Doctrine Analysis
Acts — Full Doctrine Matrix (Phase 1, Step 4)
Purpose
This document provides the complete doctrine matrix for the Acts curriculum, covering every chapter from Acts 1 to Acts 28. It is fully consistent with assets/doctrine_risk_registry.json: the same 35 doctrines, the same risk tiers (14 Critical, 11 High, 8 Medium, 2 Low), and the same review routing are used throughout. The core passage, Acts 2:1-41 (Pentecost), is the theological anchor of the curriculum but not its scope — every chapter of Acts is analyzed below, and chapters that introduce no new load-bearing doctrinal or terminological risk are explicitly noted as reviewed rather than silently omitted.
Section 1 — Master Doctrine Matrix
Organized by risk tier, matching doctrine_risk_registry.json exactly.
Critical Risk (14) — Human theologian review required for every occurrence
| Doctrine | Key Terms | Supporting Passages (Acts) | Translation Risk | Review Routing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Holy Spirit and Pentecost | holy_spirit, pentecost, speaking_in_tongues, spiritual_gifts | 1:5,8; 2:1-4,17-18,33,38; 4:31; 5:3-4,32; 8:15-17; 10:44-47; 19:1-6 | Popular Romanian “Rusalii” carries pre-Christian folk-syncretistic associations; standardized on “Cincizecime.” Avoid trinitarian phrasing presuming the Filioque as settled. | Human theologian |
| The Gospel to Jews and Gentiles | gospel, gentiles, god_fearer, common_unclean | 1:8; 2:39; 10:34-35,44-48; 11:18; 13:46-48; 15:7-11; 28:28 | Risk of reading Gentile inclusion through the lens of Orthodoxy’s national-identity entanglement (“neam românesc”) as a closed historical episode rather than an ongoing call; “Dumnezeu nu este părtinitor” (10:34) must never be qualified. | Human theologian |
| Repentance and Baptism | repentance, baptism, sin | 2:38; 3:19; 8:12,36-38; 9:18; 10:47-48; 16:15,30-33; 19:1-5; 22:16 | Direct collision with Orthodox sacramental theology (infant baptism, priestly Taina Pocăinței) vs. Acts’ narrated adult repentance-then-baptism pattern. Must teach without denying Orthodox practice or flattening Acts’ narrative. | Human theologian |
| Persecution and Bold Witness | witness, boldness, great_persecution | 4:13,29,31; 5:40-42; 7:54-60; 8:1-4; 12:1-5; 14:19-22; 16:22-25; 28:31 | ”Martor” is the semantic root of later “martir”; must teach this development at Stephen’s death without collapsing “witness” prematurely into “martyrdom.” Romanian communist-era persecution memory is a valuable but non-substitute teaching bridge. | Human theologian |
| Conversion of Paul | conversion_turning, chosen_instrument, election | 9:1-19; 22:3-16; 26:9-18 | Orthodox catechetical formation (infant baptism, gradual lifelong formation) may read Paul’s crisis conversion as exceptional/apostolic-only; must teach it as a model of grace-initiated turning available to all. | Human theologian |
| Justification apart from the Law | justification, law, circumcision, imputed_righteousness, grace | 13:38-39; 15:1-11,19-20; 16:3; 21:20-25 | Acts 13:38-39 is Acts’ own justification thesis and must match Romans 3-5’s “îndreptățire” precisely; Orthodox theosis-integration of justification risks obscuring the decisive faith-alone verdict against imposed law-keeping. | Human theologian |
| Salvation | salvation, faith, gospel | 2:21,40,47; 4:12; 11:14; 15:11; 16:30-31 | 4:12’s absolute exclusivity and 16:30-31’s direct pattern are flagship texts; Orthodox theosis framing must not dissolve their decisive, immediate character. | Human theologian |
| Resurrection of Christ | resurrection, messiah | 1:3,22; 2:24-32; 3:15; 4:2,33; 10:40-41; 13:30-37; 17:18,31-32; 23:6; 24:15,21; 26:8,23 | Cultural asset (Orthodox Easter centrality) but requires precision across an expanded range: Christ’s own resurrection vs. the general resurrection of all at judgment (17, 23, 24) — both bodily and historical. | Human theologian |
| Lordship of Christ | lord, jesus | 2:36; 9:5; 10:36; 16:31 | 2:36’s “Domn și Hristos” and 16:31’s “Domnul Iisus” must remain verbally consistent with Romans 10:9’s “Iisus este Domnul.” | Human theologian |
| Messianic Promise | messiah, davidic_covenant, fulfillment_of_prophecy | 2:30-31,36; 3:18-20; 9:22; 17:2-3; 18:5,28; 26:22-23 | Exclusivist fulfillment claim; must not soften into “a messiah figure” among candidates. | Human theologian |
| Sainthood (Called to be Holy) | saints, holy | 9:13,32,41; 26:10,18 | Narrative use of “sfinți” for ordinary believing communities at Joppa/Lydda reinforces the Romans-baseline corporate sense; requires the same explicit all-believers note at every occurrence against canonized-saint-only Orthodox popular piety. | Human theologian |
| Sonship of Christ | son_of_god | 9:20; 13:33 | Unique, eternal divine Sonship applied to Iisus; must remain distinct from adoptive sonship and always rendered with the full phrase “Fiul lui Dumnezeu.” | Human theologian |
| Deity of Christ | lord, son_of_god, blood_of_christ | 2:36; 7:59-60; 9:20; 20:28 | Stephen’s prayer to Jesus and Paul’s “church of God… with his own blood” affirm full deity; risk is under-teaching/simplification, not syncretism, given Orthodox Nicene-Chalcedonian affirmation. | Human theologian |
