Doctrine Analysis
Doctrine Analysis: Acts — English → Ndebele
This document is the full doctrine matrix for the book of Acts (chapters 1–28), produced under PRD Phase 1 Step 4. It is fully consistent with doctrine_risk_registry.json (same 20 doctrines, same risk tiers, same review routing) and extends the baseline Romans doctrine analysis without contradicting it. The core passage, Acts 2:1–41 (Pentecost and Peter’s sermon), is the theological anchor of the curriculum but not its scope boundary — every chapter of Acts is reviewed below, including chapters that contribute no new doctrinal load, which are noted explicitly rather than omitted.
Risk tiers and review routing follow the baseline definitions exactly:
- Critical — Mistranslation alters or destroys essential doctrine. Human theologian review required for every occurrence.
- High — Mistranslation creates significant theological confusion or syncretism risk. Human theologian review required.
- Medium — Mistranslation reduces clarity but preserves essential meaning. Native speaker review recommended.
- Low — Mistranslation causes minor misunderstanding or imprecision. Automated review sufficient.
Part A — Full Doctrine Matrix
| # | Doctrine | Risk | Supporting Passages (Acts) | Translation Risk (Grounded Reason) | Review Routing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Holy Spirit and Pentecost | Critical | 2:1-4; 2:16-18; 2:38-39; 5:3-4; 10:44-46; 19:1-6 | ”Filled with”/“poured out” language for the Spirit’s coming must never be rendered with vocabulary describing a spirit-medium being “mounted” or possessed by an idlozi in traditional ritual. The Spirit’s indwelling is God’s own free, sovereign, personal gift to willing believers — never an external force overtaking an unwilling vessel, never purchasable (Simon Magus, 8:18-19), and never an entity that could be casually deceived (Ananias, 5:3-4). | Human theologian |
| 2 | The Gospel to Jews and Gentiles | High | 10:1-48; 11:1-18; 13:46-48; 14:8-18; 15:1-29; 17:22-31 | Requires God himself, not any human culture, to redefine ritual purity around the gospel; must avoid resonance with Zimbabwe’s own Ndebele–Shona ethnic history when handling Israel/Gentile material, per baseline guidance. | Human theologian |
| 3 | Repentance and Baptism | Critical | 2:38-41; 8:36-38; 9:18; 16:31-33; 18:25; 19:1-5 | Repentance (ukuphenduka) must be distinguished from ritual appeasement of aggrieved amadlozi; baptism (ubhabhathizo) must be distinguished from traditional water-cleansing rites performed to restore ancestral favor. Both are whole-person allegiance to Christ alone, never a placating or purificatory transaction with a spiritual power. John’s baptism (18:25; 19:1-5) must be clearly distinguished as incomplete. | Human theologian |
| 4 | The Church as Community | Medium | 2:42-47; 4:32-35; 6:1-6; 11:26; 14:23; 20:17-28 | Church eldership (abadala) must be framed as a distinct, Spirit-appointed spiritual office, not a customary chieftaincy-adjacent role, since abadala also names clan elders with real traditional ritual authority. “The Way” (iNdlela) must read as this movement’s proper title, not generic “traditional way/custom.” | Native speaker review |
| 5 | Apostolic Authority and Miracles | High | 2:43; 3:1-10; 5:12-16; 8:14-24; 19:11-20 | Signs, wonders, and laying on of hands must stay sharply distinct from wonder-working and touch-healing popularly attributed to izinyanga and izangoma; these signs uniquely attest to Jesus, not a generic, borrowable spiritual-power category (cf. sons of Sceva, 19:13-16). | Human theologian |
| 6 | Persecution and Bold Witness | High | 4:1-31; 5:17-42; 7:54-60; 12:1-5 | Witness (ubufakazi) must remain truthful, evidentiary testimony to a historical event (chiefly the resurrection), not comparable to a diviner’s claimed insight. Boldness (isibindi) must be Spirit-given confidence under threat, not mere natural courage. | Human theologian |
| 7 | Conversion of Paul | Critical | 9:1-19; 22:3-21; 26:9-18 | Paul’s Damascus-road vision (umbono) must be anchored as originating directly from the risen Christ, requiring no diviner-interpreter, since visions are also a significant traditionally diviner-mediated category. Acts 26:18 names uSathane as a single, personal, already-defeated enemy, not one of many malevolent forces requiring ongoing ritual management. | Human theologian |
| 8 | Justification apart from the Law | Critical | 13:38-39; 15:1-11; 15:19-21 | Acts 13:38-39 is the explicit non-Romans occurrence of this doctrine; ukulungisiswa must retain the same forensic, credited-not-earned sense as the baseline, never collapsing into “forgiven of past mistakes” or “freed from ritual observance” as merely practical relief. Circumcision (ukusoka) is the specific Jewish covenant sign under debate, not any Ndebele rite of passage. | Human theologian |
| 9 | The Great Commission Fulfilled | Medium | 1:8; 13:47; 28:23-31 | Acts 1:8’s programmatic mandate and its fulfillment in 28:31 must be taught as the gospel’s unstoppable advance to every nation, reinforcing that no opposing power — human or spiritual — can ultimately block it. | Native speaker review |
