Core Glossary
Core Glossary — Gospel of John
English → Nepali | Full Book Term Inventory (John 1–21)
Usage note: This glossary consolidates every load-bearing theological term identified in 07_semantic_analysis.md, citing the chapters where each occurs. Terms marked “REUSED” carry over their exact rendering and risk tier from the baseline Romans translation_memory.json / bible_term_registry.json and MUST NOT be altered. Terms marked “NEW” are proposed additions specific to the John curriculum, pending promotion into the shared translation memory before Phase 2 begins. Risk tiers follow the baseline’s four-tier framework (Critical / High / Medium / Low) and its review-routing convention (Critical & High → human theologian; Medium → native speaker; Low → automated).
Table 1 — Terms Reused Exactly from the Romans Translation Memory
| English Term | Nepali Rendering | Risk | Status | Chapters in John | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| God | परमेश्वर | Critical | REUSED | 1, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 17, 20 | Never भगवान. Applied directly to Christ at 1:1, 1:18, 20:28 — deity assertions. |
| Jesus | येशू | Critical | REUSED | all chapters | Established form; never varied. |
| Lord | प्रभु | Critical | REUSED | 4, 6, 9, 11, 13, 20, 21 | 20:28 “my Lord and my God” — climactic confession. |
| Holy Spirit | पवित्र आत्मा | Critical | REUSED | 1, 3, 7, 14, 15, 16, 20 | Never ब्रह्म/परमात्मा; distinct from Paraclete term’s helper-nuance (see Table 2). |
| Father | पिता | Critical | REUSED | 1, 3, 5, 8, 10, 14, 17, 20 | Personal, relational Father; foundational to Father-Son unity doctrine. |
| Son of God | परमेश्वरका पुत्र | Critical | REUSED | 1, 3, 5, 9, 10, 11, 20 | Distinct from “Son of Man” (मानिसका पुत्र) — never interchange. |
| Grace | अनुग्रह | High | REUSED | 1 | 1:14, 1:16-17 “grace upon grace.” |
| Faith / Believe | विश्वास | Critical | REUSED | 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17, 20 | John’s distinctive “believe INTO him” (pisteuō eis) construction — render “उहाँमा विश्वास गर्नु.” |
| Righteousness | धार्मिकता | Critical | REUSED | (not independently thematized in John as in Romans; retained for consistency if referenced in study notes) | Never धर्म. |
| Salvation / Saved | उद्धार | Critical | REUSED | 3, 4, 5, 10, 12 | Never मुक्ति/मोक्ष/निर्वाण — dual-front rule fully applies. |
| Resurrection | पुनरुत्थान | Critical | REUSED | 2, 5, 6, 11, 20, 21 | Never पुनर्जन्म — extends directly to “New Birth” term (Table 2) as well. |
| Incarnation | देहधारण | Critical | REUSED | 1 | 1:14 “the Word became flesh” — never अवतार. |
| Glory / Glorify | महिमा | High | REUSED | 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 17 | Christ’s glory manifest through the cross, not royal/avatar splendor. |
| Peace | शान्ति | Medium | REUSED | 14, 16, 20 | Relational peace, not mere calm. |
| Sin | पाप | High | REUSED | 1, 3, 5, 8, 9, 15, 16, 19, 20 | Never अकुशल कर्म. |
| Church | मण्डली | Medium | REUSED | (implicit, ch. 17 unity-of-believers passages inform later church doctrine) | Never मन्दिर for ekklesia — note मन्दिर is correctly used in John 2 for the literal Temple building, a distinct referent. |
| Kingdom of God | परमेश्वरको राज्य | Medium | REUSED | 3, 18 | Not territorial/political — esp. relevant at 18:36. |
| Messiah | मसीह | Critical | REUSED | 1, 4, 7, 11 | Exclusive fulfillment; paired with ख्रीष्ट (Christ) per transliteration standard. |
| Sanctification | पवित्रीकरण | High | REUSED | 17 | 17:17, 17:19. |
| Covenant | करार | High | REUSED | (background, Davidic covenant references) | — |
| David / Seed of David | दाऊद / दाऊदको वंश | Medium/High | REUSED | 7 | Debated Messianic lineage question. |
| Israel | इस्राएल | Medium | REUSED | 1, 3 | ”Teacher of Israel,” “King of Israel.” |
| Abba | अब्बा | Medium | REUSED | (not directly in John; retained for cross-curriculum consistency with Romans 8:15) | — |
| Providence / Effectual Calling | परमेश्वरको व्यवस्थापन / प्रभावकारी बोलावट | High | REUSED | 6 | 6:44 “drawing” (ἕλκω) connects to this doctrine. |
| Universal Scope of the Gospel / Unity of Jews and Gentiles | (doctrine frame reused) | High | REUSED | 8, 10 | 8:33-44 “children of Abraham”; 10:16 “one flock.” |
| Mission to the Nations | सुसमाचार प्रचार | Medium | REUSED | 4 | 4:35-38 harvest imagery. |
Table 2 — New Terms Proposed for the John Curriculum
| English Term | Greek (transliteration) | Nepali Rendering | Risk | Doctrine | Chapters | Rejected Alternatives | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Word (Logos) | λόγος (logos) | वचन | Critical | Deity/Pre-existence of Christ | 1 | वाणी, वाक् | Rejected terms carry Hindu goddess-of-speech (Vāc/Sarasvatī) associations; वचन is the established Nepali Bible term. |
| Only begotten / one and only Son | μονογενής (monogenēs) | एकमात्र पुत्र | Critical | Deity/Pre-existence of Christ; Sonship of Christ | 1, 3 | अद्वैत पुत्र, विशेष पुत्र | Must never suggest one of several divine sons/avatars; अद्वैत is especially forbidden (direct Advaita-philosophy collision). |
| New birth / born again (from above) | γεννηθῇ ἄνωθεν (gennēthē anōthen) | नयाँ जन्म (माथिबाटको जन्म) | Critical | New Birth and Regeneration | 3 | पुनर्जन्म | ABSOLUTE FORBIDDEN SUBSTITUTION: पुनर्जन्म denotes karma-driven reincarnation (Hindu and Buddhist). Extends the baseline’s resurrection forbidden-term rule. |
| Eternal life | ζωὴ αἰώνιος (zōē aiōnios) | अनन्त जीवन | Critical | Eternal Life through Faith | 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 17, 20 | मोक्ष, मुक्ति, निर्वाण | Dual-front rule identical to “salvation”: personal relational life with God, not liberation from rebirth or cessation of self. Defined explicitly at 17:3. |
| World | κόσμος (kosmos) | संसार | Critical | God’s Love for the World; Judgment | 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 | (no viable alternative exists; risk is managed via context, not substitution) | संसार independently denotes the Hindu/Buddhist cycle of worldly existence. Dual valence (positive: object of God’s love; negative: system in rebellion) must be tracked per occurrence. Recommend promoting to Critical in shared TM for John specifically. |
