Cross-Reference and Theme Analysis — Acts 1–28 (English → Persian)
Method and Scope
This document catalogs every Old Testament quotation and allusion, every messianic reference and typological pattern, and every substantive parallel to the Romans curriculum (and to other New Testament material informing this Language Package) found in Acts 1–28. Citations are given in normalized form (Book Chapter:Verse, e.g. Genesis 15:6, Romans 10:13) so they can be matched programmatically across curricula in Phase 2. Persian renderings referenced here reuse the exact baseline terms fixed in translation_memory.json and the Acts-specific terms fixed in 08_core_glossary.md; no new renderings are proposed in this document except where explicitly flagged as a new consistency rule.
Every chapter of Acts is reviewed. Chapters containing no direct Old Testament quotation are explicitly marked “no direct OT citation — reviewed” rather than omitted, per the full-book-coverage mandate.
Part 1 — Cross-Reference Matrix (Chapter by Chapter)
Acts 1
| Passage | Theme | Related Character | OT/NT Connection | Translation Sensitivity |
|---|
| Acts 1:9-11 | Great Commission Fulfilled (inaugurating); Apostolic Authority | Jesus; two men in white (angels) | Typological parallel: 2 Kings 2:11 (Elijah taken up in a whirlwind, witnessed by Elisha). NT-internal: Luke 24:50-51 (same event narrated by the same author). | The Ascension typologically recalls a prophet’s bodily departure but must be taught as categorically greater — Elijah did not rise from death first, nor return in this same body to reign. Reinforces baseline “resurrection” (قیامت) Critical caution: bodily, historical, unrepeated. |
| Acts 1:16-20 | Apostolic Authority | Judas Iscariot; David (as psalmist) | Direct quotations: Psalm 69:25 and Psalm 109:8, both applied to Judas’s fate and the need for his apostolic replacement. | Low-risk historical/legal argument (quoting imprecatory psalms against a specific betrayer); ensure the quotation is framed as Peter’s own scriptural argument, not a general model for cursing enemies. |
| Acts 1:6-8 | Great Commission Fulfilled; Kingdom Mission | The apostles; Jesus | NT-internal: restates and reframes Luke 24:47-49’s commissioning; echoes OT missionary-hope texts (Isaiah 49:6, cited later at Acts 13:47) without direct quotation here. Acts 1:8’s geographic structure (Jerusalem → Judea/Samaria → ends of the earth) is the book’s own organizing thesis. | Must not be read as endorsing a political “restoration” of a territorial kingdom (the disciples’ own mistaken assumption in 1:6, corrected by Jesus); reuse baseline “kingdom_of_god” (ملکوت خدا) caution regarding Iran’s Velayat-e Faqih political-religious system. |
Acts 2 (Core Passage)
| Passage | Theme | Related Character | OT/NT Connection | Translation Sensitivity |
|---|
| Acts 2:17-21 | The Holy Spirit and Pentecost | Joel the prophet; Peter | Direct quotation: Joel 2:28-32 (LXX numbering 3:1-5). Acts 2:21 quotes the same clause — “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” — that Paul later quotes in Romans 10:13. | CRITICAL VERBATIM-CONSISTENCY REQUIREMENT — see Part 3, Rule 1. Also: “last days” language must not be assimilated into Shia Mahdi-return eschatological expectation (per baseline “resurrection” note). |
| Acts 2:25-28, 2:31 | Resurrection of Christ; Conversion of Paul (background); Messianic Promise | David (as prophet); Jesus | Direct quotation: Psalm 16:8-11. This exact psalm (v.10, “you will not let your Holy One see corruption”) is quoted again at Acts 13:35. | See Part 3, Rule 2 (internal Acts consistency). Reinforces baseline “resurrection” (قیامت) Critical status — direct apologetic argument from an occupied (David’s) vs. empty (Christ’s) tomb. |
| Acts 2:34-35 | Lordship of Christ; Deity of Christ | David (as psalmist); Jesus | Direct quotation: Psalm 110:1 (“The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand…’”). NT-wide: this is the single most-quoted OT verse in the entire New Testament (cf. Matthew 22:44, Mark 12:36, Luke 20:42-43, Hebrews 1:13). | Reuse baseline “lord” (خداوند) exactly for both occurrences of “Lord” in the quotation, while ensuring the distinction between the two referents (YHWH and the Messiah) remains clear — this double use is itself an implicit deity claim and must not be flattened. |
| Acts 2:29-32 | Davidic Covenant; Fulfillment of Prophecy | David; Jesus | Allusion: 2 Samuel 7:12-16 (the Davidic covenant promise of an enduring dynastic heir), underlying Peter’s argument that David “foresaw” the resurrection of his greater Son. | Reuse baseline “david” (داوود) and “covenant” (عهد); the covenant-typology (David → greater Son of David) must be made explicit, since the Quranic Davud lacks this forward-pointing covenant dimension (per baseline “davidic_covenant” note). |
