Core Glossary
08 Core Glossary — Philippians (English–Mandarin)
This glossary consolidates every load-bearing term identified in analysis/07_semantic_analysis.md, covering Philippians 1–4 in full. It is organized into two parts:
Part A — Terms already established in the baseline Romans translation_memory.json that recur in Philippians. These renderings are reused exactly, per the hard rule that the baseline is the language authority. No new risk assessment is needed; the baseline risk tier and notes stand.
Part B — New terms unique to (or newly load-bearing in) Philippians, not present in the baseline Romans TM. These are proposed for addition to translation memory, with full risk tiering per the Critical/High/Medium/Low framework.
All Mandarin renderings are in Simplified Chinese, register consistent with the CUV (和合本), Shen edition (神版), per the baseline standard.
Part A — Reused Baseline Terms (Romans TM) Appearing in Philippians
| English term | Mandarin (baseline) | Transliteration | Baseline risk | Philippians references |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grace | 恩典 | ēndiǎn | Critical | 1:2, 1:7, 4:23 |
| Faith | 信心 | xìnxīn | High | 1:25, 1:27, 2:17, 3:9 |
| Righteousness | 义 | yì | Critical | 1:11, 3:6, 3:9 |
| Salvation | 救恩 | jiùēn | Critical | 1:28, 2:12 |
| Apostle | 使徒 | shǐtú | Low | 1:1 (Paul); NOTE: NOT used for Epaphroditus, 2:25 — see Part B |
| Calling | 呼召 | hūzhào | High | 3:14 |
| Holy (saints, related) | 圣洁 | shèngjié | High | (implicit; sanctification-adjacent contexts) |
| Saints | 圣徒 | shèngtú | High | 1:1, 4:21, 4:22 |
| Resurrection | 复活 | fùhuó | Critical | 3:10, 3:11; (core passage background) |
| Lord | 主 | zhǔ | Critical | 2:11, 3:20, 4:5, 4:23, throughout |
| Peace | 平安 | píng’ān | Medium | 1:2, 4:7, 4:9 |
| Thanksgiving | 感恩 | gǎn’ēn | Low | 1:3, 4:6 |
| Fellowship | 团契 | tuánqì | Low | 2:1, 1:5 (partnership context — see Part B for extended note), 3:10 |
| Kingdom of God | 神的国 | Shén de guó | Medium | (background to 3:20 citizenship doctrine) |
| Law | 律法 | lǜfǎ | High | 3:5, 3:6, 3:9 |
| Gentiles | 外邦人 | wàibāngrén | Medium | (background) |
| Glory | 荣耀 | róngyào | Medium | 1:11, 2:11, 3:19, 3:21, 4:19, 4:20 |
| Obedience of Faith | 因信而生的顺服 | yīn xìn ér shēng de shùnfú | High | (background to 2:8’s obedience) |
| Power of God | 神的大能 | Shén de dà néng | High | 3:10 (power of his resurrection); 4:13 note (see Part B, ἐνδυναμόω) |
| Messiah / Christ | 基督 | Jīdū | Critical | throughout |
| David | 大卫 | Dàwèi | Low | (not directly named in Philippians; retained for consistency) |
| Israel | 以色列 | Yǐsèliè | Medium | 3:5 |
| Jesus | 耶稣 | Yēsū | Critical | throughout |
| God | 神 | Shén | Critical | throughout |
| Holy Spirit | 圣灵 | Shènglíng | Critical | 1:19, 2:1, 3:3 |
| Father | 父 | fù | High | 1:2, 2:11, 4:20 |
| Exhort | 劝勉 | quànmiǎn | Low | 2:1 (παράκλησις, noun-form context) |
Every term in this table must appear in Phase 2 output exactly as recorded above. No alternative renderings are permitted for Critical/High tiers.
Part B — New Terms Introduced or Newly Load-Bearing in Philippians
| English gloss | Greek (transliteration) | Proposed Mandarin | Pinyin | Risk | Chapter refs | Collision / doctrinal note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emptied himself (kenosis) | ἐκένωσεν (ekenōsen) | 虚己 | xūjǐ | Critical | 2:7 | Must never imply Christ lost/subtracted his divine nature; self-emptying is expressed through assuming servanthood, not divesting of deity. Core term for named doctrine “Incarnation and Self-Emptying of Christ.” |
| Form of God | μορφῇ θεοῦ (morphē theou) | 神的形像 | Shén de xíngxiàng | Critical | 2:6 | Asserts real, essential, pre-existent deity; teach alongside baseline 道成肉身. Distinguish from σχῆμα (outward appearance only). |
| A thing to be grasped/exploited | ἁρπαγμόν (harpagmon) | 强夺的 | qiángduó de | Critical (ambiguity flag) | 2:6 | Genuinely double-sense in Greek scholarship (grasp-at-what-is-not-yet-possessed vs. exploit-what-is-already-possessed). Record alternative rendering in segment cache; mandatory theologian review every occurrence. |
| Equal with God | ἴσα θεῷ (isa theō) | 与神同等 | yǔ Shén tóngděng | Critical | 2:6 | Ontological equality, not mere resemblance or proximity. |
| Form of a servant/slave | μορφὴν δούλου (morphēn doulou) | 奴仆的形像 | núpú de xíngxiàng | Critical | 2:7 | Distinguish 奴仆 (radical slave-status) from the softer 仆人 used of Paul in 1:1. |
| In human likeness | ὁμοιώματι ἀνθρώπων (homoiōmati anthrōpōn) | 人的样式 | rén de yàngshì | High | 2:7 | Consistency required with baseline “Humanity of Christ” doctrine (cf. Rom 8:3). |
| In outward fashion/appearance | σχήματι (schēmati) | 样子 / 外貌 | yàngzi / wàimào | Critical | 2:7 | Must be paired with ὁμοίωμα to avoid a Docetic (“mere appearance”) reading; reuse baseline Incarnation forbidden-substitution list (never 化身, 下凡, 转世). |
| Humbled himself | ἐταπείνωσεν ἑαυτόν (etapeinōsen heauton) | 自己卑微 | zìjǐ bēiwēi | Critical | 2:8 | Enacted pattern of ταπεινοφροσύνη (2:3); teach example-and-command together. |
| Humility (lowliness of mind) | ταπεινοφροσύνη (tapeinophrosynē) | 谦卑 | qiānbēi | High | 2:3 | NOT the weaker 谦虚 (social-etiquette modesty). Must be grounded in Christ’s example (2:5–8), not Confucian hierarchical deference/face-preservation. |
| Obedient unto death | ὑπήκοος μέχρι θανάτου (hypēkoos mechri thanatou) | 顺服，以至于死 | shùnfú, yǐzhìyú sǐ | High | 2:8 | Distinguish Christ’s atoning obedience from baseline’s derivative “obedience of faith” (believer’s response). |
| Cross | σταυροῦ (staurou) | 十字架 | shízìjià | High | 2:8, 3:18 | Distinguish the specific historic instrument/event of Christ’s death from the generic secular idiom “背十字架” (bear a burden). |
| Highly exalted | ὑπερύψωσεν (hyperypsōsen) | 升为至高 | shēng wéi zhìgāo | High | 2:9 | Retain intensifying “above and beyond” force. |
| The name above every name | τὸ ὄνομα τὸ ὑπὲρ πᾶν ὄνομα | 超乎万名之上的名 | chāo hū wàn míng zhī shàng de míng | Critical | 2:9 | Must connect unmistakably to κύριος/主 in 2:11. |
| Every knee shall bow | πᾶν γόνυ κάμψῃ | 无不屈膝 | wúbù qūxī | Critical | 2:10 | Isaiah 45:23 echo applied to Christ; preserve universality per baseline rule. |
| Confess (Lordship) | ἐξομολογήσηται (exomologēsētai) | 承认 / 口称 | chéngrèn / kǒuchēng | Critical | 2:11 | Must match baseline Romans 10:9 confession-verb pattern exactly (cross-document consistency rule). |
| Encouragement/comfort | παράκλησις (paraklēsis) | 劝勉 / 安慰 | quànmiǎn / ānwèi | Medium | 2:1 | Reuses baseline “exhort” root; noun sense leans toward comfort. |
| Fellowship of the Spirit | κοινωνία πνεύματος (koinōnia pneumatos) | 圣灵的团契 | Shènglíng de tuánqì | Critical | 2:1 | Never abbreviate to “灵的团契” (folk-spirit risk); always full 圣灵. |