| 10 | Sovereignty of God | Critical | 2:23; 4:24-28; 12:1-11; 17:24-28; 27:1-44 | The Areopagus speech (ch. 17) directly confronts the Ndebele risk of uNkulunkulu being regarded as remote, using the “unknown god” altar as a foil for proclaiming direct divine nearness through Christ. God’s determined plan/foreknowledge and his use of angels (a distinct created order, never a deceased human’s spirit) must be personal, purposive governance, not impersonal fate. | Human theologian |
| 11 | Christ as Sole Mediator | Critical | 2:21; 4:12; 12:5-17 | ”Calling on the Lord’s name” and “no other name under heaven” must be rendered with unmistakable, direct, unmediated address to God through Christ, excluding any ancestral or other intermediary. David as “patriarch” (ukhokho, 2:29) must be honored as a historical forefather whose words point to Christ, never treated as a continuing spiritual intermediary himself. | Human theologian |
| 12 | Lordship of Jesus Christ | Critical | 2:36; 10:36; 16:31 | Christ’s lordship (iNkosi) must be taught as exceeding the historical royal title of the Ndebele kings; 2:36’s climactic “Lord and Christ” declaration is the Pentecost sermon’s doctrinal peak and must retain full exclusive force. | Human theologian |
| 13 | Sonship and Deity of Christ | Critical | 3:13-15; 7:55-56; 9:20 | ”Servant (of God)” (inceku) risks understating Christ’s deity if used alone — must appear alongside iNdodana kaNkulunkulu. “Author/Founder of life” (uMsunguli wokuphila) risks resonance with a lineage-founding ancestor from whom amadlozi descend; must be taught as the sole divine source of life. “Son of Man” must be another exalted, divine title alongside “Son of God,” not a merely-human counterbalance. | Human theologian |
| 14 | Resurrection of Jesus Christ | Critical | 2:24-32; 4:33; 17:31-32; 23:6-8 | Bodily, historical, once-for-all resurrection must never be conflated with a deceased person joining the amadlozi. “Hades” names a temporary state preceding bodily resurrection, not a permanent ancestral abode; the doctrine’s exclusivity is tested by the mixed Areopagus reception (ch. 17) and Sadducee denial (ch. 23). | Human theologian |
| 15 | Messianic Promise | High | 2:25-36; 13:22-23; 13:32-37 | The specific Old Testament promise fulfilled exclusively in Jesus; “throne” (isihlalo sobukhosi) carries historical Ndebele royal weight and must be taught as Christ’s unique, eternal enthronement, exceeding any earthly kingship, consistent with baseline iNkosi/umbuso cautions. | Human theologian |
| 16 | Confrontation with Occult and Spiritual Powers | Critical | 8:9-24; 13:6-12; 16:16-18; 19:11-20 | New Critical doctrine unique to Acts within this curriculum family. Ubuthakathi (sorcery/witchcraft) is among the most emotionally loaded words in Ndebele culture; teaching must precisely target Scripture’s condemnation of manipulative, self-serving spiritual power-seeking, without indiscriminately conflating this with traditional healing (izinyanga) broadly. The python spirit of divination (umoya wokubhula) must be decisively and absolutely expelled by Christ’s authority — not one spiritual power negotiating with another. “Evil/unclean spirit” must remain a distinct hostile category, never conflated with amadlozi (generally neutral or benevolent in traditional belief). | Human theologian |
| 17 | Authority of Scripture and Prophecy | High | 2:16-21; 3:18-24; 20:27; 24:25 | Biblical prophets and prophecy must be sharply distinguished from isangoma (diviner) or inyanga (traditional healer), roles operating on a fundamentally different basis than Spirit-inspired biblical prophecy. “Whole counsel of God” must be complete, undiluted apostolic teaching, not a truncated or syncretized message. | Human theologian |
| 18 | God’s Calling and Election | High | 1:24-26; 2:39; 9:15; 13:48 | God’s own sovereign summons and choice, distinct from an ancestral spirit’s call to mediumship. Lot-casting (inkatho, 1:26) must be distinguished from divination (ukubhula) practiced by izangoma; it is a one-time apostolic-era practice submitted to God’s sovereignty in prayer, not an ongoing guidance method. | Human theologian |
| 19 | Ritual Purity and Gentile Inclusion | High | 10:9-16; 15:1-29; 21:20-26 | God himself redefines purity around the gospel (10:15), abolishing ritual boundaries excluding Gentiles. This must not be taught as merely relaxing one culture’s taboos in favor of another’s, but as God’s own sovereign redefinition. Paul’s Jewish purification rite (ch. 21) is a temporary cultural accommodation, not a salvation requirement. | Human theologian |
| 20 | Christian Encouragement and Fellowship | Low | 2:42-47; 20:1-2; 27:33-36 | Standard, low-ambiguity encouragement, gratitude, and voluntary devotion (vow/isifungo, distinct from a bargaining ritual with a spiritual power) language, consistent with baseline conventions. | Automated review |
Risk tier totals (must match doctrine_risk_registry.json): Critical = 10, High = 7, Medium = 2, Low = 1. Total requiring theologian review = 17; native speaker review = 2; automated only = 1.
