Semantic Analysis
Semantic Analysis: Acts 1–28 (Koine Greek → Polish)
How to read this document
- Core passage (Acts 2:1–41) receives full verse-by-verse treatment. Sparse verses (mostly proper nouns or narrative connectives) are grouped with their nearest load‑bearing neighbor and this is noted explicitly.
- Every other chapter (1, 3–28) receives a chapter section listing its load-bearing theological terms with the same seven analytical fields: Greek, transliteration, literal meaning, semantic range, English variants, theological meaning in context, Polish rendering & risk.
- Terms already fixed in the Romans baseline
translation_memory.json(e.g. Ἰησοῦς→Jezus, χάρις→łaska, πίστις→wiara, δικαιοσύνη→sprawiedliwość, δικαίωσις→usprawiedliwienie, ἀπόστολος→apostoł, ἅγιοι→święci, ἀνάστασις→zmartwychwstanie, κύριος→Pan, πνεῦμα ἅγιον→Duch Święty, etc.) are reused exactly and are marked “(baseline term, reused)” rather than re-derived. Only their Acts-specific contextual nuance is discussed. - Risk tiers (Critical/High/Medium/Low) follow the baseline’s
doctrine_risk_registry.jsonconventions.
PART 1 — Core Passage: Acts 2:1–41 (verse-by-verse)
Acts 2:1
“Ἐν τῷ συμπληροῦσθαι τὴν ἡμέραν τῆς πεντηκοστῆς ἦσαν πάντες ὁμοῦ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό.”
| Greek (translit.) | Literal meaning / semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning in context | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| πεντηκοστή (pentēkostē) | “fiftieth [day]”; the Jewish Feast of Weeks (Shavuot), 50 days after Passover, celebrating the wheat harvest and (in later tradition) the giving of the Law at Sinai | Pentecost | The Spirit descends on the very feast that already carried covenant significance (harvest/Sinai); Luke frames the Spirit’s coming as the fulfillment of an existing sacred calendar, not an arbitrary date | Pięćdziesiątnica — Medium risk. Distinguish the OT feast background from the Christian liturgical feast “Zesłanie Ducha Świętego,” which most Polish readers already know as a Church holiday 50 days after Easter. Teaching must supply the OT harvest/Sinai background so the term is not merely “the day the Church calls Pentecost” with no OT content. |
| ὁμοῦ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό (homou epi to auto) | “together, in the same place” | together, with one accord, all together | Sets up the Church as Community doctrine’s recurring “one accord” motif (cf. ὁμοθυμαδόν below) | razem, na tym samym miejscu — Low risk, standard. |
Acts 2:2
“καὶ ἐγένετο ἄφνω ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἦχος ὥσπερ φερομένης πνοῆς βιαίας…”
| Greek (translit.) | Literal meaning / semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning in context | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| πνοή βιαία (pnoē biaia) | “violent breath/wind”; πνοή shares its root with πνεῦμα (Spirit/wind/breath) | rushing wind, violent wind | Wordplay: the audible sign of wind/breath announces the coming of the Spirit (same root as Duch), echoing Genesis 2:7 and Ezekiel 37’s breath of life | wiatr (silny, gwałtowny wiatr) — Low risk lexically, but Medium catechetically: the Greek pun (breath/Spirit) is not reproducible in Polish (wiatr ≠ Duch), so the lesson must state the wordplay explicitly rather than rely on the translation to convey it. |
Acts 2:3
“καὶ ὤφθησαν αὐτοῖς διαμεριζόμεναι γλῶσσαι ὡσεὶ πυρός…”
| Greek (translit.) | Literal meaning / semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning in context | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| γλῶσσα (glōssa) — visible sign sense | ”tongue” (the physical organ) used metaphorically for a flame-shaped appearance | tongues (of fire) | A visible, divided, fire-shaped manifestation resting on each person — distinct from v.4’s γλῶσσα (spoken language); Acts uses the same word for two different phenomena in two consecutive verses | języki (jakby) ognia — Low-Medium risk. Must be clearly distinguished from v.4’s “inne języki” (spoken languages) in teaching notes so learners do not conflate “tongues of fire” (a visual sign) with “speaking in tongues” (a verbal gift). |
Acts 2:4
“καὶ ἐπλήσθησαν πάντες Πνεύματος Ἁγίου, καὶ ἤρξαντο λαλεῖν ἑτέραις γλώσσαις…”
| Greek (translit.) | Literal meaning / semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning in context | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| πίμπλημι (pimplēmi) | “to fill, fill up, fulfill” | filled (with the Spirit) | Distinct from Acts’ other Spirit-reception verbs: βαπτίζω (baptize in/with, 1:5), ἐπέρχομαι (come upon, 1:8), ἐκχέω (pour out, 2:17,33), ἐπιπίπτω (fall upon, 10:44). Luke uses several verbs deliberately; “filled” (πίμπλημι) especially marks a moment of empowering for speech/witness (cf. 4:8, 4:31) | napełnieni Duchem Świętym — High risk. In Polish Catholic sacramental theology, reception of the Holy Spirit’s fullness is popularly tied to the sacrament of Confirmation (bierzmowanie), administered by a bishop at a fixed life stage. Acts 2:4 describes a direct, repeatable, non-sacramental filling tied to bold proclamation, not a once-for-life sacramental rite. Requires a translator/teaching note distinguishing the two without denying the value of Confirmation in its own right. Human theologian review required. |
| γλῶσσα (glōssa) — spoken sense | ”tongue” → language, dialect, or (later NT usage, cf. 1 Cor 14) ecstatic utterance | tongues, languages, “other tongues” | Acts 2:6–11 clarifies this is xenolalia — intelligible, known human languages (“each in his own language,” v.6,8) — not necessarily the same phenomenon debated in 1 Corinthians 14 | inne języki (also rendered “różne języki” in Biblia Tysiąclecia) — High risk. Poland’s Catholic Charismatic Renewal (“Odnowa w Duchu Świętym”) is widespread and commonly practices “mówienie językami” understood as ecstatic, unintelligible speech. Acts 2 explicitly depicts known human languages understood by hearers of many nations (vv.6,8,11). Teaching must not silently equate the two phenomena; flag for human theologian review whenever “mówienie językami” occurs in lesson material. |
| ἕτερος (heteros) | “other, different (in kind)“ | other (tongues) | Reinforces that these are distinct languages from the speakers’ native Aramaic/Greek | inny — Low risk. |
Acts 2:5
“Ἦσαν δὲ ἐν Ἰερουσαλὴμ κατοικοῦντες Ἰουδαῖοι, εὐλαβεῖς…”
| Greek (translit.) | Literal meaning / semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning in context | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| εὐλαβής (eulabēs) | “devout, reverent, taking care [in religious matters]“ | devout, God-fearing, pious | Marks faithful diaspora Jews gathered for the feast — the initial, Jewish-first audience of the gospel, setting up the “Jews and Gentiles” doctrinal arc | pobożny — Low risk, standard. |
Acts 2:6–7
“γενομένης δὲ τῆς φωνῆς ταύτης συνῆλθε τὸ πλῆθος καὶ συνεχύθη… ἀκούειν εἷς ἕκαστος τῇ ἰδίᾳ διαλέκτῳ…”
| Greek (translit.) | Literal meaning / semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning in context | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| διάλεκτος (dialektos) | “dialect, native/mother tongue” | language, dialect | Each hears the apostles’ proclamation in his own native tongue — the reversal of Babel’s confusion (Genesis 11) and the first sign of the gospel’s universal, every-nation scope | własny język (dialekt) — Medium risk: important to name the Babel echo explicitly in teaching, since Polish readers will not automatically supply the Genesis 11 background. |
| συγχέω (sygcheō) | “to confound, bewilder, throw into confusion” | confounded, bewildered | Positive astonishment, not the negative confusion of Babel — an intentional narrative contrast | oniemieli / zdumieni — Low risk. |
Acts 2:8–11 (grouped: the nation list)
Parthians, Medes, Elamites, Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, Libya/Cyrene, Rome, Cretans, Arabs.
