Semantic Analysis
Semantic Analysis: Ephesians (Koine Greek → Marathi)
How to read this document
Each entry gives: original Greek term, transliteration, literal meaning, semantic range, English variants seen across major English versions, the contextual theological meaning in Ephesians, and the destination-language (Marathi) rendering risk — including collisions with Warkari bhakti devotionalism, Vaishnav avatar theology, Navayana Buddhist doctrine (anatta, karma, self-cultivation, nirvana), Shakti/goddess traditions, folk possession/exorcism practice, and caste-linked vocabulary, consistent with the risk classes already documented in the Romans baseline.
Terms already fixed in translation_memory.json are marked (baseline — reuse exactly) and are not re-argued; they are listed for completeness and cross-reference only.
PART A — CORE PASSAGE: Ephesians 2:1-10 (Verse-by-Verse)
This is the theological anchor of the curriculum: humanity’s condition apart from Christ (vv.1–3), God’s saving initiative (vv.4–7), and the grace-through-faith, not-of-works structure of salvation (vv.8–10).
Ephesians 2:1 — “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins”
| Term (Greek/translit) | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual theological meaning | Marathi rendering | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| νεκρός / nekros | dead, corpse-like | physical death; metaphorical spiritual deadness; total incapacity | ”dead,” “spiritually dead” | Total spiritual incapacity before God, not partial weakness — humanity’s default condition apart from Christ | मृत (mṛta) | High. Must not be softened to “sick” or “weak” (कमजोर); the text asserts total inability, foundational to the grace-not-works argument in vv.8-9. |
| παράπτωμα / paraptōma | a false step, a fall, a trespass | a specific act of wrongdoing, distinct from ἁμαρτία’s broader sense of “missing the mark" | "trespasses,” “transgressions,” “sins” | Paired with ἁμαρτία for rhetorical fullness: every category of wrongdoing, not one class only | अपराध (aparādh) | Medium. Distinct from पाप (baseline “sin”); both must appear so the pairing’s rhetorical weight is not lost by collapsing to one Marathi word. |
| ἁμαρτία / hamartia | missing the mark | moral transgression before a personal God | ”sins” | See baseline entry | पाप (baseline — reuse exactly) | High (per baseline) |
Ephesians 2:2 — “in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit now at work in the sons of disobedience”
| Term | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual theological meaning | Marathi rendering | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| περιπατέω / peripateō | to walk about | metaphorically: habitual conduct, a whole way of life | ”walked,” “lived,” “conducted yourselves” | The dominant ethical metaphor of Ephesians (2:2,10; 4:1,17; 5:2,8,15) — one’s entire manner of life, not a single act | आचरण करणे / (चालणे) | High. Recurring load-bearing verb across the whole book; must be rendered consistently so the “old walk vs. new walk” contrast (esp. ch. 4-5) remains visible to the Marathi reader. Literal “चालणे” alone can read as mere physical walking; “आचरण करणे” (to conduct oneself) better carries the habitual-life sense. |
| αἰών (τοῦ κόσμου τούτου) / aiōn | age, epoch | the present fallen world-order/age, as opposed to the age to come | ”course of this world,” “ways of this world,” “age” | The present corrupted world-system in rebellion against God, contrasted with “the coming ages” of v.7 | या जगाचा प्रवाह / या युगाची चालरीत | Medium. Must avoid rendering as Hindu cyclical yuga cosmology (recurring cosmic ages); this is a linear, morally-loaded “present age” contrasted with a future consummation, not one turn of an endless cosmic wheel. |
| ἄρχων τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ ἀέρος / archōn tēs exousias tou aeros | ruler of the authority of the air | Satan’s title as a spiritual power operating in the unseen realm | ”prince of the power of the air,” “ruler of the kingdom of the air” | Satan’s present, limited-but-real dominion over the fallen world-system | हवेतील अधिकाराचा अधिपती | High. Risk of assimilation to folk-Hindu/animist belief in aerial or wind spirits (vāyu-related folk deities) and to village-deity/spirit-possession frameworks common in rural Maharashtra. Must be clearly framed as the singular figure of Satan/the devil (सैतान, already used in ch. 6), not one spirit among many local aerial spirits to be placated. |
| πνεῦμα / pneuma (τὸ νῦν ἐνεργοῦν) | spirit, the one now working | here: the demonic spirit of disobedience actively at work, NOT the Holy Spirit | ”the spirit now at work,” “the spirit that is now operative” | Contrast term — a hostile, personal spiritual force, deliberately distinct from πνεῦμα ἅγιον | आत्मा (contextually: दुष्ट आत्मा, not पवित्र आत्मा) | High. Translators must never let this bare “spirit” collapse toward or be confused with पवित्र आत्मा (baseline, Critical); add translator note distinguishing the two every occurrence. |
| υἱοὶ τῆς ἀπειθείας / huioi tēs apeitheias | sons of disobedience | a Hebraic idiom: those characterized by disobedience | ”sons of disobedience,” “those who are disobedient” | Describes humanity’s rebellious condition, characterizing not by parentage/birth but by moral disposition | आज्ञाभंगाचे पुत्र | Medium. “Sons of” is a Hebraic idiom of characterization, not physical lineage; must not be misread through a birth/caste-status lens (cf. baseline’s caution on “children of wrath” below and universal_human_accountability). |
Ephesians 2:3 — “among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind”
| Term | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual theological meaning | Marathi rendering | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἐπιθυμίαι τῆς σαρκός / epithymiai tēs sarkos | desires/cravings of the flesh | sinful appetites of fallen human nature | ”passions of the flesh,” “lusts of the flesh,” “sinful desires” | The corrupted appetite of unredeemed human nature, common to all people, Jew and Gentile alike (v.3b “like the rest of mankind”) | देहाच्या वासना (proposed) / देहाच्या इच्छा (safer alternative) | High. वासना is a loaded technical term in Hindu Vedantic and Buddhist Abhidharma psychology, denoting latent karmic imprints/tendencies carried across experiences (or lives). Using वासना risks importing a karma-residue framework into what Paul presents as a universal, present moral condition, not an accumulated karmic inheritance. Recommend देहाच्या (पापी) इच्छा as the safer default, with वासना avoided or used only with an explicit disambiguating gloss. |
| θέλημα (τῆς σαρκὸς καὶ τῶν διανοιῶν) / thelēma | will, desire | the willed intentions of body and mind | ”desires of the body and the mind,” “wishes of the flesh and mind” | Sin engages the whole person — body and reasoning faculty alike — not merely instinct | (शरीराच्या आणि मनाच्या) इच्छा | Medium. |
| φύσις / physis (φύσει) | nature | inherent, given condition, not acquired by choice or ritual status | ”by nature,” “naturally” | All humanity, without distinction, is by inherent condition under wrath — a universal claim | स्वभावतः (svabhāvataḥ) | High. Directly touches “Universal Human Accountability” (baseline, High risk): must be phrased so it plainly means every human being, of every social station, shares this condition equally — never rendered in a way that could echo the caste-Hindu doctrine (explicitly and rightly rejected by Ambedkarite Buddhist converts) that birth status reflects inherited sin/karma from a past life. |