Part B — Full Chapter-by-Chapter Coverage (Acts 1–28)
Every chapter of Acts is reviewed below. Chapters contributing no new doctrinal load beyond what is already captured are explicitly marked “reviewed — no new load-bearing doctrinal content” rather than silently skipped.
Acts 1 — Ascension, Promise of the Spirit, Replacement of Judas
Active doctrines: Sovereignty of God (God’s plan; angels absent here but providence implicit), The Holy Spirit and Pentecost (promise of the Spirit, 1:5,8), God’s Calling and Election (lot-casting for Matthias, 1:24-26), The Great Commission Fulfilled (1:8 programmatic mandate), Apostolic Authority and Miracles (apostolic office, 1:15-26). Key terms: ascension, kingdom of God, apostle, lots (casting), witness, power of God. Notes: Foundational chapter; sets the geographic/missional trajectory (Jerusalem → Judea/Samaria → ends of the earth) that frames the whole book.
Acts 2 — Pentecost and Peter’s Sermon (CORE PASSAGE, 2:1-41)
Active doctrines: The Holy Spirit and Pentecost (the chapter’s center), Repentance and Baptism (2:38-41), Christ as Sole Mediator (2:21, “call on the name of the Lord”), Lordship of Jesus Christ (2:36, doctrinal peak), Messianic Promise (2:25-36, David/throne), Sovereignty of God (2:23, determined plan), The Church as Community (2:42-47, fellowship, one heart). Key terms: Pentecost, filled with the Holy Spirit, pour out, other tongues, last days, day of the Lord, call on the name of the Lord, patriarch, throne, promise, repentance, baptism, forgiveness of sins, gift of the Holy Spirit, souls, fellowship. Notes: The theological anchor of the entire curriculum; nearly every Critical-tier doctrine in this book has a direct textual foothold here.
Acts 3 — Healing of the Lame Man, Peter’s Temple Sermon
Active doctrines: Sonship and Deity of Christ (3:13-15, Servant/Holy and Righteous One/Author of Life), Authority of Scripture and Prophecy (3:18-24), Apostolic Authority and Miracles (healing), The Great Commission Fulfilled (times of refreshing, 3:20-21). Key terms: servant (Christological), Holy and Righteous One, Author/Founder of life, times of refreshing/restoration. Notes: Dense Christological title cluster requiring careful sequencing alongside “iNdodana kaNkulunkulu.”
Acts 4 — Peter and John before the Council; Believers’ Prayer
Active doctrines: Persecution and Bold Witness (4:1-31), Christ as Sole Mediator (4:12, “no other name”), The Church as Community (4:32-35, one heart and soul, all things common), Sovereignty of God (4:24-28, sovereign plan reaffirmed). Key terms: signs and wonders, boldness, no other name under heaven, one heart and soul, grace. Notes: 4:12 is the doctrinal capstone against religious pluralism and every form of mediated access.
Acts 5 — Ananias and Sapphira; Apostles Persecuted
Active doctrines: The Holy Spirit and Pentecost (5:3-4, lying to the Holy Spirit — direct personhood/deity evidence), Sovereignty of God (5:11, great fear), Apostolic Authority and Miracles (5:12-16, signs and wonders), Persecution and Bold Witness (5:17-42, Sanhedrin). Key terms: lied to the Holy Spirit, great fear, signs and wonders, Sanhedrin. Notes: 5:3-4 is a load-bearing proof-text for the Spirit’s full personhood; must not be softened to “displeasing a spirit.”
Acts 6 — Seven Chosen; Stephen Accused
Active doctrines: The Church as Community (6:1-6, serving tables, Hellenists/Hebrews), Apostolic Authority and Miracles (laying on of hands), touches Justification apart from the Law background (Stephen accused re: the Law). Key terms: serve tables/ministry of service, Hellenists/Hebrews, laying on of hands, law. Notes: Introduces church-office vocabulary distinct from later “elders” terminology.
