριότης | 执政的、掌权的、有能的、主治的 | zhízhèng de, zhǎngquán de, yǒunéng de, zhǔzhì de | High | Spiritual Warfare | 1:21; 3:10; 6:12 | — | Spiritual beings subordinate to Christ; not the legitimate-seeming Chinese folk pantheon (城隍, 土地公, 玉皇大帝). |
| Head | κεφαλή | 元首 / 头 | yuánshǒu / tóu | Critical | Body of Christ / Household Codes | 1:22; 4:15; 5:23 | — | Self-sacrificial, life-giving headship; not unilateral Confucian 三纲 (夫为妻纲) authority. |
| Body (of Christ) | σῶμα | 身体 | shēntǐ | Medium | Church as the Body of Christ | 1:23; 2:16; 3:6; 4:4,12,16; 5:23,30 | — | Organic spiritual union, not merely social/corporate metaphor. |
| Fullness | πλήρωμα | 充满 / 丰满 | chōngmǎn | Medium | Church as the Body of Christ | 1:23; 3:19; 4:13 | — | Christ’s relational filling of the church, not cosmic-pantheistic plenum. |
| Dead (spiritually) | νεκρός | 死 | sǐ | Medium | Universal Human Accountability | 2:1,5 | — | Spiritual condition; not literal death or ancestral-spirit state. |
| Walk (conduct of life) | περιπατέω | 行 | xíng | Medium | Walking in Newness of Life | 2:2,10; 4:1,17; 5:2,8,15 | 朝圣式的行 | Manner-of-life metaphor, not merit-earning ritual practice. |
| Age / Course (of this world) | αἰών | 今世的风俗 / 世代 | jīnshì de fēngsú | Medium | Universal Human Accountability | 2:2 | — | Spiritual-moral world-order, not neutral “the times.” |
| Prince of the power of the air | ἄρχων τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ ἀέρος | 空中掌权者的首领 | kōngzhōng zhǎngquánzhě de shǒulǐng | High | Spiritual Warfare | 2:2 | 风神, 雷公 | Satan, the personal chief adversary; not a folk sky/weather deity. |
| Disobedience (sons of) | ἀπείθεια | 悖逆 | bèinì | Medium | Universal Human Accountability | 2:2 | — | Willful rebellion against God. |
| Desires / Lusts | ἐπιθυμία | 私欲 | sīyù | Medium | Universal Human Accountability | 2:3 | — | Disordered craving; rebellion-against-God context. |
| Flesh | σάρξ | 肉体 | ròutǐ | High | Universal Human Accountability | 2:3 | 气 (qì) | Fallen moral nature, not physical body or vital life-energy. |
| Nature (by nature) | φύσις | 本性 | běnxìng | High | Universal Human Accountability | 2:3 | — | Confronts Confucian 性善论 (inherent human goodness); inborn condition under judgment apart from grace. |
| Wrath (of God) | ὀργή | 忿怒 | fènnù | Medium | Universal Human Accountability | 2:3 | 报应 | Personal, moral, judicial; not impersonal karmic retribution. |
| Mercy | ἔλεος | 怜悯 | liánmǐn | High | Grace | 2:4 | 慈悲 | Personal covenantal mercy of a holy God; not detached Buddhist compassion. |
| Love | ἀγάπη | 爱 | ài | High | Grace / Household Codes | 2:4; 3:17-19; 4:2,15,16; 5:2,25,28,33 | — | Unconditional, not Confucian graded/proportional love (差等之爱). |
| Made alive together with | συζωοποιέω | 一同活过来 | yītóng huó guòlái | Medium | Resurrection / Salvation | 2:5 | 轮回, 投胎 | Participatory union with Christ’s resurrection life. |
| Seated together with | συγκαθίζω | 一同坐 | yītóng zuò | High | Christian Identity in Christ | 2:6 | 成仙, 仙班 | Granted position of grace; not achieved immortal rank. |
| Heavenly places | ἐπουράνιος | 天上 | tiānshàng | Medium | Spiritual Warfare / Assurance | 1:20; 2:6; 3:10; 6:12 | — | Present spiritual realm of Christ’s reign, not a merit-reached reward-heaven. |
| In Christ (Jesus) | ἐν Χριστῷ (Ἰησοῦ) | 在基督(耶稣)里 | zài Jīdū (Yēsū) lǐ | High | Christian Identity in Christ | 1:1,3,10,12,13,20; 2:6,7,10,13; 3:6,11,21 | — | Organic spiritual union/incorporation, not master-disciple relationship. |
| Kindness | χρηστότης | 恩慈 | ēncí | Medium | Grace | 2:7 | — | Covenantal kindness to the undeserving, not social politeness. |
| Gift | δῶρον / δωρεά / δόμα | 所赐的 | suǒ cì de | Critical | Salvation by Grace through Faith | 2:8; 4:7,8 | — | Reinforces grace-merit contrast against 功德. |
| Works | ἔργα | 行为 | xíngwéi | Critical | Salvation by Grace through Faith | 2:9 | — | Excluded as basis of salvation; cross-reference Romans 4:4-5, 11:5-6. |
| Boast | καυχάομαι | 自夸 | zìkuā | Medium | Salvation by Grace through Faith | 2:9 | — | Note 面子 (face) cultural resonance. |
| Workmanship | ποίημα | 工作 / 所造的 | gōngzuò / suǒ zào de | Medium | Salvation by Grace through Faith | 2:10 | — | God as maker; believers as the made, not self-made. |
| Good works | ἔργα ἀγαθά | 善行 | shànxíng | Critical | Salvation by Grace through Faith | 2:10 | 积善 (merit-accumulation) | Fruit of salvation, never its cause; reverse the folk-merit causal arrow explicitly. |
| Prepared beforehand | προετοιμάζω | 预备 | yùbèi | Medium-High | Election and Predestination | 2:10 | 命运 | Personal divine foresight, not impersonal fate. |
| Circumcision/Uncircumcision | περιτομή / ἀκροβυστία | 受割礼的 / 未受割礼的 | shòu gēlǐ de / wèi shòu gēlǐ de | Medium | Unity of Jews and Gentiles | 2:11 | — | Requires OT covenant background teaching. |
| Promise | ἐπαγγελία | 应许 | yìngxǔ | Medium | Covenant | 2:12 | 合同 | Relational divine pledge, not negotiated contract. |
| Hope | ἐλπίς | 指望 / 盼望 | zhǐwàng / pànwàng | Medium | Salvation | 2:12 | — | Confident expectation from promise, not fortune-seeking wish. |
| Blood of Christ | αἷμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ | 基督的血 | Jīdū de xiě | High | Unity of Jews and Gentiles / Salvation | 2:13 | 歃血为盟 | Unique atoning sacrifice, not horizontal blood-oath bond. |
| Dividing wall (of partition) | μεσότοιχον τοῦ φραγμοῦ | 隔断的墙 | gé duàn de qiáng | Medium | Unity of Jews and Gentiles | 2:14 | — | Alludes to temple’s Court-of-Gentiles wall; needs background note. |
| Hostility | ἔχθρα | 仇恨 | chóuhèn | Medium | Unity of Jews and Gentiles | 2:14,16 | — | Standard term. |
| New man / New humanity | καινὸς ἄνθρωπος | 新人 | xīnrén | Critical | Unity of Jews and Gentiles in One New Humanity / Walking in Newness of Life | 2:15; 4:24 | — | Genuinely new corporate creation (2:15) and individual renewal (4:24); distinguish the two senses. |
| Reconcile | ἀποκαταλλάσσω | 和好 | héhǎo | High | Unity of Jews and Gentiles | 2:16 | — | Accomplished by the cross, not by ritual-propriety (礼) social harmonization. |
| Access | πρόσαγωγή | 可以进到…面前 | kěyǐ jìndào…miànqián | High | Prayer and Intercession | 2:18 | — | Direct, unmediated access; contrast ritual intermediaries (灵媒). |
| Temple | ναός | 殿 | diàn | High | Church as the Body of Christ | 2:21 | 庙, 寺, 道观 | The church itself indwelt by the Spirit, not a physical idol/ancestor-worship building. |
| Dwelling place | κατοικητήριον | 居所 | jūsuǒ | High | Church as God’s People | 2:22 | 祖先牌位 | God’s Spirit-indwelt church, not an ancestral-spirit shrine. |
| Revelation | ἀποκάλυψις / ἀποκαλύπτω | 启示 | qǐshì | High | The Mystery of Christ Revealed | 3:3,5 | 通灵 | God’s authoritative disclosure through apostles/Scripture, not mediumistic channeling. |
| Wisdom | σοφία | 智慧 | zhìhuì | High | The Mystery of Christ Revealed | 3:10 | — | Revealed by God, displayed in the church; not self-cultivated Confucian 智. |
| Minister / Deacon | διάκονος | 执事 | zhíshì | Medium | Gifts for Building Up the Church | 3:7 | 庙中执事 | Gospel ministry office, not a temple functionary. |
