Semantic Analysis
Semantic Analysis — 1 Corinthians (Full Book) | English → Nepali
How to Read This Document
This document analyzes the entire Greek text of 1 Corinthians, chapter by chapter, for load-bearing theological vocabulary relevant to Nepali translation risk. The core passage (1 Corinthians 15:1–11) receives full verse-by-verse treatment. Every other chapter receives a chapter section listing its load-bearing terms with the same seven fields: Original (Greek), Transliteration, Literal meaning, Semantic range, English variants, Contextual theological meaning, and Nepali rendering & risk.
Terms already fixed in the baseline Romans translation_memory.json / bible_term_registry.json are marked [BASELINE — REUSE EXACTLY] and their recorded Nepali rendering is repeated verbatim, never altered. New terms proposed here for the 1 Corinthians curriculum are marked [NEW TERM] and carry a proposed risk tier consistent with the baseline’s risk framework (Critical / High / Medium / Low), pending confirmation in Step 2 (Doctrine Risk Registry extension).
PART 1 — CORE PASSAGE: 1 Corinthians 15:1–11 (Verse-by-Verse)
Greek text: Nestle-Aland 28.
Verse 1
Greek: Γνωρίζω δὲ ὑμῖν, ἀδελφοί, τὸ εὐαγγέλιον ὃ εὐηγγελισάμην ὑμῖν, ὃ καὶ παρελάβετε, ἐν ᾧ καὶ ἑστήκατε
Term: γνωρίζω (gnōrizō) — “make known”
- Literal meaning: to cause to know, to make known, to declare.
- Semantic range: formal disclosure/reminder of already-taught content; used by Paul to introduce authoritative re-statement of core doctrine.
- English variants: “I declare,” “I make known,” “I want to remind you.”
- Contextual meaning: Paul is not introducing new teaching but re-anchoring the Corinthians in the gospel they already received, because their confusion about the resurrection (ch. 15) threatens the gospel’s foundation.
- Nepali rendering & risk: “म…जनाउँछु/सुनाउँछु” (I make known to you). [NEW TERM] Risk: Low. Straightforward declarative verb; no doctrinal collision.
Term: εὐαγγέλιον (euangelion) — “gospel”
- Literal meaning: good news, good announcement.
- Semantic range: the specific proclamation of God’s saving act in Christ; distinguished from a generic happy report.
- English variants: gospel, good news.
- Contextual meaning: the singular, definitional gospel that Paul preached, the Corinthians received, and on which they stand — defined explicitly in vv. 3-5 as Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection.
- Nepali rendering & risk: सुसमाचार [BASELINE — REUSE EXACTLY]. Risk: High (per baseline). Reaffirmed here as the doctrinal anchor of the whole chapter.
Term: παραλαμβάνω (paralambanō) — “received”
- Literal meaning: to receive alongside, to take/accept what is handed over.
- Semantic range: technical term (paired with παραδίδωμι in v.3) for the formal reception of authoritative tradition, especially rabbinic/apostolic transmission of fixed teaching.
- English variants: received, accepted, took hold of.
- Contextual meaning: the Corinthians received this gospel as a fixed, authoritative deposit, not as one opinion among many.
- Nepali rendering & risk: “प्राप्त गर्नु” (to receive). [NEW TERM] Risk: Medium. Must be read as receiving a fixed apostolic deposit, not personal spiritual insight; a functional risk if confused with the guru-parampara model of a disciple “receiving” oral teaching progressively refined by the receiving disciple, common in Nepali Hindu/Buddhist teacher-lineage practice. Avoid the noun परम्परा (“tradition/lineage”) for this reason; keep the verb form.
Term: ἑστήκατε (hestēkate) — “you stand”
- Literal meaning: to stand, to stand firm.
- Semantic range: stable position, firm footing; perfect tense = a settled, continuing state.
- English variants: “in which you stand,” “on which you have taken your stand.”
- Contextual meaning: the gospel is the ground believers currently and continually stand on.
- Nepali rendering & risk: “स्थिर रहनु” (to stand firm). [NEW TERM] Risk: Low.
Verse 2
Greek: δι’ οὗ καὶ σῴζεσθε, τίνι λόγῳ εὐηγγελισάμην ὑμῖν εἰ κατέχετε, ἐκτὸς εἰ μὴ μάτην ἐπιστεύσατε
Term: σῴζεσθε (sōzesthe) — “you are being saved”
- Literal meaning: to save, to deliver, to rescue.
- Semantic range: present passive, ongoing process rooted in a past accomplished act; deliverance from sin, wrath, and death through Christ.
- English variants: “by which you are saved,” “you are being saved.”
- Contextual meaning: salvation is grounded in and continually secured by this same gospel — inseparable from the resurrection Paul is about to defend.
- Nepali rendering & risk: root of उद्धार [BASELINE — REUSE EXACTLY, verb form “उद्धार पाइरहेका छौ”]. Risk: Critical (per baseline). Never मुक्ति/मोक्ष/निर्वाण.
Term: κατέχετε (katechete) — “you hold fast”
- Literal meaning: to hold down/firmly, to retain.
- Semantic range: continuing possession and retention of received teaching, as opposed to letting it slip.
- English variants: “if you hold firmly,” “if you hold fast.”
- Contextual meaning: the reality of the Corinthians’ salvation is bound up with their continuing to hold the gospel as taught, not a reinterpreted version that denies bodily resurrection (as some in Corinth apparently were doing, 15:12).
- Nepali rendering & risk: “पक्रिराखेको” (holding firmly). [NEW TERM] Risk: Low.
Term: μάτην ἐπιστεύσατε (matēn episteusate) — “believed in vain”
- Literal meaning: μάτην = in vain, fruitlessly; ἐπιστεύσατε = you believed.
- Semantic range: belief that has no substance, empty faith with no saving referent.
- English variants: “believed in vain,” “your faith was for nothing.”
- Contextual meaning: sets up the logical chain completed in vv.14,17 — if Christ is not raised, faith itself is empty.
- Nepali rendering & risk: विश्वास [BASELINE — REUSE EXACTLY for “believed”]; “व्यर्थमा” for μάτην. [NEW TERM for μάτην] Risk: Low.
Verse 3
Greek: παρέδωκα γὰρ ὑμῖν ἐν πρώτοις, ὃ καὶ παρέλαβον, ὅτι Χριστὸς ἀπέθανεν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν κατὰ τὰς γραφάς
Term: παρέδωκα…παρέλαβον (paredōka…parelabon) — “I delivered…I received”
- Literal meaning: παραδίδωμι = to hand over, deliver, transmit; παραλαμβάνω = to receive.
- Semantic range: paired technical vocabulary for the formal transmission of a fixed creedal deposit — widely recognized by scholars as one of the earliest fixed creedal formulas in the New Testament.
- English variants: “I delivered to you…what I also received.”
- Contextual meaning: Paul is not the origin of this gospel; he is a link in a chain of authoritative transmission going back to the apostolic eyewitnesses.
- Nepali rendering & risk: “मैले सुम्पेको…मैले पनि प्राप्त गरेको”. [NEW TERM] Risk: Medium. Same guru-parampara collision risk as v.1; footnote recommended clarifying this is a fixed, non-evolving apostolic deposit, not a living oral tradition subject to a receiving disciple’s refinement.
Term: ἐν πρώτοις (en prōtois) — “of first importance”
- Literal meaning: among the first things, first in rank/priority.