| Affection and compassion | σπλάγχνα καὶ οἰκτιρμοί (splanchna kai oiktirmoi) | 慈悲怜悯 | cíbēi liánmǐn | High | 2:1 | 慈悲 is the standard Chinese Buddhist term for Buddha/Bodhisattva (esp. Guānyīn) compassion. Mandatory clarifying note: this is Spirit-given affection among believers “in Christ” (2:1), not Buddhist compassion-cultivation. |
| Same-mindedness | τὸ αὐτὸ φρονεῖν (to auto phronein) | 同心 | tóngxīn | High | 2:2, 2:5 | Anchor to “in Christ Jesus” (2:5); distinguish from Confucian social-harmony ideal (和为贵) pursued for hierarchy/order. |
| Selfish ambition / rivalry | ἐριθεία (eritheia) | 结党 | jiédǎng | Medium | 2:3 | Low collision; precision term. |
| Empty conceit / vainglory | κενοδοξία (kenodoxia) | 虚浮的荣耀 | xūfú de róngyào | Medium | 2:3 | Must retain the qualifier “empty/vain” (虚) to keep contrast with true 荣耀 legible. |
| Regard others’ interests | σκοπέω (skopeō) | 顾念 | gùniàn | Low | 2:4 | Standard vocabulary. |
| Let this mind be in you | φρονεῖσθε (phroneisthe) | 你们当以基督耶稣的心为心 | (CUV pattern) | Critical | 2:5 | Interpretive hinge of the whole passage; imperative force must not be weakened. |
| Working out salvation | σωτηρίαν κατεργάζεσθε (sōtērian katergazesthe) | 作成你们得救的工夫 | zuòchéng nǐmen déjiù de gōngfu | Critical | 2:12 | Must always be paired with 2:13 (“God who works in you”) to prevent a works-earns-salvation misreading; analogous to baseline’s forbidden 修成正果. |
| Poured out as a libation | σπένδομαι (spendomai) | 浇奠 | jiāodiàn | High | 2:17 | Collides with Chinese ancestral/ritual libation practice (奠酒祭祖). Clarifying note mandatory: metaphor for sacrificial life-expenditure in ministry, not literal ritual libation. |
| Sacrifice and service of faith | θυσία καὶ λειτουργία τῆς πίστεως | 信心的祭物和供奉 | xìnxīn de jìwù hé gòngfèng | High | 2:17 | 祭 carries ancestor/temple-offering associations; clarify as metaphorical self-giving, not literal ritual offering. |
| Messenger (generic, not apostolic office) | ἀπόστολον ὑμῶν (apostolon hymōn) | 使者 / 差人 | shǐzhě / chāirén | Medium | 2:25 | Must NOT be rendered 使徒 (reserved for the technical apostolic office); Epaphroditus is a “sent one,” not an apostle. |
| Dogs (pejorative) | κύνες (kynes) | 犬类 / 狗 | quǎnlèi / gǒu | Medium | 3:2 | Rhetorical reversal (insult once used of Gentiles, now aimed at Judaizers) likely lost without translator note; not primarily a vocabulary risk. |
| Rubbish/dung | σκύβαλα (skybala) | 粪土 | fèntǔ | Medium | 3:8 | Retain CUV’s vivid intensity; do not soften to 废物/垃圾. |
| Knowledge of Christ | γνῶσις Χριστοῦ (gnōsis Christou) | 认识基督 | rènshi Jīdū | High | 3:8 | Distinguish from Buddhist/Daoist contemplative “awakening” (悟) and from ancient Gnostic esoteric γνῶσις; this is relational, faith-based knowing open to all believers. |
| Righteousness from law / through faith | δικαιοσύνην τὴν ἐκ νόμου / διὰ πίστεως Χριστοῦ | 从律法来的义 / 因信基督来的义 | (reuse 义/律法/信心) | Critical | 3:9 | Central Philippians proof text for “Righteousness by Faith versus the Law”; maximal application of baseline Confucian-virtue-collision caution on 义. |
| Fellowship in his sufferings | κοινωνία[ν] παθημάτων αὐτοῦ | 一同受苦 | yītóng shòukǔ | High | 3:10 | Not merit-accumulating ascetic suffering; relational participation in Christ. |
| Conformed to his death | συμμορφιζόμενος τῷ θανάτῳ αὐτοῦ | 效法他的死 | xiàofǎ tā de sǐ | Medium | 3:10 | Standard CUV rendering; low collision. |
| Mature / perfect | τέλειος (teleios) | 完全人 | wánquán rén | High | 3:15 | Distinguish from Daoist “perfected being” (真人) and Buddhist attainment states; ongoing maturity, not a completed superhuman state. |
| Press on / pursue | διώκω (diōkō) | 竭力追求 | jiélì zhuīqiú | High | 3:12, 3:14 | Central to “Pressing on toward the Goal”; must always pair with “because Christ has laid hold of me” (3:12) to prevent works-righteousness misreading. |
| Prize | βραβεῖον (brabeion) | 奖赏 | jiǎngshǎng | Medium | 3:14 | Relational prize (fuller possession of Christ), not a merit-earned wage. |
| Goal / mark | σκοπός (skopos) | 目标 | mùbiāo | Low | 3:14 | Standard vocabulary. |
| Citizenship in heaven | πολίτευμα (ἐν οὐρανοῖς) | 天上的国民 | tiānshàng de guómín | CRITICAL | 3:20 | 国民 carries strong PRC nation-state citizenship connotations. Central to named doctrine “Citizenship in Heaven”; requires theologian review every occurrence given contemporary political sensitivity around competing civic/national loyalty in mainland China. |
| Savior | σωτήρ (sōtēr) | 救主 | jiùzhǔ | High | 3:20 | New title-term; builds on baseline 救恩/主 families. |
| Body of humiliation / body of glory | σῶμα τῆς ταπεινώσεως / σῶμα τῆς δόξης | 卑贱的身体 / 荣耀的身体 | bēijiàn de shēntǐ / róngyào de shēntǐ | Medium | 3:21 | Ties to baseline Critical Resurrection doctrine; bodily transformation, not reincarnation. |
| Joy / rejoice | χαρά / χαίρω (chara / chairō) | 喜乐 | xǐlè | High | throughout (1:4, 1:18, 1:25; 2:2, 2:17–18, 2:28–29; 3:1; 4:1, 4:4, 4:10) | Book’s keynote term; not in baseline Romans TM — new entry. Distinguish from circumstance-contingent 快乐/幸福 and from the folk-fortune 福 semantic field (cf. baseline gospel note). Central to “Joy in Suffering and Imprisonment.” |
| Suffering | πάσχειν / πάθημα (paschein / pathēma) | 受苦 | shòukǔ | High | 1:29–30; 3:10 | Must be distinguished from the Buddhist First Noble Truth framework (一切皆苦) of suffering-as-condition-to-transcend; biblical suffering here is a gracious gift and site of joy/participation in Christ. |
| Contentment / self-sufficiency | αὐτάρκης (autarkēs) | 知足 | zhīzú | CRITICAL | 4:11 | Highest-priority new syncretism risk in this curriculum. Collides directly with the Daoist proverb 知足常乐 and Confucian 安分守己. Must always be anchored to “him who strengthens me” (4:13) — Christ-dependent, not self/desire-detachment-based, contentment. Mandatory theologian review every occurrence. |
| I have learned the secret (mystery-initiation language) | μεμύημαι (memyēmai) | 秘诀 | mìjué | CRITICAL | 4:12 | Root verb means “to be initiated” into a Greco-Roman mystery cult. Collides with Chinese esoteric-transmission concepts (秘传, 口诀 — master-to-disciple secret technique). Clarifying note mandatory: an ordinary, universally accessible posture, not an elite/esoteric attainment. |
| Who strengthens me | ἐνδυναμοῦντί με (endynamounti me) | 使我有力量的 | shǐ wǒ yǒu lìliàng de | Medium | 4:13 | Reuse baseline forbidden-substitution list from “Power of God” (never 气, never 法力). |
| Shared/partnered in affliction | συγκοινωνήσαντές μου τῇ θλίψει | 一同分担患难 | yītóng fēndān huànnàn | Medium | 4:14 | Extends “Partnership in the Gospel” doctrine. |
| Account of giving and receiving | λόγον δόσεως καὶ λήμψεως | 通财 | tōngcái | High | 4:15 | Commercial ledger idiom risks collision with Chinese 人情 (social-debt reciprocity) culture; clarify as gospel partnership, not reciprocal social debt. |