| Light (of the world) | φῶς (phōs) | ज्योति | High | Judgment and Belief/Unbelief; Deity of Christ | 1, 3, 8, 9, 12 | उज्यालो (acceptable secondary), तेज (avoid, per baseline glory-note) | Distinguish from Buddhist “awakening” (bodhi) light-imagery and Hindu inner-light (ātman) concepts; Christ’s light is external, historical, personal self-revelation. |
| Darkness | σκότος / σκοτία (skotos / skotia) | अन्धकार | Medium | Judgment and Belief/Unbelief | 1, 3, 8, 12 | — | Moral/relational opposition to God, not mere ignorance. |
| Wrath of God | ὀργὴ τοῦ θεοῦ (orgē theou) | परमेश्वरको क्रोध | High | Judgment and Belief/Unbelief | 3 | कर्मको नियम, भाग्य | Personal righteous response, not impersonal karmic retribution (extends baseline’s providence-entry rejection). |
| Condemn / Judgment | κρίνω / κρίσις (krinō / krisis) | दोषी ठहराउनु / न्याय | High | Judgment and Belief/Unbelief | 3, 5, 9, 12, 16 | — | Parallel forensic structure to baseline’s justification entry (धर्मी ठहराइने कार्य); condemnation is its declared-guilty opposite. |
| Perish | ἀπόλλυμι (apollymi) | नष्ट हुनु | Medium | Judgment and Belief/Unbelief | 3 | — | Not a peaceful natural cessation; personal ruin under judgment. |
| Truth | ἀλήθεια (alētheia) | सत्य | High | Holy Spirit as Counselor; Christ’s self-identity | 1, 3, 4, 8, 14, 16, 18 | — | सत्य carries independent Hindu philosophical weight (सत्युग, सत्याग्रह); Johannine truth is personal, Christ-centered (14:6), not an abstract cosmic principle. |
| Works / deeds | ἔργα (erga) | काम | High | Judgment; Grace vs. Merit | 3, 6, 9 | कर्म | कर्म forbidden in judgment/grace-contrast contexts — direct karma-doctrine collision risk (extends baseline’s grace and providence entries). |
| Lamb of God | ἀμνὸς τοῦ θεοῦ (amnos tou theou) | परमेश्वरका थुमा | Critical | Christ’s Substitutionary Death | 1 | — | Must be distinguished from ongoing Hindu animal-sacrifice practice (pashu-bali, Gadhimai, Dashain); this is a once-for-all sufficient sacrifice, not a repeatable ritual offering. |
| Baptize | βαπτίζω (baptizō) | बप्तिस्मा दिनु | Medium-High | New Birth; Sacramental Symbol | 1, 3 | स्नान गराउनु | स्नान evokes ritual purificatory bathing (sacred river pilgrimage bathing); baptism symbolizes union with Christ, not repeatable ritual cleansing for merit. |
| Living water | ὕδωρ ζῶν (hydōr zōn) | जीवित पानी | High | Eternal Life; Holy Spirit | 4, 7 | तीर्थजल (forbidden as implied equivalence) | Not tied to a sacred geographic site (contrast with Bagmati/Ganges holy-water tradition); Christ himself is the source, received by faith. |
| Worship in spirit and truth | προσκυνέω ἐν πνεύματι καὶ ἀληθείᾳ | आत्मा र सत्यताले आराधना | High | Holy Spirit; Christ’s self-identity | 4 | — | Spirit-enabled and truth-grounded (Christ-centered), not subjective feeling or meditative philosophical attainment. |
| Son of Man | υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου (huios tou anthrōpou) | मानिसका पुत्र | Critical | Deity/Humanity of Christ | 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 12, 13 | — | Distinct title from “Son of God”; combines true humanity with Daniel-7 exalted judging authority. Never interchange with परमेश्वरका पुत्र. |
| ”I am” (absolute) | ἐγώ εἰμι (egō eimi) | म हुँ | Critical | Deity of Christ; Seven “I Am” Statements | 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 18 | — | Echoes Exodus 3:14 divine self-naming; grammatically ordinary in Nepali, requires teaching note at absolute (unqualified) occurrences (8:24, 8:28, 8:58, 13:19, 18:5-8). |
| I am the bread of life | ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἄρτος τῆς ζωῆς | म जीवनको रोटी हुँ | Critical | Seven “I Am” Statements (#1) | 6 | — | Not a consumable holy substance (avoid प्रसाद-style associations); received by faith, not ingestion. |
| I am the light of the world | ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου | म संसारको ज्योति हुँ | Critical | Seven “I Am” Statements (#2) | 8 | — | Compounds “light” and “world” risk terms. |
| I am the door / gate | ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ θύρα | म ढोका हुँ | Critical | Seven “I Am” Statements (#3) | 10 | — | Exclusive, singular access — tension with religious-pluralism assumptions. |
| I am the good shepherd | ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλός | म असल गोठालो हुँ | Critical | Seven “I Am” Statements (#4); Substitutionary Death | 10 | — | Voluntary substitutionary self-sacrifice (“lays down his life for the sheep”). |
| I am the resurrection and the life | ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἀνάστασις καὶ ἡ ζωή | म पुनरुत्थान र जीवन हुँ | Critical | Seven “I Am” Statements (#5); Resurrection | 11 | — | Never पुनर्जन्म; Christ is the personal source of resurrection, not merely its performer. |
| I am the way, the truth, and the life | ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ὁδὸς καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια καὶ ἡ ζωή | म मार्ग, सत्य र जीवन हुँ | Critical | Seven “I Am” Statements (#6) | 14 | — | Unqualified exclusivity (“no one comes to the Father except through me”) must not be softened. |
| I am the true vine | ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἄμπελος ἡ ἀληθινή | म साँचो दाखको बोट हुँ | Critical | Seven “I Am” Statements (#7) | 15 | — | Fruitfulness only through dependent union, not independent merit/effort. |
| Abide / remain | μένω (menō) | रहनु | High | Christian Identity in Christ (extended) | 15 | — | Distinguish from Advaita/Buddhist self-dissolution or non-attachment; preserves distinct personal relational identity. |
| Counselor / Helper / Advocate (Paraclete) | παράκλητος (paraklētos) | सहायक | Critical | Holy Spirit as Counselor | 14, 15, 16 | मध्यस्थ (insufficient alone) | Must remain a fully personal, divine Person (= पवित्र आत्मा), not an impersonal helping-force or a lesser intercessory/guardian spirit. |