No new theological vocabulary beyond proper nouns (transliterate per established Polish Bible geographic forms, e.g. Partowie, Medowie, Elamici, Mezopotamia, Judea, Kapadocja, Pont, Azja, Frygia, Pamfilia, Egipt, Libia, Cyrena, Rzym, Kreta, Arabowie). Theological weight: the list’s sheer geographic breadth is itself load-bearing — it visually enacts “every nation under heaven” (v.5) and previews the Gentile mission (Rome and Acts’ final chapters). Low lexical risk; Medium catechetical importance (must not be skipped as mere trivia).
| Greek (translit.) | Literal meaning / semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning in context | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| τὰ μεγαλεῖα τοῦ θεοῦ (ta megaleia tou theou) | “the great/mighty things of God” | the mighty works of God, the wonderful works of God | The content of the Spirit-enabled speech is doxological proclamation of God’s saving acts, not private ecstasy | wielkie dzieła Boże — Low-Medium risk, standard. |
Acts 2:12–13 (grouped)
“διηπόρουν… ἕτεροι δὲ διαγελῶντες ἔλεγον ὅτι Γλεύκους μεμεστωμένοι εἰσίν.”
| Greek (translit.) | Literal meaning / semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning in context | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| γλεῦκος (gleukos) | “sweet new wine” | new wine, sweet wine | Deliberate ironic parallel: mockers say the apostles are “filled with new wine” (γλεύκους μεμεστωμένοι) immediately after the narrator says they were “filled with the Holy Spirit” (πλησθέντες Πνεύματος Ἁγίου, v.4) — Luke sets up Peter’s rebuttal in v.15 | młode wino — Low risk. Teaching note: the deliberate rhetorical parallel between “filled with wine” and “filled with the Spirit” should be surfaced explicitly, since it grounds Peter’s opening argument. |
Acts 2:14–15 (grouped)
“Σταθεὶς δὲ Πέτρος… ἀποφθέγξατο αὐτοῖς… οὐ γάρ… μεθύουσιν, ἔστιν γὰρ ὥρα τρίτη τῆς ἡμέρας.”
| Greek (translit.) | Literal meaning / semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning in context | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἀποφθέγγομαι (apophthengomai) | “to declare, speak out with authority/oracular force” | declared, spoke forth | Marks Peter’s speech as authoritative, Spirit-inspired proclamation, not casual remarks | przemówił — Low risk. |
Acts 2:16–21 (Joel 2:28–32 LXX citation)
| Greek (translit.) | Literal meaning / semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning in context | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἔσχαται ἡμέραι (eschatai hēmerai) | “last days” | last days, latter days | Peter announces that Pentecost inaugurates the eschatological era promised by Joel — not merely a future end-time event but a period beginning now | dni ostateczne / ostatnie dni — Medium risk. Must clarify this names an inaugurated era beginning at Pentecost, continuing through the church age, not exclusively a still-future end-time. |
| ἐκχέω (ekcheō) | “to pour out” | pour out | God’s outpouring is deliberate, generous, and universal in scope (“upon all flesh”) — distinct from πίμπλημι’s “filling” of individuals; ἐκχέω describes the source event, πίμπλημι the individual result | wyleję — Low-Medium risk, standard; note the verb distinction from “napełnić” in teaching. |
| πᾶσα σάρξ (pasa sarx) | “all flesh” | all people, everyone | Sons/daughters, young/old, male/female, slave/free — deliberately comprehensive, breaking status and gender/age boundaries in reception of the Spirit | wszelkie ciało — Medium risk: ensure the comprehensiveness (no status exclusion) is taught explicitly, ties to Universal Scope of the Gospel (baseline doctrine, reused). |
| προφητεύω (prophēteuō) — baseline term, reused | see baseline “prophecy/prophet” | prophesy | Sons and daughters will prophesy — the Spirit’s gifting is not gender-restricted | prorokować — baseline rendering reused; Low-Medium risk, note gender inclusivity explicitly. |
| ὅρασις (horasis) | “vision, sight” | visions | Visionary revelatory experience granted to “young men” | widzenie — Low risk. |
| ἐνύπνιον (enypnion) | “dream” | dreams | Revelatory dreams granted to “old men” | sen — Low risk. |
| δοῦλος / δούλη (doulos/doulē) | “male slave / female slave, servant” | servants, bondservants, my menservants and maidservants | Even those of servile social status receive the Spirit and prophesy — a socially radical inclusion | słudzy i służebnice — Medium risk: must not be softened into a generic “workers/helpers” that loses the social-status inclusivity Luke intends. |
| σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα (sēmeia kai terata) | “signs and wonders” | signs and wonders, miracles | Cosmic, apocalyptic signs accompanying “the day of the Lord” | znaki i cuda — Medium-High risk. See main glossary entry; risk of default association with Polish shrine/apparition piety rather than the specific eschatological/apostolic sense intended here. |
| ἐπικαλέομαι τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου (epikaleomai to onoma Kyriou) | “to call upon the name of the Lord” | call on the name of the Lord | The salvation-confession formula; κύριος reused as Pan (baseline, Critical) | wzywać imienia Pańskiego — Critical risk, directly parallel to the baseline’s Romans 10:13/10:9 caution: exclusive, personal invocation of the one true Lord Jesus, not a generic devotional invocation of any saint or intercessor. Human theologian review required. |
Acts 2:22
“Ἰησοῦν τὸν Ναζωραῖον, ἄνδρα ἀποδεδειγμένον ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ δυνάμεσι καὶ τέρασι καὶ σημείοις…”
| Greek (translit.) | Literal meaning / semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning in context | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ναζωραῖος (Nazōraios) | “Nazarene, of Nazareth” | Jesus of Nazareth, the Nazarene | Establishes Jesus’ historical, verifiable identity — the one his hearers themselves witnessed | Nazarejczyk — Low risk, standard Polish Bible form. |
| δύναμις (dynamis) — cf. baseline “power_of_god" | "power, might, capability” | mighty works, miracles, power | Here specifically God’s power displayed through Jesus in miracles — grounds apostolic-authority doctrine later in Acts | moc — baseline term family reused; Medium risk: distinguish God’s specific miracle-confirming power from generic “supernatural power” language. |
Acts 2:23
“τοῦτον τῇ ὡρισμένῃ βουλῇ καὶ προγνώσει τοῦ θεοῦ ἔκδοτον διὰ χειρὸς ἀνόμων προσπήξαντες ἀνείλατε.”
| Greek (translit.) | Literal meaning / semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning in context | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| βουλή (boulē) | “plan, counsel, deliberate will” | plan, purpose, counsel | God’s sovereign, deliberate plan encompasses even the cross — providence doctrine, parallel to baseline’s “opatrzność Boża” caution | zamysł / postanowienie — High risk. Must avoid fatalistic “los/przeznaczenie” framing (baseline forbidden substitution list for providence/election) while still affirming genuine divine sovereignty over the crucifixion. |
| πρόγνωσις (prognōsis) | “foreknowledge” | foreknowledge | Parallels Romans 8:29’s foreknowledge language — direct doctrinal bridge to the Romans baseline’s providence entry | uprzednia znajomość / przewidzenie — High risk, same caution as above. |
| ἄνομος (anomos) | “lawless, without law” | lawless men, wicked men | Refers to the human agents (Roman/Jewish authorities together) who carried out the crucifixion | bezprawni / ludzie bezbożni — Critical risk, historically sensitive. Peter’s speech is addressed to a Jewish crowd about the actions of specific individuals and authorities; it must never be rendered or taught in a way that supports collective, trans-historical blame of the Jewish people (a distortion with a tragic history, including in Poland). Requires an explicit translator/teaching note affirming corporate human/authority responsibility, not ethnic indictment, consistent with the baseline’s “unity_of_jews_and_gentiles” sensitivity note. Human theologian review required. |
Acts 2:24
“ὃν ὁ θεὸς ἀνέστησεν λύσας τὰς ὠδῖνας τοῦ θανάτου…”
| Greek (translit.) | Literal meaning / semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning in context | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἀνίστημι (anistēmi) | “to raise up, cause to stand up again” | raised (him) up | Verb-form counterpart to the baseline noun ἀνάστασις→zmartwychwstanie; describes God’s direct act of raising Jesus | wzbudził / wskrzesił — reuses the baseline resurrection doctrine (Critical); the verb form must still be understood as the same bodily, historical, once-for-all event. |
| ὠδίν (ōdin) | “birth-pang, agony, travail” | pains (of death), pangs of death | Vivid metaphor: death’s grip described as labor-pains that could not hold Jesus — death is pictured as itself giving birth to resurrection | boleści śmierci — Low-Medium risk, poetic term; ensure not flattened to generic “suffering.” |
Acts 2:25–28 (Psalm 16:8–11 LXX citation)
| Greek (translit.) | Literal meaning / semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning in context | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ᾅδης (Hadēs) | Greek term for the realm/abode of the dead (translating Hebrew Sheol) | Hades, the grave, the realm of the dead | Distinct from later NT γέεννα (Gehenna/final judgment-hell); here it names the temporary state of the dead from which Christ’s body/soul was not abandoned | Otchłań (Hades) — Medium-High risk. Must be explicitly distinguished from Polish popular “piekło” (hell as final judgment/damnation); conflating the two would misrepresent both the Psalm and Christ’s resurrection claim. |
| διαφθορά (diaphthora) | “decay, corruption, destruction” | corruption, decay | Christ’s body did not undergo bodily decay — grounds bodily (not merely spiritual) resurrection doctrine | skażenie / zniszczenie (ciała) — Low-Medium risk. |
Acts 2:29–31
“…προϊδὼν ἐλάλησεν περὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως τοῦ Χριστοῦ…”
| Greek (translit.) | Literal meaning / semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning in context | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| πατριάρχης (patriarchēs) | “patriarch, forefather/ancestor of note” | patriarch | Applied to David, anchoring the argument in covenant history | patriarcha — Low risk. |
| Χριστός (Christos) — baseline “messiah” reused | ”Anointed One” (title, = Hebrew Mashiach) | Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One | Peter argues David prophesied the Messiah’s resurrection — direct fulfillment-of-prophecy argument; reinforces baseline’s Critical messianic_promise doctrine | Mesjasz/Chrystus — baseline term reused, Critical. Teaching note: throughout Acts, “Χριστός” functions as a title (“the Messiah”), not a surname; this must be preserved so “Jezus Chrystus” is not heard as merely a two-part proper name. |
Acts 2:32
“τοῦτον τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἀνέστησεν ὁ θεός, οὗ πάντες ἡμεῖς ἐσμεν μάρτυρες.”