| Fragrant, acceptable sacrifice | ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας θυσίαν δεκτήν | 馨香之祭 | xīnxiāng zhī jì | High | 4:18 | Reuse θυσία/祭 caution from 2:17; not literal incense/ritual offering (上香) to appease or gain merit. |
| Peace surpassing understanding | εἰρήνη… ἡ ὑπερέχουσα πάντα νοῦν | 出人意外的平安 | chū rén yìwài de píng’ān | Medium | 4:7 | Reuse baseline 平安 caution (folk-amulet well-being sense); qualifier marks supernatural, guarding peace. |
| The Lord is at hand | ὁ κύριος ἐγγύς | 主已经近了 | Zhǔ yǐjīng jìn le | Medium | 4:5 | Distinguish spatial nearness from eschatological imminence; ties to “day of Christ.” |
| Anxiety / worry | μεριμνᾶτε (merimnate) | 忧虑 | yōulǜ | Low-Medium | 4:6 | Contrasts with contentment doctrine. |
| Virtue / excellence | ἀρετή (aretē) | 德行 | déxíng | Medium (bridge-with-caution) | 4:8 | Only NT occurrence in Paul of this classical Greek ethical term; genuine point of contact with Confucian 德, but must remain anchored to Christ-centered framing of 4:9, not treated as free-standing Confucian self-cultivation ethics. |
| Book of life | βίβλῳ ζωῆς (biblō zōēs) | 生命册 | shēngmìng cè | HIGH | 4:3 | Risks confusion with the Chinese folk/Daoist underworld ledger 生死簿 (register of fated lifespan kept by underworld officials). Clarify: a register of the redeemed kept by God through grace, not a fatalistic bureaucratic lifespan ledger. |
| Servant/slave (Paul’s self-designation) | δοῦλος (doulos) | 仆人 | púrén | Medium | 1:1 | Softer than 奴仆 (used of Christ, 2:7); translator note required distinguishing the two so Christ’s radical descent is not diminished. |
| Overseers and deacons | ἐπίσκοποι καὶ διάκονοι | 监督和执事 | jiāndū hé zhíshì | Medium | 1:1 | 监督 also means secular “supervision/inspection”; clarify as church office. |
| Partnership in the gospel | κοινωνία εἰς τὸ εὐαγγέλιον | 在福音上的伙伴关系 / 团契 | zài fúyīn shàng de huǒbàn guānxi | Medium-High | 1:5 | Extends baseline 团契; recommend supplementing with 伙伴 (partner) language so the active-partnership/mutual-support sense (resumed in 4:14–15) is not underrepresented. |
| Day of Christ | ἡμέρα Χριστοῦ | 基督的日子 | Jīdū de rìzi | Medium | 1:6, 1:10 | Reuse baseline Messianic Promise caution against future-savior-cycle conflation (弥勒). |
| Gain / loss | κέρδος / ζημία | 益处 / 有损 | yìchù / yǒusǔn | Low-Medium | 1:21; 3:7–8 | Render consistently across both occurrences. |
| Bonds/chains (imprisonment) | δεσμά / δεσμοί | 捆锁 | kǔnsuǒ | Medium | 1:7, 1:13–14, 1:17 | Reframed as occasion for boldness/joy, not shame (面子) — preserve this reversal. |
Summary Risk Counts (Philippians-specific new terms, Part B)
| Risk tier | Count |
|---|---|
| Critical | 12 |
| High | 16 |
| Medium | 17 |
| Low | 3 |
| Total new terms | 48 |
Combined with the 26 reused baseline terms in Part A, this glossary covers 74 load-bearing terms across the full text of Philippians 1–4, anchored by the verse-by-verse treatment of the core passage (2:1–11).
All chapters of Philippians (1, 2, 3, 4) have been reviewed for load-bearing theological vocabulary; no chapter was found to contribute zero new terms — each chapter’s contribution is documented above.
See analysis/07_semantic_analysis.md for full contextual and doctrinal argumentation behind each entry. This glossary should be loaded alongside the baseline translation_memory.json and doctrine_risk_registry.json before Phase 2 begins; new Critical/High entries above must be formally added to translation memory (with version increment) per the baseline’s Translation Memory Load and Enforcement Instructions before any Philippians segment is translated.
Critical Risk Terms
Grace
Approved rendering: 恩典
Transliteration: ēndiǎn
Doctrine: Grace and Generosity in Gospel Partnership
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. In Philippians 4:10-20 the risk is acute: the Philippians’ financial gift must be taught as gospel partnership motivated by grace, never as a merit-accumulating transaction or a reciprocal social debt (人情) obligating Paul to repay.
Righteousness
Approved rendering: 义
Transliteration: yì
Doctrine: Righteousness by Faith versus the Law
Rejected alternatives: 道德, 善行
Original: δικαιοσύνη
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. Philippians 3:9 is this curriculum’s single sharpest law-versus-faith contrast for 义; the baseline caution against reading it as the Confucian virtue of the Five Constant Virtues (仁义礼智信), achieved through moral cultivation, applies with maximal force here.
Salvation
Approved rendering: 救恩
Transliteration: jiùēn
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: 解脱, 超度, 得道
Original: σωτηρία
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. NEVER 解脱 or 超度. Philippians 2:12 (‘work out your salvation’) compounds the risk: must always be taught paired with 2:13 (‘for it is God who works in you’).
Resurrection
Approved rendering: 复活
Transliteration: fùhuó
Doctrine: Resurrection and Bodily Transformation
Rejected alternatives: 轮回, 投胎, 还魂
Original: ἀνάστασις
Category: Eschatology
Inherited from Romans package. NEVER 轮回, 投胎, or 还魂. Covers both Christ’s resurrection power (3:10) and the future resurrection/bodily transformation of believers (3:11, 3:21) as a once-for-all event, not a cycle of rebirth.
Lord
Approved rendering: 主
Transliteration: zhǔ
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ and Universal Confession
Rejected alternatives: 主人, 老爷
Original: κύριος
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. Philippians 2:9-11 is this term’s doctrinal high point in the book: ‘the name above every name’ conferred so every tongue confesses ‘Jesus Christ is Lord.’ NEVER 主人 or 老爷.
Messiah
Approved rendering: 基督
Transliteration: Jīdū
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ and Universal Confession
Rejected alternatives: 弥勒, 救世主式泛称
Original: Χριστός
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. Used throughout Philippians, climaxing in the confession ‘Jesus Christ is Lord’ (2:11). NEVER conflate with 弥勒 (Maitreya).
Jesus
Approved rendering: 耶稣
Transliteration: Yēsū
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ and Universal Confession
Original: Ἰησοῦς
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. Used throughout Philippians; central to the confession of 2:11.
God
Approved rendering: 神
Transliteration: Shén
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
Rejected alternatives: 上帝, 天, 老天爷
Original: θεός
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. This package standardizes on 神 (Shen edition), not 上帝. NEVER 天 or 老天爷. Subject/object of Christ’s equality claim (2:6) and exaltation act (2:9).