- Semantic range: primary in sequence or importance; here clearly importance, not chronology.
- English variants: “as of first importance,” “first of all.”
- Contextual meaning: signals that what follows (vv.3-5) is the creedal core of the gospel itself.
- Nepali rendering & risk: “सबैभन्दा पहिले/मुख्य कुराको रूपमा”. [NEW TERM] Risk: Low.
Term: Χριστός (Christos) — “Christ”
- [BASELINE — REUSE EXACTLY]: established Nepali Christian form ख्रीष्ट (per baseline transliteration standards document, though not itself a translation_memory.json entry, it is fixed in the AI requirements transliteration table). Risk: Critical.
Term: ἀπέθανεν (apethanen) — “died”
- Literal meaning: to die.
- Semantic range: real, physical death — the same verb used for ordinary human death, underscoring the reality of Christ’s death (against any docetic reading).
- English variants: died, was put to death.
- Contextual meaning: Christ’s death was a genuine death, not an appearance of death — essential to both atonement and resurrection doctrine.
- Nepali rendering & risk: “मर्नुभयो” (honorific form, died). [NEW TERM] Risk: Medium. Honorific verb form required for Christ per baseline tone requirements (respectful register for God/Christ).
Term: ὑπὲρ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν (hyper tōn hamartiōn hēmōn) — “for our sins”
- Literal meaning: ὑπέρ = on behalf of, for the sake of; ἁμαρτία = sin (see baseline पाप).
- Semantic range: substitutionary/representative sense — Christ died in our place, bearing the penalty of sin.
- English variants: “for our sins,” “on account of our sins,” “in place of our sins.”
- Contextual meaning: substitutionary atonement — the death is not merely exemplary but efficacious for sin.
- Nepali rendering & risk: “हाम्रा पापहरूको निम्ति”. पाप = [BASELINE — REUSE EXACTLY]. Risk: High. Must preserve substitutionary “for/on behalf of” (निम्ति), not a vaguer “because of” that could read as mere consequence rather than atoning exchange.
Term: κατὰ τὰς γραφάς (kata tas graphas) — “according to the Scriptures”
- Literal meaning: κατά = according to, in agreement with; γραφή = writing, Scripture.
- Semantic range: formulaic citation marker pointing to Old Testament fulfillment (esp. Isaiah 53, Psalm 16).
- English variants: “according to the Scriptures,” “as the Scriptures foretold.”
- Contextual meaning: anchors Christ’s death and resurrection in the linear, historical fulfillment of God’s prior revealed promises — the doctrine of Fulfillment of Prophecy already flagged High in the baseline.
- Nepali rendering & risk: पवित्रशास्त्र अनुसार. [NEW TERM — γραφή/“Scripture”] Risk: High. Render γραφή as पवित्रशास्त्र (“holy scripture”); never धर्मशास्त्र, which retains the culturally loaded धर्म root the baseline permanently excludes. Must convey a single, linear, historically-fulfilled written revelation, distinct from the Hindu concept of śruti (eternally “heard” by sages) and the Buddhist sutra tradition.
Verse 4
Greek: καὶ ὅτι ἐτάφη, καὶ ὅτι ἐγήγερται τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ κατὰ τὰς γραφάς
Term: ἐτάφη (etaphē) — “was buried”
- Literal meaning: to bury, entomb.
- Semantic range: literal, physical burial; confirms the reality and finality of physical death (no burial = no real death).
- English variants: “was buried,” “was entombed.”
- Contextual meaning: burial is the second creedal fact, establishing that death was complete and real before resurrection could occur.
- Nepali rendering & risk: “गाडिनुभयो” (honorific, was buried). [NEW TERM] Risk: Low.
Term: ἐγήγερται (egēgertai) — “has been raised”
- Literal meaning: ἐγείρω = to raise up, to awaken; perfect passive here — a completed action with continuing effect/state.
- Semantic range: bodily, historical rising from death, with the perfect tense stressing the permanent, present-tense reality of the risen state (Christ is, right now, the risen One).
- English variants: “has been raised,” “is risen,” “was raised.”
- Contextual meaning: the pivot of the whole chapter and of the doctrine “The Resurrection of Christ and Believers.” The perfect tense is doctrinally significant and should be reflected in Nepali verb aspect where possible (an ongoing state, not merely a past event).
- Nepali rendering & risk: पुनरुत्थान (verb form: “उठाइनुभयो”/“जीवित भई उठ्नुभयो”) [BASELINE — REUSE EXACTLY]. Risk: Critical. Never पुनर्जन्म (rebirth). This verse is the doctrinal center of the entire book; translators must render the perfect tense with a construction implying a continuing risen state, not a mere completed past event, to avoid any drift toward a cyclical framing.
Term: τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ (tē tritē hēmera) — “on the third day”
- Literal meaning: on the third day.
- Semantic range: specific, historically anchored time reference, not symbolic or mythic time.
- English variants: “on the third day,” “the third day.”
- Contextual meaning: reinforces the historical, datable nature of the resurrection event against any purely spiritual or mythological reading.
- Nepali rendering & risk: “तेस्रो दिनमा”. [NEW TERM] Risk: Low.
Verse 5
Greek: καὶ ὅτι ὤφθη Κηφᾷ, εἶτα τοῖς δώδεκα
Term: ὤφθη (ōphthē) — “he appeared / was seen”
- Literal meaning: ὁράω passive — to be seen, to appear, to show oneself.
- Semantic range: used throughout vv.5-8 as the technical resurrection-appearance verb; denotes an objective, external, bodily appearance perceived by witnesses, not an internal vision or dream.
- English variants: “he appeared to,” “was seen by,” “showed himself to.”
- Contextual meaning: Paul is building a legal-style list of eyewitnesses to a real, bodily, historical appearance — the evidentiary backbone of the resurrection argument.
- Nepali rendering & risk: “देखा पर्नुभयो” (honorific, “he appeared/became visible”). [NEW TERM] Risk: Critical. NEVER render with दर्शन (“darshan” — the vivid, currently-practiced Hindu devotional term for a deity or holy person becoming visible to a worshiper at a temple or shrine, e.g. Pashupatinath darshan). Using दर्शन here would recast the bodily resurrection appearances as devotional visions of a deity granting a blessed sighting, collapsing the historical, evidentiary force of Paul’s eyewitness list into a familiar devotional category. देखा पर्नु preserves plain, objective “became visible/appeared” without this collision.
Term: Κηφᾷ (Kēpha) — “Cephas”
- Literal meaning: Aramaic for “rock,” Peter’s other name.
- Nepali rendering & risk: कैफा (established transliteration; cf. पत्रुस/पेत्रोस elsewhere). [NEW TERM] Risk: Low.
Term: τοῖς δώδεκα (tois dōdeka) — “the Twelve”
- Literal meaning: the twelve (apostles).
- Nepali rendering & risk: “बाह्र प्रेरितहरू”; प्रेरित [BASELINE — REUSE EXACTLY]. Risk: Medium.
Verse 6
Greek: ἔπειτα ὤφθη ἐπάνω πεντακοσίοις ἀδελφοῖς ἐφάπαξ, ἐξ ὧν οἱ πλείονες μένουσιν ἕως ἄρτι, τινὲς δὲ ἐκοιμήθησαν
Term: ἐφάπαξ (ephapax) — “at one time / once for all”
- Literal meaning: at once, on a single occasion; also carries the sense “once for all” elsewhere in the NT (e.g. Hebrews).
