Semantic Analysis — Ephesians (Koine Greek), full book

How this document works

This analysis covers Ephesians 1–6 in full. Terms already established in the Romans baseline (translation_memory.json) are marked [BASELINE — REUSE EXACTLY] and are not re-argued; their recorded Nepali rendering is simply reused. Terms new to the Ephesians curriculum are analyzed fully: Greek original, transliteration, literal meaning, semantic range, English variants, contextual theological meaning in Ephesians, and a destination-language (Nepali) rendering risk grounded in Nepal’s religious landscape (Hindu, Newar Tantric Buddhist, Himalayan Buddhist, and post-1990/post-2007 legal-religious history), consistent with the baseline’s method.

Risk tiers follow the baseline exactly: Critical (destroys essential doctrine), High (significant syncretism/confusion risk), Medium (reduces clarity, preserves meaning), Low (minor imprecision).

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PART 1 — Core Passage Verse-by-Verse: Ephesians 2:1–10

Ephesians 2:1

Greek: Καὶ ὑμᾶς ὄντας νεκροὺς τοῖς παραπτώμασιν καὶ ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ὑμῶν

• νεκρός (nekros) — “dead.” Literal: physically dead/lifeless. Semantic range: physical death, spiritual deadness, deadness-to-something (cf. Rom 6:11). English variants: “dead,” “lifeless.” Theological meaning: total spiritual incapacity before God, not partial impairment — the presupposition for 2:5’s “made alive.” Nepali: मृत (mrit). Risk: Low. Straightforward; no competing religious frame collides with “spiritually dead” as a category (Hindu/Buddhist frameworks speak of ignorance/bondage, not deadness before a personal God, so no false-friend risk).
• παράπτωμα (paraptōma) — “trespass,” lit. “a false step, a fall beside.” Semantic range: a specific act of transgression, moral lapse. English variants: “trespass,” “transgression,” “misdeed.” Theological meaning: paired with ἁμαρτία for rhetorical fullness — humanity’s condition is comprehensively, not partially, sinful. Nepali: अपराध (aparadh). Risk: Medium. Must be kept distinct in register from पाप (sin, established) — अपराध denotes a concrete offense/misstep, पाप the general moral category; using them interchangeably without distinction slightly flattens Paul’s emphatic doubling.
• ἁμαρτία (hamartia) — [BASELINE — REUSE EXACTLY: पाप].

Ephesians 2:2

Greek: ἐν αἷς ποτε περιεπατήσατε κατὰ τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ κόσμου τούτου, κατὰ τὸν ἄρχοντα τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ ἀέρος, τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ νῦν ἐνεργοῦντος ἐν τοῖς υἱοῖς τῆς ἀπειθείας·

• περιπατέω (peripateō) — “walk,” lit. “to walk about.” Semantic range: literal walking; idiomatically, habitual conduct/lifestyle. English variants: “walked,” “lived,” “conducted yourselves.” Theological meaning: the governing metaphor of Ephesians for lived moral direction (reused at 2:10, 4:1, 4:17, 5:2, 5:8, 5:15) — foundational for the “Walking in Newness of Life” curriculum doctrine. Nepali: हिँड्नु / चालचलन गर्नु (hidnu / chalchalan garnu). Risk: Medium-High. Because व्यवस्था (Law) and धर्म both carry “path/way of duty” connotations in the Nepali religious environment (dharmic path, the “eightfold path” in Buddhism), चालचलन must be anchored consistently to identity-flowing-from-grace, not a self-directed path of religious merit or duty (dharma-marga). Recommend a standing translator note wherever this doctrine is taught.
• αἰών (aiōn) — “age,” lit. “a long duration of time, an age/era.” Semantic range: an age, a lifetime, the present order/epoch, (pl.) eternity. English variants: “age,” “world,” “course,” “ages.” Theological meaning: “the course of this world” = the present, temporary, fallen world-order under hostile spiritual influence, contrasted with “the age to come” (1:21) — a linear historical scheme (this age → the age to come at Christ’s return). Nepali: युग (yug). Risk: High. युग is the operative word of Hindu cosmology’s cyclical yuga system (Satya, Treta, Dwapar, Kali Yuga — Nepal is currently understood by many Hindus to be living in Kali Yuga within an endlessly repeating cosmic cycle). Rendering αἰών as युग risks importing this cyclical frame. No safe substitute fully avoids the word (समय/कालखण्ड are weaker but possible alternatives); recommend युग with a mandatory clarifying note each occurrence establishing the linear frame (this present evil age → decisively ended/overtaken by the age inaugurated in Christ), paralleling the baseline’s existing “fulfillment_of_prophecy” caution.
• ἄρχων (archōn) — “ruler, prince.” Semantic range: ruler, chief, principal one; here of Satan. English variants: “prince,” “ruler.” Theological meaning: names Satan as a real, personal, subordinate ruler — never a co-equal deity. Nepali: शासक/अधिपति (shasak/adhipati). Risk: Medium.
• ἐξουσία (exousia) — “authority, power (delegated or possessed).” Semantic range: right, authority, jurisdiction; (pl., cosmic sense) ranks of spirit-beings. English variants: “power,” “authority,” “dominion.” Theological meaning: here, a delegated but real sphere of hostile spiritual authority (“the air”), part of the “Spiritual Warfare” doctrine cluster (cf. 1:21, 3:10, 6:12). Nepali: अधिकार (adhikar). Risk: Medium.
• ἀήρ (aēr) — “air.” Low risk, mundane term; no theological collision. Nepali: हावा (hawa).
• ἐνεργέω (energeō) — “to work, be operative, be active.” Semantic range: to work in/through someone, to be effectually at work. English variants: “worketh,” “is at work,” “operates.” Theological meaning: a key Ephesians verb describing spiritual power (divine or, here, demonic) actively operating in persons — cf. 1:19-20, 3:7, 3:20, 4:16. Nepali: काम गर्नु / सक्रिय हुनु (kam garnu/sakriya hunu), with the noun ἐνέργεια rendered सामर्थ्य/प्रभावकारी काम, deliberately reusing the established सामर्थ्य root from power_of_god (never शक्ति). Risk: Medium.
• ἀπείθεια (apeitheia) / υἱοὶ τῆς ἀπειθείας (huioi tēs apeitheias) — “disobedience” / “sons of disobedience.” Semantic range: willful non-compliance with God’s revealed will (distinct from mere ignorance). English variants: “disobedience,” “unbelief.” Theological meaning: characterizes humanity’s prior condition; a Hebraic idiom (“sons of X” = those characterized by X). Nepali: अनाज्ञाकारिता / अनाज्ञाकारिताका सन्तान (anagyakarita / anagyakaritaka santan). Risk: Low, reusing the आज्ञाकारिता root already established for obedience_of_faith.

Ephesians 2:3

Greek: ἐν οἷς καὶ ἡμεῖς πάντες ἀνεστράφημέν ποτε ἐν ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις τῆς σαρκὸς ἡμῶν, ποιοῦντες τὰ θελήματα τῆς σαρκὸς καὶ τῶν διανοιῶν, καὶ ἤμεθα τέκνα φύσει ὀργῆς ὡς καὶ οἱ λοιποί·

• ἐπιθυμία (epithymia) — “desire, lust, craving.” Semantic range: neutral “desire” or (usually in Paul) disordered, sinful craving. English variants: “lusts,” “desires,” “cravings.” Theological meaning: the internal appetite driving sinful conduct. Nepali: लालसा (lalasa). Risk: Medium. Recommend लालसा over वासना: वासना carries a specific technical sense in Hindu/Buddhist thought (a latent karmic impression/tendency carried across lives, especially in Yogācāra Buddhist psychology) that would misdirect the concept toward a karma-mechanics reading rather than a morally culpable present appetite. Also note the deliberate distinction from इच्छा (used below for θέλημα/“will”) — see cross-reference in the Core Glossary.
• σάρξ (sarx) — “flesh.” Semantic range: the physical body; (Pauline ethical sense) the fallen human nature in rebellion against God. English variants: “flesh,” “sinful nature,” “body.” Theological meaning: context-sensitive — here the ethical sense (fallen nature), not the mere physical body sense used elsewhere (e.g., 5:29-31, 2:14-15 of Christ’s literal flesh). Nepali: शरीरको स्वभाव (sharirko swabhav, ethical sense) vs. शरीर (sharir, literal sense). Risk: Medium, context-sensitive like called in the baseline — flag each occurrence for which sense is active.
• θέλημα (thelēma) — “will, desire, wish.” Semantic range: elsewhere in Ephesians (1:5, 1:9, 1:11) God’s sovereign will/purpose; here (plural, “wills of the flesh and of the mind”) the sinful human will/impulse. English variants: “will,” “desires.” Theological meaning: the SAME Greek word covers both God’s holy will and fallen human willing — context alone disambiguates. Nepali: इच्छा (ichchha) throughout, as per established Nepali Bible convention. Risk: Medium — flag the resulting homonymy: इच्छा must do double duty for both God’s will (positive, 1:5/1:9/1:11) and sinful human willing (negative, 2:3); translators/reviewers must confirm the modifying context (“of God” vs. “of the flesh”) is never dropped.
• διάνοια (dianoia) — “mind, understanding, way of thinking.” Nepali: मन/बुद्धि (man/buddhi). Risk: Low.
• τέκνον (teknon) — “child” (as in idiom “children of wrath”). Nepali: सन्तान (santan). Risk: Low.
• φύσις (physis) — “nature,” lit. “that which is produced/grown; inherent character.” Semantic range: inherent, native condition; not acquired. English variants: “nature,” “by nature.” Theological meaning: ALL humanity, without exception, is by inherent condition under wrath — a universal claim. Nepali: स्वभाव (swabhav). Risk: Medium. स्वभाव in Nepali religious usage can carry an echo of jāti-svabhāva — the idea that different castes/classes possess different inherent natures by birth. Ephesians 2:3 must be taught so that “by nature” is heard as applying equally and universally to every human being regardless of caste or birth, reinforcing rather than undermining the baseline’s caste-unity concerns (universal_human_accountability, High).
• ὀργή (orgē) — “wrath.” Nepali: क्रोध (krodh). Risk: Low.