| Boldness / Confidence | παρρησία | 坦然无惧 / 放胆 | tǎnrán wújù / fàngdǎn | Medium | Prayer and Intercession | 3:12; 6:19-20 | — | Confident approach to God through Christ. |
| Inner man | ἔσω ἄνθρωπος | 心里 | xīnlǐ | Low-Medium | Sanctification | 3:16 | — | Standard, low collision. |
| Unity of the Spirit | ἑνότης τοῦ πνεύματος | 圣灵所赐的合一 | Shènglíng suǒ cì de héyī | High | The Church as the Body of Christ | 4:3 | 和谐 | Spirit-given, to be maintained not manufactured; not mere social harmony ideal. |
| Baptism | βάπτισμα | 洗礼 | xǐlǐ | High | The Church as the Body of Christ | 4:5 | 洁净仪式 | Union with Christ’s death/resurrection and covenant entry, not repeatable ritual purification. |
| Humility | ταπεινοφροσύνη | 谦卑 | qiānbēi | Medium | Household Codes / Unity | 4:2 | 谦让 (social etiquette) | Christ-modeled other-centeredness, not face/status-motivated modesty. |
| Evangelist | εὐαγγελιστής | 传福音的 | chuán fúyīn de | Medium | Gifts for Building Up the Church | 4:11 | — | Standard established usage. |
| Pastor / Shepherd | ποιμήν | 牧师 / 牧人 | mùshī / mùrén | Medium | Gifts for Building Up the Church | 4:11 | — | Explain shepherd imagery for non-agrarian readers. |
| Teacher | διδάσκαλος | 教师 | jiàoshī | Low | Gifts for Building Up the Church | 4:11 | — | Standard term. |
| Equipping | καταρτισμός | 装备 | zhuāngbèi | Low-Medium | Gifts for Building Up the Church | 4:12 | — | Military-equipment connotation usefully echoes ch.6 armor imagery. |
| Old self / Old man | παλαιὸς ἄνθρωπος | 旧人 | jiùrén | High | Walking in Newness of Life | 4:22 | 修身 (gradual self-cultivation) | Decisive break at conversion, not gradual Neo-Confucian self-improvement. |
| Renewed | ἀνανεόω | 更新 | gēngxīn | High | Walking in Newness of Life | 4:23 | 打坐, 修心 | Spirit’s ongoing work, not self-directed meditative technique. |
| Put off / Put on | ἀποτίθεμαι / ἐνδύομαι | 脱去 / 穿上 | tuōqù / chuānshàng | Medium | Walking in Newness of Life | 4:22-24; 6:11,14 | — | Must flow from inner Spirit-wrought renewal, not mere external change. |
| Forgive (graciously) | χαρίζομαι | 饶恕 | ráoshù | Medium | Household Codes | 4:32 | 给面子 | Modeled on divine grace; not mere face-saving social gesture. |
| Imitators of God | μιμηταὶ τοῦ θεοῦ | 效法神 | xiàofǎ Shén | Medium | Household Codes | 5:1 | 效法先贤 | Flows from union with Christ, not sage-emulation through self-cultivation. |
| Offering and sacrifice | προσφορὰ καὶ θυσία | 供物和祭物 | gòngwù hé jìwù | High | Salvation by Grace through Faith | 5:2 | 祭祖供品 | Christ’s unique atoning self-offering, not ancestor/deity appeasement offerings. |
| Idolater / Idolatry | εἰδωλολάτρης | 拜偶像的 | bài ǒuxiàng de | Critical | The Mystery of Christ Revealed / Household Codes | 5:5 | — | Direct collision with common family religious practice; requires pastoral-sensitivity framing, not blanket condemnation. |
| Children of light / darkness | τέκνα φωτός / σκότους | 光明的子女 / 黑暗的人 | guāngmíng de zǐnǚ | Medium | Walking in Newness of Life | 5:8 | — | Moral-spiritual identity categories. |
| Filled with the Spirit | πληρόω ἐν Πνεύματι | 被圣灵充满 | bèi Shènglíng chōngmǎn | High | Gifts for Building Up the Church | 5:18 | 被神明附身 | Sober, coherent Spirit-empowered worship, not ecstatic trance-possession. |
| Submit / Be subject to | ὑποτάσσω / ὑποτάσσομαι | 顺服 | shùnfú | Critical | Household Codes and Christ-Centered Relationships | 5:21,22,24; 6:1,5 | — | Mutual submission frame (5:21) + Christlike self-sacrificial headship (5:25); not one-directional 三纲 hierarchy. Human theologian review mandatory every occurrence. |
| Savior | σωτήρ | 救主 | jiùzhǔ | Medium | Salvation | 5:23 | — | Reinforces saving initiative over positional authority in headship analogy. |
| Washing of water with the word | λουτρὸν τοῦ ὕδατος ἐν ῥήματι | 用水洗净，以道洗净 | yòng shuǐ xǐjìng, yǐ dào xǐjìng | High | The Church as the Body of Christ | 5:26 | 洁净仪式 | Cleansing accomplished by Christ’s word, not self-performed ritual washing. |
| Great mystery (marriage) | μυστήριον μέγα | 奥秘 (great, applied to marriage) | dà àomì | High | The Mystery of Christ Revealed | 5:32 | 陰陽和合 | Specific redemptive-typological picture, not abstract cosmic dualism. |
| Honor father and mother | τιμάω τοὺς γονεῖς | 孝敬父母 | xiàojìng fùmǔ | High | Household Codes | 6:2 | — | Positive resonance with 孝; motivated “in the Lord,” distinct from ancestor-worship veneration. |
| Discipline and instruction of the Lord | παιδεία καὶ νουθεσία κυρίου | 主的教养 | Zhǔ de jiàoyǎng | Medium | Household Codes | 6:4 | — | Relationally warm, Christ-modeled, not purely authoritarian. |
| Bondservant / Master (according to the flesh) | δοῦλος / κύριος κατὰ σάρκα | 仆人 / 肉身的主人 | púrén / ròushēn de zhǔrén | Medium | Household Codes | 6:5-9 | — | Requires historical-slavery background; never dilute exclusive divine 主. |
| Partiality | προσωπολημψία | 偏待人 | piāndài rén | Medium | Household Codes | 6:9 | — | Contrasts with guanxi-based favoritism (关系). |
| Whole armor of God | πανοπλία τοῦ θεοῦ | 神所赐的全副军装 | Shén suǒ cì de quánfù jūnzhuāng | High | Spiritual Warfare and the Armor of God | 6:11,13 | 护身符, 武功修炼 | God-given, faith-appropriated; not martial-arts cultivation or magical amulet. |
| Devil | διάβολος | 魔鬼 | móguǐ | Critical | Spiritual Warfare and the Armor of God | 6:11 | 鬼 (generic ghost) | The one personal chief adversary, not folk-religion generic ghosts/spirits. |
| Struggle / Wrestling | πάλη | 争战 | zhēngzhàn | Medium | Spiritual Warfare and the Armor of God | 6:12 | — | Standard martial metaphor. |
| Cosmic powers / World rulers (of darkness) | κοσμοκράτωρ | 管辖这黑暗世界的 | guǎnxiá zhè hēi’àn shìjiè de | Critical | Spiritual Warfare and the Armor of God | 6:12 | — | Illegitimate, defeated powers to resist; not legitimate folk-pantheon deities to appease. |
| Belt of truth / Breastplate of righteousness / Shoes of the gospel of peace / Shield of faith / Helmet of salvation | (armor pieces, 6:14-17) | 真理的带子 / 公义的护心镜 / 平安福音的鞋 / 信心的藤牌 / 救恩的头盔 | — | High | Spiritual Warfare and the Armor of God | 6:14-17 | — | Each piece reuses an existing Critical/High baseline term (truth, righteousness [义], peace, faith, salvation) in armor-metaphor form; retain those terms’ established risk tiers. |
| Sword of the Spirit / Word of God | μάχαιρα τοῦ Πνεύματος, ὅ ἐστιν ῥῆμα θεοῦ | 圣灵的宝剑，就是神的道 | Shènglíng de bǎojiàn, jiùshì Shén de dào | High | Spiritual Warfare and the Armor of God | 6:17 | 念经, 持咒 | Scripture/gospel wielded relationally through the Spirit, not a magical incantation. |
Risk Summary (New Ephesians Terms)
| Risk Tier | Count | Review Routing |
|---|---|---|
| Critical | 9 | Human theologian (mandatory, every occurrence) |
| High | 30 | Human theologian |
| Medium | 25 | Native speaker review |
| Low / Low-Medium | 4 | Automated / native speaker spot-check |
Critical-tier new terms requiring mandatory theologian review on every occurrence: Predestined (预定), Gift/所赐的 and Works/行为 and Good works/善行 (the Ephesians 2:8-10 grace/works triad), New man/New humanity (新人), Idolater (拜偶像的), Submit/Be subject to (顺服), Devil (魔鬼), Cosmic powers/World rulers of darkness (管辖这黑暗世界的), Head (元首/头, tied to the Critical submission doctrine).