| Greek (translit.) | Literal meaning / semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning in context | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| μάρτυς (martys) | “witness” (originally legal/forensic: one who testifies to observed fact) | witness(es) | Central Acts term: the apostles’ authority rests on eyewitness testimony to the risen Christ, not private mystical insight. The later sense “martyr” (one who dies for testimony) develops from this word but is NOT the primary sense here | świadek — High risk. Must not be anachronistically read back as “martyr” (Stephen’s death in ch.7 is the narrative bridge toward that later sense, but here it is strictly forensic eyewitness testimony). Foundational to the Persecution and Bold Witness doctrine; flag for human theologian review wherever μάρτυς-family terms occur. |
Acts 2:33
“τῇ δεξιᾷ τοῦ θεοῦ ὑψωθείς, τήν τε ἐπαγγελίαν τοῦ Πνεύματος τοῦ Ἁγίου λαβὼν παρὰ τοῦ Πατρός, ἐξέχεεν τοῦτο…”
| Greek (translit.) | Literal meaning / semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning in context | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ὑψόω (hypsoō) | “to exalt, lift up, raise to honor” | exalted | Exaltation Christology: the risen Christ is publicly enthroned at God’s right hand | wywyższony — Medium risk: keep distinct from mere “promoted/honored” — this is enthronement language tied to Psalm 110 (cited next, v.34-35). |
| ἐπαγγελία (epangelia) | “promise” | promise | The Spirit himself is “the promise” — covenant-fulfillment language connecting Joel’s prophecy (v.16-21) to its historical realization | obietnica — Medium risk, standard; ties into baseline covenant terminology. |
Acts 2:34–35 (Psalm 110:1 citation)
No new theological vocabulary; κύριος (both occurrences) reuses baseline Pan (Critical). Theological note: Peter’s argument depends on distinguishing the two occurrences of “Lord” in the Psalm (YHWH and the Messiah) — worth flagging for teaching clarity though not a translation-term risk per se.
Acts 2:36
“ἀσφαλῶς οὖν γινωσκέτω πᾶς οἶκος Ἰσραὴλ ὅτι καὶ Κύριον καὶ Χριστὸν αὐτὸν ὁ θεὸς ἐποίησεν, τοῦτον τὸν Ἰησοῦν ὃν ὑμεῖς ἐσταυρώσατε.”
| Greek (translit.) | Literal meaning / semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning in context | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ποιέω (poieō) here = “installed, made [to be recognized as]" | "to make” | God has made him… | Critical exegetical/doctrinal point: this is functional/public installation of the already-eternal Son (cf. baseline Sonship-of-Christ, Critical) as reigning Messiah-Lord — NOT Jesus becoming divine at this moment (adoptionism). Must be taught alongside baseline’s “Syn Boży” entry to prevent a low-Christology misreading | Bóg Go ustanowił / uczynił [Panem i Mesjaszem] — Critical risk. Requires an explicit translator/teaching note distinguishing this public, historical installation/vindication from any suggestion of ontological becoming; ties directly to the baseline’s deity_of_christ and sonship_of_christ Critical doctrines. Human theologian review mandatory. |
Acts 2:37
“…κατενύγησαν τὴν καρδίαν, εἶπόν τε πρὸς τὸν Πέτρον καὶ τοὺς λοιποὺς ἀποστόλους· Τί ποιήσωμεν;“
| Greek (translit.) | Literal meaning / semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning in context | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| κατανύσσομαι (katanyssomai) | “to be pierced/stabbed” (of the heart, emotionally) | cut to the heart, pierced to the heart | Vivid picture of conviction of sin produced by the proclaimed word — precedes and produces genuine repentance | przejęli się do głębi serca (lit. “pierced/stabbed in the heart”) — Low-Medium risk, idiomatic rendering standard in Polish Bibles. |
Acts 2:38
“Πέτρος δὲ πρὸς αὐτούς· Μετανοήσατε, καὶ βαπτισθήτω ἕκαστος ὑμῶν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ εἰς ἄφεσιν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ὑμῶν, καὶ λήμψεσθε τὴν δωρεὰν τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος.”
| Greek (translit.) | Literal meaning / semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning in context | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| μετανοέω (metanoeō) / μετάνοια (metanoia) | literally “to change one’s mind/perception afterward”; a whole-person turning of mind, will, and direction | repent, change one’s mind, turn | The programmatic response to gospel proclamation throughout Acts (3:19; 17:30; 26:20) — an inward turning toward God evidenced outwardly in baptism | nawróćcie się / nawrócenie — Critical risk. Standard Polish Bible rendering (Biblia Tysiąclecia: “Nawróćcie się”). Must not be rendered with “pokuta/pokutować” in the primary sense used for Acts’ call, since “pokuta” in Polish Catholic usage is strongly tied to the sacrament of Penance/Confession requiring priestly absolution — a specific liturgical act Acts 2:38 does not describe. The text depicts a direct, personal turning to God evidenced in baptism, not a sacramental process mediated by a priest. Human theologian review required for every occurrence. |
| βαπτίζω (baptizō) | “to dip, immerse” | baptize | Public, decisive act of allegiance to Jesus following genuine repentance — the New Testament pattern is repentance-then-baptism of a personally responding believer | chrzest / ochrzcić się — Critical risk (new term for this curriculum; not present in the Romans glossary). Poland’s dominant Catholic (and much of its Protestant) tradition practices infant baptism, understood sacramentally as regenerative and administered prior to personal faith. Acts consistently narrates baptism following personal repentance/faith as its public confession (2:38; 8:12-13,36-38; 16:14-15,30-34; 18:8). This tension must be flagged for every occurrence; do not let “chrzest” default silently to the infant-sacramental paradigm without a clarifying teaching note. |
| ἄφεσις (ἁμαρτιῶν) (aphesis hamartiōn) | “release, pardon, forgiveness (of sins)“ | forgiveness, remission of sins | God’s own act of releasing the believer from the guilt/debt of sin | odpuszczenie grzechów — High risk. This exact phrase is also the standard Polish liturgical formula pronounced by a priest in the Sacrament of Confession. Must be clarified as God’s own direct forgiveness received through repentance and faith (expressed in baptism), not something dependent on priestly absolution as a separate, ongoing, repeatable requirement. |
| δωρεά (dōrea) | “gift, free gift” (emphasizing gratuitousness) | gift | Reinforces that the Spirit’s presence is received, not earned — parallel to baseline’s grace/łaska emphasis on unmerited favor | dar — Medium risk; connect explicitly to baseline “łaska” (grace) doctrine of unmerited gift. |
Acts 2:39
“ὑμῖν γάρ ἐστιν ἡ ἐπαγγελία καὶ τοῖς τέκνοις ὑμῶν… ὅσους ἂν προσκαλέσηται Κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν.”