| Acts 2:38-39 | Repentance and Baptism; Gospel to Jews and Gentiles | Peter; the crowd | Allusion: the “promise” language echoes the Abrahamic covenant’s universal scope (Genesis 12:3; 22:18, “all the families of the earth”) and anticipates the Gentile inclusion fully realized in Acts 10-15. | The phrase “to all who are far off” (v.39) is the seed of the Jew-Gentile unity theme; must not be softened or spiritualized away from its concrete Gentile-inclusion referent. |
Acts 3
| Passage | Theme | Related Character | OT/NT Connection | Translation Sensitivity |
|---|
| Acts 3:13, 3:26 | Conversion narratives; Apostolic Authority; Messianic Promise | Jesus (as “his Servant”) | Allusion: Isaiah 52:13-53:12 (the Suffering Servant), esp. the servant-title (παῖς) echoing Isaiah’s עֶבֶד (ebed). The same Servant chapter is directly quoted at Acts 8:32-33. | See Part 3, Rule 4. Also reuse baseline “son_of_god” caution — “Servant” here must not be read as demoting Christ to a merely honored prophetic servant in the Islamic sense; it is a specific messianic title with Isaianic royal-priestly overtones. |
| Acts 3:22-23 | Fulfillment of Prophecy; Apostolic Authority | Moses; Jesus | Direct quotation (combined/paraphrased): Deuteronomy 18:15,18-19 and Leviticus 23:29. The same “prophet like Moses” text is quoted again at Acts 7:37. | See Part 3, Rule 5. Must be taught carefully: Moses as a type of a greater coming Prophet fulfilled uniquely in Christ, not read through the lens of Muhammad as the expected “seal of the prophets” (a live Islamic reading of Deut 18 in Quranic-tradition apologetics). |
| Acts 3:25 | Davidic/Abrahamic Covenant; Gospel to Jews and Gentiles | Abraham | Direct quotation/allusion: Genesis 22:18 (and Genesis 12:3), “in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” | Reuse baseline “covenant” (عهد); this is the same Abrahamic-blessing text structurally underlying Romans 4’s argument from Genesis 15:6 — see Part 3, Rule 7. |
Acts 4
| Passage | Theme | Related Character | OT/NT Connection | Translation Sensitivity |
|---|
| Acts 4:11 | Messianic Promise; Persecution and Bold Witness | Peter; “the builders” (Jewish leaders) | Direct quotation: Psalm 118:22, “the stone that was rejected… has become the cornerstone.” NT-wide: also quoted in Matthew 21:42, Mark 12:10, Luke 20:17, 1 Peter 2:7. Related but distinct: Romans 9:33 combines Isaiah 8:14 and Isaiah 28:16 in a related “stumbling stone” argument — same building/stone imagery, different specific OT verses. | Flag the Psalm 118 vs. Isaiah 8/28 distinction for translators: do not conflate the two “stone” texts into a single citation; both should use the same Persian word for “cornerstone” (سنگ سرِ زاویه or established equivalent) for thematic resonance even though the underlying verses differ. |
| Acts 4:12 | Salvation | Peter | Thematic parallel (not direct quotation): the exclusivity claim parallels Isaiah 45:5,21-22 (YHWH’s exclusive claim to save) and anticipates Romans 10:9-13’s salvation-confession logic. | Reuse baseline “salvation” (نجات) Critical caution regarding the Karbala/Hussein martyrdom-intercession framework; this is the sharpest exclusivity statement in Acts and must not be softened to “a” way among several. |
| Acts 4:24-26 | Persecution and Bold Witness; Messianic Promise | David (as psalmist); “kings of the earth”; Jesus | Direct quotation: Psalm 2:1-2. The same Psalm 2 is quoted again (v.7) at Acts 13:33. | See Part 3, Rule 3. Note this psalm’s royal-enthronement language directly undergirds the “Lord and Christ” confession climaxing Acts 2:36 — internal thematic reinforcement. |
Acts 5
| Passage | Theme | Related Character | OT/NT Connection | Translation Sensitivity |
|---|
| Acts 5:29 | Persecution and Bold Witness; Apostolic Authority | Peter and the apostles; the Council | Allusion (not direct quotation): the pattern of righteous defiance of unlawful human authority in obedience to God echoes Daniel 3 and Daniel 6 (Daniel’s companions/Daniel himself refusing idolatrous or unlawful royal decrees). | No direct OT citation to render, but the Daniel-defiance pattern is a strong, positive bridge concept — Daniel is a shared, respected figure across Islamic tradition too, so this parallel can be taught constructively while keeping the “obedience_of_faith” baseline caution (obedience as faith’s fruit, not a general political-defiance ethic). |
| Acts 5:1-11 (Ananias/Sapphira); 5:34-39 (Gamaliel) | Church as Community; Apostolic Authority | Ananias, Sapphira; Gamaliel | No direct OT citation — reviewed. Gamaliel’s historical references (Theudas, Judas the Galilean) are extrabiblical historical allusions, not Scripture citations. | — |
Acts 6–7
| Passage | Theme | Related Character | OT/NT Connection | Translation Sensitivity |
|---|
