Core Glossary
Core Glossary: 1 Corinthians (English → Ndebele)
This glossary extends the baseline Romans Language Package. Section A lists terms already established in the baseline translation_memory.json that recur in 1 Corinthians and MUST be reused exactly, with any book-specific nuance noted. Section B lists new terms required by 1 Corinthians, each with a proposed Ndebele rendering and risk tier for confirmation and entry into the Phase 2 translation memory. Risk tiers follow the baseline’s four-tier framework (Critical / High / Medium / Low) and routing conventions (Critical & High → human theologian; Medium → native speaker review; Low → automated review sufficient).
Section A — Reused Baseline Terms (enforce exactly, no deviation)
| Term | Ndebele Rendering | Baseline Risk | 1 Corinthians Chapters | Notes on Usage in 1 Corinthians |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| gospel | ivangeli | Medium | 1, 4, 9, 15 | Fixed, apostolic message; core passage 15:1-11 anchor term. |
| grace | umusa | Critical | 1, 3, 10, 15, 16 | 15:10 — grace as sole explanation for Paul’s transformed life and labor. |
| faith | ukholo | High | 2, 3, 12, 13, 15, 16 | Object of faith (the resurrection fact) must remain explicit in 15:2,11. |
| salvation | usindiso | Critical | 1, 15 | 15:2 “you are being saved” — present, ongoing, contingent on holding the gospel content. |
| apostle | umphostoli | Medium | 1, 4, 9, 12, 15 | 15:5-9 — eyewitness-commissioned office; Paul “least of the apostles.” |
| called | obiziweyo | High | 1, 7 | 7:20 vocational sense distinguished from ch.1’s salvific sense — flag per-occurrence. |
| calling | ubizo | High | 1, 7 | 7:20 “remain in the calling in which you were called.” |
| holy | -ngcwele | High | 1, 3, 6, 7 | Applied to the church, marriage, and the body as Spirit’s temple. |
| saints | abangcwele | High | 1, 6, 16 | 6:1-2 saints will judge the world; 16:1 collection for the saints. |
| sanctification | ukungcweliswa | High | 1, 6, 7 | 7:14 extended relational/marital sense requires translator’s note (see 07, ch.7). |
| resurrection | ukuvuka kwabafileyo | Critical | 15 (throughout) | Core passage and doctrinal anchor of the whole curriculum. |
| lord | iNkosi | Critical | throughout (esp. 1, 8, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16) | 8:6 “one Lord, Jesus Christ”; 11:20 “the Lord’s Supper”; 12:3 “Jesus is Lord” confession. |
| son_of_god | iNdodana kaNkulunkulu | Critical | 15 | 15:28 the Son’s ultimate subjection to the Father — must preserve co-equal eternal sonship despite functional submission language. |
| church | ibandla | Medium | 1, 4, 6, 10-16 | 15:9 Paul persecuted “the church of God”; corporate body theology of ch.12 builds on this. |
| kingdom_of_god | umbuso kaNkulunkulu | Medium | 4, 6, 15 | 15:24,50 — Christ delivering the kingdom to the Father; flesh and blood cannot inherit it. |
| law | umthetho | High | 7, 9, 14, 15 | 15:56 “the power of sin is the law” — ties resurrection victory to release from the law’s condemning power. |
| sin | isono | High | 15 (throughout core passage) | 15:3 “Christ died for our sins”; 15:17 “if Christ has not been raised… you are still in your sins.” |
| gentiles / Greeks | abezizwe | Medium | 1, 10, 12 | 1:22-24 Jews/Greeks contrast; 10:32; 12:13 “Jews or Greeks, slaves or free.” |
| glory | udumo | High | 10, 11, 15 | 10:31 “do all to the glory of God”; 15:40-41 differing glories of heavenly/earthly bodies. |
| power_of_god | amandla kaNkulunkulu | High | 1, 2, 6, 15 | 1:18,24 “the power of God” identified with the message of the cross; 15:43 raised in power. |
| spiritual_gifts | izipho zoMoya | Medium | 12, 14 | Full taxonomy of gifts developed in ch.12; regulated in worship in ch.14. |
| fellowship | ubudlelwano | Low | 1, 10 | 1:9 fellowship with God’s Son; 10:16-20 extended to “participation” in Christ’s body/blood vs. demons’ table. |
| thanksgiving | ukubonga | Low | 1, 14, 15 | 1:4 opening thanksgiving; 15:57 “thanks be to God” resurrection doxology. |
| prophet / prophecy | umphrofethi / isiphrofetho | Low/High* | 12, 13, 14 | *Registry lists prophet/prophecy Low but doctrine registry’s “authority_of_scripture” entry is High; retain High-level care distinguishing from isangoma/inyanga per baseline note, now directly relevant to ch.12/14 gift lists. |
| covenant | isivumelwano | High | 11 | 11:25 “the new covenant in my blood” — see Section B for compound term. |
| exhort | ukukhuthaza | Low | 1, 4, 16 | 1:10 Paul’s appeal for unity; 16:15-16 exhortation to submit to faithful workers. |
| jesus | uJesu | Critical | throughout | Consistent proper-name form required. |
| god | uNkulunkulu | Critical | throughout | Must remain personally near and directly accessible through Christ, not remote/mediated. |
| holy_spirit | uMoya oNgcwele | Critical | 2, 3, 6, 12, 14 | Personal, divine indweller of both the individual body (6:19) and the corporate church (3:16); never one spirit among many. |
| father | uBaba | High | 1, 4, 8, 11, 15 | 8:6 “one God, the Father”; 15:24 the Son delivering the kingdom to the Father. |
| messiah / christ | uMesiya / uKristu | Critical | throughout | Predominant usage in 1 Corinthians is the name/title “Christ” (uKristu); reserve uMesiya for contexts emphasizing Old Testament messianic fulfillment, per baseline guidance that the two are used interchangeably. |
| israel | uIsrayeli | Medium | 10 | 10:18 “Israel according to the flesh” — wilderness typology. |
| peace | ukuthula | Medium | 1, 7, 14 | 14:33 “God is not a God of confusion but of peace” — grounds Order in Worship doctrine. |
Section B — New Terms Introduced by 1 Corinthians
| Term (English) | Ndebele Rendering | Category / Doctrine | Risk | Chapters | Translation Risk Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| scripture(s) | imibhalo | Authority of Scripture | High | 15 | Fixed, written, authoritative OT text; not oral prophecy or divinatory pronouncement. |
| tradition (received/delivered) | ukwemukela / ukudlulisela | Resurrection of Christ; Authority of Scripture | High | 11, 15 | Apostolic, eyewitness-verified transmission of historical fact, not inherited customary/ancestral tradition (isiko). |
| appeared | wabonakala | Resurrection of Christ | High | 15 | Bodily, waking, verifiable appearance to named witnesses — not a dream/vision appearance as with amadlozi. |
| fallen asleep (death) | ukulala (ubuthongo bokufa) | Resurrection of Christ and Believers | High | 15 | Must not imply entry into amadlozi status; points forward to bodily resurrection. |