| Spirit of truth | Πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας (Pneuma tēs alētheias) | सत्यताको आत्मा | High | Holy Spirit as Counselor | 14, 16 | — | Compounds Critical Holy Spirit term with High-risk truth term. |
| Convict (of sin) | ἐλέγχω (elegchō) | दोषी देखाउनु | High | Holy Spirit as Counselor; Judgment | 3, 16 | — | Internal, personal conviction — render consistently across both occurrences. |
| I and the Father are one | ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἕν ἐσμεν | म र पिता एक हौं | Critical | Unity of Father and Son | 10 | — | Unity of essence/purpose, not identity of person; distinct Persons remain. |
| That they may be one | ἵνα ἓν ὦσιν (hina hen ōsin) | तिनीहरू एक होऊन् | Critical | Unity of Father and Son (extended to believers) | 17 | अद्वैत-प्रेरित एकता (forbidden framing) | HIGHEST NEPALI-SPECIFIC RISK TERM: must not be read through Advaita Vedanta’s monistic absorption-into-Brahman lens; unity here is relational/volitional, preserving distinct personhood throughout. |
| Crucify | σταυρόω (stauroō) | क्रूसमा टाँग्नु | Critical | Substitutionary Death | 19 | — | Historical, physical, voluntary death; never abstracted into symbolic “dying to self” alone. |
| It is finished | τετέλεσται (tetelestai) | पूरा भयो | High | Substitutionary Death | 19 | दायित्व पूरा भयो (avoid — implies mere duty discharge) | Denotes completed, sufficient, once-for-all atoning accomplishment, not personal religious-duty fulfillment. |
| My Lord and my God | ὁ Κύριός μου καὶ ὁ Θεός μου | मेरा प्रभु र मेरा परमेश्वर | Critical | Deity of Christ | 20 | — | Direct, unqualified deity confession applied to the risen Jesus by name; render with full force of both underlying Critical terms. |
| Sign | σημεῖον (sēmeion) | चिन्ह | Medium | Deity of Christ (evidentiary) | 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 11, 12, 20 | आश्चर्यकर्म (acceptable secondary) | Revelatory pointer to Christ’s identity, not magical omen or tantric siddhi display. |
| Hour (appointed time) | ὥρα (hōra) | घडी | Medium | Christ’s Substitutionary Death (narrative motif) | 2, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17 | — | Track escalating motif from “not yet come” to “has come” across the book. |
| Testimony / witness | μαρτυρία / μαρτυρέω (martyria / martyreō) | गवाही | Medium | Inspiration/Reliability of Revelation | 1, 3, 5, 8, 21 | — | Forensic, first-hand-witness sense; John’s “trial” structuring motif. |
| Devil / father of lies | διάβολος (diabolos) | दियाबल | High | Spiritual Conflict | 8 | भूत-प्रेत (avoid as insufficient) | Specific, personal, cosmic adversary; not the same category as local folk-spirit beings (bhut, pret, masan). |
| Lifted up (dual sense: crucified/exalted) | ὑψωθῆναι (hypsōthēnai) | उचालिनु | High | Substitutionary Death; Deity of Christ | 3, 8, 12 | — | Crucifixion IS glorification in John’s theology — theological pun requiring explanatory note. |
| Flesh (contextual: incarnate/fallen/sacrificial) | σάρξ (sarx) | शरीर | Medium-High | Incarnation; Sin; Substitutionary Death | 1, 3, 6 | — | Three distinct senses across the book; flag which is active per occurrence. |
| Grain of wheat dying | κόκκος τοῦ σίτου ἀποθάνῃ | गहुँको दानो मर्नु | Medium | Substitutionary Death | 12 | — | Generative/substitutionary death metaphor. |
| Manna | μάννα (manna) | मन्न | Low | Old Testament Background | 6 | — | Requires background note; no doctrinal collision risk. |
| Rooms / dwelling places | μοναί (monai) | वासस्थानहरू | Low-Medium | Eschatological Hope | 14 | — | Avoid implying tiered cosmological realms (lokas). |
| Bridegroom / friend of the bridegroom | νυμφίος / φίλος τοῦ νυμφίου | दुलहा / दुलहाको मित्र | Low-Medium | Messianic Identity | 3 | — | John the Baptist’s self-subordination to Christ. |
| Wine | οἴνος (oinos) | मद्य / दाखरस | Low | (narrative detail) | 2 | — | Symbol of messianic abundance; low independent risk. |
| Temple (literal building) | ναός (naos) | मन्दिर | Medium | (narrative/typological) | 2 | — | Literal referent distinct from the baseline’s forbidden “church” usage; but see “temple of his body” metaphor below. |
| Temple of his body | ναὸς τοῦ σώματος αὐτοῦ | उहाँको शरीररूपी मन्दिर | High | Deity of Christ; Resurrection | 2 | — | Christ’s body as the true locus of God’s presence, superseding the physical Temple. |
| One flock, one shepherd | μία ποίμνη, εἷς ποιμήν | एउटै भेडाको गोठ, एउटै गोठालो | Medium-High | Unity of Jews and Gentiles (extended) | 10 | — | Prefigures Jew-Gentile unity in the church. |
| Children of Abraham | τέκνα Ἀβραάμ (tekna Abraam) | अब्राहामका सन्तान | Medium | Universal Scope of the Gospel | 8 | — | Spiritual sonship not conferred by ethnic/caste lineage. |
| Draw | ἕλκω (helkō) | तान्नु | Medium-High | Effectual Calling | 6 | — | God’s sovereign initiative, not self-directed spiritual seeking. |
| Convict / expose | ἐλεγχθῇ (elegchthē) | पोल खुलोस् / प्रकट होस् | Medium | Judgment and Belief/Unbelief | 3 | — | Same root as ch.16’s “convict” (Holy Spirit); recommend shared rendering root. |
Table 3 — Cross-Reference: Seven “I Am” Statements (Consolidated)
| # | Reference | Greek | Nepali | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John 6:35 | ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἄρτος τῆς ζωῆς | म जीवनको रोटी हुँ | Critical |
| 2 | John 8:12 | ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου | म संसारको ज्योति हुँ | Critical |
| 3 | John 10:7 | ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ θύρα | म ढोका हुँ | Critical |
| 4 | John 10:11 | ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλός | म असल गोठालो हुँ | Critical |
| 5 | John 11:25 | ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἀνάστασις καὶ ἡ ζωή | म पुनरुत्थान र जीवन हुँ | Critical |
| 6 | John 14:6 | ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ὁδὸς καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια καὶ ἡ ζωή | म मार्ग, सत्य र जीवन हुँ | Critical |
| 7 | John 15:1 | ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἄμπελος ἡ ἀληθινή | म साँचो दाखको बोट हुँ | Critical |
All seven require mandatory human theologian review at every occurrence, per the escalation rules established in 12_ai_translation_requirements.md.