| τέκνα ὀργῆς / tekna orgēs | children of wrath | a Hebraic idiom: those under/destined for God’s righteous judgment | ”children of wrath,” “objects of wrath,” “deserving of wrath” | Every person’s condition prior to grace — not an inherited caste/birth curse, but the common human condition God’s grace addresses in v.4 | क्रोधाची लेकरे / क्रोधाची संतती | Critical. The single highest-risk phrase in this passage. “By nature children of wrath” could easily be heard, in this cultural setting, as an echo of the birth-karma explanation of low social status that Ambedkarite Buddhist communities explicitly and painfully renounced. Requires an explicit teaching note: this is a universal declaration (v.3b “like the rest of mankind” / “अन्य सर्वांप्रमाणे”) — everyone, of every background, shares it equally, and it is answered not by better birth or self-effort but solely by God’s initiative in v.4. |
Ephesians 2:4 — “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us”
| Term | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual theological meaning | Marathi rendering | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| πλούσιος ἐν ἐλέει / plousios en eleei | rich in mercy | God’s abundant compassion toward those deserving judgment | ”rich in mercy,” “abounding in mercy” | God’s own initiative, contrasted with human deadness (v.1) and universal condemnation (v.3) — the turning point of the passage | दयेत श्रीमंत / अपार दया असलेला | Medium. “Rich” language anticipates “riches of grace” in v.7; keep the wealth-metaphor consistent across the passage. |
| ἀγάπη (πολλή) / agapē | love | self-giving, unconditional love, God’s chosen love toward the unworthy | ”great love,” “great love with which he loved us” | God’s initiating love as the ground of salvation, prior to and independent of any human merit or devotion | प्रीती (prītī) | High. Must be distinguished from bhakti (भक्ति), which in Warkari devotion names the devotee’s directed love/devotion toward Vitthal; here the flow is reversed — this is God’s prior, unearned love toward sinners, not a human devotional achievement. |
Ephesians 2:5 — “even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—“
| Term | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual theological meaning | Marathi rendering | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| συζωοποιέω / syzōopoieō | to make alive together with | union with Christ in his life-giving resurrection power | ”made us alive together with,” “brought to life with” | Believers’ new life is not self-generated but a sharing in Christ’s own resurrection life — inseparable from Christology | ख्रिस्तासोबत एकत्र जिवंत केले | High. Must retain the “together with Christ” union-language; do not flatten to a generic “gave new life,” which would lose the participatory/union-with-Christ theology carried through into ch. 2:6. |
| χάριτί ἐστε σεσῳσμένοι / chariti este sesōsmenoi | by grace you are (having been) saved | perfect passive: a completed act with continuing present result | ”by grace you have been saved,” “it is by grace you are saved” | The thesis-clause of the whole passage — salvation is a completed divine act received, not an ongoing self-achievement | कृपेने तारलेले आहात | Critical. Both terms are Critical-risk baseline terms (कृपा, तारण) appearing together for the first time in this precise construction; the perfect tense (“have been saved,” a settled state) must not be weakened into a future hope or an ongoing process one must complete through further effort/merit. This exact phrase should be locked for consistency across the whole curriculum (cf. Romans 1:16-17 precedent in the baseline). |
Ephesians 2:6 — “and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus”
| Term | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual theological meaning | Marathi rendering | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| συνεγείρω / synegeirō | to raise up together with | union with Christ’s own resurrection | ”raised us up with him” | Extends v.5’s union-with-Christ theme into resurrection language proper (πुनरुत्थान family) | ख्रिस्तासोबत एकत्र उठवले | Critical. Must use the established पुनरुत्थान root/verb family (baseline, Critical) and never a rebirth term (पुनर्जन्म/पुनर्भव); this is participation in Christ’s own historical, bodily resurrection victory, not a new personal life-cycle. |
| συγκαθίζω / synkathizō | to seat together with | present, positional participation in Christ’s heavenly enthronement | ”seated us with him” | A remarkable present-tense claim: believers already share Christ’s exalted position, not merely a future hope | ख्रिस्तासोबत एकत्र बसवले | High. |
| ἐπουράνιος (τόποις) / epouraniois | heavenly (places) | the spiritual realm of Christ’s present reign and spiritual conflict (recurs 1:3,20; 3:10; 6:12) | “heavenly places,” “heavenly realms” | Not a future afterlife destination alone, but the present spiritual realm from which Christ reigns and in which spiritual warfare (ch. 6) occurs | स्वर्गीय स्थाने | High. Risk of conflation with the Hindu concept of svarga (स्वर्ग) — a temporary heavenly realm within the karma-saṃsāra cycle, exhausted and followed by further rebirth. This Marathi phrase must be taught as the eternal, present spiritual realm of Christ’s reign, not a temporary merit-earned heavenly stay. |
Ephesians 2:7 — “so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus”
| Term | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual theological meaning | Marathi rendering | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| αἰῶσιν τοῖς ἐπερχομένοις / aiōsin tois eperchomenois | the ages that are coming | future eschatological time, without end | ”coming ages,” “ages to come” | Linear, forward-moving redemptive history, not a cyclical repetition of ages | येणारी युगे | Medium. Avoid cyclical yuga-cosmology connotations (cf. 2:2 note). |
| ὑπερβάλλον πλοῦτος (τῆς χάριτος) / hyperballon ploutos | surpassing/overflowing riches | superlative abundance, beyond measure | ”immeasurable riches,” “surpassing riches,” “incomparable riches” | The eternal display-purpose of salvation: God’s grace shown off forever as a trophy of kindness, not human achievement | कृपेची अगाध श्रीमंती / कृपेचे अपार धन | High (compounds with कृपा, Critical). |
| χρηστότης / chrēstotēs | kindness, goodness | benevolent disposition expressed in action | ”kindness,” “goodness” | God’s kindness as the tone in which grace is displayed — gentle, not transactional | ममता / दयाळूपणा | Low-Medium. |
Ephesians 2:8 — “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God”
| Term | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual theological meaning | Marathi rendering | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| χάρις / charis | grace | unmerited favor | ”grace” | See baseline; reasserted here as the sole means | कृपा (baseline — reuse exactly) | Critical (per baseline) |
| πίστις / pistis (διά) | faith, through faith | the receiving instrument, not a meritorious act itself | ”through faith,” “by faith” | Faith is the empty hand that receives grace, not a contributory work; must not be misread as itself a meritorious religious achievement | विश्वास (baseline — reuse exactly) | High (per baseline). Extra care here: the whole clause structure (“by grace… through faith… not of yourselves”) must make clear that even faith is not self-generated merit. |