| Acts 7:2-8 | Fulfillment of Prophecy; Church as Community (covenant origins) | Abraham | Extended allusion/paraphrase: Genesis 12:1-3; 15:13-16; 17:8. | Reuse baseline “covenant” (عهد); establishes the OT covenant-history frame for the whole speech. |
| Acts 7:9-16 | (background typology) | Joseph and his brothers | Extended allusion: Genesis 37, 39-50 — Joseph rejected by his own brothers, exalted, and becomes the instrument of their salvation/preservation. | Typological note: Joseph functions as a recognized type of Christ (rejected by his own, exalted by God, saves those who rejected him) — see Part 2, Typology table. No direct quotation to render, but the typological point should be preserved in any teaching notes accompanying the passage. |
| Acts 7:17-43 | Fulfillment of Prophecy; Law (background) | Moses; the Israelites | Extended allusion/paraphrase: Exodus 1-3 (Moses’ birth, calling, the burning bush — Exodus 3:6 is directly echoed at Acts 7:32); Exodus 32 (the golden calf, echoed 7:39-41). | Moses’ calling narrative (burning bush theophany) is a strong, positive shared reference point with Islamic tradition (Musa is a major Quranic prophet); the distinct Christian point — Moses as a type of a greater Prophet, not the final revelatory figure — must still be made explicit (reinforces Acts 3:22/7:37 caution). |
| Acts 7:42-43 | Universal Human Accountability (idolatry) | Amos (as prophet) | Direct quotation: Amos 5:25-27. | Reuse “idols/idolatry” (بتپرستی) Acts glossary term; low-medium risk. |
| Acts 7:49-50 | Deity of Christ (background); Church as Community | Isaiah (as prophet) | Direct quotation: Isaiah 66:1-2 (“heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool… what is the house you will build for me?”). | Relevant background for teaching that God’s presence is not confined to a temple — directly informs the “Church as Community” doctrine’s point that the church is not primarily a building (cf. baseline “church” note on the underground house-church reality). |
| Acts 7:37 | Fulfillment of Prophecy | Moses; Jesus | Repeats Deuteronomy 18:15 (see Acts 3:22 above). | See Part 3, Rule 5 (internal-Acts consistency). |
| Acts 7:55-56 | Deity of Christ; Conversion narratives (Stephen as forerunner-martyr) | Stephen; Jesus | Allusion: Daniel 7:13-14 (the “Son of Man” title, standing at God’s right hand — cf. Psalm 110:1 again). | See Part 2, Typology table entry on “Son of Man.” Stephen’s vision of the standing (not seated) Son of Man is a unique, weighty detail — the exalted Christ actively receiving his martyr, not merely enthroned in repose. |
| Acts 7:59-60 | Prayer and Intercession; Persecution and Bold Witness | Stephen | NT-internal parallel: Stephen’s dying prayer (“Lord, do not hold this sin against them”) directly echoes Jesus’s own words from the cross (Luke 23:34, 23:46). | Reuse baseline “intercession” (شفاعت) and “lord” (خداوند); this is modeled, derivative intercession by a human believer, not a repetition of Christ’s own unique atoning intercession — the distinction matters for the baseline’s Karbala-intercession caution. |
Acts 8
| Passage | Theme | Related Character | OT/NT Connection | Translation Sensitivity |
|---|
| Acts 8:32-33 | Messianic Promise; Salvation | The Ethiopian eunuch; Philip; Jesus (as the Servant) | Direct quotation: Isaiah 53:7-8. The same chapter (Isaiah 53:1) is quoted in Romans 10:16. | See Part 3, Rule 4. This is the clearest direct identification in Acts of Jesus with Isaiah’s Suffering Servant — must be rendered so the Servant’s substitutionary, sacrificial suffering (“like a sheep led to the slaughter”) is unmistakable, directly countering any reading of Jesus as merely an honored prophet who escaped death. |
| Acts 8:26-39 (whole account) | Gospel to Jews and Gentiles | The Ethiopian eunuch | Background allusion: Deuteronomy 23:1 and Isaiah 56:3-5 (eunuchs’ historic exclusion from, then promised inclusion in, the worshiping covenant community). | This scriptural background (a eunuch historically barred from full temple participation, now freely baptized) strengthens the “Gospel to Jews and Gentiles” doctrine’s scope — inclusion extends beyond ethnicity to bodily/social categories of exclusion as well. |
Acts 9
| Passage | Theme | Related Character | OT/NT Connection | Translation Sensitivity |
|---|
| Acts 9:3-6 | Conversion of Paul | Saul; the risen Jesus | Typological/formal allusion (not direct quotation): the theophany-plus-commissioning pattern echoes Exodus 3 (Moses at the burning bush), Isaiah 6 (Isaiah’s call), and Jeremiah 1 (Jeremiah’s call). | No OT text is directly quoted, but the pattern (voice from divine light/glory, name repeated twice, commissioning to a specific task) is a recognized prophetic-call type-scene; useful to note the pattern without overstating a specific verse-level citation. |
