Semantic Analysis: 1 Corinthians (Full Book) for Romanian

Governing Principle

Every term already established in the Romans baseline Language Package (translation_memory.json, bible_term_registry.json) is reused exactly — same Romanian rendering, same risk tier as a floor (risk may be re-affirmed but never lowered; 1 Corinthians-specific contextual notes may be appended). New terms required by 1 Corinthians’ distinct subject matter (wisdom/folly, the cross, factionalism, church discipline, marriage/singleness, idol meat, the Lord’s Supper, spiritual gifts’ full taxonomy, love, order in worship, resurrection-body theology) are analyzed fresh below and carried into 08_core_glossary.md for registration.

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PART A — Core Passage Verse-by-Verse: 1 Corinthians 15:1–11

This is the fullest primitive creedal statement of the gospel in the New Testament and the anchor resurrection-witness text of the curriculum. Every load-bearing term is treated.

Verse 1

“Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand…”

gospel

• Original: εὐαγγέλιον (noun) / εὐηγγελισάμην (verb, “I preached the good news”)
• Transliteration: euangelion / euēngelisamēn
• Literal meaning: good news; an authoritative royal/military announcement
• Semantic range: the message of Christ’s saving work; can denote the act of proclaiming or the content proclaimed
• English variants: gospel, good news, glad tidings
• Contextual theological meaning: Paul reasserts the identical gospel he originally preached (1:17, 2:2 “Christ crucified”) as the fixed content now defined precisely in vv.3-4; the resurrection is not a separate topic but the gospel’s own substance.
• Destination-language rendering & risk: Reuse baseline TM — “evanghelie,” risk High. No change; 1 Corinthians 15 is the paradigm case for the baseline’s caution that “evanghelie” must be taught as the specific proclamation of Christ crucified and risen, not a generic uplifting message.

received / tradition (παρελάβετε, from παραλαμβάνω; paired with παρέδωκα in v.3, forming a fixed rabbinic transmission formula, παράδοσις/paradosis)

• Transliteration: parelabete (aor. “you received”); paradosis (the related noun, “tradition”)
• Literal meaning: to receive/take over what has been handed down
• Semantic range: formal reception of authoritative teaching passed hand-to-hand, not private discovery
• English variants: received, was handed down to you, was passed on
• Contextual theological meaning: Paul frames the gospel as fixed apostolic deposit, not his personal opinion — critical for v.3’s creedal formula.
• Destination-language rendering & risk: NEW TERM. Romanian: “ați primit” (verb)/“predanie” or “tradiție” (noun form, relevant at 11:2, 15:3). Risk: High. “Predanie” is the historic Slavonic-rooted Orthodox term for Holy Tradition (Sfânta Predanie/Sfânta Tradiție), a pillar of authority alongside Scripture in Orthodox theology. This is a genuine asset here — Paul explicitly commends holding fast to apostolic “traditions” (11:2) — but requires a translator note clarifying that Paul’s paradosis is the fixed, closed apostolic gospel content (vv.3-4), not a warrant for extending authority to every later ecclesiastical development. See glossary entry “tradition.”

stand firm (ἑστήκατε, ἵστημι)

• Transliteration: hestēkate
• Literal meaning: to stand, to have taken and maintained a stance
• Semantic range: perfect tense — a past act with continuing present result; settled position
• English variants: stand, stand firm, in which you now stand
• Contextual theological meaning: the gospel is the ground on which the Corinthians’ whole standing before God rests, contrasted with the instability of their factionalism (ch.1-4).
• Destination-language rendering & risk: NEW, low-risk lexical item — “stați neclintiți” / “în care stați.” Risk: Low. No doctrinal collision; standard descriptive verb.

Verse 2

“…and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.”

being saved (σῴζεσθε, present passive)

• Transliteration: sōzesthe
• Literal meaning: you are being kept safe/rescued
• Semantic range: present tense highlights an ongoing process rather than a single past event (contrast aorist “were saved” elsewhere in Paul)
• English variants: are being saved, are saved, are in the process of being saved
• Contextual theological meaning: salvation has past (justification), present (ongoing preservation through the gospel word), and future (resurrection, v.20-28) dimensions all present in this letter.
• Destination-language rendering & risk: Reuse baseline TM — “mântuire,” risk Critical. 1 Corinthians 15’s present-tense “sunteți mântuiți” (being saved) actually supports rather than undermines the Orthodox theosis framework of ongoing salvation the baseline flags — but the translator must still ensure the decisive, gospel-anchored content of vv.3-4 (a fixed historical event) is not dissolved into an undefined ongoing process. Retain baseline caution.

hold fast (κατέχετε)

• Transliteration: katechete
• Literal meaning: to hold down/retain firmly, to possess and not let go
• Semantic range: firm retention of a message, a mental/volitional grip
• English variants: hold fast, hold firmly, retain
• Contextual theological meaning: perseverance in the apostolic gospel is the condition-marker distinguishing genuine from vain faith.
• Destination-language rendering & risk: NEW — “a ține cu tărie” / “a păstra.” Risk: Low. Standard vocabulary, no collision.

in vain (εἰκῇ)

• Transliteration: eikē
• Literal meaning: without cause, purposelessly, for nothing
• Semantic range: fruitless, empty of effect
• English variants: in vain, for nothing, to no purpose
• Contextual theological meaning: anticipates the chapter’s central logical argument (vv.14, 17) — if there is no resurrection, faith itself collapses into futility.
• Destination-language rendering & risk: NEW — “în zadar.” Risk: Medium. Must be rendered consistently across vv.2, 10, 14, 17, 58 to preserve Paul’s argumentative thread; a translator inconsistency here would obscure the chapter’s logical chain.

Verse 3

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures…”

delivered (παρέδωκα)

• Transliteration: paredōka
• Literal meaning: to hand over, transmit
• Semantic range: paired technically with παρέλαβον (“received”) as the standard formula for transmitting fixed authoritative tradition (cf. rabbinic masorah)
• English variants: delivered, passed on, handed down
• Contextual theological meaning: signals that vv.3b-5 (or 3b-7) is pre-Pauline confessional/creedal material Paul received within a few years of the crucifixion — an early, fixed testimony, not later legend.
• Destination-language rendering & risk: NEW — “am dat mai departe” / “am predanisit.” Risk: High. Same tradition-language cluster as v.1; the historicity argument (early, fixed, eyewitness-verified creed) is central apologetic content and must not be softened into “I have always believed” phrasing.