| δῶρον / dōron | gift, present | a freely-given gift, with no expectation of return | ”gift,” “the gift of God” | Salvation entire — grace, faith, and the saving act — is God’s gift, not a human-initiated transaction | देवाचे दान / देवाची देणगी | High. दान in the Hindu devotional and social context is itself a meritorious religious act of giving (a recognized source of puṇya/merit for the giver) — using दान here risks making salvation sound like a pious transaction rather than an unmerited gift received. देणगी (a plain gift/present, without ritual-merit overtones) is the safer default rendering; if दान is used, it must be anchored with the explicit “not of yourselves” (v.8b) / “not a result of works” (v.9) clauses so the merit-transaction reading cannot stand. |
Ephesians 2:9 — “not a result of works, so that no one may boast”
| Term | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual theological meaning | Marathi rendering | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἔργα / erga | works, deeds | human moral/religious effort or achievement | ”works,” “deeds,” “human effort” | The explicit negative counterpart to grace — salvation excludes any contribution from human moral or religious performance | कामे (recommended) — NEVER कर्म | Critical. कर्म is the central technical term of the Hindu/Buddhist karma doctrine — the moral law by which deeds in this life (or past lives) determine one’s present and future condition. Rendering ἔργα as कर्म would import precisely the meritorious, cause-effect framework Paul is excluding. This is one of the most theologically load-bearing lexical choices in the entire book and should be formally added to the Critical Forbidden Substitution list: NEVER कर्म for “works” in salvation-by-grace contexts — always कामे. |
| καυχάομαι / kauchaomai | to boast | self-congratulation over one’s own achievement | ”boast,” “take pride,” “have grounds for boasting” | Salvation’s structure (grace, not works) is specifically designed to exclude self-congratulation, whether religious (merit) or social (status) | बढाई मारणे / गर्व करणे | Medium. |
Ephesians 2:10 — “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them”
| Term | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual theological meaning | Marathi rendering | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ποίημα / poiēma | that which is made, a work of craftsmanship | a made thing, a masterwork (only here and Romans 1:20 in the NT) | “workmanship,” “handiwork,” “masterpiece” | Believers are God’s own artistic product, not self-made; resolves the tension of v.8-9 (not of works) with v.10 (created for good works) | देवाची कृती / देवाची घडण | Medium-High. Must not be rendered as “देवाचे कर्म” — reintroduces the same karma-collision risk as v.9. Prefer घडण (a “shaping/making,” a crafted product) or कृती (a “made work,” neutral of karmic connotation). |
| κτίζω / ktizō | to create | divine creative act, ex nihilo or re-creative | ”created” | New-creation language: this is a fresh act of God’s creative power in Christ, not self-reform | निर्माण करणे | Low-Medium. |
| ἔργα ἀγαθά / erga agatha | good works | deeds that flow from, not toward, salvation | ”good works” | The purpose (not the ground) of salvation: believers are saved unto good works, not by them — the reverse order of merit-based religion | चांगली कामे — NEVER चांगली कर्मे | Critical. Same collision as v.9’s ἔργα; consistency of कामे (never कर्म/कर्मे) across vv.9-10 is essential so the grace/works contrast is not blurred by vocabulary drift within the same short passage. |
| προετοιμάζω / proetoimazō | to prepare beforehand | God’s sovereign prior planning of the believer’s good works | ”prepared beforehand,” “planned in advance” | Even the believer’s good works are within God’s prior sovereign plan, not self-initiated religious striving | अगोदरच तयार केलेली | Medium. Touches Election/Predestination doctrine; avoid fatalistic phrasing (cf. baseline election caution re. नशीब/दैव/कर्मफळ). |
| περιπατέω / peripateō | to walk | see 2:2 above | ”that we should walk in them,” “live in them” | The good works are the “walk” (habitual life) that flows from grace, closing the ring back to 2:2’s “you once walked” — the whole passage is framed by two contrasting “walks” | आचरण करावे | High (see 2:2). |
PART B — WHOLE-BOOK CHAPTER-BY-CHAPTER ANALYSIS
Chapter 1 — Blessing, Election, and the Mystery of God’s Will
| Term (Greek/translit) | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual theological meaning | Marathi rendering | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| εὐλογία / eulogia (εὐλογήσας) | blessing, to bless | God’s bestowal of every spiritual benefit | ”blessed us,” “every spiritual blessing” | The opening doxology (1:3) frames the whole letter: all blessing is “in Christ,” in the “heavenly places” | आशीर्वाद (āśīrvād) | Medium. आशीर्वाद is common devotional vocabulary (elders’ blessing, guru’s blessing, deity’s blessing in bhakti practice) — must be anchored as flowing specifically “in Christ” (1:3), not a generic elder/deity blessing. |
| ἐκλέγομαι / eklegomai (ἐξελέξατο) | to choose out | God’s sovereign choosing “before the foundation of the world” (1:4) | “he chose us,” “elected” | See baseline “election” (देवाची निवड); Ephesians 1:4 grounds election “before the foundation of the world,” intensifying the pre-temporal, sovereign-grace claim | देवाची निवड (baseline — reuse exactly) | High (per baseline) |
| προορίζω / proorizō (προορίσας) | to mark out/determine beforehand | God’s prior determination of believers’ destiny — sonship (1:5), inheritance (1:11) | “predestined,” “predetermined,” “foreordained” | Distinct from, but closely paired with, ἐκλέγομαι: not merely God’s choice of persons but his prior determination of their destiny (adoption, inheritance) | पूर्वनियोजित केले (verb) / पूर्वनियोजन (noun) — new term, proposed addition | Critical. Must extend the same guard already established for “election” in the baseline: never render with नशीब, दैव, or कर्मफळ (fate, destiny-as-impersonal-force, or karmic result), which would make God’s personal predetermination sound like an impersonal cosmic ledger — precisely the framework Ambedkarite Buddhist communities in Maharashtra explicitly rejected. Predestination here is God’s personal, relational determination of adoption and inheritance in Christ, addressed to real individuals he loves, not an impersonal fate. |
| υἱοθεσία / huiothesia | adoption as sons | See baseline | ”adoption,” “sonship” | Ephesians 1:5 grounds adoption in God’s predestining love, “according to the purpose of his will” | दत्तक पुत्रत्व (baseline — reuse exactly) | High (per baseline) |
| χάρις / charis (ἡ χάρις αὐτοῦ ἡ ἐνδοξωμένη, τὸν πλοῦτον τῆς χάριτος) | grace | See baseline | ”grace,” “riches of his grace” | 1:6-8 introduces the “riches of grace” theme resumed at 2:7 | कृपा (baseline — reuse exactly) | Critical (per baseline) |
| ἀπολύτρωσις / apolytrōsis | redemption, release by payment of a ransom price | deliverance secured at a cost — “through his blood” (1:7) | “redemption,” “release” | Deliverance purchased specifically by Christ’s blood, tied immediately to “forgiveness of trespasses” | उद्धार / खंडणी — new term, proposed addition | Critical. Conceptually adjacent to “salvation” (तारण, Critical baseline). Must never be rendered so as to suggest मोक्ष/मुक्ती-style self-attained liberation; this is a payment made by Christ, received by the believer, not a state a devotee or practitioner attains through their own religious effort. Recommend खंडणी (ransom-price paid) as the technical term, glossed with उद्धार (deliverance) for readability, consistently distinguished from तारण (the resulting state of being saved). |