| Greek (translit.) | Literal meaning / semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning in context | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| προσκαλέομαι (proskaleomai) | “to call to oneself, summon” | call, invite | God’s own sovereign summoning, extending to “all who are far off” (Gentiles included) — links directly to baseline’s “powołanie/calling” Critical caution | powołuje — High risk, reusing baseline caution: must not be read as a call to priesthood/religious life (the dominant Polish “powołanie” association) but as God’s sovereign summons of every believer to salvation, here explicitly extended beyond ethnic Israel. |
Acts 2:40
“…διεμαρτύρετο καὶ παρεκάλει αὐτοὺς λέγων· Σώθητε ἀπὸ τῆς γενε�ᾶς τῆς σκολιᾶς ταύτης.”
| Greek (translit.) | Literal meaning / semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning in context | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| διαμαρτύρομαι (diamartyromai) | “to testify solemnly, bear earnest witness” | testified, solemnly urged | Reinforces the μάρτυς/witness word-family (v.32) — Peter’s whole speech is framed as testimony, not persuasive rhetoric alone | świadczył / usilnie zaświadczał — High risk, same family as v.32’s “świadek” entry. |
| σκολιός (skolios) | “crooked, bent, perverse” | crooked (generation) | Echoes Deuteronomy 32:5’s description of unfaithful Israel — a call to separate from the surrounding culture’s rebellion | przewrotne (pokolenie) — Low-Medium risk. |
Acts 2:41
“οἱ μὲν οὖν ἀποδεξάμενοι τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ ἐβαπτίσθησαν, καὶ προσετέθησαν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ ψυχαὶ ὡσεὶ τρισχίλιαι.”
| Greek (translit.) | Literal meaning / semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning in context | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἀποδέχομαι (apodechomai) | “to receive, welcome, accept” | received, welcomed | Marks a genuine, personal reception of the message — not passive hearing | przyjęli — Low risk. |
| προστίθημι (prostithēmi) | “to add to, join to” | were added | The church’s growth is described as God’s/the community’s ongoing addition of believers — foundational Church as Community vocabulary | przyłączyło się / zostało dodanych — Medium risk: convey addition to a community, not merely a headcount increase. |
| ψυχή (psychē) | “soul” → by extension, “person, individual life” | souls, people, persons | Not a body/soul dualism claim here — simply “persons, individuals” (a common Hebraic idiom carried into Greek) | dusze / osoby — Low-Medium risk: teaching should clarify this is not a technical anthropological claim about the soul, just “persons,” to avoid over-reading dualistic anthropology into a numerical statement. |
PART 2 — Chapter-by-Chapter Study of the Whole Book
Chapter 1 — Ascension, the Promise, and Judas’s Replacement
| Term (Greek, translit.) | Literal meaning / semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning in context | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἀναλαμβάνω / ἀνάλημψις (analambanō / analēmpsis) | “to take up, lift up” / “the taking up” | taken up, ascended, the Ascension | Christ’s visible, bodily departure to heaven — grounds his heavenly, exalted reign referenced later (2:33) | wzięty do góry / Wniebowstąpienie — Medium risk. “Wniebowstąpienie” is the standard, well-established Catholic and Protestant feast/doctrinal term; low collision risk, but should be distinguished from Mary’s “Wniebowzięcie” (Assumption), a different word and different doctrine, given the phonetic similarity. |
| βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ — baseline reused | see baseline entry | kingdom of God | Jesus teaches about “the kingdom of God” for 40 days post-resurrection before ascending | królestwo Boże — baseline term reused, Medium risk. |
| ἀποκαθιστάνω τὴν βασιλείαν τῷ Ἰσραήλ (apokathistanō tēn basileian tō Israēl) | “to restore the kingdom to Israel” | restore the kingdom to Israel | The disciples’ question (1:6) reveals a nationalist-political misreading of the kingdom, which Jesus redirects toward Spirit-empowered global witness (1:8) rather than political restoration | przywrócić królestwo Izraelowi — Medium-High risk. Instructive parallel to the baseline’s caution about conflating God’s kingdom with national/political projects (cf. baseline kingdom_of_god and christian_identity_in_christ notes); teach the disciples’ question as a corrected misunderstanding, not a model to imitate. |
| δύναμις — baseline reused | see baseline “power_of_god” | power | ”You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you” (1:8) — power specifically for witness, not for personal status or spectacle | moc — baseline family reused, Medium-High risk (as elsewhere in Acts, guard against conflation with generic supernatural power). |
| ἕως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς (heōs eschatou tēs gēs) | “to the end/uttermost part of the earth” | to the ends of the earth | The programmatic geographic scope of the Great Commission, bracketing the whole book (fulfilled/echoed in 28:31) | aż do krańców ziemi — Medium risk: must be taught as literal global scope, not merely “the known Roman world,” so that the Acts 1:8→28:31 frame reads as an ongoing, unfinished mandate for the church today. |
| κλῆρος (klēros) | “lot” (object cast in a decision procedure); also “portion, inheritance, share” | lot, portion, inheritance | Used literally of the casting of lots to choose Judas’s replacement (1:17, 25-26) | los / dział — Medium risk, important nuance. The Romans baseline explicitly rejects “los” (fate) as a substitute for “wybranie” (election) and “opatrzność Boża” (providence), to avoid fatalistic framing. Here “los” is used only for the literal procedure of casting lots, not as a description of God’s providential character — this distinction must be made explicit in teaching so the two uses of “los”-family vocabulary are not confused. |
| ὁμοθυμαδόν (homothymadon) | “with one mind/accord, unanimously” | with one accord | Recurring refrain marking the early church’s unity in prayer and worship (1:14; also 2:46; 4:24; 5:12; 15:25) — core Church as Community vocabulary | jednomyślnie / zgodnie — Medium risk: render consistently across all occurrences so the recurring motif is visible to Polish readers as it is in the Greek. |
Chapter 3 — Healing at the Temple and Peter’s Sermon
| Terms | Variants | Theological meaning | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| παῖς (θεοῦ) (pais theou) “servant, child” (of God); echoes the LXX’s “Servant” title for the Isaianic Servant figure | (God’s) servant, my servant | A deliberate Christological title drawn from Isaiah’s Servant Songs (Isa 42, 49, 52-53), applied to Jesus (3:13, 3:26) | Sługa (Boży) — High risk. Must be capitalized/marked as a title evoking the Isaianic Servant, not read as the generic sense of παῖς (“child/boy”); losing the Isaiah connection flattens an important Christological argument. |
| ἀρχηγός (archēgos) “originator, founder, pioneer, prince/leader” | Author (of life), Prince, Pioneer | Jesus as the source and pioneer of resurrection life (3:15; cf. 5:31) | Twórca / Sprawca (życia), sometimes “Książę (życia)” — Medium risk: avoid flattening to a merely political “prince” or generic “leader”; convey originating/pioneering agency. |
| ἄγνοια (agnoia) “ignorance” | ignorance | Peter attributes the crucifixion partly to ignorance (3:17) — mitigating, not excusing, but distinct from the deliberate hardness addressed elsewhere | niewiedza — Low-Medium risk. |
| ἀποκαθίστημι / ἀποκατάστασις (apokathistēmi / apokatastasis) “to restore” / “restoration” | restoration of all things | Eschatological hope for cosmic restoration at Christ’s return (3:21) — must be distinguished from 1:6’s rejected nationalist “restoration of the kingdom to Israel” | odnowienie wszystkich rzeczy — Medium risk; teach the contrast with the corrected nationalist expectation of ch.1. |
| καιροὶ ἀναψύξεως (kairoi anapsyxeōs) “times/seasons of refreshing” | times of refreshing | Poetic description of eschatological relief accompanying repentance | czasy wytchnienia/ochłody — Low risk. |
Chapter 4 — Bold Witness Before the Council; Communal Sharing
| Terms | Variants | Theological meaning | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| παρρησία (parrēsia) “freedom of speech, boldness, openness” | boldness, confidence (in speech) | Central Persecution and Bold Witness term — the apostles’ fearless public proclamation despite threats (4:13, 29, 31; recurs 9:27-28; 28:31) | śmiałość / odwaga (w mówieniu) — Medium-High risk. Not a syncretism risk but a clarity/emphasis risk: teach that this is boldness in proclaiming Christ specifically, not generic courage; note the positive cultural resonance with Poland’s own history of costly public Christian witness under totalitarian regimes, which can be used as a bridge rather than a distraction. |