Table 4 — Forbidden Substitutions Specific to the John Curriculum (Extending the Baseline List)
| Concept | NEVER use | ALWAYS use | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Birth / Born Again | पुनर्जन्म | नयाँ जन्म (माथिबाटको जन्म) | Karma-driven reincarnation collision (Hindu and Buddhist) |
| Only-begotten Son | अद्वैत पुत्र, विशेष पुत्र (implying “a kind of” son) | एकमात्र पुत्र | Avatar-plurality collision |
| Works/deeds (judgment/grace contexts) | कर्म | काम | Karma-merit accounting collision |
| Unity of believers/Father-Son | अद्वैत-प्रेरित एकता framing | तिनीहरू एक होऊन् (with relational/volitional teaching note) | Advaita monistic-absorption collision |
| Baptize | स्नान गराउनु | बप्तिस्मा दिनु | Ritual purificatory bathing collision |
| Living water | तीर्थजल-सरह पानी | जीवित पानी | Sacred-geographic-site holy water collision |
| Lamb of God (context) | (no substitute word, but MUST be taught against) बलि-सरह पशु चढाइने अर्थमा | परमेश्वरका थुमा + explanatory note | Pashu-bali (animal sacrifice) collision |
| Devil / father of lies | भूत-प्रेत (as equivalence) | दियाबल | Folk-spirit-category collision (impersonal/lesser vs. cosmic personal adversary) |
| “It is finished” | दायित्व/कर्तव्य पूरा भयो framing | पूरा भयो (with sufficiency-of-atonement note) | Duty-discharge collision, obscuring substitutionary sufficiency |
This glossary is a proposed extension to translation_memory.json and bible_term_registry.json for the John curriculum. All Table 2–4 entries require formal promotion into the shared translation memory (with version increment) before Phase 2 segment translation begins, per the Translation Memory Load and Enforcement Instructions in 12_ai_translation_requirements.md.
See 07_semantic_analysis.md for full verse-by-verse and chapter-by-chapter theological justification of every entry above.
Critical Risk Terms
God
Approved rendering: परमेश्वर
Transliteration: Parameshwar
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
Rejected alternatives: भगवान
CRITICAL: never भगवान — Nepal’s state-identity weight as the world’s only Hindu Kingdom until 2007 and the Shah kings’ living-avatar veneration until 2008. In John, applied directly to Christ himself at 1:1c, 1:18, 20:28 — each such occurrence is itself a Deity of Christ assertion requiring theologian review. Inherited from Romans package.
Jesus
Approved rendering: येशू
Transliteration: Yeshu
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Established Nepali Christian standard form across all 21 chapters. Inherited from Romans package.
Lord
Approved rendering: प्रभु
Transliteration: prabhu
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Rejected alternatives: मालिक, ईश्वर
Exclusive, supreme Lordship. In John, combines with परमेश्वर at 20:28’s climactic confession. Inherited from Romans package.
Holy Spirit
Approved rendering: पवित्र आत्मा
Transliteration: Pavitra Atma
Doctrine: Sanctification / Holy Spirit as Counselor
Rejected alternatives: ब्रह्म, परमात्मा
CRITICAL: never ब्रह्म (impersonal Hindu Absolute) or परमात्मा alone (universal Self). In John this Person is additionally identified as the Paraclete (see paraclete_counselor) — both terms must always denote the same personal divine Spirit. Inherited from Romans package.
Father
Approved rendering: पिता
Transliteration: Pita
Doctrine: Unity of the Father and the Son
God as personal Father; foundational to the Father-Son unity John repeatedly asserts (5:19-23; 10:30; 14:9-11; 17:11,21-23). Inherited from Romans package.
Son Of God
Approved rendering: परमेश्वरका पुत्र
Transliteration: Parameshwarka Putra
Doctrine: Sonship of Christ
Rejected alternatives: देवपुत्र
CRITICAL: must never be interchanged with ‘Son of Man’ (मानिसका पुत्र) — the two titles are complementary but doctrinally distinct in John. Inherited from Romans package.
Faith
Approved rendering: विश्वास
Transliteration: vishwas
Doctrine: Faith and Belief in Christ
Rejected alternatives: श्रद्धा, भक्ति
RISK ELEVATED FROM ROMANS’ HIGH TO CRITICAL for the John curriculum, given the term’s unparalleled structural centrality across all 21 chapters and its role in the Gospel’s stated purpose (20:31). Render πιστεύω εἰς consistently as ‘उहाँमा विश्वास गर्नु’, not a bare ‘believe him’. Inherited from Romans package with risk elevation noted.
Righteousness
Approved rendering: धार्मिकता
Transliteration: dharmikata
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: धर्म, पुण्य
Not independently thematized in John as in Romans, but retained for cross-curriculum consistency should study notes reference it. Never धर्म. Inherited from Romans package.
Salvation
Approved rendering: उद्धार
Transliteration: uddhar
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: मुक्ति, मोक्ष, निर्वाण
CRITICAL AND DUAL-FRONT: never मुक्ति/मोक्ष (Hindu liberation from rebirth) or निर्वाण (Buddhist cessation of craving/self). John 3:17, 4:22, 5:34, 12:47. Inherited from Romans package.
Resurrection
Approved rendering: पुनरुत्थान
Transliteration: punarutthan
Doctrine: Resurrection of Christ
Rejected alternatives: पुनर्जन्म
CRITICAL: never पुनर्जन्म. In John this risk is compounded relative to Romans by the additional Himalayan Buddhist tulku recognized-reincarnation tradition — a third collision risk alongside Hindu and Buddhist six-realm rebirth. John 2:19-22; 5:28-29; 11:25; 20:1-29; 21:1-14. Inherited from Romans package with John-specific tulku note added.
Incarnation
Approved rendering: देहधारण
Transliteration: dehadharan
Doctrine: Incarnation
Rejected alternatives: अवतार
CRITICAL: never अवतार. John 1:14 (‘the Word became flesh’) is the single most important incarnation verse in the New Testament and therefore the highest-stakes verse in the Johannine corpus given Shah-dynasty royal-avatar veneration until 2008. Inherited from Romans package.
Messiah
Approved rendering: मसीह
Transliteration: Masih
Doctrine: Messianic Promise
John 1:41; 4:25; 7:41-42; 11:27. Paired with ख्रीष्ट (Christ) per transliteration standard; 1:41 explicitly glosses one as the other. Inherited from Romans package.
Word Logos
Approved rendering: वचन
Transliteration: vachan
Doctrine: Deity and Pre-existence of Christ (the Word)
Rejected alternatives: वाणी, वाक्
NEW. Established Nepali Bible term (जुहन्ना १:१). Never वाणी or वाक् — both carry direct association with Vāc/Sarasvatī, the Hindu goddess of speech and cosmic sound, risking a syncretistic reading of the Word as a deified attribute or emanation rather than a fully personal, co-eternal divine Person who is himself God (1:1c). Must be fenced with a pre-existence/deity teaching note at every occurrence (1:1-3, 1:14, 1:18).