| Acts 9:36-42 | Apostolic Authority and Miracles | Tabitha (Dorcas); Peter | NT-internal parallel: structurally parallels Jesus’s own raisings (Mark 5:41-42, Luke 8:54-55) and anticipates Eutychus at Acts 20:9-12. | See Acts glossary term “resuscitation” — must be distinguished from Christ’s unique, permanent resurrection (قیامت). |
Acts 10–11
| Passage | Theme | Related Character | OT/NT Connection | Translation Sensitivity |
|---|
| Acts 10:9-16 | Gospel to Jews and Gentiles | Peter | Background allusion: Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 (the Mosaic clean/unclean food laws being directly overturned). | See Acts glossary “unclean/common” (ناپاک) Critical entry — directly confronts the Shia fiqh najasat purity-law framework; this is a live doctrinal confrontation, not incidental background. |
| Acts 10:34-35 | Gospel to Jews and Gentiles; Unity of Jews and Gentiles | Peter; Cornelius | Echo (not direct quotation): Deuteronomy 10:17 (“God… shows no partiality”). | Reuse baseline “gentiles” (غیریهودیان); this impartiality principle grounds Romans 2:11’s identical claim (“God shows no partiality”) — see Part 3, Rule 6. |
| Acts 11:1-18 | Gospel to Jews and Gentiles | Peter; the Jerusalem church | NT-internal: retelling/confirmation of Acts 10’s events; no new OT citation — reviewed. | — |
Acts 12
| Passage | Theme | Related Character | OT/NT Connection | Translation Sensitivity |
|---|
| Acts 12:20-23 | Persecution and Bold Witness (contrast) | Herod Agrippa I | Typological parallel: the proud king struck down for accepting worship due to God alone echoes 2 Chronicles 26:16-21 (Uzziah) and Daniel 4 (Nebuchadnezzar’s humbling). | No direct OT citation, but the “prideful ruler judged” pattern is a recognizable, teachable OT type; low doctrinal risk. |
| Acts 12:1-19 | Providence; Prayer and Intercession | Peter; the church at prayer | No direct OT citation — reviewed. | Reuse baseline “providence” (تدبیر الهی). |
Acts 13
| Passage | Theme | Related Character | OT/NT Connection | Translation Sensitivity |
|---|
| Acts 13:22 | Davidic Covenant | David | Allusion: 1 Samuel 13:14 and Psalm 89:20 (“a man after my heart”). | Reuse baseline “david” (داوود). |
| Acts 13:33 | Sonship of Christ; Resurrection of Christ | David (as psalmist); Jesus | Direct quotation: Psalm 2:7 (“You are my Son, today I have begotten you”). This is the second citation of Psalm 2 in Acts (cf. 4:25-26). | See Part 3, Rule 3. Note NT-wide parallel: this same verse is also quoted at Jesus’s baptism (echoed in Luke 3:22) and in Hebrews 1:5, 5:5 — but not directly quoted in Romans; the doctrinal parallel to Romans 1:4 (“declared to be the Son of God… by his resurrection”) is thematic, not verbatim, and should be noted as such. |
| Acts 13:34 | Resurrection of Christ; Davidic Covenant | Jesus; David | Direct quotation: Isaiah 55:3 (“I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David”). | Reuse baseline “covenant” (عهد) and “david” (داوود). |
| Acts 13:35 | Resurrection of Christ | David; Jesus | Direct quotation: Psalm 16:10 (repeats Acts 2:27/31’s citation). | See Part 3, Rule 2 (mandatory internal-Acts verbatim consistency with Acts 2:27,31). |
| Acts 13:41 | Fulfillment of Prophecy; Persecution and Bold Witness | Habakkuk (as prophet) | Direct quotation: Habakkuk 1:5 (“Look, you scoffers, be astounded and perish…”). | Note for translators: this is a different verse from the same OT book (Habakkuk) whose 2:4 is famously quoted in Romans 1:17 (“the righteous shall live by faith”). Do not conflate the two Habakkuk citations; they serve different rhetorical purposes (warning of judgment here vs. grounding justification-by-faith in Romans) even though both concern the same minor prophet. |
| Acts 13:47 | Gospel to Jews and Gentiles; Great Commission Fulfilled | Paul and Barnabas | Direct quotation: Isaiah 49:6 (“I have made you a light for the Gentiles…”). Also echoed at Acts 26:23. | Reuse baseline “gentiles” (غیریهودیان) and Acts glossary “light for the Gentiles” (نوری برای غیریهودیان); ensure identical phrasing at both occurrences (13:47 and 26:23). |
| Acts 13:39 | Justification apart from the Law | Paul | NT-internal, doctrinal (not OT quotation): uses the identical verb-family (δικαιοῦται) central to Romans’ justification argument. | MANDATORY reuse of baseline “justification” (عادل شمرده شدن) verbatim — see Part 3, Rule 8. |
Acts 14
| Passage | Theme | Related Character | OT/NT Connection | Translation Sensitivity |
|---|
| Acts 14:15 | Gospel to Jews and Gentiles | Paul; the Lystra crowd | Allusion: Exodus 20:11 / Psalm 146:6 (“the living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them”). | Reuse baseline “god” (خدا) Critical caution; the “living God” contrast with lifeless idols is a strong, safe apologetic bridge shared broadly with Islamic tawhid instincts, though the Trinitarian content remains the distinguishing risk point. |