Acts 7 — Stephen’s Speech and Martyrdom
Active doctrines: Sonship and Deity of Christ (7:55-56, Son of Man), Messianic Promise (patriarchs, David), Persecution and Bold Witness (martyrdom), The Gospel to Jews and Gentiles (7:48, God does not dwell in hand-made houses), Sovereignty of God (glory), background touch on The Law and idols. Key terms: Son of Man, patriarch, glory, God does not dwell in hand-made houses, idols, the Law. Notes: “Son of Man” here requires the same Critical-tier care as at 2:29’s “patriarch” usage — both terms sit near ancestor-veneration vocabulary and must be handled precisely.
Acts 8 — Philip in Samaria; Simon Magus; Ethiopian Eunuch
Active doctrines: Confrontation with Occult and Spiritual Powers (8:9-24, Simon Magus/sorcery, simony), The Gospel to Jews and Gentiles (Samaritans, Ethiopian eunuch), Repentance and Baptism (8:36-38), Apostolic Authority and Miracles (laying on of hands), Grace (the Spirit’s gift cannot be bought). Key terms: sorcery/magic, sorcerer/magician, simony, laying on of hands, baptism. Notes: First direct occult-confrontation episode in Acts; establishes the pattern developed further in chapters 13, 16, and 19.
Acts 9 — Conversion of Saul/Paul
Active doctrines: Conversion of Paul (9:1-19, vision, chosen instrument), Sonship and Deity of Christ (9:20, Son of God), Repentance and Baptism (9:18, Paul’s baptism), The Church as Community (introduction of “the Way”), Persecution and Bold Witness (persecution motif reversed). Key terms: vision, chosen instrument, election, the Way, persecute, Son of God, holy/saints. Notes: First of three tellings of Paul’s conversion (with chs. 22, 26); vision vocabulary must avoid diviner-mediated connotations from the outset.
Acts 10 — Cornelius; Gentile Pentecost
Active doctrines: The Gospel to Jews and Gentiles (10:1-48, God shows no partiality, God-fearer), Ritual Purity and Gentile Inclusion (10:9-16, unclean/common), The Holy Spirit and Pentecost (10:44-46, Gentile outpouring, other tongues), Sovereignty of God (angel). Key terms: unclean/common, God shows no partiality, God-fearer, angel, other tongues. Notes: Pivotal Gentile-inclusion narrative; the redefinition of “unclean/common” is the single highest-stakes term-pair in this doctrine.
Acts 11 — Jerusalem Hears of Gentile Conversion; Antioch
Active doctrines: Ritual Purity and Gentile Inclusion (11:1-18), The Church as Community (11:26, the name “Christian” first used), The Gospel to Jews and Gentiles, Grace, Faith. Key terms: Christian, elders (introduced), grace, faith. Notes: 11:26’s naming of “Christians” anchors identity in allegiance to Christ specifically, not a generic religious label.
Acts 12 — Peter’s Imprisonment and Deliverance
Active doctrines: Christ as Sole Mediator (12:5-17, the church’s intercessory prayer for Peter — reinforces, does not compete with, Christ’s own mediatorship), Sovereignty of God (angel delivers Peter), Persecution and Bold Witness. Key terms: intercession (church praying for another believer, not to an ancestor), angel. Notes: Must be taught carefully alongside Christ-alone-mediator doctrine: believers interceding for one another in prayer is affirmed; this is not the same category as approaching God through amadlozi.
Acts 13 — First Missionary Journey Begins; Paul’s Synagogue Sermon
Active doctrines: Justification apart from the Law (13:38-39, explicit non-Romans occurrence), Messianic Promise (seed of David, promise), Confrontation with Occult and Spiritual Powers (13:6-12, Elymas the sorcerer), The Gospel to Jews and Gentiles, The Great Commission Fulfilled (mission), Faith, Grace. Key terms: justification, righteousness, seed of David, sorcerer/magician, faith, grace, gospel. Notes: 13:38-39 is load-bearing for the entire “Justification apart from the Law” doctrine and must mirror the Romans-package forensic sense exactly.
Acts 14 — Iconium, Lystra, Derbe; Elders Appointed
Active doctrines: The Gospel to Jews and Gentiles (14:8-18, Lystra, idols), Apostolic Authority and Miracles (signs and wonders), Persecution and Bold Witness (boldness), The Great Commission Fulfilled (kingdom of God), The Church as Community (elders appointed, 14:23). Key terms: idols, signs and wonders, boldness, elders, kingdom of God. Notes: Lystra episode (14:11-18) is a direct pagan-deity-mistaken-identity narrative, relevant to the same risk class as the later Artemis episode (ch. 19).
Acts 15 — The Jerusalem Council
Active doctrines: Justification apart from the Law (circumcision debate, 15:1-11), Ritual Purity and Gentile Inclusion (15:19-21), The Gospel to Jews and Gentiles, The Church as Community (elders, sect), Authority of Scripture and Prophecy (prophetic warrant cited). Key terms: circumcision, law, grace, faith, elders, sect. Notes: Doctrinally the most concentrated chapter for “Justification apart from the Law” alongside chapter 13; circumcision terminology must remain sharply distinct from any Ndebele rite of passage.