Ephesians 2:4

Greek: ὁ δὲ θεὸς πλούσιος ὢν ἐν ἐλέει, διὰ τὴν πολλὴν ἀγάπην αὐτοῦ ἣν ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς

• πλούσιος (plousios) — “rich.” Nepali: धनी (dhani). Risk: Low.
• ἔλεος (eleos) — “mercy,” lit. “compassion shown to one in a miserable condition.” Semantic range: pity/compassion acted upon; distinct from χάρις (grace = favor toward the undeserving as such) — mercy specifically responds to misery, grace specifically responds to unworthiness. English variants: “mercy,” “compassion.” Theological meaning: God’s rich mercy is the emotional/relational ground from which he acts to save. Nepali: दया (daya). Risk: High. The baseline restricts कृपा to “general compassion in non-soteriological contexts only,” reserving अनुग्रह strictly for χάρις. Since ἔλεος here IS soteriological (2:4-5), this analysis establishes दया as the dedicated Nepali term for ἔλεος in all soteriological contexts, cleanly distinct from both अनुग्रह (grace) and कृपा (restricted, non-soteriological compassion). This three-way distinction should be added to translation memory and used consistently (cf. Romans 9:15-18, 11:30-32, which also use ἔλεος/ἐλεέω — Phase 2 should reconcile Romans occurrences to this same दया rendering if not already fixed).
• ἀγάπη / ἀγαπάω (agapē/agapaō) — “love / to love.” Semantic range: committed, willed, self-giving love (distinct from ἔρως romantic desire or φιλία friendship-affection). English variants: “love.” Theological meaning: the love that moved God to act despite human unworthiness; reused at 5:2, 5:25 for Christ’s sacrificial love and the household-codes love command. Nepali: प्रेम (prem). Risk: Medium. प्रेम is the ordinary Nepali word for love across all types (romantic, filial, devotional-bhakti); ensure the sacrificial, willed, others-directed sense is carried by context and teaching notes, not assumed from the word alone.

Ephesians 2:5

Greek: καὶ ὄντας ἡμᾶς νεκροὺς τοῖς παραπτώμασιν συνεζωοποίησεν τῷ Χριστῷ — χάριτί ἐστε σεσωσμένοι —

• συζωοποιέω (syzōopoieō) — “to make alive together with,” a Pauline compound (σύν + ζωοποιέω). Literal: “co-vivify.” Semantic range: unique to Paul (Eph 2:5, Col 2:13); denotes union-with-Christ resurrection life imparted simultaneously with Christ’s own. English variants: “made alive together with,” “quickened together with.” Theological meaning: believers are not merely forgiven but joined to the risen life of Christ himself — the σύν- (“with”) prefix is doctrinally load-bearing across this passage (also συνεγείρω v.6, συγκαθίζω v.6). Nepali: ख्रीष्टसाथ जीवित बनाउनु (Khristsath jivit banaunu). Risk: High. The union-with-Christ language here must be carefully distinguished from a monistic reading (the believer’s individual self dissolving into or merging with a universal Christ-consciousness, echoing Advaita Vedanta’s ātman-Brahman merger). Biblical union with Christ preserves the distinct personhood of both Christ and the believer in a relational, covenantal bond — not an absorption erasing personal identity. Cross-reference christian_identity_in_christ (baseline, High).
• χάρις (charis) — [BASELINE — REUSE EXACTLY: अनुग्रह].
• σῴζω (sōzō, perfect passive “ἐστε σεσωσμένοι”) — [BASELINE — REUSE EXACTLY, cf. σωτηρία: उद्धार]. Note: the perfect tense (“have been saved [and remain in that saved state]”) should be rendered to preserve the sense of a completed-yet-abiding act, not an ongoing process of accumulating merit toward eventual liberation — reinforcing the Critical dual-front distinction from मोक्ष/मुक्ति/निर्वाण already established in the baseline (salvation, Critical).

Ephesians 2:6

Greek: καὶ συνήγειρεν καὶ συνεκάθισεν ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ

• συνεγείρω (synegeirō) — “to raise up together with.” Nepali: ख्रीष्टसाथ उठाउनु (Khristsath uthaunu), deliberately built on पुनरुत्थान’s established root so the doctrinal link to Christ’s own bodily resurrection is unmistakable. Risk: High (same union-with-Christ caution as v.5; additionally must never suggest a second, personal, present bodily resurrection distinct from the believer’s future bodily resurrection — this is a positional/spiritual co-resurrection, anticipating the bodily one).
• συγκαθίζω (synkathizō) — “to seat together with.” Nepali: ख्रीष्टसाथ बसाउनु (Khristsath basaunu). Risk: Medium-High — conveys secure, honored, already-granted status in Christ; must not be read as literal present enthronement apart from Christ, nor flattened into a self-attained spiritual “elevated state” resembling a yogic/tantric attainment of higher planes.
• ἐπουράνιος (epouranios) — “heavenly, in the heavens.” Semantic range: pertaining to the heavenly realm/sphere (used 5x in Ephesians: 1:3, 1:20, 2:6, 3:10, 6:12 — both for blessing/exaltation and for the location of hostile spiritual powers). English variants: “heavenly,” “in heaven,” “heavenly places/realms.” Theological meaning: the sphere of God’s throne, Christ’s exaltation, believers’ secured position, AND (6:12) contested spiritual conflict. Nepali: स्वर्गीय स्थान (swargiya sthan). Risk: High. Nepali Hindu cosmology’s svarga is a temporary realm of enjoyment for accumulated merit, from which one eventually falls and re-enters the rebirth cycle — the opposite of the New Testament’s secure, permanent, already-and-not-yet heavenly position in Christ. Requires a standing clarifying note wherever taught.

Ephesians 2:7

Greek: ἵνα ἐνδείξηται ἐν τοῖς αἰῶσιν τοῖς ἐπερχομένοις τὸ ὑπερβάλλον πλοῦτος τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ ἐν χρηστότητι ἐφ᾿ ἡμᾶς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ.

• ἐνδείκνυμι (endeiknymi) — “to show, demonstrate, display.” Nepali: देखाउनु (dekhaunu). Risk: Low.
• ὑπερβάλλον (hyperballon) — “surpassing, exceeding,” lit. “throwing beyond.” Nepali: असीमित/अतुलनीय (asimit/atulniya, boundless/incomparable). Risk: Low.
• πλοῦτος (ploutos) — “riches, wealth.” Nepali: धन/सम्पत्ति (dhan/sampatti). Risk: Low.
• χρηστότης (chrēstotēs) — “kindness, goodness.” Nepali: भलाई/उदारता (bhalai/udarata). Risk: Low.

Ephesians 2:8

Greek: τῇ γὰρ χάριτί ἐστε σεσωσμένοι διὰ [τῆς] πίστεως· καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐξ ὑμῶν, θεοῦ τὸ δῶρον·

• χάρις (charis) — [BASELINE — REUSE EXACTLY: अनुग्रह]. This verse, alongside Romans 1:16-17, should be treated as a fixed, cross-document-consistent rendering per the AI Translation Requirements’ “Theological Consistency Rules.”
• πίστις (pistis) — [BASELINE — REUSE EXACTLY: विश्वास].
• δῶρον (dōron) — “gift.” Semantic range: a thing given freely; distinct from δωρεά (a giving/the act) and from χάρισμα (a grace-gift for ministry). English variants: “gift.” Theological meaning: salvation-by-grace-through-faith is, as a whole, God’s gift — not a reward. Nepali: उपहार (uphar). Risk: Medium. Must be kept distinct from आत्मिक वरदान (spiritual_gifts, baseline Medium) — this is the gift of salvation itself, not a Spirit-given ministry ability; conflating the two vocabulary sets would blur Ephesians 2:8’s soteriological force with Ephesians 4:11’s ecclesial-gifting force.

Ephesians 2:9

Greek: οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων, ἵνα μή τις καυχήσηται.