| Atonement | blood_of_christ, righteous_one | 8:32-35; 20:28; 26:23 | 20:28’s substitutionary claim embedded in a pastoral charge risks being read as merely pastoral-care text; 8:32-35’s Isaiah 53 citation must carry the same weight as Romans 3:25’s propitiation language. | Human theologian |
High Risk (11) — Human theologian review required
| Doctrine | Key Terms | Supporting Passages (Acts) | Translation Risk | Review Routing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Church as Community | church, breaking_of_bread, all_things_in_common, fellowship | 2:42-47; 4:32-35; 6:1-6; 11:19-26; 20:28 | ”Breaking of bread” and “all things in common” will naturally be read through the fully developed Divine Liturgy/monastic-communal lens; teach as historically developing Spirit-produced practice without anachronistic retrojection. | Human theologian |
| Apostolic Authority and Miracles | signs_and_wonders, simony, exorcism, laying_on_of_hands | 2:43; 3:1-16; 4:29-31; 5:12-16; 8:9-24; 14:3; 15:12; 19:11-20 | Risk of conflation with Orthodox relic/icon miracle-veneration; anchor miracles to apostolic proclamation of the risen Christ’s authority, not independent power; Simon Magus warns against commodifying spiritual authority. | Human theologian |
| The Great Commission Fulfilled | mission, unhindered, conversion_turning | 1:8; 8:1,4; 13:1-3,47; 16:9-10; 28:28,31 | 1:8 and 28:31 (“fără piedică”) bookend the book; “misiune” must denote gospel proclamation to all nations without territorial/ethnic limitation, not exporting Romanian Orthodoxy. | Human theologian |
| Faith | faith | 3:16; 14:9; 16:31; 20:21 | ”Credință” must denote specific personal trust in Iisus Hristos, not generalized devotion or inherited Orthodox identity by birth. | Human theologian |
| Grace | grace | 11:23; 13:43; 15:11,40; 18:27; 20:24,32 | 15:11 and 20:24,32 carry full Critical-tier theological weight from the Romans baseline; 2:47’s secular “goodwill” sense must be distinguished so as not to inflate every occurrence. | Human theologian |
| Effectual Calling | election, chosen_instrument, called | 9:15; 13:48; 16:14; 18:9-10 | 13:48 and Paul as “vas ales” (9:15) are narrative instances of Romans 9-11’s eklogē-language; must not impose Reformed monergism nor dissolve divine initiative into pure human choice, given Orthodox synergism. | Human theologian |
| Divine Calling | called, calling | 1:24-26; 2:39; 13:2; 16:9-10 | God’s sovereign summons to specific service must be distinguished from “chemare monahală” (monastic vocation). | Human theologian |
| Universal Scope of the Gospel | salvation, gentiles, gospel | 2:21,39; 10:34-35; 17:30 | ”Oricine va chema Numele Domnului” (2:21) and “toți oamenii de pretutindeni” (17:30) must retain fully unqualified universal scope against unconscious ethnic/national narrowing. | Human theologian |
| Church Leadership and Ordination | elders, overseers_bishops, laying_on_of_hands | 6:1-6; 13:1-3; 14:23; 15:2,4,6,22-23; 20:17,28 | 20:17,28 uses “elder”/“overseer” interchangeably of the same men, in tension with Orthodoxy’s developed three-fold ministry; χειροτονέω is the etymological root of sacramental “hirotonie” — avoid both anachronistic retrojection and dismissive under-translation. | Human theologian |
| Prayer and Intercession | intercession | 1:14; 4:24-31; 12:5,12; 21:10-14 | Models direct believer-to-God intercession; must not let this default toward saint/Marian mediation as the primary pattern, given Orthodoxy’s liturgically central intercessory role for saints and the Theotokos. | Human theologian |
| Sanctification | sanctification, saints | 20:32; 26:18 | 26:18 pairs sanctification with forgiveness and inheritance, paralleling the Romans cluster; acknowledge Orthodox integration with Sfintele Taine without eclipsing Spirit/faith-based transformation. | Human theologian |
Medium Risk (8) — Native speaker review recommended
| Doctrine | Key Terms | Supporting Passages (Acts) | Translation Risk | Review Routing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Providence | providence | 2:23; 4:27-28; 17:26-28; 18:9-10; 27:22-25,34 | 2:23 and 4:27-28 hold sovereignty and human culpability together; use “pronia lui Dumnezeu” consistently, avoiding fatalistic “soartă/destin” framing. | Native speaker |
| Davidic Covenant | covenant, david, seed_of_david | 2:25-31,34-35; 13:22-23,34-37 | Requires explicit OT covenant background (2 Samuel 7); liturgical Psalm familiarity does not guarantee systematic understanding. | Native speaker |
| Fulfillment of Prophecy | prophecy, prophet, messiah | 2:16-21; 3:18,22-25; 8:32-35; 13:27,33-35,40-41; 15:15-18; 26:22-23; 28:25-27 | Dense OT citation-fulfillment argumentation; needs reinforcement connecting cited texts (Joel 2, Psalm 16, Isaiah 53, Amos 9) to fulfillment, not decorative citation. | Native speaker |
| Mission to the Nations | mission, gentiles | 1:8; 13:1-3,47; 14:27; 15:12; 22:21; 26:17-18 | Low colonial-connotation risk in Romanian, but rapid geographic expansion requires OT/mission-history background. | Native speaker |