Holy Spirit
Approved rendering: 圣灵
Transliteration: Shènglíng
Doctrine: Unity and Humility in the Church
Rejected alternatives: 祖灵, 灵
Original: πνεῦμα ἅγιον
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. Always use the full compound 圣灵; NEVER 灵 alone or 祖灵. Named as one ground of church unity (2:1) and the one in whom believers ‘worship’ (3:3).
Son Of God
Approved rendering: 神的儿子
Transliteration: Shén de érzi
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
Rejected alternatives: 天子, 神人
Original: υἱὸς θεοῦ (implicit; cf. μορφῇ θεοῦ, ἴσα θεῷ, 2:6)
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. Philippians 2:6 does not use this exact phrase but supplies its doctrinal content (μορφῇ θεοῦ, ἴσα θεῷ); teach 神的儿子 alongside 神的形像 and 与神同等 as mutually reinforcing. NEVER 天子.
Incarnation
Approved rendering: 道成肉身
Transliteration: dào chéng ròushēn
Doctrine: The Incarnation and Self-Emptying of Christ (Kenosis)
Rejected alternatives: 化身, 转世, 下凡
Original: ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο (theological name for Phil 2:7’s event)
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. The theological name for the event narrated in Philippians 2:7. Must always be taught together with the new term 虚己 (self-emptying): incarnation is expressed through addition (assuming servant-form), not subtraction (losing deity). NEVER 化身, 下凡, 转世.
Self Emptying
Approved rendering: 虚己
Transliteration: xūjǐ
Doctrine: The Incarnation and Self-Emptying of Christ (Kenosis)
Rejected alternatives: 化身, 下凡, 转世, 脱胎换骨
Original: ἐκένωσεν
Category: Christology
Philippians 2:7’s ἐκένωσεν, root of ‘kenosis.’ Must never suggest Christ lost or subtracted his divine nature; self-emptying is expressed through addition of servant-form/humanity, not subtraction of deity. The ‘natural’-sounding wrong choice (化身/下凡) is a live temptation because it reads more fluently in ordinary Mandarin — flagged as the letter’s third-highest-risk ambiguity.
Form Of God
Approved rendering: 神的形像
Transliteration: Shén de xíngxiàng
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
Original: μορφῇ θεοῦ
Category: Christology
Philippians 2:6’s μορφῇ θεοῦ. Asserts real, essential, pre-existent deity, not an honorary or attained divine status comparable to the historic Chinese emperor’s Mandate-of-Heaven-derived quasi-divine legitimacy. 形像 alone can mean ordinary ‘image/appearance’ (e.g. 公司形像); must be paired with 与神同等 to lock in the ontological sense.
Thing To Be Grasped
Approved rendering: 强夺的
Transliteration: qiángduó de
Doctrine: The Incarnation and Self-Emptying of Christ (Kenosis)
Rejected alternatives: 看为可利用的 (recorded as alternatives_considered, not rejected)
Original: ἁρπαγμός
Category: Christology
Philippians 2:6’s ἁρπαγμός — genuinely ambiguous in Greek scholarship between (a) ‘not yet possessed and not seized’ and (b) ‘already possessed and not exploited.’ CUV’s 强夺的 is compatible with both but leans toward sense (a). Per ambiguity-handling protocol, record ‘看为可利用的’ (sense b) in the segment cache as alternatives_considered; flag for mandatory theologian review regardless of chosen rendering.
Equal With God
Approved rendering: 与神同等
Transliteration: yǔ Shén tóngděng
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
Rejected alternatives: 与神相似, 近乎神
Original: ἴσα θεῷ
Category: Christology
Philippians 2:6’s ἴσα θεῷ. Ontological equality of nature and status with God the Father, never softened to ‘close to God’ or ‘God-like.‘
Form Of A Servant
Approved rendering: 奴仆的形像
Transliteration: núpú de xíngxiàng
Doctrine: The Incarnation and Self-Emptying of Christ (Kenosis)
Rejected alternatives: 仆人的形像
Original: μορφὴν δούλου
Category: Christology
Philippians 2:7’s μορφὴν δούλου — the polar opposite of 神的形像 (2:6), using the same word μορφή for both extremes. 奴仆 (radical slave-status) must be distinguished from the softer 仆人 (púrén) used of Paul’s own voluntary self-designation in 1:1.
Outward Form
Approved rendering: 样子
Transliteration: yàngzi
Doctrine: Humanity of Christ
Rejected alternatives: 外貌 (acceptable variant), 化身, 下凡, 转世
Original: σχήματι
Category: Christology
Philippians 2:7’s σχήματι, deliberately paired with 人的样式 so together the two terms rule out Docetism. Isolated from 人的样式, 样子 alone could wrongly suggest Christ’s humanity was illusory or temporary. Reuse baseline Incarnation forbidden-substitution list (never 化身, 下凡, 转世 — a deity’s temporary, repeatable manifestation).
Humbled Himself
Approved rendering: 自己卑微
Transliteration: zìjǐ bēiwēi
Doctrine: The Incarnation and Self-Emptying of Christ (Kenosis)
Original: ἐταπείνωσεν ἑαυτόν
Category: Christology
Philippians 2:8’s ἐταπείνωσεν ἑαυτόν, the verbal cognate of ταπεινοφροσύνη (2:3) — the enacted pattern of the humility commanded in 2:3. Must be taught together with 谦卑 as example-and-command, not as an isolated heroic act.
Name Above Every Name
Approved rendering: 超乎万名之上的名
Transliteration: chāo hū wàn míng zhī shàng de míng
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ and Universal Confession
Original: τὸ ὄνομα τὸ ὑπὲρ πᾶν ὄνομα
Category: Christology
Philippians 2:9. Almost certainly the divine name ‘Lord’ (κύριος) confessed in 2:11 — must be rendered so the connection to 主 is unmistakable to the Mandarin reader; this is the hinge asserting Christ’s open, universal deity.
Every Knee Shall Bow
Approved rendering: 无不屈膝
Transliteration: wúbù qūxī
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ and Universal Confession
Original: πᾶν γόνυ κάμψῃ
Category: Christology
Philippians 2:10, echoing Isaiah 45:23 (every knee shall bow to YHWH) transferred directly to Jesus. Universality (‘every,’ ‘all’) must not be softened, per baseline universality-preservation rule (cf. Romans 3:23; 10:12-13).
Confess Lordship
Approved rendering: 口称
Transliteration: kǒuchēng
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ and Universal Confession
Rejected alternatives: 承认 (acceptable variant, must match baseline Romans 10:9 verb pattern)
Original: ἐξομολογήσηται
Category: Christology
Philippians 2:11’s ἐξομολογήσηται — the same act as the salvation confession of Romans 10:9. Must match the baseline’s Romans 10:9 confession-verb pattern exactly, per the Theological Consistency Rules requiring identical rendering of confession-of-Lordship language across all curriculum documents.
Fellowship Of The Spirit
Approved rendering: 圣灵的团契
Transliteration: Shènglíng de tuánqì
Doctrine: Unity and Humility in the Church
Rejected alternatives: 灵的团契
Original: κοινωνία πνεύματος
Category: Church
Philippians 2:1’s κοινωνία πνεύματος, third ground for unity — the Holy Spirit as the shared possession/bond that unites believers. Must use the full compound 圣灵 (never 灵 alone, never 祖灵) plus 团契. NEVER abbreviate to ‘灵的团契,’ which risks folk-spirit associations.
Let This Mind Be
Approved rendering: 你们当以基督耶稣的心为心
Transliteration: nǐmen dāng yǐ Jīdū Yēsū de xīn wéi xīn
Doctrine: The Incarnation and Self-Emptying of Christ (Kenosis)
Original: φρονεῖσθε
Category: Christology
Philippians 2:5’s φρονεῖσθε — the hinge command of the entire core passage. Every rendering of 2:1-11 depends on this verse functioning as the interpretive key; must never weaken the imperative force or detach the following hymn (2:6-11) from its ethical application in 2:1-5.