• ἔργον (ergon) — “work, deed, act.” Semantic range: any deed, action, or accomplishment; in Paul’s grace/works antithesis, specifically human effort/merit offered as a basis for standing before God. English variants: “works,” “deeds,” “actions.” Theological meaning: THE central term of the core passage’s central contrast — salvation is explicitly not grounded in ἔργα. Nepali: काम (kaam). Risk: CRITICAL. कर्म (karma) must NEVER be used for ἔργον in this passage or anywhere the grace/works antithesis is in view. Although rendering “not of works” as “कर्मले होइन” would, on its face, sharply negate the Hindu/Buddhist karma-merit accounting system, it carries two serious dangers: (1) it risks implying Christianity teaches there is no moral cause-and-effect at all (a libertinism misreading of Romans 6:1’s already-anticipated objection), and (2) it risks reducing “salvation is not of karma” to a mere philosophical rejection of the karma doctrine rather than a positive statement about grace — losing the emphasis Paul intends. काम (the ordinary, doctrinally unloaded Nepali word for “work/deed”) is required. This is the single highest-stakes new terminological decision this curriculum introduces beyond the Romans baseline, since it sits inside the core passage’s central verse. Flag for mandatory human theologian review at every occurrence (2:9, 2:10, and cross-references at 2:9’s echo points elsewhere in Ephesians, e.g. none directly, but note consistency with Romans 3:20, 3:27-28, 4:2-6, 9:11, 11:6, all already governed by the baseline’s grace doctrine entry).
• καυχάομαι (kauchaomai) — “to boast.” Nepali: घमण्ड गर्नु (ghamand garnu). Risk: Medium. The point is that grace excludes any ground for a merit-claim; ensure घमण्ड (pride/boasting) is not softened to a purely social “showing off” sense.

Ephesians 2:10

Greek: αὐτοῦ γάρ ἐσμεν ποίημα, κτισθέντες ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ ἐπὶ ἔργοις ἀγαθοῖς οἷς προητοίμασεν ὁ θεὸς ἵνα ἐν αὐτοῖς περιπατήσωμεν.

• ποίημα (poiēma) — “workmanship, thing made,” lit. “that which is made/composed” (root of English “poem”). Semantic range: a crafted work, an artistic creation. English variants: “workmanship,” “handiwork,” “creation.” Theological meaning: believers themselves are God’s creative product, not co-authors of their own salvation — directly reinforcing v.9’s exclusion of ἔργα as a basis. Nepali: रचना (rachana). Risk: Medium. Must retain the sense that the believer is the object of God’s creative action, not an agent contributing effort toward the outcome.
• κτίζω (ktizō) — “to create.” Nepali: सृष्टि गर्नु (srishti garnu). Risk: Low-Medium. सृष्टि is the established, “won” Nepali Bible word for divine creation (cf. उत्पत्ति = Genesis); despite भgheritage in Hindu cosmology where Brahma performs सृष्टि, this term has long been successfully domesticated for the Christian doctrine of creation and needs no substitution — brief awareness note only.
• ἔργα ἀγαθά (erga agatha) — “good works.” Critical nuance: this is the SAME Greek word (ἔργον) that v.9 excludes as a basis for salvation, now reintroduced positively as the fruit and purpose of salvation (“created… FOR good works,” not “BY good works”). Nepali: असल काम (asal kaam), consistently using काम (never कर्म) per v.9’s ruling, now modified by असल (good). Risk: High. Translators and reviewers must hold vv.9-10 together: works are excluded as the ground of salvation (v.9) and affirmed as its fruit (v.10) — losing this sequence in translation (e.g., by using two different, unrelated Nepali words for ἔργον in the two verses) would obscure Paul’s deliberate wordplay and the doctrine’s coherence.
• προετοιμάζω (proetoimazō) — “to prepare beforehand.” Nepali: पहिल्यै तयार पार्नु (pahilyai taiyar parnu). Risk: Low, reinforces the predestination/election doctrine cluster (cf. ch.1).
• περιπατέω (peripateō) — reused from v.2 (see above); note the deliberate inclusio: humanity “walked” (v.2) in trespasses under hostile powers; believers now “walk” (v.10) in the good works God prepared — the same verb frames the passage’s before/after structure. Nepali: हिँड्नु. Risk: Medium (as above).

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PART 2 — Chapter-by-Chapter Study of the Whole Book

Chapter 1 (Ephesians 1:1–23)

