Semantic Analysis

Acts — Semantic Analysis (Koine Greek Source Study)

Curriculum: Acts 1–28 Core passage: Acts 2:1–41 Destination language: Punjabi (Gurmukhi script) Baseline authority: Romans Language Package (translation_memory.json, bible_term_registry.json, doctrine_risk_registry.json) — all terms already recorded there are reused here exactly, without modification. This document extends that package; it does not revise it.

Methodology

Every load-bearing term is analyzed with: original Greek word, transliteration, literal meaning, semantic range, English variants, contextual theological meaning in Acts, and destination-language (Punjabi) rendering with risk tier and grounded rationale. Where a term already exists in the baseline Romans package, that exact Punjabi rendering is cited and reused; only the Acts-specific contextual notes are added. Where a chapter introduces no new load-bearing theological vocabulary, this is stated explicitly rather than omitted.

Risk tiers follow the baseline’s risk_definitions exactly: Critical (essential doctrine at stake, mandatory theologian review), High (significant syncretism/confusion risk, mandatory theologian review), Medium (clarity reduced, native-speaker review), Low (minor imprecision, automated review).

PART 1 — Core Passage Verse-by-Verse: Acts 2:1–41

Acts 2:1

ἡμέρα τῆς πεντηκοστῆς (hēmera tēs Pentēkostēs)

Literal meaning: “day of the fiftieth [day]”
Semantic range: the Jewish Feast of Weeks (Shavuot), fifty days after Passover, originally a harvest festival, later associated with the giving of the Law at Sinai
English variants: Pentecost, Feast of Weeks, Feast of Harvest
Contextual theological meaning: The Spirit is poured out on the very feast day that in Jewish memory marked covenant-giving at Sinai — Luke frames the birth of the church as a new covenant counterpart to Sinai.
Punjabi rendering & risk: ਪੰਤੇਕੁਸਤ (Pentekust), transliterated proper noun, as in established Punjabi Bible usage. Risk: Medium — the term itself carries no competing religious association in Punjab, but without a brief explanatory gloss (Jewish harvest/covenant feast) the reader has no frame of reference; clarity risk, not doctrinal collision risk.

Acts 2:2

πνοή (pnoē) — “a rushing wind/breath”

Literal meaning: breath, blast, wind
Semantic range: shares its root with πνεῦμα (spirit/breath/wind); OT theophany imagery (e.g., 1 Kings 19; Ezekiel 37’s breath of life)
English variants: wind, breath, blast
Contextual theological meaning: The audible wind is a sensory sign accompanying the Spirit’s arrival, echoing the Hebrew ruach wind/breath/spirit wordplay.
Punjabi rendering & risk: ਹਵਾ ਦਾ ਤੇਜ਼ ਵਹਾਅ (a strong rush of wind/breath). Risk: Low — descriptive natural-phenomenon language; no significant collision, though translators should avoid any wording that suggests an impersonal cosmic “breath/prana” force distinct from the personal ਪਵਿੱਤਰ ਆਤਮਾ named in v.4.

Acts 2:3

γλῶσσαι ὡσεὶ πυρός (glōssai hōsei pyros) — “tongues as of fire”

Literal meaning: tongue-shaped flames
Semantic range: γλῶσσα = tongue (organ) or language; here a visual simile for divided flame
English variants: tongues of fire, flames like tongues
Contextual theological meaning: Fire is consistent OT imagery for God’s manifest presence (burning bush, Sinai, pillar of fire) and here anticipates the “tongues” of language given in v.4.
Punjabi rendering & risk: ਅੱਗ ਵਰਗੀਆਂ ਜੀਭਾਂ (tongue-like flames of fire). Risk: Medium — fire-as-divine-presence imagery is broadly intelligible, but must not be rendered so that it suggests a self-generated inner spiritual “fire” attainable through meditative discipline (a concept present in some South Asian yogic/tantric traditions); this is God’s sovereign initiative, not the believer’s achieved inner heat.

Acts 2:4

ἐπλήσθησαν πνεύματος ἁγίου (eplēsthēsan pneumatos hagiou) — “were filled with the Holy Spirit”

Literal meaning: πίμπλημι, “to fill completely”
Semantic range: full, decisive occupation/empowerment, not partial influence
English variants: filled, filled full, filled to overflowing
Contextual theological meaning: This is the definitive, once-for-all inaugural filling that begins the church age; πνεῦμα ἅγιον itself reuses baseline term ਪਵਿੱਤਰ ਆਤਮਾ (Critical, per baseline holy_spirit).
Punjabi rendering & risk: ਪਵਿੱਤਰ ਆਤਮਾ ਨਾਲ ਭਰ ਗਏ (filled with the Holy Spirit). Risk: High — must convey personal indwelling empowerment by the third Person of the Trinity, not a trance, possession, or ecstatic-state phenomenon familiar from Punjabi folk religious practice, nor the Sikh doctrine of ਜੋਤ (a single divine light transmitted sequentially through the Ten Gurus into the Guru Granth Sahib) already flagged Critical in baseline; here the same Spirit indwells every believer personally and simultaneously.

ἐλάλουν ἑτέραις γλώσσαις (elaloun heterais glōssais) — “spoke in other tongues”

Literal meaning: γλῶσσα, “tongue” (organ) or “language”
Semantic range: real, identifiable human languages (confirmed by v.6, 8, 11 “each in his own language”), distinct from unintelligible ecstatic utterance
English variants: tongues, other tongues, languages
Contextual theological meaning: The miracle is linguistic communication of the gospel across ethnic/linguistic barriers — a direct enactment of the Great Commission’s universal scope.
Punjabi rendering & risk: ਹੋਰ ਭਾਸ਼ਾਵਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਬੋਲਣ ਲੱਗੇ (began to speak in other languages). Risk: Medium — translators must make clear these are actual foreign human languages understood by hearers (per v.6–11), not a private ecstatic phenomenon; without this clarity the term could be misread through the lens of unrelated trance-speech practices in Punjabi folk religion.

Acts 2:5

Ἰουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) — “Jews”

Literal meaning: from Ioudas/Judah; inhabitant of Judea or member of the Jewish people
Semantic range: ethnic-religious identity term, sometimes narrowly “Judean,” sometimes broadly “Jewish people”
English variants: Jews, Judeans
Contextual theological meaning: Establishes the initial, entirely Jewish audience of Pentecost — the gospel’s expansion to Gentiles (chs. 10–15) will be the deliberate next movement of the narrative.
Punjabi rendering & risk: ਯਹੂਦੀ (Yahudi), the established Punjabi Bible term (already used in the baseline doctrine registry’s doctrine name for “unity_of_jews_and_gentiles”). Risk: Low — well-established, unambiguous.

Acts 2:6

ἦχος (ēchos) — “sound, noise, report”; διάλεκτος (dialektos) — “language, dialect”

Literal meaning: ēchos = sound/noise; dialektos = language particular to a region or people
Semantic range: dialektos consistently means a specific national/regional language, not merely an “accent”
English variants: sound, noise; language, dialect, tongue
Contextual theological meaning: Each hearer receives the gospel proclamation in his own mother tongue — a reversal of Babel’s confusion (Genesis 11), signaling the gospel’s capacity to unify across linguistic division without erasing linguistic diversity.
Punjabi rendering & risk: ਅਵਾਜ਼ (sound); ਬੋਲੀ/ਭਾਸ਼ਾ (language/dialect). Risk: Low.

Acts 2:7–8

No new load-bearing terms; continues the narrative of astonishment, reusing γλῶσσα/διάλεκτος from vv.4, 6.

Acts 2:9–11a

Proper nouns only (Parthians, Medes, Elamites, Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, Libya, Rome, Crete, Arabia) — the “table of nations” catalog. No individual doctrinal term treatment required, but theological significance is load-bearing for the curriculum doctrine Gospel to Jews and Gentiles / Great Commission Fulfilled: the list deliberately spans the known Roman world, prefiguring Acts 1:8’s “ends of the earth.” Punjabi rendering: transliterate all proper names per standard Punjabi Bible atlas conventions; risk Low (proper nouns, no theological substitution risk), but translators should preserve the full list rather than abbreviating it, since the exhaustive geographic sweep is itself the theological point.

Acts 2:11b

μεγαλεῖα τοῦ θεοῦ (megaleia tou theou) — “the mighty/great works of God”

Literal meaning: μεγαλεῖος, “great, magnificent”; neuter plural substantive, “great things”
Semantic range: God’s great redemptive acts, historically (Exodus) and presently (Pentecost)
English variants: mighty works, great things, wonderful works
Contextual theological meaning: The languages proclaim not human eloquence but God’s own redemptive acts — anticipating Peter’s sermon.
Punjabi rendering & risk: ਪਰਮੇਸ਼ੁਰ ਦੇ ਮਹਾਨ ਕੰਮ (God’s great/mighty works; ਪਰਮੇਸ਼ੁਰ reused exactly from baseline god). Risk: Low.

Acts 2:12–13

No new load-bearing theological terms (mockery about “new wine,” γλεῦκος, is a cultural jibe, not a doctrinal term). Reuses γλῶσσα.