| the Twelve | Abalitshumi Lambili | Resurrection of Christ | Low | 15 | Fixed apostolic title. |
| untimely born | njengomntwana ozelwe kungakabi yisikhathi sakhe | Resurrection of Christ (Paul’s calling) | Medium | 15 | No single-word equivalent; preserve tone of astonished unworthiness. |
| cross | isiphambano | The Cross as Wisdom and Power | Critical | 1, 2 | Must retain shameful-execution-turned-saving-wisdom force; not a protective symbol/amulet. |
| wisdom | ukuhlakanipha | The Cross as Wisdom and Power | High | 1, 2 | Distinguish from ancestral/elder wisdom or divinatory insight of izinyanga/izangoma. |
| foolishness | ubuwula | The Cross as Wisdom and Power | Medium | 1 | Standard term, moderate ambiguity. |
| division / faction | ukudabuka / ukwehlukana | Christian Unity vs. Factionalism | High | 1 | Guards against church splits along clan (isibongo)/lineage loyalty lines. |
| mystery | imfihlo | The Cross as Wisdom and Power | High | 2 | Openly revealed by the Spirit to all believers; not occult secret knowledge of diviners. |
| spiritual person / natural person | ongokoMoya / ongokwemvelo | The Cross as Wisdom and Power | Medium | 2 | Not a hierarchy resembling spirit-mediumship status. |
| reveal | ukwambulela | The Cross as Wisdom and Power | Medium | 2 | God’s own initiative in disclosure. |
| fleshly / carnal | -enyama (abenyama) | Christian Unity; Church Discipline | Medium-High | 3 | Sinful-nature category; distinct from umzimba (the body itself). |
| foundation | isisekelo | Christian Unity | Low | 3 | Christ as sole foundation. |
| temple of God | ithempeli likaNkulunkulu | Church Discipline and Holiness | High | 3, 6 | Distinguish from ancestral shrine or diviner’s hut (indumba); indwelt solely by uMoya oNgcwele. |
| steward | umphathi (wemfihlo zikaNkulunkulu) | Christian Unity | Medium | 4 | Apostolic entrustment with God’s mysteries. |
| sexual immorality | ubufebe / ukuphinga | Church Discipline and Holiness | High | 5, 6 | A moral-theological category before God, not merely social/clan shame. |
| leaven | imvubelo | Church Discipline and Holiness | Low-Medium | 5 | Symbolic corrupting influence. |
| hand over to Satan | ukunikelwa kuSathane | Church Discipline and Holiness | Critical | 5 | Redemptive discipline for restoration — categorically distinct from witchcraft curse or ancestral affliction. Mandatory theologian review. |
| wrongdoing / the unrighteous | ukona / abangalungiyo | Church Discipline and Holiness | Medium | 6 | Vice list preceding “will not inherit the kingdom of God.” |
| washed | ukugezwa | Church Discipline and Holiness; Justification | High | 6 | Decisive Spirit-wrought cleansing tied to justification/sanctification, not repeatable ritual purification for ancestral displeasure. |
| body as temple of the Holy Spirit | umzimba uyithempeli likaMoya oNgcwele | Christian Liberty; Spiritual Gifts | High | 6 | Excludes any reading of the body as a dwelling for ancestral spirits. |
| bought with a price | lathengwa ngentengo | Church Discipline and Holiness; Salvation | High | 6 | Christ’s atoning ownership — not payment to “buy back” a person from a curse or spirit’s claim. |
| marriage | umtshado | Marriage and Singleness | Medium | 7 | Standard term. |
| virgin / unmarried | intombi egcweleyo / ongatshadanga | Marriage and Singleness | High | 7 | Singleness as legitimate calling for undivided devotion — sensitive against strong cultural expectation of marriage/childbearing for lineage and ancestral continuity. |
| head / headship | inhloko | Order in Worship | High | 11 | Ordered, self-giving relational pattern rooted in Trinity — not license for domineering authority; intersects with iNkosi/chieftaincy sensitivities. |
| head covering | ukumboza ikhanda | Order in Worship | Medium-High | 11 | Culturally variable practice question; avoid importing foreign cultural assumptions uncritically. |
| Lord’s Supper | iSidlo seNkosi | The Lord’s Supper | Critical | 10, 11 | Commemorates Christ’s unique sacrifice; must not be conflated with ritual meals shared with or offered to amadlozi. |
| remembrance | isikhumbuzo | The Lord’s Supper | Medium | 11 | Active covenant remembrance, not passive recollection or spirit-appeasing repetition. |
| new covenant | isivumelwano esitsha | The Lord’s Supper | High | 11 | Fulfillment of OT covenant sealed uniquely in Christ’s blood, not a renewable ritual pact with spirits. |
| discerning the body | ukungahlukanisi umzimba (weNkosi) | The Lord’s Supper; Body of Christ | High | 11 | Recognizing Christ’s body’s unique significance — not a ritual purity taboo. |
| baptize / baptism | ukubhabhathizwa | Body of Christ; Christian Liberty (typology) | High | 10, 12 | Union with Christ/covenant head; distinguish from traditional ritual cleansing for ancestral purification. |
| example / type | isibonelo / isifanekiso | Christian Liberty (Israel’s warning) | Low-Medium | 10 | Israel’s wilderness history as warning pattern. |
| temptation / testing | ukulingwa | Christian Liberty | Medium | 10 | Common to all humanity; God provides a way of escape. |
| participation in Christ’s body/blood | ukuhlanganyela egazini/emzimbeni kaKristu | The Lord’s Supper; Christian Liberty | Critical | 10 | Sets up Lord’s Supper doctrine; contrasted directly with “table of demons.” |
| demons / table of demons | amadimoni / itafula lamadimoni | Christian Liberty and Idol Meat | Critical | 10 | Scripture’s own category for spiritual reality behind pagan sacrifice; must not be casually equated with amadlozi. Mandatory theologian review, every occurrence. |
| idol | isithombe | Christian Liberty and Idol Meat | Critical | 8, 10, 12 | Most culturally loaded term in the book; parallels ancestral offering practice. Mandatory theologian review. |
| food sacrificed to idols | ukudla okunikelwe ezithombeni | Christian Liberty and Idol Meat | Critical | 8, 10 | Direct parallel to food/drink portions offered to amadlozi in domestic/clan ritual. |
| knowledge | ulwazi | Christian Liberty and Idol Meat | Medium | 8, 12, 13 | ”Knowledge puffs up, love builds up.” |
| conscience | unembeza | Christian Liberty and Idol Meat | High | 8, 10 | Individual moral faculty responsive to God’s truth, not ancestral/taboo-sensing instinct. |
| stumbling block | isikhubekiso | Christian Liberty and Idol Meat | Medium-High | 8 | Careless exercise of liberty causing a weaker believer to sin. |
| right / liberty / authority | ilungelo / amandla okwenza | Christian Liberty | Medium-High | 8, 9 | Liberty responsibly exercised, not unrestrained personal entitlement. |