| ἄφεσις (τῶν παραπτωμάτων) / aphesis | release, forgiveness | the cancelling of a debt/offense | ”forgiveness of trespasses/sins” | Forgiveness as a direct fruit of redemption through Christ’s blood | क्षमा | Low-Medium. |
| μυστήριον / mystērion | mystery, secret | in Paul: not an unknowable secret but a previously hidden divine plan, now fully disclosed in Christ | ”mystery,” “secret purpose” | God’s redemptive plan, hidden in ages past, now revealed — the theme resumed and expanded in ch. 3 | रहस्य (rahasya) — new term, proposed addition | High. रहस्य is a neutral Marathi word for “secret,” but risk exists of assimilation to esoteric traditions of secret/initiatory knowledge (गूढ ज्ञान, tantric or occult “hidden knowledge” traditions, and to a lesser degree Buddhist esoteric transmission concepts). Must be taught explicitly as a secret that has been fully disclosed to all believers through the gospel — the opposite of an esoteric teaching reserved for a spiritual elite. |
| σφραγίζω / sphragizō (ἐσφραγίσθητε) | to seal | a mark of ownership, authentication, and security | ”sealed,” “marked” | The Holy Spirit as God’s seal of ownership and guarantee on believers (1:13) | शिक्का मारणे (verb) / आत्म्याचा शिक्का (noun phrase) — new term | Medium. |
| ἀρραβών / arrabōn | down payment, pledge, guarantee/first installment | a partial payment guaranteeing the full amount to come | ”guarantee,” “down payment,” “pledge,” “deposit” | The Holy Spirit as the present guarantee of the believer’s full future inheritance | बयाणा / जामीन — new term | Medium. Commercial/legal term; low risk of religious collision, but must be clearly connected to वतन/inheritance below so the “already/not yet” logic is visible. |
| κληρονομία / klēronomia | inheritance | a possession received by right, not earned | ”inheritance,” “possession” | Believers’ future inheritance guaranteed by the Spirit (1:14,18) | वतन (established OT-inheritance term) | High. Reinforces Adoption doctrine (baseline, High) — inheritance is the adopted son’s right, not a merited reward. |
| σοφία καὶ ἀποκάλυψις / sophia kai apokalypsis | wisdom and revelation | Spirit-given insight into God’s plan | ”spirit of wisdom and revelation” | Prayer (1:17) that believers grasp what God has already done, not attain new esoteric insight through effort | ज्ञान आणि प्रकटीकरण | Medium. |
| δύναμις / dynamis (τῆς ἰσχύος αὐτοῦ) | power, might | the same power that raised Christ, now at work in believers (1:19-20) | “power,” “immeasurable greatness of his power” | Directly ties to resurrection power — the identical power that raised Jesus is at work in believers | देवाचे सामर्थ्य (baseline — reuse “power_of_god” exactly) | High (per baseline). Never शक्ती — see baseline note on Shakti/goddess tradition. |
| κεφαλή / kephalē | head | source, authority, or preeminent one | ”head over all things,” “head of the church” | Christ’s supreme headship over both the cosmos and the church — introduces the Body-of-Christ ecclesiology developed through ch. 4-5 | मस्तक — new term, proposed addition | High. Foundational to “Church as Body of Christ” doctrine. Must not be flattened to merely “डोके” (the physical head/skull), which loses the authority-source metaphor; मस्तक carries the “chief/head” leadership sense already used in some Marathi Bible traditions. |
| σῶμα (αὐτοῦ, ἡ ἐκκλησία) / sōma | body | the church as Christ’s own body, of which he is head | ”his body, which is the church” | The first appearance of the Body-of-Christ metaphor (1:22-23), foundational to the whole letter’s ecclesiology | (ख्रिस्ताचे) शरीर — new term, proposed addition | High. Core to the “Church as the Body of Christ” doctrine; must be kept visually and lexically distinct from मंडळी (baseline “church” = the assembly/congregation) — the body-metaphor and the assembly-term work together, not interchangeably: मंडळी, जी ख्रिस्ताचे शरीर आहे. |
| πλήρωμα / plērōma | fullness | that which fills, completes, or is filled | ”fullness of him who fills all in all” | The church is the “fullness” of Christ — a dense, debated phrase; conveys the church as the sphere in which Christ’s fullness is displayed/completed in some sense | परिपूर्णता — new term, proposed addition | High. Recurs at 3:19 and 4:13, forming a thread through the book; must be rendered consistently. Avoid any phrasing suggesting the church adds something Christ lacks (a subordinationist misreading), and avoid resonance with Hindu/Vedantic “all-pervading fullness of Brahman” (सर्वव्यापी पूर्णता) monistic language — this fullness is relational/christological, not an impersonal metaphysical plenum. |
Chapter 2 — Salvation by Grace (2:1-10, see Part A) and the Unity of Jews and Gentiles (2:11-22)
Verses 1-10 are fully treated in Part A above. Verses 11-22 introduce the following new load-bearing terms:
| Term | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual theological meaning | Marathi rendering | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἀκροβυστία / περιτομή (implied contrast) | uncircumcision / circumcision | ethnic-religious identity markers of Gentile and Jew | ”uncircumcision,” “circumcision” | The old ethnic-religious division that Christ abolishes; background for the “dividing wall” image | अन्यजातीय / सुंता (established, contextual) | Medium. अन्यजातीय (baseline “gentiles”) reused; सुंता (circumcision) is the standard Marathi term, low collision risk. |
| μεσότοιχον τοῦ φραγμοῦ / mesotoichon tou phragmou | the middle wall of the partition/fence | a literal architectural image (the Jerusalem Temple’s dividing barrier between Jew and Gentile courts), used metaphorically | ”dividing wall of hostility,” “barrier,” “middle wall of partition” | Christ’s death abolishes the Jew-Gentile barrier entirely — a vivid, concrete image of removed hostility | मधली वैराची भिंत — new term, proposed addition | High. This image has unusually direct positive resonance in Maharashtra, where the breaking of social/caste dividing walls is recent living memory (cf. baseline’s “universal_scope_of_gospel” note on the 1956 Ambedkarite conversion). This resonance should be used to strengthen the teaching, not softened — Christ genuinely, historically, and permanently abolishes dividing walls between peoples, of every kind. |
| εἷς καινὸς ἄνθρωπος / heis kainos anthrōpos | one new man | a single new corporate humanity created out of two formerly-divided groups | ”one new man,” “one new humanity,” “one new people” | Not individual self-improvement but a new corporate identity created by Christ’s reconciling work — Jew and Gentile together in one new people | एक नवा मनुष्य / एक नवी मानवता — new term, proposed addition | High. Central to “Unity of Jews and Gentiles” doctrine. Must be taught as a corporate, Christ-created reality, not individual self-transformation (which could otherwise be assimilated to the Buddhist Eightfold Path’s self-cultivated ethical transformation of the individual practitioner). |
| ἀποκαταλλάσσω / apokatallassō | to reconcile fully | restoring right relationship where hostility existed | ”reconcile,” “reconcile both to God” | Reconciliation is both horizontal (Jew-Gentile) and vertical (humanity-God), accomplished “through the cross” | समेट करणे / समेट घडवणे | Medium-High. |