Working Out Salvation
Approved rendering: 作成你们得救的工夫
Transliteration: zuòchéng nǐmen déjiù de gōngfu
Doctrine: Sanctification as God’s Ongoing Work (Working Out Salvation)
Rejected alternatives: 修成正果的救恩
Original: σωτηρίαν κατεργάζεσθε
Category: Salvation
Philippians 2:12’s σωτηρίαν κατεργάζεσθε. Read in isolation, risks a works-based-salvation misreading directly analogous to the baseline’s forbidden 修成正果. Must always be taught paired with 2:13 (‘for it is God who works in you’); flag for theologian review every occurrence, including any devotional excerpt that quotes 2:12 alone.
Righteousness Through Faith In Christ
Approved rendering: 因信基督来的义
Transliteration: yīn xìn Jīdū lái de yì
Doctrine: Righteousness by Faith versus the Law
Rejected alternatives: 从律法来的义 (the rejected contrastive pole, must remain visible in the same verse, not itself forbidden vocabulary)
Original: δικαιοσύνην τὴν διὰ πίστεως Χριστοῦ
Category: Salvation
Philippians 3:9’s compound formula explicitly opposing law-based righteousness (ἐκ νόμου) to righteousness through faith in Christ (διὰ πίστεως Χριστοῦ). This curriculum’s central proof text for the named doctrine; must never let 义 read as a Confucian achievement earned by moral cultivation or covenant-keeping.
Citizenship In Heaven
Approved rendering: 天上的国民
Transliteration: tiānshàng de guómín
Doctrine: Citizenship in Heaven
Rejected alternatives: 公民 (too weak; loses primary-allegiance sense), 侨民 (implies diaspora/expatriate status, not belonging)
Original: πολίτευμα (ἐν οὐρανοῖς)
Category: Citizenship
Philippians 3:20’s πολίτευμα. 国民 carries strong modern PRC nation-state connotations (中华人民共和国国民; historically also 国民党, the Nationalist Party). Teaching this doctrine requires explicit, carefully worded notes that ‘heavenly citizenship’ names a transcendent, primary allegiance to God’s kingdom (神的国), reframing but not instructing rejection of legitimate earthly civic duties — comparable in gravity to the baseline’s 天子/Mandate-of-Heaven cautions. No politically neutral Mandarin alternative exists; this is a genuine missing-vocabulary case resolved through mandatory notes rather than a lexical fix.
Contentment
Approved rendering: 知足
Transliteration: zhīzú
Doctrine: Contentment in All Circumstances
Rejected alternatives: 安分守己 (as a definition, not this term; flagged as the wrong neighbor)
Original: αὐτάρκης
Category: Contentment
Philippians 4:11’s αὐτάρκης. Highest-priority new syncretism risk in this curriculum: 知足常乐 (‘contentment brings lasting joy,’ Daoist, rooted in Laozi’s teaching on desirelessness) and 安分守己 (Confucian-flavored acceptance of one’s fixed social station) are the DEFAULT cultural association any Mandarin reader brings to this term. Must always be anchored immediately and explicitly to 4:13 (‘him who strengthens me’ / 使我有力量的) within the same teaching unit; never present as self-generated detachment or passive social acceptance. Mandatory theologian review every occurrence.
Learned The Secret
Approved rendering: 秘诀
Transliteration: mìjué
Doctrine: Contentment in All Circumstances
Original: μεμύημαι
Category: Contentment
Philippians 4:12’s μεμύημαι, literally ‘to be initiated’ into a Greco-Roman mystery cult. 秘诀 collides with Chinese esoteric-transmission vocabulary — 秘传 (secretly transmitted teaching) and 口诀 (a master-to-disciple oral formula in qigong/inner-alchemy/martial-arts lineages) — a doubly apt collision since both source and target vocabulary independently evoke elite, guarded transmission. Mandatory clarifying note: an ordinary, universally accessible posture learned through common life experience, not an esoteric technique gained through initiation into hidden knowledge.
High Risk Terms
Faith
Approved rendering: 信心
Transliteration: xìnxīn
Doctrine: Faith
Rejected alternatives: 虔诚, 迷信, 信仰
Original: πίστις
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package. Object of faith (Christ) must remain explicit at every occurrence, especially Philippians 3:9 where it is directly contrasted with law-based righteousness.
Calling
Approved rendering: 呼召
Transliteration: hūzhào
Doctrine: Divine Calling
Rejected alternatives: 天命, 命运
Original: κλῆσις
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. Philippians 3:14: the ‘prize’ of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus. NEVER 天命 (Mandate of Heaven) or 命运 (impersonal fate).
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. Background to Philippians’ sainthood and sanctification-adjacent exhortations. Avoid 清净 (Daoist/Buddhist ritual purity).
Saints
Approved rendering: 圣徒
Transliteration: shèngtú
Doctrine: Sainthood and the Corporate Church
Rejected alternatives: 圣人, 高僧
Original: ἅγιοι
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package. Addresses all believers at Philippi corporately (1:1, 4:21-22); must never imply the elevated Confucian 圣人 (sage) category reserved for a tiny number of morally perfected figures such as Confucius (至圣).
Law
Approved rendering: 律法
Transliteration: lǜfǎ
Doctrine: Righteousness by Faith versus the Law
Rejected alternatives: 礼, 道德规范, 法律
Original: νόμος
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. Philippians 3:5-6, 3:9: the basis of Paul’s former, personally-testified, now-rejected confidence. NEVER equate with 礼 (Confucian ritual propriety) or 法律 (secular law).
Obedience Of Faith
Approved rendering: 因信而生的顺服
Transliteration: yīn xìn ér shēng de shùnfú
Doctrine: Obedience of Faith
Rejected alternatives: 孝顺, 礼法遵从
Original: ὑπακοὴ πίστεως (background term; cf. ὑπήκοος μέχρι θανάτου, 2:8)
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package. Background term to Philippians 2:8; must be distinguished from Christ’s own atoning, terminal obedience (顺服，以至于死), which is obedience of a different kind and order, not the believer’s derivative faith-response.
Power Of God
Approved rendering: 神的大能
Transliteration: Shén de dà néng
Doctrine: Resurrection and Bodily Transformation
Rejected alternatives: 气, 法力
Original: δύναμις θεοῦ
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. NEVER 气 or 法力. Underlies Philippians 3:10 (‘power of his resurrection’) and the related 4:13 term ‘who strengthens me.‘
Father
Approved rendering: 父
Transliteration: fù
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
Rejected alternatives: 祖先, 老天爷
Original: πατήρ
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. Invoked in the greeting (1:2), the hymn’s climax (2:11, ‘to the glory of God the Father’), and the closing doxology (4:20). Distinguish carefully from ancestor veneration (祭祖); NEVER 祖先 or 老天爷.
Likeness Of Men
Approved rendering: 人的样式
Transliteration: rén de yàngshì
Doctrine: Humanity of Christ
Original: ὁμοιώματι ἀνθρώπων
Category: Christology
Philippians 2:7’s ὁμοιώματι ἀνθρώπων, using the same term applied to Christ’s human nature in Romans 8:3. Affirms real, not merely apparent, humanity; consistency required with the baseline’s ‘Humanity of Christ’ doctrine note.
Humility
Approved rendering: 谦卑
Transliteration: qiānbēi
Doctrine: Unity and Humility in the Church
Rejected alternatives: 谦虚
Original: ταπεινοφροσύνη
Category: Ethics
Philippians 2:3’s ταπεινοφροσύνη. NOT the weaker secular-etiquette term 谦虚 (‘modesty/politeness’). Must be explicitly grounded in 2:5-8 (Christ’s example), not read as Confucian ritual self-effacement performed to preserve social hierarchy and face (面子). Risk of translator under-selection toward the more common 谦虚 flagged as a top-ten ambiguity.
Obedient Unto Death
Approved rendering: 顺服，以至于死
Transliteration: shùnfú, yǐzhìyú sǐ
Doctrine: The Incarnation and Self-Emptying of Christ (Kenosis)
Original: ὑπήκοος μέχρι θανάτου
Category: Christology
Philippians 2:8’s ὑπήκοος μέχρι θανάτου. Christ’s own total, terminal, atoning obedience to the Father — a distinct referent from the believer’s derivative 因信而生的顺服 (obedience of faith); must not be conflated without a clarifying note.
