Semantic Analysis — Gospel of John (Koine Greek → Marathi)

Methodology and Scope

This document analyzes the entire Gospel of John, chapters 1–21, in the original Koine Greek, for every load-bearing theological term. The core passage, John 3:1–21 (the Nicodemus discourse), receives verse-by-verse treatment. Every other chapter receives a chapter section covering its load-bearing theological terms with the same analytical fields: original word, transliteration, literal meaning, semantic range, English variants, contextual theological meaning, destination-language (Marathi) rendering and risk.

Baseline reuse rule: Any term already recorded in the Romans translation_memory.json / bible_term_registry.json is reused exactly as recorded there (e.g. πνεῦμα ἅγιον → पवित्र आत्मा; χάρις → कृपा; ἀνάστασις → पुनरुत्थान; υἱὸς θεοῦ → देवाचा पुत्र). Where John introduces a new term or a new sense of a term already in the baseline, this is flagged explicitly as a NEW TERM or NEW SENSE.

John’s Gospel raises several doctrinal-collision risks not fully covered by the Romans baseline, because John’s central images — birth, light, water, bread, shepherd, vine, “I am” — sit unusually close to Warkari bhakti devotional vocabulary and to Navayana Buddhist categories (rebirth, extinguishing craving, self-cultivation). These are flagged throughout and consolidated in 08_core_glossary.md.

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PART A — CORE PASSAGE: John 3:1–21 (Verse-by-Verse)

John 3:1

Greek: Ἦν δὲ ἄνθρωπος ἐκ τῶν Φαρισαίων, Νικόδημος ὄνομα αὐτῷ, ἄρχων τῶν Ἰουδαίων

• ἄρχων (archōn) — “ruler, authority-holder.” Semantic range: magistrate, member of the Sanhedrin, official. English variants: “ruler,” “leader,” “member of the Jewish council.” Contextual meaning: establishes Nicodemus’s high religious-political status, heightening the shock that this teacher of Israel does not understand the new birth. Marathi: अधिकारी (adhikārī). Risk: Low. Background/context term only.
• No Critical/High doctrinal terms in this verse beyond proper names (Nicodemus = निकदेम, established transliteration; Pharisee = परूशी, established).

John 3:2

Greek: οὗτος ἦλθεν πρὸς αὐτὸν νυκτὸς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ, Ῥαββί, οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἀπὸ θεοῦ ἐλήλυθας διδάσκαλος· οὐδεὶς γὰρ δύναται ταῦτα τὰ σημεῖα ποιεῖν ἃ σὺ ποιεῖς, ἐὰν μὴ ᾖ ὁ θεὸς μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ.

• Ῥαββί (rhabbi) — “my great one / my teacher,” Hebrew honorific title. Semantic range: teacher, master. Contextual meaning: Nicodemus addresses Jesus with the highest available human teaching title — but the passage will show this category is inadequate for who Jesus is. Marathi: रब्बी (transliterated, established convention for Jewish honorifics; parallel to मसीहा). Risk: Low, but flag that रब्बी must not be softened to गुरू (see Romans baseline note under apostle, which already rejects गुरू for implying self-attained teaching authority rather than sent/divine commission — the same caution applies here: Nicodemus’s category is too small).
• σημεῖον (sēmeion), pl. σημεῖα — “sign.” Literal meaning: a marker, token, proof. Semantic range: miraculous act that points beyond itself to a deeper reality/identity, distinct from mere wonder (τέρας) done for spectacle. English variants: “sign,” “miraculous sign,” “miracle.” Contextual theological meaning: John structures his Gospel around such signs (2:11 first sign, etc.) as evidence pointing to Jesus’s divine identity — this is a NEW TERM relative to Romans. Marathi: चिन्ह (chinha). Risk: Medium. चिन्ह is the standard Marathi word for “sign/mark” and carries no direct competing religious freight, but must be distinguished in teaching materials from शकुन (omen) or ज्योतिष-आधारित चिन्हे (astrological signs), which the baseline’s “prophet” entry already flags as a risk category (ज्योतिषी).
• θεός (theos) — reuse परमेश्वर per baseline god entry (Critical).

John 3:3

Greek: ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ, Ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω σοι, ἐὰν μή τις γεννηθῇ ἄνωθεν, οὐ δύναται ἰδεῖν τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ.

• γεννηθῇ ἄνωθεν (gennēthē anōthen) — “be born from above / born again.” γεννάω = to beget, give birth to; ἄνωθεν = “from above” (spatially, of heavenly origin) or “again, anew” (temporally) — the Greek is deliberately double-meaninged, which is exactly why Nicodemus misunderstands it as ordinary rebirth in v.4. Semantic range: divine begetting/regeneration, source “from above” = from God. English variants: “born again,” “born from above,” “born anew.” Contextual theological meaning: this is the doorway term for the entire New Birth/Regeneration doctrine — a birth originating in God’s Spirit, not a natural or repeatable biological/cosmic event. NEW TERM, CRITICAL. Marathi: नव्याने जन्मणे / नवा जन्म (navyāne janmaṇe / navā janma — established Marathi Bible Union Version phrasing). Risk: Critical. This is the single highest-risk term in the whole Gospel for a Maharashtra audience: the surface vocabulary of “birth again” sits directly adjacent to पुनर्जन्म (Hindu reincarnation across lifetimes) — a term the Romans baseline already forbids for “resurrection” (see resurrection entry) precisely because of this collision, and it is even more tempting here because the English idiom itself contains the word “again.” The Marathi rendering must never be पुनर्जन्म. It must be built compositionally (नवा जन्म / नव्याने जन्मणे, “a new/fresh birth,” always in the same clause as आत्म्याने/देवाकडून — “by the Spirit / from God”) so that it reads as a one-time, Spirit-wrought transformation of the same person into new spiritual life, not a transfer of a soul into a new body across a karmic cycle. A translator note is mandatory at every occurrence (3:3, 3:5, 3:7).
• βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ (basileia tou theou) — reuse देवाचे राज्य per baseline kingdom_of_god (Medium).
• ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω σοι — “truly, truly I say to you,” Jesus’s distinctive double-affirmation formula. Marathi: established rendering मी तुम्हांस खरे खरे सांगतो. Risk: Low, but note translators should keep this formula consistent everywhere it recurs across John (it occurs 25 times) as a literary/theological marker of solemn authoritative speech.

John 3:4

Greek: λέγει πρὸς αὐτὸν [ὁ] Νικόδημος, Πῶς δύναται ἄνθρωπος γεννηθῆναι γέρων ὤν; μὴ δύναται εἰς τὴν κοιλίαν τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ δεύτερον εἰσελθεῖν καὶ γεννηθῆναι;

• Nicodemus takes γεννηθῇ literally (ordinary biological birth, δεύτερον “a second time”). No new theological term; this verse functions to display the very misunderstanding the translation must guard against — a literal Marathi reader could make the identical mistake Nicodemus makes if νot given careful phrasing. Translator note required here: the back-translation of v.3–4 must show that the reader does not fall into Nicodemus’s confusion between spiritual regeneration and repeated physical/cosmic birth.

John 3:5

Greek: ἀπεκρίθη [ὁ] Ἰησοῦς, Ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω σοι, ἐὰν μή τις γεννηθῇ ἐξ ὕδατος καὶ πνεύματος, οὐ δύναται εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ.

• ὕδωρ (hydōr) — “water.” Contextual theological meaning: widely understood as pointing to baptism/cleansing and to the Spirit’s work together (debated among traditions whether this is a reference to physical birth-waters, John’s baptism, or Christian baptism — the safest doctrinal course for this curriculum is to hold water and Spirit together as one regenerating act, not two separate causes). Marathi: पाणी (pāṇī). Risk: Low as a word, but Medium doctrinally — must not be taught as if ritual water alone (as in Hindu tirtha/sacred-river purification, e.g., bathing in a holy river) accomplishes what only the Spirit accomplishes.
• πνεῦμα (pneuma) — “spirit / wind / breath.” Semantic range: the Holy Spirit (Person); the human spirit; ordinary wind/breath. Here in v.5 the referent is the Holy Spirit as the effective agent of regeneration — reuse पवित्र आत्मा per baseline holy_spirit (Critical), even though the word “Holy” (ἅγιον) is not attached in this exact clause, because the theological referent is the same divine Person active elsewhere in Romans 8. Risk: Critical, per baseline.

John 3:6

Greek: τὸ γεγεννημένον ἐκ τῆς σαρκὸς σάρξ ἐστιν, καὶ τὸ γεγεννημένον ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος πνεῦμά ἐστιν.

• σάρξ (sarx) — “flesh.” Semantic range: physical human nature/body; in Pauline usage also the fallen human condition opposed to Spirit (a sense not primary here — John’s usage is more neutral, “what is born of natural human generation”). English variants: “flesh,” “human nature,” “natural birth.” Marathi: देह (deha) — the same root already used in बासलाइन देहधारण (incarnation). Risk: Medium. Note the deliberate contrast with the same root in देहधारण: the Son’s देहधारण is the eternal Word truly taking on देह; here देह/जन्म describes ordinary human generation, which cannot by itself produce the spiritual life the kingdom requires. Translators should ensure these two uses of देह are not confused by readers.
• πνεῦμα here functions with a wordplay untranslatable in Marathi exactly as in Greek (spirit/wind), continued in v.8. See v.8 note.