| Acts 14:23 | Church as Community; Apostolic Authority | Paul, Barnabas; newly appointed elders | No direct OT citation — reviewed. | — |
Acts 15
| Passage | Theme | Related Character | OT/NT Connection | Translation Sensitivity |
|---|
| Acts 15:16-18 | Gospel to Jews and Gentiles; Unity of Jews and Gentiles; Davidic Covenant | James; Amos (as prophet) | Direct quotation: Amos 9:11-12 (“After this I will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen… that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles…”). | Reuse baseline “david” (داوود) and “gentiles” (غیریهودیان). This is the council’s scriptural warrant for full Gentile inclusion without circumcision — see Part 3, Rule 6 for its thematic parallel to Romans 15:9-12’s Gentile-inclusion catena (different specific OT verses, same doctrinal point). |
| Acts 15:20,29 | Justification apart from the Law | The Jerusalem Council | Background allusion: Leviticus 17-18 (the “Noahide”-type food and sexual-purity restrictions retained for Gentile believers, while circumcision/full law-keeping is explicitly not required). | Must be taught carefully: this is a pastoral accommodation for table-fellowship, not a re-imposition of Mosaic law as a salvation-requirement — reinforces baseline “law” (ناموس) Critical caution against reading this as shari’a-style legal re-imposition. |
Acts 16
| Passage | Theme | Related Character | OT/NT Connection | Translation Sensitivity |
|---|
| Acts 16:16-18, 16:25-34 | Apostolic Authority and Miracles; Repentance and Baptism | Paul, Silas; the slave girl; the Philippian jailer | No direct OT citation — reviewed. | Acts 16:31’s “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” is a thematic (not verbatim) parallel to Romans 10:9’s confession formula — reuse baseline “lord” (خداوند) and “salvation” (نجات) consistently. |
Acts 17
| Passage | Theme | Related Character | OT/NT Connection | Translation Sensitivity |
|---|
| Acts 17:24-26 | Gospel to Jews and Gentiles | Paul; the Areopagus | Allusion: Genesis 1-2 (creation), Genesis 10 (the table of nations), Deuteronomy 32:8. | Reuse baseline “god” (خدا); a genuine natural-theology bridge argument, but must retain the specifically biblical Creator, not a generic philosophical First Cause. |
| Acts 17:28 | (rhetorical bridge, non-scriptural) | Paul | Non-biblical quotation: Paul cites pagan Greek poets (widely identified as Epimenides and Aratus), “In him we live and move and have our being” / “we are his offspring.” | Translation sensitivity: this is Paul’s own missionary use of pagan literature as a rhetorical bridge, not Scripture. Must be clearly distinguished in any teaching material from the OT quotations elsewhere in Acts, so it is not mistaken for an inspired citation or (worse) read as endorsing the poets’ own polytheistic theology. |
| Acts 17:31 | Universal Human Accountability; Resurrection of Christ | Paul; the risen Christ | No direct OT citation; doctrinal parallel to Romans 2:16 and Romans 14:10 (future judgment through Christ). | Reuse baseline “resurrection” (قیامت) Critical caution. |
Acts 18
| Passage | Theme | Related Character | OT/NT Connection | Translation Sensitivity |
|---|
| Acts 18:1-28 | Church as Community; Apostolic Authority | Paul; Aquila and Priscilla; Apollos | No direct OT citation — reviewed (Apollos is described generically as “mighty in the Scriptures,” 18:24, without a specific quotation given). | — |
Acts 19
| Passage | Theme | Related Character | OT/NT Connection | Translation Sensitivity |
|---|
| Acts 19:1-41 | The Holy Spirit and Pentecost (Ephesian disciples); Persecution and Bold Witness (the riot) | Paul; the twelve Ephesian disciples; Demetrius the silversmith | No direct OT citation — reviewed. | — |
Acts 20
| Passage | Theme | Related Character | OT/NT Connection | Translation Sensitivity |
|---|
| Acts 20:28 | Deity of Christ; Church as Community | Paul; the Ephesian elders | NT-internal doctrinal parallel (not OT quotation): “the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood” parallels Ephesians 1:7 and 1 Peter 1:18-19’s blood-purchase language. | See Acts glossary entry #28; the manuscript-variant translator note (God/Lord) must be retained. |
| Acts 20:35 | Church as Community | Paul (quoting Jesus) | NT-internal, extra-Gospel saying of Jesus (“It is more blessed to give than to receive”) — an agraphon, a saying of Jesus not recorded in any of the four Gospels. | Translation sensitivity: must be clearly attributed as a genuine saying of the Lord Jesus preserved by apostolic memory, not confused with an OT proverb (it has no OT source) nor treated as less authoritative for lacking a Gospel parallel. |
| Acts 20:32 | Church as Community; Justification apart from the Law | Paul; the Ephesian elders | Thematic parallel to Romans 8:17 and Galatians 4:7 (inheritance through grace). | Reuse baseline “grace” (فیض) and Acts glossary “inheritance” (میراث). |