| Spiritual Gifts | spiritual_gifts, speaking_in_tongues | 2:4,17-18; 10:46; 19:6 | Gifts distributed across ordinary believers (including new Gentile converts) rather than reserved for a monastic-eldership class. | Native speaker |
| Christian Fellowship | fellowship, breaking_of_bread | 2:42,44-46; 4:32 | ”Părtășie” should continue avoiding the more liturgically loaded “comuniune”; paired “frângerea pâinii” carries its own Critical-tier collision risk. | Native speaker |
| Unity of Jews and Gentiles | gentiles, israel, common_unclean, circumcision | 10:34-35; 11:1-18; 15:1-29; 21:17-26 | The Jerusalem Council is the central unity text; must not be read as merely first-century, given Romanian Orthodoxy’s entanglement with national identity (“neam”). | Native speaker |
| Church as God’s People | church, saints | 2:47; 5:11; 8:1,3; 9:31; 11:22; 20:28 | Distinguish the church’s founding corporate identity from the exclusivist institutional claim of “Biserica” as the sole legitimate visible church, even while Acts narrates that apostolic foundation. | Native speaker |
Low Risk (2) — Automated review sufficient
| Doctrine | Key Terms | Supporting Passages (Acts) | Translation Risk | Review Routing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apostleship | apostle | 1:2,25-26; 2:37,42-43; 5:12,18,29,40; 14:14; 15:2 | Unambiguous term; Acts additionally narrates apostolic qualification/replacement (1:21-26). | Automated |
| Thanksgiving | thanksgiving | 27:35; 28:15 | Standard term; minimal risk. | Automated |
Section 2 — Chapter-by-Chapter Doctrine Coverage (Acts 1–28)
Acts 1
Doctrines active: Resurrection of Christ (1:3,22 — post-resurrection appearances), The Great Commission Fulfilled (1:8 — programmatic geographic scope, “Ierusalim… Samaria… marginile pământului”), The Holy Spirit and Pentecost (1:5,8 — the promise anticipating ch. 2), Divine Calling (1:24-26 — choice of Matthias by lot), Apostleship (1:2,21-26). Notes: 1:8 is the thesis-verse bookending 28:31; must be rendered identically wherever cited elsewhere in the curriculum. “Kingdom of God” (1:3,6) reused from Romans baseline without new risk.
Acts 2 (Core Passage, vv.1-41)
Doctrines active: The Holy Spirit and Pentecost (2:1-4,17-18,33,38 — the anchor doctrine of the whole curriculum), Fulfillment of Prophecy (2:16-21, Joel citation), Davidic Covenant (2:25-31,34-35), Messianic Promise (2:30-31,36), Lordship of Christ (2:36, “Domn și Hristos”), Resurrection of Christ (2:24-32), Repentance and Baptism (2:38), Salvation (2:21,40,47), Universal Scope of the Gospel (2:21,39), The Church as Community (2:42-47), Christian Fellowship (2:42,44-46), Church as God’s People (2:47), Spiritual Gifts (2:4,17-18 — tongues, prophecy), Providence (2:23), Grace (2:47 — secular sense, must be distinguished from soteriological weight elsewhere). Notes: This is the theological and terminological anchor of the entire curriculum. Every Critical-tier term introduced here (Cincizecime, botez, pocăință, frângerea pâinii) sets the baseline rendering for its remaining occurrences across Acts 3–28. All Critical/High doctrines active in this chapter require human theologian review without exception.
Acts 3
Doctrines active: Messianic Promise / Fulfillment of Prophecy (3:18-20,22-25 — citing Moses and the prophets), Atonement (via “the Righteous One,” 3:14, and healing-by-the-name argument), Repentance and Baptism (3:19), Apostolic Authority and Miracles (3:1-16 — healing of the lame man “through faith in his name”), Davidic/Abrahamic covenant background (3:25). Notes: Introduces the Christological title “Cel Drept” (the Righteous One), built on the already-Critical “dreptate” root; flag distinctly per the glossary. 3:21’s “restoration of all things” requires containment against Origenist universalist over-reading; treated under Messianic Promise/Great Commission Fulfilled’s eschatological horizon.
Acts 4
Doctrines active: Apostolic Authority and Miracles (4:29-31 — bold prayer for signs), Persecution and Bold Witness (4:13,29,31 — “îndrăzneală,” bookending 28:31), Salvation (4:12 — absolute exclusivity claim, flagship text), The Church as Community (4:32-35 — “all things in common”), Prayer and Intercession (4:24-31 — united prayer under threat), Providence (4:27-28 — applied to the crucifixion itself). Notes: 4:12 requires the same unqualified rendering discipline as 2:21’s universal scope language — “no other name” must not be softened.
Acts 5
Doctrines active: Persecution and Bold Witness (5:40-42), Apostolic Authority and Miracles (5:12-16), Church as God’s People (5:11 — first explicit “Biserică” reference), The Holy Spirit and Pentecost (5:3-4,32 — lying to the Holy Spirit; the Spirit given to those who obey). Notes: Ananias and Sapphira narrative reinforces (rather than introduces new terms for) the Church-as-Community and Holy-Spirit doctrines already flagged; no new Critical/High terms beyond those already registered. Reviewed — no new terminological risk.