- Semantic range: a single, unrepeatable, datable event, witnessed simultaneously by a large group.
- English variants: “at one time,” “all at once,” “on a single occasion.”
- Contextual meaning: multiplies the evidentiary weight — 500 simultaneous witnesses, most still alive when Paul writes, making the claim falsifiable and thus credible.
- Nepali rendering & risk: “एकैचोटि”. [NEW TERM] Risk: Low.
Term: ἐκοιμήθησαν (ekoimēthēsan) — “have fallen asleep”
- Literal meaning: κοιμάομαι = to sleep; euphemism for death used specifically of believers, implying a temporary state pending resurrection.
- Semantic range: NT euphemism carrying resurrection hope; distinct from finality.
- English variants: “fallen asleep,” “have died.”
- Contextual meaning: even the language of death here is shaped by resurrection hope — “sleep” implies a future waking, i.e. bodily resurrection, not annihilation or rebirth.
- Nepali rendering & risk: “मृत्युमा सुतेका छन्” (have fallen asleep in death). [NEW TERM] Risk: Medium. Must be understood as a hope-filled Christian euphemism pointing to bodily resurrection, not confused with any cyclical rebirth framing; a brief contextual note is advisable on first use.
Verse 7
Greek: ἔπειτα ὤφθη Ἰακώβῳ, εἶτα τοῖς ἀποστόλοις πᾶσιν
Term: Ἰακώβῳ (Iakōbō) — “James”
- Nepali rendering & risk: याकूब (established Nepali Bible proper name form). [NEW TERM] Risk: Low.
Term: τοῖς ἀποστόλοις πᾶσιν (tois apostolois pasin) — “all the apostles”
- Nepali rendering & risk: प्रेरित [BASELINE — REUSE EXACTLY]: “सबै प्रेरितहरू”. Risk: Medium.
Verse 8
Greek: ἔσχατον δὲ πάντων ὥσπερ τῷ ἐκτρώματι ὤφθη κἀμοί
Term: ἔσχατον (eschaton) — “last”
- Nepali rendering & risk: “अन्तमा”. [NEW TERM] Risk: Low.
Term: ἔκτρωμα (ektrōma) — “one untimely born”
- Literal meaning: an aborted fetus, a stillborn or prematurely/violently born child.
- Semantic range: a harsh, self-deprecating image; Paul applies it to himself as one who came to apostleship abnormally — violently, late, and undeservedly (via a post-ascension encounter with the risen Christ, not ordinary discipleship).
- English variants: “one untimely born,” “the least, as it were” (paraphrase), “born at the wrong time.”
- Contextual meaning: sets up Paul’s argument in vv.9-10 that his apostleship rests entirely on grace, not merit or proper sequence.
- Nepali rendering & risk: “अपरिपक्व/असमयमा जन्मेको जस्तो” (like one born prematurely/out of due time). [NEW TERM] Risk: Medium. Requires careful, sensitive phrasing so as not to sound clinically graphic or give unintended offense in a culture where miscarriage/stillbirth carries strong social stigma; the sense (unworthy, out-of-order origin) should be preserved even if a softer paraphrase is used, with a translator note explaining the self-abasement is intentional.
Verse 9
Greek: Ἐγὼ γάρ εἰμι ὁ ἐλάχιστος τῶν ἀποστόλων, ὃς οὐκ εἰμὶ ἱκανὸς καλεῖσθαι ἀπόστολος, διότι ἐδίωξα τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ θεοῦ
Term: ἐλάχιστος (elachistos) — “least”
- Nepali rendering & risk: “सबैभन्दा सानो/तुच्छ”. [NEW TERM] Risk: Low.
Term: καλεῖσθαι ἀπόστολος (kaleisthai apostolos) — “to be called an apostle”
- Nepali rendering & risk: बोलाइएका + प्रेरित [BASELINE — REUSE EXACTLY]: “प्रेरित भनी बोलाइनु”. Risk: Medium.
Term: ἐδίωξα (ediōxa) — “I persecuted”
- Nepali rendering & risk: “सताएँ”. [NEW TERM] Risk: Low.
Term: τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ θεοῦ (tēn ekklēsian tou theou) — “the church of God”
- Nepali rendering & risk: मण्डली [BASELINE — REUSE EXACTLY]: “परमेश्वरको मण्डली”. Risk: Medium. Never मन्दिर or गुम्बा.
Verse 10
Greek: χάριτι δὲ θεοῦ εἰμι ὅ εἰμι· καὶ ἡ χάρις αὐτοῦ ἡ εἰς ἐμὲ οὐ κενὴ ἐγενήθη, ἀλλὰ περισσότερον αὐτῶν πάντων ἐκοπίασα, οὐκ ἐγὼ δὲ ἀλλὰ ἡ χάρις τοῦ θεοῦ [ἡ] σὺν ἐμοί
Term: χάρις (charis) — “grace”
- Nepali rendering & risk: अनुग्रह [BASELINE — REUSE EXACTLY]. Risk: High. This verse is doctrinally decisive: Paul’s entire apostolic identity and labor are attributed to grace, not merit, directly reinforcing the baseline’s mandate to guard the grace/karma-merit contrast (relevant Hindu पुण्य and Buddhist merit-accumulation frameworks) at every occurrence.
Term: κενή (kenē) — “empty / in vain”
- Nepali rendering & risk: “व्यर्थ”. [NEW TERM] Risk: Low.
Term: ἐκοπίασα (ekopiasa) — “I labored / worked hard”
- Nepali rendering & risk: “परिश्रम गरेँ”. [NEW TERM] Risk: Low. Note: the labor is presented as grace-enabled, not merit-generating; translators should ensure this labor cannot be read as accumulating spiritual credit.
Verse 11
Greek: εἴτε οὖν ἐγὼ εἴτε ἐκεῖνοι, οὕτως κηρύσσομεν καὶ οὕτως καὶ ἐπιστεύσατε
Term: κηρύσσομεν (kēryssomen) — “we preach”
- Literal meaning: to proclaim as a herald, to announce publicly with authority.
- Semantic range: formal, authoritative public proclamation — distinct from private teaching or discussion.
- English variants: “we preach,” “we proclaim.”
- Contextual meaning: closes the pericope by returning to public gospel proclamation as the shared apostolic activity underlying all the resurrection witness just cataloged.
- Nepali rendering & risk: “प्रचार गर्छौं”; concept aligned with baseline सुसमाचार प्रचार (mission doctrine). [NEW TERM] Risk: High. As with all proclamation language in this curriculum, this must be worded so as not to read as illegal-recruitment-style solicitation under Nepal’s 2017 Muluki Criminal Code religious-conversion provisions (per baseline “Evangelism” doctrine, already rated High for this exact reason).
Term: ἐπιστεύσατε (episteusate) — “you believed”
- Nepali rendering & risk: विश्वास [BASELINE — REUSE EXACTLY]. Risk: High.