| ἅπαντα κοινά (hapanta koina) “all things common/shared” | everything in common, all things common | Voluntary, Spirit-motivated sharing of possessions within the believing community (2:44-45; 4:32-35) | wszystko wspólne — High risk, Poland-specific. Under communist rule (PRL), forced collectivization and suppression of private property left deep, largely negative cultural associations with “wspólna własność.” Acts’ voluntary, Spirit-motivated generosity within a freely gathered believing community must be explicitly distinguished from state-imposed collectivism; teaching should neither romanticize nor politicize the passage, but present it as a fruit of transformed hearts, not an economic policy model. Human theologian or native-speaker review recommended for lesson framing. |
| Συνέδριον (Synedrion) “council, assembly” (proper institutional name) | Sanhedrin, the Council | The Jewish ruling council that tries the apostles — recurs through Acts (5:21; 6:12; 22:30; 23:1) | Sanhedryn / Wysoka Rada — Low risk, established proper-noun rendering. |
| σωτηρία — baseline reused see baseline “salvation” | salvation | ”There is salvation in no one else” (4:12) — exclusivity claim | zbawienie — baseline term, Critical, reused; reinforce the exclusivity clause explicitly. |
Chapter 5 — Ananias and Sapphira; Continued Boldness
| Terms | Variants | Theological meaning | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| ψεύδομαι (τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον) (pseudomai) “to lie (to the Holy Spirit)“ | lie to the Holy Spirit | Ananias’s sin is treated as lying directly to God (5:3-4), a strong affirmation of the Spirit’s full personal deity | okłamać Ducha Świętego — High risk. Reinforces baseline’s Critical “Duch Święty” entry: the Spirit is a divine Person who can be personally lied to, not an impersonal force; flag for theologian review given its doctrinal weight for Trinitarian teaching. |
| πειράζω (τὸ Πνεῦμα Κυρίου) (peirazō) “to test, put to the test, tempt” | test/tempt the Spirit of the Lord | Parallel sin of Sapphira (5:9) | wystawiać na próbę Ducha Pańskiego — High risk, same doctrinal weight as above. |
| φόβος μέγας (phobos megas) “great fear” | great fear (came upon the whole church) | Communal reverence/awe response to God’s holiness displayed in judgment — not mere terror but reverential fear | wielki strach / bojaźń — Medium risk: distinguish reverential “bojaźń Boża” from ordinary fear. |
Chapter 6 — The Seven Chosen; Stephen Introduced
| Terms | Variants | Theological meaning | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| διακονία / διακονέω (diakonia / diakoneō) “service, ministry, waiting on tables” | ministry, service, distribution | The origin narrative of a functional service-role addressing a practical community need (daily distribution to widows), which develops (with laying on of hands) into a recognized ministry office | diakonia / służba — High risk. The Polish Catholic diakonat is a formal clerical order within the sacrament of Holy Orders. Acts 6’s narrative describes a functional, Spirit-and-wisdom-qualified service role addressing a specific community need; teaching must not silently import the full later sacramental theology of ordination onto this text without noting the historical development. |
| ἐπίθεσις τῶν χειρῶν / ἐπιτίθημι τὰς χεῖρας (epithesis tōn cheirōn) “the laying on of hands” | laying on of hands | Public commissioning gesture, recurring for varied purposes across Acts (ordination-like commissioning here; impartation of the Spirit in 8:17, 19:6; healing in 9:12, 28:8) | nakładanie/kładzenie rąk — Medium-High risk: since Polish sacramental practice (ordination, confirmation, anointing of the sick) all use this same gesture, teaching should note Acts’ varied purposes rather than assume one later sacramental sense governs all instances. |
| Ἑλληνισταί / Ἑβραῖοι (Hellēnistai / Hebraioi) “Greek-speaking [Jews]” / “[Aramaic/Hebrew-speaking] Hebrews” | Hellenists / Hebrews | An internal cultural-linguistic distinction within the earliest Jerusalem church whose tension (over food distribution) prompts the diakonia solution — an early instance of the “Jews and Gentiles”/unity-in-diversity doctrinal arc, though both groups here are ethnically Jewish | hellenizujący Żydzi / Hebrajczycy — Low-Medium risk, mainly a background-knowledge issue. |
Chapter 7 — Stephen’s Speech and Martyrdom
| Terms | Variants | Theological meaning | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| σκηνή (skēnē) “tent, tabernacle” | tabernacle | Recounting Israel’s wilderness worship, contrasted with the temple | przybytek / namiot — Low risk. |
| χειροποίητος (cheiropoiētos) “made by hand(s)“ | made with hands | Stephen argues God does not dwell in a “handmade” temple (7:48) — a critique of localized, ritual confinement of God, not of physical worship spaces as such | uczyniony rękami ludzkimi — Medium risk: must be taught carefully so it is not weaponized against church buildings/worship spaces generally, but understood as Stephen’s specific argument about God’s transcendence over any single earthly structure. |
| σκληροτράχηλος (sklērotrachēlos) “stiff-necked” | stiff-necked | OT covenant-rebellion idiom applied to Stephen’s own generation (7:51) | twardego karku / upartego serca — Low-Medium risk, idiomatic. |
| ἀπερίτμητος (τῇ καρδίᾳ) (aperitmētos) “uncircumcised (in heart)“ | uncircumcised in heart | Metaphorical extension of circumcision language to spiritual resistance — anticipates ch.15’s circumcision controversy | nieobrzezani na sercu — Medium risk: important OT-background idiom; must connect to the later, doctrinally Critical circumcision debate (ch.15). |
| ἀντιπίπτω (τῷ Πνεύματι) (antipiptō) “to resist, oppose, fall against” | resist the Holy Spirit | Direct, personal resistance to the Spirit’s work — reinforces the Spirit’s personal agency (cf. ch.5) | przeciwstawiać się Duchowi Świętemu — High risk, same doctrinal weight as ch.5’s Spirit-personhood entries. |
| λιθοβολέω (lithoboleō) “to stone, throw stones at” | stone (to death) | Stephen’s death — the first Christian killed for gospel witness, narrative bridge from μάρτυς (“witness,” forensic) toward the later technical sense “martyr” (one who dies for testimony) | kamienować — High risk, doctrinally load-bearing. This is the narrative hinge where Acts’ witness-vocabulary (μάρτυς) begins to acquire its later “martyrdom” association; teaching should make this transition explicit rather than assume Polish readers will independently connect “świadek” (ch.2) with “śmierć męczeńska” (later Christian vocabulary for martyrdom) without guidance. |
Chapter 8 — Philip in Samaria; Simon the Sorcerer; the Ethiopian Eunuch
| Terms | Variants | Theological meaning | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Σαμάρεια (Samareia) proper noun: Samaria | Samaria | The gospel’s first cross-ethnic expansion beyond Judea, bridging toward full Gentile inclusion (cf. Acts 1:8’s Judea→Samaria→ends of the earth structure) | Samaria — Low risk, proper noun; theologically Medium-High importance as the structural bridge of the “Gospel to Jews and Gentiles” doctrine. |
| μαγεία / μάγος (mageia / magos) “sorcery, magic” / “sorcerer” | sorcery, magic arts | Simon’s prior occupation, contrasted sharply with the true, non-purchasable gift of God | magia / czarnoksiężnik — Low-Medium risk; low collision with contemporary Polish culture, but useful contrast term for teaching the nature of the Spirit’s gift. |
| δωρεὰ τοῦ θεοῦ (dōrea tou theou) — cf. 2:38 ”the gift of God” | the gift of God | Simon’s attempt to purchase the Spirit’s gift with money (8:18-20, “simony”) is the negative foil to the true, unmerited gift theme | dar Boży — Medium-High risk: connect explicitly to baseline “łaska” (grace) doctrine — the gift of God is emphatically not for sale, a vivid warning against any commercialization of spiritual blessing (relevant caution given commercialized folk-devotional practices around some shrines). |
| εὐαγγελίζομαι (euangelizomai) — verb form of baseline “gospel" "to announce good news, evangelize” | preach the gospel, proclaim good news | Philip’s active proclamation ministry — verbal cognate of baseline Ewangelia | głosić Ewangelię / ewangelizować — baseline family reused, High risk (same as baseline “gospel” entry). |
Chapter 9 — The Conversion of Saul/Paul
| Terms | Variants | Theological meaning | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| διώκω / διωγμός (diōkō / diōgmos) “to persecute, pursue” / “persecution” | persecute, persecution | Saul’s identity before conversion (“why do you persecute me?”) — establishes persecution as a recurring, expected feature of gospel advance throughout Acts | prześladować / prześladowanie — Medium-High risk. Poland’s own historical experience of religious persecution (Nazi occupation, communist suppression of the Church) gives this term strong, largely positive resonance as costly faithfulness — an asset for teaching, but must not be narrowed to a national-historical narrative alone; retain the specifically Christ-centered “you are persecuting me” (i.e., persecution of the church = persecution of Christ himself) dimension. |
| ἡ ὁδός (hē hodos) “the Way” (with definite article, as a technical self-designation) | the Way | Earliest self-designation of the Christian movement before “Christian” existed as a term (9:2; also 19:9,23; 22:4; 24:14,22) | Droga (capitalized) — Medium risk: needs explicit context markers so Polish readers recognize this as a technical name for the movement, not a generic “way/path” reference. |
