07 Semantic Analysis — James (Ἰάκωβος) — English → Mandarin

Method and Governing Constraints

This analysis follows the baseline Romans Language Package as controlling authority for every term it already establishes. Where a term recorded in translation_memory.json (Romans) recurs in James, the exact recorded Mandarin rendering is reused without alteration (e.g. πίστις = 信心, χάρις = 恩典, δικαιοσύνη = 义, νόμος = 律法, ἁμαρτία = 罪, κύριος = 主, θεός = 神, πνεῦμα ἅγιον = 圣灵, δικαιόω/δικαίωσις = 称义, εἰρήνη = 平安, προφήτης = 先知, ἐλογίσθη εἰς δικαιοσύνην = 算为义, δόξα = 荣耀, πατήρ = 父).

New terms required for James’s distinctive doctrines (Faith and Works, Trials, Wisdom from Above, Favoritism, the Tongue, Worldliness, Prayer and Healing, Patience and the Parousia, Confession and Restoration) are assigned risk tiers using the identical Critical/High/Medium/Low framework and rationale style as doctrine_risk_registry.json.

Risk tiers below reflect the destination-culture collision profile already documented in the baseline (Buddhist merit-accounting 功德/阴德, Neo-Confucian self-cultivation 修身/成圣, Daoist metaphysical 道, impersonal fate 天命/天意/缘分, ancestor-veneration patterns, folk divination) plus new collision risks specific to James’s content (works-righteousness misreadings, healing-ritual/oil-anointing folk-religion adjacency, oath-taking folk custom, Elijah-type prophetic power).

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PART A — CORE PASSAGE: James 2:14-26 (Verse-by-Verse)

This is the theological anchor for Faith and Works, and the single most doctrinally sensitive passage in the curriculum, because it uses δικαιόω (“justify”) — the baseline’s Critical forensic term (称义) — in a distinct, non-forensic sense (vindication/demonstration of genuine faith), creating an apparent-but-not-real tension with Romans 3-4. Every verse below is flagged accordingly.

James 2:14

Greek: Τί τὸ ὄφελος, ἀδελφοί μου, ἐὰν πίστιν λέγῃ τις ἔχειν, ἔργα δὲ μὴ ἔχῃ; μὴ δύναται ἡ πίστις σῶσαι αὐτόν;

Term	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Mandarin rendering & risk
ὄφελος	ophelos	profit, benefit, use	”what use/gain is it” — rhetorical, commercial-adjacent metaphor	”what good,” “what profit,” “what use”	Rhetorical question exposing an empty claim of faith as worthless for salvation, not a statement about faith’s value generally	益处 (yìchù), “有什么益处呢” — Low risk; standard, no religious collision
πίστις	pistis	faith, trust, trustworthiness	trust placed in a person; a body of belief; faithfulness	”faith,” “belief,” “trust”	Same term as Romans; here specifically a claimed but unproven/verbal-only faith (“says he has faith”) — James is examining the kind of faith, not faith as such	信心 (xìnxīn) — baseline term, reused exactly. High risk (per baseline): must be clear the referent is a self-professed, unverified claim of faith, not faith itself being devalued
ἔργα	erga	works, deeds, actions	deeds done, whether ritual, moral, or covenantal; also “works of the Law” in Paul	”works,” “deeds,” “actions,” “good works”	The visible, active outworking of genuine faith — evidence, not merit earning salvation	行为 (xíngwéi) — new term (CUV standard). Critical risk: in a culture with a live merit-accounting worldview (功德/阴德, already flagged Critical under “grace” in the baseline), “faith without 行为 is dead” is highly vulnerable to being heard as “faith plus merit-earning deeds = salvation,” precisely reversing Ephesians 2:8-9/Romans 4. Every occurrence in this passage requires a note: 行为 = the fruit/evidence that genuine faith inevitably produces, not a supplement that earns or completes salvation
σῷζω (σῶσαι)	sōzō (sōsai)	to save, rescue, deliver	rescue from danger, death, disease, or eternal judgment	”save,” “deliver”	Rhetorical: can a merely verbal faith save (in the eternal sense)? Echoes 救恩 (salvation) domain from Romans	救 (jiù), verbal root of baseline’s 救恩. Critical risk: must retain the soteriological (not merely rescue-from-danger) sense established by 救恩 in Romans; avoid a reading where “saving” becomes generic rescue disconnected from justification by faith

James 2:15-16

Greek: ἐὰν ἀδελφὸς ἢ ἀδελφὴ γυμνοὶ ὑπάρχωσιν καὶ λειπόμενοι τῆς ἐφημέρου τροφῆς, εἴπῃ δέ τις αὐτοῖς ἐξ ὑμῶν· ὑπάγετε ἐν εἰρήνῃ, θερμαίνεσθε καὶ χορτάζεσθε, μὴ δῶτε δὲ αὐτοῖς τὰ ἐπιτήδεια τοῦ σώματος, τί τὸ ὄφελος;

Term	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Mandarin rendering & risk
γυμνός	gymnos	naked, bare	literally unclothed; also poorly clothed/destitute	”naked,” “ill-clad,” “without clothes”	Concrete illustration of material need faith-in-action must address	赤身 (chìshēn) / 缺乏衣服 — Low risk
ἐφήμερος τροφή	ephēmeros trophē	daily food	day-by-day sustenance	”daily food,” “day’s food”	Basic physical sustenance, echoing Matt 6:11 “daily bread” register	日用的饮食 (rìyòng de yǐnshí) — Low risk
εἰρήνη	eirēnē	peace	wellbeing, absence of conflict, relational wholeness; here an empty verbal blessing	”peace,” “go in peace”	Ironic — an empty pious send-off with no material help; contrasts with the baseline’s relational “peace with God” sense (Rom 5:1)	平安 (píng’ān) — baseline term reused. Medium risk here specifically: this is the everyday well-wishing sense the baseline already flags as colliding with folk amulet-blessing usage (平安符) — but in this verse that collision is rhetorically exploited by James himself (empty blessing-words are exposed as useless), so the note must clarify this is James critiquing hollow speech, not endorsing 平安 as sufficient
θερμαίνομαι / χορτάζομαι	thermainomai / chortazomai	to be warmed / to be filled (with food)	physical comfort verbs	”be warmed and filled”	Physical needs named concretely to expose the vacuity of words-only piety	穿得暖,吃得饱 — Low risk

James 2:17

Greek: οὕτως καὶ ἡ πίστις, ἐὰν μὴ ἔχῃ ἔργα, νεκρά ἐστιν καθ’ ἑαυτήν.