| self-control | ukuzithiba | Christian Liberty | Low-Medium | 9 | Athletic-discipline imagery. |
| imperishable crown | umqhele ongaboli | Christian Liberty; Resurrection | Low-Medium | 9 | Anticipates ch.15 imperishability vocabulary. |
| disqualified | ongamukelekiyo / ongaphasanga | Christian Liberty | Medium | 9 | Paul’s fear of forfeiting reward, not salvation itself. |
| body of Christ / members | umzimba kaKristu / amalunga | Spiritual Gifts and the Body of Christ | Critical | 6, 10, 11, 12 | Organic Spirit-created interdependence and equal dignity — not a clan-based corporate body or gift hierarchy. |
| tongues | ukukhuluma ngezindimi | Spiritual Gifts and the Body of Christ | Critical | 12, 13, 14 | Spirit-given edifying gift; categorically distinct from trance/possession speech of izangoma divination. |
| interpretation of tongues | ukuchasisa izindimi | Spiritual Gifts and the Body of Christ | Medium-High | 12, 14 | Companion gift required for intelligibility in worship. |
| gifts of healing / working of miracles | izipho zokusilisa / ukwenza izimangaliso | Spiritual Gifts and the Body of Christ | High | 12 | Distinct from izinyanga’s herbal/ritual healing power. |
| distinguishing/discerning of spirits | ukuhlukanisa imimoya | Spiritual Gifts and the Body of Christ | High | 12 | Models the discernment needed to distinguish the Holy Spirit’s work from other spiritual influences. |
| love | uthando | Love as the Greater Way | Critical | 8, 13, 16 | Selfless, willed, Christ-patterned love — distinct from romantic affection, transactional kin-obligation, or ritual placation of spirits. |
| hope | ithemba | Love as the Greater Way | Medium | 13 | Confident assurance in God’s promises, not vague wish or fatalistic fortune-hope. |
| in part / complete (mature) | okuyingxenye / okupheleleyo | Love as the Greater Way | Medium | 13 | Present partial knowledge vs. future completeness. |
| edification / building up | ukwakha ibandla | Order in Worship | Low-Medium | 14 | Goal of every worship gift. |
| order / decently and in order | ngokuhlelekileyo | Order in Worship | Medium | 14 | Governing principle for all congregational practice. |
| silence in worship instruction | kabathule | Order in Worship | Medium-High | 14 | Handle with focus on the text’s orderly-worship principle; avoid added social commentary beyond scope. |
| first Adam / last Adam | uAdamu wokuqala / uAdamu wokucina | The Resurrection of Christ and Believers | High | 15 | Christ as categorically new life-giving head, not merely a superior ancestor figure. |
| perishable / imperishable | ukubola / ukungaboli | The Resurrection of Christ and Believers | Medium-High | 15 | Resurrection body’s incorruptible nature. |
| mortal / immortal | ukufa / ukungafi | The Resurrection of Christ and Believers | Medium-High | 15 | Paired with perishable/imperishable. |
| natural body / spiritual body | umzimba wemvelo / umzimba wakoMoya | The Resurrection of Christ and Believers | High | 15 | Reinforces bodily (not disembodied-spirit/ancestral) resurrection hope. |
| sting of death | udosi lokufa | The Resurrection of Christ and Believers | Medium | 15 | Death’s defeat through Christ’s victory. |
| victory | ukunqoba | The Resurrection of Christ and Believers | Low-Medium | 15 | Given through the Lord Jesus Christ. |
| collection | umnikelo (wabangcwele) | Fellowship of Believers | Low-Medium | 16 | Practical church-to-church generosity. |
| anathema (accursed) | isiqalekiso | Christian Unity; Lordship of Christ | High | 16 | Divine judicial verdict for rejecting Christ — distinct from human-invoked witchcraft/ancestral curse. |
| Maranatha | Marana tha (retained transliteration) | Lordship of Christ | Medium | 16 | Preserved untranslated, per the baseline’s precedent for “Abba.” |
| holy kiss | ukwanga okungcwele | Fellowship of Believers | Low | 16 | Customary Christian greeting of affection. |
Notes for Phase 2 Enforcement
- All Section A terms carry over from
translation_memory.jsonwith no deviation permitted; any apparent contextual mismatch (e.g., 7:14’s extended sense of sanctification, 7:20’s vocational sense of “calling”) must be handled via translator’s note per the baseline’s footnote convention, not by substituting a different Ndebele word. - All Section B terms are proposed for addition to the Phase 2 translation memory. Critical and High risk new terms (
isiphambano,imfihlo,ukunikelwa kuSathane,isithombe,ukudla okunikelwe ezithombeni,amadimoni/itafula lamadimoni,iSidlo seNkosi,umzimba kaKristu,ukukhuluma ngezindimi,uthando, and related entries above) require human theologian confirmation before Phase 2 translation begins, consistent with the baseline’s escalation rules. - The single greatest new collision point for this curriculum is the idol/idol-meat/demons/table-of-demons cluster (ch. 8 and 10) and its close proximity to the baseline’s already-flagged amadlozi-mediation risk pattern; Phase 2 instructions must apply the same “Christ alone, direct access” doctrinal discipline the baseline established for
ukuncengela(intercession) to this new cluster. - Every chapter of 1 Corinthians (1-16) has been reviewed for this glossary; no chapter was silently omitted.
Critical Risk Terms
Justification
Approved rendering: ukulungisiswa
Transliteration: ukulungisiswa
Doctrine: Justification by Faith
Inherited from Romans package. Part of the three-term conversion formula ‘washed, sanctified, justified’ (6:11); a forensic declaration credited by faith, not a status earned through ritual correctness.
Salvation
Approved rendering: usindiso
Transliteration: usindiso
Doctrine: Salvation
Original: σωτηρία / σῴζω
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. 15:2’s present-tense ‘you are being saved,’ contingent on holding fast to the gospel content, must not be reduced to ongoing rescue from misfortune sought through ancestral appeasement.
Resurrection
Approved rendering: ukuvuka kwabafileyo
Transliteration: ukuvuka kwabafileyo
Doctrine: Resurrection of Jesus Christ
Original: ἀνάστασις / ἐγείρω
Category: Eschatology
Inherited from Romans package. The doctrinal anchor of the entire curriculum (1 Corinthians 15, throughout); must never be conflated with a deceased person joining the amadlozi.
Lord
Approved rendering: iNkosi
Transliteration: iNkosi
Doctrine: Lordship of Jesus Christ
Original: κύριος
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. 8:6 ‘one Lord, Jesus Christ’; 12:3 ‘Jesus is Lord’ as the Spirit-authenticated confession, especially critical given the surrounding gift-list’s proximity to izangoma trance-speech associations.