| σκεῦος ἐκλογῆς (skeuos eklogēs) “vessel/instrument of choosing” | chosen instrument, chosen vessel | God’s sovereign choice of Paul for a specific mission (9:15) — ties directly to baseline’s “wybranie” (election) entry | naczynie wybrane / wybrane narzędzie — High risk, reusing baseline election caution: convey personal, purposive divine choice, not impersonal fate (“los”). |
| ἀναβλέπω (anablepō) “to look up, regain sight” | received his sight | Physical healing paired with spiritual illumination — the blindness/sight motif recurs at Paul’s later Damascus-road retellings (22:13; 26:13,18) | odzyskać wzrok — Low risk. |
Chapter 10 — Cornelius and the Gentile Pentecost
| Terms | Variants | Theological meaning | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| καθαρός / κοινός / ἀκάθαρτος (katharos / koinos / akathartos) “clean” / “common, impure (ritually)” / “unclean” | clean / common / unclean | Peter’s dietary vision (10:9-16) dismantles the Mosaic clean/unclean food boundary as a symbol for the removal of the Jew/Gentile purity barrier | czysty / pospolity (nieczysty) / nieczysty — High risk. Requires substantial OT (Levitical) background for contemporary Polish readers to grasp the force of the vision; doctrinally central to the “Gospel to Jews and Gentiles” theme — flag for theologian or native-speaker review given the doctrinal weight of the symbolic argument. |
| φοβούμενος τὸν θεόν (phoboumenos ton theon) “one fearing/reverencing God” | God-fearer, one who feared God | Technical sociological term for Gentile sympathizers attached to the synagogue without full proselyte conversion (circumcision) — Cornelius’s category | bojący się Boga — Medium risk, mostly a background-clarity issue; distinct from the general “fear of God” ethical concept elsewhere. |
| οὐδὲν κοινὸν ἢ ἀκάθαρτον (10:14) “nothing common or unclean” | nothing common or unclean | Peter’s initial protest, later overturned by his own confession in v.28 and 34 | (same terms as above) |
| προσωπολήπτης / οὐ προσωπολημπτεῖ (prosōpolēptēs) “one who shows partiality/favoritism” | shows no partiality, no respecter of persons | Peter’s climactic theological conclusion (10:34-35): God shows no favoritism between Jew and Gentile — key Universal Scope of the Gospel statement, reinforcing baseline’s high-risk universality doctrine | Bóg nie ma względu na osobę — High risk, directly parallel to baseline’s “universal_scope_of_gospel” doctrine; must not be softened to imply any residual ethnic/national preference. |
| ἐπιπίπτω (τὸ Πνεῦμα) (epipiptō) “to fall upon” | fell upon (them) | Another distinct Spirit-reception verb (cf. 2:4’s πίμπλημι), marking the “Gentile Pentecost” as a genuine parallel event to Acts 2 | zstąpił / spadł na nich (Duch) — Medium-High risk: teach the deliberate narrative parallel to Acts 2, since it is Luke’s proof that Gentiles receive the identical gift on identical terms (cf. 11:15-17; 15:8-9). |
Chapter 11 — Report to Jerusalem; the Name “Christians” at Antioch
| Terms | Variants | Theological meaning | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Χριστιανός (Christianos) “Christian” (a Latinized formation, “belonging to Christ/Christ-partisan”) | Christians | First applied (likely by outsiders) at Antioch (11:26) — becomes the movement’s lasting name | chrześcijanin — Low risk, standard, well-established term; teaching note: originally an outsider label, not self-chosen, worth noting for cultural-historical color. |
| χάρις τοῦ θεοῦ — baseline reused see baseline “grace” | grace of God | Barnabas rejoices to see “the grace of God” evident in the new Gentile believers at Antioch (11:23) | łaska Boża — baseline term, High risk, reused. |
Chapter 12 — Herod’s Persecution; Peter’s Deliverance
Largely reuses established vocabulary (persecution, prayer, angel of the Lord). One notable new item:
| Terms | Variants | Theological meaning | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ ηὔξανεν (ho logos tou theou ēuxanen) “the word of God grew/increased” | the word of God grew and multiplied | Recurring Acts refrain describing the gospel’s advance as if it were itself a living, growing organism (cf. 6:7; 19:20) — key Great Commission Fulfilled vocabulary | słowo Boże rosło (i rozmnażało się) — Medium risk: ensure the personified “growth of the word” imagery is preserved rather than flattened to a generic “the church grew.” |
Chapter 13 — Commissioning of Paul and Barnabas; Justification Preached at Antioch
| Terms | Variants | Theological meaning | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| ἀφορίζω (aphorizō) “to mark off, set apart, separate” | set apart | The Spirit’s specific designation of Barnabas and Saul for a missionary task (13:2) — a concrete instance of “calling” distinct from the general call to salvation | oddzielić / wyznaczyć — Medium-High risk: ties into baseline “powołanie” caution; this is a specific missionary commissioning, useful to contrast carefully with — not conflate with — the culturally dominant Polish sense of “powołanie” as priesthood/religious life, while still being a genuine instance of specific, Spirit-initiated calling. |
| δικαιόω (dikaioō) — baseline reused (“justification”) see baseline “justification/righteousness” | justified | Direct doctrinal climax: “by him everyone who believes is justified from all that the Law of Moses could not justify you from” (13:38-39) — Acts’ clearest statement of the Justification apart from the Law doctrine, directly bridging to the Romans baseline’s Critical justification entry | usprawiedliwiony / usprawiedliwienie — baseline term reused exactly, Critical. This is a load-bearing cross-reference passage for the curriculum; must be rendered identically to the Romans baseline’s forensic “declared righteous” sense, resisting collapse into gradual sacramental transformation (per baseline’s Trent-vs-Reformation caution). Human theologian review required. |
Chapter 14 — Lystra, Iconium, and Idolatrous Misunderstanding
| Terms | Variants | Theological meaning | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ζεύς / Ἑρμῆς (Zeus / Hermēs) proper names of Greek gods | Zeus / Hermes | The Lystran crowd mistakes Paul and Barnabas for these deities after a healing miracle — sets up Paul’s monotheistic corrective speech (14:15-17) | Zeus / Hermes — Low risk, proper nouns; useful contrast for teaching biblical monotheism against polytheistic misunderstanding. |
| πρεσβύτεροι (χειροτονήσαντες) “elders (having appointed by hand/vote)“ | appointed elders | Establishing local church leadership with prayer and fasting (14:23) — first explicit local-elder appointment narrative in Acts, preparing for ch.20’s fuller treatment | wyznaczyli starszych — Medium risk; see fuller treatment under ch.20 (elder/overseer terminology). |
Chapter 15 — The Jerusalem Council: Circumcision and the Gospel
| Terms | Variants | Theological meaning | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| περιτομή / περιτέμνω (peritomē / peritemnō) “circumcision” / “to circumcise” | circumcision | The central controversy: must Gentile believers be circumcised (keep the Law of Moses) to be saved? The council’s answer — no — is Acts’ definitive statement of the Justification apart from the Law doctrine | obrzezanie / obrzezać — Critical risk. This is the Acts counterpart to the baseline’s Critical grace/justification/faith cautions regarding merit-based righteousness; must be taught as directly parallel to the Judaizing pressure Paul confronts in Galatians and echoes in Romans. Human theologian review required for every occurrence. |
| ζυγός (zygos) “yoke” | yoke | Peter’s rhetorical question: why place on Gentile necks “a yoke that neither our fathers nor we were able to bear” (15:10) — the Law as an unbearable burden when made a condition of salvation | jarzmo — Medium-High risk: must be taught carefully to avoid implying blanket disparagement of the Mosaic Law’s ongoing devotional value (cf. baseline’s “law” entry), while preserving Peter’s specific point about salvation-by-law-keeping. |
| χάρις τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ — baseline reused see baseline “grace” | grace of the Lord Jesus | ”We believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus” (15:11) — direct doctrinal thesis statement, essentially Acts’ version of Romans 3-4’s argument | łaska Pana Jezusa — baseline term reused, Critical, directly cross-references baseline grace/salvation doctrines. |
| εἰδωλόθυτον / πνικτόν / πορνεία (eidōlothyton / pnikton / porneia) “food sacrificed to idols” / “[meat of] strangled [animals]” / “sexual immorality” | things sacrificed to idols / what has been strangled / sexual immorality | The apostolic decree’s minimal requirements for Gentile believers (15:20,29) — practical, not salvific, conditions | pokarmy ofiarowane bożkom / (mięso) uduszonych zwierząt / nierząd — Low-Medium risk; mainly historical-cultural background needed; must not be confused with salvation conditions (contrast with circumcision above). |