John 3:7

Greek: μὴ θαυμάσῃς ὅτι εἶπόν σοι, Δεῖ ὑμᾶς γεννηθῆναι ἄνωθεν.

• Restates v.3’s key term (see above); δεῖ (“it is necessary, one must”) intensifies the requirement as non-optional — every person, without exception or social/caste distinction, “must” be born from above. This has direct resonance with the baseline’s universal_human_accountability doctrine — the new birth is required of “you [plural],” ὑμᾶς, addressed generally, not restricted by status. Marathi: retain तुम्ही सर्वांनी नव्याने जन्मणे अवश्य आहे to preserve the universal “must.” Risk: Critical (continuation of v.3 term).

John 3:8

Greek: τὸ πνεῦμα ὅπου θέλει πνεῖ, καὶ τὴν φωνὴν αὐτοῦ ἀκούεις, ἀλλ᾿ οὐκ οἶδας πόθεν ἔρχεται καὶ ποῦ ὑπάγει· οὕτως ἐστὶν πᾶς ὁ γεγεννημένος ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος.

• The Greek πνεῦμα (“wind” and “Spirit” are the same word) makes an untranslatable pun: “the [wind/Spirit] blows where it wishes… so it is with everyone born of the [Spirit].” Marathi has two separate words — वारा (wind) and आत्मा (Spirit) — so the wordplay cannot be reproduced directly. Translator note required: render as “वारा जेथे वाहेल तेथे वाहतो… आत्म्यापासून जन्मलेल्या प्रत्येकाचेही तसेच आहे,” with an explicit footnote that Greek uses one word for both, to preserve the mystery/sovereignty point (the Spirit’s regenerating work is as free and untraceable in its origin as the wind, yet as really felt in its effect). Risk: High (loss of literary device with doctrinal weight — the sovereignty and freedom of the Spirit’s regenerating work, resisting any formula-based or ritual-guaranteed technique for producing new birth, a point worth stressing against any reading of v.5’s “water” as a merely mechanical rite).

John 3:9

Greek: ἀπεκρίθη Νικόδημος καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ, Πῶς δύναται ταῦτα γενέσθαι;

• No new term.

John 3:10

Greek: ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ, Σὺ εἶ ὁ διδάσκαλος τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ ταῦτα οὐ γινώσκεις;

• διδάσκαλος (didaskalos) — “teacher.” Marathi: शिक्षक or, in this formal titled sense, गुरुजी/उपदेशक. I recommend उपदेशक (upadeśak, “teacher/instructor of doctrine”) over गुरू for the same reason established in the baseline apostle entry. Risk: Low.
• Ἰσραήλ reuse इस्राएल per baseline (Medium).

John 3:11

Greek: ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω σοι ὅτι ὃ οἴδαμεν λαλοῦμεν καὶ ὃ ἑωράκαμεν μαρτυροῦμεν, καὶ τὴν μαρτυρίαν ἡμῶν οὐ λαμβάνετε.

• μαρτυρέω / μαρτυρία (martyreō / martyria) — “to bear witness / testimony.” Semantic range: legal testimony, eyewitness attestation. English variants: “testify,” “bear witness,” “witness,” “testimony.” Contextual theological meaning: John structures his Gospel around layered testimony (John the Baptist, the Father, the works, the Scriptures, the Spirit) establishing the truth-claims of Christ on solid evidentiary grounds, not mere private religious experience. NEW TERM. Marathi: साक्ष देणे / साक्ष (sākṣa deṇe / sākṣa — the standard Marathi legal/testimonial term). Risk: Medium. Low collision risk with competing traditions, but High theological importance across John (esp. chs. 1, 5, 8, 15) — must remain terminologically consistent throughout, since John builds a cumulative legal case for Christ’s identity using this one word-family.

John 3:12

Greek: εἰ τὰ ἐπίγεια εἶπον ὑμῖν καὶ οὐ πιστεύετε, πῶς ἐὰν εἴπω ὑμῖν τὰ ἐπουράνια πιστεύσετε;

• πιστεύω (pisteuō) — “believe, trust, put faith in.” Reuse baseline विश्वास (verb form विश्वास ठेवणे) per faith entry (High). This is John’s single most frequent theological verb (98 occurrences in the Gospel) — always requiring an explicit or contextually recoverable object (Christ, his name, that Jesus is the Christ/Son of God), consistent with the baseline’s faith translation note that the object of faith must always be recoverable, never generic piety. Risk: High, per baseline, intensified here because John uses πιστεύω so much more densely than Paul — consistency across all 98 occurrences is a major Phase 2 quality-control task.
• ἐπίγεια / ἐπουράνια (“earthly things” / “heavenly things”) — background contrast term, Low risk, translate plainly (पृथ्वीवरील गोष्टी / स्वर्गीय गोष्टी).

John 3:13

Greek: καὶ οὐδεὶς ἀναβέβηκεν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν εἰ μὴ ὁ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβάς, ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου.

• ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου (ho huios tou anthrōpou) — “the Son of Man.” Literal meaning: “the son of the man/of humanity.” Semantic range: a Danielic-messianic self-designation (Daniel 7:13-14, a heavenly figure given everlasting dominion) that Jesus uses of himself throughout all four Gospels; not merely “a human being” but a specific title claiming both true humanity and heavenly authority to judge and to give life. English variants: “Son of Man,” “the Man.” NEW TERM (distinct from son_of_god already in baseline). Contextual theological meaning here: the Son of Man’s unique heavenly origin/descent (καταβάς, “having come down”) — directly supports the Deity and Pre-existence of Christ doctrine. Marathi: मनुष्याचा पुत्र (manuṣyācā putra — established Marathi Christian rendering). Risk: High. Must be taught carefully alongside देवाचा पुत्र so that readers do not read “Son of Man” as a lesser, merely-human title in contrast to a higher divine title “Son of God” — in John’s usage both titles point to the same single divine-human person, and “Son of Man” in particular carries the Danielic authority to judge (5:27) and to be lifted up/glorified (3:14; 12:23). A translator note distinguishing this from ordinary generic “a son of man” (= “a human being,” an idiom found in the OT, e.g. addressing Ezekiel) is recommended at first occurrence.

John 3:14

Greek: καὶ καθὼς Μωϋσῆς ὕψωσεν τὸν ὄφιν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, οὕτως ὑψωθῆναι δεῖ τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου

• ὑψόω (hypsoō) — “to lift up, raise high, exalt.” Semantic range: literal physical elevation (the bronze serpent on a pole, Numbers 21; Christ physically lifted on the cross) and, simultaneously in John’s theology, exaltation/glorification (the cross as the moment of Christ’s glory, cf. 12:32-34). English variants: “lifted up,” “raised up,” “exalted.” NEW TERM, doctrinally load-bearing for Christ’s Substitutionary Death. Marathi: उंच करणे / वर उचलणे (uñc karaṇe / var ucalaṇe). Risk: High. The double meaning (crucifixion = exaltation) is a genuinely difficult, counter-intuitive Johannine theological point — being “lifted up” on a cross of shame is simultaneously being “lifted up” in glory. This paradox must be preserved, not resolved or flattened, in Marathi; a translator note is recommended each time this word-family recurs (3:14; 8:28; 12:32,34).
• The bronze-serpent typology (Numbers 21:4-9) requires background explanation for readers with low OT narrative literacy, per the AI Translation Requirements’ stated reading-level target.

John 3:15

Greek: ἵνα πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων ἐν αὐτῷ ἔχῃ ζωὴν αἰώνιον.

• ζωὴ αἰώνιος (zōē aiōnios) — “eternal life.” ζωή = life (as opposed to θάνατος, death; also opposed to mere biological existence, βίος); αἰώνιος = “of the age [to come],” “everlasting,” “unending.” Semantic range: not merely unending duration but the quality of life that belongs to the age to come, received now by faith and consummated at the resurrection. English variants: “eternal life,” “everlasting life,” “life of the age to come.” NEW TERM, CRITICAL — one of the central doctrines of this curriculum (Eternal Life through Faith in Christ). Marathi: सार्वकालिक जीवन (sārvakālik jīvan — established Marathi Bible Union Version rendering). Risk: Critical. This term sits at the exact collision point of three competing frameworks: (1) Warkari-Hindu मोक्ष/मुक्ती — liberation from the cycle of rebirth into a state of release, already forbidden in the baseline for “salvation”; (2) Navayana Buddhist निर्वाण — the extinguishing of craving and the cessation of suffering, an impersonal end-state, already forbidden in the baseline for “salvation”; (3) a possible flattening into mere “long life” or “good fortune in this life” (a this-worldly blessing, common in folk devotional expectation). सार्वकालिक जीवन must always be taught as personal, relational, resurrection life with God through Christ, received now by faith and enjoyed forever in a real, embodied future — never a merging into an impersonal absolute, never a cessation, and never reduced to present prosperity. A translator note is mandatory at every occurrence (John uses this phrase 17 times).

John 3:16

Greek: Οὕτως γὰρ ἠγάπησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν κόσμον, ὥστε τὸν υἱὸν τὸν μονογενῆ ἔδωκεν, ἵνα πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων εἰς αὐτὸν μὴ ἀπόληται ἀλλ᾿ ἔχῃ ζωὴν αἰώνιον. This is the doctrinal and curricular center of the whole Gospel; every term is load-bearing.