Acts 2:14–15

No new load-bearing terms; narrative introduction to Peter’s sermon.

Acts 2:16

προφήτης (prophētēs) — “prophet”

Reuses baseline term exactly: ਨਬੀ (nabi), Low risk per baseline prophet.
Contextual theological meaning here: Peter explicitly identifies the Pentecost event as the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy — direct enactment of the baseline doctrine fulfillment_of_prophecy (High risk in baseline registry: linear historical fulfillment, not a cyclical cosmic frame).

Acts 2:17

ἐν ταῖς ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις (en tais eschatais hēmerais) — “in the last days”

Literal meaning: ἔσχατος, “last, final, furthest”
Semantic range: the final eschatological era inaugurated by Messiah’s coming, not necessarily the immediate end of history
English variants: last days, latter days, end times
Contextual theological meaning: Pentecost inaugurates the eschatological age promised by the prophets.
Punjabi rendering & risk: ਅੰਤ ਦੇ ਦਿਨ (the last/end days). Risk: Medium — must be framed as the inaugurated, linear “already/not yet” era following Christ’s resurrection and ascension, not conflated with Hindu yuga-cycle cosmology (declining ages within a repeating cosmic cycle) or the Sikh/Hindu framework of ਆਵਾਗਵਣ; this mirrors the baseline’s fulfillment_of_prophecy caution.

ἐκχεῶ ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματός μου (ekcheō apo tou pneumatos mou) — “I will pour out of my Spirit”

Literal meaning: ἐκχέω, “to pour out, spill out”
Semantic range: generous, abundant, deliberate outpouring (not a drip or partial release)
English variants: pour out, pour forth
Contextual theological meaning: God’s own sovereign initiative in giving the Spirit generously to “all flesh” — the universal scope (sons/daughters, young/old, servants) matters theologically for the Gospel to Jews and Gentiles doctrine.
Punjabi rendering & risk: ਡੋਲ੍ਹਾਂਗਾ / ਵਹਾ ਦਿਆਂਗਾ (I will pour out). Risk: Medium.

Acts 2:18

No new load-bearing term beyond the reused “pour out my Spirit” formula (δούλους/δούλας, “servants/bondservants,” is a social-status term, not primarily theological here); reuses ἐκχέω.

Acts 2:19

σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα (sēmeia kai terata) — “signs and wonders”

Literal meaning: σημεῖον, “sign, marker, indicator”; τέρας, “wonder, portent”
Semantic range: God-authenticating miraculous acts that point beyond themselves to divine authority/message; not magic or entertainment
English variants: signs and wonders, miraculous signs, portents
Contextual theological meaning: A defining feature of the apostolic era (doctrine: Apostolic Authority and Miracles), authenticating the apostles’ proclamation.
Punjabi rendering & risk: ਨਿਸ਼ਾਨ ਅਤੇ ਅਚਰਜ ਕੰਮ. Risk: High — must be framed as God’s own authenticating acts accompanying gospel proclamation, never rendered with ਕਰਾਮਾਤ (the Perso-Arabic-origin term for a Sufi pir’s/saint’s miracle, deeply embedded in Punjabi popular piety) which would suggest these are the acquired supernatural powers of a holy man, nor conflated with siddhi-attainment through yogic/tantric discipline; these are God’s acts, not the apostles’ spiritual accomplishments.

Acts 2:20

ἡμέρα κυρίου (hēmera kyriou) — “the day of the Lord”

Literal meaning: the specific day belonging to/enacted by the Lord
Semantic range: OT day of divine judgment and/or salvation, climaxing history
English variants: Day of the Lord, the great and terrible day
Contextual theological meaning: Frames Pentecost within the larger eschatological horizon inaugurated by Christ; κύριος reuses baseline lord = ਪ੍ਰਭੂ.
Punjabi rendering & risk: ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਦਾ ਦਿਨ. Risk: Medium — requires OT background explanation; no direct South Asian religious parallel risks confusion, but without context readers may read it as a generic “judgment day” concept detached from covenant history.

Acts 2:21

πᾶς ὃς ἂν ἐπικαλέσηται τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου σωθήσεται (pas hos an epikalesētai to onoma kyriou sōthēsetai) — “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved”

Literal meaning: ἐπικαλέομαι, “to call upon, invoke, appeal to”; ὄνομα, “name” as the summation of a person’s identity and authority
Semantic range: a decisive, personal appeal/confession directed at a specific named person (here, the risen Lord Jesus, per Peter’s sermon climax in v.36, 38)
English variants: call on the name, invoke the name, call upon
Contextual theological meaning: This is the salvation-confession formula that Romans 10:9–13 (baseline, Critical) also cites; σῴζω reuses baseline salvation = ਮੁਕਤੀ.
Punjabi rendering & risk: ਜੋ ਕੋਈ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਦਾ ਨਾਮ ਲਵੇਗਾ ਸੋ ਬਚਾਇਆ ਜਾਵੇਗਾ (ਮੁਕਤੀ ਪਾਵੇਗਾ). Risk: Critical — this phrase sits at exceptionally high risk of being heard through the lens of Naam-simran, the central Sikh devotional practice of repeated meditation on the Divine Name (commonly Waheguru) as the means to gradual liberation across a lifetime of practice. “Calling on the name of the Lord” here is NOT a repeated meditative technique but a decisive, one-time confession of faith directed at the specific person and finished work of the risen Jesus (cf. v.38, ਮਸੀਹ/ਯਿਸੂ, established baseline terms). Every occurrence of this formula (also Acts 2:21, 38; cf. Romans 10:13) requires a mandatory clarifying gloss parallel to the baseline’s mukti-gloss requirement, explicitly distinguishing this confession from Naam-simran.

Acts 2:22

δυνάμεσι καὶ τέρασι καὶ σημείοις (dynamesi kai terasi kai sēmeiois) — “with miracles/mighty deeds and wonders and signs”

Literal meaning: δύναμις, “power, capability, mighty deed”
Semantic range: overlaps with baseline power_of_god (ਪਰਮੇਸ਼ੁਰ ਦੀ ਸਮਰੱਥਾ, High risk, NEVER ਸ਼ਕਤੀ), here in the plural, concrete sense of individual “mighty deeds/miracles” performed through Jesus
English variants: miracles, mighty works, powerful deeds
Contextual theological meaning: These acts authenticated Jesus’s identity and mission before the crowd’s own eyes.
Punjabi rendering & risk: ਸਮਰੱਥਾ ਦੇ ਕੰਮ, ਅਚਰਜ ਕੰਮ ਅਤੇ ਨਿਸ਼ਾਨ. Risk: High — the plural, concrete “miracles” (δυνάμεις) must still avoid ਸ਼ਕਤੀ (per baseline forbidden substitution) and avoid ਕਰਾਮਾਤ, for the same reasons as v.19.

Acts 2:23

τῇ ὡρισμένῃ βουλῇ καὶ προγνώσει τοῦ θεοῦ (tē hōrismenē boulē kai prognōsei tou theou) — “by the determined plan and foreknowledge of God”

Literal meaning: πρόγνωσις, “prior knowledge, foreknowledge”; βουλή, “plan, counsel, purpose”
Semantic range: God’s sovereign, personal foreordaining purpose — not blind fate
English variants: foreknowledge, foreordained plan, predetermined purpose
Contextual theological meaning: Christ’s death, though a human crime (“you killed”), occurred within God’s sovereign redemptive plan — foundational to the baseline doctrine providence (High risk).
Punjabi rendering & risk: ਪਰਮੇਸ਼ੁਰ ਦੀ ਮਿਥੀ ਹੋਈ ਯੋਜਨਾ ਅਤੇ ਅਗੰਮੀ ਗਿਆਨ. Risk: High — must never be flattened into ਕਿਸਮਤ (impersonal fate), the explicitly forbidden substitution already established in baseline providence/election; this is the personal, purposive knowledge of a sovereign Father, not an impersonal destiny.

Acts 2:24

ἀνέστησεν (anestēsen) — “[God] raised him up”

Reuses baseline resurrection root (ἀνάστασις/ἀνίστημι) exactly: ਪੁਨਰ-ਉਥਾਨ / verb ਉਠਾਇਆ. Risk: Critical, per baseline — never ਪੁਨਰ-ਜਨਮ or ਆਵਾਗਵਣ.
Contextual note: “loosing the pains/cords of death” (λῦσας τὰς ὠδῖνας τοῦ θανάτου) reinforces that death itself was decisively and permanently defeated — reinforce this is not one cycle-turn but history’s hinge event.

Acts 2:25–26

No new load-bearing terms (quotation of Psalm 16, narrative continuation); reuses κύριος (ਪ੍ਰਭੂ).