Cross-reference to baseline: all Section A terms retain their baseline doctrine_risk_registry.json risk tier and review routing without modification. This glossary adds no new risk tier to any baseline term; it only documents where Ephesians’ usage reinforces or extends the baseline doctrine (e.g., grace/works contrast in 2:8-10 reinforcing the Romans 4:4-5 pattern; body-of-Christ language in 1:23/4:4 reinforcing the Romans 12 metaphor).
Critical Risk Terms
God
Approved rendering: 神
Transliteration: Shén
Doctrine: God
Rejected alternatives: 上帝, 天, 老天爷
Original: θεός
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. This Language Package standardizes on 神 (神版) rather than 上帝, per the standing ‘Term Question’ resolution. NEVER 天/老天爷 (impersonal folk Heaven). Ephesians refs: throughout (1:1-6:24). Doctrinal contexts must make monotheism explicit since 神 is also the common noun for any deity/spirit in folk usage.
Jesus
Approved rendering: 耶稣
Transliteration: Yēsū
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Original: Ἰησοῦς
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. CUV standard transliteration, used uniformly across all Chinese Bible traditions. Ephesians refs: throughout.
Messiah
Approved rendering: 基督
Transliteration: Jīdū
Doctrine: Messianic Promise
Rejected alternatives: 弥勒, 救世主式泛称
Inherited from Romans package. NEVER conflate with 弥勒 (Maitreya). Ephesians refs: throughout; central to ‘The Mystery of Christ Revealed’ doctrine (1:9-10; 3:3-9).
Lord
Approved rendering: 主
Transliteration: zhǔ
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Rejected alternatives: 主人, 老爷
Original: κύριος
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. Never softened to 主人 (ordinary master) or 老爷 (feudal honorific). Ephesians refs: 1:2,3,15,17; 4:1,5,17; 5:8,10,17,19,20,22; 6:1,4,7,8,9,10,21,23,24. Must convey exclusive Lordship over both the church and the ‘rulers and authorities’ (1:21) — never softened toward a social-hierarchy title in the household-codes or master-bondservant material (6:5-9), where 肉身的主人 (earthly master) must never dilute or be confused with this exclusive divine 主.
Holy Spirit
Approved rendering: 圣灵
Transliteration: Shènglíng
Doctrine: Sanctification
Rejected alternatives: 祖灵, 灵
Original: πνεῦμα ἅγιον
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. Always the compound 圣灵; NEVER 灵 alone or 祖灵. Ephesians refs: 1:13; 2:18,22; 3:5,16; 4:3,4,30; 5:18; 6:17,18. Seals believers (1:13), indwells the church as God’s dwelling place (2:22), gives unity (4:3-4), is grieved by sin (4:30), fills believers (5:18) — never rendered as an impersonal spirit-force or as one spirit-being among the folk-religious spirit world.
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. NEVER 功德/阴德/造化. Ephesians refs: 1:6,7; 2:5,7,8; 3:2,7,8; 4:7,29; 6:24. Ephesians 2:8-9 is the single sharpest grace-versus-merit passage in the entire two-curriculum corpus; the contrast with 功德 must be reinforced every occurrence within 2:1-10.
Salvation
Approved rendering: 救恩
Transliteration: jiùēn
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: 解脱, 超度, 得道
Original: σωτηρία / σῴζω
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. NEVER 解脱/超度. Ephesians refs: 1:13; 2:5,8; 6:17. Ephesians also uses the verb form 得救 (‘to be saved’) alongside 救恩; both are received in this life through faith (2:8), not achieved through practice or a posthumous rite. Also the ‘helmet of salvation’ (6:17) — assurance of already-secured salvation deployed as protective confidence, never a merit-based or ritual protection.
Sanctification
Approved rendering: 成圣
Transliteration: chéngshèng
Doctrine: Sanctification
Rejected alternatives: 修身, 修炼
Inherited from Romans package. 成圣 is a direct borrowing of the Neo-Confucian technical term for self-cultivation into sagehood through personal moral effort. Ephesians grounds the church’s holiness in Christ’s own cleansing action through his word (5:26-27) and in the Spirit’s ongoing inner work (3:16-19), never in self-performed ritual washing (洁净仪式) or self-directed moral perfection (修身/修炼).
Resurrection
Approved rendering: 复活
Transliteration: fùhuó
Doctrine: Resurrection of Christ
Rejected alternatives: 轮回, 投胎, 还魂
Original: ἐγείρω / ἀνάστασις
Category: Eschatology
Inherited from Romans package. NEVER 轮回/投胎/还魂. Ephesians refs: 1:20; 2:6. Christ’s own bodily resurrection (1:20) and believers’ participatory being ‘raised up together’ with him (2:6, συνεγείρω) — bodily, historical, once-for-all.
Righteousness
Approved rendering: 义
Transliteration: yì
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: 道德, 善行
Inherited from Romans package. 义 is also a Confucian Five Constant Virtue; every use in a justification/salvation context requires a distinguishing note. Ephesians ref: 6:14 (‘the breastplate of righteousness,’ 公义的护心镜) — forensic right-standing received through Christ, deployed defensively in spiritual warfare, never the Confucian virtue cultivated by moral effort.
Predestined
Approved rendering: 预定
Transliteration: yùdìng
Doctrine: Election and Predestination in Christ
Rejected alternatives: 天命所归, 命中注定
Original: προορίζω
Category: Salvation
New term. Ephesians 1:5, 1:11, προορίζω. NEVER equate with 天命所归 (impersonal cosmic mandate for a ruler) or 命中注定 (fatalistic determinism). Ephesians grounds predestination explicitly ‘in Christ’ (1:4-5) — personal, relational, not a cosmic entitlement or fatalistic determinism. Every occurrence requires the ‘in Christ’ anchor and mandatory theologian review.
Head
Approved rendering: 元首 / 头
Transliteration: yuánshǒu / tóu
Doctrine: The Church as the Body of Christ
Original: κεφαλή
Category: Christology
New term. Ephesians 1:22; 4:15; 5:23, κεφαλή. Must be taught as loving, self-sacrificial, life-giving headship (5:25, Christ giving himself up for the church), never the unilateral authority of the Confucian Three Cardinal Guides (三纲, especially 夫为妻纲), which lacks any corresponding requirement of self-sacrificial love. Every occurrence in a marriage or church-authority context requires 5:25 co-occurrence, not merely a footnote.
Gift Of Salvation
Approved rendering: 所赐的
Transliteration: suǒ cì de
Doctrine: Salvation by Grace through Faith
Original: δῶρον / δωρεά
Category: Salvation
New term. Ephesians 2:8; 4:7,8, δῶρον/δωρεά/δόμα. The single clearest verse in the curriculum for the grace-versus-merit contrast against 功德; salvation as entirely God’s gift, not a human achievement. Mandatory theologian review every occurrence.
Works
Approved rendering: 行为
Transliteration: xíngwéi
Doctrine: Grace Versus Works
Original: ἔργα
Category: Salvation
New term. Ephesians 2:9, ἔργα. Explicitly excluded as the basis of salvation. Same doctrinal battle line as baseline Critical grace note on 功德; any softening (e.g., mere ‘good behavior’ without the merit-earning sense) would blunt Paul’s argument. Cross-reference Romans 4:4-5 and 11:5-6.
Good Works
Approved rendering: 善行
Transliteration: shànxíng
Doctrine: Grace Versus Works
Rejected alternatives: 积善
Original: ἔργα ἀγαθά
Category: Salvation
New term. Ephesians 2:10, ἔργα ἀγαθά. Highest collision risk in the whole letter: 积善 (‘accumulating goodness’) is a stock Chinese folk-moral phrase (e.g. ‘积善之家必有余庆’) describing merit that produces good fortune or salvation — the causal arrow Ephesians 2:10 explicitly reverses. Every occurrence requires an explicit translator note: grace produces good works; good works never produce, earn, or secure salvation. Mandatory theologian review every occurrence.
New Man Humanity
Approved rendering: 新人
Transliteration: xīnrén
Doctrine: Unity of Jews and Gentiles in One New Humanity
Original: καινὸς ἄνθρωπος
Category: Unity of Jews and Gentiles
New term. Ephesians 2:15 (corporate sense: Jew+Gentile united) and 4:24 (individual sense: renewed self), καινὸς ἄνθρωπος. Must not be read as a renewed/improved version of the old identity — a genuinely new corporate creation, a third category alongside neither ‘Jew’ nor ‘Gentile’ as before. The two senses (corporate vs. individual) must never be silently merged in teaching prose. Mandatory theologian review every occurrence.