PART 2 — CHAPTER-BY-CHAPTER ANALYSIS OF THE WHOLE BOOK
Chapter 1 — Christian Unity versus Factionalism; The Cross as Wisdom and Power
| Term (EN) | Greek / Translit. | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual theological meaning | Nepali rendering | Risk & rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| called (apostle/saints) | κλητός / klētos | summoned | sovereign summons | called | Paul’s apostleship and the saints’ status both rest on God’s summons, not self-selection. | बोलाइएका [BASELINE] | High (per baseline) |
| grace | χάρις / charis | favor | unmerited favor | grace | Opens and closes every Pauline letter; here grounds all that follows in unearned favor. | अनुग्रह [BASELINE] | High |
| fellowship | κοινωνία / koinōnia | shared participation | communal sharing in Christ | fellowship, communion | ”Called into the fellowship [koinōnia] of his Son” (1:9) — union with Christ as the ground of belonging. | सहभागिता [BASELINE] | Low (per baseline), but flagged here as root of the sacramental extension analyzed in ch.10–11. |
| church of God | ἐκκλησία τοῦ θεοῦ | assembly of God | the whole covenant community, or a local congregation | church | Corinth’s local assembly, part of the universal ἐκκλησία. | मण्डली [BASELINE] | Medium |
| sanctified / holy | ἁγιάζω, ἅγιος / hagiazō, hagios | set apart | moral and relational set-apartness | sanctified, holy | ”Sanctified in Christ Jesus” (1:2) — status, not achievement. | पवित्र, पवित्रीकरण [BASELINE] | High |
| saints | ἅγιοι / hagioi | holy ones | corporate designation for all believers | saints, holy ones | All Corinthian believers, however immature, are “called to be saints” (1:2). | पवित्र जन [BASELINE] | High — especially pointed here since chs. 1–6 depict a deeply immature, quarrelsome congregation still called पवित्र जन, reinforcing that this is a status of calling, not achieved ascetic merit. |
| division / schism | σχίσμα / schisma | a tear, split | factional split within one body | division, schism, faction | ”That there be no divisions among you” (1:10) — the specific problem the letter’s first half addresses. | [NEW TERM] फूट | High. Corinth’s factions (1:12) were organized around teacher-loyalty (Paul/Apollos/Cephas/Christ), a pattern that maps uncomfortably well onto Nepal’s own strong, still-live ethnic, caste, and party-political factional identities; translators must keep this a warning against church faction without inadvertently importing loaded socio-political vocabulary. |
| quarrels / contentions | ἔρις / eris | strife | interpersonal conflict, rivalry | quarrels, contentions, strife | Reported to Paul as the presenting symptom of the divisions (1:11). | [NEW TERM] विवाद | Medium |
| wisdom | σοφία / sophia | skill, insight | worldly cleverness vs. God’s redemptive wisdom revealed in the cross | wisdom | Central term of chs. 1–3: “the wisdom of this world” is set against “the wisdom of God,” which the world calls foolishness. | [NEW TERM] बुद्धि | High. बुद्धि shares its root (बुध्, “to know/awaken”) with बोधि/बुद्ध (bodhi/Buddha, “the Awakened One”), a resonance with real doctrinal weight in a country with a substantial Newar and Himalayan Buddhist population. God’s wisdom in the cross must not be assimilated to Buddhist bodhi — enlightenment attained through meditative insight — but taught as revealed, cross-centered, gift wisdom. |
| foolishness | μωρία / mōria | folly | that which appears foolish to worldly wisdom | foolishness | ”The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing” (1:18). | [NEW TERM] मूर्खता | Low |
| cross | σταυρός / stauros | execution stake | the crucifixion event and its saving significance | cross | The scandal and power of Paul’s whole gospel message (1:17-18). | [NEW TERM] क्रूस (established Nepali Christian loan-term) | Medium lexically; the doctrine “The Cross as Wisdom and Power” itself is rated High given the cross’s centrality and its offensiveness to both “Jews” (a stumbling block) and “Greeks” (foolishness) — an ancient dual-offense pattern worth preserving rather than softening in Nepali rendering. |
| stumbling block | σκάνδαλον / skandalon | trap, snare | offense, scandal | stumbling block, offense | ”A stumbling block to Jews” (1:23). | [NEW TERM] बाधा/ठक्कर | Medium |
| power of God | δύναμις θεοῦ | might, capability | God’s saving power specifically | power of God | The cross, though foolish-looking, is “the power of God” for those being saved (1:18,24). | परमेश्वरको सामर्थ्य [BASELINE] | High. Never शक्ति (Newar Tantric/Kumari association). |
| boast | καυχάομαι / kauchaomai | to glory in, exult | self-congratulation vs. glorying in God alone | boast, brag | ”Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord” (1:31, citing Jeremiah). | [NEW TERM] घमण्ड/गर्व गर्नु | Medium |
Chapter 2 — The Cross as Wisdom and Power (continued)
| Term (EN) | Greek / Translit. | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual theological meaning | Nepali rendering | Risk & rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| wisdom | σοφία | see ch.1 | — | wisdom | Contrasted with “the rulers of this age,” who crucified “the Lord of glory” out of ignorance of God’s hidden wisdom. | बुद्धि (as ch.1) | High |
| Spirit of God | πνεῦμα θεοῦ | breath/spirit of God | the personal, revealing Holy Spirit | Spirit of God | Only the Spirit can reveal “the deep things of God” (2:10-11). | पवित्र आत्मा [BASELINE] | Critical |
| spiritual | πνευματικός / pneumatikos | of the Spirit | Spirit-indwelt, Spirit-discerning | spiritual | ”The spiritual person discerns all things” (2:15). | [NEW TERM] आत्मिक | Medium — reuses the आत्मिक root from baseline’s आत्मिक वरदान; keep consistent across chs. 2, 3, 12, 14. |
| natural person (unspiritual) | ψυχικός / psychikos | soul-based, of the soul | a person governed by ordinary human perception, without the Spirit | ”the natural man,” “the unspiritual person" | "The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God” (2:14) — a category, not an insult about intelligence. | [NEW TERM] प्राकृतिक मानिस | High. Must be carefully explained as “a person without the indwelling Holy Spirit,” never as a claim about the existence or nature of an inner soul/ātman — a concept central to Hindu anthropology and, in negated form (anātman), to Buddhist anthropology. Mistranslation here risks turning a pneumatological distinction into an anthropological one that collides with both traditions’ core teaching on the self. |
| mystery | μυστήριον / mystērion | hidden thing now revealed | God’s formerly hidden, now-disclosed redemptive plan | mystery | ”We impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God” (2:7) — but one now openly proclaimed, not esoteric. | [NEW TERM] रहस्य | High. Nepal’s living Newar Vajrayana Buddhist and Hindu Tantric traditions maintain active esoteric, initiation-restricted “secret” (गुह्य) teachings. Paul’s μυστήριον is the opposite dynamic: once-hidden truth now openly and publicly proclaimed to all who believe, not privileged teaching reserved for an initiated elite. This distinction should be made explicit wherever रहस्य is used. |
| mind of Christ | νοῦς Χριστοῦ | the mind/thinking of Christ | shared perspective/understanding with Christ | mind of Christ | Closing climax of ch.2 (2:16): believers, through the Spirit, share Christ’s perspective. | [NEW TERM] ख्रीष्टको मन | Low-Medium |
Chapter 3 — Christian Unity versus Factionalism; Church Discipline and Holiness
| Term (EN) | Greek / Translit. | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual theological meaning | Nepali rendering | Risk & rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| carnal / fleshly | σαρκικός / sarkikos | of the flesh | governed by unredeemed human nature, not the Spirit | carnal, fleshly, worldly | ”You are still fleshly…for you are still behaving like ordinary humans” (3:1-3), evidenced by their factionalism. | [NEW TERM] शारीरिक स्वभावको | Medium |