Acts 2:27

ᾍδης (Hadēs) — “Hades”

Literal meaning: the Greek name for the realm/power of death, used in LXX to render Hebrew Sheol
Semantic range: the abode/state of the dead generally, not a place of punishment specifically (distinct from later “hell” associations)
English variants: Hades, the grave, the realm of the dead, Sheol
Contextual theological meaning: Christ’s soul was not abandoned to the power of death — resurrection hope grounded in Davidic prophecy.
Punjabi rendering & risk: ਪਤਾਲ / ਮੌਤ ਦਾ ਲੋਕ (the realm/abode of the dead). Risk: Medium — must not be rendered with a term implying reincarnation-bound intermediate states (e.g. avoid any wording resonant with ਆਵਾਗਵਣ’s transmigratory framework); a brief gloss distinguishing this from any cyclical afterlife concept is advisable.

τὸν ὅσιόν σου (ton hosion sou) — “your Holy One”

Literal meaning: ὅσιος, “holy, consecrated, devout” (distinct nuance from ἅγιος, more relational/covenantal-piety in classical usage)
Semantic range: a messianic title for the One uniquely set apart and preserved by God
English variants: Holy One, your Devout One
Contextual theological meaning: A direct messianic/Christological title tied to bodily resurrection without corruption.
Punjabi rendering & risk: ਤੇਰਾ ਪਵਿੱਤਰ ਪੁਰਖ (built on baseline ਪਵਿੱਤਰ). Risk: High — a Christological title anchored to the Critical doctrine of the resurrection; must retain its specific reference to Christ’s unique, incorruptible body, not a generic “holy person” designation.

Acts 2:28

ὁδοὺς ζωῆς (hodous zōēs) — “ways/paths of life”

Literal meaning: ὁδός, “way, road, path”; ζωή, “life”
Semantic range: ὁδός here is literal/metaphorical “path”; note this is the same root Acts later uses as ἡ ὁδός, “the Way,” the name for the Christian movement (see ch. 9 below)
English variants: paths of life, ways of life
Contextual theological meaning: Resurrection is the vindication of the path God has shown; anticipates the technical term “the Way.”
Punjabi rendering & risk: ਜੀਵਨ ਦੇ ਰਾਹ. Risk: Low in this verse (poetic OT quotation); flagged High later where ὁδός becomes the movement’s proper designation (see Ch. 9).

Acts 2:29

πατριάρχης (patriarchēs) — “patriarch”

Literal meaning: “ruler/head of a patria (family/clan)”
Semantic range: revered founding ancestor of a covenant lineage (here, David)
English variants: patriarch, forefather
Contextual theological meaning: Ties into the baseline davidic_covenant doctrine (High risk; “no analogous covenantal-promise concept exists in Sikh or Hindu tradition,” per baseline notes).
Punjabi rendering & risk: ਪਿਤਰ-ਪੁਰਖ (patriarch/forefather). Risk: Low, though it inherits the High-risk background-explanation need of the covenant doctrine it serves.

Acts 2:30

Reuses baseline seed_of_david (ਦਾਊਦ ਦੀ ਅੰਸ, High risk) and prophecy/prophet (ਭਵਿੱਖਬਾਣੀ/ਨਬੀ). David is explicitly called a prophet who foresaw the resurrection of the Messiah — reinforcing fulfillment_of_prophecy and messianic_promise (both High/Critical in baseline).

Acts 2:31

Reuses resurrection (ਪੁਨਰ-ਉਥਾਨ, Critical) and messiah (ਮਸੀਹ, Critical). “He foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ” — direct doctrinal anchor combining two Critical-risk baseline terms in a single clause; flag for mandatory theologian review.

Acts 2:32

μάρτυρες (martyres) — “witnesses”

Literal meaning: μάρτυς, “one who testifies to what he has seen/experienced,” originally a legal-forensic term
Semantic range: eyewitness testimony with legal/evidentiary force; later (post-NT) narrows to “martyr” (one who testifies even at the cost of life) — a semantic development Acts itself begins with Stephen (ch. 7, see below)
English variants: witnesses, eyewitnesses; (later sense) martyrs
Contextual theological meaning: The apostles’ authority rests on firsthand, verifiable testimony to the risen Christ — foundational to the curriculum doctrine Persecution and Bold Witness.
Punjabi rendering & risk: ਗਵਾਹ (gavah, witness — established legal-forensic Punjabi term). Risk: High — must retain the legal-evidentiary, historically-rooted force of eyewitness testimony to a real, bodily-risen Christ (Critical doctrine), not devotional storytelling or a testimonial genre detached from historical claim. See Chapter 7 below for the martyrdom-sense escalation.

Acts 2:33

τῇ δεξιᾷ τοῦ θεοῦ ὑψωθείς (tē dexia tou theou hypsōtheis) — “exalted to/at the right hand of God”

Literal meaning: ὑψόω, “to lift up, exalt, raise to a height”
Semantic range: enthronement imagery — the place of supreme honor, authority, and co-regency
English variants: exalted, lifted up, enthroned
Contextual theological meaning: Christ’s session at God’s right hand is the basis for his outpouring of the Spirit — directly serves the baseline Critical doctrine lordship_of_christ.
Punjabi rendering & risk: ਪਰਮੇਸ਼ੁਰ ਦੇ ਸੱਜੇ ਹੱਥ ਉੱਚਾ ਕੀਤਾ ਗਿਆ. Risk: High — must clearly convey Christ’s supreme, unique co-regency with the Father, not an honored-disciple or highly-realized-soul status analogous to a Guru’s exalted spiritual station.

τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος (tēn epangelian tou hagiou pneumatos) — “the promise of the Holy Spirit”

Literal meaning: ἐπαγγελία, “promise, pledge”
Semantic range: a specific, previously-announced divine commitment now fulfilled
English variants: promise, pledge
Contextual theological meaning: Ties Pentecost to prior covenant promise (Joel; Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5).
Punjabi rendering & risk: ਪਵਿੱਤਰ ਆਤਮਾ ਦਾ ਵਾਅਦਾ. Risk: Medium.

Acts 2:34–35

No new load-bearing terms (OT quotation, Psalm 110); reuses κύριος (ਪ੍ਰਭੂ).

Acts 2:36

καὶ κύριον καὶ Χριστὸν αὐτὸν ὁ θεὸς ἐποίησεν (kai kyrion kai Christon auton ho theos epoiēsen) — “God has made him both Lord and Christ”

Literal meaning: ἐποίησεν, “made, appointed, constituted”
Semantic range: not “made” in the sense of bringing into existence, but a public, official declaration/installation of the office/status already inherently his
English variants: made, appointed, declared
Contextual theological meaning: The climactic Christological statement of the sermon, combining the baseline Critical terms lord (ਪ੍ਰਭੂ) and messiah (ਮਸੀਹ).
Punjabi rendering & risk: ਪਰਮੇਸ਼ੁਰ ਨੇ ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਅਤੇ ਮਸੀਹ ਠਹਿਰਾਇਆ. Risk: Critical — ਠਹਿਰਾਇਆ (established/declared, echoing the compound verb in baseline’s justification = ਧਰਮੀ ਠਹਿਰਾਇਆ ਜਾਣਾ) must be read as a public installation/declaration of what Jesus intrinsically and eternally is (per baseline lordship_of_christ and sonship_of_christ), never as a becoming or promotion from a lesser status — guard carefully against any adoptionist reading.

Acts 2:37

κατενύγησαν τὴν καρδίαν (katenygēsan tēn kardian) — “were pierced/cut to the heart”

Literal meaning: κατανύσσομαι, “to be pierced, stabbed, stung”
Semantic range: sharp inward emotional/spiritual conviction, distress
English variants: cut to the heart, pierced, deeply troubled
Contextual theological meaning: The Spirit-empowered proclamation produces genuine conviction of sin, the necessary prelude to repentance.
Punjabi rendering & risk: ਦਿਲ ਵਿੱਚ ਵਿੱਝ ਗਏ / ਮਨ ਵਿੱਚ ਚੁੱਭ ਗਏ. Risk: Low-Medium — descriptive emotional phrase; ensure it reads as conviction of sin before a personal God, not generic remorse or social shame.

Acts 2:38

μετανοήσατε (metanoēsate) — “repent”

Literal meaning: μετάνοια/μετανοέω, “a change of mind,” from μετά (“change/after”) + νοέω (“to think, perceive”)
Semantic range: a decisive reorientation of mind and life away from sin and toward God — not mere regret or ritual penance
English variants: repent, turn, change one’s mind
Contextual theological meaning: The first response required to the gospel proclamation; central to the curriculum doctrine Repentance and Baptism.
Punjabi rendering & risk: ਤੋਬਾ ਕਰੋ (tauba karo). Risk: High — ਤੋਬਾ is a Perso-Arabic-origin term shared across Punjabi Islamic, Sufi, and general South Asian devotional usage (as ਨਬੀ/ਰਸੂਲ are shared without difficulty per baseline precedent), but it carries a specific Islamic theological framework of turning back to Allah and seeking his mercy through a defined devotional act. Every occurrence must be anchored to its specific gospel content here (turning from sin toward the risen, exalted Lord Jesus named in v.36, resulting in the specific gift named below), not left as a generic act of religious remorse recognizable equally within Islamic, Sikh (ਪਛਤਾਵਾ/ਬਖ਼ਸ਼ਸ਼), or Hindu devotional frameworks.