Acts 6
Doctrines active: Church Leadership and Ordination (6:1-6 — appointment of the Seven, laying on of hands), Apostolic Authority and Miracles (6:8 — Stephen’s signs), background tension anticipating Justification apart from the Law (accusations concerning the Law and the temple, 6:11-14). Notes: First occurrence of “punerea mâinilor” in an appointment context; sets precedent for 13:3, 14:23.
Acts 7
Doctrines active: Fulfillment of Prophecy / Messianic Promise (Stephen’s speech, extensive OT recital), the Righteous One (7:52), Persecution and Bold Witness (7:54-60 — the first Christian death; “martys” root beginning its development toward “martir”), Deity of Christ (7:59-60 — prayer addressed directly to Jesus). Notes: 7:54-60 is the narrative hinge where “witness” (martor) and later “martyr” (martir) must be taught as historically and semantically connected without conflating the terms within this chapter itself, since Stephen is not yet called “martir” in the text (that designation is retrospective, cf. 22:20).
Acts 8
Doctrines active: The Gospel to Jews and Gentiles (Samaritan mission, Ethiopian eunuch), Apostolic Authority and Miracles (8:9-24 — Simon Magus, source of “simonie”), Great Commission Fulfilled (8:1,4 — persecution scattering advances the mission), Persecution and Bold Witness (8:1-4), Repentance and Baptism (8:12,36-38), Atonement (8:32-35 — Isaiah 53 Suffering Servant applied to Christ), Fulfillment of Prophecy. Notes: The eunuch (8:27,34,36,38-39) carries Deuteronomy 23:1/Isaiah 56:3-5 background weight but low direct translation risk in itself.
Acts 9
Doctrines active: Conversion of Paul (9:1-19), Sonship of Christ (9:20), Sainthood (9:13,32,41 — narrative use of “sfinți” for the Joppa/Lydda believing communities), Effectual Calling / Divine Calling (9:15 — “vas ales,” chosen instrument), Repentance and Baptism (9:18), Church as God’s People (9:31). Notes: 9:15’s “chosen instrument” is the concrete Acts narrative instance of Romans 9-11’s election language; requires the identical caution against imposing Calvinist monergism or dissolving divine initiative.
Acts 10
Doctrines active: The Gospel to Jews and Gentiles (10:34-35,44-48 — Cornelius, “Dumnezeu nu este părtinitor”), The Holy Spirit and Pentecost (10:44-47 — the “Gentile Pentecost”), Repentance and Baptism (10:47-48), Universal Scope of the Gospel (10:34-35), Lordship of Christ (10:36), Spiritual Gifts (10:46). Notes: Introduces “God-fearer” (temător de Dumnezeu, 10:2,22) requiring first-century social-category background explanation; also “common/unclean” (10:14-15,28) requiring careful distinction from the Orthodox fasting calendar’s own dietary categories.
Acts 11
Doctrines active: The Gospel to Jews and Gentiles (11:1-18 — Peter’s report and defense), Grace (11:23), Church as God’s People (11:22), Salvation (11:14), Effectual Calling (11:18 — “repentance that leads to life”), Mission to the Nations (Antioch church founding), Persecution and Bold Witness (11:19 — scattering). Notes: 11:26 introduces “creștini” (Christians) as a low-risk, historically outsider-coined name later adopted as self-designation.
Acts 12
Doctrines active: Prayer and Intercession (12:5,12 — the church’s earnest prayer for Peter, a strong positive direct-intercession model), Persecution and Bold Witness (12:1-5), Providence. Notes: 12:5 is a key pedagogical counterweight to default saint/Marian-mediated intercession models; must be foregrounded as such.
Acts 13
Doctrines active: Justification apart from the Law (13:38-39 — Acts’ own justification thesis, parallel to Romans 3-5), Messianic Promise / Fulfillment of Prophecy (13:27,33-35,40-41), Davidic Covenant (13:22-23,34-37 — “sămânța lui David” parallel to Peter’s Pentecost sermon), Effectual Calling (13:48 — “as many as were appointed to eternal life believed”), Grace (13:43), Church Leadership and Ordination (13:1-3 — setting apart Barnabas and Saul), Divine Calling (13:2), Sonship of Christ (13:33 — Psalm 2:7 citation), Mission to the Nations (13:1-3,47). Notes: 13:38-39 must be flagged Critical and cross-checked against the Romans “îndreptățire”/“dreptate imputată” renderings for exact consistency, per the cross-document consistency rule.
Acts 14
Doctrines active: Apostolic Authority and Miracles (14:3), Faith (14:9 — healing of the lame man at Lystra), Persecution and Bold Witness (14:19-22 — stoning and continued proclamation), Church Leadership and Ordination (14:23 — elders appointed in every church), Mission to the Nations (14:27). Notes: No new Critical/High terms beyond those already registered; reinforces existing categories.
Acts 15
Doctrines active: Justification apart from the Law (15:1-11,19-20 — the Jerusalem Council), Unity of Jews and Gentiles (15:1-29), Grace (15:11,40), Church Leadership and Ordination (15:2,4,6,22-23). Notes: Central chapter for the “circumcision,” “yoke,” and “apostolic decree” new terms; the combined circumcision + apostolic-decree cluster must be treated as Critical-tier per the glossary’s cross-reference note, even though circumcision alone scores High individually. This is Acts’ central Jew-Gentile unity resolution text.