| temple of God (corporate) | ναός θεοῦ / naos theou | shrine/sanctuary of God | the church corporately as God’s indwelt dwelling | temple of God | ”You [plural] are God’s temple, and God’s Spirit dwells in you” (3:16-17) — corporate, not individual, in this chapter. | [NEW TERM] मन्दिर (with mandatory translator note) | High. मन्दिर is saturated with concrete Hindu temple-worship associations (Pashupatinath and thousands of local shrines). Used metaphorically here for the gathered church, it risks being read either as a literal sacred building or, worse, as implying the church itself is a site for the kind of ritual devotion practiced at a Hindu मन्दिर. A clarifying gloss (“God’s Spirit dwelling among you,” not a physical shrine) should accompany first use in any study material. |
| foundation | θεμέλιος / themelios | base, footing | Christ as the sole foundation of all ministry | foundation | ”No one can lay a foundation other than…Jesus Christ” (3:11). | [NEW TERM] जग | Low |
| fire (testing of works) | πῦρ / pyr | fire | eschatological testing/purification of ministry, not of persons | fire, tested by fire | Ministers’ works, not their salvation, are tested “as through fire” (3:13-15). | [NEW TERM] आगोले जाँच | Medium — must not be read as purgatorial merit-purification akin to karmic burning-off of demerit. |
Chapter 4 — Christian Unity versus Factionalism
| Term (EN) | Greek / Translit. | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual theological meaning | Nepali rendering | Risk & rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| steward | οἰκονόμος / oikonomos | household manager | one entrusted with another’s resources/mysteries, accountable to the owner | steward, servant, manager | Apostles are “stewards of the mysteries of God” (4:1), not independent authorities to be factionally ranked. | [NEW TERM] भण्डारे | Medium |
| kingdom of God | βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ | reign of God | God’s sovereign rule, “not in talk but in power” (4:20) | kingdom of God | Corrects the Corinthians’ inflated, merely verbal spirituality. | परमेश्वरको राज्य [BASELINE] | Medium |
| spectacle | θέατρον / theatron | theater, public show | public object of ridicule/display | spectacle, fools | ”We have become a spectacle to the world” (4:9) — apostolic suffering as paradoxical honor. | [NEW TERM] तमासा | Low |
Chapter 5 — Church Discipline and Holiness
| Term (EN) | Greek / Translit. | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual theological meaning | Nepali rendering | Risk & rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| sexual immorality | πορνεία / porneia | fornication, sexual sin | sexual sin broadly, here a specific case of incest (5:1) | sexual immorality, fornication | The presenting case requiring church discipline. | [NEW TERM] यौन अनैतिकता | Medium-High — must be framed as sin against a personal, holy God (see baseline पाप), not primarily as ritual defilement/social shame, though both categories exist in Nepali cultural understanding of sexual sin. |
| leaven / unleavened | ζύμη, ἄζυμος / zymē, azymos | yeast; without yeast | corrupting influence vs. purity; drawn from Passover imagery | leaven, unleavened bread | ”Cleanse out the old leaven…you really are unleavened” (5:7) — church holiness pictured through Passover typology. | [NEW TERM] खमिर / अखमिरी | Medium — requires Old Testament Passover background (like दाऊदको वंश in the baseline), unfamiliar to readers without prior OT exposure. |
| Christ our Passover | πάσχα / pascha | Passover (lamb/festival) | Christ as the fulfillment of the Passover sacrifice | Passover, paschal lamb | ”Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” (5:7). | [NEW TERM] निस्तार-चाड (existing Nepali Bible term for Passover) applied typologically to Christ | High. This is a sacrificial-substitution typology parallel to messianic promise/fulfillment doctrine (already High/Critical in the baseline); must be clearly taught as pointing to Christ’s atoning death, not merely referenced as a historical festival unfamiliar to a non-OT-literate audience. |
| church discipline (expel) | ἐξαίρω / exairō (“purge out,” 5:13) | remove, take away | formal removal of an unrepentant member from the assembly | ”put away,” “expel,” “remove" | "Purge the evil person from among you” (5:13) — the founding text for the doctrine of church discipline. | [NEW TERM] मण्डलीबाट बहिष्कार गर्ने | High. Nepal’s own recent legal and social history includes caste-based social excommunication and untouchability practices, formally codified until the 1963 Muluki Ain reforms and still socially present in places. Church discipline must be carefully distinguished from this caste-exclusion pattern: it is corrective, temporary, aimed at repentance and restoration (see 2 Cor 2:6-8), never a permanent caste-like social death. Translator notes strongly recommended wherever this doctrine appears in study materials. |
Chapter 6 — Church Discipline and Holiness
| Term (EN) | Greek / Translit. | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual theological meaning | Nepali rendering | Risk & rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| temple of the Holy Spirit (individual) | ναός τοῦ ἐν ὑμῖν ἁγίου πνεύματος | shrine of the Holy Spirit within you | the individual believer’s body as the Spirit’s dwelling | your body is a temple | ”Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you” (6:19) — individual, unlike the corporate use in 3:16. | [NEW TERM] मन्दिर (individual application; same note as ch.3) | High — same मन्दिर risk as ch.3, now applied to individual bodily holiness/sexual ethics; the collision risk is if anything sharper here given the direct connection to bodily conduct. |
| bought with a price | ἠγοράσθητε τιμῆς / ēgorasthēte timēs | purchased at a price | redemption imagery — believers belong to God because he paid for them | ”you were bought with a price" | "You are not your own, for you were bought with a price” (6:19-20) — grounds sexual ethics in redemption, not mere rule-keeping. | [NEW TERM] मूल्य तिरी किनिएका | High. Redemption/purchase imagery for salvation; must not be flattened into a purely commercial transaction devoid of grace, nor evoke any lingering social memory of literal bonded-labor/debt-slavery arrangements still within living cultural memory in parts of Nepal (e.g. the kamaiya system) in a way that obscures the liberating, not enslaving, intent of the metaphor. |
| washed | ἀπολούω / apolouō | to wash off, cleanse | cleansing from sin, associated with baptismal/conversion imagery | washed | ”You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified” (6:11) — a threefold description of conversion. | [NEW TERM] धोइएका | Medium — distinguish from Hindu ritual purificatory bathing (e.g. Bagmati/Ganga snan), which is repeatable ceremonial cleansing; this washing is a one-time, Spirit-wrought reality tied to justification, not a ritual act performed by the believer. |
| sanctified / justified | ἁγιάζω / δικαιόω | see baseline | — | sanctified, justified | Same verse (6:11), reaffirming both baseline terms together as the shape of Christian conversion. | पवित्रीकरण, धर्मी ठहराइने कार्य [BASELINE] | High/Critical |
Chapter 7 — Marriage and Singleness
| Term (EN) | Greek / Translit. | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual theological meaning | Nepali rendering | Risk & rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| marriage | γάμος / gamos | wedding, marriage | the marital covenant relationship | marriage | Paul’s extended teaching addressing marriage, celibacy, and mixed marriages. | [NEW TERM] विवाह | Low |