Cross
Approved rendering: 十字架
Transliteration: shízìjià
Doctrine: The Incarnation and Self-Emptying of Christ (Kenosis)
Original: σταυρός
Category: Christology
Philippians 2:8, 3:18. Standard, low-collision term for the historically specific, uniquely shameful Roman execution method. Requires a clarifying note distinguishing this singular event from the generic secular Mandarin idiom ‘背十字架’ (‘carry one’s cross,’ used loosely for ‘bear a heavy burden’).
Highly Exalted
Approved rendering: 升为至高
Transliteration: shēng wéi zhìgāo
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ and Universal Confession
Original: ὑπερύψωσεν
Category: Christology
Philippians 2:9’s ὑπερύψωσεν. Must retain the intensifying ὑπέρ-prefix force (‘above and beyond’), not merely ‘raised up’ — completes the hymn’s descent-then-ascent structure.
Affection And Compassion
Approved rendering: 慈悲怜悯
Transliteration: cíbēi liánmǐn
Doctrine: Unity and Humility in the Church
Original: σπλάγχνα καὶ οἰκτιρμοί
Category: Church
Philippians 2:1’s σπλάγχνα καὶ οἰκτιρμοί, fourth ground for unity. 慈悲 is the standard Chinese Buddhist term for Buddha/Bodhisattva compassion — especially Guanyin (观音), styled ‘大慈大悲,’ arguably the most recognizable religious compound in this glossary. Mandatory clarifying note every occurrence: Spirit-given affection flowing from union with Christ (2:1), not compassion generated through Buddhist spiritual cultivation.
Same Mindedness
Approved rendering: 同心
Transliteration: tóngxīn
Doctrine: Unity and Humility in the Church
Rejected alternatives: 意念相同
Original: τὸ αὐτὸ φρονεῖν
Category: Church
Philippians 2:2 and 2:5’s φρονέω. Must be anchored explicitly to ‘in Christ Jesus’ (2:5), never presented as a free-standing social virtue; risks collapsing into the Confucian social-harmony ideal (和为贵), pursued instrumentally to preserve hierarchy and avoid open conflict rather than express Spirit-given, cross-status equality. This is a subtle risk — the wrong reading sounds like sound moral advice rather than an obvious error.
Poured Out Libation
Approved rendering: 浇奠
Transliteration: jiāodiàn
Doctrine: Sacrificial Gospel Ministry and Service
Original: σπένδομαι
Category: Ministry
Philippians 2:17’s σπένδομαι. 浇奠/奠酒 is also the standard Chinese term for pouring wine/liquor offerings to ancestors or deities (奠酒祭祖). Mandatory clarifying note: describes Paul’s life sacrificially expended in gospel ministry, never a ritual libation performed to honor, appease, or secure merit with ancestors or spirits.
Sacrifice And Service Of Faith
Approved rendering: 信心的祭物和供奉
Transliteration: xìnxīn de jìwù hé gòngfèng
Doctrine: Sacrificial Gospel Ministry and Service
Original: θυσία καὶ λειτουργία τῆς πίστεως
Category: Ministry
Philippians 2:17’s θυσία καὶ λειτουργία τῆς πίστεως. 祭 carries strong associations with Chinese ancestor-veneration (祭祖) and temple worship (祭拜, 上香). Clarifying note required: metaphorical self-giving in gospel service, not a literal ritual offering to gain merit or appease a deity/ancestor.
Knowledge Of Christ
Approved rendering: 认识基督
Transliteration: rènshi Jīdū
Doctrine: Knowledge of Christ as Supreme Value
Original: γνῶσις Χριστοῦ
Category: Salvation
Philippians 3:8’s γνῶσις Χριστοῦ. 认识 conveys relational, personal knowing. Must be distinguished from (a) Buddhist/Daoist contemplative ‘awakening/realization’ (悟) attained through meditative practice, and (b) ancient Gnosticism’s technical γνῶσις as secret, elite salvific knowledge — this is relational knowledge of a person, available to every believer through faith-union without esoteric initiation.
Fellowship In Sufferings
Approved rendering: 一同受苦
Transliteration: yītóng shòukǔ
Doctrine: Joy in Suffering and Imprisonment
Original: κοινωνία[ν] παθημάτων αὐτοῦ
Category: Joy and Suffering
Philippians 3:10’s κοινωνίαν παθημάτων αὐτοῦ. Ties directly to the ch.1 caution on 受苦 vs. the Buddhist suffering-framework; must not be read as merit-accumulating ascetic suffering, but relational participation in Christ.
Mature Perfect
Approved rendering: 完全人
Transliteration: wánquán rén
Doctrine: Pressing on toward the Goal in Christ
Original: τέλειος
Category: Ethics
Philippians 3:15’s τέλειος, explicitly qualified by the ‘not yet attained’ language of 3:12-13. Must be distinguished from the Daoist ‘perfected person/immortal’ ideal (真人, zhēnrén) and from Buddhist attainment states — ongoing spiritual maturity in Christ, not a completed superhuman state achieved through cultivation.
Press On
Approved rendering: 竭力追求
Transliteration: jiélì zhuīqiú
Doctrine: Pressing on toward the Goal in Christ
Rejected alternatives: 修身式的追求
Original: διώκω
Category: Ethics
Philippians 3:12, 3:14’s διώκω, the athletic-race verb central to the named doctrine. Must always be taught together with 3:12’s clarification (‘because Christ Jesus has laid hold of me’) — effort-in-response-to-grace, not effort to earn or achieve righteousness. Apply the same safeguard used for the baseline’s sanctification note (never self-achieved 修身/修炼).
Savior
Approved rendering: 救主
Transliteration: jiùzhǔ
Doctrine: Citizenship in Heaven
Original: σωτήρ
Category: Christology
Philippians 3:20’s σωτήρ. New title-term built from baseline roots 救 (救恩) and 主, following established Chinese Bible-translation-tradition practice rather than transliterating Greek sōtēr.
Joy
Approved rendering: 喜乐
Transliteration: xǐlè
Doctrine: Joy in Suffering and Imprisonment
Rejected alternatives: 快乐, 幸福
Original: χαρά / χαίρω
Category: Joy and Suffering
The book’s keynote term (1:4, 1:18, 1:25; 2:2, 2:17-18, 2:28-29; 3:1; 4:1, 4:4, 4:10). Must be distinguished from generic, circumstance-contingent 快乐/幸福, and must not drift toward the folk fortune/luck semantic field flagged under 福 in the baseline’s gospel note. Philippians’ joy is Christ-grounded and circumstance-independent (4:11-13); pair explicitly with its ground (‘在主里喜乐’) rather than leaving it unanchored, especially at 4:4.
Suffering
Approved rendering: 受苦
Transliteration: shòukǔ
Doctrine: Joy in Suffering and Imprisonment
Original: πάσχειν / πάθημα
Category: Joy and Suffering
Philippians 1:29-30, resumed 3:10. 苦 is the same character used for the Buddhist First Noble Truth (‘all life is suffering,’ 一切皆苦) and 苦海 (‘sea of suffering’), a soteriological framework in which suffering is escaped through detachment/enlightenment. Philippians teaches suffering as a gracious gift (from the χάρις root) and occasion for joy/participation in Christ — the theological opposite. Mandatory clarifying note at every doctrinal occurrence, since the risk is distributed across the whole letter, not concentrated in one verse.
Account Of Giving Receiving
Approved rendering: 通财
Transliteration: tōngcái
Doctrine: Partnership in the Gospel
Original: λόγον δόσεως καὶ λήμψεως
Category: Partnership
Philippians 4:15’s λόγον δόσεως καὶ λήμψεως, CUV’s idiom for a commercial ‘debit and credit’ bookkeeping metaphor. Risks being read through Chinese 人情 (social-obligation reciprocity) culture and the practice of ‘还人情’ (repaying a social debt), adjacent to the baseline’s already-flagged 功德 merit-accounting collision. Mandatory clarifying note: gospel partnership and an offering pleasing to God (4:18), not a social debt obligating reciprocation.