Acts 16
Doctrines active: Divine Calling (16:9-10 — the Macedonian call), Salvation (16:30-31 — the Philippian jailer, flagship direct-question text), Repentance and Baptism (16:15,30-33), Effectual Calling (16:14 — Lydia’s heart opened by the Lord), Church Leadership and Ordination (16:4 — decrees delivered to the churches). Notes: 16:30-31’s question-answer pattern must remain a fixed, verbatim-consistent rendering across the curriculum per the cross-document consistency rule (parallel to Romans 10:9-10).
Acts 17
Doctrines active: Resurrection of Christ (17:18,31-32 — general resurrection at the Areopagus), Fulfillment of Prophecy, Universal Scope of the Gospel (17:30 — “all people everywhere”), Providence (17:26-28), Messianic Promise (17:2-3), The Gospel to Jews and Gentiles (Athenian philosophical audience). Notes: Introduces “unknown god” (Ἄγνωστος Θεός, 17:23) as a positive contextualized apologetic illustration; must not be read as affirming referential equivalence between the pagan altar and the true God.
Acts 18
Doctrines active: Grace (18:27), Providence (18:9-10 — night vision to Paul), Messianic Promise (18:5,28), Mission to the Nations. Notes: No new Critical/High terms; reinforces existing categories. Reviewed — no new terminological risk beyond established vocabulary.
Acts 19
Doctrines active: The Holy Spirit and Pentecost (19:1-6 — Ephesian disciples receive the Spirit), Spiritual Gifts (19:6), Apostolic Authority and Miracles (19:11-20 — exorcism narrative, the burning of the magic scrolls), Repentance and Baptism (19:1-5). Notes: Introduces “exorcists/exorcism” as a distinct term requiring the same “genuine apostolic authority vs. magical imitation” teaching point as Simon Magus in ch. 8.
Acts 20
Doctrines active: Grace (20:24,32), Church Leadership and Ordination (20:17,28 — “elders” and “overseers” used interchangeably of the same men), Sanctification (20:32), Atonement / Deity of Christ (20:28 — “the church of God… with his own blood”), Christian Fellowship (20:7,11 — breaking of bread at Troas). Notes: 20:28 is doctrinally dense: it simultaneously carries Church Leadership/Ordination risk (elder-overseer conflation with Orthodoxy’s differentiated episcopal polity) and Atonement/Deity-of-Christ weight (Christ’s own blood); both dimensions must be flagged, not merely the pastoral-leadership reading.
Acts 21
Doctrines active: Unity of Jews and Gentiles (21:17-26 — the Nazirite vow episode, continued circumcision sensitivities), Justification apart from the Law (21:20-25), Prayer and Intercession (21:10-14 — Agabus’s prophetic warning), Persecution and Bold Witness (21 — Paul’s arrest). Notes: Introduces “Nazirite vow” (jurământ de nazireat, 21:23-24), requiring Numbers 6 OT background; nuances the Law doctrine by showing Paul’s continued respectful engagement with Jewish custom rather than blanket law-rejection.
Acts 22
Doctrines active: Conversion of Paul (22:3-16 — Paul’s own retelling before the crowd), Sonship of Christ / Lordship of Christ (implicit throughout the retelling), Repentance and Baptism (22:16), Persecution and Bold Witness (22:20 — explicit retrospective naming of Stephen as “martys,” the term’s development point), Sanctification (22:14 — “the Righteous One”), Mission to the Nations (22:21). Notes: 22:20 is the key text where “martor” and the later “martir” sense are explicitly bridged in the narrative itself; teaching note should anchor here.
Acts 23
Doctrines active: Resurrection of Christ (23:6 — general resurrection, Pharisee/Sadducee dispute), Persecution and Bold Witness (Sanhedrin conflict, plot against Paul), Providence. Notes: No new Critical/High terms; “Sinedriul” (Sanhedrin) reinforced as an established, low-risk institutional term. Reviewed — no new terminological risk.
Acts 24
Doctrines active: Resurrection of Christ (24:15,21 — resurrection of the just and unjust before Felix), Justification apart from the Law (Paul’s defense concerning the Law and the Way), Faith. Notes: Reinforces the general-resurrection sense already flagged in ch. 17 and 23; no new terms introduced.
Acts 25
Doctrines active: Persecution and Bold Witness (Paul’s appeal to Caesar), Apostolic Authority (procedural/legal narrative before Festus and Agrippa). Notes: Predominantly procedural narrative. Reviewed — no new doctrinal-risk content beyond categories already fully documented in chs. 21-24.
Acts 26
Doctrines active: Conversion of Paul (26:9-18 — the fullest retelling), Resurrection of Christ (26:8,23), Sanctification (26:18 — paired with forgiveness and “an inheritance among those sanctified by faith”), Messianic Promise (26:22-23), Persecution and Bold Witness (26:16 — “witness”), Effectual Calling (26 — chosen-instrument background). Notes: 26:18 is the tightest Acts parallel to the Romans salvation-sanctification cluster and requires the same Critical/High-tier care as that baseline passage.
Acts 27
Doctrines active: Prayer and Intercession (Paul’s confidence and exhortation aboard ship), Providence (27:22-25,34 — angelic assurance, “not one of you will perish”), Thanksgiving (27:35 — Paul’s meal and thanks). Notes: Predominantly narrative (shipwreck); no new Critical/High doctrinal terms. Reviewed — reinforces Providence and Thanksgiving only.