• ἀγαπάω (agapaō) — “to love” (self-giving, chosen, not necessarily reciprocated love). Semantic range: distinct from ἐρος (romantic desire) and, more relevantly for John 21, φιλέω (affection/friendship-love, sometimes used interchangeably with ἀγαπάω by John but carrying warmer, more mutual connotations). English variants: “love,” “loved.” NEW TERM, HIGH RISK. Marathi: प्रीती (prīti — established Marathi Bible Union Version rendering for divine agapē-love; distinguished from प्रेम, ordinary/romantic love). Risk: High. Warkari bhakti devotional literature is saturated with its own vocabulary of प्रेम/भक्ती directed toward Vitthal (the devotee’s loving devotion going up toward the deity). John 3:16 reverses the direction: this is God’s own initiating, self-giving love coming down to a rebellious world, not the devotee’s ascending love toward a beloved deity. This distinction — grace/love originating from God to the sinner, not devotion rising from the sinner to God — must be made explicit in teaching materials, echoing the same collision already flagged for grace in the baseline.
• κόσμος (kosmos) — “world.” Semantic range: the created order; humanity in its fallen, rebellious condition; the totality of human society organized in opposition to God — often, remarkably, all three senses operate at once in John. English variants: “world,” “the world,” “humankind.” NEW TERM, HIGH RISK. Marathi: जग (jag). Risk: High. Two distinct collision risks: (1) in Vedantic/Hindu philosophical frameworks, “the world” (माया) can be read as ultimately illusory, something to be seen through and transcended, not itself an object of a personal creator’s redeeming love; (2) in Buddhist teaching, the world of saṃsāra is fundamentally the arena and cause of duḥkha (suffering) to be escaped through the Eightfold Path, not itself the object of a personal being’s self-giving love. John 3:16 makes the countercultural claim that God loves this actual world — not despite it being real, but as a real, fallen, yet lovable object of his redemptive purpose. This must be taught positively, not just defended negatively.
• μονογενής (monogenēs) — “one and only,” “only-begotten,” “unique one of its kind.” Literal meaning: μόνος (only) + γένος (kind/offspring) — the one-of-a-kind Son, not “only” in the sense of numerically singular among peers but unique in kind: there is no other of his kind. Semantic range in John (1:14, 1:18, 3:16, 3:18): the eternal, unique divine Son, as distinct from υἱοθεσία-adoption sonship (Romans, believers) or τέκνα-children sonship (John 1:12, believers by new birth). English variants: “only begotten,” “one and only,” “unique.” NEW TERM, CRITICAL. Marathi: एकुलता एक पुत्र (ekulatā ek putra). Risk: Critical. Must never be read as implying the Son had a beginning in time (an old Arian misreading this word’s etymology can tempt) — the eternal Sonship is already established as Critical in the baseline (son_of_god, sonship_of_christ). Must also never be assimilated to a Vaishnav avatar framework (Krishna/Vitthal as one incarnation among Vishnu’s ten) — Christ is God’s only, unique Son, not one of a series.
• ἀπόλλυμι (apollymi) — “to perish, be destroyed, be lost.” Marathi: नाश पावणे (nāś pāvaṇe). Risk: Medium; must be held in explicit antithesis to सार्वकालिक जीवन in the same breath, as the verse structures it (perish vs. have eternal life) — a real, personal loss, not a natural return to an undifferentiated state.
• πιστεύω εἰς (“believe into/in him”) — reuse विश्वास ठेवणे (High, per baseline faith), note the greek preposition εἰς stresses personal entrusting/reliance on Christ as object, not mere intellectual assent.

John 3:17

Greek: οὐ γὰρ ἀπέστειλεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν υἱὸν εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἵνα κρίνῃ τὸν κόσμον, ἀλλ᾿ ἵνα σωθῇ ὁ κόσμος δι᾿ αὐτοῦ.

• κρίνω (krinō) — “to judge, condemn, decide a case.” Semantic range: neutral “to judge/evaluate” and the negative forensic sense “to condemn.” English variants: “judge,” “condemn.” NEW TERM, central to the Judgment and Belief/Unbelief doctrine. Marathi: न्याय करणे (nyāya karṇe, for the neutral/forensic “to judge”) — see also v.18/19 note on the intensified compound. Risk: High. Must be carefully distinguished from the impersonal cosmic mechanism of कर्मफळ (the fruit of karma, an automatic law of moral cause-and-effect operating without a personal Judge) — already flagged as a rejected alternative for grace in the baseline, and equally relevant here: John’s κρίνω describes a personal Judge (the Father/Son) rendering a verdict based on one’s response to Christ, not an impersonal ledger balancing itself out across lifetimes.
• σῴζω (sōzō) — “to save, deliver, rescue.” Reuse baseline तारण per salvation entry (Critical). Risk: Critical, per baseline — never मोक्ष/मुक्ती/निर्वाण.

John 3:18

Greek: ὁ πιστεύων εἰς αὐτὸν οὐ κρίνεται· ὁ δὲ μὴ πιστεύων ἤδη κέκριται, ὅτι μὴ πεπίστευκεν εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ μονογενοῦς υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ.

• κρίνεται / κέκριται — passive forms of κρίνω (see v.17). Contextual theological meaning: unbelief is not merely a deficient religious opinion but a present, standing condemnation (“already,” ἤδη) — belief/unbelief is the axis on which final judgment turns, a distinctively Johannine emphasis relevant to the curriculum’s “Judgment and Belief/Unbelief” doctrine. Marathi: दोषी ठरणे / न्यायदंड होणे (doṣī ṭharaṇe / nyāyadaṇḍa hoṇe — “to stand condemned”). Risk: High.
• ὄνομα (onoma) — “name.” Contextual meaning: “believing in the name” = trusting in the person and revealed identity of the Son, a common Johannine idiom (cf. 1:12; 20:31). Marathi: नाव (nāv), in the compound त्याच्या नावावर विश्वास ठेवणे (“to believe on his name”). Risk: Medium — ensure this is not read merely as invoking a verbal formula/mantra (a risk given the prominence of nāma-japa, repetition of the divine name, in Warkari bhakti practice, e.g. repeating “Vitthal” or “Rama”), but as trusting reliance on the person Christ actually is.
• μονογενοῦς υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ — “the only Son of God” — combines two Critical terms (μονογενής + υἱὸς θεοῦ); reuse देवाचा पुत्र + एकुलता एक (Critical).

John 3:19

Greek: αὕτη δέ ἐστιν ἡ κρίσις, ὅτι τὸ φῶς ἐλήλυθεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον καὶ ἠγάπησαν οἱ ἄνθρωποι μᾶλλον τὸ σκότος ἢ τὸ φῶς· ἦν γὰρ αὐτῶν πονηρὰ τὰ ἔργα.

• κρίσις (krisis) — noun form, “the judgment, the verdict, the crisis-point of decision.” Marathi: न्याय (nyāya). Risk: High, same collision concerns as κρίνω above.
• φῶς (phōs) / σκότος (skotos) — “light” / “darkness.” Semantic range: physical light/dark; moral-spiritual good/evil; revelation/concealment. English variants: “light”/“darkness.” NEW TERM, HIGH RISK. Marathi: प्रकाश (prakāś) / अंधकार (andhakār). Risk: High. The baseline already cautions (under glory) against light-imagery merging with devotional divine-radiance or bodhi/enlightenment associations. Here the risk is sharper still: Buddhist teaching centers on the Buddha’s own “enlightenment” (bodhi, awakening, often imaged as light dispelling ignorance through the practitioner’s own effort), and Hindu devotional and Vedantic traditions likewise use light imagery for self-realization or divine illumination attained through practice (e.g., ārtī, the ritual offering of light, or jñāna as illumination). John’s light/darkness dualism must be taught as a given, external revelation (Christ himself is the light that “has come into the world,” a completed divine act) that a person either receives or resists — not a state of awakening a devotee or practitioner cultivates or attains through their own effort.
• ἔργα (erga) — “works, deeds.” Marathi: कामे / कृत्ये. Risk: Low as a word, but doctrinally significant: “evil deeds” here are the reason people avoid the light — this must not be phrased so as to suggest a karma-ledger accumulating merit/demerit across lives (again, echoing the baseline’s caution on election/providence against birth-karma framing); the deeds in view are this life’s moral choices assessed by a personal God in relation to Christ, not a karmic residue from a previous existence.

John 3:20

Greek: πᾶς γὰρ ὁ φαῦλα πράσσων μισεῖ τὸ φῶς καὶ οὐκ ἔρχεται πρὸς τὸ φῶς, ἵνα μὴ ἐλεγχθῇ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ·

• ἐλέγχω (elenchō) — “to expose, convict, reprove, bring to light for correction.” NEW TERM — the same verb root recurs critically in 16:8 (the Spirit “will convict [ἐλέγξει] the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment”), forming a deliberate inner-Johannine link between this passage and the Holy Spirit’s Counselor-work later in the book. Marathi: उघड होणे / दोष दाखवणे (ughaḍ hoṇe / doṣ dākhavaṇe — “to be exposed / have one’s fault shown”). Risk: Medium-High; translators should note the cross-reference to 16:8 so the same word-family is used consistently in both places, allowing readers to perceive John’s own literary connection between the light’s exposing work in ch. 3 and the Spirit’s convicting work in ch. 16.