| ἔχθρα / echthra | enmity, hostility | active hostility, not mere difference | ”hostility,” “enmity” | The hostility Christ kills “in himself” through the cross (2:16) | वैर | Medium. |
| προσαγωγή / prosagōgē | access, means of approach | introduction into the presence of a superior/king | ”access,” “we have access” | Both Jew and Gentile now have equal access to the Father “in one Spirit” — reinforces the equality theme | प्रवेश | Medium. |
| συμπολῖται / sympolitai | fellow citizens | shared civic membership/status | ”fellow citizens,” “members of the same household” | Gentiles are no longer “strangers and aliens” but full fellow-citizens with the saints — reinforces corporate unity | सहनागरिक | Medium. |
| οἰκεῖοι τοῦ θεοῦ / oikeioi tou theou | members of God’s household | family-belonging, not merely legal citizenship | ”members of the household of God,” “God’s household” | Intimate family-belonging language, complementing the more formal “fellow citizens” | देवाचे घराणे | Medium. |
| θεμέλιος (τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ προφητῶν) / themelios | foundation | the base on which a building is constructed | ”foundation of the apostles and prophets” | The church’s foundation is the apostolic/prophetic gospel witness, with Christ as cornerstone | पाया | Low-Medium. |
| ἀκρογωνιαῖος (λίθος) / akrogōniaios | cornerstone, capstone | the stone that aligns and holds together the whole structure | ”cornerstone,” “chief cornerstone” | Christ himself as the structurally decisive stone of the whole building (the church) | कोनशिला | Medium. |
| ναὸς ἅγιος / naos hagios | holy temple/sanctuary | the inner sanctuary, God’s dwelling place (deliberate OT Temple imagery, not the general “church-building”) | “holy temple,” “holy sanctuary” | The growing, corporate church as God’s dwelling place, the fulfillment of the OT Temple’s purpose | पवित्र मंदिर — new term, high sensitivity, proposed addition | Critical. This is a deliberate tension point with the baseline’s own explicit caution that “church” (मंडळी) must never be rendered देऊळ/मंदिर (Hindu temple building). Here, however, Paul is intentionally invoking OT Temple imagery (the Jerusalem naos as God’s dwelling), a standard and necessary use of मंदिर in Marathi Bible tradition for the historical Jerusalem Temple. The translator must hold both truths together: (1) मंदिर is the correct, established rendering for this specific OT-background image of God’s dwelling-place, and (2) it must be surrounded with enough context (e.g., “in the Lord,” “a dwelling place of God by the Spirit,” v.22) that the reader does not conclude the ekklēsia itself is a physical shrine-building to visit, nor confuse it with a Hindu temple’s ritual functions. Recommend an explicit translator/footnote at this verse. |
| κατοικητήριον (τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν πνεύματι) / katoikētērion | dwelling place | the place where God himself resides | ”dwelling place of God,” “habitation of God” | The Spirit-indwelt church as God’s present dwelling — completes the temple metaphor | देवाचे निवासस्थान | Medium. |
Chapter 3 — The Mystery of Christ Revealed
| Term | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual theological meaning | Marathi rendering | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| μυστήριον (τοῦ Χριστοῦ) / mystērion tou Christou | mystery of Christ | see ch. 1 above; here specified as the Gentiles’ full co-inclusion | ”mystery of Christ,” “mystery made known” | The specific content of the mystery: Gentiles are “fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise” (3:6) — the full theological payload of “Unity of Jews and Gentiles” | ख्रिस्ताचे रहस्य | High (see ch. 1 mystery entry). |
| συγκληρονόμος / synklēronomos | fellow heir | joint inheritance-right, equal standing | ”fellow heirs” | Gentiles inherit fully and equally with Jewish believers — no second-class status | सहवारस — new term | High (compounds with वतन/inheritance, High). |
| σύσσωμος / syssōmos | of the same body | shared, equal membership in one body | ”members of the same body,” “fellow members” | Reinforces the “one body” ecclesiology of ch. 1-2 | एकशरीर / एकाच शरीराचे सदस्य | High (compounds with शरीर, High). |
| συμμέτοχος (τῆς ἐπαγγελίας) / symmetochos | co-partaker (of the promise) | joint, equal sharing in the promise | ”partakers of the promise,” “sharers together in the promise” | Equal participation in the Abrahamic promise, without ethnic distinction | सहभागी | Medium (compounds with सहभागिता baseline). |
| πολυποίκιλος σοφία (τοῦ θεοῦ) / polypoikilos sophia | many-colored/manifold wisdom | rich, multi-faceted divine wisdom | ”manifold wisdom of God” | Displayed specifically through the church (Jew and Gentile united) to the “rulers and authorities in the heavenly places” — cosmic-scale significance of church unity | बहुविध ज्ञान / विविधरंगी सुज्ञता | Low-Medium. |
| παρρησία / parrēsia | boldness, freedom of speech | confident, unhindered access, without fear or shame | ”boldness,” “confidence and access” | Believers’ confident access to God through faith in Christ (3:12), and Paul’s boldness in gospel proclamation (6:19-20) | धैर्य / निर्भयता | Medium. |
| ῥιζόω καὶ θεμελιόω (ἐν ἀγάπῃ) / rhizoō kai themelioō | rooted and grounded (in love) | firmly established, like a tree’s roots or a building’s foundation | ”rooted and grounded in love” | The stability of Christian maturity is located in love, not in ritual achievement | प्रीतीत रुजलेले आणि स्थापित | Low-Medium. |
| πλήρωμα (τοῦ θεοῦ) / plērōma tou theou | fullness of God | the full measure of God’s own character and presence | ”filled with all the fullness of God” | The high point of Paul’s prayer (3:19) — believers filled with the very fullness of God himself | देवाच्या परिपूर्णतेने भरलेले | High (see ch. 1 fullness entry — must render consistently). |
Chapter 4 — One Body, Many Gifts, and the New Self (4:1-16 Gifts; 4:17-32 Walking in Newness)
| Term | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual theological meaning | Marathi rendering | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἑνότης τοῦ πνεύματος / henotēs tou pneumatos | unity of the Spirit | a Spirit-given unity to be maintained, not manufactured | ”unity of the Spirit” | Believers are called to keep/maintain a unity the Spirit has already created, not construct one themselves | आत्म्याचे ऐक्य | High. |
| σύνδεσμος τῆς εἰρήνης / syndesmos tēs eirēnēs | bond of peace | the binding relational tie that peace produces | ”bond of peace” | Peace (baseline शांती) functions as the unifying bond among believers | शांतीचे बंधन | Medium (compounds with baseline शांती). |
| ἓν σῶμα, ἓν πνεῦμα, μία ἐλπίς, εἷς κύριος, μία πίστις, ἓν βάπτισμα, εἷς θεὸς καὶ πατήρ / the sevenfold unity formula | one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father | seven concrete axes of Christian unity | ”one body… one God and Father of all” | The most concentrated unity-statement in the NT; each of the seven terms is itself a load-bearing baseline or near-baseline term (शरीर, आत्मा, आशा, प्रभू baseline, विश्वास baseline, बाप्तिस्मा, देव/पिता baseline) | एक शरीर, एक आत्मा, एक आशा, एक प्रभू, एक विश्वास, एक बाप्तिस्मा, एक देव आणि पिता | High. Must be rendered as a fixed, memorable formula, identical every time it is cited elsewhere in the curriculum, on the same consistency principle the baseline applies to Romans 8:28 and 10:9-10. |
