Linguistic Gap Analysis
Linguistic Gap Analysis — 1 Corinthians (English → Polish)
Purpose
This document executes PRD Phase 1 Step 8 for the 1 Corinthians curriculum. It extends — and never contradicts — the baseline Romans Language Package (translation_memory.json, bible_term_registry.json, doctrine_risk_registry.json, 12_ai_translation_requirements.md). Its purpose is to identify, before glossary-building and Phase 2 translation begin, where standard Polish vocabulary is (a) genuinely missing for a doctrine 1 Corinthians introduces, (b) present but occupying a crowded semantic neighborhood shared with Polish Catholic sacramental, devotional, or national-cultural vocabulary, and (c) a candidate for transliteration rather than translation. It closes with a ranked list of the letter’s highest-risk ambiguities to prioritize in Phase 2 review routing.
Method: every one of 1 Corinthians’ sixteen chapters was read against the ten assigned doctrines and against the baseline’s documented Polish religious-cultural collision points (Polak-katolik identity fusion, Marian/saint mediation, canonized sainthood, sacramental grace/merit, purgatory, priestly/religious vocation, institutional Kościół). Chapters contributing no new terminology or doctrine beyond what the baseline or this analysis already covers are explicitly marked “reviewed, no new load-bearing terms” rather than omitted, per the FULL-BOOK COVERAGE mandate.
Part A — Doctrine Vocabulary Matrix
| Doctrine (curriculum-assigned) | Available Polish term(s) | Weaknesses / collision risk | Recommended strategy |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Resurrection of Christ and Believers | zmartwychwstanie; ciało (ziemskie/naturalne) vs. ciało duchowe | Baseline term “zmartwychwstanie” is doctrinally sound for Christ’s resurrection (reused exactly), but 1 Corinthians 15:35-58 introduces a NEW distinction (natural vs. spiritual resurrection body) with no baseline precedent. “Duchowy” in ordinary Polish usage skews toward immaterial (spirits, ghosts, “duchowość” as vague inner life), which is the exact opposite of Paul’s point that the resurrection body is a transformed but genuinely physical body. | Reuse “zmartwychwstanie” exactly per baseline. For the new body contrast, mint “ciało ziemskie (naturalne) / ciało duchowe” as a paired unit that must never be split; forbid any gloss implying immateriality (“ciało niematerialne”). Mandatory clarifying note every occurrence. |
| Christian Unity versus Factionalism | podziały; jedność; schizma | ”Schizma” is available but carries strong institutional-denominational freight in Polish (associated with formal breaks from the Church, e.g. historic Eastern/Western schism, or modern denominational splits) — too narrow and too “final” for Paul’s target, which is intra-congregational rivalry over favored leaders/teachers within a single, still-united church. | Use “podziały” (divisions) as the primary term; reserve “schizma” only as a distant conceptual analogy in teaching notes, never as the primary rendering. Extend cautiously and only by explicit analogy to modern denominational rivalry — do not equate the text’s referent with it. |
| The Cross as Wisdom and Power | krzyż; mądrość; głupstwo; moc | ”Krzyż” is lexically fixed and unambiguous, but is Poland’s single most saturated religious-national symbol (home/school crucifixes, Katyń memorial crosses, Auschwitz, the Smoleńsk-crash cross controversies, Papal crosses) — the risk is not mistranslation but catechetical drift toward a generic national-suffering symbol rather than Paul’s specific argument (God’s chosen instrument of saving power, foolish to the world). “Mądrość” risks narrowing to secular self-help wisdom-literature or academic “filozofia.” | Retain “krzyż” (no substitute exists or is desirable) but require an explicit redirect note anchoring it to 1:18-25’s specific argument every occurrence. Render “wisdom of God” as “mądrość Boża,” explicitly anchored to Christ crucified (1:24, 30), never glossed as “filozofia.” |
| Church Discipline and Holiness | świątynia; wydać Szatanowi; rozpusta/nierząd; ekskomunika | ”Świątynia” (temple) in Polish usage centers overwhelmingly on consecrated buildings housing the tabernacle (Eucharistic Real Presence); Paul’s corporate (3:16-17) and individual (6:19) uses are metaphorical, non-architectural, and must be disambiguated from each other as well as from literal church buildings. “Ekskomunikować” imports later, formal canon-law procedure Paul’s “hand over to Satan” (5:5) does not describe — his is remedial/restorative, aimed at repentance and final salvation of the person, not a terminal juridical act. | Use “świątynia (Kościoła/wspólnoty)” for the corporate sense and “świątynia Ducha Świętego” for the individual sense, each with an explicit note distinguishing it from the other and from literal church buildings. Reject “ekskomunikować”; use “wydać Szatanowi” with a restorative-intent note. |