Term	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Mandarin rendering & risk
νεκρός	nekros	dead, lifeless	literal corpse; figurative: inert, without vital force	”dead,” “lifeless,” “useless”	The thesis statement of the passage: faith unaccompanied by works is not a lesser faith but no genuine (living) faith at all	死的 (sǐ de) — High risk: must not be softened to “incomplete” or “imperfect” faith (which would imply faith is a matter of degree/merit-accumulation); James’s claim is categorical — such “faith” is not saving faith. Must also avoid resonance with 复活/轮回 death-cycle imagery already governed under baseline’s Resurrection entry — this is a distinct, non-eschatological, ethical use of “dead”
καθ’ ἑαυτήν	kath’ heautēn	by itself, in itself	intrinsic, isolated	”by itself,” “in itself”	Faith considered in isolation from any fruit — an abstraction James says cannot actually exist as saving faith	就是死的 / 本身是死的 — Low risk

James 2:18-19

Greek: Ἀλλ’ ἐρεῖ τις· Σὺ πίστιν ἔχεις κἀγὼ ἔργα ἔχω· δεῖξόν μοι τὴν πίστιν σου χωρὶς τῶν ἔργων, κἀγὼ σοι δείξω ἐκ τῶν ἔργων μου τὴν πίστιν. σὺ πιστεύεις ὅτι εἷς θεός ἐστιν καλῶς ποιεῖς· καὶ τὰ δαιμόνια πιστεύουσιν καὶ φρίσσουσιν.

Term	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Mandarin rendering & risk
δείκνυμι (δεῖξον / δείξω)	deiknymi	to show, demonstrate, exhibit	to make visible/evident	”show,” “demonstrate,” “prove”	Works are the demonstration/evidence of an invisible reality (faith), not a separate ground of standing before God — key for resolving the Paul/James “tension”	显出来 (xiǎn chūlái) / 证明 (zhèngmíng) — Medium risk: 证明 (“prove”) is acceptable but must be taught as evidentiary demonstration to observers, not a forensic ground before God (which remains 称义 by faith alone per Rom 4)
πιστεύω	pisteuō	to believe, trust	intellectual assent; personal trust; here explicitly reduced to bare monotheistic assent	”believe,” “have faith”	James narrows to the weakest possible case: mere doctrinal assent (“one God exists”) shared even by demons — proving assent alone is not saving faith	信 (xìn), verbal form of 信心 — High risk: must be distinguished contextually from full personal trust (信心); this occurrence is deliberately minimal (bare cognitive assent) and the note must make that narrowing explicit so readers do not conclude “信心” itself is being devalued
δαιμόνιον	daimonion	demon, evil spirit	malevolent spirit being, subordinate to Satan	”demons,” “devils”	Even demons hold correct theology (monotheism) — proof that correct belief without transformed life/obedience is insufficient	鬼魔 (guǐmó) — Medium risk: distinguish from Chinese folk-religious spirit categories (祖灵, 鬼, 邪灵ancestor/nature spirits, hungry ghosts) — these are the fallen spiritual beings of biblical demonology, not generic “ghosts” (鬼) in the folk-religious sense, though the character 鬼 is shared; a clarifying note on first occurrence is warranted
φρίσσω	phrissō	to shudder, bristle with fear	physical response to terror	”shudder,” “tremble”	Demons’ correct belief produces terror, not saving trust — contrast with the peace (平安) that saving faith produces	战惊 (zhànjīng) / 发抖 — Low risk

James 2:20

Greek: Θέλεις δὲ γνῶναι, ὦ ἄνθρωπε κενέ, ὅτι ἡ πίστις χωρὶς τῶν ἔργων ἀργή ἐστιν;

Term	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Mandarin rendering & risk
κενός	kenos	empty, foolish, vain	lacking substance or sense	”foolish,” “empty-headed,” “senseless”	Direct rebuke of the interlocutor’s error; sharpens the rhetorical stakes	虚浮的 (xūfú de) / 无知的 (wúzhī de) — Low risk
ἀργός	argos	idle, inactive, useless	without work/effect (a-ergos, “without-work”) — variant to νεκρός in some MSS	”useless,” “barren,” “unproductive,” (some MSS: “dead”)	Reinforces v.17’s “dead” with a related but distinct nuance: unproductive/inert rather than literally lifeless	无用的 (wúyòng de) — Medium risk: some Mandarin study editions render this identically to νεκρός (死的); a translator note should distinguish “inert/unproductive” (ἀργός) from “lifeless” (νεκρός) as complementary, not contradictory, images

James 2:21-22

Greek: Ἀβραὰμ ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῶν οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη, ἀνενέγκας Ἰσαὰκ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον; βλέπεις ὅτι ἡ πίστις συνήργει τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἔργων ἡ πίστις ἐτελειώθη.

Term	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Mandarin rendering & risk
δικαιόω (ἐδικαιώθη)	dikaioō	to justify, declare/show righteous	(a) forensic declaration of righteous status (Paul, Rom 3-5); (b) vindication/demonstration of righteousness already possessed, before observers	”justified,” “shown righteous,” “vindicated”	CRITICAL DOCTRINAL CROSSROADS: this is the same Greek verb as Romans’ 称义, but James applies it to Abraham’s action (offering Isaac, Gen 22) decades after Genesis 15:6’s imputation (quoted in v.23). James is not describing the initial forensic ground of Abraham’s standing before God (that was already settled by faith alone, Gen 15:6/Rom 4:3) — he is describing the vindication/demonstration of that already-reckoned righteousness through a subsequent act of obedient faith, visible to onlookers (and, in the fullest sense, to God’s own commendation of a living, working faith). Historic Protestant resolution: Paul answers “how is a sinner declared righteous before God” (by faith alone, apart from works) — James answers “what kind of faith actually saves” (a working, not merely professed, faith)	称义 (chēngyì) — baseline term reused, but Critical risk requiring a mandatory translator/teaching note on every occurrence in this pericope: 称义 must not be taught as if James contradicts Romans 4. The note must state explicitly: James 2:21’s “justified by works” describes the vindication/demonstration of Abraham’s already-imputed righteousness (算为义, Gen 15:6, quoted in v.23) through obedient action, not a second, works-based ground of justification alongside or replacing faith alone
θυσιαστήριον	thysiastērion	altar	place of sacrificial offering	”altar”	The Isaac/Moriah episode (Gen 22) — physical, historical event, not a ritual metaphor	祭坛 (jìtán) — Low risk
συνεργέω	synergeō	to work together with, cooperate	joint action/cooperation	”worked together with,” “cooperated with”	Faith and works are not two competing grounds of salvation but a single, unified living reality — works are faith’s inseparable companion, not its rival	同工 (tónggōng) — Medium risk: must not be read as faith and works being two equal, independently contributing “causes” of justification (a synergistic works-plus-grace soteriology); rather, works are faith’s necessary expression
τελειόω (ἐτελειώθη)	teleioō	to perfect, complete, bring to maturity	reaching intended completeness/goal, not moral perfection from imperfection	”was made complete,” “was perfected,” “reached its goal”	Faith reaches its intended, mature expression through action — not “faith becomes more true” but “faith becomes fully what it already was”	成全 (chéngquán) / 因行为得以完全 — High risk: must not be rendered with any term suggesting self-cultivation toward moral perfection (avoid all resonance with 修身/成圣 self-cultivation vocabulary already flagged Critical in the baseline under Sanctification); this is faith reaching its intended outward expression, not a believer perfecting themselves