| μέτρον (τῆς δωρεᾶς τοῦ Χριστοῦ) / metron tēs dōreas | measure (of Christ’s gift) | an apportioned amount, given by grace, not merit | ”measure of Christ’s gift,” “grace was given… according to the measure” | Each believer’s gifting is sovereignly apportioned by Christ, not self-selected or earned | ख्रिस्ताच्या दानाचे माप | Medium (compounds with दान — see 2:8 caution on merit-transaction risk). |
| εὐαγγελιστής / euangelistēs | evangelist | one gifted/sent specifically to proclaim the gospel | ”evangelist” | One of the five gift-offices for building up the church | सुवार्तिक | Low-Medium. |
| ποιμήν / poimēn | shepherd | pastoral care and oversight | ”pastor,” “shepherd” | Pastoral office within the gift-list | मेंढपाळ | Low. |
| διδάσκαλος / didaskalos | teacher | one who instructs in the faith | ”teacher” | Teaching office within the gift-list | शिक्षक | Low. |
| καταρτισμός / katartismos | equipping, outfitting | preparing/fitting believers for their own ministry | ”equipping,” “for the equipping of the saints” | The gift-offices exist to equip all the saints for ministry, not to centralize ministry in a professional clergy class alone | सुसज्ज करणे | Medium. |
| οἰκοδομή (τοῦ σώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ) / oikodomē | building up | constructive growth | ”building up the body of Christ” | The purpose-goal of all the gifts: corporate growth of the whole body, not individual prestige | (ख्रिस्ताच्या शरीराची) उभारणी | Medium (compounds with शरीर, High). |
| τέλειος (ἀνήρ) / teleios | complete, mature, full-grown | maturity as opposed to spiritual infancy | ”mature manhood,” “maturity” | The goal of corporate growth: unified, doctrinally-stable maturity, “measured by Christ’s own fullness” | पूर्णता / प्रौढता | Medium-High. Must be distinguished from the Buddhist ideal of self-attained perfection (pāramitā) through disciplined practice on the Eightfold Path; NT maturity is Spirit-given growth within the body of Christ, not solitary self-cultivation. |
| παλαιὸς ἄνθρωπος / palaios anthrōpos | old man/self | the former, corrupted way of life and identity | ”old self,” “old man,” “former way of life” | The pre-conversion identity to be decisively “put off,” corresponding to the old “walk” of 2:2/4:17-19 | जुना मनुष्य — new term | High. Ties to “Walking in Newness of Life” doctrine. Present a decisive, once-for-all putting-off/putting-on (a settled reality flowing from union with Christ), not the Buddhist anatta framework of a momentarily-arising, never-fixed self undergoing continuous impermanent change — nor a Hindu doctrine of successive rebirths of an enduring self. The “old self / new self” contrast is moral-relational, addressed to the same continuous person now reoriented in Christ. |
| καινὸς / νέος ἄνθρωπος / kainos / neos anthrōpos | new man/self | the Spirit-renewed identity given in Christ | ”new self,” “new man” | The Christ-given new identity, “created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” | नवा मनुष्य — new term | High (paired above). |
| ἀνανεόω (τῷ πνεύματι τοῦ νοός) / ananeoō | to be renewed | ongoing Spirit-worked renewal of one’s inner disposition/thinking | ”be renewed in the spirit of your minds” | Spirit-worked renewal, not self-achieved meditative attainment | मनाच्या आत्म्यात नवे होणे | Medium-High. Must not be assimilated to Hindu chitta-śuddhi (mental purification through yogic discipline) or Buddhist mindfulness/meditative self-training; this renewal is the Spirit’s ongoing work in the believer (cf. baseline “sanctification,” High), not a self-directed contemplative technique. |
| λυπέω τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον / lypeō to pneuma to hagion | to grieve the Holy Spirit | to cause the Spirit personal sorrow | ”do not grieve the Holy Spirit” | A striking personal-relational claim about the Spirit (he can be grieved), reinforcing the Spirit’s full personhood (baseline पवित्र आत्मा, Critical) | पवित्र आत्म्याला दुःखी करू नका | Medium. Reinforces, rather than newly risks, the baseline’s insistence on the Spirit’s personhood against impersonal “universal spirit” renderings. |
| εὔσπλαγχνος / eusplagchnos | tender-hearted, compassionate | deep, gut-level compassion | ”tenderhearted,” “kind” | The practical fruit of the new self toward others | कनवाळू / करुणामय | Low. |
| χαρίζομαι (ἀλλήλοις) / charizomai | to forgive graciously | to freely grant/forgive, as an act of grace | ”forgiving one another,” “as God in Christ forgave you” | Explicitly modeled on and rooted in the χάρις/grace already shown believers — forgiveness flows from grace received | (एकमेकांना) क्षमा करणे | Medium (compounds with कृपा, Critical, via the same root). |
Chapter 5 — Walking in Love and Light; Household Codes (Husbands and Wives)
| Term | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual theological meaning | Marathi rendering | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| μιμηταὶ τοῦ θεοῦ / mimētai tou theou | imitators of God | modeling one’s conduct on God’s own character | ”imitators of God” | The ethical foundation of ch. 5: Christlike love flowing from being God’s beloved children | देवाचे अनुकरण करणारे | Low-Medium. |
| προσφορὰ καὶ θυσία / prosphora kai thysia | offering and sacrifice | OT sacrificial-system vocabulary applied to Christ’s self-giving death | ”offering and sacrifice,” “fragrant offering” | Christ’s death described in explicit OT cultic-sacrifice terms — a once-for-all, sufficient self-offering | अर्पण आणि यज्ञ/बलिदान | High. यज्ञ is the central term of Vedic/Brahmanical ritual sacrifice (fire-sacrifice for cosmic maintenance and merit); बलिदान is used for both scriptural and Hindu-folk (e.g., goddess-temple) animal sacrifice. Both carry real ritual weight in Marathi religious vocabulary. Must be clearly taught as Christ’s own unrepeatable, once-for-all self-giving (cf. Hebrews’ logic, echoed here), not an ongoing ritual performed by worshippers for merit or cosmic balance. |
| πορνεία / porneia | sexual immorality | any sexual activity outside the biblical marriage bond | ”sexual immorality,” “fornication” | Listed among the vices “not even named among you” | व्यभिचार | Medium. |
| πλεονεξία (…ὅ ἐστιν εἰδωλολατρία) / pleonexia | greed, covetousness (which is idolatry) | insatiable desire for more, explicitly equated with idol-worship | ”covetousness,” “greed, which is idolatry” | A striking theological equation: material greed is itself a form of idolatry — reallocating ultimate devotion from God to possessions | लोभ (जो मूर्तिपूजा आहे) | Medium-High. मूर्तिपूजा (idol-worship) is a loaded term in this religious context; Paul’s equation must be preserved with its full force (greed is idolatry) without appearing to make a gratuitous swipe at neighboring religious practice — the point is a universal human temptation (greed), not a comparison of religious traditions. |
| τέκνα φωτός / tekna phōtos | children of light | those characterized by moral/spiritual illumination in Christ | ”children of light” | Contrasted with the former “darkness” — moral transformation, not a metaphysical light-attainment | प्रकाशाची लेकरे | Medium. Per baseline’s “glory” caution (avoid light-imagery merging with devotional divine-light or bodhi/enlightenment associations), this must be anchored to moral transformation in Christ specifically, not generic spiritual illumination. |