Son Of God
Approved rendering: iNdodana kaNkulunkulu
Transliteration: iNdodana kaNkulunkulu
Doctrine: Sonship of Christ
Original: υἱός
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. 15:28’s language of the Son’s ultimate subjection to the Father must not be read as demoting Christ to an ancestor-like or lesser spirit-being status; eternal co-equal sonship remains intact.
Messiah
Approved rendering: uMesiya
Transliteration: uMesiya
Doctrine: Lordship of Jesus Christ
Original: Χριστός
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. 1 Corinthians predominantly uses ‘uKristu’ as name/title; reserve uMesiya for contexts emphasizing Old Testament messianic fulfillment.
Jesus
Approved rendering: uJesu
Transliteration: uJesu
Doctrine: Lordship of Jesus Christ
Original: Ἰησοῦς
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. Used consistently throughout 1 Corinthians; established Nguni Bible-translation form.
God
Approved rendering: uNkulunkulu
Transliteration: uNkulunkulu
Doctrine: Sovereignty of God
Original: θεός
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. 1 Corinthians repeatedly grounds direct, unmediated access and gifting in Christ and the Spirit; must never leave uNkulunkulu feeling remote or accessible only through amadlozi.
Holy Spirit
Approved rendering: uMoya oNgcwele
Transliteration: uMoya oNgcwele
Doctrine: Spiritual Gifting
Original: πνεῦμα ἅγιον
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. Indwells the individual body (6:19) and the corporate church (3:16), distributes gifts (12:4-11); risk of conflation with amadlozi or divinatory spirits is sharpened throughout chs.12-14.
Cross
Approved rendering: isiphambano
Transliteration: isiphambano
Doctrine: The Cross as Wisdom and Power
Rejected alternatives: transliterated loanword (e.g. ‘ikrosi’)
Original: σταυρός
Category: Wisdom and the Cross
New term. Christ’s crucifixion as the definitive locus of God’s saving wisdom and power (1:18-25); must retain the full weight of a shameful historical execution, not soften into a protective symbol or amulet.
Hand Over To Satan
Approved rendering: ukunikelwa kuSathane
Transliteration: ukunikelwa kuSathane
Doctrine: Church Discipline and Holiness
Original: παραδοῦναι τῷ Σατανᾷ
Category: Discipline and Holiness
New term. A formal, redemptive act of church discipline aimed at ultimate restoration (5:5); must be categorically distinguished from being given over to affliction by an offended ancestral spirit or a witchcraft curse (ukuthakathwa) — the restorative purpose must be explicit every time.
Lords Supper
Approved rendering: iSidlo seNkosi
Transliteration: iSidlo seNkosi
Doctrine: The Lord’s Supper
Original: κυριακὸν δεῖπνον
Category: The Lord’s Supper
New term. The shared meal commemorating Christ’s death (11:17-34); must be sharply distinguished from communal ritual meals sharing food/drink with or set aside for amadlozi (e.g., umbuyiso).
Participation Body Blood
Approved rendering: ukuhlanganyela egazini/emzimbeni kaKristu
Transliteration: ukuhlanganyela egazini emzimbeni kaKristu
Doctrine: The Lord’s Supper
Original: κοινωνία τοῦ αἵματος / τοῦ σώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ
Category: The Lord’s Supper
New term extending reused ‘fellowship’ (ubudlelwano) to an active sacramental sense (10:16-17); sets up the direct contrast with the ‘table of demons’ which must be preserved with full force.
Demons Table Of Demons
Approved rendering: amadimoni / itafula lamadimoni
Transliteration: amadimoni / itafula lamadimoni
Doctrine: Christian Liberty and Idol Meat
Rejected alternatives: amadlozi (rejected — must not be equated with biblical demons)
Original: δαιμόνιον / τράπεζα δαιμονίων
Category: Christian Liberty
New term; the most theologically sensitive term-pair in the book. Must never be casually glossed as ‘our ancestors,’ nor may Paul’s warning that real spiritual stakes attend ritual meals be softened. Mandatory human theologian review on every occurrence.
Idol
Approved rendering: isithombe
Transliteration: isithombe
Doctrine: Christian Liberty and Idol Meat
Rejected alternatives: transliterated loanword equivalent of ‘idol’
Original: εἴδωλον
Category: Christian Liberty
New term; the single most culturally loaded term in the letter. Must be anchored to pagan cult images/false gods, applying the same ‘direct access through Christ alone’ discipline the baseline applies to intercession, without collapsing ancestral veneration and pagan idolatry into an identical category. Mandatory human theologian review.
Food Sacrificed To Idols
Approved rendering: ukudla okunikelwe ezithombeni
Transliteration: ukudla okunikelwe ezithombeni
Doctrine: Christian Liberty and Idol Meat
Original: εἰδωλόθυτα
Category: Christian Liberty
New term. Directly parallel to food/drink portions offered to amadlozi in domestic and clan ritual (beer libations, meat portions at umbuyiso). Requires the most careful doctrinal framing in the curriculum. Mandatory human theologian review.
Body Of Christ Members
Approved rendering: umzimba kaKristu / amalunga
Transliteration: umzimba kaKristu / amalunga
Doctrine: Spiritual Gifts and the Body of Christ
Original: σῶμα Χριστοῦ / μέλη
Category: Spiritual Gifts
New term. The church as one body with many interdependent members (12:12-27); must convey organic, Spirit-created interdependence and equal dignity, not a clan-based corporate body or a hierarchy of more/less spiritually powerful members.
Tongues
Approved rendering: ukukhuluma ngezindimi
Transliteration: ukukhuluma ngezindimi
Doctrine: Spiritual Gifts and the Body of Christ
Rejected alternatives: borrowing from existing native divination/trance-utterance vocabulary
Original: γλῶσσαι
Category: Spiritual Gifts
New term. A Spirit-given gift for the church’s edification, regulated in ch.14; categorically distinct from ecstatic/trance speech associated with izangoma spirit-possession divination. Mandatory human theologian review.
Love
Approved rendering: uthando
Transliteration: uthando
Doctrine: Love as the Greater Way
Original: ἀγάπη
Category: Love
New term. Selfless, willed, Christ-patterned love, the ‘still more excellent way’ (13:1-13); must be distinguished from generic romantic/family affection, reciprocal kin-obligation carrying an expectation of repayment, and ritual placation of uNkulunkulu or the ancestors.
High Risk Terms
Grace
Approved rendering: umusa
Transliteration: umusa
Doctrine: Grace
Original: χάρις
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. 1 Corinthians 15:10 presents grace as the sole explanation for Paul’s transformed life and apostolic labor; must not be read as a reward earned through post-conversion zeal or ritual correctness.
Faith
Approved rendering: ukholo
Transliteration: ukholo
Doctrine: Faith
Original: πίστις
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package. In 15:2,11,14 the object of ukholo (the historical resurrection fact just recounted) must remain explicit in context, not generalized piety.