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning in Ephesians	Nepali rendering	Risk
apostle ἀπόστολος (apostolos) [BASELINE] one sent	—	Paul’s authority ground (1:1)	प्रेरित	Medium
saints ἅγιοι (hagioi) [BASELINE]	—	addressees (1:1, 1:15, 1:18)	पवित्र जन	High
grace / peace χάρις / εἰρήνη [BASELINE]	—	greeting (1:2)	अनुग्रह / शान्ति	High / Medium
blessed/blessing εὐλογητός / εὐλογία (eulogētos/eulogia) “well-spoken of; a good word pronounced over”	verb: to bless/praise; noun: a blessing bestowed	God’s own praiseworthiness AND his gift of blessing to believers (1:3, doubled use)	आशिष् (God’s gift-blessing); धन्यको (praiseworthy, of God)	Medium. Recommend आशिष् over आशीर्वाद: आशीर्वाद carries strong ritual weight in Nepali culture (elder’s/guru’s blessing given by touching feet, a socially hierarchical ritual act) which could misdirect “spiritual blessing” toward a human-mediated ritual-transfer concept rather than God’s direct gift.
spiritual (blessing) πνευματικός (pneumatikos) “of the Spirit”	pertains to the Holy Spirit’s domain	qualifies “blessing” — Spirit-sourced, not material/ritual	आत्मिक	Low, reused root from spiritual_gifts
heavenly places ἐπουράνιος see Part 1, v.6	—	location of every spiritual blessing (1:3)	स्वर्गीय स्थान	High (see Part 1)
chose / election ἐκλέγομαι (eklegomai) “to pick out, select”	[BASELINE — reuse छनोट root]	God’s sovereign choice “before the foundation of the world” (1:4)	छनोट गर्नुभयो (reusing परमेश्वरको छनोट)	High
blameless ἄμωμος (amōmos) “without blemish” (sacrificial-animal term)	moral/ritual purity, unblemished standing	goal of election: holiness and blamelessness (1:4), reused 5:27	दोषरहित / निष्खोट	Low-Medium
predestined / foreordained προορίζω (proorizō) “to mark out/determine beforehand”	to decide in advance, appoint ahead of time	God’s sovereign, prior determination to adopt believers as sons (1:5, again 1:11)	पूर्वनिर्धारण गर्नु	Critical. Directly names the curriculum’s “Election and Predestination in Christ” doctrine. Must never be rendered so as to suggest भाग्य/किस्मत (impersonal fate) or the mechanistic unfolding of karma; this is the personal, purposive decision of a personal God, made in love (1:4-5), not blind cosmic determinism.
good pleasure (of his will) εὐδοκία (eudokia) “well-thinking; good pleasure”	favorable disposition, delight	the warm, gracious motive behind predestination — not arbitrary decree	मनपराइ / असल इच्छा	Low
adoption υἱοθεσία (huiothesia) [BASELINE]	—	goal of predestination (1:5)	दत्तक पुत्रता	High
will (God’s) θέλημα (thelēma) see Part 1, v.3	—	God’s sovereign purpose (1:5, 1:9, 1:11)	इच्छा	Medium — cf. cross-reference note on ἐπιθυμία homonymy risk in Core Glossary
grace (bestowed favor) χαριτόω (charitoō) “to bestow grace/favor upon,” unique NT verb form (also Luke 1:28)	to make an object of grace/favor	”he hath made us accepted” — grace as an act, not only a state	अनुग्रह गर्नुभयो (reusing established root)	Medium
redemption ἀπολύτρωσις (apolytrōsis) “a buying back, ransoming”	release secured by payment of a ransom-price	secured “through his blood” — a costly, blood-bought deliverance (1:7, also 4:30)	छुटकारा	Critical. Related to, but Terminologically distinct from, salvation (उद्धार). Must never be rendered मुक्ति or मोक्ष (which would import Hindu liberation-from-rebirth). छुटकारा retains the ransom/payment sense (a costly release secured by another) that उद्धार’s broader “deliverance” sense does not always foreground.
forgiveness ἄφεσις (aphesis) “a sending away, release”	pardon, remission of a debt/offense	forgiveness of sins is part of redemption, not identical to it (1:7)	क्षमा / माफी	Medium. Must not be substituted for or confused with धर्मी ठहराइने कार्य (justification, Critical) — forgiveness is the removal of guilt; justification is the positive forensic declaration of righteousness. Keep distinct per baseline’s existing caution.
mystery μυστήριον (mystērion) “a secret thing, known only to the initiated” (classical religious-cult usage)	secret; in Paul, a formerly hidden divine plan now openly disclosed in the gospel	God’s redemptive plan, hidden in ages past, now revealed (1:9, developed fully in ch.3)	रहस्य	High. रहस्य risks collision with the Newar Tantric Buddhist and Hindu Tantric traditions centered in the Kathmandu Valley, where esoteric “mysteries” (secret mantras, initiatory rites, guru-transmitted secret knowledge) are reserved for an initiated elite and never meant for open disclosure. Biblical μυστήριον is the opposite structure: a plan once hidden, now proclaimed openly to all (3:9-10, 6:19). Every occurrence should carry this clarifying frame.
gather together / sum up under one head ἀνακεφαλαιόω (anakephalaioō) “to sum up, head up again” (κεφαλή root)	to bring to a unified point/head; rhetorical “summation”	God’s plan to unite all things in Christ as their head (1:10)	सबैलाई एक शिरमा जोड्नु (unite all things under one head)	Medium-High. Shares the κεφαλή (head) root — see below; foundational to the cosmic scope of the “Church as Body of Christ” doctrine.
inheritance κληρονομία (klēronomia) “an inherited possession, a portion received as heir”	property/status passed to an heir	believers “obtained an inheritance” (1:11), and possess a pledged future inheritance (1:14, 1:18)	उत्तराधिकार	High, closely tied to adoption (High, baseline) — full heirship, not partial or provisional.
purpose / counsel πρόθεσις / βουλή (prothesis/boulē) “a setting-forth beforehand” / “a plan, counsel”	God’s determined plan and will	”the counsel of his own will” (1:11) — reinforces predestination’s personal, purposive character	योजना / अभिप्राय	Medium
word of truth / gospel λόγος τῆς ἀληθείας / εὐαγγέλιον —	[BASELINE — गospel: सुसमाचार]	the message believed (1:13)	सुसमाचार	High
sealed σφραγίζω (sphragizō) “to stamp with a seal”	mark of ownership, authentication, security	the Holy Spirit as God’s seal of ownership on believers (1:13, 4:30)	छाप लगाउनु / मुद्रांकित गर्नु	Low-Medium
earnest / guarantee ἀρραβών (arrabōn) “a pledge, down payment” (commercial/legal term)	first installment guaranteeing the rest is coming	the Spirit as the guarantee of the full future inheritance (1:14)	बैना	Low
purchased possession περιποίησις (peripoiēsis) “a thing acquired, possession”	that which has been obtained/purchased	believers as God’s acquired possession, redeemed at a price	अधिकार/स्वामित्वमा ल्याइएको जन	Low
revelation ἀποκάλυψις (apokalypsis) “an uncovering, unveiling”	disclosure of what was hidden	”spirit of wisdom and revelation” in prayer (1:17); pairs with μυστήριον	प्रकाशन	Medium
knowledge (full/precise) ἐπίγνωσις (epignōsis) “a knowing upon/thoroughly,” intensified γνῶσις	full, personal, experiential knowledge (not mere information)	knowing God relationally (1:17, also 4:13)	ज्ञान / चिनजान	High. ज्ञान is the primary Hindu/Buddhist term for liberating spiritual knowledge attained through one’s own contemplative or ascetic discipline (Jnana-marga, Buddhist prajñā). Ephesians’ ἐπίγνωσις is revealed, relational knowledge of a personal God and of Christ specifically, granted by the Spirit — not self-attained gnosis. Recommend ज्ञान only with a mandatory clarifying note, or चिनजान (relational “knowing/acquaintance”) as a lower-risk alternative in catechetical contexts.
enlightened (eyes of understanding) φωτίζω (phōtizō) “to give light to, illuminate”	to make something visible/understood	God’s gift of spiritual understanding (1:18)	उज्यालो पार्नु	Medium-High. Light/enlightenment vocabulary must be handled carefully alongside glory (baseline High, light-metaphor caution) and later “children of light” (ch.5) — see cross-reference note.
power (stacked terms) δύναμις / ἐνέργεια / κράτος / ἰσχύς (dynamis / energeia / kratos / ischys) “ability” / “operative working” / “might, dominion” / “strength”	four near-synonyms stacked for rhetorical emphasis (1:19-20)	the surpassing greatness of God’s resurrection-power, at work in believers	सामर्थ्य (dynamis) / प्रभावकारी काम (energeia) / पराक्रम (kratos) / बल (ischys)	High cluster. All four MUST avoid शक्ति (forbidden per baseline power_of_god, due to Newar Tantric Shakta/Kumari associations). पराक्रम and बल are recommended as safe, non-शक्ति terms for κράτος and ἰσχύς respectively; this same pairing recurs at 6:10 (“power of his might” = κράτος + ἰσχύς) and must be rendered consistently.
dominion / lordship κυριότης (kyriotēs) “lordship, dominion” (abstract noun from κύριος)	rank/sphere of ruling authority	one of the cosmic powers Christ is exalted above (1:21)	प्रभुत्व	Medium, built on established प्रभु root but referring to a category of spiritual authority, not Christ’s own Lordship — context must disambiguate.
principality / power / might / dominion (cosmic) ἀρχή, ἐξουσία, δύναμις, κυριότης (again, stacked, 1:21) —	ranks of spiritual/angelic powers, good or evil	Christ is exalted above every one of them — total supremacy	अधिपति, अधिकार, सामर्थ्य, प्रभुत्व	High — foundational for the “Spiritual Warfare” doctrine’s later development (3:10, 6:12).
put under his feet / subjected ὑποτάσσω (hypotassō) “to arrange/rank under”	to place in a subordinate position	HERE: the cosmic, triumphant subjection of all hostile powers to the exalted Christ (1:22) — a DIFFERENT sense from the relational, voluntary submission commanded of believers in household codes (5:21ff)	अधीनमा राखियो (cosmic sense, this occurrence)	High. Flag the dual usage explicitly: the same Greek verb covers (a) Christ’s triumphant subjugation of hostile cosmic powers (1:22, positive/victorious) and (b) the household codes’ call to voluntary, loving submission among believers (5:21-6:9). Confusing the two senses in translation notes risks either militarizing the household codes or domesticating the cosmic victory.
head κεφαλή (kephalē) “head” (of a body), also metaphorically “source, authority”	literal head; figuratively, authoritative source/origin over a body	Christ as head of the church (1:22), later of the husband over the wife (5:23)	शिर	High. Foundational to both the “Church as Body of Christ” and “Household Codes” doctrines. Risk: headship could be misread through the lens of Nepal’s historically hierarchical, caste- and patriarchy-inflected social structures as domination/rank rather than the self-giving, life-sustaining source-relationship the passage models (5:25, 5:29). Requires careful catechetical framing at every occurrence.
church ἐκκλησία (ekklēsia) [BASELINE]	—	1:22, and throughout	मण्डली	Medium
body σῶμα (sōma) “body”	literal body; figuratively, the church as Christ’s organic corporate body	church as Christ’s body (1:23), developed through chs. 2-5	शरीर	Medium
fullness πλήρωμα (plērōma) “that which fills, completeness, fullness”	totality, that which fills up/completes something	the church as “the fullness of him that filleth all in all” (1:23); recurs 3:19, 4:13	पूर्णता	High. पूर्णता risks collision with the Upanishadic concept of pūrṇa (the famous “That is full, this is full…” shanti mantra, describing Brahman/the Absolute as an impersonal, self-sufficient totality). Biblical πλήρωμα is Christ’s personal, relational filling of his people and, through them, of all things — not an impersonal metaphysical totality that swallows distinction. Requires clarifying note, especially alongside 3:19 and 4:13.

Chapter 2 (Ephesians 2:11–22)

Verses 1–10 receive full verse-by-verse treatment in Part 1 above. This section covers the chapter’s remaining load-bearing terms (2:11–22), the “Unity of Jews and Gentiles” doctrine’s textual home.