Only Begotten Son
Approved rendering: एकमात्र पुत्र
Transliteration: ekmatra putra
Doctrine: Sonship of Christ
Rejected alternatives: अद्वैत पुत्र, विशेष पुत्र
NEW. Must never suggest Christ is one of several divine sons or one avatar among many — a live risk given Hindu tradition’s recognition of multiple genuine avatars of Vishnu (Rama, Krishna, etc.) and Nepal’s own recent royal-avatar state ideology. अद्वैत पुत्र is especially forbidden given its direct Advaita-philosophy collision. John 1:14, 1:18, 3:16, 3:18.
New Birth
Approved rendering: नयाँ जन्म (माथिबाटको जन्म)
Transliteration: naya janma (mathibatko janma)
Doctrine: New Birth and Regeneration by the Spirit
Rejected alternatives: पुनर्जन्म
NEW. ABSOLUTE FORBIDDEN SUBSTITUTION: never पुनर्जन्म, the standard Nepali word for karma-driven reincarnation, held by both Nepali Hindu and Buddhist frameworks. Extends the baseline’s identical forbidden-term rule for ‘resurrection.’ माथिबाटको (‘from above’) is added specifically wherever the divine-source sense (ἄνωθεν) is emphasized (John 3:3, 3:7). Core passage term — mandatory theologian review at every occurrence.
Eternal Life
Approved rendering: अनन्त जीवन
Transliteration: anant jeevan
Doctrine: Eternal Life through Faith in Christ
Rejected alternatives: मोक्ष, मुक्ति, निर्वाण
NEW. Dual-front rule identical to the baseline’s ‘salvation’ entry: never मोक्ष/मुक्ति (Hindu liberation from the rebirth cycle) or निर्वाण (Buddhist cessation of craving/self). Defined explicitly at John 17:3 as personal, relational knowledge of the Father and Son, received now by faith (present tense at 3:36, 5:24), not an eventual escape achieved through discipline or enlightenment across time.
World Kosmos
Approved rendering: संसार
Transliteration: sansar
Doctrine: God’s Love for the World
NEW, ELEVATED TO CRITICAL for the John curriculum. No viable substitute term exists. संसार independently denotes, in both Hindu and Buddhist frameworks, the phenomenal cycle of worldly existence the devout seek liberation from. Dual valence must be tracked per occurrence: positive (object of God’s love, 3:16-17) vs. negative (system in rebellion, 15:18-19). Risk managed via context-tagging, not substitution. ~78 occurrences across the book.
Lamb Of God
Approved rendering: परमेश्वरका थुमा
Transliteration: Parameshwarka thuma
Doctrine: Christ’s Substitutionary Death
NEW. Must be taught against conflation with Nepal’s ongoing tradition of animal sacrifice to Hindu deities (pashu-bali), most visibly the Gadhimai festival and Dashain sacrificial offerings. Once-for-all, sufficient substitutionary sacrifice, not a repeatable ritual offering renewed to maintain divine favor. John 1:29,36; fulfilled typologically at 19:36.
Son Of Man
Approved rendering: मानिसका पुत्र
Transliteration: manisaka putra
Doctrine: Son of Man Title
NEW. Must not be flattened to mean merely ‘a human being’ (losing the Daniel 7 exalted-authority sense) nor ever interchanged with परमेश्वरका पुत्र (Son of God). John 1:51; 3:13-14; 5:27; 6:27,53; 9:35; 12:23,34; 13:31.
I Am Absolute
Approved rendering: म हुँ
Transliteration: ma hun
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements / Deity of Christ
NEW. Grammatically ordinary in Nepali and does not by itself carry the Greek absolute construction’s emphatic theological weight. Every absolute (unqualified) occurrence — 8:24, 8:28, 8:58, 13:19, 18:5-6, 18:8 — requires a translator/teacher’s note explaining the Exodus 3:14 LXX echo. No lexical substitute exists; the gap is closed by explanatory notes, not by translation.
I Am Bread Of Life
Approved rendering: म जीवनको रोटी हुँ
Transliteration: ma jeevanko roti hun
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements (#1)
NEW. John 6:35,48,51. Must not suggest a consumable holy substance conferring merit (avoid प्रसाद-style associations); received by faith, not ingestion.
I Am Light Of World
Approved rendering: म संसारको ज्योति हुँ
Transliteration: ma sansarko jyoti hun
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements (#2)
NEW. John 8:12; cf. 9:5. Compounds the High-risk ‘light’ term with the Critical ‘world’ term — double risk stack.
I Am Door
Approved rendering: म ढोका हुँ
Transliteration: ma dhoka hun
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements (#3)
NEW. John 10:7,9. Exclusive, singular means of access to salvation — a point of genuine tension with religious-pluralism assumptions common in Nepal’s multi-religious social context. Must not be softened.
I Am Good Shepherd
Approved rendering: म असल गोठालो हुँ
Transliteration: ma asal gothalo hun
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements (#4); Christ’s Substitutionary Death
NEW. John 10:11,14. Directly ties to the Substitutionary Death doctrine — voluntary, purposeful self-sacrifice for the sheep (10:11,15,17-18).
I Am Resurrection And Life
Approved rendering: म पुनरुत्थान र जीवन हुँ
Transliteration: ma punarutthan ra jeevan hun
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements (#5); Resurrection of Christ
Rejected alternatives: पुनर्जन्म
NEW. John 11:25. Never पुनर्जन्म. Christ is not merely the performer of resurrection but its personal source and guarantee.
I Am Way Truth Life
Approved rendering: म मार्ग, सत्य र जीवन हुँ
Transliteration: ma marga, satya ra jeevan hun
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements (#6)
NEW. John 14:6. 14:6b’s unqualified exclusivity (‘no one comes to the Father except through me’) must not be softened despite real social pressure toward religious pluralism in Nepal.
I Am True Vine
Approved rendering: म साँचो दाखको बोट हुँ
Transliteration: ma sancho dakhko bot hun
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements (#7); Abiding in Christ
NEW. John 15:1,5. Fruitfulness only through dependent organic union with Christ, not independent effort or accumulated merit (15:4-5).
Paraclete Counselor
Approved rendering: सहायक
Transliteration: sahayak
Doctrine: The Holy Spirit as Counselor
Rejected alternatives: मध्यस्थ
NEW. Genuine vocabulary gap: no single Nepali word covers the Greek’s simultaneous senses of legal advocate, comforter, teacher, and called-alongside helper. सहायक is the working term; मध्यस्थ risks assimilation to the intercessory-spirit/guardian-deity category familiar from Nepali folk and devotional practice. Must remain a distinct, personal, fully divine Person (= पवित्र आत्मा), supplemented by mandatory teaching notes per context. John 14:16,26; 15:26; 16:7.