James 2:23

Greek: καὶ ἐπληρώθη ἡ γραφὴ ἡ λέγουσα· Ἐπίστευσεν δὲ Ἀβραὰμ τῷ θεῷ, καὶ ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην, καὶ φίλος θεοῦ ἐκλήθη.

Term	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Mandarin rendering & risk
γραφή	graphē	writing, Scripture	sacred, authoritative written text	”Scripture,” “the Scripture”	Direct citation of Genesis 15:6, anchoring James’s argument in the same OT text Paul cites in Romans 4:3	经上 / 圣经 — reuse “inspiration of Scripture” doctrine framing from baseline; Medium risk (per baseline note distinguishing God-breathed Scripture from the Confucian/Daoist classical canon 经)
λογίζομαι (ἐλογίσθη)	logizomai	to reckon, credit, count as	accounting/ledger metaphor: crediting a status not intrinsically possessed	”was credited,” “was reckoned,” “was counted”	Identical Genesis 15:6 quotation used in Romans 4:3 — the forensic crediting of righteousness by faith, prior to and distinct from the “justified by works” of v.21	算为义 (suàn wéi yì) — baseline Critical term (imputed_righteousness), reused exactly and verbatim. This citation must render identically to any Romans 4:3 rendering elsewhere in the curriculum family, per the baseline’s cross-document consistency rule. Critical risk: this verse is the interpretive key proving James affirms, not contradicts, imputed righteousness by faith — the surrounding 称义-as-vindication language must never be allowed to overshadow or contradict this verse’s forensic crediting sense
φίλος θεοῦ	philos theou	friend of God	relational intimacy and covenant nearness	”friend of God”	Abraham’s unique OT designation (2 Chron 20:7; Isa 41:8), here presented as the fruit/outcome of a faith that acted	神的朋友 (Shén de péngyou) — Medium risk: distinguish from a merely social/casual “friendship” register; this is covenant intimacy, echoing the “Worldliness vs Friendship with God” doctrine’s positive pole (contrast with φιλία τοῦ κόσμου, ch. 4)

James 2:24

Greek: ὁρᾶτε ὅτι ἐξ ἔργων δικαιοῦται ἄνθρωπος, καὶ οὐκ ἐκ πίστεως μόνον.

Term	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Mandarin rendering & risk
δικαιοῦται	dikaioutai	is justified/vindicated (present passive)	see v.21 note	”is justified”	The summary thesis: a bare, unaccompanied “faith alone” (interpreted as faith-without-works, which for James is not living faith at all) does not vindicate; James is not denying justification by faith but denying that a workless “faith” is the kind of faith that justifies	称义 (chēngyì) reused with the same Critical vindication-sense note as v.21. This is the single highest-risk sentence in the curriculum for creating an apparent Paul-James contradiction and requires a standing translator note wherever quoted: “μόνον (alone) modifies πίστεως (faith), not ἔργων (works) — James denies that a faith which is merely verbal/unaccompanied by works justifies, not that faith alone (apart from works, per Rom 3:28) is the sole instrument of justification before God”
πίστις μόνον	pistis monon	faith alone	faith in isolation, unaccompanied	”faith alone,” “faith only”	Refers to the bare, workless profession of vv.14-19, not to the Reformation formula sola fide (which concerns the ground of justification before God, a different question James is not addressing here)	单有信心 / 只是信心 — Critical risk: rendering must make clear this negates an isolated, fruitless profession, not the sola fide principle itself; a mistranslation here could be read as Scripture directly refuting justification by faith alone

James 2:25

Greek: ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ Ῥαὰβ ἡ πόρνη οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη, ὑποδεξαμένη τοὺς ἀγγέλους καὶ ἑτέρᾳ ὁδῷ ἐκβαλοῦσα;

Term	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Mandarin rendering & risk
πόρνη	pornē	prostitute, harlot	one who practices sexual immorality for hire	”the prostitute,” “the harlot”	A second, deliberately shocking example (alongside patriarch Abraham) that works-flowing-from-faith, not social/moral status, vindicates genuine faith — a second witness to universal accessibility of saving faith regardless of past life	妓女 (jìn�ü) — Low-Medium risk: retain the term’s bluntness (James does not soften it); pastoral framing should note this reinforces the doctrine of grace received by the least likely candidates, not moral pedigree
ὑποδέχομαι	hypodechomai	to receive, welcome, host	hospitality toward guests, often at risk to oneself	”received,” “welcomed,” “harbored”	Rahab’s concrete act of faith (Joshua 2) — hiding the Israelite spies at personal risk — is the “work” that demonstrated her faith	收留 (shōuliú) / 接待 — Low risk
ἐδικαιώθη	edikaiōthē	was justified/vindicated	see v.21 note	”was justified”	Same vindication-sense as Abraham’s case; Rahab is proof this principle is not limited to the patriarch but applies to any person of genuine, active faith	称义 reused with the same standing note as vv.21, 24

James 2:26

Greek: ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸ σῶμα χωρὶς πνεύματος νεκρόν ἐστιν, οὕτως καὶ ἡ πίστις χωρὶς ἔργων νεκρά ἐστιν.