John 3:21

Greek: ὁ δὲ ποιῶν τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἔρχεται πρὸς τὸ φῶς, ἵνα φανερωθῇ αὐτοῦ τὰ ἔργα ὅτι ἐν θεῷ ἐστιν εἰργασμένα.

• ἀλήθεια (alētheia) — “truth.” Semantic range: factual truth; also, in Johannine usage, the very reality of God disclosed in Christ (cf. 1:14,17; 14:6; 18:38). English variants: “truth,” “what is true.” NEW TERM, HIGH RISK. Marathi: सत्य (satya). Risk: High. सत्य is a philosophically load-bearing word across both Hindu Vedantic thought (Brahman as sat/satya, ultimate impersonal Reality) and Buddhist teaching (the Four Noble Truths, ariya-sacca). John’s ἀλήθεια, especially once Christ says “I am… the truth” (14:6), must be taught as truth that is personal and self-disclosing — a Person to be known and trusted — not an impersonal metaphysical principle to be philosophically grasped or a set of propositions to be realized through meditative insight. A translator note is recommended at each major occurrence (1:14,17; 3:21; 4:24; 8:32; 14:6; 16:13; 18:38).
• φανερόω (phaneroō) — “to make visible, manifest, plainly show.” Marathi: उघड होणे / प्रकट होणे. Risk: Low.

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PART B — WHOLE-BOOK CHAPTER-BY-CHAPTER SEMANTIC ANALYSIS

Chapter 1 — The Prologue, John’s Witness, First Disciples

Term	Greek / translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Marathi rendering	Risk
Word	λόγος / logos	”word, utterance, reasoned speech/account”	philosophical “rational principle ordering the cosmos” (Stoic/Philonic background) and a personal, speaking divine Agent in John’s usage	Word, the Logos	The eternal, personal, pre-existent divine Word who was with God and was God, and who “became flesh” (1:14) — the Deity and Pre-existence of Christ doctrine begins here	शब्द (śabda) — established Marathi Bible rendering	Critical. शब्द/शब्द-ब्रह्म (“Word/Sound as ultimate reality”) is a live philosophical category in Hindu thought (Nāda Brahman, Śabda-advaita), and Warkari bhakti reveres the sacred sound of Vitthal’s name (nāma-japa, kirtan). John’s शब्द must be taught as a personal, eternal divine Being who was “with God” (distinct in person) and “was God” (identical in nature), then became a real human being once for all — not an impersonal cosmic sound-principle or vibration to be chanted or realized.
grace / truth	χάρις καὶ ἀλήθεια	”grace and truth” (a hendiadys echoing the OT’s ḥesed we’emet, “steadfast love and faithfulness”)	—	grace and truth	Christ’s fullness surpassing the Law given through Moses (1:14,17)	reuse कृपा (Critical, baseline) + सत्य (High, see ch.3 above)	Critical/High per component terms
only begotten / one and only	μονογενής / monogenēs	see John 3:16 above	—	only begotten, one and only	1:14 “glory as of the only Son from the Father”; 1:18 “the only God/Son at the Father’s side”	एकुलता एक पुत्र	Critical (see full note under 3:16)
God (anarthrous θεός)	θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος	”the Word was God” (θεός without the article, describing divine nature/quality, distinct from ὁ θεός “God the Father” earlier in the same verse, which has the article)	—	“the Word was God”	This grammatical distinction (God the Father = ὁ θεός, articular; the Word’s own nature = θεός, anarthrous, qualitative) is the foundation of Trinitarian orthodoxy: the Word is fully God in nature while remaining a distinct Person from the Father	reuse परमेश्वर; a translator/footnote should explain that “the Word was परमेश्वर” affirms full deity of nature without collapsing the Word’s distinct personhood from “परमेश्वराजवळ” (with God) in the same verse	Critical — a poor rendering here (e.g. softening to “a god” or “godlike”) would directly damage the Deity of Christ doctrine; must be flagged for mandatory theologian review
life	ζωή / zōē	”life” (as source/origin of created life, and later as the “eternal life” believers receive)	—	life	1:4 “In him was life, and the life was the light of men” — establishes the Word as the source of all life, foundation for the “eternal life” doctrine developed later	जीवन (jīvan)	Medium — foundational sense of ζωή as a bare noun; combine with baseline holy_spirit/new eternal_life entries as the doctrine develops
light / darkness	φῶς / σκότος	see John 3:19 above	—	light / darkness	1:5 “the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it”	प्रकाश / अंधकार	High (see full note under 3:19)
world	κόσμος / kosmos	see John 3:16 above	—	world	1:10 “the world did not know him”	जग	High (see full note under 3:16)
testify / witness	μαρτυρέω, μαρτυρία	see John 3:11 above	—	testify, bear witness, testimony	John the Baptist’s foundational role as witness to the light (1:7-8, 15, 19-34)	साक्ष देणे / साक्ष	Medium (see full note under 3:11)
children of God	τέκνα θεοῦ / tekna theou	”children of God,” from τέκνον (child, one born)	distinct from υἱοθεσία (legal adoption, Romans) — here, begotten-status through new birth	children of God, sons of God	1:12-13 “to all who believed… he gave the right to become children of God… born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” — the doorway to the New Birth doctrine, in advance of ch. 3	NEW TERM. देवाची मुले (devācī mule)	High — must be distinguished from a generic Hindu devotional/Vedantic notion that all beings are already, by nature, sparks or children of the divine (e.g., ātman as inherently one with Brahman); in John this status is granted specifically and exclusively “to all who believed in his name,” received through faith, not an innate universal condition
Lamb of God	ἀμνὸς τοῦ θεοῦ / amnos tou theou	”lamb of God”	sacrificial substitute, echoing Passover lamb (Exodus 12) and Isaiah 53’s suffering servant “led like a lamb to slaughter”	Lamb of God	John the Baptist’s declaration (1:29, 36) — the first explicit pointer to Christ’s Substitutionary Death doctrine	NEW TERM, CRITICAL. देवाचा कोकरा (devācā kokarā)	Critical — must be carefully distinguished from animal sacrifice offered to local/folk deities (e.g., goat sacrifice to Bhairoba or other gramadevata in Maharashtra’s folk-religious practice) and requires OT Passover/Isaiah 53 background explanation (low OT narrative literacy audience); this is God’s own unique, unrepeatable, once-for-all sacrifice, not a repeatable ritual offering
Rabbi	ῥαββί / rhabbi	”my great one / my teacher”	Jewish honorific teaching title	Rabbi, Teacher	1:38, 49 — used of Jesus by early disciples, a category the Gospel will show is true but insufficient	रब्बी (transliterated)	Low; avoid गुरू (see baseline apostle rationale)
Messiah / Christ	Μεσσίας / Χριστός	”Anointed One”	—	Messiah, Christ	1:41 “we have found the Messiah (which means Christ)“	reuse मसीहा (Critical, baseline)	Critical, per baseline
Son of God	υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ	see baseline	—	Son of God	1:34, 49 — Nathanael’s confession	reuse देवाचा पुत्र	Critical, per baseline
King of Israel	βασιλεὺς τοῦ Ἰσραήλ	”king of Israel”	messianic royal title	King of Israel	1:49	इस्राएलाचा राजा (Israelācā rājā)	Medium — background/messianic-royal title, needs Davidic covenant context (reuse baseline davidic_covenant)
Son of Man	ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου	see John 3:13 above	—	Son of Man	1:51 — first occurrence, tied to Jacob’s ladder imagery (Genesis 28), heaven opened	मनुष्याचा पुत्र	High (see full note under 3:13)

Chapter 2 — Cana, Temple Cleansing

Term	Greek / translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Marathi rendering	Risk
sign	σημεῖον / sēmeion	see John 3:2 above	—	sign	2:11 “the first of his signs… manifested his glory” — establishes the sign-and-glory pattern that recurs through ch. 11	reuse चिन्ह	Medium (see full note under 3:2)
glory	δόξα / doxa	see baseline	—	glory	2:11	reuse गौरव	High, per baseline
temple	ἱερόν / hieron (also ναός / naos in 2:19-21, of Christ’s body)	“the temple precinct” / “sanctuary”	Contextual: 2:19-21 Jesus deliberately shifts the referent of ναός from the literal Jerusalem temple building to “the temple of his body,” foreshadowing the resurrection	temple, sanctuary	Note carefully: the literal Jerusalem temple building in 2:14-16 is correctly रendered मंदिर (mandir) as a real historical building — this does NOT contradict the baseline’s rejection of मंदिर/देऊळ for “church” (ekklēsia, a different referent entirely); but 2:19-21’s shift to “the temple of his body” ( = Christ’s body as the true meeting-place with God, prefiguring his death and resurrection) requires a translator note so the shift in referent is not lost	मंदिर (literal building, 2:14-16); for 2:19-21’s “temple of his body,” render literally with an explanatory note tying it to resurrection	High for 2:19-21 (doctrinal wordplay tied to resurrection doctrine); Low for the literal building reference
zeal	ζῆλος / zēlos	”zeal, jealousy, ardent devotion”	—	zeal	2:17, quoting Psalm 69:9	आवेश / तळमळ	Low