βαπτισθήτω (baptisthētō) — “be baptized”

Literal meaning: βαπτίζω, “to dip, immerse, plunge”
Semantic range: a decisive, once-for-all ritual act of immersion signifying identification with Christ’s death and resurrection and public entry into the believing community
English variants: baptize, immerse
Contextual theological meaning: Central initiation rite of the gospel doctrine Repentance and Baptism; distinct from John’s baptism (see Ch. 19 below) and from ritual purification.
Punjabi rendering & risk: ਬਪਤਿਸਮਾ ਲਵੋ (baptisma lavo), reusing the established Punjabi Christian loanword. Risk: High — Punjab’s Sikh community has its own decisive, once-for-all initiation rite, ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਸੰਚਾਰ / ਖੰਡੇ ਦੀ ਪਾਹੁਲ (the Khalsa Amrit ceremony), which similarly marks entry into a new covenant identity through a ritual act. Christian ਬਪਤਿਸਮਾ must be clearly framed as a sign and seal of a salvation already received through repentance and faith in Christ’s finished work — not a merit-conferring rite, and not parallel in mechanism or theology to Amrit initiation, even though both mark decisive religious identity transitions.

εἰς ἄφεσιν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν (eis aphesin tōn hamartiōn) — “for the forgiveness of sins”

Literal meaning: ἄφεσις, “a sending away, release, pardon”; ἁμαρτία reuses baseline sin = ਪਾਪ
Semantic range: judicial release from the guilt and penalty of sin — distinct from, though closely related to, the fuller forensic declaration of justification
English variants: forgiveness, remission, pardon
Contextual theological meaning: The immediate, relational benefit received upon repentance and baptism.
Punjabi rendering & risk: ਪਾਪਾਂ ਦੀ ਮਾਫ਼ੀ. Risk: High — translators must NOT treat ਮਾਫ਼ੀ (forgiveness) here as interchangeable with the baseline’s justification (ਧਰਮੀ ਠਹਿਰਾਇਆ ਜਾਣਾ), which the baseline explicitly reserves for the fuller forensic “declared righteous” sense and explicitly rejects ਮਾਫ਼ੀ alone as an insufficient rendering of that term. Here ἄφεσις genuinely IS the narrower “forgiveness/remission” sense and ਮਾਫ਼ੀ is the correct rendering for this word — but the two Greek concepts (ἄφεσις and δικαίωσις) must not be collapsed into each other across the curriculum. Also guard against a ritual-absolution reading (as if baptism itself mechanically effects forgiveness apart from the repentance/faith already required).

τὴν δωρεὰν τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος (tēn dōrean tou hagiou pneumatos) — “the gift of the Holy Spirit”

Literal meaning: δωρεά, “a free gift, given without payment”
Semantic range: something given entirely apart from merit or purchase (see the deliberate contrast with Simon Magus in ch. 8 below)
English variants: gift, free gift
Contextual theological meaning: The Spirit himself is the promised gift, received freely by all who repent and believe — ties to baseline grace doctrine (High risk: “every use of ਕਿਰਪਾ…must make the exclusivity of its source in Christ explicit”).
Punjabi rendering & risk: ਪਵਿੱਤਰ ਆਤਮਾ ਦੀ ਦਾਤ (built on baseline holy_spirit ਪਵਿੱਤਰ ਆਤਮਾ + ਦਾਤ from baseline spiritual_gifts). Risk: High — must be received as an unearned, unpurchasable gift of grace, not an attainment through meditative discipline, ritual merit, or (as ch. 8 will show) monetary payment.

Acts 2:39

Reuses promise (ਵਾਅਦਾ) and baseline called/calling (ਸੱਦਿਆ ਹੋਇਆ/ਸੱਦਾ, High risk). “As many as the Lord our God calls to himself” — reinforces God’s sovereign initiative in calling both “you and your children and all who are far off” (Jew and Gentile alike), directly serving Gospel to Jews and Gentiles.

Acts 2:40

διεμαρτύρατο (diemartyrato) — “he solemnly testified/witnessed”

Literal meaning: intensive form of μαρτυρέω, “to bear witness”
Semantic range: urgent, weighty, formal testimony, often with exhortation attached
English variants: testified, solemnly declared, earnestly warned
Contextual theological meaning: Intensifies the “witness” theme (see v.32) with a note of urgent pastoral exhortation.
Punjabi rendering & risk: ਪੱਕੀ ਗਵਾਹੀ ਦਿੱਤੀ / ਤਗੜੀ ਸਮਝਾਇਆ. Risk: Medium.

Reuses salvation (ਮੁਕਤੀ, Critical) in “be saved from this crooked generation” — every doctrinally load-bearing occurrence of ਮੁਕਤੀ requires the mandatory Sikh/Christian mukti-distinction gloss per baseline; this instance qualifies (a summons to decisive rescue from a corrupt generation into a permanently new status, not a gradual liberation across lifetimes).

Acts 2:41

προσετέθησαν… ψυχαί (prosetethēsan… psychai) — “were added… souls”

Literal meaning: ψυχή, “soul, life, person” (the whole living person, not a detachable “spirit-part”)
Semantic range: here simply “persons/individuals,” a common Semitic idiom (cf. Hebrew nephesh)
English variants: souls, people, persons
Contextual theological meaning: The tangible, numbered result of the Spirit’s work through proclamation, repentance, and baptism.
Punjabi rendering & risk: ਜਾਨਾਂ / ਲੋਕ (souls/persons). Risk: Medium — translators should prefer ਜਾਨ or ਵਿਅਕਤੀ over ਆਤਮਾ for “soul” in this everyday sense, to avoid blurring with baseline’s holy_spirit/spirit-related use of ਆਤਮਾ; keeping “Spirit” (ਆਤਮਾ, capitalized referent) and “human soul/person” (ਜਾਨ) lexically distinct protects doctrinal clarity across the curriculum.

Reuses baptism (ਬਪਤਿਸਮਾ, High) — “were baptized,” concluding the Pentecost narrative’s core doctrinal arc.

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

Chapter 1

New load-bearing terms:

Term (Greek, translit.)	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	EN Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Punjabi Rendering	Risk & Rationale
ἔσχατον τῆς γῆς (eschaton tēs gēs)	“the end/furthest point of the earth”	the entire inhabited world, geographically and ethnically total	”ends of the earth,” “uttermost parts”	Acts 1:8, the programmatic verse for the whole book: the Spirit-empowered mission moves from Jerusalem outward without limit — the anchor text for Great Commission Fulfilled	ਧਰਤੀ ਦੇ ਹੱਦਾਂ ਤੱਕ	Medium — must convey total geographic/ethnic universality; reuses baseline `mission` (ਪਰਚਾਰ) and `gentiles` (ਪਰਾਈਆਂ ਕੌਮਾਂ) as its outworking
ἀνάλημψις (analēmpsis)	“a taking up”	Christ’s bodily ascension into heaven	”ascension,” “being taken up”	Confirms Christ’s bodily exaltation, the basis of his heavenly session (cf. Acts 2:33)	ਸਵਰਗ ਵਿੱਚ ਉਠਾਏ ਜਾਣਾ	Medium — must be bodily, historical, once-for-all ascension, not a symbolic dissolution into a formless divine principle (relevant given Sikh ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ theology, cf. baseline `incarnation` note)
κλῆρος (klēros — casting lots, 1:26)	“lot, portion”	a sanctioned method of discerning God’s choice in this pre-Pentecost narrative moment	”lot,” “portion”	Matthias’s selection to replace Judas; distinct from divination/fortune-telling (see Ch. 16 below)	ਪਰਚੀ ਪਾਉਣਾ (casting lots)	Low — historically bounded practice; note distinction from folk-divination for clarity

Reuses: apostle (ਰਸੂਲ, High), kingdom_of_god (ਪਰਮੇਸ਼ੁਰ ਦਾ ਰਾਜ, Medium), holy_spirit (ਪਵਿੱਤਰ ਆਤਮਾ, Critical), witness/μάρτυς (introduced fully at 2:32 above, but its first occurrence is 1:8).

Chapter 2

Core passage — see Part 1 above for verses 1–41 in full.