Term	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Mandarin rendering & risk
σῶμα	sōma	body	physical human body	”body”	Concrete, universally intelligible analogy: a body’s life depends on the presence of spirit/breath	身体 (shēntǐ) — Low risk
πνεῦμα	pneuma	spirit, breath	animating life-force; here NOT the Holy Spirit (πνεῦμα ἅγιον) but the human spirit/breath of life	”spirit,” “breath”	The analogy’s vitalizing principle; must not be confused with 圣灵 (baseline’s exclusive rendering for the Holy Spirit)	灵魂 (línghún) / 灵 — High risk: must NOT use 圣灵 here (that is reserved exclusively for the Holy Spirit per baseline); must also avoid unqualified 灵 alone if it risks folk-religious “spirit” resonance (ancestral/nature spirits) — a clarifying note that this is the human life-breath/spirit (not any external spirit-being) is warranted
νεκρός	nekros	dead	see v.17	”dead”	Closing summary restatement of the passage’s thesis; the analogy makes final and vivid: works are to faith what spirit/breath is to a body — not an external addition but faith’s very life-evidence	死的 (sǐ de) — reuse v.17 rendering exactly for consistency; High risk as above

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PART B — CHAPTER-BY-CHAPTER STUDY OF THE WHOLE BOOK

Chapter 1 — Trials, Wisdom, Doubt, Poverty/Riches, Temptation, the Word, Pure Religion

Term	Greek / Translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Mandarin rendering & risk
πειρασμός	peirasmos	trial, test	(a) external circumstantial hardship/trial (1:2,12); (b) internal enticement to sin/temptation (1:13-14, same root)	“trials,” “temptations”	James exploits the word’s dual sense: God sends/permits trials (1:2-4, 12) that test and mature faith, but never himself tempts anyone to sin (1:13) — the same Greek root covers both, requiring the translator to disambiguate by context	试炼 (shìliàn) for the trial/testing sense (1:2-4, 12) and 试探 (shìtàn) for the sin-enticement sense (1:13-14) — CUV-standard disambiguation. High risk: because both are translations of one Greek word-family, a translator note is required explaining the deliberate wordplay is lost in Mandarin’s two-term split, and that vv.2-4/12 (试炼, God-permitted testing that produces endurance) must never be conflated with vv.13-14 (试探, enticement to sin, which never originates from God)
δοκίμιον	dokimion	genuineness, the testing/proving process	the act or means of testing something’s authenticity (e.g., refining metal)	“testing,” “genuineness,” “proof”	The trial functions as a proving process that produces (not merely reveals) endurance	试验 (shìyàn) — Medium risk: distinguish from a scientific/neutral “experiment” register; this is God’s purposive proving of faith’s genuineness
ὑπομονή	hypomonē	steadfast endurance, patient perseverance	remaining under pressure without giving way; distinct from passive resignation	”endurance,” “perseverance,” “patience”	The God-given fruit of successfully undergone trial; connects to 5:11 (Job’s ὑπομονή) — doctrine: Trials and the Testing of Faith	忍耐 (rěnnài) — Medium risk: same Mandarin term also renders μακροθυμία (ch. 5, patience-in-waiting); a note distinguishing “steadfast endurance under pressure” (ch.1) from “patient forbearance while waiting” (ch.5) prevents doctrinal flattening of two related but distinct nuances
σοφία	sophia	wisdom	practical, God-given skill for righteous living, not mere cleverness or accumulated knowledge	”wisdom”	God gives wisdom generously to the one who asks in undoubting faith (1:5-6) — foundational for the Wisdom from Above doctrine developed fully in ch. 3	智慧 (zhìhuì) — Low-Medium risk: no direct folk-religion collision, but should be distinguished on first use from generic worldly cleverness/cunning (聪明, cōngmíng) and from fortune-telling “wisdom” traditions (occult divination)
δίψυχος	dipsychos	double-souled, two-minded	inward division between trust in God and worldly self-reliance	”double-minded,” “wavering”	The doubter’s unstable, divided inner allegiance, contrasted with undivided trust that receives wisdom	心怀二意 (xīnhuái èryì) — Low-Medium risk; standard CUV idiom, minimal collision
πλούσιος / πτωχός (ταπεινός)	plousios / ptōchos (tapeinos)	rich / poor (lowly)	socio-economic status, reversed in eschatological value (the “lowly” brother’s exaltation, the rich man’s passing glory)	“rich,” “poor,” “lowly,” “humble”	Introduces the Favoritism and the Poor doctrine’s theological foundation: worldly status is inverted in God’s kingdom economy	富足的 / 卑微的(贫穷的) — Medium risk: must not import a Confucian “poverty as moral failing / wealth as heaven’s reward” folk-reading; James inverts, not confirms, worldly status hierarchies
ἐπιθυμία	epithymia	desire, craving, lust	strong desire, morally neutral in some NT uses but here specifically sinful, self-originated craving	”desire,” “lust,” “own evil desire”	The internal source of temptation and sin — sin originates in disordered desire, not from God (contrast with δοκίμιον/testing, which does originate from God)	私欲 (sīyù) — Medium risk: distinguish from neutral desire/wants; this is disordered, self-serving craving that gives birth to sin (1:15)
λόγος (ἀληθείας / ἔμφυτος λόγος)	logos (alētheias / emphytos logos)	word (of truth / implanted word)	God’s authoritative saving message, here pictured as a seed planted within the believer	”word of truth,” “implanted word,” “the word”	The gospel message that birthed believers (1:18) and that must be received and obeyed, not merely heard (1:21-22)	真道 (zhēn dào) / 所栽种的道 (suǒ zāizhòng de dào) — High risk: reuses 道 (dào), already flagged Critical in the baseline under Incarnation for its Daoist metaphysical-principle resonance; every occurrence of “the word” as 道 in James must carry the same clarifying note as the baseline’s incarnation entry — this is God’s personal, spoken/written message, not an impersonal cosmic Way
ποιητὴς λόγου	poiētēs logou	doer of the word	one who acts on/obeys the message, as opposed to a hearer only	”doer of the word,” “doer,” not merely “hearer”	The thematic seed of the whole Faith-and-Works argument developed fully in ch. 2 — hearing without doing is self-deception	行道的人 (xíng dào de rén) — High risk: shares the 行-root with 行为 (works) in ch. 2, which is doctrinally appropriate (deliberate thematic linkage) but requires the same merit-theology caution as 行为 above
θρησκεία	thrēskeia	religion, religious observance/practice	outward religious practice and its ethical expression	”religion,” “religious observance”	Pure religion is defined relationally and ethically (caring for orphans/widows, moral purity), not ritually	虔诚 (qiánchéng) — Medium risk: note this is a different Greek word from πίστις (faith, always 信心); CUV’s use of 虔诚 here (religious practice/piety) does not conflict with the baseline’s rejection of 虔诚 for πίστις, but translators must not confuse the two words or import generic multi-deity “piety” connotations into θρησκεία’s Jamesian sense of Christian ethical practice
καθαρός / ἀμίαντος	katharos / amiantos	pure / undefiled, unstained	ritual and moral purity; here purely ethical-relational	”pure,” “undefiled,” “unstained”	Defines true religious purity as active compassion plus moral non-contamination by “the world,” not ritual cleanliness	清洁 / 没有玷污 — Low-Medium risk: avoid ritual-purification (斋戒/洁净仪式) folk-religious framing; this is ethical/relational purity
χήρα / ὀρφανός	chēra / orphanos	widow / orphan	the socially and economically vulnerable, an OT covenant-care category	”widows,” “orphans”	Concrete ethical content of “pure religion” — caring for society’s most vulnerable — links to Favoritism and the Poor	孤儿寡妇 (gū’ér guǎfù) — Low risk
κόσμος	kosmos	world, world-system	(a) the created physical world; (b) humanity’s fallen social-moral order opposed to God	”world,” “world’s ways”	Here (1:27) the morally corrupting world-system believers must remain “unspotted” from — foundational for the Worldliness versus Friendship with God doctrine fully developed in ch. 4	世俗 (shìsú) here / 世界 (shìjiè) elsewhere — Medium risk: track carefully across the book; 世俗 (worldliness, the corrupting social-moral system) must be distinguished from a neutral geographic/created-order sense of “world,” and must be consistently mapped to the same doctrine as ch. 4’s φιλία τοῦ κόσμου