Acts 28
Doctrines active: The Great Commission Fulfilled (28:28,31 — “fără piedică,” the book’s closing formula, bookending 1:8), The Gospel to Jews and Gentiles (28:28 — “this salvation has been sent to the Gentiles”), Thanksgiving (28:15). Notes: 28:31’s “unhindered” is proposed as a fixed closing formula across the curriculum, deliberately echoing 1:8; must remain consistent wherever the book’s conclusion is referenced in teaching material.
Section 3 — Risk Summary (Matches doctrine_risk_registry.json)
| Risk Tier | Count | Review Routing |
|---|---|---|
| Critical | 14 | Human theologian (mandatory, every occurrence) |
| High | 11 | Human theologian (mandatory) |
| Medium | 8 | Native speaker review recommended |
| Low | 2 | Automated review sufficient |
| Total doctrines | 35 | — |
| Total requiring theologian review | 25 | — |
| Total requiring native speaker review | 8 | — |
| Total automated only | 2 | — |
Section 4 — Core Passage Anchor Note
Acts 2:1-41 (Pentecost) is the theological anchor of this curriculum and the point of highest doctrinal density: it is the sole passage in which The Holy Spirit and Pentecost, Fulfillment of Prophecy, Davidic Covenant, Messianic Promise, Lordship of Christ, Resurrection of Christ, Repentance and Baptism, Salvation, Universal Scope of the Gospel, The Church as Community, Christian Fellowship, Church as God’s People, Spiritual Gifts, Providence, and Grace all co-occur. Every rendering decision made for Critical-tier terms in Acts 2 (Cincizecime, botez, pocăință, frângerea pâinii, Domnul, mântuire) establishes the fixed precedent binding on all 27 remaining chapters documented above. No chapter of Acts falls outside the scope of this analysis; chapters contributing no new doctrinal or terminological risk (5, 14, 18, 23, 25, 27) are explicitly marked “reviewed” above rather than omitted.
This document extends assets/doctrine_risk_registry.json with full-book chapter-by-chapter coverage per PRD Phase 1 Step 4. It must be read alongside analysis/08_core_glossary.md (term inventory) and loaded prior to any Phase 2 translation work touching Acts 1-28.
Critical Risk Doctrines
The Holy Spirit and Pentecost
Romanian name: Duhul Sfânt și Cincizecimea
Key terms: holy_spirit, pentecost, speaking_in_tongues, spiritual_gifts
Review routing: Human theologian
Popular Romanian ‘Rusalii’ carries pre-Christian folk-syncretistic associations (nymph-spirits, protective taboos during Pentecost week); this curriculum standardizes on the transparent calque ‘Cincizecime.’ Teaching on the Spirit’s outpouring must also avoid trinitarian phrasing that presumes the Filioque as settled, per the baseline caution.
The Gospel to Jews and Gentiles
Romanian name: Evanghelia pentru iudei și neamuri
Key terms: gospel, gentiles, god_fearer, common_unclean
Review routing: Human theologian
Orthodoxy’s historic entanglement of national identity (‘neam românesc’) with Orthodox confession risks reading Gentile inclusion as a closed historical episode rather than an ongoing call against ethnic privilege; ‘Dumnezeu nu este părtinitor’ (10:34) must never be qualified.
Repentance and Baptism
Romanian name: Pocăința și botezul
Key terms: repentance, baptism, sin
Review routing: Human theologian
Direct collision with Orthodox sacramental theology: ‘pocăință’ is strongly tied to the priestly Taina Pocăinței, and ‘botez’ is normally administered in infancy as a regenerative sacrament integrated with chrismation, while Acts narrates immediate adult baptism following a repentance decision as the response to preached faith. Must be taught without denying Orthodox practice or flattening Acts’ narrative pattern.
Persecution and Bold Witness
Romanian name: Prigoana și mărturia îndrăzneață
Key terms: witness, boldness, great_persecution
Review routing: Human theologian
‘Martor’ must be taught as the semantic root from which ‘martir’ (martyr) later developed at Stephen’s death (7:54-60; named explicitly 22:20). Romanian churches hold living memory of 20th-century communist-era persecution, a valuable teaching bridge that must not be reduced to a merely political-historical lesson divorced from gospel proclamation.
Conversion of Paul
Romanian name: Convertirea lui Pavel
Key terms: conversion_turning, chosen_instrument, election
Review routing: Human theologian
Orthodox catechetical culture, which typically forms believers through infant baptism and lifelong gradual formation rather than a datable crisis conversion, may read Paul’s dramatic turning as exceptional/apostolic-only; teaching must clarify Acts presents this as a model of grace-initiated turning available to all, without requiring an identical dramatic experience.
Justification apart from the Law
Romanian name: Îndreptățirea fără Lege
Key terms: justification, law, circumcision, imputed_righteousness, grace
Review routing: Human theologian
Acts 13:38-39 is the book’s own justification thesis-statement and must match the Romans 3-5 ‘îndreptățire’ rendering precisely. Orthodox theology’s tendency to fold justification into ongoing theosis-transformation risks obscuring the decisive, faith-alone verdict Acts 13 and the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15) declare against imposing circumcision/law-keeping as a salvation condition.
Salvation
Romanian name: Mântuirea
Key terms: salvation, faith, gospel
Review routing: Human theologian
Acts 4:12’s absolute exclusivity claim (‘no other name… by which we must be saved’) and 16:30-31’s direct question-answer pattern are flagship texts; Orthodox theosis framing of ‘mântuire’ as a lifelong synergistic process must not dissolve the decisive, immediate character of salvation received by calling on Christ’s name in these narratives.