Christ (Χριστός)

• Transliteration: Christos
• Literal meaning: Anointed One (translating Hebrew מָשִׁיחַ)
• Semantic range: functions in Paul both as a title (the promised Messiah) and, extremely frequently, as a proper name/near-name for Jesus
• English variants: Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One
• Contextual theological meaning: identifies Jesus as the fulfillment of Israel’s messianic hope; here specifically as the one whose death and resurrection fulfill “the Scriptures.”
• Destination-language rendering & risk: NEW TERM, but with an established form. Romanian: “Hristos,” per the Romanian Orthodox Synodal Bible and already fixed as the proper-name standard in 12_ai_translation_requirements.md. Risk: Critical. Must be added formally to translation memory (it was assumed but not separately registered in the Romans baseline, which registered “Messiah”→“Mesia” and “Jesus”→“Iisus” but not the running-name use of “Hristos”). See glossary.

died for our sins (ἀπέθανεν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν)

• Transliteration: apethanen hyper tōn hamartiōn hēmōn
• Literal meaning: died on behalf of/for the sake of our sins
• Semantic range: ὑπέρ (“hyper”) carries substitutionary/representative force — “in place of,” “for the benefit of”
• English variants: died for our sins, died on our behalf, gave himself for our sins
• Contextual theological meaning: substitutionary atonement stated as fixed creedal content, tied to “sin” (reuse baseline).
• Destination-language rendering & risk: “a murit pentru păcatele noastre,” reusing baseline “păcat” (risk Medium per baseline) within a new construction requiring Critical handling, since ὑπέρ’s substitutionary force can be flattened into a vague “died because of sin in general” reading. Risk: Critical. Must be flagged for theologian review alongside Romans 3:25’s atonement language already flagged in the baseline’s escalation rules.

according to the Scriptures (κατὰ τὰς γραφάς)

• Transliteration: kata tas graphas
• Literal meaning: in accordance with / matching the (sacred) writings
• Semantic range: refers to the fulfillment pattern of the Hebrew Scriptures (esp. Isaiah 53, Psalm 16, Hosea 6:2)
• English variants: according to the Scriptures, as the Scriptures said, in fulfillment of Scripture
• Contextual theological meaning: both the death and the resurrection (v.4) are anchored as the fulfillment of prophecy, not isolated novel claims.
• Destination-language rendering & risk: Reuse baseline doctrine — “fulfillment_of_prophecy,” risk Medium, rendered “după Scripturi” — well supported by Orthodox liturgical use of Old Testament readings (per baseline notes on this doctrine).

Verse 4

“…that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures…”

buried (ἐτάφη)

• Transliteration: etaphē
• Literal meaning: was buried, entombed
• Semantic range: confirms real, verifiable physical death (no burial without a corpse)
• English variants: buried, was laid in a tomb
• Contextual theological meaning: burial is the creedal “hinge” proving the death was real and total before the resurrection reversal.
• Destination-language rendering & risk: NEW — “a fost înmormântat” / “a fost pus în mormânt.” Risk: Medium. Must not be abbreviated or merged with “died” in translation; each of the four creedal clauses (died/buried/raised/appeared) is a distinct evidentiary link in Paul’s argument.

raised (ἐγήγερται, perfect passive of ἐγείρω)

• Transliteration: egēgertai
• Literal meaning: has been raised (and remains raised — perfect tense, abiding result)
• Semantic range: distinct verb root from ἀνάστασις (anastasis, the noun “resurrection” used throughout the rest of the chapter), but synonymous in reference
• English variants: was raised, has been raised, rose
• Contextual theological meaning: the pivot of the whole letter and chapter; the perfect tense stresses a permanent accomplished state, not a temporary revivification.
• Destination-language rendering & risk: Reuse baseline TM — “înviere” family (verb “a înviat”/“a fost înviat”), risk Critical. As the baseline notes, this is uniquely both a Critical risk and a doctrinal asset in Romanian, since Învierea is the central feast of Orthodox liturgical life (“Hristos a înviat!”). The translation task here is precision: this is bodily, historical, once-for-all resurrection, argued evidentially in this very chapter (vv.5-8, 12-19), not to be diluted into festival sentiment alone.

the third day (τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ τρίτῃ)

• Transliteration: tē hēmera tē tritē
• Literal meaning: on the third day
• Semantic range: a specific, countable chronological marker, fulfilling Hosea 6:2 and Jonah’s sign
• English variants: the third day, three days later
• Contextual theological meaning: historical specificity — this is a dated event, not a timeless myth.
• Destination-language rendering & risk: NEW — “a treia zi.” Risk: Low. Standard, already embedded in the Orthodox liturgical creed (“a treia zi a înviat”).

Verse 5

“…and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.”

appeared (ὤφθη, passive of ὁράω)

• Transliteration: ōphthē
• Literal meaning: was seen, showed himself, appeared
• Semantic range: a technical term in Greek for a divine self-disclosure/theophany-style appearance, not a chance sighting; used identically for every appearance in vv.5-8
• English variants: appeared to, was seen by, showed himself to
• Contextual theological meaning: establishes a chain of named, checkable eyewitnesses — the legal-evidentiary heart of Paul’s resurrection argument.
• Destination-language rendering & risk: NEW — “s-a arătat.” Risk: Critical. Must be rendered with the identical verb at every occurrence in vv.5,6,7,8 to preserve the parallel witness-list structure; varying the verb (e.g., “a fost văzut” once and “s-a arătat” elsewhere) would obscure Paul’s deliberate rhetorical repetition.

Cephas (Κηφᾷ)

• Transliteration: Kēpha
• Literal meaning: Aramaic for “rock,” Peter’s given surname from Jesus (cf. John 1:42)
• Semantic range: proper name only
• English variants: Cephas, Peter
• Contextual theological meaning: names the first, most authoritative eyewitness, aligning with the Gospels’ accounts of Peter as first witness.
• Destination-language rendering & risk: NEW — “Chifa,” per Orthodox Synodal Bible convention (paired at times with “Petru”). Risk: Low. Established proper name; no ambiguity once footnoted as “Petru.”

the twelve (τοῖς δώδεκα)

• Transliteration: tois dōdeka
• Literal meaning: the twelve
• Semantic range: the fixed apostolic college (technically eleven at this point in the narrative, but “the Twelve” functions as an institutional title, not a headcount)
• English variants: the Twelve, the twelve apostles, the twelve disciples
• Contextual theological meaning: corporate apostolic confirmation of the resurrection.
• Destination-language rendering & risk: NEW — “cei doisprezece.” Risk: Low.

Verse 6

“Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.”

more than five hundred brothers (ἐπάνω πεντακοσίοις ἀδελφοῖς ἐφάπαξ)

• Transliteration: epanō pentakosiois adelphois ephapax
• Literal meaning: over five hundred brothers at once
• Semantic range: a mass, simultaneous, verifiable public appearance
• English variants: more than five hundred brothers at one time
• Contextual theological meaning: rules out hallucination or private vision theories by scale and simultaneity — an explicit apologetic detail.
• Destination-language rendering & risk: NEW — “peste cinci sute de frați deodată.” Risk: Medium. Numeral and simultaneity (“deodată”/“o dată”) must be preserved precisely; this is the verse’s entire evidentiary force.

fallen asleep (ἐκοιμήθησαν, κοιμάω)

• Transliteration: ekoimēthēsan
• Literal meaning: have fallen asleep
• Semantic range: standard NT euphemism for the death of believers, embedding resurrection hope in the very word for death (one who sleeps will wake)
• English variants: fallen asleep, died, are asleep
• Contextual theological meaning: previews the chapter’s “sleep” language for believers’ death (vv.18, 20, 51), framing death as temporary, not final.
• Destination-language rendering & risk: NEW — “au adormit.” Risk: Medium. Romanian “a adormi” (to fall asleep) is already the term used in Orthodox funeral/memorial vocabulary for the departed (“adormirea,” as in “Adormirea Maicii Domnului,” the Dormition) — a strong cultural and doctrinal asset here reinforcing, not undermining, resurrection hope. Translator note recommended to make the connection explicit.