Chapter 3 (3:22–36) — remainder of the chapter beyond the core passage

The core passage (3:1-21) is fully treated in Part A above. The remainder of the chapter (John the Baptist’s final testimony) introduces the following additional load-bearing terms:

Term	Greek / translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Marathi rendering	Risk
bridegroom / friend of the bridegroom	νυμφίος / φίλος τοῦ νυμφίου	”bridegroom” / “friend of the bridegroom” (best man)	—	bridegroom, friend of the bridegroom	3:29 — John the Baptist describes his own subordinate joy at Christ’s rising prominence: “he must increase, but I must decrease” (3:30)	वर / वरमित्र (var / varmitra)	Low — culturally resonant marriage imagery, minimal risk
from above / from the earth	ὁ ἄνωθεν ἐρχόμενος / ὁ ὢν ἐκ τῆς γῆς	”the one coming from above” / “the one who is of the earth”	—	from above, of the earth	3:31 — reinforces Christ’s heavenly origin, echoing v.13	वरून येणारा / पृथ्वीवरील	Medium — reinforces Deity/Pre-existence doctrine
wrath of God	ἡ ὀργὴ τοῦ θεοῦ	”the wrath/anger of God”	—	the wrath of God	3:36 “whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him”	NEW TERM. देवाचा क्रोध (devācā krodh)	High — must be taught as God’s righteous, personal moral response to unbelief and sin, not an impersonal cosmic retribution mechanism (karma); pairs directly with सार्वकालिक जीवन in the same verse as the two possible destinies

Chapter 4 — The Samaritan Woman

Term	Greek / translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Marathi rendering	Risk
living water	ὕδωρ ζῶν / hydōr zōn	”living/flowing water”	literal flowing (as opposed to stagnant) water; figuratively, the Spirit-given life Christ gives, springing up to eternal life (4:14)	living water	4:10-14 — Christ offers water that permanently satisfies, contrasted with Jacob’s well	NEW TERM. जिवंत पाणी (jivant pāṇī)	Medium-High — must be distinguished from sacred/purifying river water in Hindu practice (e.g., Godavari, Ganga snan/tirtha bathing for ritual purification or merit) — this is not a place or ritual one visits, but a permanent inward gift Christ himself gives once, satisfying forever
worship (in spirit and truth)	προσκυνέω / proskyneō	”to worship, bow down, do obeisance to”	cultic worship at a specific place (Jerusalem/Gerizim) vs. worship “in spirit and truth”	worship	4:20-24 — the definitive statement that true worship is no longer tied to a place but is a matter of the Spirit’s inward reality and Christ’s truth	NEW TERM. उपासना (upāsanā)	High — उपासना is a live, active devotional term across Hindu and Warkari bhakti practice (upāsanā of Vitthal, of one’s iṣṭadevatā); John 4:24 must be taught as relativizing all place-bound, ritual-form worship in favor of Spirit-enabled, Christ-centered worship — a genuinely subversive claim for readers for whom pilgrimage-place (Pandharpur) is central to devotional identity, and this should be handled with pastoral care, not merely as a doctrinal correction
harvest	θερισμός / therismos	”harvest”	—	harvest	4:35-38 — evangelistic metaphor	कापणी (kāpaṇī)	Low
Savior of the world	ὁ σωτὴρ τοῦ κόσμου	”the Savior of the world”	—	Savior of the world	4:42 — the Samaritans’ climactic confession	reuse तारणारा (from तारण) + जग	Critical/High per component terms

Chapter 5 — Healing at Bethesda; Christ’s Authority

Term	Greek / translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Marathi rendering	Risk
equal with God	ἴσος τῷ θεῷ / isos tō theō	”equal to God”	—	equal with God	5:18 — the Jewish leaders correctly understand Jesus’s claim (“calling God his own Father”) as a claim to full deity, provoking the charge of blasphemy	NEW TERM, CRITICAL. देवासमान (devāsamān)	Critical — this is one of the clearest Deity of Christ statements in the whole Gospel and must be preserved without softening; flag for mandatory theologian review
life in himself	ζωὴν ἐν ἑαυτῷ / zōēn en heautō	”life in himself”	—	life in himself	5:26 “as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself” — the Son possesses underived, self-existent life	NEW TERM, CRITICAL. स्वतःमध्ये जीवन (svataḥmadhye jīvan)	Critical — foundational to both the Deity of Christ and the Eternal Life doctrines; the Son’s life is not derived or granted in the way creaturely life is
resurrection of life / of judgment	ἀνάστασιν ζωῆς / ἀνάστασιν κρίσεως	”resurrection of life” / “resurrection of judgment”	—	resurrection of life, resurrection of judgment	5:28-29 — bodily resurrection of all, unto two different destinies	reuse पुनरुत्थान (Critical, baseline) + नवीन compounds जीवनाचे पुनरुत्थान / न्यायाचे पुनरुत्थान	Critical, per baseline resurrection
honor the Son	τιμᾶν τὸν υἱόν	”to honor the Son”	—	honor the Son	5:23 “that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father” — equal honor due to the Son as to the Father	सन्मान करणे	High — direct support for Deity/Unity of Father and Son doctrine
testimony (fourfold)	μαρτυρία	see 3:11	—	testimony	5:31-39 — John the Baptist’s, the Father’s, the works’, and the Scriptures’ testimony to Christ	reuse साक्ष	Medium, per ch.1/3 note

Chapter 6 — Bread of Life Discourse (I AM #1)

Term	Greek / translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Marathi rendering	Risk
I am the bread of life	ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἄρτος τῆς ζωῆς	”I am the bread of life”	see general “I AM” note under ch.8 below	I am the bread of life	6:35, 48, 51 — first of the seven absolute/predicate “I am” self-declarations, this curriculum’s “Seven I Am Statements” doctrine	NEW TERM. मी जीवनाची भाकर आहे (mī jīvanācī bhākar āhe)	High — भाकर (bread, the Marathi staple-food word, already used in the Lord’s Prayer tradition “आमची रोजची भाकर”) grounds this image in ordinary daily sustenance; the theological force is that Christ himself, not any ritual food, teaching, or practice, is the sole sustaining source of eternal life. See consolidated “I AM” note under Chapter 8.
manna	μάννα / manna	transliterated Hebrew, the wilderness bread (Exodus 16)	—	manna	6:31-33, 49-51 — contrast between manna (temporary, ancestors still died) and the true bread from heaven (permanent life)	मान्ना (transliterated)	Low; requires brief OT background note
flesh and blood	σάρξ καὶ αἷμα	”flesh and blood”	figuratively (not literal cannibalism) — receiving the benefit of Christ’s substitutionary death by faith	eat my flesh, drink my blood	6:53-56 — anticipates and interprets the cross sacramentally; directly tied to Christ’s Substitutionary Death doctrine	देह आणि रक्त	High — must be clearly framed (with translator note) as figurative language for personal appropriation by faith of Christ’s atoning death, not literal cannibalism nor to be confused with any folk-ritual blood-offering practice
draw	ἑλκύω / helkyō	”to draw, drag, pull”	—	draw, draws	6:44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him”	NEW TERM. ओढणे (oḍhaṇe)	High — supports the Effectual Calling/Divine Calling doctrine already Critical/High in the baseline; God’s initiative, not the seeker’s own achievement, echoing the same collision noted under called/election in the baseline against self-initiated seeking (Warkari pilgrimage) or self-attained realization (Buddhist path)
abide	μένω / menō	”to remain, stay, dwell, abide”	—	abide, remain	6:56 “Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him” — first occurrence of a key Johannine term developed fully in ch. 15	NEW TERM. राहणे (rāhaṇe)	High (see fuller note under ch.15)

Chapter 7 — Feast of Tabernacles

Term	Greek / translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Marathi rendering	Risk
living water (rivers of)	ποταμοὶ ὕδατος ζῶντος	”rivers of living water”	—	rivers of living water	7:37-39 — explicitly identified by John as referring to the Holy Spirit, to be given after Jesus is glorified	reuse जिवंत पाणी; explicit gloss to पवित्र आत्मा	High, per ch.4 note; Critical once tied to the Spirit
Spirit not yet given	οὔπω γὰρ ἦν πνεῦμα	”for the Spirit was not yet” (i.e., not yet given in this fullness)	—	the Spirit had not yet been given	7:39 — ties the Spirit’s outpouring to Christ’s glorification (death/resurrection/ascension)	reuse पवित्र आत्मा	Critical, per baseline
judge with right judgment	κρίνετε τὴν δικαίαν κρίσιν	”judge the righteous judgment”	—	judge with right judgment	7:24	reuse न्याय (see ch.3 note) + reuse नीतिमत्त्व-root for “righteous”	High

Chapter 8 — Light of the World; “Before Abraham Was, I Am”