Acts 16 — Lydia; Philippian Jailer; Python Spirit
Active doctrines: Confrontation with Occult and Spiritual Powers (16:16-18, spirit of divination), Repentance and Baptism (16:31-33), The Church as Community (household baptism), touches The Great Commission Fulfilled (Roman citizen introduced). Key terms: spirit of divination, “what must I do to be saved?”, household, baptism, Roman citizen. Notes: 16:16-18’s python-spirit expulsion is the doctrine’s clearest direct-confrontation scene with ukubhula (divination) vocabulary; 16:30-31 is the clearest short-form gospel presentation in Acts.
Acts 17 — Thessalonica, Berea, Athens (Areopagus)
Active doctrines: Sovereignty of God (17:24-28, unknown god, in him we live and move — doctrinal high point for this book), Resurrection of Jesus Christ (17:31-32, mixed reception), The Gospel to Jews and Gentiles (idols), background Providence. Key terms: unknown god, in him we live and move and have our being, idols, resurrection. Notes: The single most important chapter for directly confronting the “God is remote, reached through intermediaries” risk pattern named throughout this whole doctrine set.
Acts 18 — Corinth; Apollos
Active doctrines: Repentance and Baptism (18:24-26, John’s baptism vs. complete Christian teaching, via Apollos), The Church as Community (the Way), Faith. Key terms: baptism of John, the Way, faith. Notes: Sets up the fuller treatment of John’s-baptism-versus-Christian-baptism resolved in chapter 19.
Acts 19 — Ephesus: Disciples of John, Sons of Sceva, Riot over Artemis
Active doctrines: Confrontation with Occult and Spiritual Powers (19:11-20, evil/unclean spirits, exorcists, magic books, sons of Sceva), The Holy Spirit and Pentecost (19:1-6, contrast with John’s baptism), The Gospel to Jews and Gentiles (19:23-41, Artemis of the Ephesians), The Great Commission Fulfilled (kingdom of God), Apostolic Authority and Miracles. Key terms: evil/unclean spirit, exorcists, magic books, baptism of John, goddess Artemis, kingdom of God. Notes: The most concentrated occult-confrontation chapter in Acts; every term here demands Critical-tier handling given the density of rival-spiritual-power vocabulary.
Acts 20 — Farewell at Troas and Miletus; Elders Charged
Active doctrines: The Church as Community (20:17-28, elders, overseers/shepherd the church), Authority of Scripture and Prophecy (20:27, whole counsel of God), Persecution and Bold Witness, Christian Encouragement and Fellowship (20:1-2, farewell scenes; Eutychus). Key terms: elders, overseers, whole counsel of God, exhort. Notes: Paul’s charge to the Ephesian elders is the fullest “elders/overseers” passage in Acts and must reinforce the Spirit-appointed, non-chieftaincy framing established in chapter 14.
Acts 21 — Paul’s Journey to Jerusalem; Temple Purification Rite
Active doctrines: Ritual Purity and Gentile Inclusion (21:20-26, purification rites), background The Law, The Church as Community (elders), Persecution and Bold Witness (arrest begins). Key terms: purification rites, vow, law, elders. Notes: Paul’s own participation in a Jewish purification rite must be taught as a temporary cultural accommodation, explicitly not a salvation requirement, to avoid reinforcing traditional ritual-cleansing assumptions.
Acts 22 — Paul’s Defense before the Crowd
Active doctrines: Conversion of Paul (retelling), Christ as Sole Mediator (22:16, call on the name of the Lord), background The Law, God’s Calling and Election. Key terms: call on the name of the Lord, the Way, election, Roman citizen. Notes: Second of three conversion tellings; reinforces 2:21/4:12 vocabulary consistency.
Acts 23 — Paul before the Sanhedrin; Plot against Paul
Active doctrines: Persecution and Bold Witness (Sanhedrin), Resurrection of Jesus Christ (23:6-8, Sadducee denial of resurrection), Sovereignty of God (protection through legal process), background The Law. Key terms: Sanhedrin, resurrection. Notes: The Sadducee/Pharisee resurrection dispute (23:6-8) gives a useful teaching contrast for the doctrine’s historical particularity.
Acts 24 — Paul before Felix
Active doctrines: Justification apart from the Law (background, Paul’s defense), Authority of Scripture and Prophecy (24:25, judgment to come), background The Law, Faith, Sect (24:14). Key terms: judgment to come, faith, law, sect. Notes: Felix’s fear at “righteousness, self-control, and judgment to come” (24:25) reinforces the doctrine’s eschatological seriousness.