Acts 21
| Passage | Theme | Related Character | OT/NT Connection | Translation Sensitivity |
|---|
| Acts 21:23-26 | Justification apart from the Law (background) | Paul; four men under a vow | Background allusion: Numbers 6:1-21 (the Nazirite vow). | See Acts glossary “vow” (نذر) Critical entry; teach as a culturally-Jewish, transitional-era practice, not an endorsement of shrine-vow piety. |
Acts 22
| Passage | Theme | Related Character | OT/NT Connection | Translation Sensitivity |
|---|
| Acts 22:14-16 | Conversion of Paul; Repentance and Baptism | Ananias; Saul | NT-internal: restates Acts 9’s conversion account, and echoes Acts 2:21/2:38’s “calling on his name” and forgiveness-through-baptism formula. | See Part 3, Rule 1 (must match the “calling on the name of the Lord” phrasing established at Acts 2:21). |
Acts 23
| Passage | Theme | Related Character | OT/NT Connection | Translation Sensitivity |
|---|
| Acts 23:5 | Apostolic Authority; Persecution and Bold Witness | Paul; the high priest Ananias | Direct quotation: Exodus 22:28 (“You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people”), quoted by Paul himself as correction of his own hasty words. | Low risk; a minor but genuine direct OT citation easily overlooked — models Paul’s own submission to Scripture even in self-correction. |
| Acts 23:6-8 | Resurrection of Christ (background controversy) | Paul; Pharisees; Sadducees | No direct OT citation; the Sadducee-Pharisee dispute over resurrection, angels, and spirits is itself a live intra-Jewish theological controversy Paul exploits rhetorically. | Reuse baseline “resurrection” (قیامت); useful apologetic note — bodily resurrection was already a contested, non-self-evident doctrine even within Second Temple Judaism, not a uniquely Christian innovation. |
Acts 24–25
| Passage | Theme | Related Character | OT/NT Connection | Translation Sensitivity |
|---|
| Acts 24:14 | Fulfillment of Prophecy; Great Commission Fulfilled | Paul | General reference to “the Law and… the Prophets” as a body, no specific verse quoted — reviewed. | — |
| Acts 25:1-27 | Great Commission Fulfilled (background: Rome as destination) | Paul; Festus | No direct OT citation — reviewed. | — |
Acts 26
| Passage | Theme | Related Character | OT/NT Connection | Translation Sensitivity |
|---|
| Acts 26:18 | Conversion of Paul; Repentance and Baptism | Paul (recounting his commission) | Allusion: Isaiah 42:7 and Isaiah 61:1 (“to open the eyes that are blind… to bring out prisoners from the dungeon”), Servant/Messianic mission language applied to Paul’s own commissioned task. | Reuse Acts glossary “forgiveness of sins” (بخشش گناهان) and baseline “sanctification” (تقدیس); Christ-centered mission language, not a generic light/darkness dualism divorced from the cross (v.18b anchors it in “faith in me”). |
| Acts 26:22-23 | Fulfillment of Prophecy; Resurrection of Christ | Paul; Moses and the prophets (general reference) | General reference to “what the prophets and Moses said would happen” — Christ’s suffering and resurrection as the culmination of the whole OT witness, without a single specific verse cited. | Frame as the summary claim of fulfillment (naskh/abrogation counter-argument) rather than a single proof-text — ties together every specific fulfillment citation already catalogued above (Psalm 16, Psalm 2, Isaiah 53, Isaiah 55, Amos 9, etc.). |
Acts 27
| Passage | Theme | Related Character | OT/NT Connection | Translation Sensitivity |
|---|
| Acts 27:22-25, 27:34 | Providence | Paul; an angel of the Lord | Minor idiomatic echo: “not a hair from the head of any of you will perish” echoes idiomatic OT/NT hair-preservation language (cf. 1 Samuel 14:45, Luke 21:18) — no direct single-verse citation. | Reuse baseline “providence” (تدبیر الهی) and Acts glossary “angel” (فرشته). |
Acts 28
| Passage | Theme | Related Character | OT/NT Connection | Translation Sensitivity |
|---|
| Acts 28:26-27 | Fulfillment of Prophecy; Gospel to Jews and Gentiles; Great Commission Fulfilled | Paul; Isaiah (as prophet) | Direct quotation: Isaiah 6:9-10 (“You will indeed hear but never understand… this people’s heart has grown dull…”). This is the final Old Testament quotation in Acts, deliberately closing the book’s fulfillment-of-prophecy arc. Also quoted in Matthew 13:14-15 and John 12:39-40; a related but distinct hardening argument (Deuteronomy 29:4 / Isaiah 29:10) is used by Paul in Romans 11:8. | See Part 3, Rule 9. Do not conflate Isaiah 6:9-10 (quoted here and in the Gospels) with the Deuteronomy 29:4/Isaiah 29:10 combination Paul uses in Romans 11:8 — both serve a “hardening of Israel” argument but are textually distinct citations; keep the Persian renderings of each independently faithful to their own source verse while preserving the shared “hardening” theme vocabulary. |