Acts 2:42–47 (remainder of chapter):

Term (Greek, translit.)	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	EN Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Punjabi Rendering	Risk & Rationale
κοινωνία (koinōnia)	“sharing, participation, partnership”	reuses baseline `fellowship` exactly	fellowship, communion, partnership	The new community’s shared devotion to apostolic teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, prayer — doctrine The Church as Community	ਸੰਗਤ (baseline term)	Low — baseline explicitly flags ਸੰਗਤ as an OPPORTUNITY word, genuinely positive fit
κλάσις τοῦ ἄρτου (klasis tou artou)	“the breaking of the loaf”	the shared communal meal of the early church, anticipating the Lord’s Supper	”breaking of bread”	A regular, table-centered expression of κοινωνία	ਰੋਟੀ ਤੋੜਨਾ	Medium — a literal communal meal practice with beginning sacramental resonance; must not be reduced to ordinary commensality alone, nor conflated with the Sikh langar meal despite a genuine surface resemblance in communal eating (a positive point of cultural contact worth teaching comparatively, similar to baseline’s ਸੰਗਤ note, but not identical in theological meaning)
ἅπαντα κοινά (hapanta koina)	“all things common/shared”	voluntary, Spirit-motivated sharing of possessions within the community	”had all things in common,” “everything in common”	Radical, generous mutual care as fruit of the Spirit’s work, not an enforced communism	ਸਭ ਕੁਝ ਸਾਂਝਾ	Low-Medium — OPPORTUNITY: ਸਾਂਝਾ carries warm, positive Punjabi communal-sharing connotations (echoing Sikh langar’s ethic of shared provision); light caution only to ensure it is read as voluntary grace-motivated generosity, not obligatory redistribution
ἀγαλλίασις (agalliasis)	“exultant gladness”	intense corporate joy	”gladness,” “exultation”	Marks the community’s worship tone	ਖੁਸ਼ੀ/ਅਨੰਦ	Low

Reuses salvation (σῳζόμενοι, ਮੁਕਤੀ, Critical) in 2:47, “those being saved” — mandatory mukti-gloss applies.

Chapter 3

Term	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	EN Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Punjabi Rendering	Risk & Rationale
ὁ ἅγιος καὶ δίκαιος (ho hagios kai dikaios)	“the Holy and Righteous One”	Christological title combining baseline `holy` (ਪਵਿੱਤਰ) + `righteousness` root (ਧਾਰਮਿਕ)	“Holy and Righteous One”	Peter’s indictment of Jesus’s unjust condemnation despite his sinless character	ਪਵਿੱਤਰ ਅਤੇ ਧਰਮੀ ਪੁਰਖ	High — Christological title; must retain unique divine holiness/righteousness, not generic moral praise
ἀρχηγός (archēgos)	“originator, pioneer, founder-leader"	"Author of life” (3:15) / “leader and savior” (5:31)	“Author,” “Prince,” “Founder,” “Leader”	Christ as the originating source and leader of resurrection-life, not merely a revered teacher	ਜੀਵਨ ਦਾ ਸੋਮਾ ਅਤੇ ਆਗੂ	High — must not be softened into a merely honored founder-figure of a religious movement (a risk analogous to the baseline’s ਗੁਰੂ caution for `apostle`); Christ is the divine source of life itself, not a lineage-founder among founders
παῖς (pais, of Jesus as God’s “servant”)	“child, servant”	Isaianic Servant-of-the-LORD title applied to Jesus	”servant,” “child”	Fulfillment of Isaiah’s Suffering Servant prophecies	ਸੇਵਕ	High — a Christological title (fulfillment of a specific OT prophetic figure), not to be flattened into the generic, positive Punjabi/Sikh concept of ਸੇਵਾ (selfless service); the Servant here is uniquely Christ himself, the one who fulfills prophecy, not a moral example of service ethics
ἀποκατάστασις (apokatastasis)	“restoration, setting back in order”	eschatological renewal of all things at Christ’s return	”restoration,” “restitution”	Future, linear, once-for-all cosmic renewal, not a repeating cosmic cycle	ਸਭ ਕੁਝ ਦੀ ਬਹਾਲੀ	High — must be framed as a single future consummation, never assimilated to Hindu yuga-cycle renewal or any cyclical cosmology, per the same caution as baseline’s `fulfillment_of_prophecy`
ἐπιστρέφω (epistrephō)	“to turn, turn back”	conversion/repentance turning toward God	”turn,” “be converted,” “repent”	Paired with μετάνοια (repent and turn)	ਮੁੜਨਾ/ਪਰਤਣਾ	Medium — describes an inward, decisive turning to God, not merely a change of religious-community label, which carries heightened social volatility in the Punjabi context

Reuses sin (ਪਾਪ), messiah (ਮਸੀਹ, Critical), prophet/prophecy (ਨਬੀ/ਭਵਿੱਖਬਾਣੀ), covenant (ਨੇਮ, High — Abrahamic covenant referenced 3:25), israel (ਇਸਰਾਏਲ).

Chapter 4

Term	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	EN Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Punjabi Rendering	Risk & Rationale
παρρησία (parrēsia)	“freedom of speech, frankness, boldness”	courage to speak openly despite threat, given by the Spirit	”boldness,” “confidence,” “courage”	Central to doctrine Persecution and Bold Witness; the apostles’ boldness before the Sanhedrin	ਦਲੇਰੀ	Medium — must be framed as Spirit-given courage to proclaim Christ, not human bravado, political defiance, or martial courage (avoid resonance with Khalsa martial-valor ideals)
Συνέδριον (Synedrion)	“council, assembly”	the Jewish ruling council/Sanhedrin	”Sanhedrin,” “council”	The formal Jewish judicial-religious authority that opposed the apostles	ਮਹਾਸਭਾ	Medium — a specific historical Jewish institution; must not be read as a generic religious “sabha,” several of which exist in modern Sikh institutional life (e.g. Singh Sabha)
ὁμοθυμαδόν (homothymadon)	“with one mind/accord”	unified, harmonious corporate prayer/action	”with one accord,” “unanimously”	Marks the church’s Spirit-given unity	ਇੱਕ ਮਨ ਹੋ ਕੇ	Low

Reuses name (ὄνομα — “no other name under heaven by which we must be saved,” 4:12), a direct restatement of the Acts 2:21/38 principle: Critical risk, same Naam-simran caution applies; reuses grace (ਕਿਰਪਾ, High), power_of_god (ਸਮਰੱਥਾ, High), and repeats “all things common” (see Ch. 2).

Chapter 5

Term	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	EN Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Punjabi Rendering	Risk & Rationale
ἄγγελος (angelos)	“messenger”	a created spiritual being sent by God; note baseline lists ਦੂਤ as a rejected alternative for “apostle” specifically because it denotes a different (non-human, non-apostolic) category of sent-one — here that category is exactly what is meant	”angel,” “messenger”	An angel opens the prison doors for the apostles (5:19), authenticating divine deliverance	ਦੂਤ	Medium — correctly used here (unlike for “apostle”); must be distinguished from ਦੇਵਤੇ (Hindu gods/demigods) or generic South Asian spirit-beings; angels are created, not divine, and act only as God’s messengers
ψεύδομαι…τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον (Ananias’s sin, 5:3)	“to lie to the Holy Spirit”	treating the Spirit as a personal Being one can deceive/sin against	”lie to the Holy Spirit”	Confirms the Spirit’s full personhood and divine holiness (reuses `holy_spirit`, Critical) — sin against the Spirit is sin against God himself	ਪਵਿੱਤਰ ਆਤਮਾ ਨਾਲ ਝੂਠ ਬੋਲਣਾ	High — reinforces that the Holy Spirit is a personal divine agent who can be sinned against directly, not an impersonal force

Reuses sin (ਪਾਪ), fear/φόβος (φόβος μέγας, “great fear” fell on the church, 5:11) — ਡਰ, Low risk, a natural response to God’s holiness.

Chapter 6

Term	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	EN Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Punjabi Rendering	Risk & Rationale
διακονία (diakonia)	“service, ministry, waiting on tables”	practical service ministry within the church, root of later “deacon” (διάκονος)	“ministry,” “service,” “distribution”	The appointment of the Seven to serve widows; foundational for The Church as Community and church order	ਸੇਵਾ	Medium — OPPORTUNITY WITH CAUTION: ਸੇਵਾ is a deeply positive, central Sikh concept (langar seva, kar sewa, selfless communal service) offering a genuine cultural bridge, similar to baseline’s treatment of ਸੰਗਤ; caution required only to ensure it is not implicitly read as merit-generating religious practice, but as Spirit-motivated service flowing from grace already received

Reuses baseline obedience_of_faith (ਨਿਹਚਾ ਦੀ ਆਗਿਆਕਾਰੀ, High) — 6:7, “many of the priests became obedient to the faith,” a direct Acts occurrence of this exact baseline doctrine. Reuses holy_spirit (Stephen “full of the Spirit”).

Chapter 7

Term	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	EN Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Punjabi Rendering	Risk & Rationale
λιθοβολέω (lithoboleō)	“to stone, throw stones at”	execution by stoning	”stone,” “stone to death”	Stephen’s martyrdom, the first Christian death for the gospel witness	ਪਥਰਾਹ ਮਾਰਨਾ (to stone)	Medium — narrative/historical term, moderate risk only in connection with the martyrdom concept below
μάρτυς → “martyr” sense (extension of 2:32’s term, here embodied in Stephen’s death)	witness unto death	the semantic bridge from “legal witness” to “one who dies for testimony"	"martyr”	Stephen’s death models bold witness sealed by suffering — core to Persecution and Bold Witness	ਸ਼ਹੀਦ (for the developed “martyr” sense) alongside ਗਵਾਹ (for the underlying “witness”)	High — ਸ਼ਹੀਦ (shahid) is a term of major weight in Punjab: the Sikh tradition of ਸ਼ਹੀਦੀ (martyrdom) — Guru Arjan, Guru Tegh Bahadur, and the Khalsa martial-martyr tradition — is a living, central, and often politically resonant category. Christian martyrdom in Acts must be framed as suffering witness entrusted entirely to God’s sovereign providence, without resistance or communal-political dimension, explicitly distinct from the Khalsa tradition’s association of martyrdom with righteous armed struggle (ਧਰਮ ਯੁੱਧ) and communal defense; do not let the term’s Sikh resonance import that framework

Reuses extensively: covenant (ਨੇਮ), israel (ਇਸਰਾਏਲ), david (ਦਾਊਦ), law (ਬਿਵਸਥਾ), prophet (ਨਬੀ), holy_spirit (Critical — “you always resist the Holy Spirit,” 7:51).