Verse 7

“Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.”

James (Ἰακώβῳ)

• Transliteration: Iakōbō
• Literal meaning: proper name (the Lord’s brother, later leader of the Jerusalem church)
• Semantic range: proper name only
• English variants: James
• Contextual theological meaning: a skeptic (cf. John 7:5) transformed into a leader by a personal resurrection appearance — a further named, checkable witness.
• Destination-language rendering & risk: NEW — “Iacov,” per Orthodox Synodal Bible convention. Risk: Low.

all the apostles (τοῖς ἀποστόλοις πᾶσιν)

• Transliteration: tois apostolois pasin
• Literal meaning: to all the apostles
• Semantic range: a broader circle than “the Twelve” (v.5), including figures like James and later Paul himself (v.8-9)
• English variants: all the apostles
• Contextual theological meaning: closes the circle of primary apostolic eyewitnesses before Paul includes himself as the last.
• Destination-language rendering & risk: Reuse baseline TM — “apostol,” risk Low per baseline; no new risk introduced.

Verse 8

“Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.”

untimely born / miscarriage (ἔκτρωμα)

• Transliteration: ektrōma
• Literal meaning: a miscarried or stillborn fetus, an abnormally/violently delivered birth
• Semantic range: a jarring, self-deprecating metaphor — unexpected, premature, undeserved entry into apostleship
• English variants: one untimely born, one abnormally born, one born out of due time
• Contextual theological meaning: Paul contrasts his own violent, undeserved, “out of sequence” calling (as former persecutor, v.9) with the other apostles’ expected discipleship trajectory, magnifying grace (v.10).
• Destination-language rendering & risk: NEW — “ca unuia născut înainte de vreme” (lit. “as to one born before the [right] time”). Risk: Medium. A vivid, somewhat shocking image; over-smoothing it into a bland “as to the last one” would lose Paul’s rhetorical humility. Requires translator note explaining the metaphor since it has no natural idiomatic Romanian equivalent.

Verse 9

“For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.”

least (ἐλάχιστος) / unworthy/not fit (οὐκ…ἱκανός)

• Transliteration: elachistos; ouk…hikanos
• Literal meaning: smallest/least; not sufficient/adequate
• Semantic range: superlative self-abasement language
• English variants: least, unworthy, unfit
• Contextual theological meaning: continues the humility theme begun in v.8, setting up the grace-statement of v.10.
• Destination-language rendering & risk: NEW — “cel mai neînsemnat,” “nevrednic.” Risk: Low.

called an apostle (καλεῖσθαι ἀπόστολος)

• Reuse baseline TM — “chemat”/“apostol,” risk Medium/Low respectively. Contextual note: here “called” functions in its specific vocational sense (cf. Romans 1:1), distinct from the general salvific calling of “chemare” the baseline warns against collapsing into monastic vocation. No new risk beyond baseline.

persecuted (ἐδίωξα) / church of God (ἐκκλησία τοῦ Θεοῦ)

• Transliteration: ediōxa; ekklēsia tou Theou
• Literal meaning: I pursued/hunted down; assembly of God
• Semantic range: ἐκκλησία here denotes the whole body of believers as an object of persecution — the universal, not merely local, church
• English variants: persecuted; church of God, assembly of God
• Contextual theological meaning: Paul’s authority as apostle is paradoxically grounded in grace overcoming his worst disqualification.
• Destination-language rendering & risk: Reuse baseline TM — “Biserică,” risk Medium. New minor note: here it functions as the universal body (parallel to “ekklēsia tou Theou” elsewhere, e.g. 1 Cor 1:2, 10:32, 11:22, 15:9), which the baseline’s caution against exclusivist institutional reading must also be applied to, not only the local-congregation sense flagged in Romans 16.

Verse 10

“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.”

grace of God (χάριτι Θεοῦ)

• Reuse baseline TM — “har,” risk Critical. This verse is the single clearest NT statement of the grace/effort synergy question the baseline already flags for Romans 9-11’s election language: Paul labored “more than all of them,” yet insists it was “not I, but the grace of God with me” (οὐκ ἐγὼ δέ, ἀλλὰ ἡ χάρις τοῦ Θεοῦ [ἡ] σὺν ἐμοί). Escalate to Human theologian review at every occurrence of this verse. The Romanian rendering must hold both halves together: real human labor genuinely occurred, and it was entirely enabled by grace — neither a pure-merit reading nor a reading that erases Paul’s own agency is acceptable. This is a natural bridge point to the Orthodox synergy framework (grace and free will cooperating) that the baseline notes for “election,” and should be taught as such rather than forced into a monergism/synergism binary.

I am what I am (εἰμὶ ὅ εἰμι) — NEW, minor. Romanian: “sunt ceea ce sunt.” Risk: Low. Self-identity grounded entirely in grace, not achievement; no lexical ambiguity.

not in vain (οὐ κενή) — reuse of the εἰκῇ/κενή “in vain” word-group from v.2. Risk: Medium, same consistency requirement noted above.

worked harder (περισσότερον ἐκοπίασα) — NEW. Romanian: “am muncit mai mult.” Risk: Low, but must not be rendered in a way that overshadows the “not I, but grace” clause immediately following it — sequencing within the sentence matters theologically.

Verse 11

“Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.”

preach (κηρύσσομεν)

• Transliteration: kēryssomen
• Literal meaning: to proclaim as a herald, announce publicly with authority
• Semantic range: official, authoritative public proclamation, not private teaching or philosophical discourse
• English variants: preach, proclaim, announce
• Contextual theological meaning: unifies Paul with the other apostolic witnesses (Cephas, the Twelve, James) — one unified gospel proclamation regardless of the messenger, closing the ring around vv.1-11 (echoing “gospel…preached” from v.1).
• Destination-language rendering & risk: NEW — “propovăduim” / “vestim.” Risk: Medium. Distinguish from a term for generic teaching or discussion; “propovăduim” (proclaim/preach with authority) is preferred over a softer “spunem” (we say).

believed (ἐπιστεύσατε)

• Reuse baseline TM — “credință” word-family, risk High. Closes the inclusio with v.2’s “believed” (“ἐπιστεύσατε”), reinforcing that the entire chapter’s argument is that the content of vv.3-8 is the actual object of saving faith, not faith as an undefined generic disposition.