| καρπὸς τοῦ φωτός / karpos tou phōtos | fruit of light | the moral/ethical outcomes of walking as children of light | ”fruit of the light” | Goodness, righteousness, and truth as the concrete “fruit” produced | प्रकाशाचे फळ | Low-Medium. |
| πληρόω (ἐν πνεύματι) / plēroō en pneumati | to be filled (with the Spirit) | ongoing, repeated filling/control by the Spirit | ”be filled with the Spirit” | Contrasted directly with drunkenness (5:18) — Spirit-empowered, Spirit-controlled living, not self-induced ecstatic states | पवित्र आत्म्याने भरून जा | Medium-High. Must be distinguished from folk-religious spirit-possession phenomena present in Maharashtra devotional practice (e.g., trance/possession states, “अंगात येणे,” associated with certain folk deities and bhagat-mediated rituals); Spirit-filling here is ongoing, sober, Scripture-saturated, communal worship-shaping life (5:19-21), not ecstatic trance possession. |
| ὑποτασσόμενοι ἀλλήλοις / hypotassomenoi allēlois | submitting to one another | mutual, reciprocal submission | ”submitting to one another,” “submit to one another” | The governing principle (5:21) that frames the entire household code that follows — mutuality precedes, and qualifies, the specific role-instructions | एकमेकांच्या अधीन राहणे | High. Doctrine: Household Codes and Christ-Centered Relationships. |
| γυναῖκες, τοῖς ἰδίοις ἀνδράσιν ὑποτάσσεσθε / hypotassō | wives, submit to your own husbands | wife’s voluntary submission “as to the Lord" | "wives, submit to your husbands” | Framed explicitly “as to the Lord” (v.22) and within the prior mutual-submission principle (v.21) and the husband’s sacrificial-love obligation (vv.25ff) — not a general cultural subordination but a specific, Christ-patterned relational structure | पत्नींनी आपल्या पतींच्या अधीन राहावे | High. Requires careful framing so the passage is not read as endorsing generic patriarchal subordination detached from its explicit “as to the Lord” and mutual-submission (5:21) frame, nor detached from the husband’s own extraordinary, sacrificial-love obligation (5:25) that structurally balances it. |
| κεφαλή (τῆς γυναικός) / kephalē tēs gynaikos | head of the wife | headship-as-Christ-is-head-of-church pattern | ”husband is the head of the wife” | Analogically patterned on Christ’s headship of the church (see ch. 1 κεφαλή note) — an authority-with-self-sacrifice model, not mere dominance | पत्नीचे मस्तक | High (see ch.1 κεφαλή). |
| ἄνδρες, ἀγαπᾶτε τὰς γυναῖκας (καθὼς καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἠγάπησεν τὴν ἐκκλησίαν) / agapaō | husbands, love your wives (as Christ loved the church) | self-giving, sacrificial love, the Christ-and-church pattern | ”husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” | The dominant instruction of the passage by verse-count and force: husbands’ love must be Christlike self-sacrifice, not mere authority | पतींनी पत्नींवर ख्रिस्ताप्रमाणे प्रीती करावी | High. |
| σωτὴρ τοῦ σώματος / sōtēr tou sōmatos | Savior of the body | Christ’s saving headship over the church | ”Savior of the body” | Ties headship (κεφαλή) explicitly to saving, self-giving care, not domination | शरीराचा तारणारा | Medium (compounds with तारण, Critical). |
| λουτρὸν τοῦ ὕδατος ἐν ῥήματι / loutron tou hydatos en rhēmati | washing of water by the word | Christ’s cleansing of the church, associated with baptism and the gospel word | ”washing of water with the word” | Christ’s once-for-all cleansing/sanctifying action toward the church, effected through the gospel word (and signified in baptism) | वचनाद्वारे जलस्नानाने शुद्ध करणे | High. Risk of assimilation to Hindu ritual purification bathing — most saliently, pilgrimage bathing in sacred rivers (e.g., at Nashik’s Kumbh Mela on the Godavari) believed to remove sin/impurity through repeated ritual performance. Must be taught as Christ’s own once-for-all cleansing action, accomplished through the gospel word and signified (not repeated for merit) in baptism. |
| ἄσπιλος / ῥυτίς / aspilos / rhytis | without spot / wrinkle | flawless, blemish-free presentation | ”without spot or wrinkle,” “holy and without blemish” | The church’s ultimate glorified presentation to Christ — a future hope grounded in his present cleansing work | निष्कलंक व निर्दोष | Low-Medium. |
| μία σάρξ / mia sarx | one flesh | the marriage union (Genesis 2:24, cited in 5:31) | “one flesh,” “become one flesh” | Marriage’s creational union pattern, applied typologically to Christ and the church | एक देह | Medium. |
| τὸ μυστήριον τοῦτο μέγα ἐστίν… εἰς Χριστὸν καὶ εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν / | this mystery is profound… referring to Christ and the church | marriage as a living picture/type of Christ’s union with the church | ”this mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church” | Marriage itself becomes revelatory: it typifies the mystery of Christ’s own union with his church — ties chs.1,3, and 5’s “mystery” thread into a single climax | हे रहस्य थोर आहे… मी ख्रिस्त आणि मंडळीविषयी बोलत आहे | High. Combines two Critical/High-risk term families (रहस्य/mystery and ख्रिस्ताचे शरीर/मंडळी); must be handled with full doctrinal precision, not reduced to marriage advice detached from its Christ-church referent. |
Chapter 6 — Household Codes Continued (Children, Parents, Slaves, Masters) and Spiritual Warfare
| Term | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual theological meaning | Marathi rendering | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ὑπακούετε (τοῖς γονεῦσιν) / hypakouō | obey (your parents) | filial obedience “in the Lord" | "children, obey your parents in the Lord” | Obedience framed explicitly as an act “in the Lord,” not mere cultural duty | मुलांनी आईवडिलांच्या आज्ञेत राहावे | Medium. |
| τίμα τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὴν μητέρα / timaō | honor father and mother | the Decalogue commandment, cited and applied (Exod 20:12) — “the first commandment with a promise" | "honor your father and mother” | Direct OT citation; connects the household code to the Law (baseline नियमशास्त्र) and its promise structure | आईवडिलांचा सन्मान करा | Low-Medium. |
| παιδεία καὶ νουθεσία κυρίου / paideia kai nouthesia kyriou | discipline and instruction of the Lord | Christ-centered upbringing, not harsh domination | ”discipline and instruction of the Lord” | Fathers are instructed toward gentle, Lord-centered formation, balancing the preceding “do not provoke your children to anger” | प्रभूच्या शिस्तीत व बोधात वाढवणे | Medium. |
| δοῦλοι, ὑπακούετε τοῖς κυρίοις / douloi… kyriois | bondservants/slaves, obey your masters | first-century household-slave relationship, addressed pastorally within its social context, not endorsed as an ideal social order | ”bondservants, obey your earthly masters” / “slaves, obey your masters” | Paul addresses an existing social institution, redirecting its practice (“as to Christ,” “not by way of eye-service,” 6:6-7) and relativizing it by v.9’s “he is both their Master and yours…no partiality with him” | दास/सेवक व धनी/मालक | High. दास carries real historical weight in the Marathi/Maharashtra context, given its association with caste-linked servitude (दास्यत्व) that Ambedkarite Buddhist communities explicitly rejected through conversion. Requires an explicit translator/teaching note: this passage addresses first-century household slavery pastorally (redirecting conduct toward Christlike sincerity), and its climax (6:9, “no partiality” with the “Master in heaven” shared equally by slave and master alike) actively undercuts any hierarchy of inherent worth — it must never be taught or footnoted in a way that could be read as endorsing caste-linked servitude structures. |