Idolater
Approved rendering: 拜偶像的
Transliteration: bài ǒuxiàng de
Doctrine: Idolatry and Covetousness
Original: εἰδωλολάτρης
Category: Sin
New term. Ephesians 5:5, εἰδωλολάτρης. Directly names widespread family and cultural practices (bowing before deity statues, Buddha images, ancestral tablets). Requires deliberate pastoral framing: the immediate point is that covetousness itself functions as idolatry, not a blanket condemnation of family religious customs. Requires Human theologian review with explicit pastoral-sensitivity notes.
Submit
Approved rendering: 顺服
Transliteration: shùnfú
Doctrine: Household Codes and Christ-Centered Relationships
Original: ὑποτάσσω / ὑποτάσσομαι
Category: Household Codes and Christ-Centered Relationships
New term. Ephesians 5:21,22,24; 6:1,5, ὑποτάσσω/ὑποτάσσομαι. Engages directly with the Confucian Three Cardinal Guides (三纲, 夫为妻纲) and contemporary gender-equality sensitivities. Mutual submission (5:21) must precede and frame the wife’s submission (5:22-24); the husband’s headship must be bounded by Christ’s self-sacrificial love (5:25). Never teach 5:22-24 as a standalone unit separated from 5:21 and 5:25. Mandatory theologian review every occurrence.
Devil
Approved rendering: 魔鬼
Transliteration: móguǐ
Doctrine: Spiritual Warfare and the Armor of God
Rejected alternatives: 鬼
Original: διάβολος
Category: Spiritual Warfare
New term. Ephesians 6:11, διάβολος. The one singular personal chief adversary (Satan); must not be conflated with the vast diffuse category of generic folk-religious ghosts and spirits (鬼, including 饿鬼 ‘hungry ghosts’). Mandatory theologian review every occurrence.
Cosmic Powers
Approved rendering: 管辖这黑暗世界的
Transliteration: guǎnxiá zhè hēi’àn shìjiè de
Doctrine: Spiritual Authorities and Cosmic Powers Subordinate to Christ
Original: κοσμοκράτωρ
Category: Spiritual Warfare
New term. Ephesians 6:12, κοσμοκράτωρ. Real, personal, but illegitimate and defeated evil spiritual authorities subject to Christ’s supremacy (1:21) — NEVER equated with the legitimate-seeming Chinese folk pantheon (城隍, 土地公, 玉皇大帝). Enemies to resist, never to appease or negotiate with. Mandatory theologian review every occurrence.
Breastplate Of Righteousness
Approved rendering: 公义的护心镜
Transliteration: gōngyì de hùxīnjìng
Doctrine: Spiritual Warfare and the Armor of God
Original: θώραξ τῆς δικαιοσύνης
Category: Spiritual Warfare
New term. Ephesians 6:14, θώραξ τῆς δικαιοσύνης. Inherits baseline Critical risk on 义/公义: forensic right-standing received through Christ, not the Confucian virtue of the same name cultivated by moral effort. Mandatory theologian review every occurrence.
Helmet Of Salvation
Approved rendering: 救恩的头盔
Transliteration: jiùēn de tóukuī
Doctrine: Spiritual Warfare and the Armor of God
Original: περικεφαλαία τοῦ σωτηρίου
Category: Spiritual Warfare
New term. Ephesians 6:17, περικεφαλαία τοῦ σωτηρίου. Inherits baseline Critical risk on 救恩: assurance of already-secured salvation deployed as protective confidence, never a merit-based or ritual protection. Mandatory theologian review every occurrence.
High Risk Terms
Father
Approved rendering: 父
Transliteration: fù
Doctrine: Adoption into God’s Family
Rejected alternatives: 祖先, 老天爷
Original: πατήρ
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. Distinguish from ancestor veneration (祭祖), where the direction of care runs from descendants toward ancestors; God the Father cares for his children, not the reverse. Ephesians refs: 1:2,3,17; 2:18; 3:14; 4:6; 5:20; 6:2,4,23. God the Father from whom every family (πατριά) derives its name (3:14-15).
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. Object of faith (Christ) must remain recoverable from context. Ephesians refs: 1:15; 2:8; 3:12,17; 4:5,13; 6:16,23. Also the metaphorical ‘shield of faith’ (6:16) — faith as defensive trust in Christ against a real personal adversary, not a protective charm.
Calling
Approved rendering: 呼召
Transliteration: hūzhào
Doctrine: Divine Calling
Rejected alternatives: 天命, 命运
Original: κλῆσις
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. NEVER 天命 (Mandate of Heaven) alone. Ephesians refs: 1:18; 4:1,4. A personal, relational summons to hope (1:18) and to the unity and manner of life believers are to walk in (4:1,4), never a cosmic entitlement.
Holy
Approved rendering: 圣洁
Transliteration: shèngjié
Doctrine: Sanctification
Rejected alternatives: 清净, 圣人般的
Original: ἅγιος
Category: Sanctification
Inherited from Romans package. Avoid 清净. Ephesians refs: 1:4; 2:21; 5:27. The goal of election (1:4), the identity of the growing temple (2:21), and the church’s presented state (5:27).
Saints
Approved rendering: 圣徒
Transliteration: shèngtú
Doctrine: Sainthood
Rejected alternatives: 圣人, 高僧
Original: ἅγιοι
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package. NEVER 圣人 or 高僧. Ephesians refs: 1:1,15,18; 3:8,18; 4:12; 5:3; 6:18. The corporate designation for all believers, not an ascetic elite.
Adoption
Approved rendering: 儿子的名分
Transliteration: érzi de míngfèn
Doctrine: Adoption into God’s Family
Rejected alternatives: 过继, 收养
Original: υἱοθεσία
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. NEVER 过继 (instrumental clan-heir transfer for ancestor-rite continuation). Ephesians ref: 1:5 — ‘predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ.’ Full relational sonship and inheritance, not an instrumental lineage arrangement.
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. NEVER 报应. Ephesians ref: 2:1 — ‘dead in your trespasses and sins.’ The condition/root of moral offense against a personal God, in which all were spiritually dead before grace, not a karmic-ledger entry.
Power Of God
Approved rendering: 神的大能
Transliteration: Shén de dà néng
Doctrine: Power of God for Salvation
Rejected alternatives: 气, 法力
Original: δύναμις θεοῦ / ἐνέργεια / κράτος / ἰσχύς
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. NEVER 气/法力. Ephesians refs: 1:19-20 (stacked with ἐνέργεια/κράτος/ἰσχύς, ‘his mighty power at work’); 3:7,20; 6:10 (‘be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might’). The same resurrection power at work in believers and available for spiritual warfare.
Covenant
Approved rendering: 约
Transliteration: yuē
Doctrine: Covenant
Rejected alternatives: 合同, 契约
Original: διαθήκη
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. Avoid 合同/契约. Ephesians ref: 2:12 — ‘strangers to the covenants of promise’ (τῶν διαθηκῶν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας), from which Gentiles were formerly excluded, now shared with Israel in Christ.
Election
Approved rendering: 拣选
Transliteration: jiǎnxuǎn
Doctrine: Election and Predestination in Christ
Rejected alternatives: 天命, 命运, 缘分
Original: ἐκλέγομαι / ἐκλογή
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. NEVER 天命/命运/缘分. Ephesians ref: 1:4 (ἐκλέγομαι) — ‘he chose us in him before the foundation of the world,’ grounding election explicitly ‘in Christ,’ a personal and Christ-centered choice, not a cosmic lottery. Every occurrence must retain the ‘in Christ’/‘in him’ anchor per mandatory theologian review.
Redemption
Approved rendering: 救赎
Transliteration: jiùshú
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: 解脱, 赎当式救赎
Original: ἀπολύτρωσις
Category: Salvation
New term. Ephesians 1:7, 1:14, ἀπολύτρωσις. 救赎 combines 救 (save) with 赎 (ransom/redeem, as in redeeming a pawned item, 赎当). Must be filled with the specific content of Christ’s blood as the price, never a generic commercial buy-back or Buddhist liberation (解脱).
Mystery
Approved rendering: 奥秘
Transliteration: àomì
Doctrine: The Mystery of Christ Revealed
Rejected alternatives: 玄机, 秘传
Original: μυστήριον
Category: Revelation
New term. Ephesians 1:9-10; 3:3-9; 5:32; 6:19, μυστήριον. Must be clarified as a truth formerly hidden but now openly disclosed to all believers through apostolic preaching — NEVER an esoteric secret reserved for spiritual elites, as in Daoist inner-alchemy secret transmission (秘传) or occult/geomantic esoterica (玄机). Pair with an explicit ‘now revealed to all’ clause at first occurrence in any teaching unit.