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PART B — Chapter-by-Chapter Analysis of the Whole Book

Chapter 1 — Factionalism, the Cross as Wisdom and Power

called / saints / fellowship — Reuse baseline TM exactly (“chemat”/“chemare” risk Medium/High; “sfinți” risk Critical; “părtășie” risk Low). 1:2 “called to be saints” (“κλητοῖς ἁγίοις”) and 1:9 “fellowship of his Son” (“κοινωνίαν”) directly parallel Romans 1:7 and require the identical translator note the baseline mandates for “sfinți”: every believer, not canonized figures.

divisions / factions (σχίσματα, ἔρις, ζῆλος)

• Transliteration: schismata (1:10); eris/zēlos (3:3, “strife/jealousy”)
• Literal meaning: schismata — tears, splits, rents (in a garment, metaphor for the congregation being torn); eris — contention/rivalry
• Semantic range: internal factional splits along personality-following lines (“I follow Paul,” “I follow Apollos,” 1:12), not formal doctrinal heresy
• English variants: divisions, quarrels, factions, schisms
• Contextual theological meaning: the presenting problem of the whole letter — a fractured congregation prioritizing celebrity teachers over unity in Christ.
• Destination-language rendering & risk: NEW TERM — Critical cultural collision risk. Romanian “schismă” is a heavily loaded ecclesiastical-historical term (the Marea Schismă, the 1054 East-West Schism between Orthodoxy and Rome, and subsequent Old Calendarist schisms within Romanian Orthodoxy itself). Rendering σχίσματα as “schisme” risks importing the weight of formal, church-dividing doctrinal rupture into what Paul describes as party rivalry within one congregation. Recommend “dezbinări” (divisions/rifts) rather than “schisme.” Flag for Human theologian review; register as a new doctrine entry (“Christian Unity versus Factionalism”).

wisdom (σοφία) / foolishness (μωρία)

• Transliteration: sophia; mōria
• Literal meaning: skill, cleverness, insight; folly, absurdity
• Semantic range: σοφία ranges from practical skill to Greco-Roman rhetorical/philosophical sophistication to, in 1:24,30, Christ himself as “the wisdom of God”
• English variants: wisdom, cleverness, learning; foolishness, folly, absurdity
• Contextual theological meaning: Paul inverts Corinthian status-seeking by declaring “the word of the cross” foolish to the perishing but the very “wisdom of God” to those being saved (1:18-25); worldly wisdom is set against the cross’s paradoxical wisdom.
• Destination-language rendering & risk: NEW TERM — High risk with a specific Romanian cultural collision. Romanian “înțelepciune” is the standard rendering, unproblematic on its own. However, “Sofia” (from σοφία) has a distinct history in Eastern Orthodox theology as a quasi-hypostasized “Divine Wisdom” figure (Slavic and Russian “Sophiology,” associated with theologians such as Sergei Bulgakov, and controversial within Orthodoxy, at times formally censured). While Romanian Bible translation does not use “Sofia” as a running term (it uses “înțelepciune”), any translator commentary invoking “Sfânta Sofia” imagery to illustrate 1 Corinthians 1-2 risks importing this contested theological strand. Flag for Human theologian review: use “înțelepciune,” avoid “Sofia”-personification language in teaching notes.

cross (σταυρός) / word of the cross (ὁ λόγος τοῦ σταυροῦ)

• Transliteration: stauros; ho logos tou staurou
• Literal meaning: an upright stake/execution post; “the message/word about the cross”
• Semantic range: both the physical instrument of Roman execution and, metonymically, the entire message of Christ’s atoning death
• English variants: cross, the message of the cross, the preaching of the cross
• Contextual theological meaning: paradox is the whole point — the instrument of shame and weakness is declared to be the very locus of God’s wisdom and power (1:18, 24).
• Destination-language rendering & risk: NEW TERM. Romanian: “cruce” / “cuvântul crucii.” Risk: High, but of a different character than most High-risk terms in this package: the Romanian Cross is not a collision but an asset under different emphasis, much like “înviere” in the baseline. The Cross (Sfânta Cruce) is intensely venerated in Romanian Orthodox piety (feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, roadside crosses, the sign of the cross itself) — almost always as a symbol of victory and glory. Paul’s specific rhetorical point in 1:18-25 is the cross’s foolishness and weakness to the world before it is shown to be power. Translators must preserve this paradox rather than letting the culturally available “cross as glory/victory” association pre-empt Paul’s argument. Flag for Human theologian review.

power of God — Reuse baseline TM — “puterea lui Dumnezeu,” risk Medium, directly paired with the cross paradox in 1:18,24.

gentiles — Reuse baseline TM — “neamuri,” risk Low; 1:23 “to Gentiles folly.”

Chapter 2 — The Spirit-Revealed Wisdom; Natural and Spiritual Man

mystery (μυστήριον)

• Transliteration: mystērion
• Literal meaning: a secret; something formerly hidden
• Semantic range: in Paul, a truth once concealed but now disclosed by God’s revelation (not an unsolvable riddle or an initiatory secret as in Greco-Roman mystery cults)
• English variants: mystery, secret, hidden truth now revealed
• Contextual theological meaning: 2:1,7 “God’s wisdom in a mystery” — the crucified Christ, foreordained before the ages, now openly proclaimed.
• Destination-language rendering & risk: NEW TERM — Critical cultural collision. Romanian “taină” is the exact and only term used for the Orthodox Sacraments (Sfintele Taine: Botezul, Mirungerea, Sfânta Împărtășanie, Pocăința, Preoția, Nunta, Maslul — “the Holy Mysteries”). Rendering μυστήριον consistently as “taină” (the only natural lexical choice — there is no unloaded alternative) means every occurrence (2:1,7; 4:1; 13:2; 14:2; 15:51) will resonate with sacramental theology for an Orthodox reader. Paul’s sense — a previously hidden truth now openly revealed and preached — is almost the opposite semantic direction of a sacramental mystery (which remains hiddenly efficacious even after its institution). Flag for Human theologian review at every occurrence; mandatory translator note distinguishing “taină” as used by Paul (a revealed truth) from “Taină” as a Sacrament.

natural man / spiritual man (ψυχικὸς ἄνθρωπος / πνευματικὸς ἄνθρωπος)

• Transliteration: psychikos anthrōpos; pneumatikos anthrōpos
• Literal meaning: soul-ish/animal-life man; Spirit-man
• Semantic range: ψυχικός denotes a person operating on merely natural human faculties, without the Holy Spirit — not “carnal” in a purely moral-vice sense but Spirit-less in orientation; πνευματικός denotes one indwelt and Spirit-taught
• English variants: natural man/unspiritual man; spiritual man
• Contextual theological meaning: only the Spirit-indwelt believer can receive and evaluate the things of God (2:14-15) — an anthropological, not merely a moral, distinction.
• Destination-language rendering & risk: NEW TERM. Romanian: “omul firesc” / “omul duhovnicesc.” Risk: High. “Firesc” (natural) must not be read as neutral or innocent (mere absence of special training) but as a genuinely Spirit-less condition; “duhovnicesc” must not be narrowed to only the specially devout (as Orthodox usage sometimes narrows “duhovnicesc” toward monastic/eldership spirituality, cf. baseline’s caution on “daruri duhovnicești”). Flag for Native speaker review.