Fragrant Acceptable Sacrifice
Approved rendering: 馨香之祭
Transliteration: xīnxiāng zhī jì
Doctrine: Sacrificial Gospel Ministry and Service
Original: ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας, θυσίαν δεκτήν, εὐάρεστον τῷ θεῷ
Category: Ministry
Philippians 4:18’s ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας, θυσίαν δεκτήν, εὐάρεστον τῷ θεῷ — Levitical burnt-offering imagery applied to the Philippians’ financial gift. Reuse the 祭 caution from 2:17: OT-fulfillment imagery describing God’s pleasure in generous partnership, not a literal ritual sacrifice or incense-offering (上香) to appease a deity or accumulate merit.
Book Of Life
Approved rendering: 生命册
Transliteration: shēngmìng cè
Doctrine: Assurance of Salvation and the Book of Life
Original: βίβλῳ ζωῆς
Category: Eschatology
Philippians 4:3’s βίβλῳ ζωῆς, the standard NT term. Risks direct confusion with the Chinese folk-religious/Daoist underworld ledger 生死簿 (the register of fated lifespan kept by underworld officials/Yama, a trope familiar from Journey to the West). Mandatory clarifying note: God’s gracious register of the redeemed, not a fatalistic bureaucratic ledger administered through karmic accounting.
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. In Philippians the collision risk is compounded by the letter’s own joy vocabulary (喜乐); teaching must keep 福音 as news of salvation through Christ distinct from an omen of coming fortune, especially where gospel and joy/suffering language appear together (1:5, 1:12, 1:27, 4:15).
Peace
Approved rendering: 平安
Transliteration: píng’ān
Doctrine: Prayer and the Peace of God
Rejected alternatives: 安宁, 平安符式的平安
Original: εἰρήνη
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. Present in the greeting (1:2) and intensified as ‘the peace of God’ (4:7, 4:9) — see new term ‘peace_surpassing_understanding’ for the intensified form.
Kingdom Of God
Approved rendering: 神的国
Transliteration: Shén de guó
Doctrine: Citizenship in Heaven
Rejected alternatives: 天下, 王朝
Original: βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ
Category: Kingdom
Inherited from Romans package. Background concept to Philippians 3:20’s citizenship-in-heaven doctrine; teach alongside 天上的国民 so the latter is read through this term, not through PRC civic vocabulary.
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. Background to Philippians’ universal gospel scope (1:5-7, 2:15-16, 4:22).
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. The telos of the Christ hymn (2:11), the fruit believers bear (1:11), the destiny of the resurrection body (3:21), contrasted with false ‘glory’ (3:19) and 虚浮的荣耀 (2:3).
Israel
Approved rendering: 以色列
Transliteration: Yǐsèliè
Doctrine: Warning Against False Teachers (Judaizers)
Original: Ἰσραήλ
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. Philippians 3:5: Paul identifies himself as ‘of the people of Israel’ as part of his former confidence in the flesh, now counted loss.
Abba
Approved rendering: 阿爸
Transliteration: Ābà
Doctrine: Adoption into God’s Family
Inherited from Romans package. Not directly occurring in Philippians’ text but retained for cross-document consistency with the baseline’s Romans 8:15 treatment, since 2:1’s 圣灵的团契 draws on the same filial-Spirit theology.
Encouragement
Approved rendering: 劝勉
Transliteration: quànmiǎn
Doctrine: Unity and Humility in the Church
Rejected alternatives: 安慰 (acceptable supplement where the comfort sense predominates)
Original: παράκλησις
Category: Church
Philippians 2:1’s παράκλησις, first of four grounds for unity. Reuses the baseline ‘exhort’ root; this noun sense leans toward comfort/encouragement more than urging, so 安慰 may be combined depending on Phase 2 sentence context.
Selfish Ambition
Approved rendering: 结党
Transliteration: jiédǎng
Doctrine: Unity and Humility in the Church
Rejected alternatives: 自私的野心
Original: ἐριθεία
Category: Ethics
Philippians 2:3’s ἐριθεία — factional rivalry/self-seeking strife contrasted with humility. Low doctrinal collision; mainly a precision issue distinguishing partisan rivalry from generic ambition.
Empty Conceit
Approved rendering: 虚浮的荣耀
Transliteration: xūfú de róngyào
Doctrine: Unity and Humility in the Church
Rejected alternatives: 虚荣
Original: κενοδοξία
Category: Ethics
Philippians 2:3’s κενοδοξία, contrasted with true 荣耀 (2:11); wordplay with κενόω (‘to empty,’ 2:7). Must always retain the qualifier 虚 (‘empty/vain’) to keep the contrast with God’s true glory legible.
Messenger
Approved rendering: 使者
Transliteration: shǐzhě
Doctrine: Church Leadership and Offices
Rejected alternatives: 差人 (acceptable variant), 使徒 (FORBIDDEN)
Original: ἀπόστολον ὑμῶν
Category: Church
Philippians 2:25’s generic ἀπόστολον ὑμῶν, describing Epaphroditus as ‘your messenger,’ one sent on a practical errand. Must NEVER be rendered 使徒, which would wrongly place him in Paul’s own technical apostolic office and blur that Low-risk baseline term’s precision.
Servant Paul
Approved rendering: 仆人
Transliteration: púrén
Doctrine: Church Leadership and Offices
Original: δοῦλος
Category: Church
Philippians 1:1’s δοῦλος, Paul and Timothy’s voluntary self-designation. Softer than 奴仆 (used of Christ’s radical descent, 2:7). A translator note explaining this deliberate CUV distinction is required so 1:1’s softer rendering never diminishes the shock of Christ’s own descent to actual slave-status.
Overseers And Deacons
Approved rendering: 监督和执事
Transliteration: jiāndū hé zhíshì
Doctrine: Church Leadership and Offices
Original: ἐπίσκοποι καὶ διάκονοι
Category: Church
Philippians 1:1’s ἐπίσκοποι καὶ διάκονοι. 监督 also means secular administrative ‘supervision/inspection’ (e.g. government oversight bodies); a clarifying note distinguishing ecclesial office from political/administrative supervision is recommended.
Partnership In Gospel
Approved rendering: 在福音上的伙伴关系
Transliteration: zài fúyīn shàng de huǒbàn guānxi
Doctrine: Partnership in the Gospel
Rejected alternatives: 同心合意地兴旺福音 (CUV idiom; underrepresents active-partnership sense)
Original: κοινωνία εἰς τὸ εὐαγγέλιον
Category: Partnership
Philippians 1:5’s κοινωνία εἰς τὸ εὐαγγέλιον, resumed 4:14-15. CUV’s idiomatic rendering risks losing the active, material, mutual-support sense; recommend supplementing 团契 with 伙伴 (partner) language in expository text so the partnership theme is not underrepresented.
Day Of Christ
Approved rendering: 基督的日子
Transliteration: Jīdū de rìzi
Doctrine: Day of Christ and Future Hope
Original: ἡμέρα Χριστοῦ
Category: Eschatology
Philippians 1:6, 1:10, 2:16. Must not be conflated with cyclical dynastic-age eschatology (治乱循环) or a future-expected-savior pattern; reuses the baseline’s Messianic Promise caution against conflating Christ’s once-for-all coming with a figure like Maitreya (弥勒).
Gain Loss
Approved rendering: 益处 / 有损
Transliteration: yìchù / yǒusǔn
Doctrine: Knowledge of Christ as Supreme Value
Original: κέρδος / ζημία
Category: Ethics
Paul’s commercial-ledger contrast: ‘to live is Christ, to die is gain’ (1:21) and counting all things ‘loss’ for knowing Christ (3:7-8). Must be rendered consistently across both occurrences (chapters 1 and 3).