| Marriage and Singleness | małżeństwo; dziewica; dar (od Boga) | Polish Catholic sacramental theology treats marriage as one of seven sacraments with strong indissolubility and vocational-dignity emphasis; Paul’s chapter 7 counsel is more pragmatic, missional, and eschatologically urgent (“the time is short,” 7:29), and treats celibacy as an equally valid, Spirit-given “gift.” Risk is that sacramental categories crowd out Paul’s own argument, or that “dar” collapses into the ch.12 spiritual-gifts vocabulary. | Render “małżeństwo” and “dziewica/niezamężna” plainly; teach explicitly as complementary to, not contradicting, sacramental theology. Use “dar (od Boga)” for the marital/celibate disposition of 7:7, kept lexically distinct from “dary duchowe” (ch.12). |
| Christian Liberty and Idol Meat | pokarm ofiarowany bożkom; bałwochwalstwo; sumienie; wolność | No living cultural parallel exists in contemporary Poland (no pagan temple-market meat); risk is not collision but absence — readers may find the whole scenario abstract without background teaching. Separately, “bałwochwalstwo” (idolatry) risks being extended polemically, by Evangelical-leaning teachers, toward Catholic veneration of images/relics/icons — a target Catholic doctrine itself explicitly distinguishes (latria vs. dulia) from idol worship, and one 1 Corinthians 8/10 does not address. | Provide explicit background notes (pagan temple markets, meat resale) for the missing-vocabulary gap. Fence “bałwochwalstwo” tightly to the text’s literal referent (worship of false gods); explicitly forbid extending it polemically to image/relic veneration beyond the text’s own scope. |
| The Lord’s Supper | Wieczerza Pańska; Eucharystia; Komunia Święta; pamiątka | This is the single highest-stakes crowded neighborhood in the entire curriculum. “Eucharystia” and “Komunia Święta” are the default Polish Catholic terms and import the full weight of transubstantiation, the Mass as re-presented sacrifice, and priestly consecration — none of which 1 Corinthians 11 itself adjudicates. “Wieczerza Pańska” is the standard shared cross-tradition term but still requires careful handling since institution-formula language (“to czyńcie na moją pamiątkę”) is drawn verbatim into the Mass liturgy. | Use “Wieczerza Pańska” as the fixed primary term (never “Eucharystia” or “Komunia Święta”). Present only the text’s own stated content — proclamation, self-examination, unity, discerning the body, “until he comes” — without resolving the Real-Presence/memorial debate. Mandatory theologian review, every occurrence. |
| Spiritual Gifts and the Body of Christ | dary duchowe; Ciało Chrystusa; przejaw Ducha; języki | ”Ciało Chrystusa” (body of Christ) is lexically identical to the phrase spoken at every Catholic Mass (“Ciało Chrystusa” / “Amen” at Communion) and to “Boże Ciało” (Corpus Christi), a major Polish public holiday with processions. This is the single highest-priority ecclesial-vs-Eucharistic collision in the curriculum. Separately, “dary duchowe” and “języki” now have a living contemporary cultural referent via the Catholic Charismatic Renewal (Odnowa w Duchu Świętym), which is an asset for comprehension but a risk of over- or under-identification with one movement’s specific practice. | Use “Ciało Chrystusa” for the ecclesial sense (12:12-27; 6:15) but require an explicit distinguishing note every occurrence separating it from the Mass’s Eucharistic phrase and from ch.11’s Lord’s Supper vocabulary. Calibrate “dary duchowe”/“języki” teaching register to neither dismiss nor over-align with Odnowa practice. |
| Love as the Greater Way | miłość; nadzieja | ”Miłość” spans the same broad semantic range as English “love,” with the culturally dominant referent being romantic/emotional love (miłość romantyczna) reinforced by pop-culture usage; ἀγάπη’s specific sense (willed, self-giving, action-not-feeling, 13:4-7) is not lexically distinguished from other kinds of love in ordinary Polish the way Greek distinguishes ἀγάπη/ἔρως/φιλία. | No lexical substitute exists or is desirable (“miłość” is the fixed Bible-translation term); require an explicit doctrinal framing note every doctrinally weighted occurrence in ch.13 distinguishing willed, self-giving ἀγάπη from romantic/emotional love, and asserting its superiority over gifts and achievements (13:1-3). |