Chapter 2 (verses 1-13) — Favoritism and the Poor; Mercy; the Royal Law

(Verses 14-26 receive full verse-by-verse treatment in Part A above.)

Term	Greek / Translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Mandarin rendering & risk
προσωπολημψία / προσωπολημπτέω	prosōpolēmpsia / -lēmpteō	receiving/judging by the face (partiality)	favoring someone based on external appearance/status rather than intrinsic worth	”favoritism,” “partiality,” “respect of persons”	The named sin of the Favoritism and the Poor doctrine: discriminating between rich and poor visitors within the assembly is itself sin (2:9), not a minor social lapse	按外貌待人 (àn wàimào dài rén) / 偏待人 (piān dài rén) — Medium risk: no direct folk-religion collision, but should be anchored concretely (rich/poor seating in worship, 2:2-4) so it is not moralized into a vague generic “don’t judge” platitude
νόμος βασιλικός / νόμος ἐλευθερίας	nomos basilikos / nomos eleutherias	royal law / law of liberty	the law understood in its fullest, Christ-fulfilled sense (love of neighbor, cf. Lev 19:18) as a law that liberates rather than enslaves	”royal law,” “law of liberty,” “perfect law”	Reuses baseline’s 律法 but qualifies it: this is not legalistic Torah-observance but the “law” as summed up in love of neighbor, experienced as freedom, not bondage — must not be confused with the ceremonial/legalistic sense Paul contrasts with grace	至尊的律法 / 使人自由的律法, built on baseline’s 律法 (lǜfǎ) — High risk: requires a note distinguishing this Jamesian “law of liberty” from both (a) Confucian 礼 (ritual-propriety code, already rejected in baseline for νόμος) and (b) a legalistic works-based law that would contradict Romans’ law/grace contrast; here “law” names the moral heart of God’s will (love), fulfilled in freedom, not imposed as a burden
ἔλεος	eleos	mercy, compassionate forgiveness	withholding deserved judgment; showing compassion to the needy or guilty	”mercy,” “compassion"	"Mercy triumphs over judgment” (2:13) — grounds right treatment of the poor and anticipates the ch. 2 Faith-and-Works argument (mercy shown = evidence of genuine faith)	怜恤 (liánxù) — Medium risk: distinguish from Buddhist compassion (慈悲, cíbēi) which is often tied to merit-generation for the giver; biblical mercy flows from God’s character and is unearned, not a merit-generating act for the one showing it
πλησίον	plēsion	neighbor, one who is near	any person in proximity, without ethnic/social restriction (cf. the Good Samaritan)	“neighbor"	"Love your neighbor as yourself” (2:8) — the royal law’s content, directly opposing the favoritism just condemned	邻舍 (línshè) — Low risk, standard term