| Acts 28:31 | Great Commission Fulfilled | Paul | NT-internal: closes the book by echoing its own opening thesis at Acts 1:8 (“witnesses… to the end of the earth”) — the gospel’s advance to Rome, the empire’s center, “unhindered” (ἀκωλύτως). | See Acts glossary entry #47; this is Acts’ own deliberate bookend and should be flagged for the same “verbatim consistency across documents” treatment given to Acts 1:8 in Phase 2. |
Part 2 — Messianic References and Typology Summary
| OT Type / Figure | Key OT Reference(s) | NT Fulfillment (Acts) | Typological Significance | Translation Sensitivity |
|---|
| The Prophet like Moses | Deuteronomy 18:15,18-19 | Acts 3:22-23; 7:37 | Christ as the definitive Prophet, superseding but not replacing Moses’ own revelatory role | Must be explicitly distinguished from Islamic apologetic readings of Deut 18 applied to Muhammad as “the prophet like Moses” |
| David, the anointed king | 1 Samuel 13:14; 2 Samuel 7:12-16; Psalm 16; Psalm 110; Psalm 2 | Acts 2:25-36; 4:25-26; 13:22-23,33-36 | David as forerunner and type of the greater Anointed King (Messiah) who reigns forever and does not decay in the grave | Reuse baseline “david” (داوود) and “davidic_covenant” cautions; Quranic Davud lacks the forward-pointing covenant-typology, so this must be taught explicitly |
| Joseph, rejected and exalted | Genesis 37, 39-50 | Acts 7:9-16 (background retelling in Stephen’s speech) | Rejected by his own brothers, exalted by God, becomes the instrument of salvation/provision for those who rejected him | A widely recognized typological pattern; Joseph (Yusuf) is also a major, positively-regarded Quranic figure — a genuine bridge concept, provided the fulfillment in Christ (not merely a moral parallel) is made explicit |
| The Suffering Servant | Isaiah 42:1-4; 49:1-6; 52:13-53:12 | Acts 3:13,26 (“his Servant”); 8:32-35 (direct quotation); 26:18 (mission echo) | The Servant’s substitutionary suffering and the Servant’s mission to be “a light for the Gentiles” both find their fulfillment in Christ | Central to countering any reading of Jesus as merely an honored, non-crucified prophet-servant (Q 4:157 collision); reuse baseline “messiah” and “resurrection” Critical cautions throughout |
| The Son of Man | Daniel 7:13-14 | Acts 7:56 | A specific divine-authority, end-time judicial title, not a generic synonym for “a human being” | See Acts glossary entry #41 — Critical, requires full explanatory teaching since no ready Islamic equivalent category exists |
| Elijah’s ascension | 2 Kings 2:11 | Acts 1:9-11 | A structurally similar bodily “taken up” departure, but Christ’s Ascension is preceded by his own unique bodily resurrection and followed by his own unique return — a greater fulfillment, not a repeated pattern | Must not be read as placing Christ in a category of “great ascended prophets” alongside Elijah or (in the Islamic-influenced imagination) alongside traditions of Isa’s own bodily ascension without prior death |
| The rejected cornerstone | Psalm 118:22; Isaiah 8:14; Isaiah 28:16 | Acts 4:11 | Christ as the stone rejected by Israel’s own builders/leaders yet made the very foundation of God’s new building, the church | Reuse baseline “church” (کلیسا) caution regarding the underground house-church reality — the “stone” the officially-sanctioned religious establishment rejects becomes foundational to a community outside that establishment’s approval, a resonant point for the target audience |
Part 3 — Parallels to Romans and Rendering-Consistency Rules
Because Persian-speaking learners will move between the Romans and Acts curricula using the same Language Package, every OT text quoted in both books — or quoted more than once within Acts itself — requires an explicit consistency rule. These rules extend the baseline’s existing “Theological Consistency Rules Across Documents” (see 12_ai_translation_requirements.md) to the new cross-references identified above.
Rule 1 — Joel 2:32 / Acts 2:21 / Romans 10:13 (CRITICAL)
Both Acts 2:21 and Romans 10:13 quote the identical clause: “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Joel 2:32 / LXX 3:5). This clause must be rendered verbatim identically in Persian across both curricula:
هر که نام خداوند را بخواند، نجات خواهد یافت
This also governs Acts 22:16’s echo of the same “calling on his name” formula. Reuses baseline “lord” (خداوند) and “salvation” (نجات) exactly, per those terms’ existing Critical status.
Rule 2 — Psalm 16:10 / Acts 2:27,31 and Acts 13:35 (CRITICAL, internal-Acts)
The clause “you will not let your Holy One see corruption/decay” is quoted twice within Acts itself. Both occurrences must use the identical Persian rendering established for Acts 2:27,31, carrying forward into 13:35 without variation.