| Order in Worship | porządek; głowa; zakrywać głowę; niech kobiety… milczą | ”Głowa” (head, 11:3) is lexically simple but doctrinally contested even in the source language (authority vs. source reading); Polish offers no additional clarity either way. Head-covering (11:4-16) has no living contemporary Polish worship practice, though the historical Catholic chapel-veil/kerchief custom (largely defunct since Vatican II-era changes) offers a partial cultural bridge. 14:34-35 is textually and interpretively contested in the source text itself (manuscript placement varies; scope debated). | Render “głowa” plainly but require non-reductive teaching notes covering both major interpretive options. Use the historical veil/kerchief custom only as an explanatory bridge, not as a live contemporary equivalence. Present 14:34-35’s interpretive options explicitly rather than silently adopting one reading. |
Part B — Missing Vocabulary vs. Crowded Semantic Neighborhoods (Fencing)
B.1 Genuinely Missing Vocabulary (no living Polish cultural referent; requires background teaching, not lexical fencing)
| Concept | Chapters | Gap | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food offered to idols / pagan temple markets | 8, 10 | No contemporary Polish equivalent to Corinth’s temple-meat economy. | Explicit historical/cultural background note; teach via principle-transfer (liberty limited by love), not literal analogy. |
| Holy kiss | 16 | No living equivalent greeting gesture in contemporary Polish church culture. | Background note explaining the custom; transfer the meaning (warm familial greeting) rather than the literal gesture. |
| Leaven/Passover background | 5 | Ordinary Polish readers associate “kwas/zakwas” with baking, not the Exodus/Passover typology Paul assumes. | Explicit Old Testament background note connecting to Christ as Paschal Lamb (5:7). |
| Firstfruits (agricultural offering) | 15 | Contemporary Polish readers, largely urban, lack the agricultural/sacrificial background of ἀπαρχή. | Background note: guarantee of the full harvest, not mere temporal priority. |
| Head-covering as a worship sign | 11 | No living practice remains in ordinary Polish worship today. | Use the historical, now-largely-defunct Catholic chapel-veil custom cautiously as an explanatory bridge only. |
| ”One untimely born” (Paul’s self-description, 15:8) | 15 | No Polish idiom captures this jarring obstetric image. | Render literally with explanatory gloss; do not smooth into generic humility language. |
B.2 Crowded Semantic Neighborhoods (vocabulary exists but must be fenced against dominant Catholic/cultural referents)
| Polish term | Crowding neighbor | Fencing strategy |
|---|---|---|
| Ciało Chrystusa | The Mass’s Communion formula; the “Boże Ciało” (Corpus Christi) public holiday and processions | Mandatory distinguishing note every occurrence in the ecclesial sense (chs. 6, 12); never introduce without it. |
| Wieczerza Pańska / to czyńcie na moją pamiątkę | Eucharystia; Komunia Święta; Mass liturgy’s institution narrative | Fixed to “Wieczerza Pańska” only; present text’s own stated content; forbid resolving transubstantiation/memorial debate. |
| świątynia | Consecrated church buildings; tabernacle/Real Presence | Always qualify: “świątynia (Kościoła/wspólnoty)” corporate vs. “świątynia Ducha Świętego” individual; never bare “świątynia.” |
| święci | Canonized/venerated saints (Kolbe, Faustyna, JP2’s record canonizations) | Continue baseline’s mandatory clarifying note every occurrence (chs. 1, 6, 16). |
| powołanie/powołany | Priestly/religious vocation (powołanie kapłańskie/zakonne) | Continue baseline caution; ch.7 adds a FOURTH sense (life-situation at conversion) requiring its own explicit tag, distinct from apostleship (15:9), sainthood, and effectual calling. |
| łaska | Sacramental, merit-cooperated grace | 15:10 (“not I, but the grace of God”) is a key grace-vs-merit text; preserve contrast per baseline. |
| tajemnica | ”Tajemnice Różańca” (Rosary mysteries); “tajemnica wiary” at Mass | Anchor to a formerly-hidden-now-revealed propositional truth (2:1,7; 4:1; 15:51), not an ongoing devotional mystery contemplated apart from content. |
| bałwochwalstwo | Catholic veneration of images/relics (which Catholic doctrine itself distinguishes as dulia, not latria) | Fence tightly to literal worship of false gods per the text; forbid polemical extension. |
| anatema | Formal historical ecclesiastical anathemas against heretics | Anchor to Paul’s specific pastoral warning (16:22); distinguish from formal excommunication procedure and from ch.5’s “hand over to Satan.” |