Inheritance
Approved rendering: 基业
Transliteration: jīyè
Doctrine: Sonship and Adoption into God’s Family
Rejected alternatives: 家产, 遗产
Original: κληρονομία
Category: Salvation
New term. Ephesians 1:11,14,18; 5:5, κληρονομία. Must be distinguished from Chinese clan-inheritance practices tied to ancestor-worship continuity and the instrumental practice of 过继. Biblical inheritance is relational sonship-inheritance in God’s family, forfeited (5:5) by unrepentant idolatry, not clan property transfer.
Sealed
Approved rendering: 印记
Transliteration: yìnjì
Doctrine: Inheritance and Assurance of Salvation
Rejected alternatives: 符
Original: σφραγίζω
Category: Salvation
New term. Ephesians 1:13; 4:30, σφραγίζω. Must be distinguished from Daoist/folk-religious talismans (符, fú) consecrated by a priest for magical protection. The Spirit’s seal is God’s own ownership-mark and covenant guarantee, not a protective charm applied by ritual technique.
Spiritual Powers Hierarchy
Approved rendering: 执政的、掌权的、有能的、主治的
Transliteration: zhízhèng de, zhǎngquán de, yǒunéng de, zhǔzhì de
Doctrine: Spiritual Authorities and Cosmic Powers Subordinate to Christ
Rejected alternatives: 城隍, 土地公, 玉皇大帝
Original: ἀρχή / ἐξουσία / δύναμις / κυριότης
Category: Spiritual Warfare
New term. Ephesians 1:21; 3:10, ἀρχή/ἐξουσία/δύναμις/κυριότης. Must be taught as spiritual beings subordinate to Christ’s supreme authority (1:21, ‘far above’), never the legitimate territorial/functional deities of the Chinese folk pantheon commonly regarded as objects of local respect or appeasement. Reserve resistance-register vocabulary; never appeasement-register vocabulary.
Prince Of Power Of Air
Approved rendering: 空中掌权者的首领
Transliteration: kōngzhōng zhǎngquánzhě de shǒulǐng
Doctrine: Spiritual Warfare and the Armor of God
Rejected alternatives: 风神, 雷公
Original: ἄρχων τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ ἀέρος
Category: Spiritual Warfare
New term. Ephesians 2:2, ἄρχων τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ ἀέρος. A title for Satan as head of the demonic realm; not a generic sky/weather deity (风神, 雷公) from Chinese folk cosmology, nor a diffuse impersonal power.
Flesh
Approved rendering: 肉体
Transliteration: ròutǐ
Doctrine: Universal Human Accountability
Rejected alternatives: 气
Original: σάρξ
Category: Sin
New term. Ephesians 2:3, σάρξ. Fallen human nature in its moral weakness and rebellion against God, distinct from the physical body (身体) and from 气 (the vital life-energy of Chinese medicine/qigong/martial cosmology, already forbidden under baseline ‘power_of_god’).
Nature By Nature
Approved rendering: 本性
Transliteration: běnxìng
Doctrine: Universal Human Depravity Prior to Grace
Original: φύσις
Category: Sin
New term. Ephesians 2:3, φύσις (‘by nature children of wrath’). Directly confronts the mainstream Confucian anthropological assumption of inherent human goodness (性善, Mencius’ 性善论). Must state plainly the inborn condition under judgment apart from grace, without denying common human dignity grounded in the image of God (1:4).
Mercy
Approved rendering: 怜悯
Transliteration: liánmǐn
Doctrine: Grace
Rejected alternatives: 慈悲
Original: ἔλεος
Category: Salvation
New term. Ephesians 2:4, ἔλεος. Must be distinguished from Buddhist 慈悲 (cíbēi), a detached, universal compassion rooted in enlightenment/non-attachment — 怜悯 is the personal, covenantal mercy of a holy God who is also personally offended by sin (2:3).
Love
Approved rendering: 爱
Transliteration: ài
Doctrine: Grace
Rejected alternatives: 差等之爱
Original: ἀγάπη
Category: God
New term (not present in baseline Romans TM; must be added here). Ephesians 2:4; 3:17-19; 4:2,15,16; 5:2,25,28,33, ἀγάπη. Must be distinguished from the Confucian ideal of graded/proportional love (差等之爱, 仁 calibrated by relational closeness) — biblical ἀγάπη is unconditional, directed even toward the undeserving and the ethnic ‘other’ (Gentile), and is the model for marriage (5:25) and community (4:2).
Seated Together
Approved rendering: 一同坐
Transliteration: yītóng zuò
Doctrine: Christian Identity in Christ
Rejected alternatives: 成仙, 仙班
Original: συγκαθίζω
Category: Christian Identity in Christ
New term. Ephesians 2:6, συγκαθίζω. A given position of grace granted in union with Christ, not the Daoist/folk-religious concept of attaining rank among the immortals (成仙, 仙班) through spiritual merit and cultivation.
In Christ
Approved rendering: 在基督(耶稣)里
Transliteration: zài Jīdū (Yēsū) lǐ
Doctrine: Christian Identity in Christ
Rejected alternatives: 师徒关系
Original: ἐν Χριστῷ (Ἰησοῦ)
Category: Christian Identity in Christ
New term. Ephesians 1:1,3,10,12,13,20; 2:6,7,10,13; 3:6,11,21, ἐν Χριστῷ (Ἰησοῦ). Paul’s central identity-formula for organic spiritual union with Christ; must not read as a discipleship relationship of following a master’s teaching (师徒关系) or mere imitation of a moral exemplar.
Prepared Beforehand
Approved rendering: 预备
Transliteration: yùbèi
Doctrine: Election and Predestination in Christ
Rejected alternatives: 命运
Original: προετοιμάζω
Category: Election
New term. Ephesians 2:10, προετοιμάζω. Personal divine foresight and intention, not impersonal fate (命运) or Mandate-of-Heaven-style cosmic entitlement (天命).
Blood Of Christ
Approved rendering: 基督的血
Transliteration: Jīdū de xiě
Doctrine: Unity of Jews and Gentiles in One New Humanity
Rejected alternatives: 歃血为盟
Original: αἷμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ
Category: Unity of Jews and Gentiles
New term. Ephesians 2:13, αἷμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Must be distinguished from Chinese ritual blood-oath practices (歃血为盟, sworn-brotherhood covenants). Christ’s blood is a unique, once-for-all atoning sacrifice to God, not a horizontal blood-bond between equal parties.
Reconcile
Approved rendering: 和好
Transliteration: héhǎo
Doctrine: Unity of Jews and Gentiles in One New Humanity
Original: ἀποκαταλλάσσω
Category: Unity of Jews and Gentiles
New term. Ephesians 2:16, ἀποκαταλλάσσω. Accomplished through Christ’s atoning death, not Confucian ritual-propriety (礼) social harmonization. Always anchor to ‘basileia 基督的血’ or ‘十字架’ in the same sentence.
Access
Approved rendering: 可以进到…面前
Transliteration: kěyǐ jìndào…miànqián
Doctrine: Prayer and Access to God
Rejected alternatives: 灵媒
Original: πρόσαγωγή
Category: Prayer and Intercession
New term. Ephesians 2:18, πρόσαγωγή. Direct, unmediated access through Christ and the Spirit, contrasted with the need for ritual intermediaries (mediums, 灵媒) common in Chinese folk religious practice.
Temple
Approved rendering: 殿
Transliteration: diàn
Doctrine: The Church as the Body of Christ
Rejected alternatives: 庙, 寺, 道观
Original: ναός
Category: Church
New term. Ephesians 2:21, ναός. Same forbidden-substitution logic as baseline ‘church’: never 庙/寺/道观. The church itself indwelt by the Spirit, not a physical structure for idol or ancestor worship.
Dwelling Place
Approved rendering: 居所
Transliteration: jūsuǒ
Doctrine: Church as God’s People
Rejected alternatives: 祖先牌位
Original: κατοικητήριον
Category: Church
New term. Ephesians 2:22, κατοικητήριον. Distinguish from the household ancestral shrine/tablet (家中的祖先牌位) — this dwelling place is the corporate church indwelt by the Holy Spirit, not a repository for ancestral spirits.
Revelation
Approved rendering: 启示
Transliteration: qǐshì
Doctrine: The Mystery of Christ Revealed
Rejected alternatives: 通灵
Original: ἀποκάλυψις / ἀποκαλύπτω
Category: Mystery of Christ Revealed
New term. Ephesians 3:3,5, ἀποκάλυψις/ἀποκαλύπτω. God’s authoritative disclosure through apostles and prophets, not mediumistic channeling (通灵).