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Nepali rendering	Risk
Gentiles ἔθνη (ethnē) [BASELINE]	—	addressees, formerly excluded (2:11)	अन्यजाति	Medium
circumcision / uncircumcision περιτομή / ἀκροβυστία (peritomē/akrobystia) “a cutting around” / “foreskin”	the covenant-sign category vs. its absence	marks Jew/Gentile ethnic-covenantal boundary, now abolished in Christ	खतना / खतनारहित	Low — established Nepali Bible terms, no new collision.
strangers / aliens ξένος / ἀλλότριος (xenos/allotrios) “foreigner” / “belonging to another”	outsider status, without covenant standing	Gentiles’ former exclusion from Israel’s covenants (2:12, 2:19)	परदेशी / अलग्गी	Low
covenants of promise διαθῆκαι τῆς ἐπαγγελίας [BASELINE — covenant: करार]	—	Israel’s covenants, from which Gentiles were formerly excluded (2:12)	प्रतिज्ञाका करारहरू	High
hope ἐλπίς (elpis) “expectation, hope”	confident forward-looking trust, not wishful uncertainty	Gentiles were formerly “without hope” (2:12)	आशा	Low
far off / near μακράν / ἐγγύς ”far away” / “near”	spatial metaphor for covenantal distance/closeness to God	Gentiles once far, now brought near by Christ’s blood (2:13, 2:17)	टाढा / नजिक	Low
peace εἰρήνη (eirēnē) [BASELINE]	—	Christ himself IS “our peace” (2:14), reconciling both groups	शान्ति	Medium
dividing wall μεσότοιχον τοῦ φραγμοῦ (mesotoichon tou phragmou) “the middle wall of the fence/partition”	a literal architectural barrier (likely alluding to the Jerusalem Temple’s court barrier separating Gentiles from Israel’s inner courts)	the ethnic-covenantal barrier Christ has “broken down” (2:14)	बीचको पर्खाल	High. This image maps with unusual precision onto Nepal’s own history of physically enforced caste separation — historically, “untouchable” castes were barred from entering certain temple precincts, drawing water from shared sources, or entering upper-caste homes, a social architecture of literal dividing walls formalized in the Muluki Ain until 1963. Ephesians 2:14 should be taught as directly confronting this pattern: Christ does not merely tolerate but breaks down every such dividing wall. High doctrinal payoff; also high risk of being read as a purely political/social statement disconnected from its Christological ground if handled carelessly.
enmity ἔχθρα (echthra) “hostility, hatred”	active hostility, not mere difference	the hostility abolished by the cross (2:15, 2:16)	दुश्मनी/वैरभाव	Low
abolish καταργέω (katargeō) “to render inoperative, nullify”	to bring to nothing, make void	the law’s dividing function is nullified in Christ’s flesh (2:15)	निष्क्रिय बनाउनु / हटाउनु	Medium — must not be read as abolishing the moral law generally (cf. Romans-baseline caution on law), only its function as an ethnic dividing marker.
law (of commandments) νόμος τῶν ἐντολῶν [BASELINE — law: व्यवस्था]	—	2:15	व्यवस्था	High
one new man καινὸς ἄνθρωπος (εἷς) (kainos anthrōpos) “one new man/humanity”	a genuinely new corporate entity, not a merger/alliance of two prior groups	Jew and Gentile together form ONE new humanity in Christ (2:15)	एक नयाँ मानिस	High. Must convey a truly new creation — not a federation, coalition, or polite coexistence of previously separate groups (which could be misread through a caste-council or ethnic-alliance model), but the emergence of a genuinely single new humanity with no remaining internal ranking. Directly parallels unity_of_jews_and_gentiles (baseline, High).
reconcile ἀποκαταλλάσσω (apokatallassō) “to reconcile completely, restore to favor”	full restoration of a broken relationship	Christ reconciles both groups to God “in one body” through the cross (2:16)	मिलाप गराउनु	Medium
cross σταυρός (stauros) “cross, stake”	the physical instrument of execution	the specific place/means of reconciliation (2:16)	क्रुस	Low — established transliterated term.
access προσαγωγή (prosagōgē) “a bringing near, means of approach”	the right/means of entering into someone’s presence (court/audience terminology)	both groups now have direct access to the Father by the Spirit (2:18)	पहुँच	Medium. Worth contrasting with priestly-mediated access models (in both temple Judaism historically, and in Nepali Hindu ritual practice where a Brahmin priest typically mediates access to the deity/shrine) — Ephesians describes direct, unmediated access through Christ and the Spirit.
fellow citizens συμπολῖται (sympolitai) “co-citizens”	shared civic membership/status	Gentiles are no longer outsiders but full citizens of God’s people (2:19)	सहनागरिक	Medium
household of God / members of the household οἰκεῖος (oikeios) “belonging to the house(hold)“	family-insider status	full family belonging, not merely legal citizenship (2:19)	परमेश्वरको घरपरिवारका सदस्य	Low-Medium
foundation θεμέλιος (themelios) “foundation”	structural base	apostles and prophets as the foundation, Christ the cornerstone (2:20)	जग/आधार	Low
cornerstone ἀκρογωνιαῖος (akrogōniaios) “extreme-corner(stone)“	the structurally critical stone determining a building’s alignment	Christ as the cornerstone (2:20)	कुने ढुङ्गा	Low
building / built together οἰκοδομή / οἰκοδομέω (oikodomē/oikodomeō) “building, edifice” / “to build”	construction metaphor; also (elsewhere) “edification”	the church as a growing, unified structure (2:21-22)	निर्माण / निर्मित हुनु	Low
holy temple ναὸς ἅγιος (naos hagios) “temple, sanctuary” (ναός = the sanctuary proper, distinct from ἱερόν, the wider temple precinct)	the deity’s dwelling-place; the innermost sanctuary	the church, corporately, growing into God’s holy dwelling-place (2:21)	पवित्र मन्दिर (used ONLY in this explicit metaphor, with mandatory clarifying note)	High. The baseline forbids मन्दिर for church (ἐκκλησία) because it is the standard word for a Hindu temple. However, ναός here is a different Greek word used in a deliberate biblical metaphor comparing the church to a sanctuary — a metaphor the Greek text itself intends, and one already historically used across Nepali Bible tradition for the literal Jerusalem temple. This analysis recommends: (a) continue using मन्दिर for the literal historical Jerusalem ναός/temple building elsewhere in Scripture (unaffected by this note), but (b) whenever ναός is applied metaphorically to the church/believers (as here, and in 1 Cor 3:16-17 elsewhere in the canon), require an explicit translator’s clarifying note that this describes God’s spiritual dwelling among his people through the Spirit, not a physical shrine, an object of pilgrimage, or one sacred site among Nepal’s many temple traditions. This is a deliberate, narrow exception to the general मन्दिर-avoidance rule and must be flagged for theologian review at every occurrence.
dwelling place κατοικητήριον (katoikētērion) “a place of habitation”	permanent dwelling	God’s Spirit dwelling in the church (2:22)	बासस्थान	Low

Chapter 3 (Ephesians 3:1–21)

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Nepali rendering	Risk
mystery μυστήριον see ch.1	—	central theme of this chapter — “the mystery of Christ” (3:4), now made known “by revelation” (3:3) and proclaimed openly (3:8-9)	रहस्य	High (see ch.1 note; this is the doctrinal anchor chapter for “The Mystery of Christ Revealed”)
stewardship / administration οἰκονομία (oikonomia) “household management, administration” (οἶκος “house” + νόμος “law/order”)	the office/task of managing a household or estate; by extension, a divinely assigned administrative task or plan	Paul’s stewardship of dispensing the revealed mystery (3:2, 3:9); also God’s own “dispensation” plan (1:10, “the fullness of times”)	जिम्मेवारी	Medium. Must be kept terminologically distinct from परमेश्वरको व्यवस्थापन (providence, baseline High) — though both terms gloss loosely as “God’s management/administration” in English, οἰκονομία (a specific assigned task/office) and πρόνοια-type providence (God’s ongoing governance of all things) are different concepts. Using the same Nepali phrase for both would collapse a doctrinal distinction the baseline has already carefully established for Romans 8:28.
fellow heirs συγκληρονόμος (synklēronomos) “co-inheritor”	joint heirship	Gentiles are FULL, not partial, co-heirs with Israel (3:6)	सहअधिकारी / सँगैका उत्तराधिकारी	Medium, reinforces unity_of_jews_and_gentiles
same body σύσσωμος (syssōmos) “co-bodied,” unique Pauline coinage	belonging to the same single body	Gentiles are full members of the one body, not a separate or lesser body (3:6)	एउटै शरीरका सदस्य	Medium
partakers of the promise συμμέτοχος (symmetochos) “co-partaker”	joint participation	shared covenant promise, without distinction (3:6)	प्रतिज्ञामा सहभागी	Low, reuses सहभागिता root
minister διάκονος (diakonos) “servant, minister, attendant”	one who serves, often in a delegated/appointed capacity	Paul’s identity as a minister of the gospel by grace (3:7)	सेवक	Low
unsearchable riches ἀνεξιχνίαστος πλοῦτος (anexichniastos ploutos) “untraceable/unfathomable riches”	riches too vast to be traced out fully	Christ’s riches, the content of the gospel proclaimed to the Gentiles (3:8)	अगम्य धन/सम्पत्ति	Low
manifold wisdom πολυποίκιλος σοφία (polypoikilos sophia) “many-colored/variegated wisdom”	rich, multifaceted wisdom	God’s wisdom displayed through the church to the cosmic powers (3:10)	अनेकौं किसिमको बुद्धि	Low
principalities and powers (in heavenly places) ἀρχαί καὶ ἐξουσίαι see ch.1	—	the church’s very existence displays God’s wisdom to cosmic spiritual powers (3:10) — connects directly to the “Spiritual Warfare” doctrine, showing the church itself as a theater of cosmic revelation, not only a battleground	अधिपतिहरू र अधिकारहरू	High
eternal purpose πρόθεσις τῶν αἰώνων (prothesis tōn aiōnōn) “purpose of the ages”	God’s plan spanning and preceding all ages	reinforces predestination’s timeless, purposive character (3:11)	युगौं-युगको योजना	Medium — reuses युग with its established clarifying-note caution
boldness / confidence παρρησία / πεποίθησις (parrēsia/pepoithēsis) “freedom of speech, openness” / “confidence, trust”	unrestricted, confident access in speech	believers’ bold access to God through Christ (3:12)	निर्धक्कता / भरोसा	Low
family / fatherhood πατριά (patria) “lineage, family, clan” (from πατήρ)	a family/clan tracing descent from a common ancestor	wordplay: God the Father (πατήρ) is the source of all fatherhood/family (πατριά) in heaven and on earth (3:14-15)	घरपरिवार/वंश	Low, reuses established पिता root
strengthened (with might) κραταιωθῆναι (krataiōthēnai, from κραταιόω) “to be made strong/mighty”	empowerment	prayer for inner strengthening by the Spirit (3:16)	बलियो बनाइनु	Low
dwell (Christ in hearts) κατοικέω (katoikeō) “to dwell, inhabit permanently”	settled, permanent residence (as opposed to temporary visitation)	Christ’s permanent, settled indwelling by faith (3:17)	बस्नु/वास गर्नु	Low
rooted and grounded ῥιζόω / θεμελιόω (rhizoō/themelioō) “to root” / “to found”	agricultural + architectural metaphors for stability	stability of love as the believer’s foundation (3:17)	जरा हालेको / जगमा बसेको	Low
breadth, length, height, depth πλάτος, μῆκος, ὕψος, βάθος spatial dimension terms	comprehensive totality via four dimensions	the incomprehensible vastness of Christ’s love (3:18)	फैलावट, लम्बाइ, उचाइ, गहिराइ	Low
fullness of God πλήρωμα τοῦ θεοῦ see ch.1	—	the goal of being “filled with all the fullness of God” (3:19)	परमेश्वरको पूर्णता	High (see ch.1 πλήρωμα note)
power that works within us ἐνέργεια (energeia, cf. ἐνεργέω) see 2:2	—	doxology: God’s power operative within believers, exceeding all they can ask or imagine (3:20)	काम गर्ने सामर्थ्य	Medium