Chapter 8

Term	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	EN Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Punjabi Rendering	Risk & Rationale
εὐαγγελίζομαι (euangelizomai)	“to announce good news”	verb form of baseline `gospel` (ਖੁਸ਼ਖਬਰੀ)	“preach the gospel,” “evangelize”	Philip’s gospel proclamation in Samaria and to the Ethiopian eunuch — direct enactment of Gospel to Jews and Gentiles moving beyond Jewish territory	ਖੁਸ਼ਖਬਰੀ ਸੁਣਾਉਣਾ / ਪਰਚਾਰ ਕਰਨਾ (built on baseline `gospel` + `mission`)	High — inherits baseline `gospel` risk exactly
μαγεία (mageia) / Σίμων ὁ μάγος (Simon the sorcerer)	“sorcery, magic”	occult ritual power distinct from and opposed to the Spirit’s genuine power	”sorcery,” “magic arts”	Simon’s false, merit/purchase-based religion contrasted with the freely-given gift of the Spirit	ਜਾਦੂ	Medium — a real contrast-category in a culture where occult practice, amulets, and astrology are common; must remain clearly condemned and clearly distinct from the Spirit’s work
δωρεὰ τοῦ θεοῦ (dōrea tou theou)	“the gift of God”	reuses the exact “gift” concept from Acts 2:38, here explicitly contrasted with money	”the gift of God”	Simon’s attempt to purchase the Spirit’s power is rebuked — the gift can never be bought, directly reinforcing baseline `grace` doctrine	ਪਰਮੇਸ਼ੁਰ ਦੀ ਦਾਤ	High — must preserve the absolute impossibility of purchasing or earning grace; this is the sharpest didactic contrast-passage for the baseline’s grace-versus-merit caution in the entire book
γραφή (graphē, of the Ethiopian eunuch reading Isaiah)	“writing”	Scripture, sacred authoritative text	”Scripture,” “the writing”	First formal occurrence in Acts of Scripture as a specific, authoritative written revelation being read and needing interpretation	ਪਵਿੱਤਰ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ / ਲਿਖਤ	High — reuses the framing of the baseline doctrine registry’s `inspiration_of_scripture`: must distinguish God-breathed Scripture, written by human authors under divine guidance and requiring faithful interpretation (as Philip provides), from the Sikh doctrine of the Guru Granth Sahib as the eternal, living Guru whose authority functions very differently

Reuses baptism (ਬਪਤਿਸਮਾ, High), holy_spirit (Critical).

Chapter 9

Term	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	EN Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Punjabi Rendering	Risk & Rationale
ἡ ὁδός (hē hodos)	“the Way”	the technical designation for the Christian movement in Acts (9:2; 19:9,23; 22:4; 24:14,22)	“the Way”	Names the entire early Christian movement as a distinct, unified path of life and truth centered on Christ	ਰਾਹ	High — South Asian religious culture is thoroughly comfortable with a “many paths” (bahu-marg) framework in which multiple spiritual paths are held as equally valid routes to the same end; “the Way” in Acts is emphatically NOT one path among many but the singular way of salvation through the risen, exclusive Lord Jesus (cf. baseline `lordship_of_christ`, Critical). Requires an explicit theological bridge/note wherever it occurs, not vocabulary substitution alone
ὅραμα / ὀπτασία (horama / optasia)	“a vision, that which is seen”	a divinely-given revelatory sight, whether waking or in a trance	”vision”	Saul’s Damascus-road vision (9:3-9) and later Ananias’s vision (9:10) — key mechanism of divine guidance throughout Acts (also chs. 10, 16, 18, 26)	ਦਰਸ਼ਨ (retained, with mandatory gloss)	High, RETAINED-WITH-MANDATORY-GLOSS (parallel to baseline `salvation`/ਮੁਕਤੀ precedent) — ਦਰਸ਼ਨ is a heavily loaded Hindu/Sikh devotional term meaning the beholding of, and being beheld by, a deity, image, guru, or the Guru Granth Sahib, understood as conferring blessing/communion through sight itself. It is nonetheless the most natural and already-established Punjabi Bible word for a divine “vision.” Rather than reject it outright, every doctrinally load-bearing occurrence requires a clarifying gloss: this is a one-time, sovereign divine disclosure of information/direction for gospel mission, not a devotional beholding-and-being-blessed encounter repeatable through ritual practice
ἐπίθεσις τῶν χειρῶν (epithesis tōn cheirōn)	“a laying on of hands”	symbolic act of impartation, commissioning, healing, or blessing	”laying on of hands”	Ananias lays hands on Saul for healing and Spirit-filling (9:17)	ਹੱਥ ਰੱਖਣਾ	Medium — must be distinguished from folk-healing touch practices or superstitious hand-gestures, and from the Sikh Amrit ceremony’s ritual acts; here it is a simple, Spirit-accompanied act of blessing/commissioning, not itself effective apart from God’s power
σκεῦος ἐκλογῆς (skeuos eklogēs)	“a vessel/instrument of choosing”	reuses baseline `election` (ਪਰਮੇਸ਼ੁਰ ਦੀ ਚੋਣ, High)	“chosen instrument,” “vessel of election”	God’s sovereign selection of Saul/Paul for a specific mission — direct link to doctrine Conversion of Paul	ਚੁਣਿਆ ਹੋਇਆ ਸੰਦ	High — inherits baseline `election` risk exactly: must never be read as impersonal ਕਿਸਮਤ (fate)
ἀδελφός (adelphos, “Brother Saul,” 9:17)	“brother”	fictive kinship term for a fellow believer	”brother”	Reinforces the family-of-God theme (cf. baseline `adoption`, `father`) even for a former persecutor	ਭਰਾ	Low — positive, ties naturally to baseline adoption theology

Chapter 10

Term	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	EN Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Punjabi Rendering	Risk & Rationale
κοινός / ἀκάθαρτον (koinos / akatharton)	“common” (ritually profane) / “unclean”	ritual purity categories under the Mosaic law, here abolished by divine command	”common,” “unclean” (vs. “clean,” καθαρός)	Peter’s vision of the sheet of animals (10:14-15, 28); the ritual-purity barrier between Jew and Gentile is removed — pivotal for Gospel to Jews and Gentiles	ਸਾਂਝਾ/ਅਪਵਿੱਤਰ (unclean) vs. ਸ਼ੁੱਧ/ਪਵਿੱਤਰ (clean)	High — the reversal of ritual purity categories touches Punjab’s own strong purity-impurity discourse tied historically to caste and untouchability; must convey God’s decisive abolition of any barrier (dietary, ritual, or communal) to gospel inclusion. Note also a genuine positive parallel worth teaching: Sikh langar’s commensality ideal (shared eating regardless of caste) resonates with this doctrine’s social outworking, even though the theological warrant differs
φοβούμενος τὸν θεόν (phoboumenos ton theon)	“one fearing/reverencing God”	a technical designation (“God-fearer”) for Gentile sympathizers to Judaism who worshiped Israel’s God without full conversion (circumcision)	“God-fearing,” “devout”	Cornelius’s status as a God-fearing Gentile — the immediate context for the Spirit’s falling on Gentiles apart from circumcision	ਪਰਮੇਸ਼ੁਰ ਤੋਂ ਡਰਨ ਵਾਲਾ	Medium — a historically specific first-century category with no exact Punjabi social parallel; requires explanatory framing, built from baseline `god` (ਪਰਮੇਸ਼ੁਰ)
προσωπολημψία (prosōpolēmpsia)	“receiving of the face,” i.e. partiality	showing favoritism based on external status/identity	”partiality,” “favoritism"	"God shows no partiality” (10:34) — direct challenge to any caste, communal, or ethnic hierarchy in access to God	ਪੱਖਪਾਤ	High — directly parallels baseline’s `universal_human_accountability` and `unity_of_jews_and_gentiles` doctrines (both High risk); must retain full force against caste and communal favoritism, a live social reality in Punjab despite Sikhism’s own formal rejection of caste
ὁρίζω (horizō, “appointed,” 10:42, “ordained judge of the living and the dead”)	“to determine, appoint, fix”	God’s sovereign appointment of Christ to a specific office	”appointed,” “ordained”	Echoes the “declared/appointed” language of Acts 2:36	ਠਹਿਰਾਇਆ	Medium

Reuses holy_spirit (Critical — poured out on Gentiles, 10:44-47), baptism (High).