Chapter 3 — Fellow Workers, the Church as Foundation and Temple

temple (ναός)

• Transliteration: naos
• Literal meaning: the inner sanctuary/shrine of a temple (distinct from ἱερόν, the whole temple precinct)
• Semantic range: the dwelling place of deity; in 3:16-17, the corporate congregation as God’s dwelling; in 6:19, the individual believer’s body
• English variants: temple, sanctuary, dwelling place
• Contextual theological meaning: the Corinthian congregation itself, not a building, is where God’s Spirit dwells — a direct rebuke to their status-seeking and internal division.
• Destination-language rendering & risk: NEW TERM. Romanian: “templu.” Risk: Medium. In Romanian Orthodox usage “Templul” most often specifically evokes the Jerusalem Temple (e.g. the feast “Intrarea în Biserică/Prezentarea la Templu a Maicii Domnului”), while the local church building is usually called “biserică” or “sfântul locaș,” not “templu.” This makes the metaphorical transfer (“you [plural, the congregation] are God’s temple,” 3:16; “your body is a temple,” 6:19) less likely to be confused with the physical parish building — a modest asset — but requires a translator note anchoring the OT Temple background for readers unfamiliar with typology.

fire will test (τὸ πῦρ…δοκιμάσει, 3:13)

• Transliteration: to pyr dokimasei
• Literal meaning: the fire will put to the test/prove
• Semantic range: refers to a future eschatological testing/refining of each believer’s works, not of the believer’s salvation itself (3:15, “he himself will be saved, but only as through fire”)
• English variants: the fire will test/reveal/prove
• Contextual theological meaning: rewards for ministry work are tested and can be lost, while the worker’s own salvation, grounded on the one foundation (Christ, 3:11), remains secure.
• Destination-language rendering & risk: NEW TERM — Medium/High risk. Must be carefully distinguished in translator notes from any purgatorial reading (a post-mortem place/process of purification for sin) — Orthodox theology, like Catholic theology, has some categories adjacent to this (prayers for the dead; in some strands, “toll-house” teaching, itself internally disputed within Orthodoxy) that could be imported onto this verse. Paul’s fire tests works/ministry quality, not sin needing purgation. Flag for Native speaker review with an explicit disambiguating note.

steward (οἰκονόμος, 4:1-2)

• Transliteration: oikonomos
• Literal meaning: household manager, one entrusted with an estate on another’s behalf
• Semantic range: a trusted servant given delegated administrative authority, accountable to the master
• English variants: steward, manager, administrator
• Contextual theological meaning: 4:1 “stewards of the mysteries of God” (οἰκονόμους μυστηρίων Θεοῦ) — apostles/ministers as trustees, not owners, of the revealed gospel.
• Destination-language rendering & risk: NEW TERM — High risk with a striking cultural resonance. Romanian “iconom” (a direct transliteration-derived loanword) is an actual historical clerical title in the Romanian Orthodox Church (an honorific rank for priests, “iconom stavrofor,” etc.), reinforcing rather than contradicting Paul’s sense of a trusted, accountable steward — but risks narrowing “steward of the mysteries” to ordained clergy specifically, when Paul’s own referent (himself and Apollos, 4:6) functions as a paradigm for all gospel ministers, not an exclusively priestly office in the sacramental sense. Recommend the more neutral “ispravnic” or “administrator” for general use, with “iconom” noted as a resonant but narrower option. Flag for Native speaker review.

Chapter 4 — Apostolic Suffering and Fatherhood

No major new theological term beyond “steward” (treated above, ch.3/4 boundary) and reuse of apostle (Low, baseline) and father (4:15, “I became your father through the gospel” — reuse baseline “Tată,” risk Critical, but note: here applied to Paul’s spiritual fatherhood over the church, a distinct sense from God’s Fatherhood; must not be confused or merged in translation — a new sub-note, not a new term).

Chapter 5 — Church Discipline and Holiness

sexual immorality (πορνεία)

• Transliteration: porneia
• Literal meaning: illicit sexual activity of any kind outside the marriage covenant
• Semantic range: broad — incest (5:1, this chapter’s specific case), prostitution, adultery, premarital sex; root of English “pornography”
• English variants: sexual immorality, fornication, unchastity
• Contextual theological meaning: grounds for formal church discipline (removal from fellowship) when unrepentant and public.
• Destination-language rendering & risk: NEW TERM. Romanian: “desfrânare” (preferred, standard Bible-translation term) or “curvie” (older, more coarse register, found in some traditional translations). Risk: High. Recommend “desfrânare” for the formal, dignified register this package requires; flag for Native speaker review to confirm register consistency across chs. 5, 6, 7, and 10.

leaven (ζύμη, 5:6-8)

• Transliteration: zymē
• Literal meaning: yeast, a fermenting agent
• Semantic range: metaphor for corrupting influence that spreads through a whole community if not removed — drawn from the Passover command to purge leaven from the house (Exodus 12-13)
• English variants: leaven, yeast
• Contextual theological meaning: “cleanse out the old leaven” — tolerated sin corrupts the whole congregation; Christ is “our Passover lamb” (5:7), directly invoking Passover typology.
• Destination-language rendering & risk: NEW TERM. Romanian: “aluat.” Risk: Medium. Requires explicit Old Testament Passover background note (paschal lamb typology is well-supported by Orthodox Holy Week liturgical richness — an asset — but the leaven/unleavened bread symbolism specifically requires unpacking for readers without Exodus familiarity).

hand over to Satan (5:5, παραδοῦναι τῷ Σατανᾷ) — NEW, unique disciplinary formula. Romanian: “dat pe mâna Satanei.” Risk: High. Requires a careful translator note that this is a severe, corrective (not merely punitive) disciplinary act aimed at ultimate restoration (“that his spirit may be saved”), not an act of damnation or exorcism ritual. Flag for Human theologian review given the phrase’s potential for misuse in disciplinary contexts.

Chapter 6 — Lawsuits, the Body as Temple, Sanctification Triad

washed, sanctified, justified (ἀπελούσασθε, ἡγιάσθητε, ἐδικαιώθητε, 6:11)

• Reuse baseline TM for “sanctified”/“holy” family (“sfințire,” risk High) and “justification” (“îndreptățire,” risk Critical). New element: “washed” (ἀπολούω, “a se spăla”) is not in the baseline and functions here as baptismal-cleansing imagery preceding the other two. Risk: High, since the three-verb sequence (washed–sanctified–justified) risks being read as strictly sequential stages of a single Orthodox sacramental-transformative process (matching theosis) rather than as three overlapping metaphors for one decisive change of status Paul is describing rhetorically. Flag for Human theologian review; register “washed” (spălat) as new glossary term.

body as temple of the Holy Spirit (6:19) — extends “temple” (ch.3, above) to the individual body specifically; reinforces holy_spirit baseline reuse (Critical). New emphasis: bodily holiness and sexual ethics are directly grounded in the Spirit’s indwelling of the physical body, a strong argument against gnostic-style body/spirit dualism. Risk: Medium, note needed connecting to the “immorality”/porneia term above.

saints will judge the world/angels (6:2-3) — extends baseline “saints” (Critical). New nuance: an eschatological role for all believers corporately, not canonized figures — reinforce the baseline’s mandatory translator note here as well.