Chapter 4 (Ephesians 4:1–32)

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Nepali rendering	Risk
walk (worthy) περιπατέω see Part 1	—	ethical exhortation opening the letter’s second half (4:1) — anchors “Walking in Newness of Life”	हिँड्नु/चालचलन गर्नु	Medium-High
calling κλῆσις (klēsis) [BASELINE]	—	4:1, 4:4	बोलावट	High
lowliness / gentleness / patience ταπεινοφροσύνη / πραΰτης / μακροθυμία ”low-mindedness” / “mildness” / “long-suffering”	humility, gentleness, forbearance — virtues for unity	the character required to preserve unity (4:2)	विनम्रता / नम्रता / सहनशीलता	Low
bearing with one another ἀνέχομαι (anechomai) “to hold oneself up against, endure, put up with”	patient forbearance toward others’ faults	practical unity-preserving action (4:2)	सहनु	Low
unity of the Spirit ἑνότης τοῦ πνεύματος (henotēs tou pneumatos) “oneness of the Spirit”	the Spirit-given, already-existing unity to be diligently kept (not created)	the church’s unity is a Spirit-given fact to be maintained, not a goal to be achieved (4:3)	आत्माको एकता	Medium-High. Must convey that this unity is a given reality flowing from the one Spirit, not an aspirational federation to be negotiated among different factions — directly relevant to the “Gifts for Building Up the Church” and unity doctrines together.
bond of peace σύνδεσμος τῆς εἰρήνης ”the bond/ligament of peace”	that which holds together	peace as the unifying bond (4:3)	शान्तिको बन्धन	Low
one body, Spirit, hope, Lord, faith, baptism, God and Father (sevenfold “one,” 4:4-6) —	the sevenfold creedal unity statement	the theological ground of Christian unity (4:4-6)	एक शरीर, एक आत्मा, एक आशा, एक प्रभु, एक विश्वास, एक बप्तिस्मा, एक परमेश्वर र पिता	High overall — every term here is either baseline-critical (प्रभु, परमेश्वर, पिता, विश्वास) or previously flagged (शरीर, आत्माको एकता); consistency across all seven clauses is essential and should be treated, per the AI Translation Requirements, with the same fixed-rendering discipline as Romans 8:28 or 10:9-10.
baptism βάπτισμα (baptisma) “an immersion/dipping”	the rite of Christian baptism	one of the sevenfold unities (4:5)	बप्तिस्मा	Low — established transliteration
grace given according to measure μέτρον (metron) “measure”	a portioned amount	each believer’s gifting is Christ-apportioned, not self-chosen or self-attained (4:7)	नाप/परिमाण	Low
gift(s) (given to equip) δόμα / δωρεά (doma/dōrea) “a thing given” / “a giving, gift”	distinct from δῶρον (2:8) and χάρισμα; here specifically the ministry-office gifts Christ gives the church	Christ’s ascension gifts to the church: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers (4:8, 4:11)	वरदान/उपहार	Medium. Connect explicitly to the baseline’s established आत्मिक वरदान (spiritual_gifts) for consistency, while noting these particular gifts are offices/persons given to the church, not abilities distributed among individuals generally (that distinction is 1 Cor 12-style χάρισμα, addressed differently in Romans 12:6-8, already in baseline).
evangelist εὐαγγελιστής (euangelistēs) “one who proclaims good news”	the office of gospel-proclaimer	one of the five ascension-gift offices (4:11)	सुसमाचार प्रचारक	Low-Medium — compound of two already-established roots (सुसमाचार + प्रचार)
pastor / shepherd ποιμήν (poimēn) “shepherd”	one who tends and protects a flock	pastoral leadership office (4:11)	गोठाला	Medium. Recommend गोठाला (shepherd) to preserve the biblical shepherd-imagery link (cf. John 10’s “Good Shepherd” = असल गोठाला), rather than the popular colloquial loanword पास्टर which, while common in spoken Nepali church usage, loses the deliberate shepherd metaphor Paul intends here.
teacher διδάσκαλος (didaskalos) “teacher”	instructor	teaching office, possibly a single “pastor-teacher” office with ποιμήν (4:11)	शिक्षक	Low
equip / perfecting καταρτισμός (katartismos) “a making fit/complete, equipping”	preparation for a task; also used for setting a broken bone	the purpose of the ascension gifts: to equip the saints for ministry (4:12)	सुसज्जित पार्ने काम / तयार पार्नु	Low
edifying / building up οἰκοδομή (oikodomē) see ch.2	—	the goal of ministry: the body’s growth (4:12, 4:16, 4:29)	आपसी वृद्धि (reuse)	Low, matches baseline’s mutual_edification
unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God ἐπίγνωσις υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ see ch.1 (ἐπίγνωσις)	—	the maturity goal of the church (4:13)	परमेश्वरका पुत्रको ज्ञान/चिनजान	Critical, since this is the only explicit “Son of God” (υἱὸς θεοῦ) reference in Ephesians — [BASELINE — reuse परमेश्वरका पुत्र exactly] for the noun phrase itself; the ἐπίγνωσις modifier carries the High risk noted in ch.1.
mature / complete man τέλειος ἀνήρ (teleios anēr) “perfect/mature man”	full maturity, completeness of growth (not sinless perfection)	the corporate church’s growth-goal, “unto a perfect man,” measured by Christ’s fullness (4:13)	परिपक्व मानिस	High — FORBIDDEN SUBSTITUTION: never सिद्ध मानिस. सिद्ध (siddha) is a heavily loaded technical term in Nepal’s Hindu and Newar Tantric Buddhist traditions, denoting an accomplished yogic/tantric adept who has attained supernatural perfection (siddhi) through esoteric spiritual discipline. Using सिद्ध here would recast Christian maturity as a self-attained tantric/yogic accomplishment rather than Spirit-given corporate growth toward Christ’s fullness. परिपक्व (“ripened, matured”) is the required, safe rendering. This should be added to the Ephesians-specific forbidden-substitution list alongside the baseline’s existing Romans-derived list.
tossed by waves / craftiness κλυδωνίζομαι / πανουργία (klydōnizomai/panourgia) “wave-tossed” / “readiness to do anything, cunning”	instability under false teaching / deceptive cleverness	the immature alternative to the goal above (4:14)	छाल-छालले हल्लिएको / छलकपट	Low
speaking truth in love ἀληθεύω ἐν ἀγάπῃ (alētheuō en agapē) “truthing in love”	truthful speech joined inseparably to love	the church’s growth-method (4:15)	प्रेमसाथ सत्य बोलेर	Low
grow up αὐξάνω (auxanō) “to grow, increase”	organic growth	the body’s growth into Christ (4:15)	बढ्नु	Low
joints / that which supplies ἁφή (haphē) “a joint, ligature”	connective body-parts	the body-metaphor’s mechanics of mutual support (4:16)	जोड्ने भाग/नसा	Low
old man / new man παλαιὸς ἄνθρωπος / καινὸς ἄνθρωπος (again) see ch.2 note	—	put off the old self, put on the new (4:22-24) — the doctrinal center of “Walking in Newness of Life”	पुरानो मानिस / नयाँ मानिस	Medium. Straightforward in itself, but any verb chosen for the process of renewal (below) must avoid implying reincarnation.
corrupt φθείρω (phtheirō) “to ruin, destroy, corrupt”	decay, moral ruin	the old man’s trajectory: corruption through deceitful desires (4:22)	बिग्रनु/भ्रष्ट हुनु	Low
renewed (in the spirit of the mind) ἀνανεόω / ἀνακαινόω (ananeoō/anakainoō) “to make new again”	ongoing renewal, distinct from a one-time event	continual Spirit-wrought renewal of thought and disposition (4:23)	नवीकरण गर्नु	Medium. Must not be rendered with any term evoking पुनर्जन्म (rebirth) — this is inward moral-spiritual renewal of the same continuous person, explicitly NOT a new incarnation, reincarnation, or successive-life renewal.
created (in righteousness and holiness) κτίζω (again) see Part 1	—	the new man is God’s creative act, patterned after righteousness/holiness (4:24)	सृष्टि गरिएको	Low, reuses established terms धार्मिकता/पवित्रता
put off / put on ἀποτίθημι / ἐνδύω (apotithēmi/endyō) “to lay aside/take off” / “to put on, clothe oneself with”	clothing-change metaphor	the practical mechanics of moral transformation (4:22, 4:24, 4:25) — the SAME verb ἐνδύω recurs at 6:11, “put on the whole armor of God,” linking the “new man” and “armor of God” doctrines through shared imagery	फ्याँक्नु / धारण गर्नु / लगाउनु	Low, but note the cross-doctrinal imagery link
grieve (the Holy Spirit) λυπέω (lypeō) “to grieve, cause sorrow”	to cause sorrow/pain	warns against sinning against the personal Holy Spirit (4:30)	दुःखी बनाउनु	Low-Medium — reinforces the Holy Spirit’s personhood (cf. baseline Critical caution against ब्रह्म/परमात्मा, an impersonal Spirit cannot be “grieved”)

Chapter 5 (Ephesians 5:1–33)