Bonds Chains
Approved rendering: 捆锁
Transliteration: kǔnsuǒ
Doctrine: Joy in Suffering and Imprisonment
Original: δεσμά / δεσμοί
Category: Joy and Suffering
Paul’s imprisonment (1:7, 1:13-14, 1:17). In an honor/shame-sensitive context, imprisonment typically signals social disgrace and loss of face (面子); Philippians 1 explicitly reverses this (1:12-14, 1:18) and this reversal must be preserved, never softened into a neutral or shameful description.
Dogs
Approved rendering: 犬类
Transliteration: quǎnlèi
Doctrine: Warning Against False Teachers (Judaizers)
Rejected alternatives: 狗 (acceptable colloquial variant)
Original: κύνες
Category: Covenant
Philippians 3:2’s κύνες, ironically redirecting an insult historically applied by Jews to Gentiles back onto Judaizing teachers. The rhetorical reversal will likely be lost without a translator’s note, though the base insult (狗) functions comparably in Chinese and needs no softening.
Rubbish
Approved rendering: 粪土
Transliteration: fèntǔ
Doctrine: Knowledge of Christ as Supreme Value
Rejected alternatives: 废物, 垃圾
Original: σκύβαλα
Category: Ethics
Philippians 3:8’s σκύβαλα, an intentionally crude, visceral word for what Paul once prized. Retain CUV’s vivid intensity; do not soften to a milder 废物/垃圾, which would blunt Paul’s rhetorical force.
Conformed To His Death
Approved rendering: 效法他的死
Transliteration: xiàofǎ tā de sǐ
Doctrine: Resurrection and Bodily Transformation
Original: συμμορφιζόμενος τῷ θανάτῳ αὐτοῦ
Category: Christology
Philippians 3:10’s συμμορφιζόμενος τῷ θανάτῳ αὐτοῦ. Standard CUV rendering; low collision.
Prize
Approved rendering: 奖赏
Transliteration: jiǎngshǎng
Doctrine: Pressing on toward the Goal in Christ
Original: βραβεῖον
Category: Ethics
Philippians 3:14’s βραβεῖον. Distinguish from a merit-earned wage; it is the relational prize of fuller possession of Christ, not payment for service rendered.
Body Of Humiliation Glory
Approved rendering: 卑贱的身体 / 荣耀的身体
Transliteration: bēijiàn de shēntǐ / róngyào de shēntǐ
Doctrine: Resurrection and Bodily Transformation
Original: σῶμα τῆς ταπεινώσεως / σῶμα τῆς δόξης
Category: Eschatology
Philippians 3:21’s σῶμα τῆς ταπεινώσεως / σῶμα τῆς δόξης. Ties to the baseline’s Critical Resurrection doctrine — this transformation is bodily and once-for-all, not reincarnation into a new body.
Who Strengthens Me
Approved rendering: 使我有力量的
Transliteration: shǐ wǒ yǒu lìliàng de
Doctrine: Contentment in All Circumstances
Rejected alternatives: 气, 法力
Original: ἐνδυναμοῦντί με
Category: God
Philippians 4:13’s ἐνδυναμοῦντί με — the Christ-dependent source of Paul’s contentment, immediately following and grounding 4:11’s 知足. Reuse the baseline 神的大能 forbidden-substitution list: NEVER 气 (vital life-energy of Chinese medicine/qigong/martial-arts cosmology) or 法力 (folk-ritual power).
Shared In Affliction
Approved rendering: 一同分担患难
Transliteration: yītóng fēndān huànnàn
Doctrine: Partnership in the Gospel
Original: συγκοινωνήσαντές μου τῇ θλίψει
Category: Partnership
Philippians 4:14’s συγκοινωνήσαντές μου τῇ θλίψει. Extends the ‘Partnership in the Gospel’ doctrine established in 1:5; low collision risk.
Peace Surpassing Understanding
Approved rendering: 出人意外的平安
Transliteration: chū rén yìwài de píng’ān
Doctrine: Prayer and the Peace of God
Original: εἰρήνη τοῦ θεοῦ ἡ ὑπερέχουσα πάντα νοῦν
Category: God
Philippians 4:7’s εἰρήνη τοῦ θεοῦ ἡ ὑπερέχουσα πάντα νοῦν. Reuse baseline 平安 caution against the folk-amulet/general-well-being sense; the qualifier 出人意外的 must be retained to mark this as a supernatural, guarding peace, not ordinary tranquility achievable by one’s own effort.
Lord Is At Hand
Approved rendering: 主已经近了
Transliteration: Zhǔ yǐjīng jìn le
Doctrine: Day of Christ and Future Hope
Original: ὁ κύριος ἐγγύς
Category: Eschatology
Philippians 4:5’s ὁ κύριος ἐγγύς. Brief clarifying note recommended distinguishing spatial nearness from the intended eschatological sense (Christ’s imminent return); ties to 基督的日子.
Anxiety
Approved rendering: 忧虑
Transliteration: yōulǜ
Doctrine: Prayer and the Peace of God
Original: μεριμνᾶτε
Category: Ethics
Philippians 4:6’s μεριμνᾶτε (prohibitive). No major collision; contrasts directly with 知足 (contentment) and should be taught as its foil, not in isolation.
Virtue
Approved rendering: 德行
Transliteration: déxíng
Doctrine: Christian Ethics and Virtue
Original: ἀρετή
Category: Ethics
Philippians 4:8’s ἀρετή — Paul’s only NT use of this classical Greco-Roman philosophical virtue-term. A genuine bridge-with-caution rather than a pure collision: must remain anchored to 4:9’s Christ-centered framing (‘what you have learned and received… in me’) so it is never taught as free-standing Confucian self-cultivation ethics detached from Christ.
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. Used of Paul’s own office (1:1). Must NEVER be used for Epaphroditus (2:25), whose ἀπόστολος is the generic ‘sent one’ sense — see new term ‘messenger’ below.
Thanksgiving
Approved rendering: 感恩
Transliteration: gǎn’ēn
Doctrine: Thanksgiving and Prayer
Original: εὐχαριστία
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package. Present throughout Philippians’ prayer language (1:3-4, 4:6).
Fellowship
Approved rendering: 团契
Transliteration: tuánqì
Doctrine: Partnership in the Gospel
Rejected alternatives: 交情, 结拜
Original: κοινωνία
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package. Root concept behind Philippians’ partnership, unity, and suffering-fellowship language (1:5, 2:1, 3:10). See new compounds 圣灵的团契 and 在福音上的伙伴关系, which extend this root for Philippians-specific senses.
David
Approved rendering: 大卫
Transliteration: Dàwèi
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant
Original: Δαυίδ
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. Not directly named in Philippians; retained for cross-curriculum vocabulary consistency since Christ’s Davidic descent is presupposed background to his Messianic identity.
Exhort
Approved rendering: 劝勉
Transliteration: quànmiǎn
Doctrine: Mutual Edification
Original: παρακαλέω
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package. Verbal cognate underlying the noun παράκλησις in Philippians 2:1; also used for the new noun-sense entry ‘encouragement’ below.
Regard Others Interests
Approved rendering: 顾念
Transliteration: gùniàn
Doctrine: Unity and Humility in the Church
Original: σκοπέω
Category: Ethics
Philippians 2:4’s σκοπέω — the practical outworking of humility, anticipating Christ’s own regard for humanity’s need (2:6-8). Standard vocabulary; no significant collision.
Circumcision
Approved rendering: 割礼
Transliteration: gēlǐ
Doctrine: Warning Against False Teachers (Judaizers)
Original: περιτομή
Category: Covenant
Philippians 3:3, 3:5. Standard, established, low-collision term for the Jewish covenant sign.
Goal
Approved rendering: 目标
Transliteration: mùbiāo
Doctrine: Pressing on toward the Goal in Christ
Original: σκοπός
Category: Ethics
Philippians 3:14’s σκοπός, cognate of σκοπέω in 2:4. Standard vocabulary; no significant collision.
Agon Struggle
Approved rendering: 争战
Transliteration: zhēngzhàn
Doctrine: Joy in Suffering and Imprisonment
Philippians 1:30’s ἀγών, athletic/military struggle-metaphor. Standard vocabulary; low collision, minor precision term supporting the suffering/perseverance theme.
Referenced passages