Called
Approved rendering: obiziweyo
Transliteration: obiziweyo
Doctrine: Calling of God
Original: κλητός
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. 7:20 introduces a vocational/marital sense that must be flagged per-occurrence and kept distinct from the salvific sense of 1:1-2.
Calling
Approved rendering: ubizo
Transliteration: ubizo
Doctrine: Calling of God
Original: κλῆσις
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. ‘Let each remain in the calling in which he was called’ (7:20); must not collapse into marital status alone, divorced from God’s sovereign summons.
Holy
Approved rendering: -ngcwele
Transliteration: ngcwele
Doctrine: Sanctification
Original: ἅγιος
Category: Sanctification
Inherited from Romans package. Applied across 1 Corinthians to the church (1:2), the body as the Spirit’s temple (6:19), and the marriage relationship (7:14).
Saints
Approved rendering: abangcwele
Transliteration: abangcwele
Doctrine: The Church as Believers in Christ
Original: ἅγιοι
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package. 6:1-2 the saints will judge the world; 16:1 the collection for the saints — a corporate designation, not an ascetic elite.
Sanctification
Approved rendering: ukungcweliswa
Transliteration: ukungcweliswa
Doctrine: Sanctification
Original: ἁγιασμός / ἁγιάζω
Category: Sanctification
Inherited from Romans package. 7:14’s extended marital sense (‘the unbelieving spouse is sanctified’) requires a translator’s note distinguishing this relational/covenantal sense from personal salvation or ritual cleansing transferred between family members.
Law
Approved rendering: umthetho
Transliteration: umthetho
Doctrine: Righteousness of God
Original: νόμος
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. 15:56 ‘the power of sin is the law’ ties resurrection victory to release from the law’s condemning power.
Sin
Approved rendering: isono
Transliteration: isono
Doctrine: Humanity’s Sinfulness
Original: ἁμαρτία
Category: Sin
Inherited from Romans package. 15:3 ‘Christ died for our sins’; 15:17 ‘if Christ has not been raised, you are still in your sins’ — moral transgression before a personal God, not ancestral offense.
Glory
Approved rendering: udumo
Transliteration: udumo
Doctrine: Sovereignty of God
Rejected alternatives: inkazimulo
Original: δόξα
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. 10:31 ‘do all to the glory of God’; 15:40-41 differing glories of resurrection bodies.
Power Of God
Approved rendering: amandla kaNkulunkulu
Transliteration: amandla kaNkulunkulu
Doctrine: God’s Saving Power
Original: δύναμις θεοῦ
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. 1:18,24 identifies God’s power with the message of the cross; 15:43 the resurrection body raised in power — keep distinct from power attributed to izinyanga/izangoma.
Prophet
Approved rendering: umphrofethi
Transliteration: umphrofethi
Doctrine: Authority of Scripture
Rejected alternatives: isangoma
Original: προφήτης
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. Now directly relevant to the live ch.12/14 gift lists; must never be blended with isangoma or inyanga in congregational practice.
Covenant
Approved rendering: isivumelwano
Transliteration: isivumelwano
Doctrine: God’s Calling and Election
Original: διαθήκη
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. Base term underlying the compound ‘new covenant’ (11:25) — see new_covenant entry below.
Father
Approved rendering: uBaba
Transliteration: uBaba
Doctrine: Sonship of Christ
Original: πατήρ
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. 8:6 ‘one God, the Father’; 4:15’s extended pastoral use of uBaba for Paul himself requires distinguishing this sense from God’s unique Fatherhood.
Scripture
Approved rendering: imibhalo
Transliteration: imibhalo
Doctrine: Authority of Scripture
Original: γραφή
Category: Authority of Scripture
New term. The fixed, written, authoritative Old Testament text underlying ‘according to the scriptures’ (15:3-4); must not denote oral prophecy, proverb, or divinatory pronouncement.
Tradition Received Delivered
Approved rendering: ukwemukela / ukudlulisela
Transliteration: ukwemukela / ukudlulisela
Doctrine: Apostolic Tradition and the Authority of the Gospel
Original: παραλαμβάνω / παραδίδωμι
Category: Authority of Scripture
New term. The technical receive/deliver pairing (15:1,3; 11:2) marking the gospel as fixed, eyewitness-verified apostolic transmission, distinct from Ndebele society’s own valued category of inherited customary tradition (isiko, imikhuba).
Appeared
Approved rendering: wabonakala
Transliteration: wabonakala
Doctrine: Resurrection of Jesus Christ
Original: ὤφθη
Category: Resurrection
New term. The risen Christ was seen, bodily and historically, by named, numbered witnesses (15:5-8); must be anchored to waking, verifiable, group sight — not a dream-vision or amadlozi-style spirit-appearance.
Fallen Asleep
Approved rendering: ukulala (ubuthongo bokufa)
Transliteration: ukulala (ubuthongo bokufa)
Doctrine: Resurrection of Jesus Christ
Original: κοιμάω
Category: Resurrection
New term. The NT death euphemism (15:6,18,20) implying a temporary state pending bodily resurrection; must not be read as entry into amadlozi status.
Wisdom
Approved rendering: ukuhlakanipha
Transliteration: ukuhlakanipha
Doctrine: The Cross as Wisdom and Power
Original: σοφία
Category: Wisdom and the Cross
New term. God’s wisdom revealed in the cross’s seemingly foolish message (1:18-2:5); must be distinguished from ancestral/elder wisdom or the divinatory insight of izinyanga/izangoma.
Division Faction
Approved rendering: ukudabuka / ukwehlukana
Transliteration: ukudabuka / ukwehlukana
Doctrine: Christian Unity versus Factionalism
Original: σχίσμα
Category: Unity
New term. Rupture caused by rallying behind personalities rather than Christ (1:10-13; 11:18); must guard against church splits along clan (isibongo)/lineage loyalty lines being normalized as ordinary social behavior.
Mystery
Approved rendering: imfihlo
Transliteration: imfihlo
Doctrine: The Cross as Wisdom and Power
Original: μυστήριον
Category: Wisdom and the Cross
New term. God’s previously hidden wisdom openly revealed to believers by the Spirit (2:7-10); must be sharply distinguished from occult hidden knowledge held by izinyanga/izangoma through divination or initiation.
Temple Of God
Approved rendering: ithempeli likaNkulunkulu
Transliteration: ithempeli likaNkulunkulu
Doctrine: Church Discipline and Holiness
Original: ναὸς θεοῦ
Category: Discipline and Holiness
New term. The church corporately as God’s dwelling place by the Spirit (3:16-17); must be distinguished from a family ancestral shrine or a diviner’s consulting hut (indumba) — indwelt by uNkulunkulu’s Spirit alone.