Chapter 3 — Taming the Tongue; Wisdom from Above vs. Earthly Wisdom

Term	Greek / Translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Mandarin rendering & risk
γλῶσσα	glōssa	tongue	the physical organ; metonym for speech	”tongue”	The central image of the Taming the Tongue doctrine: small, but capable of disproportionate destructive power	舌头 (shétou) — Low risk
χαλιναγωγέω	chalinagōgeō	to bridle, put a bit in the mouth of	horse-control imagery — restraining a powerful, otherwise unruly force	”bridle,” “control,” “keep in check”	Self-control of speech as the truest marker of a “perfect” (mature) person (3:2) and even of true θρησκεία (1:26)	勒住 (lēzhù) — Low risk, vivid concrete imagery, no collision
γέεννα	geenna	Gehenna, hell	the Valley of Hinnom, by NT times a byword for final judgment/hell-fire	”hell,” “the fires of hell”	The tongue’s capacity for evil is sourced ultimately in hell itself (3:6) — a stark warning against treating careless speech lightly	地狱 (dìyù) — Medium risk: distinguish from Buddhist/folk conceptions of 地狱 (a multi-level, often purgatorial underworld through which souls may pass and be released, cf. 超度 already rejected in baseline under Salvation) — here it names final, personal, moral corruption’s ultimate source, not a purgatorial way-station
δαμάζω	damazō	to tame, subdue	bringing a wild creature under control	”tame"	"No one can tame the tongue” — humanity’s universal, unaided inability to control speech, requiring divine wisdom/grace, not willpower alone	制服 (zhìfú) — Low risk
σοφία ἄνωθεν	sophia anōthen	wisdom from above	wisdom whose source is God (heaven), as opposed to wisdom whose source is “earthly, unspiritual, demonic"	"wisdom from above,” “heavenly wisdom”	The positive pole of the Wisdom from Above doctrine; defined by a list of relational-ethical fruits (3:17), not by intellectual attainment or mystical experience	从上头来的智慧 (cóng shàngtou lái de zhìhuì) — Medium risk: must not be assimilated to Daoist/Buddhist notions of wisdom (智慧/般若, bōrě) attained through meditative practice or enlightenment; this wisdom is a gift given by God (cf. 1:5), received by asking in faith, evidenced by ethical fruit
ἐπίγειος / ψυχικός / δαιμονιώδης	epigeios / psychikos / daimoniōdēs	earthly / soulish (natural) / demonic	three escalating descriptors of the negative, false “wisdom” that produces jealousy and strife	”earthly,” “unspiritual” or “natural,” “demonic”	The negative pole of the Wisdom doctrine — false wisdom is not merely inferior but has a corrupted, ultimately demonic source	属地的 / 属情欲的 / 属鬼魔的 — High risk: ψυχικός (“soulish,” 属情欲的 in CUV, lit. “of the passions”) requires a note that this is not a claim about the human ψυχή/soul being inherently evil (which would collide with Buddhist anatta or folk soul-concepts), but about wisdom whose source is merely natural human self-interest, unaided by the Spirit
εἰρήνη / εἰρηνικός (3:17-18)	eirēnē / eirēnikos	peace / peaceable	interpersonal harmony as a fruit of true wisdom; peacemaking as an active practice	”peaceable,” “peace”	Note the CUV’s shift to 和平 (hépíng), not 平安, for the interpersonal-harmony sense in 3:18 (“the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace”)	和平 (hépíng) — distinct from baseline’s 平安 (píng’ān) for peace-with-God (Rom 5:1). Medium risk: this divergence between two related but distinct Mandarin words rendering one Greek word-family (εἰρήνη) must be flagged with a note so translators do not treat 和平 and 平安 as interchangeable; 和平 = interpersonal/social peace and peacemaking, 平安 = the believer’s relational standing of peace with God
καρπὸς δικαιοσύνης	karpos dikaiosynēs	fruit of righteousness	righteousness’s practical, visible outcome	”fruit of righteousness,” “harvest of righteousness”	Ties Wisdom-from-Above back to the Faith-and-Works theme: righteous character (义, baseline term) produces visible ethical fruit, cultivated through peacemaking	义的果子 (yì de guǒzi) — High risk (inherits 义’s baseline Critical status): must retain the note that 义 here is Christian righteousness/right-standing bearing ethical fruit, not the Confucian virtue of 义 cultivated as a social duty

Chapter 4 — Worldliness versus Friendship with God; Humility; Judging; Providence

Term	Greek / Translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Mandarin rendering & risk
πόλεμος / μάχη	polemos / machē	wars / fightings (quarrels)	literal war language applied metaphorically to interpersonal community conflict	”wars and fightings,” “quarrels and conflicts”	Traces interpersonal conflict to its root: unchecked ἐπιθυμία (desire), reusing ch. 1’s term	争战 / 争斗 (zhēngzhàn / zhēngdòu) — Low risk
φιλία τοῦ κόσμου	philia tou kosmou	friendship with the world	intimate allegiance to the world’s fallen value-system, treated as a rival, exclusive loyalty to God	”friendship with the world,” “love of the world”	The negative pole of the Worldliness versus Friendship with God doctrine — direct contrast to φίλος θεοῦ (2:23, “friend of God”), forming a deliberate inclusio across the letter	与世俗为友 (yǔ shìsú wéi yǒu) — High risk: must be tightly linked in teaching notes to 神的朋友 (2:23) as its positive counterpart, and must retain exclusivity language (“whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God,” 4:4) without softening into a both/and compromise
μοιχαλίς	moichalis	adulteress	one guilty of marital unfaithfulness; here metaphorical of covenant unfaithfulness to God	”adulterous,” “adulteresses”	Echoes OT prophetic marriage-covenant imagery (Hosea, Ezekiel) applying spiritual-adultery language to worldliness — a serious covenant-breach charge, not mere moral laxity	淫乱的人 (yínluàn de rén) — Medium risk: retain the covenantal-betrayal force; avoid softening to generic “unfaithful” that loses the marriage-covenant metaphor
ἔχθρα τοῦ θεοῦ	echthra tou theou	enmity with God	active hostility, opposition	”enmity with God,” “hostility toward God”	The stark alternative to friendship with God — there is no neutral middle ground	与神为敌 (yǔ Shén wéi dí) — Medium risk, must retain binary force (no third option)
χάρις	charis	grace	God’s favor given to the humble, in contrast to opposition given to the proud (quoting Prov 3:34)	“grace”	Reuses baseline’s Critical term exactly; here specifically contrasted with pride (ὑπερήφανος) rather than with works, a related but distinct application of the same grace-versus-self-sufficiency principle already Critical in the baseline	恩典 (ēndiǎn) — baseline term reused exactly, Critical risk retained per baseline notes (never 功德/阴德/造化)
ταπεινός / ὑπερήφανος	tapeinos / hyperēphanos	humble / proud (arrogant)	posture of dependence on God vs. self-exalting self-sufficiency	”humble,” “proud"	"God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” — foundational reversal principle for the whole letter’s ethics	谦卑的人 / 骄傲的人 — Medium risk: avoid collapsing 谦卑 into a Confucian ritual-deference virtue (谦让/礼) detached from dependence on God specifically; biblical humility is theological (before God), not merely social etiquette
διάβολος	diabolos	devil, slanderer	the personal, chief evil spiritual adversary	”devil"	"Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (4:7) — personal spiritual warfare, assumes a real personal adversary, not an impersonal force	魔鬼 (móguǐ) — Low-Medium risk: standard term, but should be distinguished from generic folk “evil spirits/ghosts” (邪灵/鬼) as the singular, personal chief adversary of biblical demonology
καταλαλέω / κρίνω	katalaleō / krinō	to speak against / to judge	slanderous speech about, and presumptuous judgment of, a fellow believer	”speak evil of,” “judge,” “criticize”	Prohibits believers from usurping God’s exclusive role as νομοθέτης/κριτής (lawgiver/judge) over one another	说…的闲话 / 论断 (lùndùn) — Low-Medium risk
νομοθέτης	nomothetēs	lawgiver	the one who establishes binding law with rightful authority	”lawgiver”	God alone holds this office — grounds the prohibition on judging one’s neighbor (4:11-12)	设立律法的 (shèlì lǜfǎ de) — Low risk
Ἐὰν ὁ κύριος θελήσῃ	ean ho kyrios thelēsē	if the Lord wills	conditional submission of human planning to divine sovereignty	”if the Lord wills,” “if it is the Lord’s will”	Grounds all human planning (business, travel, life) in dependence on God’s sovereign will, opposing self-sufficient boasting (ἀλαζονεία) — connects to the baseline’s Providence doctrine (神的护理), reused here in an ethical/practical rather than soteriological register	主若愿意 (zhǔ ruò yuànyì) — reuses baseline’s 主 (Critical). Medium-High risk: must not be flattened into the fatalistic, impersonal 天意 (“heaven’s intention”) the baseline already warns against under Providence — this is a personal Lord whose will believers actively submit to and depend on, not an impersonal fate to which one merely resigns oneself