Rule 3 — Psalm 2:1-2,7 / Acts 4:25-26 and Acts 13:33 (CRITICAL, internal-Acts)
Psalm 2 is quoted twice within Acts. The title “Anointed” (Psalm 2:2, χριστός) must reuse baseline “messiah” (مسیح) exactly at both occurrences; “You are my Son” (Psalm 2:7, Acts 13:33) must reuse baseline “son_of_god” (پسر خدا) framing consistently with its Critical caution against any softened rendering.
Rule 4 — Isaiah 53 / Acts 8:32-33 and Romans 10:16 (HIGH)
Acts 8:32-33 quotes Isaiah 53:7-8; Romans 10:16 quotes Isaiah 53:1 from the same chapter. Though the specific verses differ, the Servant-title vocabulary and the “sheep to the slaughter” substitutionary-suffering imagery must be rendered with consistent theological vocabulary across both curricula — in particular, the term chosen for “Servant” (خادم/بنده, informed by baseline’s “the Righteous One” title-reuse pattern) should not vary between the two books’ treatments of the same OT chapter.
Rule 5 — Deuteronomy 18:15 / Acts 3:22 and Acts 7:37 (HIGH, internal-Acts)
Both occurrences of “the prophet like Moses” text within Acts must be rendered identically, and both must carry the translator note distinguishing this from Islamic apologetic use of the same Deuteronomy passage for Muhammad.
Rule 6 — Gentile-Inclusion Catena: Amos 9:11-12 (Acts 15:16-18), Deuteronomy 10:17 (Acts 10:34), and Romans 15:9-12 / Romans 2:11 (HIGH)
Acts and Romans each independently ground Gentile inclusion in different OT texts making the same doctrinal point (God’s impartiality; the restored “tent of David” embracing the nations). These are not verbatim-identical citations and should not be forced into identical wording, but the key recurring vocabulary — “Gentiles” (غیریهودیان, never امتها), “impartiality,” and “nations” — must be rendered with the same baseline terms across both curricula so learners recognize the shared doctrinal thread (“Gospel to Jews and Gentiles” / “Unity of Jews and Gentiles”).
Rule 7 — Abrahamic Covenant: Genesis 12:3/22:18 (Acts 3:25) and Genesis 15:6 (Romans 4:3) (MEDIUM)
Acts 3:25 quotes the Abrahamic blessing promise; Romans 4:3 quotes the Abrahamic faith-credited-as-righteousness declaration. Different specific verses within the same Abraham narrative. Ensure baseline “covenant” (عهد) and “imputed_righteousness” (عدالت محسوبشده) terminology remains available and consistently glossed wherever Abraham’s story is referenced in Acts (3:25; 7:2-8; 13:26), so learners can connect Acts’ covenant-history retelling to Romans 4’s fuller doctrinal argument.
Rule 8 — Justification Verb-Family: Acts 13:39 and Romans 3:24, 28; 5:1 (CRITICAL)
Acts 13:39 (“by him everyone who believes is justified from everything…”) uses the identical verb-family Paul develops throughout Romans. The baseline’s compound rendering عادل شمرده شدن/میشود must be reused exactly, with no independent Persian coinage introduced for Acts.
Rule 9 — Hardening of Israel: Isaiah 6:9-10 (Acts 28:26-27) and Deuteronomy 29:4 / Isaiah 29:10 (Romans 11:8) (HIGH)
Both passages develop a “hardening” theme applied to Israel’s response to the gospel, but quote different OT texts. Render each independently and faithfully to its own source verse (do not merge them into one citation), while ensuring the shared vocabulary for “hardened,” “eyes,” and “ears/hearing” is drawn from the same semantic field in both curricula, so the thematic connection remains visible to a Persian reader moving between Acts and Romans. This connection must be handled with the same pastoral care given in baseline’s “unity_of_jews_and_gentiles” doctrine regarding Iran’s officially propagandized anti-Israel political stance — the argument is redemptive-historical, not a commentary on any present nation-state.
Rule 10 — Non-Scriptural Citation Marking: Acts 17:28 (LOW, procedural)
Acts 17:28’s quotation of pagan Greek poets must never be formatted or footnoted in a way that could be mistaken for a Scripture citation. Phase 2 tooling should tag this segment distinctly (e.g., citation_type: "non-biblical") rather than assigning it an OT/NT cross-reference code.
Summary Note on Full-Book Coverage
Every chapter of Acts (1–28) has been reviewed for Old Testament quotations, allusions, messianic/typological content, and cross-curriculum parallels. Chapters 5 (partially), 11, 14 (partially), 16 (partially), 18, 19, 24, and 25 contain no direct OT citation beyond what is already noted, and are marked “no direct OT citation — reviewed” above rather than silently omitted. All ten rendering-consistency rules in Part 3 must be loaded into Phase 2 tooling alongside translation_memory.json before any segment translation of a passage listed in this document begins.