Wisdom
Approved rendering: 智慧
Transliteration: zhìhuì
Doctrine: The Mystery of Christ Revealed
Original: σοφία
Category: Mystery of Christ Revealed
New term. Ephesians 3:10, σοφία. Revealed by God and displayed through the church’s existence as a unified Jew-Gentile body, not a self-cultivated Confucian virtue (智) or intuitive Daoist wu-wei wisdom.
Unity Of Spirit
Approved rendering: 圣灵所赐的合一
Transliteration: Shènglíng suǒ cì de héyī
Doctrine: Mutual Edification and Unity of the Spirit
Rejected alternatives: 和谐
Original: ἑνότης τοῦ πνεύματος
Category: Church
New term. Ephesians 4:3, ἑνότης τοῦ πνεύματος. Spirit-given oneness already existing among believers, to be maintained (not manufactured) by human effort; distinguished from the social harmony ideal (和谐, 和为贵) achieved through mutual accommodation.
Baptism
Approved rendering: 洗礼
Transliteration: xǐlǐ
Doctrine: The Church as the Body of Christ
Rejected alternatives: 洁净仪式
Original: βάπτισμα
Category: Church
New term. Ephesians 4:5, βάπτισμα (‘one baptism’ in the sevenfold unity list). Signifies union with Christ’s death/resurrection and covenant entry, not repeatable ritual purification (洁净仪式).
Old Self
Approved rendering: 旧人
Transliteration: jiùrén
Doctrine: Walking in Newness of Life
Rejected alternatives: 修身
Original: παλαιὸς ἄνθρωπος
Category: Walking in Newness of Life
New term. Ephesians 4:22, παλαιὸς ἄνθρωπος. A decisive, once-for-all break at conversion, not gradual refinement — sharply distinguished from Neo-Confucian self-cultivation (修身).
Renewed
Approved rendering: 更新
Transliteration: gēngxīn
Doctrine: Walking in Newness of Life
Rejected alternatives: 打坐, 修心
Original: ἀνανεόω
Category: Walking in Newness of Life
New term. Ephesians 4:23, ἀνανεόω. The Spirit’s ongoing work, not self-directed meditative technique (打坐/修心).
Offering And Sacrifice
Approved rendering: 供物和祭物
Transliteration: gòngwù hé jìwù
Doctrine: Salvation by Grace through Faith
Rejected alternatives: 祭祖供品
Original: προσφορὰ καὶ θυσία
Category: Salvation
New term. Ephesians 5:2, προσφορὰ καὶ θυσία. Christ’s unique, once-for-all atoning self-offering, not ancestor-worship food/incense offerings (祭祖供品) or folk temple sacrificial offerings.
Filled With Spirit
Approved rendering: 被圣灵充满
Transliteration: bèi Shènglíng chōngmǎn
Doctrine: Gifts for Building Up the Church
Rejected alternatives: 被神明附身
Original: πληρόω ἐν Πνεύματι
Category: Gifts for Building Up the Church
New term. Ephesians 5:18, πληρόω ἐν Πνεύματι. Must be distinguished from ecstatic spirit-possession/trance phenomena (被神明附身) common at folk temple festivals — Spirit-filling produces sober, joyful, coherent worship and obedience (5:19-21), never loss of self-control. Always taught alongside its stated behavioral fruit.
Washing Of Water Word
Approved rendering: 用水洗净，以道洗净
Transliteration: yòng shuǐ xǐjìng, yǐ dào xǐjìng
Doctrine: Sanctification and Holiness
Rejected alternatives: 洁净仪式
Original: λουτρὸν τοῦ ὕδατος ἐν ῥήματι
Category: Church
New term. Ephesians 5:26, λουτρὸν τοῦ ὕδατος ἐν ῥήματι. Cleansing accomplished by Christ through his word/gospel, not a self-performed ritual washing (洁净仪式).
Great Mystery Marriage
Approved rendering: 奥秘
Transliteration: àomì
Doctrine: Marriage as a Type of Christ and the Church
Rejected alternatives: 陰陽和合
Original: μυστήριον μέγα
Category: Mystery of Christ Revealed
New term (reuses the general ‘mystery’ rendering). Ephesians 5:32, μυστήριον μέγα, applied to marriage. A specific, historical, redemptive-typological picture (Christ’s covenant love for the church), not an abstract Daoist yin-yang cosmological complementarity principle (陰陽和合).
Honor Parents
Approved rendering: 孝敬父母
Transliteration: xiàojìng fùmǔ
Doctrine: Parent-Child Relationships in the Lord
Original: τιμάω τοὺς γονεῖς
Category: Household Codes and Christ-Centered Relationships
New term. Ephesians 6:1-2, τιμάω τοὺς γονεῖς (quoting Exodus 20:12). Notable POSITIVE cultural resonance with 孝 (filial piety); the High-risk flag reflects the need to retain ‘in the Lord’ (在主里) as a non-optional clause and to keep this distinct from ancestor veneration (祭祖) of the deceased, which this text does not address.
Whole Armor Of God
Approved rendering: 神所赐的全副军装
Transliteration: Shén suǒ cì de quánfù jūnzhuāng
Doctrine: Spiritual Warfare and the Armor of God
Rejected alternatives: 护身符, 武功修炼
Original: πανοπλία τοῦ θεοῦ
Category: Spiritual Warfare
New term. Ephesians 6:11,13, πανοπλία τοῦ θεοῦ. God-given, appropriated by faith and prayer; must never be conflated with martial-arts cultivation of personal power (武功修炼) or protective amulets/talismans (护身符).
Belt Of Truth
Approved rendering: 真理的带子
Transliteration: zhēnlǐ de dàizi
Doctrine: Spiritual Warfare and the Armor of God
Original: ζώνη τῆς ἀληθείας
Category: Spiritual Warfare
New term. Ephesians 6:14, ζώνη τῆς ἀληθείας. Truth as God’s revealed truth, not situational or negotiable social truth.
Shield Of Faith
Approved rendering: 信心的藤牌
Transliteration: xìnxīn de téngpái
Doctrine: Spiritual Warfare and the Armor of God
Rejected alternatives: 护身符
Original: θυρεὸς τῆς πίστεως
Category: Spiritual Warfare
New term. Ephesians 6:16, θυρεὸς τῆς πίστεως. Defensive trust in Christ against a real personal adversary, not a generic protective charm or lucky talisman (护身符).
Sword Of Spirit
Approved rendering: 圣灵的宝剑，就是神的道
Transliteration: Shènglíng de bǎojiàn, jiùshì Shén de dào
Doctrine: Spiritual Warfare and the Armor of God
Rejected alternatives: 念经, 持咒
Original: μάχαιρα τοῦ Πνεύματος, ὅ ἐστιν ῥῆμα θεοῦ
Category: Spiritual Warfare
New term. Ephesians 6:17, μάχαιρα τοῦ Πνεύματος, ὅ ἐστιν ῥῆμα θεοῦ. Scripture and Spirit-empowered proclamation, wielded relationally and authoritatively through prayer, not a magical incantation-formula such as sutra/mantra recitation (念经, 持咒).
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. Clarify vs. folk 福 fortune-language. Ephesians refs: 1:13; 3:6; 6:15,19. Pictured as ‘shoes’ in the armor of God (6:15).
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. Distinguish from folk-amulet good-fortune sense. Ephesians refs: 1:2; 2:14,15,17; 4:3; 6:15,23. Both peace with God and the horizontal Jew-Gentile peace secured by Christ (2:14-17); also ‘shoes of the gospel of peace’ (6:15).
Spiritual Gifts
Approved rendering: 属灵恩赐
Transliteration: shǔlíng ēncì
Doctrine: Spiritual Gifts
Rejected alternatives: 法力, 神通
Inherited from Romans package. NEVER 神通/法力. Ephesians usage extends this to the fivefold ministries and grace-portions of 4:7-13, Spirit-given enablements for building up the church, not merit-earned supernatural ability.
Church
Approved rendering: 教会
Transliteration: jiàohuì
Doctrine: Church as God’s People
Rejected alternatives: 庙, 寺, 道观
Original: ἐκκλησία
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package. NEVER 庙/寺/道观. Ephesians refs: 1:22; 3:10,21; 5:23-32. The corporate body of believers united to Christ as head (1:22), vehicle for displaying God’s wisdom to the cosmic powers (3:10), object of Christ’s self-sacrificial love (5:23-32).
Kingdom Of God
Approved rendering: 神的国
Transliteration: Shén de guó
Doctrine: Kingdom Mission
Rejected alternatives: 天下, 王朝
Original: βασιλεία τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ θεοῦ
Category: Kingdom
Inherited from Romans package. NEVER 天下/王朝. Ephesians ref: 5:5, rendered in context as ‘the kingdom of Christ and God’ (基督和神的国), from which the unrepentant covetous/idolatrous person has no inheritance.