Father And Son One
Approved rendering: म र पिता एक हौं
Transliteration: ma ra pita ek haun
Doctrine: Unity of the Father and the Son
NEW. John 10:30. Greek ἕν (neuter) denotes unity of essence/purpose/power, not identity of person; the Father and Son remain personally distinct throughout John. Requires a standing teaching note at every occurrence to forestall an Advaita monistic-absorption misreading.
That They May Be One
Approved rendering: तिनीहरू एक होऊन्
Transliteration: tineeharu ek hoon
Doctrine: Unity of Believers Patterned on the Father-Son Unity
Rejected alternatives: अद्वैत-प्रेरित एकता framing
NEW. SINGLE HIGHEST NEPALI-SPECIFIC RISK TERM IN THE ENTIRE CURRICULUM. Advaita Vedanta’s teaching that ultimate reality is one undifferentiated Absolute (Brahman) and that perceived plurality of selves is illusion (māyā) provides Nepali readers a culturally dominant, and precisely wrong, lens. The unity prayed for is relational and volitional, preserving every believer’s distinct personhood (‘they,’ distinct from ‘you’ and ‘I’) throughout. अद्वैत-प्रेरित एकता framing must never appear in any teaching material without an equally prominent correction. Mandatory theologian review at every occurrence. John 17:11, 17:21-23.
Crucify
Approved rendering: क्रूसमा टाँग्नु
Transliteration: krusma tangnu
Doctrine: Christ’s Substitutionary Death
NEW. Established Nepali Christian term. Must retain the full historical, physical, voluntary character of Christ’s death; never abstracted into a purely symbolic ‘dying to self’ metaphor divorced from the historical crucifixion event. John ch. 19.
My Lord And My God
Approved rendering: मेरा प्रभु र मेरा परमेश्वर
Transliteration: mera prabhu ra mera parameshwar
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
NEW, combining two REUSED Critical Romans-TM terms (प्रभु, परमेश्वर) applied directly and personally to Jesus by name. Thomas’s confession (John 20:28), the Gospel’s narrative climax. No softening permitted; mandatory theologian review.
High Risk Terms
Grace
Approved rendering: अनुग्रह
Transliteration: anugraha
Doctrine: Grace
Rejected alternatives: कृपा, पुण्य, भाग्य
John 1:14, 1:16-17 ‘grace upon grace’ — establishes grace as characteristic of Christ’s incarnate revelation from his first appearance in the narrative. Inherited from Romans package.
Glory
Approved rendering: महिमा
Transliteration: mahima
Doctrine: Christ’s Glorification through Suffering
Rejected alternatives: तेज
In John, Christ’s glory is manifest specifically through the cross (12:23-28; 13:31-32; 17:1) — a striking inversion of royal/avatar-glory ideology historically attached to the Nepali monarchy. Inherited from Romans package.
Sin
Approved rendering: पाप
Transliteration: paap
Doctrine: Universal Human Sinfulness and Accountability
Rejected alternatives: अकुशल कर्म
Never अकुशल कर्म (the Buddhist ‘unskillful action’ framing). John 1:29; 8:24,34,46; 9:41; 15:22-24; 16:8-9. Inherited from Romans package.
Sanctification
Approved rendering: पवित्रीकरण
Transliteration: pavitrikaran
Doctrine: Sanctification through the Word and the Spirit
Rejected alternatives: शुद्धीकरण
John 15:3; 17:17,19. Distinct from Hindu ritual purification or Buddhist meditative self-purification through disciplined practice. Inherited from Romans package.
Covenant
Approved rendering: करार
Transliteration: karar
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant
Rejected alternatives: सम्झौता
Background term for Davidic covenant references in John 7:41-42. Inherited from Romans package.
Seed Of David
Approved rendering: दाऊदको वंश
Transliteration: Daudko vansha
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant
John 7:41-42, debated Messianic lineage question. Inherited from Romans package.
Providence
Approved rendering: परमेश्वरको व्यवस्थापन
Transliteration: Parameshwarko vyavasthapan
Doctrine: Providence
Rejected alternatives: भाग्य, कर्मको नियम
Background doctrinal category; connects to the personal (not karmic) character of God’s wrath and judgment in John. Inherited from Romans package.
Election
Approved rendering: परमेश्वरको छनोट
Transliteration: Parameshwarko chhanot
Doctrine: Effectual Calling and Divine Initiative
Rejected alternatives: भाग्य, किस्मत
Connects to John 6:37,44,65 ‘drawing’ language (see new term draw); God’s sovereign, personal choice, not karma-determined destiny. Inherited from Romans package.
Gospel
Approved rendering: सुसमाचार
Transliteration: susamachar
Doctrine: Gospel
Rejected alternatives: खुशखबरी
Relevant to John’s own stated purpose (20:30-31), even though John rarely uses the noun itself; the Gospel’s entire narrative is this proclamation. Inherited from Romans package.
Law
Approved rendering: व्यवस्था
Transliteration: vyavastha
Doctrine: Fulfillment of Prophecy
Rejected alternatives: धर्म, नियम
John 1:17 ‘the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ’ — never धर्म. Inherited from Romans package.
Called
Approved rendering: बोलाइएका
Transliteration: bolaieka
Doctrine: Effectual Calling and Divine Initiative
Rejected alternatives: निमन्त्रित
Retained for cross-curriculum consistency with the effectual calling doctrine John 6:37,44,65 develops through ‘draw’ language. Inherited from Romans package.
Calling
Approved rendering: बोलावट
Transliteration: bolawat
Doctrine: Effectual Calling and Divine Initiative
Retained for cross-curriculum consistency. Inherited from Romans package.
Light
Approved rendering: ज्योति
Transliteration: jyoti
Doctrine: Light and Darkness as Revelation and Judgment
Rejected alternatives: तेज
NEW. Must be distinguished from generic ‘enlightenment’ language associated with Buddhist bodhi (awakening as light-imagery) or the Hindu ātman as an inner divine spark; Johannine light is a specific, historical, personal, external self-disclosure of Christ (1:4-9; 8:12; 9:5), not a potential inner light discovered through practice.
Wrath Of God
Approved rendering: परमेश्वरको क्रोध
Transliteration: Parameshwarko krodh
Doctrine: Wrath of God against Unbelief
Rejected alternatives: कर्मको नियम, भाग्य
NEW. Must be clearly distinguished from an impersonal law of automatic karmic retribution (already rejected in the baseline’s providence entry) — God’s wrath is the personal, moral response of a relational God to willful unbelief. John 3:36.
Condemn Judgment
Approved rendering: दोषी ठहराउनु / न्याय
Transliteration: doshi thahraunu / nyaya
Doctrine: Judgment and Belief/Unbelief
NEW. Parallel forensic structure to the baseline’s justification entry (धर्मी ठहराइने कार्य); condemnation is its declared-guilty opposite. John 3:17-19; ch.5; 9; 12; 16.