Sexual Immorality
Approved rendering: ubufebe / ukuphinga
Transliteration: ubufebe / ukuphinga
Doctrine: Church Discipline and Holiness
Original: πορνεία
Category: Discipline and Holiness
New term. Illicit sexual sin, including the incest case of ch.5 and the vice category of ch.6; must remain a moral-theological category before God, not merely social shame or taboo violation.
Washed
Approved rendering: ukugezwa
Transliteration: ukugezwa
Doctrine: Church Discipline and Holiness
Original: ἀπολούω
Category: Discipline and Holiness
New term. The decisive cleansing from sin at conversion, part of the ‘washed, sanctified, justified’ formula (6:11); must not be conflated with traditional ritual washing for purification from ancestral displeasure or before consulting a diviner.
Body As Temple Of Holy Spirit
Approved rendering: umzimba uyithempeli likaMoya oNgcwele
Transliteration: umzimba uyithempeli likaMoya oNgcwele
Doctrine: Church Discipline and Holiness
Original: σῶμα ναὸς τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος
Category: Discipline and Holiness
New term. The individual believer’s body as the Spirit’s dwelling place (6:19); must exclude any reading of the body as a contact-point for ancestral spirits.
Bought With A Price
Approved rendering: lathengwa ngentengo
Transliteration: lathengwa ngentengo
Doctrine: Church Discipline and Holiness
Original: ἠγοράσθητε τιμῆς
Category: Salvation
New term. Christ’s atoning death establishing his rightful, loving ownership of believers (6:20; 7:23); not conflated with traditional practices of paying to ‘buy back’ a person from a curse or a spirit’s claim.
Virgin Unmarried
Approved rendering: intombi egcweleyo / ongatshadanga
Transliteration: intombi egcweleyo / ongatshadanga
Doctrine: Marriage and Singleness
Original: παρθένος / ἄγαμος
Category: Marriage
New term. Paul’s commendation of the single state for undivided devotion (7:25-38); must be framed so singleness is not heard as social deviance, curse, or disrespect toward family/ancestral expectations of marriage and lineage continuity.
Head Headship
Approved rendering: inhloko
Transliteration: inhloko
Doctrine: Order in Worship
Original: κεφαλή
Category: Worship Order
New term. Ordered relational headship (11:3); intersects with the baseline’s flagged iNkosi sensitivity and Ndebele clan/household headship structures (induna, family patriarchy) — must be taught as relational and self-giving, not domineering.
New Covenant
Approved rendering: isivumelwano esitsha
Transliteration: isivumelwano esitsha
Doctrine: The Lord’s Supper
Original: καινὴ διαθήκη
Category: The Lord’s Supper
New compound term built on reused ‘covenant’ (isivumelwano). ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood’ (11:25); must convey fulfillment of Old Testament promise, not a renewable ritual pact with ancestral or territorial spirits.
Discerning The Body
Approved rendering: ukungahlukanisi umzimba (weNkosi)
Transliteration: ukungahlukanisi umzimba weNkosi
Doctrine: The Lord’s Supper
Original: διακρίνων τὸ σῶμα
Category: The Lord’s Supper
New term. Failure to ‘discern the body’ brings judgment (11:29); concerns recognizing Christ’s body’s unique significance, not a ritual purity taboo.
Baptize
Approved rendering: ukubhabhathizwa
Transliteration: ukubhabhathizwa
Doctrine: Christian Liberty and Idol Meat
Rejected alternatives: native ritual-washing terms (risk of purification-rite connotations)
Original: βαπτίζω
Category: Christian Liberty
New term, not present in the baseline Romans package. Israel ‘baptized into Moses’ typologically (10:2); the church’s own baptism into one body by one Spirit (12:13) — union with a covenant head, distinguished from traditional ritual cleansing for ancestral purification or protection.
Conscience
Approved rendering: unembeza
Transliteration: unembeza
Doctrine: Christian Liberty and Idol Meat
Original: συνείδησις
Category: Christian Liberty
New term. The ‘weak conscience’ still sensitive to idol associations (8:7-12; 10:27-29); an individual moral faculty responsive to God’s truth, not a channel for ancestral warning or taboo-sensing instinct.
Gifts Of Healing Miracles
Approved rendering: izipho zokusilisa / ukwenza izimangaliso
Transliteration: izipho zokusilisa / ukwenza izimangaliso
Doctrine: Spiritual Gifts and the Body of Christ
Original: ἰάματα / ἐνεργήματα δυνάμεων
Category: Spiritual Gifts
New term. Spirit-given healing/miraculous power for the church’s benefit (12:9-10,28); must be kept distinct from izinyanga’s herbal/ritual healing power.
Discerning Of Spirits
Approved rendering: ukuhlukanisa imimoya
Transliteration: ukuhlukanisa imimoya
Doctrine: Spiritual Gifts and the Body of Christ
Original: διακρίσεις πνευμάτων
Category: Spiritual Gifts
New term. The gift of testing spiritual utterances/manifestations for their true source (12:10); models the discernment needed to distinguish the Spirit’s genuine work from amadlozi or divinatory spirits.
First Adam Last Adam
Approved rendering: uAdamu wokuqala / uAdamu wokucina
Transliteration: uAdamu wokuqala / uAdamu wokucina
Doctrine: Resurrection of Jesus Christ
Original: ὁ πρῶτος Ἀδάμ / ὁ ἔσχατος Ἀδάμ
Category: Resurrection
New term. Typological contrast between Adam, source of death, and Christ, source of resurrection life (15:21-22,45-49); must not be flattened into a hero/ancestor comparison — Christ is a categorically new life-giving head.
Natural Body Spiritual Body
Approved rendering: umzimba wemvelo / umzimba wakoMoya
Transliteration: umzimba wemvelo / umzimba wakoMoya
Doctrine: Resurrection of Jesus Christ
Original: σῶμα ψυχικόν / σῶμα πνευματικόν
Category: Resurrection
New term. The resurrection body is a real, transformed, Spirit-empowered body (15:44), not a disembodied spirit-existence; guards against ‘spiritual body’ being read as becoming an ancestral spirit without a body.
Anathema
Approved rendering: isiqalekiso
Transliteration: isiqalekiso
Doctrine: Divine Judgment and Anathema
Rejected alternatives: transliterated loanword ‘anathema’
Original: ἀνάθεμα
Category: Christology
New term. God’s own solemn judicial pronouncement against rejecting Christ (16:22); must be kept categorically distinct from a human-invoked witchcraft curse (ukuthakathwa) or ancestral curse — anathema has no ritual mechanism and no human agent, only divine verdict.
Medium Risk Terms
Gospel
Approved rendering: ivangeli
Transliteration: ivangeli
Doctrine: Gospel
Original: εὐαγγέλιον
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. In 1 Corinthians 15:1-2, denotes the fixed, non-negotiable apostolic content Paul preached and the Corinthians received; must not be softened into a teaching among others.