Chapter 5 — Rich Oppressors; Patience and the Lord’s Return; Oaths; Prayer and Healing; Confession and Restoration

Term	Greek / Translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Mandarin rendering & risk
μισθός	misthos	wages, pay	earned payment for labor	”wages”	Withheld wages of exploited laborers “cry out” against oppressive rich landowners — concrete social-justice application, continuing the Favoritism/Poor doctrine’s economic dimension	工价 (gōngjià) — Low risk
κύριος σαβαώθ	kyrios sabaōth	Lord of Sabaoth (hosts)	OT divine military title (YHWH Sabaoth), transliterated rather than translated in the Greek text itself	”Lord of hosts,” “Lord Almighty,” “Lord of Sabaoth”	Invokes God’s covenant title as commander of heaven’s armies who hears the oppressed laborers’ cry — an OT-rooted title of divine power and justice	万军之主 (wànjūn zhī zhǔ) — High risk: builds on baseline’s Critical 主 entry; must retain full divine-military-sovereign force and must not be softened toward a generic honorific; also must not be confused with any this-worldly military/political “lord,” preserving the same exclusivity the baseline requires for κύριος generally
μακροθυμία / μακροθυμέω	makrothymia / makrothymeō	patience, longsuffering	forbearance while waiting, specifically patience with people/circumstances over time	”be patient,” “patience,” “longsuffering”	Central verb of the Patience and the Lord’s Return doctrine — the farmer’s patient waiting for the harvest models the church’s patient waiting for Christ’s return	忍耐 (rěnnài) — same Mandarin term as ch.1’s ὑπομονή; Medium risk (see ch.1 note): flag the distinct nuance — here, patience specifically oriented toward waiting for a future certain event (the Parousia), not merely enduring present pressure
παρουσία (τοῦ κυρίου)	parousia (tou kyriou)	coming, arrival, presence (of the Lord)	a technical NT eschatological term for Christ’s promised, personal, visible second coming	”the coming of the Lord,” “the Lord’s return”	The object of patient hope — a definite, promised, future, personal event, not a symbolic or endlessly-recurring “coming”	主来 / 主的降临 — Critical risk: this concept sits directly beside the baseline’s Critical messianic_promise entry, which already forbids conflating Christ with Maitreya (弥勒), the future Buddha expected in a coming age. James 5:7-8’s “the Lord’s coming is near” must be taught as Christ’s own promised, singular, definite return — not assimilated to a Maitreya-style expectation of an as-yet-unidentified future world-savior, nor to a cyclical eschatology. A translator/teaching note is mandatory on every occurrence
στηρίζω	stērizō	to establish, strengthen, make firm	fixing/settling something so it does not waver	”establish,” “strengthen"	"Establish your hearts” in light of the Lord’s near coming — stability grounded in eschatological hope	坚固 (jiāngù) — Low risk
κριτής	kritēs	judge	one with authority to render binding verdicts	”judge"	"The Judge is standing at the door” (5:9) — the same Lord who returns in patience-inducing hope also returns as Judge, creating urgency alongside comfort	审判的主 / 审判者 — Medium risk, reuses baseline’s 主 concept; must retain both comfort (patience doctrine) and urgency (accountability) without collapsing either
ὄμνυμι / ὅρκος	omnymi / horkos	to swear / an oath	invoking a higher authority (e.g., heaven, earth) to guarantee the truth of one’s word	”swear,” “oath,” “do not swear”	Prohibits oath-taking as a substitute for simple truthfulness (“let your yes be yes”) — a call to transparent, trustworthy speech, continuing the Tongue doctrine’s concerns	起誓 (qǐshì) / 誓言 — Medium risk: in Chinese folk-religious/cultural practice, oaths are often sworn before deities, ancestors, or via ritual (incense-oath, blood-oath, temple vow 许愿) with quasi-magical binding force; a note should clarify James’s concern is truthful, simple speech that needs no external guarantor, not a prohibition specifically targeting a folk ritual practice, though the cultural resonance is worth flagging for teaching
κακοπαθέω / εὐθυμέω	kakopatheō / euthymeō	to suffer / to be cheerful	contrasting states calling forth prayer or praise respectively	”suffering… pray; cheerful… sing praise”	Both states of life are to be brought to God — prayer is not reserved for crisis alone	受苦…祷告 / 喜乐…歌颂 — Low risk
πρεσβύτεροι τῆς ἐκκλησίας	presbyteroi tēs ekklēsias	elders of the church	recognized, appointed spiritual leaders/overseers of a local congregation	”elders of the church”	Reuses baseline’s 教会 (church); introduces the pastoral office called to minister to the sick through prayer and anointing	教会的长老 (jiàohuì de zhǎnglǎo) — Medium risk: 长老 could carry secular clan/village-elder-council connotations (age-based social hierarchy, ancestral clan governance) distinct from an appointed spiritual office; a clarifying note distinguishing ecclesial office from secular seniority is warranted
ἀλείφω ἐλαίῳ	aleiphō elaiō	to anoint with oil	applying olive oil, in the ancient world both a common medicinal treatment and (elsewhere in Scripture) a sign of consecration/blessing	”anoint with oil”	Central act of the Prayer and Healing doctrine — combines practical/medicinal care with a faith-filled, prayerful act done “in the name of the Lord,” i.e., under Christ’s authority, not as an independent ritual power	用油抹他 (yòng yóu mǒ tā) — High risk: must be carefully distinguished from folk-religious/Daoist ritual oil-anointing, talisman-oil, or exorcistic anointing practices (which operate on a ritual-power/merit logic); the note must clarify this act derives its efficacy from prayer offered “in the name of the Lord” (in Christ’s authority) combined with ordinary medicinal care, not from the oil itself as a vehicle of independent supernatural power
εὐχὴ τῆς πίστεως	euchē tēs pisteōs	the prayer of faith	prayer offered in genuine trust in God, associated with the healing/restoration promise	”the prayer of faith,” “prayer offered in faith”	Reuses baseline’s 信心 (faith); “faith” here specifically trusts God’s willingness and power to act in this particular situation, without becoming a formulaic guarantee that all such prayers result in physical healing	出于信心的祷告 — High risk: must avoid teaching a mechanical “faith formula guarantees healing” reading (a health-and-wealth-gospel risk) while still affirming genuine confidence that God hears and may heal; requires pastoral nuance in any teaching note
σῴζω (τὸν κάμνοντα)	sōzō (ton kamnonta)	to save/heal (the sick/weary one)	dual range: physical healing/restoration and/or spiritual salvation, often overlapping in NT healing narratives	”will save the sick,” “will restore the one who is sick”	Deliberately ambiguous/dual-register term: God’s saving action may include physical restoration and is never disconnected from spiritual restoration (the following clause addresses forgiveness of sins)	救 (jiù), reusing baseline 救恩’s verbal root — Critical risk: must not be collapsed into either pole exclusively; a note should clarify this is God’s holistic restorative action (potentially physical, always spiritually significant), not a guarantee of physical cure in every case, and not to be confused with baseline’s fixed soteriological noun 救恩 as though this verse teaches a distinct “healing salvation” doctrine
ἐγείρω	egeirō	to raise up	lifting someone from a lying/sick position; NOT the resurrection-from-death verb family (ἀνάστασις/ἀνίστημι), though etymologically related	”the Lord will raise him up”	Physical restoration from sickbed — must be kept categorically distinct from bodily resurrection from death	叫他起来 (jiào tā qǐlái) — Medium-High risk: must NOT be rendered with 复活 (baseline’s Critical, exclusively resurrection-from-death term); a clarifying note preventing conflation of “raised from sickness” with “raised from death” is required
ἐξομολογέομαι (τὰς ἁμαρτίας)	exomologeomai (tas hamartias)	to confess (sins)	open acknowledgment, admission	”confess your sins,” “confess your trespasses”	Mutual, voluntary confession among believers “to one another,” for the purpose of healing/restoration and effective intercessory prayer — the core of the Confession and Restoration doctrine	彼此认罪 (bǐcǐ rèn zuì) — Medium risk: clarify this is horizontal, mutual, voluntary confession within the believing community for restoration and healing prayer, not a formal priestly/sacramental confession to a clerical mediator, and not a folk-ritual public shaming or a merit-transaction of “confessing to reduce bad karma”
δεήσις δικαίου ἐνεργουμένη	deēsis dikaiou energoumenē	the prayer/petition of a righteous person, being at work/operative	prayer whose effectiveness/power is tied to the character (righteousness, 义) of the one praying and God’s responsive action	”the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective”	Grounds confident, effective prayer not in technique but in righteous relationship with God — reuses baseline’s 义	义人祈祷所发的力量,是大有功效的 — High risk: 功效 (efficacy) shares the 功-root character with 功德 (merit), already Critical in the baseline; a note must clarify 功效 here means ordinary “effectiveness/efficacy” (a ordinary secular compound), not merit-accumulation, to prevent readers from hearing “effective prayer” as a merit-generating spiritual technique
ψυχή (ἐκ θανάτου)	psychē (ek thanatou)	soul (from death)	the person’s inner/eternal life, as distinct from mere physical existence	”save his soul from death”	The ultimate stakes of turning back a wandering sinner (5:19-20) — eternal, not merely temporal, rescue	灵魂 (línghún) — High risk: must be distinguished from a transmigrating soul-substance subject to 轮回 (reincarnation, already forbidden in baseline under Resurrection); this ψυχή faces a single, final destiny (death or life), not a cycle of rebirths
πλῆθος ἁμαρτιῶν (καλύπτω)	plēthos hamartiōn (kalyptō)	a multitude of sins (to cover)	the result of successfully restoring a wandering sinner — sins are “covered,” i.e., forgiven/dealt with in the restored person’s life	”will cover a multitude of sins”	Closing statement of the Confession and Restoration doctrine: gospel-driven restoration results in real forgiveness for the restored sinner	遮盖许多的罪 (zhēgài xǔduō de zuì) — High risk: must be clearly taught as the result of gospel restoration (turning a sinner back to repentance and forgiveness in Christ), NOT a merit-transaction in which the act of “bringing someone back” itself functions as an offsetting good deed on a karmic ledger (直接对应功德/阴德’s logic of good deeds canceling bad-deed debt, already Critical in the baseline under Grace) — this is forgiveness through the gospel, not merit-accumulation through a good deed performed