| szafarz (rejected for “steward,” 4:1) | Szafarz Eucharystii / extraordinary minister of Communion | Use neutral “zarządca” instead to avoid narrowing to that specific liturgical office. |
| duchowy (as in “ciało duchowe,” “człowiek duchowy”) | New Age “duchowość” (vague spirituality); popular association of “duchowy” with immateriality | Fence tightly: “duchowy” here = Spirit-indwelt/Spirit-empowered, and (15:44) does NOT mean non-physical; explicit clarifying note required both places. |
| przymierze | (Shared with baseline; low new risk) | Continue baseline exactly; 11:25 ties it directly into Lord’s Supper vocabulary — must read as relational covenant renewal, not legal contract. |
| krzyż | National-cultural suffering symbol (Katyń, Auschwitz, wayside crosses, Smoleńsk-cross controversies) | No lexical fence possible (term is fixed); catechetical fence only — redirect to 1:18-25’s specific saving-power argument every occurrence. |
Part C — Transliteration vs. Paraphrase Decisions
| Term | Decision | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Marana tha (16:22) | Transliterate, paired with Polish gloss: “Marana tha (Przyjdź, Panie!)” | Follows the baseline’s own precedent for “Abba” (Romans 8:15) — preserve the Aramaic liturgical invocation, supply the sense alongside rather than substituting it. |
| Anathema (16:22) | Transliterate as “anatema,” with paraphrase gloss alongside (“niech będzie przeklęty”) | The transliteration alone risks importing later formal ecclesiastical-anathema procedure; pairing it with the plain paraphrase keeps Paul’s specific pastoral force in view. |
| Amen (throughout) | Transliterate (“Amen”) | Already fixed by universal Polish Bible-translation convention across traditions; no decision required, noted for completeness. |
| Hallelujah/Alleluja (not in 1 Corinthians text but relevant to worship-register consistency, ch.14) | Transliterate (“Alleluja”) if referenced in teaching material | Matches baseline convention. |
| Sōma pneumatikon (“spiritual body,” 15:44) | Paraphrase, not transliterate: “ciało duchowe” with mandatory clarifying note | A transliterated or loan rendering is unavailable/unhelpful in Polish; the paraphrase risk (drift toward immateriality) is managed by the mandatory note rather than by transliteration, since no Greek-derived loanword exists that would avoid the same ambiguity. |
| Charismata (“spiritual gifts,” ch. 12) | Paraphrase: “dary duchowe” (already fixed in baseline) | Continue baseline; a transliteration (“charyzmaty”) does exist in Polish theological registers but is reserved for academic/technical use — the baseline’s plain paraphrase is preferred for the curriculum’s general-audience register. |
| Koinōnia (fellowship, ch. 1, 10) | Paraphrase: “wspólnota” (baseline), with contextual elevation to theologian-reviewed status at 10:16 | No transliteration tradition exists in Polish Bible usage for this term; paraphrase is standard and correct — flagging, not re-rendering, manages the 10:16 risk. |
| Kyriakon deipnon (“Lord’s Supper,” 11:20) | Paraphrase: “Wieczerza Pańska” — explicitly NOT “Eucharystia” (a Greek-derived loanword already naturalized in Polish with full Catholic sacramental freight) | This is a case where an available naturalized loanword (“Eucharystia”) must be REJECTED precisely because it is too well-established with doctrinal content beyond the text; the less doctrinally loaded native compound is preferred. |
| Ho eschatos Adam (“the last Adam,” 15:45) | Paraphrase: “ostatni Adam” | Straightforward compositional rendering; no transliteration question arises since “Adam” is already a shared proper name. |
| Ektrōma (“one untimely born,” 15:8) | Paraphrase (extended): “jak ten, który się narodził nie w swoim czasie” | No single-word Polish equivalent exists; a descriptive paraphrase is required rather than a transliteration, which would be meaningless to readers. |
General principle applied: transliteration is reserved for (1) established liturgical/devotional formulas already carried across Polish Bible tradition (Amen, Alleluja) or explicitly precedented by the baseline (Abba → Marana tha), and (2) cases where the naturalized Polish loanword would import unwanted doctrinal freight, making the plainer native paraphrase the safer choice even though a loanword is available (Wieczerza Pańska vs. Eucharystia). Paraphrase is used everywhere else, especially where mandatory clarifying notes can manage the residual ambiguity better than a foreign form could.