Gentiles
Approved rendering: 外邦人
Transliteration: wàibāngrén
Doctrine: Unity of Jews and Gentiles
Rejected alternatives: 夷人, 外国人
Original: ἔθνη
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package. NEVER 夷人 (would ironically reproduce the Hua-Yi insider/outsider hierarchy Ephesians 2 abolishes). Ephesians refs: 2:11; 3:1,6,8; 4:17.
Glory
Approved rendering: 荣耀
Transliteration: róngyào
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
Rejected alternatives: 面子, 光宗耀祖
Original: δόξα
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. Avoid 面子/光宗耀祖. Ephesians refs: 1:6,12,14,17,18; 3:13,16,21. The ultimate purpose of election and redemption.
Blessing
Approved rendering: 福气
Transliteration: fúqì
Doctrine: Grace
Rejected alternatives: 恩惠
Original: εὐλογία
Category: Salvation
New term. Ephesians 1:3, εὐλογία, ‘every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.’ Shares the root 福 flagged under baseline ‘gospel’ as colliding with folk fortune-seeking language (福气 common in New Year and ancestor-blessing speech, e.g. 福禄寿). Must be taught as a specific, Christ-given spiritual blessing, not generic good fortune.
Forgiveness
Approved rendering: 赦免
Transliteration: shèmiǎn
Doctrine: Salvation
Original: ἄφεσις
Category: Salvation
New term. Ephesians 1:7, ἄφεσις — ‘the forgiveness of our trespasses.’ Forensic, once-secured sense; not a repeatable ritual absolution.
Trespass
Approved rendering: 过犯
Transliteration: guòfàn
Doctrine: Universal Human Accountability
Original: παράπτωμα
Category: Sin
New term. Ephesians 1:7; 2:1,5, παράπτωμα. Distinct from 罪 (the broader sin-condition); 过犯 names concrete offenses. Risk is under-distinguishing it from 罪, flattening Paul’s two related-but-distinct words into one.
Stewardship Plan
Approved rendering: 计划 / 职分
Transliteration: jìhuà / zhífèn
Doctrine: The Mystery of Christ Revealed
Original: οἰκονομία
Category: Revelation
New term. Ephesians 1:10; 3:2,9, οἰκονομία. Two senses (cosmic plan vs. Paul’s personal ministry-trust) must be kept distinguishable by context.
Purpose
Approved rendering: 定意
Transliteration: dìngyì
Doctrine: Election and Predestination in Christ
Original: πρόθεσις
Category: God
New term. Ephesians 1:11; 3:11, πρόθεσις. Distinguish from θέλημα (‘will,’ also rendered 旨意 in CUV) where both appear together; context must disambiguate.
Guarantee
Approved rendering: 凭据
Transliteration: píngjù
Doctrine: Inheritance and Assurance of Salvation
Original: ἀρραβών
Category: Salvation
New term. Ephesians 1:14, ἀρραβών. Commercial-transaction metaphor; must be taught as God’s own guarantee to the believer, not something the believer must produce.
Body Of Christ
Approved rendering: 身体
Transliteration: shēntǐ
Doctrine: The Church as the Body of Christ
Original: σῶμα
Category: Church
New term. Ephesians 1:23; 2:16; 3:6; 4:4,12,16; 5:23,30, σῶμα. Organic spiritual union in Christ, not a merely social or corporate-organizational metaphor; must not appear without a co-occurring reference to union with Christ (在基督里).
Fullness
Approved rendering: 充满 / 丰满
Transliteration: chōngmǎn / fēngmǎn
Doctrine: The Church as the Body of Christ
Original: πλήρωμα
Category: Church
New term. Ephesians 1:23; 3:19; 4:13, πλήρωμα. Distinguish from Daoist/Buddhist metaphysical fullness-emptiness dialectics (虚/满 as cosmic principles); Christ’s relational filling of his church, not an impersonal cosmic plenum.
Dead Spiritually
Approved rendering: 死
Transliteration: sǐ
Doctrine: Universal Human Accountability
Original: νεκρός
Category: Sin
New term. Ephesians 2:1,5, νεκρός. Must be taught as a spiritual condition, not literal death or the state of an ancestral spirit (祖灵) requiring ongoing ritual care from descendants.
Walk Conduct
Approved rendering: 行
Transliteration: xíng
Doctrine: Walking in Newness of Life
Rejected alternatives: 朝圣式的行
Original: περιπατέω
Category: Sanctification
New term. Ephesians 2:2,10; 4:1,17; 5:2,8,15, περιπατέω. The governing lifestyle-metaphor of Ephesians for habitual manner of life; distinguish from meritorious ritual pilgrimage-walking (朝圣) or a merit-accumulation technique.
Age Of This World
Approved rendering: 今世的风俗
Transliteration: jīnshì de fēngsú
Doctrine: Universal Human Accountability
Original: αἰών
Category: Sin
New term. Ephesians 2:2, αἰών. The present God-opposing world-order, not simply ‘current fashions’ or ‘the times’ in a neutral sociological sense.
Disobedience
Approved rendering: 悖逆
Transliteration: bèinì
Doctrine: Universal Human Accountability
Original: ἀπείθεια
Category: Sin
New term. Ephesians 2:2, ἀπείθεια (‘sons of disobedience’). Willful rebellion; should not be softened toward mere impoliteness or social nonconformity.
Desires Lusts
Approved rendering: 私欲
Transliteration: sīyù
Doctrine: Universal Human Accountability
Original: ἐπιθυμία
Category: Sin
New term. Ephesians 2:3, ἐπιθυμία. Disordered cravings of fallen human nature; ensure not read merely as ‘selfishness’ divorced from its rebellion-against-God context.
Wrath
Approved rendering: 忿怒
Transliteration: fènnù
Doctrine: Universal Human Accountability
Rejected alternatives: 报应
Original: ὀργή
Category: God
New term. Ephesians 2:3, ὀργή. A personal, moral, judicial response of a holy God, not impersonal karmic retribution (报应) — the backdrop against which grace (2:4-8) becomes remarkable.
Made Alive Together
Approved rendering: 一同活过来
Transliteration: yītóng huó guòlái
Doctrine: Salvation by Grace through Faith
Rejected alternatives: 轮回, 投胎
Original: συζωοποιέω
Category: Resurrection
New term. Ephesians 2:5, συζωοποιέω. Believers’ new spiritual life granted in inseparable union with Christ’s own resurrection life; never reincarnation-cycle imagery (轮回) or rebirth into a new body (投胎).
Heavenly Places
Approved rendering: 天上
Transliteration: tiānshàng
Doctrine: Spiritual Warfare and the Armor of God
Original: ἐπουράνιος
Category: Spiritual Warfare
New term. Ephesians 1:20; 2:6; 3:10; 6:12, ἐπουράνιος. The present spiritual realm where Christ reigns and believers are seated in him and where spiritual warfare occurs — not the popular folk-religious ‘heaven’ (天堂) as a reward destination reached through merit.
Kindness
Approved rendering: 恩慈
Transliteration: ēncí
Doctrine: Grace
Original: χρηστότης
Category: Grace
New term. Ephesians 2:7, χρηστότης. Covenantal kindness flowing from grace toward the undeserving (2:3), not generic social politeness (客气, 礼貌).
Boast
Approved rendering: 自夸
Transliteration: zìkuā
Doctrine: Salvation by Grace through Faith
Original: καυχάομαι
Category: Salvation
New term. Ephesians 2:9, καυχάομαι. Note resonance with Chinese ‘face’ (面子) culture — grace removes any ground for face-claiming before God.
Workmanship
Approved rendering: 工作 / 所造的
Transliteration: gōngzuò / suǒ zào de
Doctrine: Salvation by Grace through Faith
Original: ποίημα
Category: Salvation
New term. Ephesians 2:10, ποίημα. God as maker, believers as the made; must not be flattened into a generic self-improvement narrative.
Circumcision Uncircumcision
Approved rendering: 受割礼的 / 未受割礼的
Transliteration: shòu gēlǐ de / wèi shòu gēlǐ de
Doctrine: Unity of Jews and Gentiles in One New Humanity
Original: περιτομή / ἀκροβυστία
Category: Unity of Jews and Gentiles
New term. Ephesians 2:11, περιτομή/ἀκροβυστία. No direct Chinese cultural analog; requires OT covenant background teaching.
Promise
Approved rendering: 应许
Transliteration: yìngxǔ
Doctrine: Covenant
Rejected alternatives: 合同
Original: ἐπαγγελία
Category: Covenant
New term. Ephesians 2:12, ἐπαγγελία. A relational, divinely-initiated pledge, not a negotiated contract (合同/契约); reuses baseline covenant caution.