| ὀφθαλμοδουλία / ophthalmodoulia | eye-service | service performed only when being watched, to please observers | ”eye-service,” “people-pleasing” | Contrasted with sincere, Christ-directed service done “from the heart” | डोळेझाक सेवा | Low-Medium. |
| εὔνοια / eunoia | goodwill | genuine, willing favor toward another | ”good will,” “with a good will” | The spirit in which service (whether household or otherwise) is to be rendered | सद्भावाने | Low. |
| προσωπολημψία / prosōpolēmpsia | partiality, favoritism (lit. “receiving the face”) | showing favor based on external status | ”partiality,” “respect of persons” | God’s own impartiality (6:9) directly relativizes the master-slave household hierarchy | पक्षपात | Medium-High (ties to household-code risk above). |
| ἐνδυναμόω (ἐν κυρίῳ καὶ ἐν τῷ κράτει τῆς ἰσχύος αὐτοῦ) / endynamoō | to be strengthened (in the Lord and in the strength of his might) | empowerment sourced entirely in Christ, not self-generated willpower | ”be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might” | The introduction to the Armor-of-God section: strength is derivative, received from Christ, not self-cultivated | प्रभूमध्ये व त्याच्या सामर्थ्यशक्तीत बलवान व्हा | High (compounds with देवाचे सामर्थ्य, High). |
| πανοπλία τοῦ θεοῦ / panoplia tou theou | full armor of God | complete, God-provided spiritual equipment for battle | ”whole armor of God,” “full armor of God” | The controlling image of 6:10-20: spiritual conflict requires God-provided (not self-devised) defensive/offensive equipment | देवाचे संपूर्ण शस्त्रसामग्री | High. Doctrine: Spiritual Warfare and the Armor of God. Must be clearly taught as metaphorical spiritual equipment for resisting temptation and standing firm in truth — not literal weaponry, not endorsement of physical or political militancy (a caution parallel to the baseline’s care around Romans 13 government/authority language), and not analogous to Maharashtra folk-exorcism ritual objects/practices used against evil spirits (talismans, protective charms, mantrik ritual objects) — the “armor” here is truth, righteousness, the gospel, faith, salvation, and the word of God, not ritual paraphernalia. |
| μεθοδεία τοῦ διαβόλου / methodeia tou diabolou | schemes/strategies of the devil | calculated, cunning tactics | ”schemes of the devil,” “wiles of the devil” | The devil’s opposition is strategic and cunning, requiring vigilant, equipped resistance | सैतानाचे डावपेच | Medium. |
| ἀρχαί, ἐξουσίαι, κοσμοκράτορες τοῦ σκότους τούτου, τὰ πνευματικὰ τῆς πονηρίας ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις / | rulers, authorities, world-rulers of this present darkness, spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places | a stacked description of organized, hierarchical, cosmic-scale evil spiritual powers | ”rulers… authorities… cosmic powers… spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” | The true nature of the believer’s conflict: not human (“flesh and blood,” 6:12) but organized spiritual opposition at a cosmic scale | सत्ता, अधिकार, या अंधकाराचे जगाधिपती, आकाशातील दुष्ट आत्मिक शक्ती | High. Serious risk of assimilation into existing Maharashtra folk-religious frameworks: belief in territorial/village spirits (ग्रामदेवता), malevolent affliction (भूतबाधा), and black-magic/counter-magic practice (करणी, जादूटोणा, addressed by bhagat/mantrik ritual specialists). Must be explicitly taught as distinct from folk exorcism/counter-magic practice: the believer’s response (6:13-18) is standing firm in truth, righteousness, gospel readiness, faith, assurance of salvation, Scripture, and prayer — never ritual counter-magic, protective charms, or professional exorcist mediation. |
| ζώνη τῆς ἀληθείας / zōnē tēs alētheias | belt of truth | the foundational undergirding piece of armor | ”belt of truth” | Truth as the piece that holds everything else in place | सत्याचा कमरबंद | Low-Medium. |
| θώραξ τῆς δικαιοσύνης / thōrax tēs dikaiosynēs | breastplate of righteousness | vital-organ protection | ”breastplate of righteousness” | Righteousness (baseline नीतिमत्त्व, Critical) as protective covering over the believer’s core | नीतिमत्त्वाचे उरस्त्राण | High (compounds with नीतिमत्त्व, Critical). |
| ἑτοιμασία τοῦ εὐαγγελίου τῆς εἰρήνης / hetoimasia tou euangeliou tēs eirēnēs | readiness of the gospel of peace | footwear enabling stable movement/readiness | ”readiness given by the gospel of peace,” “shoes of the gospel of peace” | Gospel-readiness (baseline शुभवर्तमान + शांती) as the stable footing for spiritual conflict | शांतीच्या शुभवर्तमानाची सिद्धता | Medium (compounds with two High-risk baseline terms). |
| θυρεὸς τῆς πίστεως / thyreos tēs pisteōs | shield of faith | a large, full-body shield | ”shield of faith” | Faith (baseline विश्वास, High) as the piece that extinguishes the enemy’s attacks entirely | विश्वासाची ढाल | High (compounds with विश्वास, High). |
| πεπυρωμένα βέλη τοῦ πονηροῦ / pepyrōmena belē tou ponērou | flaming/fiery darts of the evil one | targeted temptations/attacks | ”flaming darts of the evil one” | The specific danger faith’s shield extinguishes | दुष्टाचे जळते बाण | Low-Medium. |
| περικεφαλαία τοῦ σωτηρίου / perikephalaia tou sōtēriou | helmet of salvation | head-protection | ”helmet of salvation” | Salvation (baseline तारण, Critical) as protective assurance for the mind | तारणाचे शिरस्त्राण | High (compounds with तारण, Critical). |
| μάχαιρα τοῦ πνεύματος, ὅ ἐστιν ῥῆμα θεοῦ / machaira tou pneumatos, rhēma theou | sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God | the single offensive weapon in the list | ”sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” | Scripture itself as the believer’s offensive weapon, wielded by/with the Spirit | आत्म्याची तलवार, म्हणजे देवाचे वचन | High (compounds with पवित्र आत्मा, Critical). |
| προσευχόμενοι ἐν πνεύματι / proseuchomenoi en pneumati | praying in/by the Spirit | Spirit-enabled, Spirit-directed prayer | ”praying at all times in the Spirit” | Prayer accompanies and sustains the whole armor — not a separate technique but the posture of the whole passage | आत्म्याने प्रार्थना करणे | Medium. Distinguish from bhakti puja/kirtan practice and Buddhist chanting/meditation, per baseline’s “prayer_and_intercession” caution: this is direct address to a personal, listening God, in the Spirit’s enabling. |
| πρεσβεύω (ἐν ἁλύσει) / presbeuō en halysei | to be an ambassador (in chains) | a formal envoy representing a sovereign, here imprisoned | ”ambassador in chains,” “ambassador in bonds” | Paul’s self-description: he suffers imprisonment precisely in his role as Christ’s envoy, reinforcing gospel boldness even under persecution | साखळदंडांत असलेला राजदूत | Low-Medium. |
Summary Note on Full-Book Coverage
Every chapter of Ephesians (1–6) has been analyzed above. No chapter is without load-bearing theological vocabulary; each contributes new terms or intensifies terms carried from earlier chapters (e.g., μυστήριον threading chs. 1, 3, and 5; κεφαλή/σῶμα threading chs. 1, 4, and 5; χάρις and ἔργα anchored in ch. 2 and echoed throughout). All baseline Romans terms reused here (κρα, विश्वास, तारण, नीतिमत्त्व, मंडळी, पवित्र आत्मा, देव, प्रभू, गौरव, शांती, दत्तक पुत्रत्व, देवाची निवड, पाप, अन्यजातीय, आत्मिक कृपादान, इत्यादी) are used exactly as recorded in translation_memory.json, with no deviation.