Term	Greek / translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Marathi rendering	Risk
I am the light of the world	ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου	”I am the light of the world”	—	I am the light of the world	8:12 — second “I Am” statement	मी जगाचा प्रकाश आहे	High (see general “I AM” note below, plus ch.3/1 light/darkness note)
the truth will set you free	ἡ ἀλήθεια ἐλευθερώσει ὑμᾶς	”the truth will free/liberate you”	ἐλευθερόω = to free from bondage/slavery (a legal/social term, manumission)	the truth will set you free	8:32	NEW TERM. सत्य तुम्हांला मोकळे करील (satya tumhālā mokaḷe karīl)	Critical — the verb “to free/liberate” must NOT be rendered with मुक्त/मुक्ती-family words (already forbidden in the baseline for “salvation” precisely because of their Hindu-liberation associations); use मोकळे करणे (to loosen, release, make free) instead, to avoid smuggling मोक्ष back in through a different English word (“freedom” rather than “salvation”)
slave to sin	δοῦλος τῆς ἁμαρτίας	”slave/servant of sin”	—	slave to sin, servant of sin	8:34	reuse पाप (High, baseline) + दास (dās, slave/servant)	High
before Abraham was, I am	πρὶν Ἀβραὰμ γενέσθαι ἐγὼ εἰμί	”before Abraham came to be, I am”	ἐγώ εἰμι here used absolutely, without a predicate — echoing LXX Exodus 3:14 (ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν, “I am the one who is/I am who I am,” the divine Name revealed to Moses)	before Abraham was, I am	8:58 — the clearest possible claim to eternal pre-existence and to bearing the divine Name itself; the crowd’s reaction (attempting to stone him for blasphemy, 8:59) confirms they understood the claim correctly	NEW TERM, CRITICAL. मी आहे (mī āhe)	Critical — must be rendered as the emphatic, absolute “मी आहे” (not merely “मी होतो/होतो,” which would reduce it to ordinary past existence) so that its deliberate echo of God’s self-revealed Name in Exodus 3:14 (Marathi Bible: “मी जो आहे तोच मी आहे”) is recoverable. This is arguably the single most important Deity/Pre-existence text in the Gospel; mandatory theologian review and a translator note connecting it explicitly to Exodus 3:14 is required.
General note — the seven “I Am” statements: John structures seven predicate “I am” declarations (bread of life 6:35; light of the world 8:12; the door 10:7,9; the good shepherd 10:11,14; the resurrection and the life 11:25; the way the truth and the life 14:6; the true vine 15:1,5) plus at least one absolute, unpredicated use (8:58, echoed at 18:5-6 where soldiers arresting Jesus “drew back and fell to the ground” at his ἐγώ εἰμι). All seven predicate statements should consistently use मी आहे as the fixed formula (मी … आहे, with the predicate inserted), so that Marathi readers can perceive the literary pattern binding all seven together as a single unified self-revelation, and so that the absolute use in 8:58 (and 18:5-6) stands out by its lack of a predicate, exactly as in the Greek.							Critical, applies across chs. 6, 8, 10, 11, 14, 15, 18
devil / father of lies	διάβολος / ψεῦδος πατήρ	”slanderer, devil” / “father of the lie”	—	devil, father of lies	8:44	सैतान (transliterated, established) / लबाडाचा बाप	Medium — distinguish from generic bhut/pisach folk-spirit beliefs; this is a specific personal being, the ultimate source of falsehood opposing God
children of Abraham vs. children of the devil	τέκνα Ἀβραάμ / τέκνα τοῦ διαβόλου	”children of Abraham” / “children of the devil”	—	children of Abraham, children of the devil	8:39-44	reuse मुले (children)	Medium — spiritual paternity determined by whom one obeys/believes, not by physical descent, a point resonant with the Unity of Jews and Gentiles doctrine already High-risk in the baseline

Chapter 9 — Healing of the Man Born Blind

Term	Greek / translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Marathi rendering	Risk
light of the world	τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου	(repeated from 8:12)	—	light of the world	9:5	reuse मी जगाचा प्रकाश आहे	High, per ch.8
blind	τυφλός / typhlos	”blind”	literal blindness; spiritual blindness (unbelief) as the chapter’s central irony	blind	9:39-41 — “those who see may become blind”	आंधळा / आंधळेपणा	Medium — the physical/spiritual double meaning must be preserved; do not flatten to only literal blindness
No further new theological vocabulary beyond ch. 1-8’s light/darkness, sin, worship, and Son of Man terms, all reused.

Chapter 10 — The Door and the Good Shepherd (I AM #3, #4); Unity of Father and Son

Term	Greek / translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Marathi rendering	Risk
I am the door	ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ θύρα	”I am the door/gate”	—	I am the door, I am the gate	10:7, 9 — third “I Am” statement	मी दार आहे (mī dār āhe)	High, per ch.8 general I AM note
I am the good shepherd	ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλός	”I am the shepherd, the good [one]“	καλός = good/noble/model, not merely morally acceptable	I am the good shepherd	10:11, 14 — fourth “I Am” statement; lays down his life for the sheep, directly tied to Substitutionary Death	मी उत्तम मेंढपाळ आहे (mī uttam meṇḍhapāḷ āhe)	High, per ch.8 general note; also ties directly to Critical Substitutionary Death doctrine via “lay down his life”
lay down (one’s life)	τίθημι τὴν ψυχήν	”to lay down/put down one’s life/soul”	—	lay down his life	10:11, 15, 17-18	NEW TERM. जीव अर्पण करणे / जीव देणे (jīv arpaṇ karṇe / jīv deṇe)	High — must be phrased so it is clear this is a voluntary, sovereign self-giving (“no one takes it from me, I lay it down of my own accord,” 10:18) — not a victim’s fate imposed by others, nor a martyrdom pattern comparable to other religious self-sacrifice traditions without the unique substitutionary, atoning purpose in view
one flock, one shepherd	μία ποίμνη, εἷς ποιμήν	”one flock, one shepherd”	—	one flock, one shepherd	10:16 — anticipates the Unity of Jews and Gentiles doctrine (already High in the baseline)	reuse baseline concept + एक कळप, एक मेंढपाळ	High, per baseline unity_of_jews_and_gentiles
I and the Father are one	ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἕν ἐσμεν	”I and the Father, we are one [thing/reality]” (ἕν is neuter — “one entity/essence,” not “one person,” preserving the distinction of persons while affirming unity of essence and will)	—	I and the Father are one	10:30 — the definitive Unity of the Father and the Son text in this Gospel, provoking a second stoning attempt for blasphemy (10:31-33)	NEW TERM, CRITICAL. मी आणि पिता एक आहोत (mī āṇi pitā ek āhot)	Critical — the single most important text for this curriculum’s “Unity of the Father and the Son” doctrine. Grounded doctrinal risk: Maharashtra’s dominant devotional and philosophical frameworks include a strong Advaita Vedantic strand in which “oneness” (अद्वैत, “not-two”) typically means the ultimate identity/merging of the individual self (ātman) with the impersonal Absolute (Brahman) — “tat tvam asi,” “that [Brahman] you are.” John 10:30 must be taught as affirming unity of essence, will, and divine nature between two eternally distinct Persons (Father and Son), not a monistic collapse of personal distinction into an undifferentiated One. Mandatory theologian review required at every occurrence of this and related unity texts (14:9-11; 17:11, 21-22).
sanctify	ἁγιάζω / hagiazō	”to set apart, consecrate, make holy”	—	sanctify, consecrated	10:36 “him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world”	reuse पवित्र करणे (from baseline sanctification/holy root)	High, per baseline
blasphemy	βλασφημία / blasphēmia	”slander, defamation” (of God, in this context)	—	blasphemy	10:33-36	NEW TERM. ईशनिंदा (īśanindā)	Medium — standard Marathi term for blasphemy against God; ensure it is understood as a specifically religious-legal charge, contextually explaining why the Jewish leadership brought this charge against Jesus’s deity-claims

Chapter 11 — Lazarus; “I Am the Resurrection and the Life” (I AM #5)

Term	Greek / translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Marathi rendering	Risk
I am the resurrection and the life	ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἀνάστασις καὶ ἡ ζωή	”I am the resurrection and the life”	—	I am the resurrection and the life	11:25 — fifth “I Am” statement, combines reused Critical terms resurrection (पुनरुत्थान) and eternal life-root (जीवन) into Christ’s own self-identification: he does not merely grant or predict resurrection, he is resurrection life in person	मी पुनरुत्थान आणि जीवन आहे	Critical — combines two already-Critical terms (पुनरुत्थान from baseline; जीवन from ch.3); the raising of Lazarus itself must be presented as a real, bodily, historical event (a preview and guarantee of Christ’s own resurrection and of believers’ future bodily resurrection), never softened toward a symbolic or merely spiritual “awakening”
glory of God	ἡ δόξα τοῦ θεοῦ	”the glory of God”	—	glory of God	11:4, 40	reuse गौरव	High, per baseline
troubled in spirit / weep	ἐνεβριμήσατο τῷ πνεύματι / ἐδάκρυσεν	”he was deeply moved/troubled in spirit” / “he wept”	—	troubled in spirit, wept	11:33, 35 — the shortest verse in the Bible, “Jesus wept,” displaying Christ’s genuine human emotion, supporting the Humanity of Christ doctrine already High in the baseline	आत्म्यात व्याकुळ झाला / रडला	Medium — supports genuine, full humanity of Christ (not mere appearance of emotion)