Chapter 7 — Marriage and Singleness

marriage (γάμος) / unmarried (ἄγαμος) / virgin (παρθένος)

• Transliteration: gamos; agamos; parthenos
• Literal meaning: wedding/marriage state; unmarried person; virgin, unmarried young woman
• Semantic range: παρθένος can denote a never-married woman generally or, more narrowly, one who remains sexually chaste
• English variants: marriage; unmarried, single; virgin
• Contextual theological meaning: Paul commends both marriage and singleness as legitimate, gifted callings (7:7 “each has his own gift [χάρισμα] from God”), responding to a Corinthian ascetic over-realized-eschatology tendency to forbid marriage.
• Destination-language rendering & risk: NEW TERMS. Romanian: “căsătorie”; “necăsătorit”; “fecioară.” Risk: High, specifically for “fecioară.” In Romanian Orthodox devotional culture, “Fecioara” (capitalized, as a title) is the dominant and near-exclusive referent for the Theotokos (“Sfânta Fecioară Maria,” “Fecioara Maria”). Using lowercase “fecioară” generically for unmarried women in 1 Corinthians 7 is lexically correct and unavoidable, but risks an involuntary Marian association for readers primed by devotional usage. Recommend an explicit translator note on first occurrence (7:25) clarifying the generic sense; maintain lowercase consistently. Flag for Human theologian review.

gift (χάρισμα, 7:7) — extends baseline “spiritual_gifts” (daruri duhovnicești, Medium) to a distinct sense: one’s state of life (celibacy or marriage) as itself a grace-gift from God, not one of the sign-gifts catalogued in ch.12. Risk: Medium. Flag as an extended semantic sense requiring a translator note rather than a wholly new term.

calling/state in life (κλῆσις, 7:17-24, “remain in the state in which he was called”)

• Reuse baseline TM — “chemare,” risk High, but with a genuinely new semantic domain: here κλῆσις refers not to the salvific call (Romans 1:6-7, 8:28-30) but to one’s social/legal condition at the moment of conversion (circumcised/uncircumcised, slave/free, married/unmarried). Escalate risk note: translators must not conflate this “state-in-life” sense with the baseline’s warnings about monastic vocation, but must also not let it collapse into fatalistic social passivity (7:21 in fact permits seeking freedom if possible). Flag for Human theologian review as a distinct sub-entry under the “Divine Calling” doctrine.

Chapter 8 — Christian Liberty and Idol Meat (I)

idol meat (εἰδωλόθυτον) / idol (εἴδωλον)

• Transliteration: eidōlothyton; eidōlon
• Literal meaning: meat sacrificed to an idol; an idol/image
• Semantic range: meat from animals ritually offered to pagan deities, later sold in the marketplace or served at social meals
• English variants: food offered to idols, idol meat, meat sacrificed to idols
• Contextual theological meaning: central case study for chs.8-10 — an idol “has no real existence” (8:4), so the meat itself is religiously neutral, but eating it can wound a weaker believer’s conscience.
• Destination-language rendering & risk: NEW TERM. Romanian: “carne jertfită idolilor.” Risk: High. No direct Romanian cultural collision (Romania has no live parallel practice), but requires substantial background explanation of Greco-Roman temple-market culture for the doctrine to land; the applicational principle (liberty limited by love for the weaker believer) is the load-bearing content, so translator notes should focus there rather than on an obsolete practice.

conscience (συνείδησις)

• Transliteration: syneidēsis
• Literal meaning: joint-knowledge, moral self-awareness
• Semantic range: the inner faculty judging one’s own actions as right or wrong, capable of being “weak” (easily wounded, over-scrupulous) or “seared.”
• English variants: conscience
• Contextual theological meaning: the weaker believer’s conscience must be protected by the stronger believer’s voluntary self-limitation (8:7-13) — love outranks correct-but-unloving knowledge.
• Destination-language rendering & risk: NEW TERM. Romanian: “conștiință.” Risk: Medium. Standard term, well understood; risk is primarily under-emphasis rather than mistranslation — ensure it is not flattened into mere “opinion.”

knowledge (γνῶσις, 8:1) — NEW. Romanian: “cunoaștere” / “cunoștință.” Risk: Medium. “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up” (8:1) — a light collision-awareness note: this is not a critique of Gnosticism proper (a later movement) but of prideful, love-less correctness; avoid translator notes that anachronistically read gnostic heresy into this verse.

liberty/right (ἐξουσία, 8:9)

• Reuse baseline concept space partially adjacent to “election”/“calling,” but this is a NEW term. Transliteration: exousia. Literal meaning: authority, right, freedom to act. Romanian: “libertate” / “drept.” Risk: High. Central to the “Christian Liberty and Idol Meat” doctrine; must be held together with its self-limitation by love (8:9-13, echoed in 9:1-23, 10:23-33) — an unqualified “libertate” rendering risks license-oriented readings absent the accompanying restraint argument.

Chapter 9 — Apostolic Rights Surrendered

reward (μισθός, 9:17-18) — NEW, minor. Romanian: “răsplată.” Risk: Low.

race / athletic discipline (ἀγών, τρέχω, ὑπωπιάζω, 9:24-27) — NEW. Romanian: “alergare,” “a-şi înfrâna trupul.” Risk: Medium. Positive resonance with Orthodox ascetic tradition (nevoință, înfrânare) — an asset, but must retain Paul’s specific point (self-discipline in gospel service and rewarded faithfulness), not be absorbed wholesale into monastic asceticism as the primary referent, echoing the baseline’s caution about “daruri duhovnicești” defaulting to a specialized monastic class.

Chapter 10 — Idolatry, the Lord’s Table, Christian Liberty (II)

participation/communion (κοινωνία, 10:16, “a participation in the blood/body of Christ”)

• Reuse baseline TM — “părtășie,” risk Low as registered, but ESCALATE to High in this specific context. The baseline chose “părtășie” over “comuniune” precisely to avoid unwanted Eucharistic overtones for Romans’ general fellowship sense. Here in 1 Corinthians 10:16, the term’s referent is the Eucharistic cup and bread themselves — the baseline’s avoidance strategy cannot be applied wholesale. This is a genuine terminological fork requiring a package decision: retain “părtășie” for consistency with the established glossary while adding a strong translator note that in this specific verse the participatory/Eucharistic sense is intended and should be taught with full doctrinal weight (Real Presence debates aside), not diluted into “get-together” fellowship. Flag for Human theologian review.

the Lord’s table / table of demons (10:21, τραπέζης Κυρίου / τραπέζης δαιμονίων) — NEW. Romanian: “masa Domnului” / “masa demonilor.” Risk: High. Direct antithesis structure must be preserved; do not soften “demons” (δαιμόνια) into a generic “pagan gods” euphemism — Paul’s point is a real, exclusive spiritual allegiance question.

flee idolatry (φεύγετε ἀπὸ τῆς εἰδωλολατρίας, 10:14) — reuse of idol term family above; idolatry (εἰδωλολατρία) NEW. Romanian: “închinarea la idoli.” Risk: Medium.

glory of God (10:31) — Reuse baseline TM — “slavă,” risk Medium, applied here to the practical ethic “whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” — an asset given Orthodox doxological familiarity with “slavă” language.

Chapter 11 — Head Covering; The Lord’s Supper

head (κεφαλή, 11:3)

• Transliteration: kephalē
• Literal meaning: the physical head; metaphorically, source/origin or authority/preeminence (disputed emphasis between these senses in scholarship)
• Semantic range: “the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, the head of Christ is God”
• English variants: head, source, authority
• Contextual theological meaning: establishes a relational-order argument undergirding the head-covering practice that follows.
• Destination-language rendering & risk: NEW TERM. Romanian: “cap.” Risk: High. Lexical ambiguity (source vs. authority) is a genuine, unresolved scholarly question that Romanian translation cannot fully resolve either way; flag for Human theologian review with a note preserving the ambiguity rather than forcing a single resolved doctrinal stance not clearly settled by the Greek itself. Cultural note: traditional Orthodox gender-role expectations in Romania may make a strongly hierarchical reading feel unremarkable to Orthodox readers and a source-oriented reading feel unfamiliar; teaching material should present the interpretive question honestly rather than assuming either resolution.

head covering / uncovered (κατακαλύπτω/ἀκατακάλυπτος, 11:4-16) — NEW. Romanian: “acoperirea capului.” Risk: Medium. Note the practice has a modest living resonance in Romanian Orthodox parish culture (many women still cover their heads with a scarf in church) — an asset for comprehension, but the text’s applicability question (transcultural command vs. first-century custom) should be taught as a genuine interpretive question, not settled by the cultural resonance alone.