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Summary of Cross-Chapter Doctrinal Threads

Doctrine (per curriculum parameters)	Primary chapters	Anchor terms
Faith and Works	2:14-26 (core), 1:22-25	信心, 行为, 称义, 算为义, 死的
Trials and the Testing of Faith	1:2-4, 12; 5:7-11	试炼, 忍耐, 试验
Wisdom from Above	1:5-8; 3:13-18	智慧, 从上头来的智慧, 属地的/属情欲的/属鬼魔的
Favoritism and the Poor	1:9-11, 27; 2:1-13, 5:1-6	按外貌待人, 至尊的律法, 怜恤, 工价
Taming the Tongue	1:19-20, 26; 3:1-12	舌头, 勒住, 地狱, 咒诅
Worldliness versus Friendship with God	1:27; 4:1-10	世俗, 与世俗为友, 与神为敌, 神的朋友, 恩典
Prayer and Healing	5:13-18	出于信心的祷告, 用油抹, 救, 叫他起来
Patience and the Lord’s Return	5:7-11	忍耐, 主来, 审判的主, 万军之主
Confession and Restoration	5:16, 19-20	彼此认罪, 义人祈祷, 遮盖许多的罪, 使他回转

No chapter of James introduces zero new theological vocabulary; every chapter contributes load-bearing terms as documented above.