| unmarried / singleness | ἄγαμος / agamos | without marriage | the unmarried state, presented as a legitimate calling, not a deficiency | unmarried, single | ”I wish that all were as I myself am” (7:7) — singleness as valid Christian vocation, countercultural in a society where marriage is treated as a near-universal social and familial obligation. | [NEW TERM] अविवाहित | Low-Medium — worth flagging for native-speaker review given strong Nepali social expectation of universal marriage, which can create pastoral (not lexical) translation-adjacent tension. |
| virgin | παρθένος / parthenos | virgin, unmarried woman | an unmarried woman, specifically one who has not had sexual relations | virgin, unmarried woman | Paul’s specific counsel to “virgins” regarding marriage and devotion to the Lord (7:25-38). | [NEW TERM] कुमारी | High. कुमारी is not a religiously neutral term in Nepal: it is the title of the living goddess of the Kathmandu Valley Newar tradition — a young girl worshiped as an incarnate deity, a globally recognized and state-connected religious institution. Using कुमारी for Paul’s ordinary “unmarried virgin women” risks an unintended sacral resonance entirely foreign to the text. A qualifying construction (e.g., “अविवाहित कुमारी” or context-bound phrasing clearly meaning “an unmarried young woman”) and a translator note are required wherever this term occurs. |
| divorce / separation | χωρίζω, ἀπολύω / chōrizō, apolyō | to separate, release | marital separation/divorce | divorce, separate | Paul’s instructions on divorce and remarriage, including mixed-faith marriages (7:10-16). | [NEW TERM] सम्बन्ध-विच्छेद | Medium |
| gift (of celibacy/marriage) | χάρισμα / charisma | grace-gift | a Spirit-given capacity for a particular state of life | gift | ”Each has his own gift from God” (7:7) — same word family as spiritual gifts (ch.12) but applied to marital state. | आत्मिक वरदान [BASELINE, extended sense] | Medium — flag the extension of this baseline term beyond ministry-empowerment gifts to general life-calling gifts; keep वरदान always paired with आत्मिक per baseline rule. |
| called | κλητός / klētos | see baseline | God’s summons as it intersects one’s social/marital state | called | ”In whatever state each was called, there let him remain” (7:20-24) — calling reframes, not necessarily changes, one’s social position. | बोलाइएका, बोलावट [BASELINE] | High |
Chapter 8 — Christian Liberty and Idol Meat
| Term (EN) | Greek / Translit. | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual theological meaning | Nepali rendering | Risk & rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| idol | εἴδωλον / eidōlon | image, idol | a representation of a false god, which Paul says “has no real existence” (8:4) | idol | ”We know that an idol has no real existence” (8:4) — the theological premise underlying the whole liberty argument. | [NEW TERM] मूर्ति | Medium — standard, unavoidable literal term in a country of widespread active मूर्ति worship; doctrine must remain clear that idols represent nothing real, without this reading as dismissive mockery of neighbors’ devotion, which would work against, not for, evangelistic witness. |
| food offered to idols | εἰδωλόθυτον / eidōlothyton | idol-sacrificed thing | meat/food previously offered in pagan ritual sacrifice, then sold or served | food offered to idols, idol meat | The presenting practical/pastoral case: may a believer eat such food? | [NEW TERM] मूर्तिलाई चढाइएको भोजन | High. This directly parallels the still-living Nepali Hindu practice of प्रसाद (prasad) — food ritually offered to a deity, then distributed to and eaten by worshipers and often shared with neighbors regardless of their own faith. Chapter 8’s pastoral question is not academic for Nepali believers; it is a live, weekly social situation. Study materials must handle this with real cultural precision, neither implying casual participation in devotional offerings nor demanding needless social rupture with family — matching Paul’s own nuanced “liberty tempered by love for the weaker brother” argument (8:9-13). |
| knowledge | γνῶσις / gnōsis | knowing, understanding | correct theological understanding, contrasted with love | knowledge | ”Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up” (8:1) — knowledge without love is dangerous, thematically anticipating ch.13. | [NEW TERM] ज्ञान | High. ज्ञान (Sanskrit jñāna) is a technical soteriological term in both Hindu jñāna-yoga (liberating knowledge as a path to mokṣa) and Buddhist prajñā traditions (liberating insight). Paul’s γνῶσις here is correct doctrinal understanding that, without love, becomes spiritually destructive — the opposite dynamic from a knowledge-path to liberation. This contrast should be made explicit in teaching materials. |
| conscience | συνείδησις / syneidēsis | co-knowledge, moral awareness | inner moral faculty, here specifically the “weak” conscience of new believers | conscience | The “weak” believer’s conscience can be “destroyed” by another’s careless exercise of liberty (8:7-12). | [NEW TERM] विवेक | Medium |
| liberty / right | ἐξουσία / exousia | authority, right | a believer’s legitimate freedom, which may nonetheless be voluntarily limited for love’s sake | liberty, right, authority | The chapter’s central tension: real liberty, willingly restrained. | [NEW TERM] अधिकार | Medium |
| stumbling block | πρόσκομμα / proskomma | thing struck against | cause of another’s fall into sin | stumbling block, hindrance | ”Take care that this right of yours does not become a stumbling block to the weak” (8:9). | [NEW TERM] बाधा (as ch.1) | Medium |
Chapter 9 — Christian Liberty and Idol Meat (continued); Apostleship
| Term (EN) | Greek / Translit. | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual theological meaning | Nepali rendering | Risk & rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| apostle / apostleship | ἀπόστολος / apostolos | see baseline | — | apostle | Paul defends his apostolic authority and his voluntary renunciation of its rights (9:1-18). | प्रेरित [BASELINE] | Medium |
| self-control | ἐγκράτεια / egkrateia | self-mastery | disciplined self-restraint, athletic metaphor | self-control, self-discipline | ”Every athlete exercises self-control in all things” (9:25) — applied to spiritual discipline. | [NEW TERM] आत्म-संयम | Medium |
| race / prize / crown | ἀγών, βραβεῖον, στέφανος / agōn, brabeion, stephanos | contest; prize; wreath/crown | athletic-games metaphor for perseverance and reward | race, prize, crown | ”Run in such a way as to get the prize” (9:24) — imperishable crown vs. perishable wreath. | [NEW TERM] दौड, इनाम, मुकुट | Low-Medium — Greek athletic-games imagery is less culturally native to Nepal than to the Mediterranean world; ensure the metaphor of disciplined effort toward an eternal (not merit-earning) reward is clear rather than assumed. |
Chapter 10 — Christian Liberty and Idol Meat; The Lord’s Supper (anticipated)
| Term (EN) | Greek / Translit. | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual theological meaning | Nepali rendering | Risk & rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| cup of the Lord / table of the Lord | ποτήριον κυρίου, τράπεζα κυρίου | the Lord’s cup/table | the Lord’s Supper, contrasted with pagan ritual meals (“the table of demons,” 10:21) | cup of the Lord, Lord’s table | ”You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons” (10:21) — exclusivity of covenant participation. | [NEW TERM] प्रभुको कटोरा, प्रभुको टेबल | High. This exclusivity claim has direct, concrete relevance in Nepal, where ritual offerings and shared ritual meals to spirits/deities remain an active part of both mainstream Hindu practice and Himalayan/hill shamanic (jhākri/dhāmi) traditions. The doctrine must be taught as genuine spiritual exclusivity — one cannot rightly participate in both — not mere dietary preference. |