Acts 25 — Paul before Festus; Appeal to Caesar
Active doctrines: The Great Commission Fulfilled (appeal to Caesar as providential mechanism), Persecution and Bold Witness, Sovereignty of God (providence through ordinary legal process). Key terms: appeal to Caesar, providence. Notes: Low direct doctrinal-term density, but structurally important for demonstrating God’s providence advancing the mission through civil authority.
Acts 26 — Paul before Agrippa
Active doctrines: Conversion of Paul (26:9-18, fullest telling; turn from darkness to light, Satan), Sonship and Deity of Christ, Resurrection of Jesus Christ, Persecution and Bold Witness, The Great Commission Fulfilled. Key terms: turn from darkness to light/from Satan’s power to God, Satan, resurrection, election, holy/saints. Notes: 26:18 is the most compact whole-gospel summary sentence in Acts and the definitive text for teaching Satan as a single, personal, already-defeated enemy rather than one of many forces requiring ongoing ritual management.
Acts 27 — Shipwreck Voyage to Rome
Active doctrines: Sovereignty of God (providence, angel, deliverance through storm), Christian Encouragement and Fellowship (27:33-36, thanksgiving), background The Church as Community (souls/persons, 27:37). Key terms: providence, thanksgiving, souls (persons), angel. Notes: Reviewed in full; contributes reinforcing rather than new doctrinal content — providence and encouragement themes already established elsewhere in the matrix.
Acts 28 — Malta; Arrival in Rome; Unhindered Preaching
Active doctrines: The Great Commission Fulfilled (28:23-31, preaching the kingdom boldly, unhindered — the book’s triumphant closing doctrine), Sovereignty of God (providence, viper survival), Christian Encouragement and Fellowship (thanksgiving), background The Church as Community (sect, 28:22). Key terms: preaching the kingdom boldly unhindered, providence, thanksgiving, sect. Notes: The book’s deliberately open-ended close; 28:31’s “unhindered” must be taught as the triumphant fulfillment of the Acts 1:8 mandate, closing the doctrinal arc that began in chapter 1.
Part C — Consistency Confirmation
This document uses the identical 20 doctrine names, risk tiers, key terms, and review routing found in doctrine_risk_registry.json for the Acts curriculum, and does not introduce any doctrine, tier, or routing decision not already present there. All chapters 1–28 have been reviewed; chapters contributing only reinforcing (not new) doctrinal content are explicitly marked as such above (see Acts 25, 27) rather than silently omitted. This matrix is ready to drive Phase 2 Step 17 review routing without modification.
Critical Risk Doctrines
The Holy Spirit and Pentecost
Ndebele name: uMoya oNgcwele lePhentekoste
Key terms: holy_spirit, pentecost, filled_with_the_holy_spirit, pour_out_the_spirit, gift_of_the_holy_spirit, other_tongues, lied_to_the_holy_spirit
Review routing: Human theologian
CRITICAL: the Holy Spirit’s filling and outpouring must never be rendered with vocabulary describing a spirit-medium being ‘mounted’ or possessed by an idlozi during traditional ritual. The Spirit’s gift is God’s own free, sovereign, personal indwelling of willing believers — never an external force taking control of an unwilling vessel, and never purchasable (Simon Magus, Acts 8) or an entity that could be casually deceived (Ananias, Acts 5).
Repentance and Baptism
Ndebele name: Ukuphenduka Lobhabhathizo
Key terms: repentance, baptism, forgiveness_of_sins, baptism_of_john, call_on_the_name_of_the_lord
Review routing: Human theologian
CRITICAL: repentance (ukuphenduka) must be distinguished from ritual appeasement of aggrieved amadlozi, and baptism (ubhabhathizo) must be distinguished from traditional water-cleansing rites performed to restore ancestral favor. Both are the whole-person response of allegiance to Christ alone, never a placating or purificatory transaction with a spiritual power, and baptism’s meaning is complete only in Jesus’s name with the Spirit’s gift (contrast John’s baptism, Acts 18-19).
Conversion of Paul
Ndebele name: Ukuphendulwa kwakaPawuli
Key terms: vision, chosen_instrument, election, turn_from_darkness_to_light, satan, the_way
Review routing: Human theologian
CRITICAL: Paul’s Damascus-road vision (umbono) must be anchored as originating directly from the risen Christ, requiring no diviner-interpreter, since visions are also a significant category in traditional religion mediated by diviners. The conversion summary (Acts 26:18) names uSathane as a single, personal, already-defeated enemy, not one of many malevolent forces requiring ongoing ritual management as in traditional cosmology.
Justification apart from the Law
Ndebele name: Ukulungisiswa Ngaphandle Komthetho
Key terms: justification, righteousness, law, circumcision, grace, imputed_righteousness
Review routing: Human theologian
CRITICAL: Acts 13:38-39 is the explicit non-Romans/Galatians occurrence of this doctrine; ‘ukulungisiswa’ must retain the same forensic, credited-not-earned sense as the baseline, never collapsing into ‘forgiven of past mistakes’ or ‘freed from ritual observance’ as merely practical relief. Circumcision (ukusoka) must be framed as the specific Jewish covenant-sign under debate, not conflated with any Ndebele rite of passage.