Lord’s Supper (κυριακὸν δεῖπνον, 11:20) / body and blood of the Lord (11:27) / discern the body (διακρίνων τὸ σῶμα, 11:29)

• Transliteration: kyriakon deipnon; sōma kai haima tou Kyriou; diakrinōn to sōma
• Literal meaning: the Lord’s dinner/supper; body and blood of the Lord; distinguishing/discerning the body
• Semantic range: the church’s shared commemorative and participatory meal instituted by Christ (11:23-26, itself another “delivered/received” tradition-formula, echoing 15:3); “discerning the body” likely refers both to recognizing the elements’ significance and recognizing fellow believers as Christ’s body (cf. ch.12), given the immediate context of the Corinthians’ divisive, exclusionary meal practice.
• English variants: Lord’s Supper, Communion, Eucharist
• Contextual theological meaning: warns against unworthy, self-examination-lacking, socially divisive participation (11:27-29), with real disciplinary consequences (11:30, “many are weak and ill, and some have died”).
• Destination-language rendering & risk: NEW TERM — Critical, the single highest-stakes terminological decision in this document. Romanian has at least three live options: “Cina Domnului” (the more Evangelical/Cornilescu-tradition, memorial-leaning term), “Sfânta Împărtășanie” / “Sfânta Euharistie” (the Orthodox sacramental terms, carrying Real Presence and priestly-consecration theology well beyond what this passage states on its own), and a purely descriptive “cina cea de taină” (used in Synodal Bible tradition primarily for the original Last Supper narrative in the Gospels). Recommendation: use “Cina Domnului” for the ordinance as Paul describes it in 1 Corinthians 11, preserving the participatory, “discerning the body” weight of the passage (10:16 already flagged above) without asserting either a bare-memorial (Zwinglian) reading or the fuller Orthodox sacramental-transformation framework as the text’s own explicit claim. This mirrors the baseline’s approach to “mântuire” and “har”: teach the decisive New Testament content faithfully without either contradicting or fully assimilating the Orthodox reader’s larger sacramental framework. Mandatory Human theologian review for every occurrence in ch.11, and register formally in the doctrine risk registry as a new Critical doctrine (“The Lord’s Supper”).

unworthy manner (ἀναξίως, 11:27) — NEW. Romanian: “în chip nevrednic.” Risk: High. Tied directly to the Lord’s Supper entry above; do not detach from its self-examination context (11:28) into a general worthiness-by-works framework.

Chapter 12 — Spiritual Gifts and the Body of Christ

spiritual gifts / gifts (χαρίσματα, πνευματικά, 12:1,4) — Reuse baseline TM — “daruri duhovnicești,” risk Medium, now given its fullest NT taxonomy (word of wisdom, word of knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment of spirits, tongues, interpretation of tongues, 12:8-10). Reinforce the baseline’s caution: these gifts are distributed “to each one” (12:7,11) across the whole congregation, explicitly against reservation to a monastic-elder or clergy-only class.

body of Christ / members (σῶμα Χριστοῦ / μέλη, 12:12-27)

• Transliteration: sōma Christou; melē
• Literal meaning: the body of Christ; limbs/members/body parts
• Semantic range: an extended organic metaphor for the interdependence and diversity-in-unity of the congregation
• English variants: body of Christ, members, parts of the body
• Contextual theological meaning: deliberately picks up the “body” language already used for the Lord’s Supper’s “body” in ch.11 (discerning the body) — Paul plays on the double reference (the Eucharistic body and the ecclesial body) as one unified corrective to Corinthian division.
• Destination-language rendering & risk: NEW TERM. Romanian: “trupul lui Hristos” / “mădulare.” Risk: High. Translator notes should make the ch.11/ch.12 wordplay explicit for teaching purposes — it is a genuine literary connection in Paul’s argument, not incidental.

tongues (γλῶσσαι, 12:10,28,30; also ch.13-14) — NEW. Romanian: “limbi.” Risk: High, for a present-day sociological reason distinct from the historical-theological risks elsewhere in this package: Romania has one of Europe’s largest Pentecostal/Charismatic Evangelical minorities (Biserica Penticostală), for whom glossolalia is a marked, identity-bearing practice, while Orthodox tradition does not practice or generally esteem it and can view it with suspicion as a sectarian marker. Teaching 1 Corinthians 12-14 in Romanian therefore risks being read either as tacit endorsement of a specific denominational practice or as a veiled polemic against it. Flag for Human theologian review; translator notes should present Paul’s own balanced argument (a genuine gift, but ranked below prophecy and always subordinate to intelligibility and love, 14:1-19) without importing contemporary Romanian denominational alignment onto the text.

one Spirit, one body, baptized (12:13, ἐν ἑνὶ Πνεύματι…ἐβαπτίσθημεν) — NEW term baptism/baptized (βαπτίζω/βάπτισμα). Romanian: “botez.” Risk: High. Not previously registered in the Romans baseline; given the sacramental centrality of Botezul in Orthodox theology (one of the Sfintele Taine), this term recurs with weight at 1:13-17 (division over who baptized whom), 10:2 (typological “baptized into Moses”), 12:13 (Spirit-baptism into the body), and 15:29 (the singular, notoriously difficult “baptized on behalf of the dead,” which must be flagged as a unique, disputed practice mentioned only here and never established as normative doctrine). Register as new Critical-risk term; flag every occurrence, especially 15:29, for mandatory Human theologian review.

Chapter 13 — Love as the Greater Way

love (ἀγάπη)

• Transliteration: agapē
• Literal meaning: selfless, willed love; distinct from ἔρως (romantic/desiring love, not used in the NT) and φιλία (friendship-affection)
• Semantic range: the defining, self-giving love that characterizes God’s own character and the highest Christian virtue, ranked above even faith and hope (13:13) and above the spiritual gifts just discussed (12:31-13:3)
• English variants: love, charity (older translations)
• Contextual theological meaning: the interpretive key for chs.12 and 14 — gifts without love are worthless noise; the entire “way” (ὁδός) Paul commends is defined operationally in 13:4-7 (patient, kind, not envious/boastful/arrogant/rude, etc.).
• Destination-language rendering & risk: NEW TERM — Critical, one of the highest-load-bearing terms in the whole book. Romanian: “dragoste,” matching both the Romanian Orthodox Synodal Bible and Cornilescu-tradition convention for this chapter (avoid the more modern, romantically-inflected “iubire” as the primary running term, though it may appear in cross-referenced hymnody). Risk: Critical. Must not be diluted into a general sentiment of affection or tolerance; must be taught with its full operational definition (13:4-7) intact, and its ranking above tongues, prophecy, knowledge, and even sacrificial giving without love (13:1-3) must not be softened. This is the letter’s structural and theological climax and must be registered as a new Critical doctrine in the doctrine risk registry (“Love as the Greater Way”).