Chapter 11

Term	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	EN Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Punjabi Rendering	Risk & Rationale
Χριστιανοί (Christianoi)	“Christians,” “belonging to Christ”	the earliest self/other-designation for followers of Jesus, first coined at Antioch	”Christians”	The believing community’s public, distinct identity emerges — related to baseline `messiah` (ਮਸੀਹ)	ਮਸੀਹੀ	Low — an already well-established, natural Punjabi Christian self-designation; minimal collision

Reuses church (ਮੰਡਲੀ, Medium), gentiles (ਪਰਾਈਆਂ ਕੌਮਾਂ, Medium), holy_spirit (Critical), fellowship/κοινωνία (ਸੰਗਤ, Low — the Antioch church’s generosity to Judea).

Chapter 12

No new load-bearing theological terms; reuses ἄγγελος (ਦੂਤ, introduced Ch. 5) for the angel who frees Peter from prison, and reinforces the baseline providence doctrine (ਪਰਮੇਸ਼ੁਰ ਦਾ ਪ੍ਰਬੰਧ, High) — God’s sovereign, personal deliverance amid persecution.

Chapter 13

Term	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	EN Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Punjabi Rendering	Risk & Rationale
δικαιωθῆναι (dikaiōthēnai, 13:38-39)	“to be justified”	reuses baseline `justification` exactly	”be justified,” “be declared righteous”	Paul’s Antioch synagogue sermon explicitly contrasts justification through Christ with what “the law of Moses could not justify you from” — the single clearest Acts occurrence of the curriculum doctrine Justification apart from the Law	ਧਰਮੀ ਠਹਿਰਾਇਆ ਜਾਣਾ	Critical — inherits baseline risk exactly; the compound phrase must be used in full, never abbreviated to ਮਾਫ਼ੀ
φῶς ἐθνῶν (phōs ethnōn)	“a light for/of the nations”	messianic mission descriptor from Isaiah 49:6, quoted at 13:47	”light to the Gentiles,” “light for the nations”	Paul and Barnabas explicitly cite this as the mandate for Gentile mission — direct textual anchor for Great Commission Fulfilled and Gospel to Jews and Gentiles	ਕੌਮਾਂ ਲਈ ਚਾਨਣ	Medium — positive missional metaphor; light-imagery here carries lower collision risk than in Ch. 26 below because it is explicitly and narrowly a fulfillment-of-Isaiah citation, but should still avoid ਜੋਤ-adjacent vocabulary per baseline’s `glory` caution

Reuses law (ਬਿਵਸਥਾ, High), sin (ਪਾਪ), resurrection (ਪੁਨਰ-ਉਥਾਨ, Critical), messiah/david/seed_of_david (13:22-23, David’s descendant), grace (ਕਿਰਪਾ, High), election (implicit).

Chapter 14

No new load-bearing theological terms beyond reinforcement of existing ones: the Lystra crowd mistaking Paul and Barnabas for the gods Zeus and Hermes reinforces the baseline’s caution around idol/deity confusion (ties forward to Ch. 17’s idolatry treatment and Ch. 28’s similar episode). Reuses gospel (ਖੁਸ਼ਖਬਰੀ), god (ਪਰਮੇਸ਼ੁਰ — Paul and Barnabas explicitly deny being gods and redirect worship to the “living God,” a useful contrast passage), and the stoning motif from Ch. 7 (Paul is stoned at Lystra, 14:19).

Chapter 15

Term	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	EN Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Punjabi Rendering	Risk & Rationale
περιτομή (peritomē)	“circumcision”	the Mosaic covenant sign, here contested as a requirement for Gentile believers	”circumcision”	The central controversy resolved at the Jerusalem Council: inclusion into God’s people is through faith, not this physical/ritual identity marker — directly serves Justification apart from the Law	ਸੁੰਨਤ	High — ਸੁੰਨਤ is an established Perso-Arabic-origin term shared with Islamic and general South Asian usage; the doctrinal point (this ritual marker cannot be required for salvation) directly parallels the baseline’s rejection of works-based righteousness (ਧਰਮ) and must be preserved with equal force
ζυγός (zygos)	“yoke”	a burden imposed on another, here “the yoke of the law” (15:10)	“yoke”	Peter’s rhetorical question — why place on Gentiles a yoke even Jewish believers could not bear — reinforces grace-versus-law contrast	ਜੂਲਾ	Medium — standard metaphor for legalistic burden, ties directly to `law` (ਬਿਵਸਥਾ) and `grace` (ਕਿਰਪਾ)
δόγμα (dogma, “the apostolic decree,” cf. 16:4)	“decree, decision, official ruling”	the Jerusalem Council’s formal ruling	”decree,” “decision”	The apostles’ Spirit-guided resolution of the circumcision controversy	ਰਸੂਲਾਂ ਦਾ ਫ਼ੈਸਲਾ	Medium — deliberately avoid ਹੁਕਮ here, which baseline reserves as too liturgically specific to the Sikh doctrine of Waheguru’s Divine Order to serve as a generic term for a church council’s administrative decision
ἔδοξεν τῷ πνεύματι τῷ ἁγίῳ (edoxen tō pneumati tō hagiō, 15:28)	“it seemed good to the Holy Spirit”	the Spirit’s discernible guidance in corporate church decision-making	”it seemed good to the Holy Spirit”	Affirms the Spirit’s ongoing personal guidance of the church’s corporate life	ਪਵਿੱਤਰ ਆਤਮਾ ਨੂੰ ਚੰਗਾ ਲੱਗਾ	High — reinforces `holy_spirit` (Critical) as a personal guiding agent in the church’s collective discernment, not an impersonal cosmic order one merely submits to

Chapter 16

Term	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	EN Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Punjabi Rendering	Risk & Rationale
πνεῦμα πύθωνα (pneuma pythōna)	“a spirit of Python,” i.e. a spirit of divination	an evil/demonic spirit granting occult fortune-telling ability	”spirit of divination”	The slave girl’s spirit is explicitly evil, cast out by Paul in Christ’s name (16:16-18) — a direct contrast with the Holy Spirit’s genuine, benevolent power	ਭਵਿੱਖ ਬਤਾਉਣ ਵਾਲੀ ਭੂਤ-ਆਤਮਾ	High — directly relevant given the prevalence of astrology (ਜੋਤਸ਼) and folk fortune-telling practices in Punjabi popular religion; must be unambiguously identified as an evil, demonic power, categorically distinct from and opposed to the Holy Spirit, not merely an alternative “spiritual gift”
σωτηρία (sōtēria, 16:30-31 “what must I do to be saved?“)	reuses baseline `salvation` exactly	”salvation,” “be saved”		The Philippian jailer’s question and Paul’s answer (“believe in the Lord Jesus”) is one of the clearest evangelistic exchanges in Acts	ਮੁਕਤੀ	Critical — mandatory mukti-gloss applies; reinforces `faith` (ਨਿਹਚਾ, High) as the sole condition

Reuses baptism (High — the jailer’s household baptized same night).

Chapter 17

Term	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	EN Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Punjabi Rendering	Risk & Rationale
γραφαί (graphai, “examining the Scriptures,” 17:11)	reuses `graphē`, introduced Ch. 8	”the Scriptures”		The Berean believers’ diligent, verifying study of Scripture — a model for engaging Scripture as the final authority	ਪਵਿੱਤਰ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ	High — inherits Ch. 8 rationale exactly (Guru Granth Sahib distinction)
ἄγνωστος θεός (agnōstos theos)	“unknown god”	an altar inscription in Athens, used by Paul as a rhetorical bridge	”the unknown god”	Paul’s Areopagus speech uses this local altar as a contextual launching point to proclaim the true, knowable God — an apologetic strategy, not a syncretistic concession	ਅਣਜਾਣ ਦੇਵਤਾ	Medium — must be clearly framed (in translator notes) as Paul’s rhetorical bridge into proclaiming ਪਰਮੇਸ਼ੁਰ specifically, not as an endorsement that any unknown deity concept is equally valid
εἴδωλα (eidōla) / idolatry	”idols, images”	worship of images/representations of deities	”idols,” “images”	Paul’s speech confronts Athenian idol worship directly	ਮੂਰਤੀਆਂ	High — significant collision given widespread Hindu image-worship (murti puja) practiced by Punjab’s Hindu minority and broader South Asian devotional visual culture; note also a genuine point of partial overlap: Sikhism’s own formal rejection of image worship offers an internal cultural bridge, though this must not be overextended to imply full theological agreement (e.g., regarding veneration practices around the Guru Granth Sahib itself, which requires separate, careful handling not addressed by this term alone)

Reuses resurrection (ਪੁਨਰ-ਉਥਾਨ, Critical — mocked by the Athenian philosophers), repent/μετάνοια (High).

Chapter 18

No new load-bearing theological terms; reuses ἡ ὁδός (“the way of the Lord,” 18:25-26, of Apollos’s instruction), holy_spirit, and the graphē/Scripture term (Apollos “mighty in the Scriptures,” 18:24). Explicitly noted as reusing chs. 8–9, 17 vocabulary.