Resurrection of Christ
Romanian name: Învierea lui Hristos
Key terms: resurrection, messiah
Review routing: Human theologian
Also a doctrinal asset given Romanian Orthodox Easter’s cultural centrality; the translation task in Acts is precision across an expanded range — Christ’s own resurrection (ch. 2, 13) versus the general resurrection of all humanity at judgment (ch. 17, 23, 24) — ensuring both remain bodily and historical rather than symbolic.
Lordship of Christ
Romanian name: Domnia lui Hristos
Key terms: lord, jesus
Review routing: Human theologian
Acts 2:36’s climactic ‘Domn și Hristos’ and 16:31’s ‘Domnul Iisus’ must remain verbally consistent with the Romans 10:9 confession ‘Iisus este Domnul’ per the cross-document consistency rule; exclusive, supreme lordship must never be diminished to ‘a lord’ among other authorities.
Messianic Promise
Romanian name: Promisiunea mesianică
Key terms: messiah, davidic_covenant, fulfillment_of_prophecy
Review routing: Human theologian
Acts repeatedly argues from the Hebrew Scriptures that Iisus is the singular promised Mesia (e.g., 17:2-3; 18:28); this exclusivist fulfillment claim must not be softened into ‘a messiah figure’ among other possible candidates or generic messianism.
Sainthood (Called to be Holy)
Romanian name: Chemarea de a fi sfânt
Key terms: saints, holy
Review routing: Human theologian
Acts uses ‘sfinți’ narratively of ordinary believing communities at Joppa/Lydda (9:32,41), reinforcing the same corporate, all-believers sense flagged as Critical in the Romans baseline; Orthodox popular piety’s overwhelming association of ‘sfinți’ with canonized, icon-venerated figures requires the identical explicit teaching note at every Acts occurrence.
Sonship of Christ
Romanian name: Filiația divină a lui Hristos
Key terms: son_of_god
Review routing: Human theologian
Acts 9:20 (‘he is the Son of God’) and 13:33 (citing Psalm 2:7) apply the unique, eternal divine Sonship to Iisus; must be kept distinct from any adoptive or honorary sonship sense and rendered with the full phrase ‘Fiul lui Dumnezeu,’ never abbreviated in a way that could read as a lesser title.
Deity of Christ
Romanian name: Dumnezeirea lui Hristos
Key terms: lord, son_of_god, blood_of_christ
Review routing: Human theologian
Stephen’s prayer directly to Jesus (7:59-60) and Paul’s ‘church of God… with his own blood’ (20:28, applying the phrase to Christ) affirm Christ’s full deity, fully affirmed by Orthodox Nicene-Chalcedonian Christology; the primary risk is under-teaching/simplification rather than syncretism, but must not be flattened into mere exalted-prophet language.
Atonement
Romanian name: Ispășirea prin jertfa lui Hristos
Key terms: blood_of_christ, righteous_one
Review routing: Human theologian
Acts 20:28’s ‘pe care a dobândit-o cu sângele Său’ is a substitutionary-atonement claim embedded within a pastoral leadership charge and risks being read merely as a pastoral-care text; Acts 8:32-35’s citation of the suffering Servant (Isaiah 53) applied to Christ must be taught with the same precision as Romans 3:25’s propitiation language, which the baseline flags for mandatory theologian review.
High Risk Doctrines
The Church as Community
Romanian name: Biserica ca și comunitate
Key terms: church, breaking_of_bread, all_things_in_common, fellowship
Review routing: Human theologian
The ‘breaking of bread’ (2:42,46) and ‘all things in common’ (2:44-45; 4:32-35) will naturally be read by Orthodox learners through the lens of the fully developed Divine Liturgy and monastic-communal ideals; teaching must present these as the historically developing, Spirit-produced practices of the earliest Jerusalem church without anachronistically retrojecting later liturgical or monastic theology.
Apostolic Authority and Miracles
Romanian name: Autoritatea apostolică și minunile
Key terms: signs_and_wonders, simony, exorcism, laying_on_of_hands
Review routing: Human theologian
‘Semne și minuni’ performed by the apostles could be conflated with Orthodox veneration of relics/miracle-working icons as ongoing sources of miraculous power; teaching must anchor Acts’ miracles to apostolic proclamation of the risen Christ’s authority (3:6,16), not an independent power, while Simon Magus’s attempted purchase of this power (8:18-24, source of ‘simonie’) warns against treating spiritual authority as a commodity.
The Great Commission Fulfilled
Romanian name: Marea Trimitere împlinită
Key terms: mission, unhindered, conversion_turning
Review routing: Human theologian
Acts 1:8’s programmatic geographic scope and 28:31’s ‘fără piedică’ (unhindered) bookend the whole book; in a culture where Orthodox identity is closely bound to Romanian national identity, ‘misiune’ must be taught as gospel proclamation to all nations without territorial or ethnic limitation, not a project of exporting Romanian Orthodoxy as such.
Faith
Romanian name: Credința
Key terms: faith
Review routing: Human theologian
As in Romans, ‘credință’ in Acts must denote specific personal trust in Iisus Hristos (e.g., the healing of the lame man ‘through faith in his name,’ 3:16), not generalized religious devotion or inherited Orthodox identity by birth.
Grace
Romanian name: Harul
Key terms: grace
Review routing: Human theologian
Acts 15:11 and 20:24,32 carry the full Critical-tier theological weight documented in the Romans baseline; Acts 2:47’s use of the same root in its ordinary secular ‘goodwill’ sense must be distinguished so as not to inflate every ‘har’-family occurrence with full soteriological weight.