| participation / communion | κοινωνία / koinōnia | sharing, participation | sacramental participation in Christ’s body and blood via the cup and bread | participation, communion, sharing | ”The cup…is it not a participation in the blood of Christ?” (10:16) — κοινωνία used here in its sacramental sense, an extension of the baseline “fellowship” term. | सहभागिता [BASELINE, extended sense] | High (extended). Must be taught as relational communion with the risen, personal Christ, and must not be assimilated to spirit-possession/mediumship communion patterns found in Nepali jhākri ritual practice, in which a practitioner becomes a vessel for a spirit during ritual offering and consumption. |
| glory of God | δόξα θεοῦ | see baseline | — | glory of God | ”Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (10:31) — the chapter’s practical conclusion. | महिमा [BASELINE] | High |
Chapter 11 — Order in Worship; The Lord’s Supper
| Term (EN) | Greek / Translit. | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual theological meaning | Nepali rendering | Risk & rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| head covering | κατακαλύπτω / katakalyptō | to cover over | a first-century Corinthian head-covering practice in worship, with theological argument attached (11:2-16) | head covering, veil | A culturally-embedded practice Paul grounds theologically; requires careful contextualization for a modern Nepali audience where headscarves/head-covering during worship or at Hindu shrines carry their own separate cultural meanings. | [NEW TERM] शिर छोप्ने चलन | Medium — flag for native speaker/cultural review; the underlying principle (honor/order in worship, not the specific first-century practice) must be distinguished from any parallel-looking but theologically unrelated Hindu head-covering custom. |
| image and glory | εἰκών, δόξα / eikōn, doxa | image; glory | humanity’s God-given dignity | image, glory | ”Man is the image and glory of God” (11:7). | [NEW TERM] स्वरूप (for εἰκών; avoid प्रतिमूर्ति, which contains the मूर्ति/“idol” root) | Medium |
| the Lord’s Supper | κυριακὸν δεῖπνον / kyriakon deipnon | the Lord’s dinner | the corporate sacramental meal commemorating Christ’s death | the Lord’s Supper | ”When you come together to eat, is it not the Lord’s Supper you are eating?” (11:20) — introduces the chapter’s main doctrine. | [NEW TERM] प्रभु भोज | High. Sacramental core doctrine; must be clearly distinguished from an ordinary communal meal (Paul’s own complaint in this chapter) and from any parallel ritual-meal or offering practice in Nepali religious life. |
| discern the body | διακρίνων τὸ σῶμα / diakrinōn to sōma | judging/discerning the body | rightly recognizing the sacramental and communal significance of Christ’s body in the meal | ”discerning the body,” “recognizing the body” | Failure to discern the body brings judgment (11:29-30) — a serious warning tied to church unity, not merely liturgical correctness. | [NEW TERM] शरीरलाई चिनेर/विवेचना गरेर | Medium |
| remembrance | ἀνάμνησις / anamnēsis | memorial, remembrance | commemorative re-enactment, “in remembrance of me” (11:24-25) | remembrance, memorial | Institution narrative, closely tied to the Passover/covenant background of ch.5. | [NEW TERM] सम्झना | Low |
| judgment / discipline | κρίμα / krima | judgment, verdict | corrective divine discipline on the church for unworthy participation (11:30-32) | judgment, discipline | Connects sacramental practice to real consequences, distinct from final condemnation. | [NEW TERM] न्याय/दण्ड | Medium |
Chapter 12 — Spiritual Gifts and the Body of Christ
| Term (EN) | Greek / Translit. | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual theological meaning | Nepali rendering | Risk & rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| spiritual gifts | χαρίσματα, πνευματικά / charismata, pneumatika | grace-gifts; spiritual things | Spirit-given enablements distributed for the common good | spiritual gifts | The chapter’s controlling theme: diversity of gifts, one Spirit, one body (12:4-11). | आत्मिक वरदान [BASELINE] | Medium |
| baptized in one Spirit | ἐβαπτίσθημεν ἐν ἑνὶ πνεύματι | immersed/baptized in one Spirit | the Spirit-wrought union of all believers into one body, regardless of ethnic or social origin | baptized into one body by one Spirit | ”In one Spirit we were all baptized into one body…Jews or Greeks, slaves or free” (12:13) — union transcending ethnic/social division. | [NEW TERM] बप्तिस्मा — establishing βαπτίζω/βάπτισμα as a new glossary entry: बप्तिस्मा (established transliteration-based Nepali Christian loanword) | High. Baptism itself is not yet a baseline translation-memory entry and must be added: बप्तिस्मा must be clearly distinguished from repeatable Hindu ritual purificatory bathing (e.g. in the Bagmati or at other sacred rivers/tirthas), being instead a one-time Spirit-wrought union with Christ and his body. |
| body of Christ | σῶμα Χριστοῦ / sōma Christou | body of Christ | the church as one organic, interdependent body with Christ as its life-source | body of Christ | ”You are the body of Christ, and individually members of it” (12:27) — the chapter’s climactic image, tying unity (ch.1) and gifts (ch.12-14) together. | [NEW TERM] ख्रीष्टको शरीर | High. Central ecclesiological doctrine; must not be diluted into a mere organizational metaphor. Directly reinforces the baseline’s “Unity of Jews and Gentiles” doctrine (already High), extended here to unity across every social distinction in the Corinthian church — a message with real force in a society still working through caste-linked social division. |
| member | μέλος / melos | limb, body part | individual believers as differentiated, interdependent parts of one body | member | ”If one member suffers, all suffer together” (12:26). | [NEW TERM] अंग | Low |
| tongues | γλῶσσα / glōssa | tongue, language | a Spirit-given gift of speaking in languages, whether known human languages or Spirit-given utterance | tongues, languages | One gift among many, deliberately not elevated above others in this chapter (contrast the Corinthians’ apparent overvaluing of it). | [NEW TERM] अन्य भाषा | High. Must be carefully distinguished from ecstatic trance-speech associated with spirit-possession in Nepali shamanic (jhākri/dhāmi) ritual practice, in which an entranced medium speaks in altered or unintelligible speech while possessed by a spirit. The biblical gift of tongues is Spirit-given and intelligible-or-interpretable (ch.14), exercised by a believer in full self-possession, not induced trance. |
| discerning of spirits | διάκρισις πνευμάτων / diakrisis pneumatōn | distinguishing of spirits | Spirit-given ability to distinguish true from false spiritual manifestations | discerning of spirits | Listed among the gifts (12:10) — a necessary safeguard given the diversity of spiritual claims even within the church. | [NEW TERM] आत्माहरूको पहिचान गर्ने वरदान | High. Given the prominence of spirit-discernment, exorcism, and spirit-identification rites among Nepali shamanic practitioners, this gift must be clearly grounded as biblical, Spirit-given discernment exercised within the church, not assimilated to shamanic diagnostic practice. |
Chapter 13 — Love as the Greater Way
| Term (EN) | Greek / Translit. | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual theological meaning | Nepali rendering | Risk & rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| love | ἀγάπη / agapē | selfless, committed love | God-like, self-giving love that seeks the other’s good regardless of merit or return | love, charity (older translations) | The “greater way” (12:31) than any spiritual gift; without it, even the most impressive gifts and sacrifices are worthless (13:1-3). | [NEW TERM] प्रेम | High. प्रेम in ordinary Nepali usage carries strong romantic and familial connotations, and Nepal’s Hindu devotional culture is saturated with bhakti-प्रेम narrative and song (most famously Radha-Krishna devotional romance), a deeply beloved cultural frame. ἀγάπη in this chapter must be clearly taught as committed, self-giving, non-erotic, non-preferential love — patient, kind, not self-seeking (13:4-7) — rather than assimilated to romantic bhakti-प्रेम devotionalism. Given this doctrine’s status as one of the ten named doctrines of this entire curriculum, careful, repeated contextual framing (not a one-time footnote) is warranted throughout ch.13 study materials. |