Chapter 14 — Order in Worship

prophecy — Reuse baseline TM — “prorocie,” risk Low, now given extended practical/ecclesiological treatment (ranked above tongues for intelligibility and edification, 14:1-5).

edification / build up (οἰκοδομή, οἰκοδομέω) — Reuse baseline doctrine “mutual_edification” concept (“zidirea reciprocă,” risk Low), now the explicit stated goal of all worship practices in this chapter (14:3,4,5,12,17,26).

interpretation (ἑρμηνεία, διερμηνεύω, 14:5,13,27) — NEW. Romanian: “tălmăcire” / “interpretare.” Risk: Medium. Paired necessarily with the “tongues” entry above; a tongue without interpretation is restricted from public worship (14:27-28).

decently and in order (εὐσχημόνως καὶ κατὰ τάξιν, 14:40) — NEW. Romanian: “cu bună-cuviință şi în bună rânduială.” Risk: Low, and a strong cultural asset. “Rânduială” is itself the established Orthodox liturgical term for the fixed order/rubric of a service (typikon-derived usage) — this phrase resonates naturally and positively with Orthodox liturgical sensibility and requires no disambiguation.

women should keep silent (γυναῖκες…σιγάτωσαν, 14:34-35) — NEW, and textually/interpretively disputed among conservative and egalitarian scholars alike (manuscript placement variation; scope debated — total silence vs. a specific disruptive-questioning practice). Risk: High. Romanian: “femeile să tacă.” Flag for Human theologian review with an explicit instruction to preserve interpretive openness in teaching notes rather than resolving the scope question unilaterally in the translation itself; do not harmonize away the text’s difficulty.

Chapter 15:12-58 — The Resurrection of Christ and Believers (continued from core passage)

firstfruits (ἀπαρχή, 15:20,23)

• Transliteration: aparchē
• Literal meaning: the first portion of a harvest, offered to God, guaranteeing and representing the rest of the crop to come
• Semantic range: a guarantee/pledge concept drawn from Levitical offering practice
• English variants: firstfruits, first portion
• Contextual theological meaning: Christ’s resurrection guarantees and previews believers’ future bodily resurrection — they are organically linked, not merely analogous.
• Destination-language rendering & risk: NEW TERM. Romanian: “pârgă” (older/liturgical) or “cel dintâi rod.” Risk: Medium. Requires OT background note (Leviticus 23); “pârgă” is more traditional/liturgical register, appropriate to this package’s formal register requirement.

last Adam (ἔσχατος Ἀδάμ, 15:45) / first man / second man (15:47) — NEW. Romanian: “Adamul cel de pe urmă.” Risk: Critical. Full Adam-Christ typology (cf. Romans 5:12-21, already partially addressed in the baseline’s incarnation/deity-of-Christ notes); requires theologian review to ensure Christ’s role as covenantal head reversing Adam’s fall is not lost or merely treated as a poetic parallel.

natural body / spiritual body (σῶμα ψυχικόν / σῶμα πνευματικόν, 15:44) — extends the “natural/spiritual man” distinction from ch.2 to resurrection-body theology. Romanian: “trup firesc” / “trup duhovnicesc.” Risk: Critical. Must be taught as a real, transformed, still-physical body (not a disembodied “spiritual” existence) — “duhovnicesc” here describes a body fully suited to and animated by the Spirit, not an immaterial ghost-state. This is a key point of contact and potential confusion with Orthodox theosis language about the glorified body; flag for Human theologian review.

imperishable / incorruption (ἀφθαρσία, 15:42,50,53-54)

• Transliteration: aphtharsia
• Literal meaning: freedom from decay/corruption
• Semantic range: the quality of the resurrection body, no longer subject to decay or death
• English variants: imperishable, incorruptible, incorruption
• Contextual theological meaning: contrasted with the present “perishable” (φθαρτόν) body sown in weakness and dishonor.
• Destination-language rendering & risk: NEW TERM — High risk with a notable cultural resonance requiring careful handling. Romanian: “nestricăciune.” This term overlaps strikingly with the Orthodox devotional category of “moaște neputrezite” (incorrupt relics) — physical remains of canonized saints believed not to decay, taken as a visible sign of sanctity. Readers may naturally connect 15:42’s “nestricăciune” to relic incorruption. This is not strictly a doctrinal contradiction (both concern the body’s ultimate victory over decay) but a scope difference: Paul describes a future, universal, resurrection-transformed body for all believers, not a present, exceptional, pre-resurrection sign granted to a few. Flag for Human theologian review; translator note should clarify the distinction explicitly rather than let the resonance go unaddressed.

immortality (ἀθανασία, 15:53-54) — NEW. Romanian: “nemurire.” Risk: Medium.

sting of death / victory (τὸ κέντρον τοῦ θανάτου / τὸ νῖκος, 15:55-57) — NEW. Romanian: “boldul morţii” / “biruinţă.” Risk: Medium. Doxological climax; render with full triumphal force, matching Orthodox Paschal liturgical tone (“Hristos a înviat, cu moartea pre moarte călcând”) — a strong asset.

labor is not in vain (15:58) — reuse of the “in vain” (εἰκῇ/κενός) word-group from vv.2,10,14,17. Risk: Medium, consistency requirement as noted above; this is the chapter’s closing practical application and should echo its own vocabulary.

Chapter 16 — Closing: Collection, Greetings, Maranatha

collection for the saints (16:1, λογεία εἰς τοὺς ἁγίους) — reuse baseline “saints” (Critical) in its ordinary corporate sense (no new risk); new minor term “collection” (λογεία, “strângere de ajutoare”). Risk: Low.

Maranatha (16:22, Μαρὰν ἀθά)

• Transliteration: Maran atha (Aramaic: “our Lord, come!”)
• Literal meaning: an Aramaic liturgical acclamation retained untranslated in the Greek text, exactly as “Abba” is retained in Romans 8:15
• Semantic range: an early eschatological prayer/acclamation of the church, possibly used in a Eucharistic or excommunication-warning context
• English variants: Maranatha, “Our Lord, come”
• Contextual theological meaning: closes the letter with an urgent eschatological hope, paired with a solemn curse on those who have no love for the Lord (16:22a) — echoing the letter’s central theme (ch.13) one final time.
• Destination-language rendering & risk: NEW TERM. Romanian: retain the transliteration “Maran-ata,” paired with a gloss “Domnul nostru, vino!” — directly parallel to the baseline’s established treatment of “Avva” (retain transliteration + paired gloss). Risk: Medium. Low doctrinal collision risk; primarily a consistency-with-precedent matter (match the “Avva” precedent exactly).

holy kiss (φίλημα ἅγιον, 16:20) — NEW. Romanian: “sărutare sfântă.” Risk: Low, cultural asset. The kiss of peace retains living liturgical resonance in Orthodox practice (“sărutarea păcii” at the Divine Liturgy); no disambiguation required beyond noting the connection.

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End of semantic analysis. All new terms identified above are carried forward into analysis/08_core_glossary.md for formal registration, risk-tier assignment, and eventual insertion into an updated translation_memory.json in a later pipeline phase.