Part D — Ranked List of This Letter’s Highest-Risk Ambiguities
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“Ciało Chrystusa” (body of Christ, ecclesial sense) vs. the Eucharistic Communion formula and “Boże Ciało.” Identical Polish wording for two theologically distinct referents (organic ecclesial unity, 12:12-27, vs. Christ’s Eucharistic body, ch.11 and the Mass) makes this the single highest ambiguity risk in the curriculum. Every occurrence requires an explicit distinguishing note and theologian review.
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“Wieczerza Pańska” and its surrounding vocabulary (10:16-21; 11:17-34). The doctrinal gap between Catholic transubstantiation/re-presented-sacrifice theology and a memorial/spiritual-presence reading is unresolved in the source text itself; any Polish rendering risks being read through one tradition’s lens by default. Requires mandatory theologian review for every occurrence and explicit refusal to resolve the debate beyond 1 Corinthians 11’s own statements.
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“Discerning the body” (11:29) and “body and blood” (11:27). Genuinely ambiguous referent even in the source (Eucharistic elements vs. the gathered church body) compounds risk #2; both readings must be flagged per the baseline’s Ambiguity Handling protocol rather than resolved unilaterally.
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“Ciało duchowe” (spiritual body, 15:44) read as immaterial. Popular Polish usage of “duchowy” trends toward the immaterial/spiritual-not-physical, which is the precise opposite of Paul’s argument that the resurrection body is transformed yet genuinely bodily. Any drift here corrupts the letter’s central resurrection apologetic (echoing the core passage, 15:1-11) at its climax (15:35-58).
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“Miłość” (ch. 13) collapsing into romantic/emotional love. The letter’s most quoted chapter is also its highest risk of sentimentalization; without an explicit doctrinal-framing note every occurrence, readers will default to the culturally dominant romantic-love referent rather than willed, self-giving ἀγάπη.
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“Powołanie/powołany” acquiring a fourth, curriculum-specific sense (7:17-24, life-situation at conversion) on top of the baseline’s three (apostleship, sainthood, effectual calling), compounded by the priestly/religious-vocation collision already flagged in Romans. Four distinct senses sharing one surface form in a culture where the term’s dominant association is already narrow (priesthood/religious life) creates a compounding ambiguity risk unique to this letter.
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“Świątynia” split between corporate (3:16-17) and individual (6:19) senses, both competing against the dominant literal-building/tabernacle association. Three live referents for one Polish term within a five-chapter span.
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“Przekazałem/przyjąłem” (handed down/received, 15:3) colliding with Catholic Tradycja (Sacred Tradition) vocabulary. Directly implicates the core passage (15:1-11); risk is that Paul’s fixed, closed, Scripture-verifiable apostolic content is read as warrant for an open magisterial tradition-stream of equal ongoing authority.
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“Głowa” (headship, 11:3) and the textually contested 14:34-35 (“let women be silent”). Source-text-level interpretive contest (not merely a translation choice) compounded by contemporary gender-role sensitivity; requires responsible presentation of interpretive options rather than silent resolution.