Chapter 12 — Triumphal Entry; the Hour Has Come; Unbelief

Term	Greek / translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Marathi rendering	Risk
the hour has come	ἐλήλυθεν ἡ ὥρα	”the hour has come”	—	the hour has come	12:23 — Jesus repeatedly refers throughout John to “my hour” (2:4; 7:30; 8:20; 12:23,27; 13:1; 17:1) as the divinely appointed, sovereignly-timed moment of his death/glorification	NEW TERM. वेळ आली आहे / माझी वेळ (veḷ ālī āhe / mājhī veḷ)	High — must convey a fixed, sovereignly appointed moment in God’s plan, not a fatalistic or astrologically-determined “auspicious time” (a live folk-religious category in Maharashtra, muhūrta/śubh velā)
a grain of wheat… dies	ὁ κόκκος τοῦ σίτου… ἀποθάνῃ	”unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit”	—	a grain of wheat falling and dying	12:24 — Christ’s death as the necessary, fruit-bearing pattern, extended to disciples “hating their life” for his sake (12:25-26)	गव्हाचा दाणा… मरतो	Medium
ruler of this world	ὁ ἄρχων τοῦ κόσμου τούτου	”the ruler of this world”	—	ruler of this world	12:31 “now will the ruler of this world be cast out” — Satan’s defeat accomplished through the cross	या जगाचा अधिकारी (reuse जग + अधिकारी)	High — supports Christ’s Substitutionary Death as a victory over the devil, not merely a private transaction; connects to 8:44’s “father of lies”
lifted up	ὑψωθῶ	(repeated from 3:14; 8:28)	—	lifted up	12:32-34 — explicitly interpreted by John as referring to “what kind of death he was going to die”	reuse उंच करणे	High, per ch.3 note
hardened hearts (Isaiah quotation)	πεπώρωκεν τὴν καρδίαν / ἐπώρωσεν	”he has hardened their heart”	—	hardened their hearts, blinded their eyes	12:39-40, quoting Isaiah 6:10	मन कठीण करणे	Medium — supports Judgment/Unbelief doctrine; God’s judicial hardening in response to persistent unbelief, not an arbitrary act

Chapter 13 — Foot Washing; the New Commandment

Term	Greek / translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Marathi rendering	Risk
new commandment	ἐντολὴν καινήν	”a new commandment”	—	a new commandment	13:34 “that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another”	NEW TERM. नवी आज्ञा (navī āgnā)	Medium — reuse प्रीती for “love” (see 3:16 note); the standard is Christ’s own self-giving love as the model, not a generic ethical maxim
wash feet	νίπτω τοὺς πόδας	”to wash the feet”	a servant’s/slave’s task, taken up voluntarily by the Master	wash feet	13:1-17 — a paradigm of humble self-giving service, establishing Christ’s example alongside his coming death	पाय धुणे	Low — culturally resonant humility-gesture, minimal collision risk (note: touching/washing feet also carries devotional significance in some Hindu guru-veneration practice — a brief translator note distinguishing servant-humility from disciple-veneration-of-guru may be useful)
the disciple whom Jesus loved	ὁ μαθητὴς ὃν ἠγάπα ὁ Ἰησοῦς	”the disciple whom Jesus was loving”	—	the beloved disciple	13:23, and throughout the rest of the Gospel	reuse प्रीती	Low

Chapter 14 — The Way, the Truth, and the Life (I AM #6); the Counselor Promised

Term	Greek / translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Marathi rendering	Risk
I am the way, and the truth, and the life	ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ὁδὸς καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια καὶ ἡ ζωή	”I am the way and the truth and the life”	—	I am the way, the truth, and the life	14:6 — sixth “I Am” statement, combining three already-analyzed terms (ὁδός new; ἀλήθεια from 3:21; ζωή from 3:15-16) into the Gospel’s most compact exclusivity claim: “no one comes to the Father except through me”	मी मार्ग, सत्य आणि जीवन आहे (mī mārg, satya āṇi jīvan āhe)	Critical — the exclusivity clause (“no one comes to the Father except through me”) must never be softened, qualified, or made merely one of several possible paths, given the multi-path plurality assumptions common in both Hindu devotional traditions (many mārgs — bhakti-mārga, jñāna-mārg, karma-mārg — as equally valid routes) and in a broadly pluralistic public discourse in Maharashtra. Mandatory theologian review.
the Father’s house	ἡ οἰκία τοῦ πατρός μου	”my Father’s house”	—	my Father’s house	14:2 — heavenly dwelling place, “many rooms”	पित्याचे घर	Low — reuse पिता (Critical, baseline)
Counselor / Advocate / Helper	παράκλητος / paraklētos	”one called alongside [to help]” — an advocate, intercessor, comforter, legal helper	Counselor, Comforter, Advocate, Helper	Counselor, Advocate, Helper	14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7 — the Holy Spirit as “another Paraclete” (ἄλλον παράκλητον, implying Christ himself was the first), continuing Christ’s own presence and ministry after his ascension; central to this curriculum’s “Holy Spirit as Counselor” doctrine	NEW TERM, CRITICAL. सहाय्यकर्ता (sahāyyakartā, “helper/one who gives aid”) — always paired with पवित्र आत्मा for doctrinal clarity (e.g., “सहाय्यकर्ता, म्हणजे पवित्र आत्मा”)	Critical — must be taught as a personal, permanently indwelling divine Person (the Third Person of the Trinity, continuing Christ’s presence) — not a generic helper-spirit, ancestor-spirit, or guardian deity (kul-devatā) in the sense familiar from Maharashtra’s folk-religious household-deity practice, and not an impersonal universal life-force (a risk the baseline’s holy_spirit entry already flags against परमात्मा/ब्रह्म). “Another [Paraclete]” (ἄλλον) must be rendered so it is clear the Spirit is another of the same kind as Christ himself — fully personal and fully divine — not a lesser substitute.
Spirit of truth	τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας	”the Spirit of truth”	—	Spirit of truth	14:17; 15:26; 16:13	सत्याचा आत्मा (reuse सत्य + पवित्र आत्मा)	Critical, per baseline holy_spirit
peace	εἰρήνη / eirēnē	see baseline	—	peace	14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you, not as the world gives”	reuse शांती	Medium, per baseline; note explicit contrast here with worldly peace, reinforcing the baseline’s distinction from mere psychological calm
world cannot receive [the Spirit]	ὃ ὁ κόσμος οὐ δύναται λαβεῖν	”whom the world cannot receive”	—	the world cannot receive him	14:17	reuse जग	High, per 3:16 note

Chapter 15 — The True Vine (I AM #7); Abiding; Love

Term	Greek / translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Marathi rendering	Risk
I am the true vine	ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἄμπελος ἡ ἀληθινή	”I am the vine, the true one”	ἀληθινή = “true, genuine, real” (as opposed to a shadow/type) — a distinctively Johannine adjective (cf. 1:9; 4:23; 6:32)	I am the true vine	15:1, 5 — seventh and final “I Am” statement; Israel is repeatedly imaged as a vine in the OT (Psalm 80; Isaiah 5) — Christ is now the true vine, fulfilling and replacing that image	मी खरी द्राक्षवेल आहे (mī kharī drākṣavel āhe)	High, per ch.8 general I AM note
abide	μένω / menō	see ch.6 above	—	abide, remain	15:4-10 — the chapter’s central repeated term (10 occurrences): “Abide in me, and I in you… apart from me you can do nothing”	reuse राहणे	High — the mutual, permanent, life-giving indwelling union between Christ and the believer (Christian Identity in Christ doctrine, already High in the baseline) must not be flattened into a temporary devotional visit/pilgrimage relationship (e.g., periodic wari pilgrimage to Pandharpur, a devotional practice of approach and return rather than permanent indwelling union) nor into a Buddhist mindfulness state of momentary present-abiding without ongoing personal relationship
friends, not servants	φίλοι, οὐκέτι δούλους	”friends, no longer slaves/servants”	—	friends, no longer servants	15:14-15	मित्र, दास नव्हे	Medium
the world hates you	ὁ κόσμος ὑμᾶς μισεῖ	”the world hates you”	—	the world hates you	15:18-19	reuse जग	High, per 3:16

Chapter 16 — The Spirit’s Convicting Work; Sorrow into Joy

Term	Greek / translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Marathi rendering	Risk
convict	ἐλέγχω / elenchō	see 3:20 above	—	convict, convince, expose	16:8 “when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment”	reuse दोष दाखवणे / खात्री करून देणे (cross-referenced to 3:20)	High — links the Spirit’s Counselor-work directly to the Judgment and Belief/Unbelief doctrine
sin, righteousness, judgment	ἁμαρτία, δικαιοσύνη, κρίσις	see respective entries	—	sin, righteousness, judgment	16:8-11 — the Spirit’s threefold convicting ministry, defined precisely: sin = unbelief in Christ; righteousness = Christ’s vindication by his return to the Father; judgment = the ruler of this world’s condemnation	reuse पाप (High, baseline), नीतिमत्त्व (Critical, baseline), न्याय (High, ch.3)	Critical/High per component terms — this triad requires careful, connected teaching, since John gives these words unusually specific definitions in context, distinct from their ordinary range
sorrow turned to joy	ἡ λύπη ὑμῶν εἰς χαρὰν γενήσεται	”your sorrow will become joy”	—	sorrow into joy	16:20-22	NEW TERM. दुःखाचे आनंदात रूपांतर (duḥkhāce ānandāt rūpāntar); joy = आनंद (ānand)	Low-Medium
I have overcome the world	ἐγὼ νενίκηκα τὸν κόσμον	”I have conquered/overcome the world”	—	I have overcome the world	16:33	reuse जग + जिंकणे (jiṅkaṇe, to conquer)	High, per 3:16