Hope
Approved rendering: 指望 / 盼望
Transliteration: zhǐwàng / pànwàng
Doctrine: Salvation
Original: ἐλπίς
Category: Salvation
New term. Ephesians 2:12, ἐλπίς. Confident expectation grounded in God’s specific promise, distinguished from vague optimism or fortune-seeking wish-fulfillment (祈福, 许愿).
Dividing Wall
Approved rendering: 隔断的墙
Transliteration: gé duàn de qiáng
Doctrine: Unity of Jews and Gentiles in One New Humanity
Original: μεσότοιχον τοῦ φραγμοῦ
Category: Unity of Jews and Gentiles
New term. Ephesians 2:14, μεσότοιχον τοῦ φραγμοῦ. Alludes to the Jerusalem temple’s Court-of-Gentiles wall; benefits from a historical background note.
Hostility
Approved rendering: 仇恨
Transliteration: chóuhèn
Doctrine: Unity of Jews and Gentiles in One New Humanity
Original: ἔχθρα
Category: Unity of Jews and Gentiles
New term. Ephesians 2:14,16, ἔχθρα. Standard term for the hostility both between Jew and Gentile and between humanity and God, abolished by the cross.
Minister Deacon
Approved rendering: 执事
Transliteration: zhíshì
Doctrine: Gifts for Building Up the Church
Rejected alternatives: 庙中执事
Original: διάκονος
Category: Church
New term. Ephesians 3:7, διάκονος. Gospel ministry office, distinguished from a generic government functionary or a Buddhist/Daoist temple caretaker (庙中执事).
Boldness
Approved rendering: 坦然无惧 / 放胆
Transliteration: tǎnrán wújù / fàngdǎn
Doctrine: Prayer and Access to God
Original: παρρησία
Category: Prayer and Intercession
New term. Ephesians 3:12; 6:19-20, παρρησία. Confident approach to God through Christ, connects to the access (πρόσαγωγή) doctrine.
Humility
Approved rendering: 谦卑
Transliteration: qiānbēi
Doctrine: Household Codes and Christ-Centered Relationships
Rejected alternatives: 谦让
Original: ταπεινοφροσύνη
Category: Household Codes and Christ-Centered Relationships
New term. Ephesians 4:2, ταπεινοφροσύνη. Christ-modeled, other-centered self-giving, not face/status-motivated social etiquette (谦让).
Evangelist
Approved rendering: 传福音的
Transliteration: chuán fúyīn de
Doctrine: Gifts for Building Up the Church
Original: εὐαγγελιστής
Category: Gifts for Building Up the Church
New term. Ephesians 4:11, εὐαγγελιστής. Standard established Chinese Christian usage.
Pastor Shepherd
Approved rendering: 牧师 / 牧人
Transliteration: mùshī / mùrén
Doctrine: Gifts for Building Up the Church
Original: ποιμήν
Category: Gifts for Building Up the Church
New term. Ephesians 4:11, ποιμήν. Standard usage; shepherd metaphor should be explained for readers unfamiliar with agrarian imagery.
Equipping
Approved rendering: 装备
Transliteration: zhuāngbèi
Doctrine: Gifts for Building Up the Church
Original: καταρτισμός
Category: Gifts for Building Up the Church
New term. Ephesians 4:12, καταρτισμός. Carries a military-equipment connotation in modern Mandarin, usefully echoing the armor imagery of chapter 6.
Put Off Put On
Approved rendering: 脱去 / 穿上
Transliteration: tuōqù / chuānshàng
Doctrine: Walking in Newness of Life
Original: ἀποτίθεμαι / ἐνδύομαι
Category: Walking in Newness of Life
New term. Ephesians 4:22-24; 6:11,14, ἀποτίθεμαι/ἐνδύομαι. Must flow from inner Spirit-wrought renewal (4:23), not merely external behavior change.
Forgive Graciously
Approved rendering: 饶恕
Transliteration: ráoshù
Doctrine: Household Codes and Christ-Centered Relationships
Rejected alternatives: 给面子
Original: χαρίζομαι
Category: Household Codes and Christ-Centered Relationships
New term. Ephesians 4:32, χαρίζομαι. Modeled on divine grace; distinguished from face-saving social reconciliation gestures (给面子).
Imitators Of God
Approved rendering: 效法神
Transliteration: xiàofǎ Shén
Doctrine: Household Codes and Christ-Centered Relationships
Rejected alternatives: 效法先贤
Original: μιμηταὶ τοῦ θεοῦ
Category: Household Codes and Christ-Centered Relationships
New term. Ephesians 5:1, μιμηταὶ τοῦ θεοῦ. Flows from union with Christ and the Spirit’s transforming work, not Confucian sage-emulation (效法先贤/圣人).
Children Of Light Darkness
Approved rendering: 光明的子女 / 黑暗的人
Transliteration: guāngmíng de zǐnǚ / hēi’àn de rén
Doctrine: Walking in Newness of Life
Original: τέκνα φωτός / σκότους
Category: Walking in Newness of Life
New term. Ephesians 5:8, τέκνα φωτός/σκότους. Standard moral-spiritual identity metaphor.
Savior
Approved rendering: 救主
Transliteration: jiùzhǔ
Doctrine: Salvation
Original: σωτήρ
Category: Salvation
New term. Ephesians 5:23, σωτήρ. Reinforces Christ’s saving initiative as the ground of headship, not mere positional authority.
Discipline Instruction
Approved rendering: 主的教养
Transliteration: Zhǔ de jiàoyǎng
Doctrine: Household Codes and Christ-Centered Relationships
Original: παιδεία καὶ νουθεσία κυρίου
Category: Household Codes and Christ-Centered Relationships
New term. Ephesians 6:4, παιδεία καὶ νουθεσία κυρίου. Relationally warm, Christ-modeled discipline, contrasted with a purely authoritarian, anger-provoking parenting model (resonant with elements of 父为子纲).
Bondservant Master
Approved rendering: 仆人 / 肉身的主人
Transliteration: púrén / ròushēn de zhǔrén
Doctrine: Master-Bondservant Relationships under Christ’s Lordship
Original: δοῦλος / κύριος κατὰ σάρκα
Category: Household Codes and Christ-Centered Relationships
New term. Ephesians 6:5-9, δοῦλος/κύριος κατὰ σάρκα. Requires historical-slavery background teaching (ancient slavery is not equivalent to modern employment); 肉身的主人 must never be confused with, or dilute, the exclusive divine 主 reserved for Christ.
Partiality
Approved rendering: 偏待人
Transliteration: piāndài rén
Doctrine: Household Codes and Christ-Centered Relationships
Original: προσωπολημψία
Category: Household Codes and Christ-Centered Relationships
New term. Ephesians 6:9, προσωπολημψία. Contrasts productively with guanxi-based favoritism (关系, favoritism extended through personal networks) in contemporary practice.
Struggle Wrestling
Approved rendering: 争战
Transliteration: zhēngzhàn
Doctrine: Spiritual Warfare and the Armor of God
Original: πάλη
Category: Spiritual Warfare
New term. Ephesians 6:12, πάλη. Standard martial metaphor for the believer’s struggle against spiritual, not human, forces.
Shoes Of Gospel Of Peace
Approved rendering: 平安福音的鞋
Transliteration: píng’ān fúyīn de xié
Doctrine: Spiritual Warfare and the Armor of God
Original: ὑποδησάμενοι… τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τῆς εἰρήνης
Category: Spiritual Warfare
New term. Ephesians 6:15, τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τῆς εἰρήνης. Combines two already-established terms (福音, 平安); low additional collision risk beyond each term’s own caution.
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. Avoid 宗师/大师. Ephesians refs: 1:1; 2:20; 3:5; 4:11. Part of the church’s foundation (2:20) and one of the fivefold gifts to the church (4:11).
Thanksgiving
Approved rendering: 感恩
Transliteration: gǎn’ēn
Doctrine: Thanksgiving
Original: εὐχαριστία
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package. Ephesians refs: 1:16; 5:4,20. Minor risk of generic secular gratitude without reference to God specifically.
Prophet
Approved rendering: 先知
Transliteration: xiānzhī
Doctrine: Inspiration of Scripture
Rejected alternatives: 算命先生
Original: προφήτης
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. Distinguish from 算命先生. Ephesians refs: 2:20; 3:5; 4:11. Part of the church’s foundation (2:20; 3:5) and one of the fivefold gifts (4:11).
Inner Man
Approved rendering: 心里
Transliteration: xīnlǐ
Doctrine: Sanctification and Holiness
Original: ἔσω ἄνθρωπος
Category: Sanctification
New term. Ephesians 3:16, ἔσω ἄνθρωπος. Standard idiom, low collision.
Teacher
Approved rendering: 教师
Transliteration: jiàoshī
Doctrine: Gifts for Building Up the Church
Original: διδάσκαλος
Category: Gifts for Building Up the Church
New term. Ephesians 4:11, διδάσκαλος. Standard term.
Referenced passages