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“Bałwochwalstwo” and “pokarm ofiarowany bożkom” (idolatry/idol meat, chs. 8, 10) risking polemical extension to Catholic image/relic veneration. Lower doctrinal stakes than items 1-9 but a real pastoral-sensitivity risk given the letter’s repeated, emphatic idolatry warnings alongside a Catholic-majority readership whose own theology already distinguishes veneration from idol worship.
Part E — Full-Chapter Coverage Sweep (1 Corinthians 1–16)
| Chapter | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Load-bearing | Gospel, calling, wisdom/foolishness, cross, divisions/factions, saints — introduces three of the ten assigned doctrines. |
| 2 | Load-bearing | Wisdom of God vs. worldly wisdom continued; Spirit as revealer; “spiritual”/“natural” person distinction (new terms, Part A collision with “duchowość”). |
| 3 | Load-bearing | Divisions continued; corporate temple (świątynia); “carnal” (cielesny) believers; foundational building metaphor (edification). |
| 4 | Load-bearing | Apostleship, stewardship (zarządca/szafarz fencing), kingdom of God (present ethical sense), power of God. |
| 5 | Load-bearing | Church discipline doctrine anchor: “hand over to Satan,” leaven/Passover background gap, sexual immorality vocabulary. |
| 6 | Load-bearing | Individual temple of the Holy Spirit; redemption (“bought at a price”); righteousness/sanctification/justification triad (6:11); body of Christ (individual member sense) — first half of the ch.6/12 “Ciało Chrystusa” collision. |
| 7 | Load-bearing | Marriage and Singleness doctrine anchor; fourth sense of “calling/powołanie” (life-situation at conversion); gift (dar) vocabulary distinct from ch.12. |
| 8 | Load-bearing | Christian Liberty and Idol Meat doctrine anchor; knowledge vs. love; conscience; stumbling block; idol/idolatry vocabulary introduced. |
| 9 | Reviewed, contributes refinement not new terms | Extends “right/liberty” (ἐξουσία) with the specific nuance of Paul’s voluntarily forgone apostolic rights; no new Critical/High terms beyond Part A’s existing “prawo/wolność” entry. |
| 10 | Load-bearing | Idolatry, food offered to idols continued; table of the Lord vs. table of demons (bridges directly into ch.11); fellowship (κοινωνία) elevated to High risk at 10:16. |
| 11 | Load-bearing | Order in Worship and The Lord’s Supper doctrine anchors — the curriculum’s highest-stakes new vocabulary set (headship, head covering, Wieczerza Pańska, institution formula, discerning the body, body and blood, new covenant). |
| 12 | Load-bearing | Spiritual Gifts and the Body of Christ doctrine anchor; manifestation of the Spirit, Spirit-baptism, members of the body — second half of the “Ciało Chrystusa” collision (ecclesial, corporate sense). |
| 13 | Load-bearing | Love as the Greater Way doctrine anchor; ἀγάπη vs. romantic love; hope; “the perfect/complete” (eschatological, not moral-perfectionism). |
| 14 | Load-bearing | Order in Worship continued; tongues/interpretation of tongues; edification; order (porządek); the contested “let women be silent” passage. |
| 15 | Load-bearing (contains the core passage, 15:1-11) | The Resurrection of Christ and Believers doctrine anchor; core-passage-specific vocabulary (received/handed-down tradition, died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, buried, was raised, appeared, one untimely born, we preach); extended chapter vocabulary beyond the core passage (last Adam, firstfruits, natural/spiritual body, perishable/imperishable, immortality, sting of death, victory, we will be changed). Highest concentration of Critical-risk new terms in the letter. |
| 16 | Reviewed, minor new terms only | Collection for the saints, holy kiss, Marana tha, anathema — all Low/Medium/High risk closing-greeting vocabulary; no doctrine-anchor content beyond what chs. 1-15 already establish; church-as-God’s-people vocabulary reused from baseline. |
Conclusion: every chapter of 1 Corinthians has been reviewed. Fourteen of sixteen chapters (1–8, 10–15) are load-bearing for new or collision-risk vocabulary; chapters 9 and 16 are explicitly reviewed and confirmed to contribute refinement of existing terms rather than new Critical/High risk vocabulary. This sweep, together with Parts A–D above, provides the complete basis for the Core Glossary (08) and Bible Term Registry entries already extended from the baseline.