Chapter 16 — Lydia, the Philippian Jailer, and Household Salvation
| Terms | Variants | Theological meaning | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| πύθων (πνεῦμα) (pythōn) “python spirit” (a divination spirit, named for the Delphic oracle) | spirit of divination | Contrast between a demonically empowered fortune-telling spirit and the true Holy Spirit’s work | duch (wróżbiarski/Pytona) — Low-Medium risk; low cultural collision in contemporary Poland, but useful contrast term. |
| σωθήσῃ σὺ καὶ ὁ οἶκός σου (sōthēsē sy kai ho oikos sou) “you will be saved, you and your household” | you and your household will be saved | The jailer’s household comes to faith and is baptized following their own hearing and believing (16:32-34) — the promise is not magical/automatic transfer of salvation by family association | będziesz zbawiony, ty i twój dom — High risk, directly parallel to a baseline caution. Must not be read as implying salvation is automatically conferred on family members apart from their own personal faith — the same caution the Romans baseline raises regarding “zbawienie” never being an automatic status via national/family belonging. The narrative itself (v.32-34: the household hears the word and believes before baptism) supports the personal-faith reading; teaching must make this explicit. Human theologian review recommended. |
| ῥαβδίζω (rhabdizō) “to beat with rods” | beaten with rods | A form of persecution suffered by Paul and Silas (16:22-23) — reinforces the Persecution and Bold Witness doctrine | biczować / bić rózgami — Medium risk, standard narrative-descriptive term. |
Chapter 17 — Athens and the Areopagus
| Terms | Variants | Theological meaning | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ἄρειος Πάγος (Areios Pagos) proper noun: “Hill/Council of Ares” | Areopagus | Athens’s philosophical-judicial council where Paul delivers his address to a purely pagan, philosophically literate audience — a model of gospel proclamation adapted to a non-biblically-literate culture | Areopag — Low risk, proper noun; culturally useful model for evangelism in a post-Christian or nominally-Christian context, relevant to contemporary Poland’s own increasingly secularizing younger generation. |
| ἄγνωστος θεός (agnōstos theos) “unknown god” | unknown god | The altar inscription Paul uses as an apologetic bridge (17:23) | nieznany bóg — Low-Medium risk, apologetic bridge term. |
| δεισιδαιμονέστερος (deisidaimonesteros) “very religious, [excessively] superstitious” (ambiguous/ironic term) | very religious, very superstitious | Paul’s opening line is deliberately double-edged — respectful on the surface, subtly critical of empty religiosity | bardzo religijni / pobożni (with note on the term’s irony) — Medium risk: the ambiguity/irony is easily lost in translation and should be flagged in teaching notes. |
| γένος (θεοῦ) (genos theou) “offspring, race, kind (of God)“ | God’s offspring | Paul’s citation of Greek poets (17:28) to argue humanity’s derivation from and accountability to the one Creator God | potomstwo Boże — Medium risk: must be distinguished from baseline’s “usynowienie”/adoption doctrine (a specific, salvific sonship) — here it is a general creational relationship (all humanity as God’s creatures/offspring), not the adoptive sonship of believers. |
| μετάνοια — baseline-adjacent, reused rendering see Acts 2:38 entry | repentance | Paul’s climactic call: God “commands all people everywhere to repent” (17:30) — universalizes the repentance call introduced at Pentecost | nawrócenie — reused rendering, Critical, same caution as 2:38. |
Chapter 18 — Corinth; Aquila and Priscilla; Gallio’s Ruling
Largely reuses established vocabulary (synagogue, baptism). No major new theological term; sets up ch.19’s distinctive Ephesus material. Note: Apollos’s incomplete instruction (“knowing only the baptism of John,” 18:25) anticipates ch.19’s fuller treatment of the John-baptism/Spirit-baptism distinction.
Chapter 19 — Ephesus: Disciples of John, the Baptism of the Spirit, and Idolatry
| Terms | Variants | Theological meaning | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| βάπτισμα Ἰωάννου (baptisma Iōannou) “the baptism of John” | John’s baptism | A baptism of repentance in anticipation of the Messiah, explicitly distinguished from Christian baptism “in the name of the Lord Jesus” and from Spirit-reception (19:1-5) | chrzest Janowy — High risk: this passage is the clearest place in Acts where the text itself distinguishes two baptisms; teaching must not blur this distinction, and it sharpens (rather than resolves) the water-baptism/Spirit-baptism relationship raised at 2:38 and 1:5. |
| ἐπιτίθημι τὰς χεῖρας (Ephesus recurrence) see ch.6 entry | laying on of hands | Here specifically tied to Spirit-reception accompanied by tongues and prophecy (19:6) — echoes Pentecost and the Cornelius episode | nakładanie rąk — reused rendering; High risk, same caution as ch.6/ch.10. |
| Ἄρτεμις (Artemis) proper noun: the Ephesian goddess (Diana in Latin) | Artemis/Diana | The Ephesian silversmiths’ riot in defense of Artemis-worship and its commercial idol trade (19:23-41) | Artemida (Diana) — Low risk, proper noun. |
| θεοὶ…οἱ διὰ χειρῶν γινόμενοι (theoi dia cheirōn ginomenoi) “gods made by hands” | gods made with hands | Paul’s (implied) teaching that manufactured idols are not actually gods (echoed by the town clerk’s own uneasy acknowledgment, 19:26) | bogowie czynione rękami — Medium risk, pastorally sensitive. Must not be applied by extension to Catholic statues/icons used in veneration (a live ecumenical sensitivity in Poland); the biblical critique targets objects worshipped as gods themselves, not devotional images used within a broader theistic framework. Native speaker/theologian review recommended for teaching framing. |
| ἐκκλησία (ekklēsia) — secular/civic sense ”assembly, gathering” (its ordinary, non-technical Greek meaning) | assembly (of citizens) | The same word rendered elsewhere as “church” (baseline reused) is here used for the unruly civic assembly/riot at Ephesus (19:32, 39, 41) | zgromadzenie (here, not “kościół”) — Medium risk. Important lexical note: ἐκκλησία is an ordinary Greek word for “assembly,” not inherently a technical religious term; when it denotes the Christian community elsewhere in Acts, “kościół” (baseline term, reused) is used, but here the secular sense requires a different Polish word (“zgromadzenie”) to avoid implying a “church riot.” |
Chapter 20 — Paul’s Farewell at Miletus: Elders, Overseers, Shepherds
| Terms | Variants | Theological meaning | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| πρεσβύτερος (presbyteros) “elder, older man” | elder | Local congregational leaders summoned by Paul (20:17) | starszy — Medium-High risk (see next entry). |
| ἐπίσκοπος (episkopos) “overseer, superintendent” | overseer, bishop | Paul uses this word (20:28) for the same leaders just called πρεσβύτεροι two verses earlier (20:17) — the terms are interchangeable in this text | biskup / nadzorca — High risk. Polish Catholic ecclesiology has developed a three-tier hierarchy (biskup > prezbiter/kapłan > diakon) in which “biskup” (bishop) is a distinct, higher order with authority over multiple congregations and other clergy. Acts 20 uses πρεσβύτερος and ἐπίσκοπος interchangeably for a plural, local, congregation-level eldership. Teaching must flag this so the later, developed three-tier system is not read back into the text as though Acts 20 already describes a monarchical bishop over multiple congregations. Human theologian review required. |
| ποιμήν / ποιμαίνω / ποίμνιον (poimēn / poimainō / poimnion) “shepherd” / “to shepherd, tend” / “flock” | shepherd, tend, flock | Pastoral metaphor for the elders’ care of the local congregation (20:28) | pasterz / paść / stado (trzoda) — Low-Medium risk; already well-integrated into Polish Catholic devotional vocabulary (pope/priest as pastor), which is an asset, though teaching should keep the emphasis on the plural, local, mutually-accountable eldership Acts describes rather than a solitary hierarchical figure. |
| λύκοι βαρεῖς (lykoi bareis) “fierce/savage wolves” | fierce wolves | Warning of false teachers arising to prey on the flock (20:29) | wilki drapieżne — Low risk, standard metaphor. |
| κλάσις τοῦ ἄρτου (klasis tou artou) “breaking of bread” | breaking of bread | Recurring descriptive term for the shared communal meal practice of the early church (cf. 2:42,46; 20:7,11) | łamanie chleba — High risk. Must be taught with care to distinguish the descriptive practice narrated in Acts (a shared communal meal, evidently including but not limited to what later developed into formal Eucharistic liturgy) from the full, later-developed Catholic Eucharistic/Mass theology (transubstantiation, priestly consecration); the text does not resolve later sacramental debates and should not be forced to settle them. |
Chapter 21 — Paul’s Arrest in Jerusalem
Largely reuses established vocabulary (prophecy, persecution, the Way, Nazirite vow customs). No major new theological term beyond narrative-cultural detail (Nazirite vow, ritual purification) requiring background notes rather than new glossary entries.