Truth
Approved rendering: सत्य
Transliteration: satya
Doctrine: Truth as Christ’s Personal Identity
NEW. सत्य carries independent philosophical weight in Nepali religious culture (सत्युग, the Hindu ‘Age of Truth’; सत्याग्रह in the Gandhian tradition) as an impersonal cosmic or ethical absolute. Johannine truth is ultimately personal and Christ-centered (14:6), not an abstract principle discovered through ascetic/contemplative practice. John 1:14,17; 4:23-24; 8:32,44; 14:6,17; 16:13; 18:37-38.
Works Deeds
Approved rendering: काम
Transliteration: kaam
Doctrine: Judgment; Grace vs. Merit
Rejected alternatives: कर्म
NEW. कर्म forbidden in judgment/grace-contrast contexts — direct karma-doctrine collision risk (extends baseline’s grace and providence entries). Use काम instead. John 3:19-21; 6:28-29; 9:3-4.
Baptize
Approved rendering: बप्तिस्मा दिनु
Transliteration: baptisma dinu
Doctrine: Baptism and New Covenant Symbolism
Rejected alternatives: स्नान गराउनु
NEW. Established Nepali Christian transliterated term. Must be distinguished from ritual purificatory bathing (स्नान) in sacred rivers such as the Bagmati at Pashupatinath. John 1:25-33; 3:22-26; 4:1-2.
Living Water
Approved rendering: जीवित पानी
Transliteration: jeevit paani
Doctrine: Living Water and the Gift of the Spirit
Rejected alternatives: तीर्थजल
NEW. Not tied to any geographic site of ritual sanctity (contrast with Bagmati/Ganges holy-water pilgrimage-bathing tradition); Christ himself is the source, received by faith, not obtained by ritual bathing at a sacred location. John 4:10-14; 7:37-39.
Worship In Spirit And Truth
Approved rendering: आत्मा र सत्यताले आराधना गर्नु
Transliteration: atma ra satyatale aradhana garnu
Doctrine: Worship in Spirit and Truth
NEW. Must be taught as worship enabled by the Spirit and grounded in revealed truth (Christ himself, cf. 14:6) — not ‘spirit’ as an inward subjective feeling-state or ‘truth’ as a philosophical abstraction achievable through meditation. John 4:21-24.
Abide
Approved rendering: रहनु
Transliteration: rahanu
Doctrine: Abiding in Christ
NEW. Must be distinguished from Advaita/Buddhist self-dissolution (merging into an undifferentiated absolute) or non-attachment frameworks; Johannine abiding preserves full personal, distinct identity while producing deep, dependent intimacy. John 15:1-10, μένω used 11 times in this chapter alone.
Spirit Of Truth
Approved rendering: सत्यताको आत्मा
Transliteration: satyatako atma
Doctrine: The Holy Spirit as Counselor
NEW. Compounds the Critical Holy Spirit term with the High-risk truth term; both component risks apply simultaneously. John 14:17; 16:13.
Convict
Approved rendering: दोषी देखाउनु
Transliteration: doshi dekhaunu
Doctrine: Judgment and Belief/Unbelief; Holy Spirit as Counselor
NEW. Render consistently across John 3:20 (light exposes) and 16:8 (Spirit convicts) to preserve the intended structural echo linking both passages; internal, personal conviction, not external accusation.
It Is Finished
Approved rendering: पूरा भयो
Transliteration: pura bhayo
Doctrine: Christ’s Substitutionary Death
Rejected alternatives: दायित्व/कर्तव्य पूरा भयो
NEW. John 19:30. Perfect tense: a completed action with ongoing effect. Must not be rendered as mere personal-duty discharge (दायित्व/कर्तव्य पूरा भयो), which would reframe the cross as Christ fulfilling a religious obligation rather than accomplishing a unique, all-sufficient, substitutionary redemptive work.
Devil
Approved rendering: दियाबल
Transliteration: diyabal
Doctrine: Spiritual Conflict with the Devil
Rejected alternatives: भूत-प्रेत
NEW. Must not be conflated with the broad, largely impersonal category of malevolent local spirits in Nepali folk religious belief (bhut, pret, masan), which occupy a different, localized, often placatable conceptual space. A specific, personal, cosmic adversary — ‘the father of lies’ (8:44).
Lifted Up
Approved rendering: उचालिनु
Transliteration: uchalinu
Doctrine: Christ’s Substitutionary Death; Deity of Christ
NEW. Deliberate double meaning: physically lifted up on the cross AND exalted/glorified (3:14; 8:28; 12:32-34). Crucifixion IS glorification in John’s theology — a striking inversion of honor/shame frameworks operative in Nepali culture. Requires an explanatory note at each of the three occurrences.
Flesh
Approved rendering: शरीर
Transliteration: sharir
Doctrine: Incarnation; Universal Human Sinfulness; Christ’s Substitutionary Death
NEW. Three distinct senses across John: genuine human nature (1:14, incarnation), fallen human origin (3:6), symbolic sacrificial participation (6:51-56). Context-sensitive; flag which sense is active at each occurrence.
Temple Of His Body
Approved rendering: उहाँको शरीररूपी मन्दिर
Transliteration: uhako sharirrupi mandir
Doctrine: Deity of Christ; Resurrection of Christ
NEW. John 2:19-21. Christ’s own body as the true locus of God’s presence, superseding the physical Temple. Distinct both from the literal Temple sense (temple_literal) and from the baseline’s separate ‘church’ doctrine; requires a translator note.
One Flock One Shepherd
Approved rendering: एउटै भेडाको गोठ, एउटै गोठालो
Transliteration: euta bhedako goth, euta gothalo
Doctrine: Unity of Jews and Gentiles / One Flock, One Shepherd
NEW. John 10:16. Jewish and Gentile believers united under one shepherd, prefiguring the church’s unity; directly challenges caste-based spiritual hierarchy formerly codified in Nepal’s Muluki Ain (in force until 1963).
Draw
Approved rendering: तान्नु
Transliteration: tannu
Doctrine: Effectual Calling and Divine Initiative
NEW. John 6:37,44,65. God’s sovereign initiative in drawing people to Christ; salvation is not self-initiated. Connects directly to the baseline’s effectual_calling doctrine (प्रभावकारी बोलावट); stands against both Hindu and Buddhist frameworks of self-directed spiritual advancement through disciplined practice.
Authority
Approved rendering: अधिकार
Transliteration: adhikar
Doctrine: Son of Man Title; Sonship of Christ
NEW. John 5:27. Authority delegated by the Father to the Son specifically as Son of Man to execute judgment — establishes both the Son’s genuine humanity and his divine authority.
Honor Father Son
Approved rendering: आदर/सम्मान गर्नु
Transliteration: aadar/samman garnu
Doctrine: Unity of the Father and the Son
NEW. John 5:23 ‘that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father’ — a direct assertion of the Son’s co-equal deity. Must not be softened to imply a lesser, derivative honor for the Son (a reading compatible with a Hindu avatar framework in which an avatar receives real but not fully co-equal honor).