Sovereignty of God
Ndebele name: Ubukhulu bukaNkulunkulu Phezu Kwakho Konke
Key terms: god, gods_determined_plan_and_foreknowledge, providence, angel, great_fear, unknown_god, in_him_we_live_and_move, day_of_the_lord
Review routing: Human theologian
CRITICAL: Paul’s Areopagus speech (Acts 17) directly confronts the Ndebele risk of uNkulunkulu being regarded as remote, using the Athenians’ ‘unknown god’ altar as a foil to proclaim direct divine nearness through Christ. God’s determined plan/foreknowledge and his use of angels (a distinct created order, never a deceased human’s spirit) must be taught as personal, purposive governance, not impersonal fate.
Christ as Sole Mediator
Ndebele name: UKristu Nguye Yedwa Umlamuli
Key terms: call_on_the_name_of_the_lord, no_other_name, intercession, patriarch
Review routing: Human theologian
CRITICAL: the single most important doctrine for the Ndebele audience, carried forward from the baseline Romans package. ‘Calling on the Lord’s name’ and ‘no other name under heaven’ must be rendered with unmistakable, direct, unmediated address to God through Christ, excluding any ancestral or other intermediary. David as ‘patriarch’ (ukhokho, Acts 2:29) must be honored as a historical forefather whose words point to Christ, never treated as a continuing spiritual intermediary himself.
Lordship of Jesus Christ
Ndebele name: Ubukhosi bukaJesu Kristu
Key terms: lord, jesus, messiah
Review routing: Human theologian
Christ’s lordship (iNkosi) must be taught as exceeding the historical royal title of the Ndebele kings, per baseline guidance; Acts 2:36’s climactic ‘Lord and Christ’ declaration is the sermon’s doctrinal peak and must retain full exclusive force.
Sonship and Deity of Christ
Ndebele name: Ubudodana Lobunkulunkulu bukaKristu
Key terms: son_of_god, son_of_man, servant_title, holy_and_righteous_one, author_of_life
Review routing: Human theologian
CRITICAL: ‘Servant (of God)’ (inceku) risks understating Christ’s deity if used alone — must appear alongside iNdodana kaNkulunkulu. ‘Author/Founder of life’ (uMsunguli wokuphila) risks resonance with a lineage-founding ancestor from whom amadlozi descend; must be taught as sole divine source of life, not a founding-ancestor mediator. ‘Son of Man’ must be taught as another exalted, divine title alongside ‘Son of God,’ not a merely-human counterbalance.
Resurrection of Jesus Christ
Ndebele name: Ukuvuka kukaKristu Kwabafileyo
Key terms: resurrection, hades
Review routing: Human theologian
Bodily, historical, once-for-all resurrection must never be conflated with a deceased person joining the amadlozi. ‘Hades’ names a temporary state preceding bodily resurrection, not a permanent ancestral abode; the doctrine’s exclusivity is tested directly by mixed Areopagus reception (Acts 17) and Sadducee denial (Acts 23).
Confrontation with Occult and Spiritual Powers
Ndebele name: Ukuphikisana Lamandla Obuthakathi Lemimoya
Key terms: sorcery_magic, sorcerer_magician, spirit_of_divination, evil_unclean_spirit, exorcists, magic_books, satan, simony
Review routing: Human theologian
CRITICAL, new doctrine unique to Acts within this curriculum family: ‘ubuthakathi’ (sorcery/witchcraft) is among the most emotionally loaded words in Ndebele culture; teaching must precisely target Scripture’s condemnation of manipulative, self-serving spiritual power-seeking, without indiscriminately conflating this with traditional healing (izinyanga) broadly. The python spirit of divination (umoya wokubhula) must be taught as decisively and absolutely expelled by Christ’s authority — not one spiritual power negotiating with another — and ‘evil/unclean spirit’ must be kept a distinct, hostile biblical category, never conflated with amadlozi (generally regarded as neutral or benevolent ancestral spirits in traditional belief).
High Risk Doctrines
The Gospel to Jews and Gentiles
Ndebele name: Ivangeli KumaJuda Lakwabezizwe
Key terms: gentiles, gospel, unclean_common, god_shows_no_partiality, idols, goddess_artemis, god_fearer
Review routing: Human theologian
The gospel’s extension to Gentiles requires God himself to redefine ritual purity (koinos/unclean-common) around the gospel rather than around any culture’s taboo system, including Ndebele traditional purity logic. Handling Israel/Gentile material must stay focused on the biblical text, avoiding any resonance with Zimbabwe’s own Ndebele-Shona ethnic history per baseline guidance.