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Nepali rendering	Risk
followers/imitators of God μιμητής (mimētēs) “imitator”	one who models behavior after another	ethical imitation of God’s own character (5:1)	अनुकरण गर्ने	Low
offering and sacrifice προσφορὰ καὶ θυσία ”offering” / “sacrifice”	cultic/sacrificial terminology	Christ’s self-giving death described sacrificially (5:2)	बलिदान/भेटी	Low-Medium — standard sacrificial vocabulary, already domesticated in Nepali Bible tradition (e.g., Old Testament sacrificial texts)
fornication / uncleanness / covetousness πορνεία / ἀκαθαρσία / πλεονεξία ”sexual immorality” / “impurity” / “greed”	vice list	behaviors incompatible with the “new man” (5:3)	व्यभिचार / अशुद्धता / लोभ	Low
idolater εἰδωλολάτρης (eidōlōlatrēs) “idol-server/worshiper” (εἴδωλον “idol” + λατρεύω “to serve/worship”)	one who worships images/idols	the covetous person is functionally an idolater — a warning, not primarily an ethnographic label (5:5)	मूर्तिपूजक	High. This word names, in plain terms, practices that are mainstream and widely honored within Nepal’s majority Hindu and Buddhist religious life (image/mūrti veneration at temples and shrines is not fringe but central devotional practice for most Nepali households). The term must be handled with careful pastoral framing: Ephesians 5:5 is diagnosing a spiritual condition (covetousness as functional idol-worship) rather than issuing a blanket ethnographic condemnation of neighbors’ religious practice. Recommend mandatory theologian/native-speaker review of teaching materials using this term to ensure tone does not read as gratuitously inflammatory in the Nepali social context, while not softening the text’s actual claim.
children of light / children of disobedience τέκνα φωτός / τέκνα ἀπειθείας ”children of light” / “children of disobedience”	Hebraic idiom, see 2:2 note	believers’ new identity contrasted with their former state (5:6, 5:8)	ज्योतिका सन्तान / अनाज्ञाकारिताका सन्तान	Medium-High. Recommend उज्यालोका सन्तान (children of brightness/light) over ज्योतिका सन्तान where possible: ज्योति carries strong associations with ritual lamps (diyo) lit in Hindu worship and with the Tihar/Dipawali “festival of lights,” and could evoke a devotional-ritual frame rather than the moral-relational transformation Paul intends. Also connect to glory’s existing baseline caution against light-metaphor conflation with Hindu/Tantric divine-radiance imagery.
fruit of the Spirit / fruit of light καρπός (karpos) “fruit”	the observable outcome/product of a source	moral fruit flowing from the Spirit/from light, not self-generated effort (5:9)	फल	Low
redeeming the time ἐξαγοράζω τὸν καιρόν (exagorazō ton kairon) “to buy up/redeem the time/opportunity”	making the most of a limited window of opportunity	wise, urgent use of time “because the days are evil” (5:16)	समयलाई सदुपयोग गर्नु	Low
be filled with the Spirit πληρόω (plēroō, verb) “to fill, make full”	to be filled, saturated, controlled by	contrasted with drunkenness (5:18); the Spirit’s controlling fullness in the believer	पवित्र आत्माले भरिनु	Medium. Distinct from the noun πλήρωμα (fullness, High risk per ch.1); this verb form is a common, lower-risk everyday expression (“be filled by”) but should still be taught with awareness of the same Upanishadic pūrṇa association at a reduced intensity.
psalms, hymns, spiritual songs ψαλμοί, ὕμνοι, ᾠδαὶ πνευματικαί (psalmoi, hymnoi, ōdai pneumatikai) “psalms” / “hymns” / “spiritual songs”	worship-song vocabulary	corporate and personal worship expression (5:19)	भजन, स्तुति-गीत, आत्मिक गीत	Medium, but note भजन is already a successfully domesticated Nepali Christian term — the baseline’s own cross-reference table renders the Book of Psalms as भजनसंग्रह. Despite भजन-कीर्तन being the standard term for Hindu devotional singing, this word has long been “won” for Christian hymnody in Nepali Bible tradition and needs no substitution — a lower residual risk than मन्दिर or सिद्ध, more analogous to the already-domesticated पवित्र or सुसमाचार.
submit to one another ὑποτάσσω (hypotassō) see ch.1 note	—	5:21 — the governing principle introducing the entire household-codes section: MUTUAL submission precedes and frames the specific wife-husband instruction that follows (5:22-33)	अधीनमा रहनु (एक-अर्कोको)	High. The mutuality of 5:21 must never be dropped or treated as a separate, weaker command from 5:22’s wife-specific instruction — losing this sequencing is the single most common mishandling of this passage across cultures, and is flagged as the doctrinal anchor for “Household Codes and Christ-Centered Relationships.”
wives / husbands γυναῖκες / ἄνδρες ”women/wives” / “men/husbands”	context-determined by pairing	the specific household-codes relationship (5:22-33)	पत्नीहरू / पतिहरू	Low, standard vocabulary
head (of the wife) κεφαλή (again) see ch.1	—	Christ-modeled headship: self-giving, life-sustaining, NOT domineering (5:23, grounded in 5:25’s sacrificial love)	शिर	High (see ch.1 note — this is the doctrinal application point)
Christ loved the church and gave himself ἀγαπάω + παραδίδωμι (again) see 2:4, and cf. redemption/sacrifice	—	the pattern husbands must imitate: self-sacrificial, not authoritarian, love (5:25)	प्रेम गर्नुभयो र आफूलाई दिनुभयो	High — the interpretive key that must govern how शिर (head) is taught in this passage
sanctify / cleanse by the washing of water with the word ἁγιάζω / καθαρίζω / λουτρόν (hagiazō/katharizō/loutron) “to make holy” / “to cleanse” / “a washing, bath”	ritual-washing imagery applied to the church’s sanctification	Christ’s ongoing sanctifying, cleansing work on the church, described via baptismal/washing imagery (5:26)	पवित्र पार्नु / शुद्ध पार्नु / धुने कार्य	Medium. Recall the baseline’s existing caution that पवित्र्याउनु (sanctification/holy) must be kept distinct from ritual-purity concepts (शुद्ध, associated with Hindu/Buddhist ceremonial cleansing) — here Paul himself deliberately uses washing/cleansing imagery, so a controlled, explained use of शुद्ध पार्नु in this specific verse is textually warranted, but should not be generalized as the default rendering for sanctification elsewhere (which remains पवित्रीकरण per baseline).
present (the church) without blemish παρίστημι + ἄμωμος ”to present, set before” + “without blemish” (cf. 1:4)	presentation for approval/inspection	Christ’s goal: a church presented flawless, echoing 1:4’s election-unto-blamelessness	प्रस्तुत गर्नु + दोषरहित	Low
one flesh μία σάρξ (mia sarx) “one flesh,” quoting Genesis 2:24	marital union	the marriage bond as a real, God-designed union	एउटै शरीर	Low
mystery (of marriage) μυστήριον (again) see ch.1/3	—	marriage itself analogically reveals “a great mystery” — Christ and the church (5:32)	ठूलो रहस्य	High (same core caution as ch.1/3; note the deliberate analogical extension from the cosmic mystery of ch.1-3 to the domestic institution of marriage — both uses must be taught as connected, not treated as unrelated word-uses)

Chapter 6 (Ephesians 6:1–24)