Chapter 17 — The High Priestly Prayer; Unity and Glorification

Term	Greek / translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Marathi rendering	Risk
glorify	δοξάζω / doxazō	see baseline glory	—	glorify	17:1, 5 “glorify your Son… with the glory that I had with you before the world existed” — explicit pre-existence claim	reuse गौरव करणे	Critical/High, per baseline; 17:5 is a key Pre-existence of Christ proof-text and should be flagged for theologian review
that they may be one	ἵνα ὦσιν ἕν	”that they may be one”	—	that they may be one	17:11, 21-22 “that they may be one, even as we are one” — the unity of believers modeled on, and grounded in, the prior unity of Father and Son	reuse एक आहोत (from 10:30)	Critical — same collision risk as 10:30’s Advaita-adjacent “oneness” language; must be clear this is relational, covenantal unity of will and love among distinct persons (both within the Godhead and among believers), not a metaphysical merging/dissolving of individual identity
know the only true God	γινώσκωσιν σὲ τὸν μόνον ἀληθινὸν θεὸν	”that they may know you, the only true God”	—	the only true God	17:3 — defines eternal life itself as relational knowledge of God and Christ	reuse परमेश्वर + सत्य-root (खरा, true)	Critical — ties directly to the Eternal Life doctrine: eternal life is defined here as knowing God personally, not an impersonal state attained
sanctify	ἁγιάζω	see ch.10	—	sanctify	17:17, 19 “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth”	reuse पवित्र करणे	High, per baseline

Chapter 18 — Betrayal, Arrest, Trial

Term	Greek / translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Marathi rendering	Risk
ἐγώ εἰμι (absolute, at arrest)	ἐγώ εἰμι	”I am”	(see 8:58 note) — soldiers “drew back and fell to the ground” at this self-declaration	I am he	18:5-6	reuse मी आहे	Critical, per ch.8
my kingdom is not of this world	ἡ βασιλεία ἡ ἐμὴ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου	”my kingdom is not out of/from this world”	—	my kingdom is not of this world	18:36	reuse देवाचे राज्य-root + जग	Medium, per baseline kingdom_of_god
What is truth?	τί ἐστιν ἀλήθεια;	“What is truth?”	Pilate’s dismissive/skeptical question, ironically posed to Truth incarnate (cf. 14:6)	What is truth?	18:38	reuse सत्य	High, per 3:21 note
No further new theological vocabulary; the chapter otherwise concerns historical/narrative material (high priest, denial, Praetorium) requiring background/cultural notes rather than doctrinal risk analysis.

Chapter 19 — Crucifixion

Term	Greek / translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Marathi rendering	Risk
King of the Jews	ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων	”the King of the Jews”	—	King of the Jews	19:19-22 — the inscription over the cross, in three languages, unwittingly proclaiming the truth	यहूद्यांचा राजा	Medium
It is finished	τετέλεσται / tetelestai	”it has been completed/accomplished/paid in full” — a commercial/legal term for a debt fully discharged or a task completely fulfilled	It is finished, it is accomplished, paid in full	19:30 — Christ’s final word from the cross, the climactic declaration of Substitutionary Death doctrine	NEW TERM, CRITICAL. पूर्ण झाले (pūrṇa jhāle)	Critical — must be rendered as a triumphant declaration of completed accomplishment (“the work is fully done/paid”), never as merely “संपले” (it is over/finished, which could sound like defeat, exhaustion, or mere cessation). A translator note explaining the commercial/legal background (a debt-paid receipt formula, τετέλεσται, attested in contemporary papyri) is recommended, since this nuance is easily lost without OT/background literacy.
pierced	ἐξεκέντησαν / exekentēsan	”they pierced”	—	pierced	19:34, 37, quoting Zechariah 12:10	भोसकणे	Medium — background OT-fulfillment note required

Chapter 20 — Resurrection Appearances; Thomas’s Confession; the Gospel’s Purpose Statement

Term	Greek / translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Marathi rendering	Risk
Peace be with you	εἰρήνη ὑμῖν	”peace to you”	—	peace be with you	20:19, 21, 26	reuse शांती	Medium, per baseline
Receive the Holy Spirit	λάβετε πνεῦμα ἅγιον	”receive [the] Holy Spirit”	—	receive the Holy Spirit	20:22	reuse पवित्र आत्मा	Critical, per baseline
forgive sins	ἄφητε τὰς ἁμαρτίας	”you forgive the sins”	—	forgive sins	20:23	reuse पाप + क्षमा करणे (kṣamā karṇe, to forgive)	High
My Lord and my God	ὁ κύριός μου καὶ ὁ θεός μου	”my Lord and my God”	—	My Lord and my God	20:28 — Thomas’s confession, the climactic, unambiguous worship-confession of Christ’s full deity in the entire Gospel	reuse प्रभू (Critical, baseline) + परमेश्वर/देव (Critical, baseline)	Critical — the single clearest deity-confession in the Gospel; both terms must retain their full baseline force (प्रभू = exclusive supreme Lordship; देव/परमेश्वर = full, undiminished deity, addressed to Christ himself in worship, not a bystander exclamation). Mandatory theologian review.
believe without seeing	μὴ ἰδόντες καὶ πιστεύσαντες	”not having seen, and [yet] having believed”	—	blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed	20:29	reuse विश्वास ठेवणे	High, per baseline faith
that you may believe… and have life in his name	ἵνα πιστεύ[σ]ητε… καὶ… ζωὴν ἔχητε ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ	”so that you may believe… and have life in his name”	—	that you may believe and have life	20:31 — the Gospel’s own explicit purpose statement, tying together believe/faith, life, and Christ’s name as the exclusive basis	reuse विश्वास ठेवणे + जीवन + नाव	Critical — this verse functions as John’s own summary of the entire curriculum’s doctrinal purpose and should be flagged for consistent, carefully reviewed rendering

Chapter 21 — Epilogue: Restoration of Peter

Term	Greek / translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Marathi rendering	Risk
do you love me? (ἀγαπάω vs. φιλέω)	ἀγαπᾷς με; / φιλῶ σε	”do you love [agapē-love] me?” / “I love [phileō-love] you”	ἀγαπάω = chosen, committed, self-giving love (as in 3:16); φιλέω = warm affection, friendship-love; John alternates the two verbs across this dialogue (21:15-17), a nuance much debated among scholars but at minimum stylistically deliberate	do you love me? / I love you	21:15-17 — Christ’s threefold restoration of Peter after his threefold denial, mirroring the number of denials	reuse प्रीती for ἀγαπάω; NEW TERM for φιλέω: जिव्हाळा / प्रेम (jivhāḷā/prem, warm affection)	Medium — a translator note should record that Marathi, like English, cannot fully preserve the Greek’s two-verb alternation with two fully distinct single words without loss of naturalness; the safest course is to use प्रीती consistently for both, with a footnote explaining the Greek nuance, rather than inventing an artificial two-word distinction that native Marathi speakers would not recognize as natural register
feed my sheep / tend my lambs	βόσκε τὰ ἀρνία μου / ποίμαινε τὰ πρόβατά μου	”feed my lambs” / “shepherd/tend my sheep”	—	feed my lambs, tend my sheep, feed my sheep	21:15-17 — echoes the Good Shepherd imagery of ch.10, now extended as a pastoral commission to Peter	माझी कोकरे चारा / माझी मेंढरे राख	Low-Medium
follow me	ἀκολούθει μοι	”follow me”	—	follow me	21:19, 22	माझ्यामागे ये	Low

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Summary Notes for Phase 2

1. Seven “I Am” statements (bread of life, light of the world, the door, the good shepherd, the resurrection and the life, the way/truth/life, the true vine) must use a single fixed Marathi formula pattern (मी … आहे) throughout, for literary and doctrinal consistency; the absolute, unpredicated use (8:58; 18:5-6) must be visually/grammatically distinguishable as मी आहे alone, echoing Exodus 3:14.
2. New Birth vocabulary (3:3-8) is the single highest cross-cultural collision risk in the book due to surface proximity to पुनर्जन्म; every occurrence requires a mandatory translator note.
3. Eternal life (ζωὴ αἰώνιος) and World (κόσμος) recur so frequently (17 and ~78 occurrences respectively) that consistency auditing across the whole Gospel is a major Phase 2 QA task.
4. Counselor/Paraclete (14:16,26; 15:26; 16:7) is a wholly new Critical term for this curriculum, not present in the Romans baseline, and must be added to translation memory before Phase 2 begins.
5. Terms already fixed in the Romans baseline (शुभवर्तमान, कृपा, विश्वास, तारण, पुनरुत्थान, प्रभू, देवाचा पुत्र, देहधारण, गौरव, पाप, पवित्र आत्मा, परमेश्वर, पिता, देवाचे राज्य, नियमशास्त्र, मसीहा, इस्राएल, दावीद, येशू) are reused without modification throughout John; no baseline rendering is altered by this analysis.