Chapter 22 — Paul’s Defense: Retelling the Conversion
| Terms | Variants | Theological meaning | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| ζηλωτὴς τοῦ θεοῦ (zēlōtēs tou theou) “zealot/zealous one for God” | zealous for God | Paul’s self-description of his pre-conversion zeal (22:3) — sets up the total reorientation of that zeal toward Christ | żarliwy / zapaleniec dla Boga — Low-Medium risk. |
| ὁ δίκαιος (ho dikaios) “the Righteous One” (title) | the Righteous One | A Christological title for Jesus (22:14), drawing on baseline’s “sprawiedliwość” word-family but functioning here as a proper title, not a general quality-description | Sprawiedliwy (capitalized, as title) — High risk. Must be recognized and rendered as a title for Christ (paralleling “the Holy One,” “the Author of Life”), not merely translated generically as “a righteous person,” or the Christological force is lost. |
| ἀπολούω (τὰς ἁμαρτίας) (apolouō) “to wash away” | wash away (your sins) | Baptismal imagery paired with calling on Christ’s name (22:16) — echoes 2:38’s baptism/forgiveness/calling cluster | zmyć (grzechy) / obmycie — High risk, same cluster caution as 2:38 (baptism/repentance/forgiveness). |
Chapter 23 — The Sanhedrin Trial; Pharisees and Sadducees Dispute
Largely reuses established vocabulary (Sanhedrin, resurrection). One notable feature: the Pharisee/Sadducee dispute over ἀνάστασις (resurrection) and ἄγγελος/πνεῦμα (angel/spirit) existence (23:6-9) reuses the baseline Critical resurrection doctrine, now shown as a live, contested first-century Jewish theological question rather than a uniquely Christian claim — useful teaching point that resurrection hope has genuine Jewish roots contested even within Judaism itself.
Chapter 24 — Trial Before Felix
| Terms | Variants | Theological meaning | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| τῆς ὁδοῦ (tēs hodou) see ch.9 entry | the Way | Felix is said to have “rather accurate knowledge of the Way” (24:22) — continued technical usage | Droga — reused rendering, Medium risk. |
| ἐγκράτεια (egkrateia) “self-control, self-mastery” | self-control | Part of Paul’s message to Felix, alongside righteousness and coming judgment (24:25) — an ethical fruit-of-faith term | wstrzemięźliwość / opanowanie (siebie) — Low-Medium risk, standard ethical vocabulary. |
| συνείδησις (syneidēsis) “conscience” | conscience | Paul’s claim to maintain “a clear conscience toward God and men” (24:16) | sumienie — Low-Medium risk, standard. |
Chapter 25 — Trial Before Festus; Appeal to Caesar
| Terms | Variants | Theological meaning | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| ἐπικαλοῦμαι Καίσαρα (epikaloumai Kaisara) “I appeal to Caesar” | I appeal to Caesar | Paul’s legal invocation of Roman citizenship rights (25:11) — a providential mechanism advancing the “Great Commission” plot toward Rome itself | odwołuję się do Cezara — Low-Medium risk, legal-historical term; theologically significant as the narrative hinge sending Paul (and the gospel) to the empire’s capital. |
Chapter 26 — Before Agrippa: Paul’s Fullest Conversion Account
| Terms | Variants | Theological meaning | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| ἐπιστρέφω ἐπὶ τὸν θεόν (epistrephō epi ton theon) “to turn (back) to God” | turn to God | Paul’s charge from Christ: open Gentile eyes so they “turn to God” — a synonym-pairing with μετανοέω that reinforces the repentance/conversion doctrinal cluster | zwrócić się do Boga / nawrócić się — reused rendering family, Critical (same caution as 2:38, 17:30). |
| κλῆρος (ἡγιασμένων) (klēros hēgiasmenōn) “inheritance/portion (of those sanctified)“ | inheritance among those sanctified | Combines κλῆρος (cf. ch.1 caution on “los”) with baseline’s “uświęcenie” (sanctification) — the promised share among God’s set-apart people | dział/dziedzictwo wśród uświęconych — Medium-High risk: reinforce the ch.1 caution against reading “los/dział” fatalistically; this is covenantal inheritance language, tied to God’s purposive sanctifying work, not chance. |
Chapter 27 — The Voyage and Shipwreck
Predominantly nautical/narrative vocabulary with low theological load. One notable providence-doctrine touchpoint:
| Terms | Variants | Theological meaning | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| δεῖ σε Καίσαρι παραστῆναι (dei se Kaisari parastēnai) “it is necessary/you must stand before Caesar” | you must appear before Caesar | An angelic promise of protection through the storm, grounded in the certainty of a previously stated divine purpose (27:24) — reuses baseline’s “opatrzność Boża” (providence) doctrine in narrative form | musisz stanąć przed Cezarem — Medium risk, reused providence doctrine; avoid fatalistic “musi się stać” tone — this is personal divine purpose, not impersonal necessity. |
Chapter 28 — Malta, and the Gospel Unhindered in Rome
| Terms | Variants | Theological meaning | Polish rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| κηρύσσω (kēryssō) “to proclaim, herald, preach [with authority]“ | preach, proclaim | The book’s final verb of gospel activity (28:31), echoing the herald’s public, authoritative announcement register already implicit in “Ewangelia” | głosić — Medium risk, standard; connect explicitly to baseline “Ewangelia” (gospel) doctrine as the content of this proclaiming. |
| ἀκωλύτως (akōlytōs) “without hindrance, unhindered” | unhindered, without obstruction | Acts’ famous open-ended final word: the gospel advances “unhindered” even under Roman guard — the Great Commission Fulfilled doctrine’s climactic, deliberately unresolved conclusion (the mission continues beyond the book’s final page) | bez przeszkód / nieprzeszkodzony — Medium risk, thematically weighty despite lexical simplicity: teach this as Acts’ intentional “open ending,” bracketing back to 1:8’s “ends of the earth” as an ongoing mandate, not a completed, closed program. |
This document must be loaded alongside the Romans baseline translation_memory.json, bible_term_registry.json, and doctrine_risk_registry.json before Phase 1 Step 2 (term registry extension) and all Phase 2 translation operations. See analysis/08_core_glossary.md for the consolidated glossary table.