Medium Risk Terms
Peace
Approved rendering: शान्ति
Transliteration: shanti
Doctrine: Peace with God
Rejected alternatives: सुख
John 14:27; 16:33; 20:19,21,26 ‘peace be with you’ — relational peace, not mere calm. Inherited from Romans package.
Church
Approved rendering: मण्डली
Transliteration: mandali
Doctrine: Church as God’s People
Rejected alternatives: मन्दिर, गुम्बा
Never मन्दिर for ekklesia. Note: मन्दिर IS the correct rendering for the literal Herodian Temple building in John 2 (see temple_literal) — a distinct referent that does not conflict with this prohibition. Inherited from Romans package.
Kingdom Of God
Approved rendering: परमेश्वरको राज्य
Transliteration: Parameshwarko Rajya
Doctrine: Kingdom of God/Christ Not of This World
John 3:3,5; 18:36 ‘my kingdom is not of this world’ — directly relevant to Nepal’s recent history of a divinely-legitimated monarchy. Inherited from Romans package.
David
Approved rendering: दाऊद
Transliteration: Daud
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant
John 7:42 debate over Messiah’s Davidic lineage. Inherited from Romans package.
Israel
Approved rendering: इस्राएल
Transliteration: Israel
Doctrine: Unity of Jews and Gentiles
John 1:49 ‘King of Israel’; 3:10 ‘teacher of Israel’. Inherited from Romans package.
Abba
Approved rendering: अब्बा
Transliteration: Abba
Doctrine: Adoption into God’s Family
Not directly present in John’s text; retained for cross-curriculum vocabulary consistency with Romans 8:15. Inherited from Romans package.
Mission
Approved rendering: सुसमाचार प्रचार
Transliteration: susamachar prachar
Doctrine: Mission and Witness to the World
John 4:35-39; 15:27; 17:18; 20:21. Open evangelism carries current legal risk under the 2017 Muluki Criminal Code; frame as witness, not recruitment. Inherited from Romans package.
Gentiles
Approved rendering: अन्यजाति
Transliteration: anyajati
Doctrine: Unity of Jews and Gentiles
Rejected alternatives: विदेशी
Relevant background for John 10:16 ‘one flock’ and 11:52 ‘gather into one’ passages. Inherited from Romans package.
Darkness
Approved rendering: अन्धकार
Transliteration: andhakar
Doctrine: Light and Darkness as Revelation and Judgment
NEW. Moral and spiritual opposition to God, not merely absence of information; must retain moral/relational sense (loving darkness = loving evil), not intellectual ignorance alone. John 1:5; 3:19; 8:12; 12:35,46.
Perish
Approved rendering: नष्ट हुनु
Transliteration: nashta hunu
Doctrine: Judgment and Belief/Unbelief
NEW. Not a peaceful natural cessation; personal ruin under God’s judgment. John 3:16.
Sign
Approved rendering: चिन्ह
Transliteration: chinha
Doctrine: Deity of Christ (evidentiary)
Rejected alternatives: आश्चर्यकर्म
NEW. Must not be rendered with vocabulary suggesting an astrological omen or a tantric siddhi (supernatural attainment) — must retain the sense of a revelatory pointer authenticated by God. Structures John’s narrative through seven signs (2:11; 3:2; 4:54; 6:14; 9:16; 11:47; 20:30).
Hour
Approved rendering: घडी
Transliteration: ghadi
Doctrine: Christ’s Glorification through Suffering (narrative motif)
NEW. Track this motif’s escalating urgency across the book: ‘not yet come’ (2:4; 7:30; 8:20) gives way to ‘has come’ (12:23,27; 13:1; 17:1) — render consistently.
Testimony
Approved rendering: गवाही
Transliteration: gawahi
Doctrine: Inspiration and Testimony of Scripture
NEW. Must retain the forensic, first-hand eyewitness sense — John’s ‘trial’ structuring motif — not a vague personal opinion or hearsay, and distinct from shruti/sutra transmission models. John 1:7-8,19-34; 5:31-39; 8:13-18; 21:24.
Grain Of Wheat
Approved rendering: गहुँको दानो मर्नु
Transliteration: gahunko dano marnu
Doctrine: Christ’s Substitutionary Death
NEW. John 12:24. Generative, substitutionary death metaphor; low independent ambiguity; agricultural imagery transfers naturally into Nepal’s still-largely-agrarian cultural context.
Temple Literal
Approved rendering: मन्दिर
Transliteration: mandir
Doctrine: (narrative/typological, Temple Cleansing)
NEW. John 2:14-21. This literal referent (the Herodian Jerusalem Temple building) is correctly रendered मन्दिर and does NOT conflict with the baseline’s forbidden मन्दिर-for-ekklesia rule, which applies only to the church community, a distinct concept. See temple_of_his_body for the metaphorical extension within the same passage.
Children Of Abraham
Approved rendering: अब्राहामका सन्तान
Transliteration: Abrahamka santan
Doctrine: Universal Scope of the Gospel
NEW. John 8:33-44. Distinguishes physical descent from true spiritual sonship; spiritual identity is not conferred by ethnic/caste lineage, directly relevant to caste-based identity structures in Nepali society.
Low Risk Terms
Manna
Approved rendering: मन्न
Transliteration: manna
Doctrine: Old Testament Background (Bread of Life discourse)
NEW. John 6:31-33,49-51. Requires an explanatory background note for readers without Old Testament literacy; no doctrinal collision risk.
Dwelling Places
Approved rendering: वासस्थानहरू
Transliteration: vasasthanharu
Doctrine: Eschatological Hope
NEW. John 14:2-3. Avoid a rendering implying separate, hierarchically graded abodes, which could resonate with tiered cosmological realms (lokas) in Hindu/Buddhist afterlife frameworks; the point is abundant provision and welcome.
Bridegroom
Approved rendering: दुलहा
Transliteration: dulaha
Doctrine: Messianic Identity
NEW. John 3:29. Messianic bridegroom imagery; establishes John the Baptist’s self-subordinating role (‘the friend of the bridegroom’); no significant collision risk.
Wine
Approved rendering: मद्य / दाखरस
Transliteration: madya / dakharas
Doctrine: (narrative detail, Wedding at Cana)
NEW. John 2:1-11. Symbol of messianic abundance and joy, echoing Old Testament wedding-banquet imagery; low independent doctrinal risk.
Amen Amen
Approved rendering: साँच्चै साँच्चै म तिमीलाई भन्दछु
Transliteration: sanchai sanchai ma timilai bhandachu
Doctrine: (literary/authority marker, Inspiration of Scripture)
NEW. Used 25 times across John, marking authoritative, weighty pronouncement in Jesus’ speech. Low individual doctrinal risk, but consistency-critical: must be rendered identically at every occurrence.
Referenced passages