Apostle
Approved rendering: umphostoli
Transliteration: umphostoli
Doctrine: Apostleship
Original: ἀπόστολος
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package. 15:5-9 grounds the office in direct, eyewitness encounter with the risen Christ; Paul calls himself ‘the least of the apostles.‘
Peace
Approved rendering: ukuthula
Transliteration: ukuthula
Doctrine: Grace and Peace
Original: εἰρήνη
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. 14:33 ‘God is not a God of confusion but of peace’ grounds the Order in Worship doctrine.
Spiritual Gifts
Approved rendering: izipho zoMoya
Transliteration: izipho zoMoya
Doctrine: Spiritual Gifting
Original: χαρίσματα / πνευματικά
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package. Full taxonomy developed in ch.12, regulated in ch.14; must remain Spirit-given enablements for the common good, not inherited mediumship gifts.
Church
Approved rendering: ibandla
Transliteration: ibandla
Doctrine: The Church as Believers in Christ
Rejected alternatives: isonto
Original: ἐκκλησία
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package. 15:9 Paul persecuted ‘the church of God’; the corporate body theology of ch.12 builds directly on this term.
Kingdom Of God
Approved rendering: umbuso kaNkulunkulu
Transliteration: umbuso kaNkulunkulu
Doctrine: The Kingdom of God
Original: βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ
Category: Kingdom
Inherited from Romans package. 15:24,50 Christ delivers the kingdom to the Father; flesh and blood cannot inherit it — distinguish from a territorial/ethnic kingdom given the Ndebele royal legacy.
Gentiles
Approved rendering: abezizwe
Transliteration: abezizwe
Doctrine: Mission to the Gentiles
Original: ἔθνη / Ἕλληνες
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package. 1:22-24 Jews/Greeks contrast; 12:13 ‘Jews or Greeks, slaves or free,’ one body.
Prophecy
Approved rendering: isiphrofetho
Transliteration: isiphrofetho
Doctrine: Authority of Scripture
Original: προφητεία
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. 14:1-5 the gift most commended for building up the church; distinct from divination through ancestral consultation.
Israel
Approved rendering: uIsrayeli
Transliteration: uIsrayeli
Doctrine: Universal Need for Salvation
Original: Ἰσραήλ
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. 10:18 ‘Israel according to the flesh’ grounds the wilderness typology warning the church.
Untimely Born
Approved rendering: njengomntwana ozelwe kungakabi yisikhathi sakhe
Transliteration: njengomntwana ozelwe kungakabi yisikhathi sakhe
Doctrine: Resurrection of Jesus Christ
Original: ἔκτρωμα
Category: Resurrection
New term. Paul’s self-description as ‘one untimely born’ (15:8); no single-word Ndebele equivalent exists — preserve his tone of astonished unworthiness; translator’s note recommended.
Foolishness
Approved rendering: ubuwula
Transliteration: ubuwula
Doctrine: The Cross as Wisdom and Power
Original: μωρία
Category: Wisdom and the Cross
New term. The apparent folly of the cross’s message ‘to those who are perishing’ (1:18); standard vocabulary.
Spiritual Person Natural Person
Approved rendering: ongokoMoya / ongokwemvelo
Transliteration: ongokoMoya / ongokwemvelo
Doctrine: The Cross as Wisdom and Power
Original: πνευματικός / ψυχικός
Category: Wisdom and the Cross
New term. Contrast between one indwelt/taught by the Spirit and one relying on unaided human perception (2:14-15); must not be misread as a spirit-mediumship status hierarchy.
Reveal
Approved rendering: ukwambulela
Transliteration: ukwambulela
Doctrine: The Cross as Wisdom and Power
Original: ἀποκαλύπτω
Category: Wisdom and the Cross
New term. God’s own initiative of disclosure by the Spirit, not human investigation (2:10).
Fleshly Carnal
Approved rendering: -enyama (abenyama)
Transliteration: enyama (abenyama)
Doctrine: Christian Unity versus Factionalism
Original: σαρκικός
Category: Unity
New term. Governed by sinful human nature rather than the Spirit, the root cause of Corinthian factionalism (3:1-3); keep distinct from umzimba (the physical body itself, not sinful).
Steward
Approved rendering: umphathi (wemfihlo zikaNkulunkulu)
Transliteration: umphathi wemfihlo zikaNkulunkulu
Doctrine: Apostolic Ministry and Stewardship
Original: οἰκονόμος
Category: Apostolic Ministry
New term. Apostles as household managers entrusted with God’s mysteries (4:1-2).
Wrongdoing
Approved rendering: ukona / abangalungiyo
Transliteration: ukona / abangalungiyo
Doctrine: Church Discipline and Holiness
Original: ἀδικέω / ἄδικοι
Category: Discipline and Holiness
New term. Part of the vice list preceding ‘will not inherit the kingdom of God’ (6:9-10).
Marriage
Approved rendering: umtshado / ukutshada
Transliteration: umtshado / ukutshada
Doctrine: Marriage and Singleness
Original: γάμος / γαμέω
Category: Marriage
New term. The marriage relationship and act of marrying, addressed throughout ch.7.
Head Covering
Approved rendering: ukumboza ikhanda / ongambozanga ikhanda
Transliteration: ukumboza ikhanda / ongambozanga ikhanda
Doctrine: Order in Worship
Original: κατακαλύπτω / ἀκατακάλυπτος
Category: Worship Order
New term. Head-covering practice for women praying or prophesying (11:4-16); a culturally variable practice-question requiring native-speaker consultation rather than a fixed doctrinal ruling.
Remembrance
Approved rendering: isikhumbuzo
Transliteration: isikhumbuzo
Doctrine: The Lord’s Supper
Original: ἀνάμνησις
Category: The Lord’s Supper
New term. ‘Do this in remembrance of me’ (11:24-25); active, participatory covenant remembrance, not passive recollection or spirit-appeasing repetition.
Temptation
Approved rendering: ukulingwa
Transliteration: ukulingwa
Doctrine: Christian Liberty and Idol Meat
Original: πειρασμός
Category: Christian Liberty
New term. ‘No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man’ (10:13), with God’s provided way of escape.
Knowledge
Approved rendering: ulwazi
Transliteration: ulwazi
Doctrine: Christian Liberty and Idol Meat
Original: γνῶσις
Category: Christian Liberty
New term. ‘Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up’ (8:1).
Stumbling Block
Approved rendering: isikhubekiso
Transliteration: isikhubekiso
Doctrine: Christian Liberty and Idol Meat
Original: πρόσκομμα
Category: Christian Liberty
New term. Causing a weaker believer to sin by exercising liberty carelessly (8:9-13).
Right Liberty
Approved rendering: ilungelo / amandla okwenza
Transliteration: ilungelo / amandla okwenza
Doctrine: Apostolic Ministry and Stewardship
Original: ἐξουσία
Category: Christian Liberty
New term. Paul’s apostolic right to material support, voluntarily forgone (9:4-18); liberty responsibly exercised, not unrestrained personal entitlement.