| puffed up / arrogant | φυσιόω / physioō | to inflate, puff up | pride, self-inflation | puffed up, arrogant, boastful | ”Love…is not arrogant or rude” (13:4-5) — echoes the same verb used of factionalism (4:6,18-19) and knowledge without love (8:1). | [NEW TERM] फुलिनु/अहंकारी हुनु | Medium |
Chapter 14 — Order in Worship; Spiritual Gifts and the Body of Christ (continued)
| Term (EN) | Greek / Translit. | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual theological meaning | Nepali rendering | Risk & rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| tongues | γλῶσσα | see ch.12 | — | tongues | Regulated in corporate worship: must be interpreted or the gift set aside in that setting (14:2-19,27-28). | अन्य भाषा (as ch.12) | High |
| prophecy | προφητεία / prophēteia | see baseline | — | prophecy | Preferred over uninterpreted tongues in corporate worship “for building up the church” (14:1-5). | अगमवाणी [BASELINE] | Low |
| edification | οἰκοδομή / oikodomē | building up | the constructive purpose that should govern all use of spiritual gifts in worship | building up, edification | The chapter’s controlling principle: “Let all things be done for building up” (14:26). | [NEW TERM] मण्डलीको उन्नति/निर्माण | Low-Medium |
| interpretation | ἑρμηνεία / hermēneia | translation, explanation | the companion gift enabling tongues to be understood by the assembly | interpretation | Required alongside uninterpreted tongues in public worship (14:27-28). | [NEW TERM] अर्थ खोल्ने वरदान | Medium |
| order | τάξις / taxis; εὐσχημόνως / euschēmonōs | arrangement; decently, becomingly | orderly, non-chaotic conduct of corporate worship | order, “decently and in order" | "God is not a God of confusion but of peace… let all things be done decently and in order” (14:33,40) — closing principle of the whole worship section (chs.11-14). | [NEW TERM] व्यवस्थित तरिका | Low |
Chapter 15 — The Resurrection of Christ and Believers (vv. 1–11 treated above; vv. 12–58 below)
| Term (EN) | Greek / Translit. | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual theological meaning | Nepali rendering | Risk & rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| resurrection of the dead | ἀνάστασις νεκρῶν | rising of the dead | the general bodily resurrection doctrine, of which Christ’s resurrection is the “firstfruits” | resurrection of the dead | The doctrinal battleground of the chapter: some in Corinth denied any resurrection of the dead (15:12). | पुनरुत्थान [BASELINE] | Critical |
| firstfruits | ἀπαρχή / aparchē | first portion of harvest | Christ’s resurrection as the guaranteeing “first installment” of believers’ future resurrection | firstfruits | ”Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ” (15:23). | [NEW TERM] पहिलो फल | Medium |
| Adam (first/last) | Ἀδάμ / Adam | proper name | typological head of humanity in death vs. Christ as typological head of resurrection life | Adam, “the last Adam" | "As in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive” (15:22); “the last Adam” (15:45). | [NEW TERM] आदम (established OT proper name) | Medium — requires Genesis background, parallel to “seed of David” in the baseline needing OT context. |
| spiritual body / natural body | σῶμα πνευματικόν / σῶμα ψυχικόν | Spirit-body / soul-body | the transformed, imperishable resurrection body vs. the present mortal body — continuity of the same body, transformed, not a different body | spiritual body, natural body | ”It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body” (15:44) — describes transformation, not reincarnation into a different body. | [NEW TERM] आत्मिक शरीर / प्राकृतिक शरीर | High. Must be taught as the same body transformed and glorified — continuous personal identity — never as a soul migrating into a new, different body as in Hindu/Buddhist rebirth frameworks (already a Critical concern for पुनरुत्थान itself; this verse pair is where the doctrine could most easily be misread as compatible with rebirth if not handled with care). |
| imperishable | ἄφθαρτος / aphthartos | incorruptible | the quality of the resurrected body, immune to decay | imperishable, incorruptible | ”Raised imperishable” (15:42). | [NEW TERM] अविनाशी | Medium |
| immortality | ἀθανασία / athanasia | deathlessness | the final, permanent conquest of death granted at the resurrection | immortality | ”This mortal body must put on immortality” (15:53-54). | [NEW TERM] अमरता | High. अमरता/अमृत (the nectar/state of immortality) carries strong Hindu mythological resonance in Nepal (e.g. the Samudra Manthan churning-of-the-ocean narrative in which gods and demons contend for अमृत, the nectar of immortality). Christian immortality is God-granted, resurrection-based, and universal for believers — not a substance won through cosmic contest between divine and demonic powers. This distinction is worth an explicit note wherever अमरता is used doctrinally. |
| victory | νῖκος / nikos | victory | Christ’s, and thus believers’, conquest of death | victory | ”Death is swallowed up in victory… thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (15:54-57). | [NEW TERM] विजय | Low |
Chapter 16 — Christian Fellowship; Closing Instructions (no new doctrine beyond baseline categories, but new vocabulary)
| Term (EN) | Greek / Translit. | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual theological meaning | Nepali rendering | Risk & rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| collection (for the saints) | λογεία / logeia | collection, contribution | organized financial gift-gathering for the Jerusalem church | collection, offering | Practical instructions on giving (16:1-4), an expression of the fellowship (सहभागिता) already established across the letter. | [NEW TERM] चन्दा सङ्कलन | Low-Medium |
| Maranatha | μαρανὰ θά | Aramaic: “Our Lord, come!“ | an early liturgical invocation of Christ’s return | Maranatha, “Our Lord, come” | 16:22 — preserved in Aramaic, parallel to “Abba” in Romans 8:15. | [NEW TERM] मारन आथा (transliterated, retaining the baseline’s precedent set by अब्बा) | Medium — requires a brief explanatory gloss on first use, as with अब्बा in the baseline, since it is not part of everyday Nepali vocabulary. |
| holy kiss | φίλημα ἅγιον / philēma hagion | holy kiss | a first-century greeting of Christian affection | holy kiss | ”Greet one another with a holy kiss” (16:20). | [NEW TERM] पवित्र अभिवादन | Medium — flag for native speaker review on culturally appropriate adaptation of the greeting gesture itself (Nepali greeting norms differ), while preserving the underlying doctrinal point of warm, holy, embodied Christian affection within the fellowship (सहभागिता). |
| grace / the Lord Jesus | χάρις, ὁ κύριος Ἰησοῦς | see baseline | — | grace, the Lord Jesus | Standard Pauline closing (16:23). | अनुग्रह, प्रभु, येशू [BASELINE] | High/Critical |
Summary Note on Full-Book Coverage
Every chapter of 1 Corinthians (1–16) has been reviewed. Chapters 1–15 each introduce load-bearing theological vocabulary specific to this curriculum’s doctrines, documented above. Chapter 16, while primarily practical/logistical (travel plans, greetings, the collection), is explicitly reviewed here and contributes three items of new vocabulary (collection, Maranatha, holy kiss) plus reaffirmation of already-established baseline terms (grace, Lord, Jesus); no doctrine in Chapter 16 is left unaddressed.