Apostolic Authority and Miracles
Ndebele name: Amandla Ababaphostoli Lezimangaliso
Key terms: apostle, signs_and_wonders, laying_on_of_hands, power_of_god, office_ministry
Review routing: Human theologian
Apostolic signs and wonders, and the laying on of hands that accompanies them, must be kept sharply distinct from wonder-working and touch-based healing gestures popularly attributed to izinyanga (healers) and izangoma (diviners); these signs uniquely attest to Jesus, not to a generalizable spiritual-power category anyone might access or a transferable technique (cf. the sons of Sceva, Acts 19:13-16).
Persecution and Bold Witness
Ndebele name: Ukuhlukuluzwa Lobufakazi Obesabindi
Key terms: witness, boldness, persecute, sanhedrin
Review routing: Human theologian
Witness (ubufakazi) must be kept as truthful, evidentiary testimony to a historical event (chiefly the resurrection), not comparable to a diviner’s claimed spiritual insight. Boldness (isibindi) must be taught as Spirit-given confidence under threat, not merely natural courage.
Messianic Promise
Ndebele name: Isithembiso soMesiya
Key terms: messiah, seed_of_david, david, throne, promise
Review routing: Human theologian
The specific Old Testament promise fulfilled exclusively in Jesus; ‘throne’ (isihlalo sobukhosi) carries historical Ndebele royal weight and must be taught as Christ’s unique, eternal enthronement, exceeding any earthly kingship, consistent with baseline iNkosi/umbuso cautions.
Authority of Scripture and Prophecy
Ndebele name: Amandla eLizwi likaNkulunkulu Lokuphrofetha
Key terms: prophet, prophecy, whole_counsel_of_god, judgment_to_come
Review routing: Human theologian
Biblical prophets and prophecy must be sharply distinguished from isangoma (diviner) or inyanga (traditional healer), both prominent and respected roles operating on a fundamentally different basis than Spirit-inspired biblical prophecy; the ‘whole counsel of God’ must be taught as complete, undiluted apostolic teaching, not a truncated or syncretized message.
God’s Calling and Election
Ndebele name: Ukubizwa Lokukhethwa nguNkulunkulu
Key terms: called, calling, election, chosen_instrument, lots_casting
Review routing: Human theologian
God’s own sovereign summons and choice, distinct from an ancestral spirit’s call to mediumship. Lot-casting (inkatho, Acts 1:26) must be distinguished from divination (ukubhula) practiced by izangoma; it is a one-time apostolic-era practice submitted to God’s sovereignty in prayer, not an ongoing guidance method.
Ritual Purity and Gentile Inclusion
Ndebele name: Ukuhlambuluka Lokwamukelwa Kwabezizwe
Key terms: unclean_common, purification_rites, circumcision, god_shows_no_partiality
Review routing: Human theologian
God himself redefines purity around the gospel (Acts 10:15), abolishing ritual boundaries that excluded Gentiles. Ndebele traditional religion has its own strong ritual-purity/taboo logic; this doctrine must not be taught as merely relaxing one culture’s taboos in favor of another’s, but as God’s own sovereign redefinition. Paul’s Jewish purification rite (Acts 21) is a temporary cultural accommodation, not a salvation requirement.
Medium Risk Doctrines
The Church as Community
Ndebele name: Ibandla Njengomphakathi
Key terms: church, elders, christian, one_heart_and_soul, sect, the_way, serve_tables, overseers_shepherd
Review routing: Native speaker review
Church eldership (abadala) must be framed as a distinct, Spirit-appointed spiritual office, not a customary chieftaincy-adjacent role given ‘abadala’ also names customary clan elders with real traditional ritual authority. ‘The Way’ (iNdlela) must be capitalized/contextualized as this movement’s proper title, not conflated with ‘traditional way/custom.‘
The Great Commission Fulfilled
Ndebele name: Umlayo Omkhulu Ogcwalisiweyo
Key terms: mission, kingdom_of_god, witness, preaching_kingdom_boldly_unhindered, roman_citizen, appeal_to_caesar
Review routing: Native speaker review
Acts 1:8’s programmatic mandate (Jerusalem, Judea/Samaria, ends of the earth) and its fulfillment in Acts 28:31 must be taught as the gospel’s unstoppable advance to every nation, reinforcing that no opposing power, human or spiritual, can ultimately block it.
Low Risk Doctrines
Christian Encouragement and Fellowship
Ndebele name: Ukukhuthazwa Lobudlelwano kuKristu
Key terms: fellowship, thanksgiving, exhort, vow
Review routing: Automated review
Standard, low-ambiguity encouragement, gratitude, and voluntary devotion (vow/isifungo, distinct from a bargaining ritual with a spiritual power) language, consistent with baseline conventions.
Referenced passages