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Nepali rendering	Risk
obey (parents) / honor ὑπακούω / τιμάω (hypakouō/timaō) “to obey” / “to honor, value”	child-parent relational duties	first household-codes instruction (6:1-2), quoting the fifth commandment	आज्ञा पालन गर्नु / आदर गर्नु	Low-Medium. Reuses the आज्ञाकारिता root from baseline’s obedience_of_faith; must be distinguished in teaching from that specifically faith-flowing obedience — this is ordinary filial duty, not the theological “obedience of faith” category, though the same root word is natural and acceptable here.
slaves / servants δοῦλος (doulos) “slave, bondservant”	a person legally owned by another; sometimes weakened to “servant” in softer translations, but the term is unambiguous in first-century usage	Paul addresses an existing, real social institution without either endorsing or immediately abolishing it structurally — relativizing it under Christ’s lordship (6:5-8)	दास	High. Nepal abolished its own bonded-labor systems only very recently and within living memory — the kamaiya system (2000) and haliya system (2008) — making this term’s referent far closer to lived social memory in Nepal than in many other translation contexts. Teaching materials must take great care that this passage is understood as Paul addressing (and relativizing under Christ) an existing first-century institution, not endorsing bonded labor as a normative or desirable social arrangement; the passage’s real thrust (6:9) is that masters and slaves answer to the SAME heavenly Master, undercutting any claim of ultimate human ownership over another person.
masters κύριος (kyrios, human-master sense) “lord, master, owner”	SAME Greek word used for both a human slave-owner (6:5, 6:9) and for the divine/exalted Christ (lord, baseline Critical)	Paul deliberately puns on one word for both senses in 6:9 (“knowing that both their Master [κύριος] and yours is in heaven”)	मालिक (human master) — deliberately NOT प्रभु	High — deliberate translation decision requiring theologian review. The baseline reserves प्रभु exclusively and critically for Christ’s supreme Lordship (lord, Critical; rejected alternatives explicitly include मालिक for that sense). Here, however, κύριος refers to a mundane human slave-owner. Using प्रभु for a human master would dangerously blur the baseline’s Critical Christological distinction (elevating a human owner toward quasi-divine status, or conversely diminishing Christ’s Lordship to the level of a household master). This analysis recommends मालिक for the human “masters” throughout 6:5-9, while rendering “their Master and yours is in heaven” (6:9) with प्रभु for the heavenly referent specifically — accepting the deliberate loss of Paul’s Greek wordplay (a single word doing double duty) in exchange for preserving the baseline’s non-negotiable Critical distinction. Flag for mandatory theologian review and document this choice explicitly in Phase 2 segment notes.
fear and trembling / singleness of heart φόβος καὶ τρόμος / ἁπλότης καρδίας ”fear and trembling” / “simplicity/singleness of heart”	reverent seriousness / sincere, undivided motive	manner of the servant’s obedience — reverence toward God, not fear of the human master per se (6:5)	डर र कम्पन / निष्कपट हृदय	Low
not with eyeservice ὀφθαλμοδουλία (ophthalmodoulia) “eye-slavery,” a unique NT compound (only here and Col 3:22)	service performed only to be seen, not from genuine motive	contrasts external performance with heart-sincerity — connects to obedience_of_faith’s existing caution against merit-performing obedience	देखाउनका लागि मात्र गरिने सेवा	Low
reward μισθός (misthos) “wage, reward, recompense”	payment due for work/service	the Lord’s reward for faithful service, regardless of social station (6:8)	इनाम/ज्याला	Low-Medium — must not be read as earned merit contradicting grace; this is God’s own generous recompense to those already saved by grace, not a wage that establishes standing before him.
no respect of persons προσωπολημψία (prosōpolēmpsia) “receiving/regarding of faces,” i.e., favoritism	partiality based on external status	God shows no favoritism between master and slave (6:9) — a direct, universal-accountability-style leveling statement	पक्षपात नगर्ने	Medium-High, reinforces universal_human_accountability and unity_of_jews_and_gentiles-style caste-leveling themes already established as High-risk/high-payoff in the baseline.
be strong (in the Lord) ἐνδυναμόω (endynamoō) “to empower, make strong”	to be strengthened by an outside source, not self-generated strength	the transition into the spiritual-warfare section (6:10)	सामर्थ्यवान बनिनु	Medium, reuses established सामर्थ्य root
whole armor of God πανοπλία τοῦ θεοῦ (panoplia tou theou) “full/complete armor, panoply”	a soldier’s entire equipment set	the controlling image of the entire final unit (6:11, 6:13)	परमेश्वरका सम्पूर्ण हातहतियार	Medium. The metaphor itself is safe (military imagery is common and not specifically tied to a competing religious framework in Nepal), but teaching must keep the imagery explicitly defensive and metaphorical/spiritual (6:12, “not against flesh and blood”) — see wrestle/struggle note below for the associated risk of literal-conflict misapplication.
wiles / schemes (of the devil) μεθοδεία (methodeia) “scheming, craftiness, method”	deceptive strategy	the devil’s methodical deceptive strategy, requiring defensive readiness (6:11)	चालबाजी/षड्यन्त्र	Low
devil διάβολος (diabolos) “slanderer, accuser”	Satan’s title as the accusing slanderer	the personal, real spiritual adversary (6:11)	शैतान	Low — established term
wrestle / struggle πάλη (palē) “wrestling, a contest” (athletic term)	close, hand-to-hand contest	”we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against…” (6:12) — an explicitly NON-physical, non-human-targeted struggle	लडाइँ/मुष्टि सङ्घर्ष	High. The “not against flesh and blood” qualifier is doctrinally load-bearing and must never be dropped or softened in translation or teaching — losing it risks the passage being (mis)read as authorizing confrontational conduct toward flesh-and-blood religious or social opponents, a serious real-world risk given Nepal’s history of communal-religious sensitivity and the legal restrictions on religious conversion already flagged as High risk for evangelism in the baseline. This doctrine should be routed to the same review tier as evangelism-related content.
principalities, powers, rulers of darkness, spiritual wickedness in high places ἀρχαί, ἐξουσίαι, κοσμοκράτορες τοῦ σκότους, πνευματικὰ τῆς πονηρίας (archai, exousiai, kosmokratores tou skotous, pneumatika tēs ponērias) see ch.1/3; κοσμοκράτωρ (“world-ruler/potentate”) is a unique term, occurring in the entire NT ONLY here	ranks of hostile spiritual authority, culminating in a NT-unique “world-ruler(s) of this darkness” title and a summary phrase “spiritual [powers/forces] of wickedness”	the full cosmic-conflict vocabulary of the letter converges here, at the doctrinal climax of “Spiritual Warfare” (6:12)	अधिपतिहरू, अधिकारहरू, यस अन्धकारका (संसारका) शासकहरू, र दुष्ट आत्मिक शक्तिहरू	High. Regarding the final phrase specifically: this is the one place in the Ephesians curriculum where using शक्ति may be defensible, since it here names a hostile, opposed force rather than attributing शक्ति to God (the baseline’s Critical concern is specifically शक्ति used for God’s power, given its Newar Tantric Shakta/Kumari-cult associations). Nonetheless, flag for mandatory theologian review: teaching materials must make unmistakably clear that these “spiritual शक्ति” forces are the enemy to be resisted through God’s सामर्थ्य and armor — never a legitimate source of power to be invoked, appeased, or drawn upon, which is precisely the practice this verse’s cultural environment might otherwise suggest.
stand ἵστημι / ἀνθίστημι (histēmi/anthistēmi) “to stand” / “to stand against, resist”	defensive posture, not offensive advance	the armor’s purpose is to STAND FIRM, not to attack (6:11, 6:13, 6:14)	खडा हुनु / प्रतिरोध गर्नु	Low, reinforces the defensive (not aggressive) framing above
girded with truth ζώννυμι + ἀλήθεια (zōnnymi + alētheia) “to gird” + “truth”	belt/girdle imagery	first armor piece (6:14)	सत्यले कस्नु	Low
breastplate of righteousness θώραξ τῆς δικαιοσύνης (thōrax tēs dikaiosynēs) “breastplate” + [BASELINE — righteousness: धार्मिकता]	—	second armor piece (6:14)	धार्मिकताको छाती-ढाल	High (reuses Critical baseline term)
shoes / gospel of peace ὑπόδημα + εὐαγγέλιον εἰρήνης ”footwear” + [BASELINE — gospel: सुसमाचार; peace: शान्ति]	—	third armor piece (6:15)	शान्तिको सुसमाचारका जुत्ता	High (reuses High/Medium baseline terms)
shield of faith θυρεὸς τῆς πίστεως (thyreos tēs pisteōs) “shield” + [BASELINE — faith: विश्वास]	—	fourth armor piece (6:16)	विश्वासको ढाल	High (reuses High baseline term)
helmet of salvation περικεφαλαία τοῦ σωτηρίου (perikephalaia tou sōtēriou) “helmet” + [BASELINE — salvation: उद्धार]	—	fifth armor piece (6:17)	उद्धारको टोप	Critical (reuses Critical baseline term; same dual-front मुक्ति/मोक्ष/निर्वाण caution applies)
sword of the Spirit / word of God μάχαιρα τοῦ πνεύματος, ῥῆμα θεοῦ (machaira tou pneumatos, rhēma theou) “sword” + “Spirit” + “utterance/word of God”	the only offensive-use item in the list	Scripture as the Spirit’s own instrument (6:17)	आत्माको तरवार, परमेश्वरको वचन	Medium, reuses established पवित्र आत्मा/परमेश्वर roots
praying always in the Spirit προσευχή, δέησις (proseuchē, deēsis) “prayer” / “petition/entreaty”	general prayer / specific request	undergirds the entire armor with constant Spirit-empowered prayer (6:18)	प्रार्थना, बिन्ती	Low, reuses established intercession/prayer_and_intercession vocabulary
perseverance προσκαρτέρησις (proskarterēsis) “steadfast persistence”	continuing attention/diligence	persistence in prayer for all the saints (6:18)	निरन्तरता/लगनशीलता	Low
ambassador (in chains) πρεσβεύω (presbeuō) “to act as an ambassador/elder statesman”	official diplomatic representation	Paul’s self-description as Christ’s ambassador despite imprisonment (6:20)	राजदूत	Low
boldness παρρησία (again) see ch.3	—	Paul’s request for prayer to speak the gospel boldly (6:19-20)	निर्धक्कता	Low
grace, peace, love, faith (closing) χάρις, εἰρήνη, ἀγάπη, πίστις [BASELINE, all reused exactly]	—	closing benediction (6:23-24)	अनुग्रह, शान्ति, प्रेम, विश्वास	High (aggregate)
incorruption / immortality ἀφθαρσία (aphtharsia) “un-decay-ability, incorruptibility”	freedom from decay/death	the final word of the letter: grace to all who love Christ “in incorruption” (6:24) — a Spirit-given, resurrection-secured future state	अविनाशीता	Medium. Should be taught as a GIFT secured through Christ’s resurrection for the whole person (body and soul, cf. resurrection Critical baseline), not as an innate property of an eternally pre-existing soul (as in Vedantic ātman doctrine, where the self is inherently, natively immortal apart from any redemptive act).

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Coverage confirmation

All six chapters of Ephesians have been analyzed above for load-bearing theological vocabulary. No chapter is without new or reused doctrinally significant terms; each chapter’s table/verse-by-verse treatment above constitutes its explicit review record. The closing greetings (6:21-24) were confirmed to introduce no new terminology beyond what is captured in the Chapter 6 table (grace, peace, love, faith, incorruption).

See analysis/08_core_glossary.md for the consolidated, per-term glossary table drawn from this analysis, organized by curriculum doctrine and cross-referenced against translation_memory.json (Romans baseline).