Chapter 19

Term	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	EN Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Punjabi Rendering	Risk & Rationale
βάπτισμα Ἰωάννου vs. εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ (19:3-5)	“John’s baptism” vs. “baptism into the name of the Lord Jesus”	a deliberate contrast between a preparatory, repentance-only rite and full Christian baptism marking Spirit-reception and union with Christ	”John’s baptism” vs. “Christian baptism”	Clarifies that Christian baptism (reusing High-risk baseline/Acts term ਬਪਤਿਸਮਾ) is qualitatively distinct even from a genuine, biblically-rooted preparatory rite	ਯੂਹੰਨਾ ਦਾ ਬਪਤਿਸਮਾ / ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਯਿਸੂ ਦੇ ਨਾਮ ਵਿੱਚ ਬਪਤਿਸਮਾ	High — reinforces that Christian baptism is inseparably tied to explicit faith in the named, risen Lord Jesus and reception of the Holy Spirit (19:2, “we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit”), not a generic repentance ritual

Reuses ἡ ὁδός (19:9, 23 — “the Way” as a target of opposition), magic/μαγεία-adjacent practice (burning of magic scrolls, 19:19), and idolatry (the Artemis riot, 19:23-41) — all High/Medium per Chs. 8 and 17 respectively.

Chapter 20

Term	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	EN Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Punjabi Rendering	Risk & Rationale
ἐπίσκοπος (episkopos)	“overseer”	church leadership office, used interchangeably here with πρεσβύτερος (elder)	“overseer,” “bishop”	Confirms early church leadership structure — relevant to The Church as Community	ਨਿਗਾਹਬਾਨ	Medium — an administrative/pastoral office term; low doctrinal collision, but should not be rendered so formally as to suggest a hierarchical caste-like class distinct from the “elders” (πρεσβύτεροι) it is functionally identified with in this very passage
πρεσβύτερος (presbyteros)	“elder”	church leadership office	”elder”	See above	ਬਜ਼ੁਰਗ	Low
ποιμήν / ποιμαίνω (poimēn/poimainō)	“shepherd” / “to shepherd”	pastoral care imagery for church leadership	”shepherd,” “pastor”	Paul’s charge to shepherd God’s flock, guarding against “wolves” (false teachers)	ਅਯਾਲੀ	Low — broadly positive, cross-culturally intelligible pastoral metaphor

Chapter 21

Term	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	EN Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Punjabi Rendering	Risk & Rationale
εὐχή (euchē, “vow,” 21:23)	“a vow, prayer of vowing”	a formal Nazirite-type religious vow undertaken by some Jewish believers	”vow”	Paul’s accommodation to Jewish custom to avoid needless offense — a pastoral, not doctrinal, concession	ਪ੍ਰਤਿੱਗਿਆ	Medium — prefer ਪ੍ਰਤਿੱਗਿਆ (formal pledge/vow) over the common Punjabi word ਸੁੱਖਣਾ, which specifically denotes the folk-religious practice of vowing to a deity or shrine in exchange for a favor granted; that transactional framework must not attach to this biblical Nazirite-vow custom

Reuses prophecy (ਭਵਿੱਖਬਾਣੀ — Agabus’s prophetic warning, 21:10-11).

Chapter 22

No new load-bearing theological terms; Paul’s defense speech retells the Ch. 9 conversion account (reusing ὅραμα/ਦਰਸ਼ਨ with its mandatory gloss, and ἡ ὁδός/ਰਾਹ). One civic term worth noting: πολίτης/πολιτεία (“citizenship,” of Paul’s Roman citizenship, 22:25-28) — ਨਾਗਰਿਕਤਾ, Low risk, a civic-legal term with no doctrinal collision.

Chapter 23

No new load-bearing theological terms; reuses resurrection (ਪੁਨਰ-ਉਥਾਨ, Critical) in the Pharisee-Sadducee dispute over the general resurrection of the dead (23:6-8) — note this extends baseline’s Critical resurrection caution beyond Christ’s own resurrection specifically to the general doctrine of bodily resurrection at the end of the age, which must equally never be rendered with ਪੁਨਰ-ਜਨਮ or ਆਵਾਗਵਣ.

Chapter 24

Term	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	EN Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Punjabi Rendering	Risk & Rationale
ἐγκράτεια (egkrateia)	“self-control, self-mastery”	ethical/moral discipline, part of Paul’s gospel presentation to Felix	”self-control,” “temperance”	Paired with “righteousness” and “the judgment to come” (24:25) in Paul’s address	ਸੰਜਮ	Medium — some positive overlap with South Asian ascetic self-discipline ideals; must be anchored specifically to gospel ethics flowing from faith, not generic asceticism practiced as a path to merit
κρίσις (krisis, “judgment to come”)	“judgment, decision”	future divine judgment	”judgment”	Standard eschatological judgment term	ਨਿਆਂ	Medium — future, personal divine judgment, not karma-based impersonal consequence

Reuses ἡ ὁδός (24:14, 22 — “the Way,” explicitly named again in Paul’s own defense), righteousness (ਧਾਰਮਿਕਤਾ, Critical), faith (ਨਿਹਚਾ, High), resurrection (Critical).

Chapter 25

No new load-bearing theological terms; a civic-legal/narrative chapter (Paul’s appeal to Caesar). Explicitly noted as reusing terms from chs. 22–24.

Chapter 26

Term	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	EN Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Punjabi Rendering	Risk & Rationale
φῶς / σκότος (phōs / skotos, 26:18)	“light” / “darkness”	universal spiritual metaphor: “to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light"	"light and darkness”	Christ’s own commissioning words to Paul, summarizing the whole gospel mission	ਚਾਨਣ / ਹਨੇਰਾ	High — this light/darkness contrast must be rendered without drawing on ਜੋਤ-adjacent vocabulary, which baseline’s `glory` entry already flags Critical/High as the specific Sikh doctrine of a divine light transmitted sequentially through the Ten Gurus into the Guru Granth Sahib; Christ’s light here is his own unique, direct revelation to the individual believer, not a transmitted lineage-light
κλῆρος (klēros, “an inheritance among those sanctified by faith,” 26:18)	“lot, portion, inheritance”	the believer’s share among God’s sanctified people	”inheritance,” “portion”	Combines baseline `sanctification` (ਪਵਿੱਤਰੀਕਰਨ, High) and `faith` (ਨਿਹਚਾ, High) with inheritance-rights language echoing baseline `adoption` (ਦੱਤਕ ਪੁੱਤਰਤਾ)	ਵਿਰਸਾ	Medium

Reuses ὅραμα/ਦਰਸ਼ਨ (“the heavenly vision,” 26:19, with mandatory gloss), messiah, resurrection, repent.

Chapter 27

No new load-bearing theological terms. Important translation-risk note (not a new term but a critical usage caution): σωτηρία (sōtēria) occurs at 27:34 in its everyday, non-technical sense — “this is for your safety/preservation” (physical survival of the shipwreck) — NOT the technical soteriological “salvation” (baseline salvation, ਮੁਕਤੀ, Critical). Translators must render this occurrence with an ordinary Punjabi word for physical safety/preservation (e.g., ਬਚਾਅ) rather than ਮੁਕਤੀ, to avoid both over-theologizing a mundane statement and creating false consistency pressure with the technical term. This chapter otherwise reinforces baseline providence (ਪਰਮੇਸ਼ੁਰ ਦਾ ਪ੍ਰਬੰਧ, High) through God’s care for Paul and the ship’s company amid the storm.

Chapter 28

Term	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	EN Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Punjabi Rendering	Risk & Rationale
ἀκωλύτως (akōlytōs)	“without hindrance”	the final word of Acts (28:31), describing Paul’s unhindered proclamation in Rome	”unhindered,” “without restraint,” “openly”	The capstone statement of the entire book: the gospel’s unstoppable advance to the empire’s capital — the fulfillment of Great Commission Fulfilled and Acts 1:8’s “ends of the earth”	ਬਿਨਾਂ ਰੋਕ / ਖੁੱਲ੍ਹੇਆਮ	Low — minor risk, but theologically climactic; translators should preserve its emphatic, unqualified force as the book’s final note

Reuses kingdom_of_god (ਪਰਮੇਸ਼ੁਰ ਦਾ ਰਾਜ, Medium — Paul’s preaching topic in Rome) and the idol/deity-confusion motif from Chs. 14/17 (Malta locals initially think Paul is a god after he survives the snakebite, 28:6).

Summary of Doctrinal Coverage Across the Whole Book

Every chapter of Acts (1–28) has been reviewed. Chapters 12, 18, 23, and 25 are explicitly noted as introducing no new load-bearing theological vocabulary, reusing terms established in earlier chapters. All nine curriculum doctrines (The Holy Spirit and Pentecost; The Gospel to Jews and Gentiles; Repentance and Baptism; The Church as Community; Apostolic Authority and Miracles; Persecution and Bold Witness; Conversion of Paul; Justification apart from the Law; The Great Commission Fulfilled) are anchored in specific, identified terms and passages above, in addition to the core passage’s exhaustive verse-by-verse treatment.

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