Disqualified
Approved rendering: ongamukelekiyo / ongaphasanga
Transliteration: ongamukelekiyo / ongaphasanga
Doctrine: Apostolic Ministry and Stewardship
Original: ἀδόκιμος
Category: Apostolic Ministry
New term. Paul’s fear of being disqualified after preaching to others (9:27); concerns forfeiting reward, not salvation itself.
Interpretation Of Tongues
Approved rendering: ukuchasisa izindimi
Transliteration: ukuchasisa izindimi
Doctrine: Spiritual Gifts and the Body of Christ
Original: ἑρμηνεία γλωσσῶν
Category: Spiritual Gifts
New term. The companion gift enabling intelligible understanding of tongues in worship (12:10; 14:5,13).
Hope
Approved rendering: ithemba
Transliteration: ithemba
Doctrine: Love as the Greater Way
Original: ἐλπίς
Category: Love
New term. Confident forward-looking trust in God’s promises (13:13); not a vague wish or fatalistic hope for favorable fortune.
In Part Complete
Approved rendering: okuyingxenye / okupheleleyo
Transliteration: okuyingxenye / okupheleleyo
Doctrine: Love as the Greater Way
Original: ἐκ μέρους / τέλειος
Category: Love
New term. Present partial knowledge contrasted with future completeness/maturity (13:9-12).
Order Decently
Approved rendering: ngokufanele langokuhlelekileyo
Transliteration: ngokufanele langokuhlelekileyo
Doctrine: Order in Worship
Original: τάξις
Category: Worship Order
New term. ‘Let all things be done decently and in order’ (14:40), the governing principle for congregational practice.
Silence In Worship
Approved rendering: kabathule
Transliteration: kabathule
Doctrine: Order in Worship
Original: σιγάτωσαν
Category: Worship Order
New term. Instructions regarding orderly speech in worship (14:28,30,34); handle strictly within the text’s orderly-worship principle, avoiding added social commentary beyond scope.
Perishable Imperishable
Approved rendering: ukubola / ukungaboli
Transliteration: ukubola / ukungaboli
Doctrine: Resurrection of Jesus Christ
Original: φθορά / ἀφθαρσία
Category: Resurrection
New term. The resurrection body’s transformed, incorruptible nature (15:42,50-54).
Mortal Immortal
Approved rendering: ukufa / ukungafi
Transliteration: ukufa / ukungafi
Doctrine: Resurrection of Jesus Christ
Original: θνητός / ἀθανασία
Category: Resurrection
New term. The resurrection body’s deathless nature, paired with perishable/imperishable (15:53-54).
Sting Of Death
Approved rendering: udosi lokufa
Transliteration: udosi lokufa
Doctrine: Resurrection of Jesus Christ
Original: κέντρον τοῦ θανάτου
Category: Resurrection
New term. ‘O death, where is your sting?’ (15:55, citing Hosea 13:14).
Maranatha
Approved rendering: Marana tha
Transliteration: Marana tha
Doctrine: Lordship of Jesus Christ
Rejected alternatives: translated imperative rendering (rejected to preserve the untranslated liturgical acclamation, per the Abba precedent)
Original: Μαρὰν ἀθά
Category: Christology
New term. An early Aramaic liturgical acclamation, ‘Our Lord, come!’ (16:22), preserved untranslated per the baseline’s precedent for ‘Abba.‘
Low Risk Terms
Thanksgiving
Approved rendering: ukubonga
Transliteration: ukubonga
Doctrine: Christian Encouragement
Original: εὐχαριστία
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package. Opens the letter (1:4) and closes the resurrection chapter (15:57).
Fellowship
Approved rendering: ubudlelwano
Transliteration: ubudlelwano
Doctrine: Fellowship of Believers
Original: κοινωνία
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package. 1:9 fellowship with God’s Son; extended in 10:16-20 to active sacramental participation — see new term participation_body_blood.
Exhort
Approved rendering: ukukhuthaza
Transliteration: ukukhuthaza
Doctrine: Christian Encouragement
Original: παρακαλέω
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package. 1:10 Paul’s appeal for unity; 16:15-16 exhortation to submit to faithful workers.
The Twelve
Approved rendering: Abalitshumi Lambili
Transliteration: Abalitshumi Lambili
Doctrine: Resurrection of Jesus Christ
Original: οἱ δώδεκα
Category: Resurrection
New term. Fixed apostolic title, part of the resurrection-witness evidentiary chain (15:5).
Foundation
Approved rendering: isisekelo
Transliteration: isisekelo
Doctrine: Christian Unity versus Factionalism
Original: θεμέλιος
Category: Unity
New term. Christ as the only foundation the church can be built on (3:10-11); standard, low-ambiguity construction metaphor.
Leaven
Approved rendering: imvubelo
Transliteration: imvubelo
Doctrine: Church Discipline and Holiness
Original: ζύμη
Category: Discipline and Holiness
New term. A small corrupting influence spreading through the community, drawn from Passover imagery (5:6-8).
Example Type
Approved rendering: isibonelo / isifanekiso
Transliteration: isibonelo / isifanekiso
Doctrine: Christian Liberty and Idol Meat
Original: τύπος
Category: Christian Liberty
New term. Israel’s wilderness experiences as ‘examples’ warning the church (10:6,11).
Self Control
Approved rendering: ukuzithiba
Transliteration: ukuzithiba
Doctrine: Apostolic Ministry and Stewardship
Original: ἐγκράτεια
Category: Apostolic Ministry
New term. Athletic-discipline imagery: ‘everyone who competes exercises self-control in all things’ (9:25).
Imperishable Crown
Approved rendering: umqhele ongaboli
Transliteration: umqhele ongaboli
Doctrine: Apostolic Ministry and Stewardship
Original: στέφανος ἄφθαρτος
Category: Apostolic Ministry
New term. Contrasted with the perishable wreath of Greek games (9:25); anticipates ch.15’s imperishability vocabulary.
Edification
Approved rendering: ukwakha ibandla
Transliteration: ukwakha ibandla
Doctrine: Order in Worship
Original: οἰκοδομή
Category: Worship Order
New term. The goal of every exercised gift in worship — building up the church (14:3-5,12,26).
Victory
Approved rendering: ukunqoba
Transliteration: ukunqoba
Doctrine: Resurrection of Jesus Christ
Original: νῖκος
Category: Resurrection
New term. ‘Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ’ (15:57).
Collection
Approved rendering: umnikelo (wabangcwele)
Transliteration: umnikelo wabangcwele
Doctrine: Fellowship of Believers
Original: λογεία
Category: Church
New term. The collection for the saints in Jerusalem (16:1-4).
Holy Kiss
Approved rendering: ukwanga okungcwele
Transliteration: ukwanga okungcwele
Doctrine: Fellowship of Believers
Original: φίλημα ἅγιον
Category: Church
New term. A customary greeting of Christian affection closing the letter (16:20).
Referenced passages