Effectual Calling
Romanian name: Chemarea eficace
Key terms: election, chosen_instrument, called
Review routing: Human theologian
Acts 13:48 (‘as many as were appointed to eternal life believed’) and Paul as a ‘vas ales’ (9:15) are concrete narrative instances of the same eklogē-language flagged High in the Romans baseline; Orthodox synergism resists a strictly monergist reading, and this curriculum must translate the narrative’s actual claims without imposing Reformed monergism or dissolving divine initiative into pure human choice.
Divine Calling
Romanian name: Chemarea lui Dumnezeu
Key terms: called, calling
Review routing: Human theologian
God’s sovereign summons to specific service (choosing Matthias by lot, 1:24-26; setting apart Barnabas and Saul, 13:2; the Macedonian call, 16:9-10) must be distinguished from the Orthodox category of ‘chemare monahală,’ a call to monastic life.
Universal Scope of the Gospel
Romanian name: Sfera universală a evangheliei
Key terms: salvation, gentiles, gospel
Review routing: Human theologian
‘Oricine va chema Numele Domnului’ (2:21) and ‘toți oamenii de pretutindeni’ (17:30) must retain fully unqualified universal scope; Orthodox cultural conflation of Christian identity with Romanian ethnic/national identity risks an unconscious narrowing of ‘all people everywhere’ toward ‘all [Orthodox] Romanians.‘
Church Leadership and Ordination
Romanian name: Conducerea Bisericii și rânduirea slujitorilor
Key terms: elders, overseers_bishops, laying_on_of_hands
Review routing: Human theologian
Acts 20:17,28 uses ‘elder’ (presbyteros) and ‘overseer’ (episkopos) interchangeably of the same men, while Orthodox polity holds a developed three-fold ministry with ‘episcop’ as a distinct, superior office over ‘preot’; also, χειροτονέω (14:23; cf. 6:6) is the direct etymological root of the sacramental Orthodox ordination rite ‘hirotonie,’ risking anachronistic retrojection of fully developed sacramental theology onto Acts’ earlier, less differentiated practice.
Prayer and Intercession
Romanian name: Rugăciunea și mijlocirea
Key terms: intercession
Review routing: Human theologian
The church’s ‘earnest prayer’ for Peter (12:5) and united prayer under persecution (4:24-31) model direct believer-to-God intercession; Orthodox liturgical life gives the intercession of saints and especially the Theotokos a constant, central role, so this doctrine must not let Acts’ communal intercession model default toward saint/Marian mediation as the primary or necessary pattern.
Sanctification
Romanian name: Sfințirea
Key terms: sanctification, saints
Review routing: Human theologian
Acts 26:18 pairs sanctification directly with forgiveness and ‘an inheritance among those sanctified by faith,’ tightly paralleling the Romans salvation-sanctification cluster; Orthodox theology’s integration of ongoing sfințire with the Church’s Sfintele Taine should be acknowledged without eclipsing the Spirit- and faith-based transformation Acts itself describes.
Medium Risk Doctrines
Providence
Romanian name: Pronia lui Dumnezeu
Key terms: providence
Review routing: Native speaker review
Acts 2:23’s ‘definite plan and foreknowledge of God’ and 4:27-28’s application to the crucifixion itself are Acts’ clearest providence statements, holding together divine sovereignty and genuine human culpability; ‘pronia lui Dumnezeu’ should be used consistently, avoiding fatalistic ‘soartă/destin’ framing.
Davidic Covenant
Romanian name: Legământul davidic
Key terms: covenant, david, seed_of_david
Review routing: Native speaker review
Peter’s and Paul’s parallel sermons both argue from God’s oath to David (2 Samuel 7 background); requires explicit Old Testament covenant background, since general Romanian cultural familiarity with the Psalms via liturgical use does not guarantee systematic covenant-historical understanding.
Fulfillment of Prophecy
Romanian name: Împlinirea prorociei
Key terms: prophecy, prophet, messiah
Review routing: Native speaker review
Acts is saturated with direct Old Testament citation-fulfillment argumentation; generally well-supported by Orthodox liturgical use of OT readings, but learners may need reinforcement connecting specific cited texts (Joel 2, Psalm 16, Isaiah 53, Amos 9) to their New Testament fulfillment rather than treating the citations as decorative.
Mission to the Nations
Romanian name: Misiunea către neamuri
Key terms: mission, gentiles
Review routing: Native speaker review
As in the Romans baseline, ‘misiune’ carries low colonial-connotation risk in Romanian, but Acts’ rapid geographic expansion (Antioch, Asia Minor, Macedonia, Achaia, Rome) requires OT/mission-history background many culturally Orthodox but non-catechized readers may lack.
Spiritual Gifts
Romanian name: Darurile duhovnicești
Key terms: spiritual_gifts, speaking_in_tongues
Review routing: Native speaker review
Tongues and prophecy in Acts 2, 10, and 19 are concrete instances of Spirit-given enablement distributed across ordinary believers (including new Gentile converts, 10:46), not gifts reserved for a monastic-eldership class (stareți/duhovnici) as Orthodox eldership tradition might otherwise suggest by association.
Christian Fellowship
Romanian name: Părtășia frățească
Key terms: fellowship, breaking_of_bread
Review routing: Native speaker review
Shared participation in Christ and with one another; the paired term ‘frângerea pâinii’ carries Critical-tier Eucharistic collision risk on its own, but ‘părtășie’ itself should continue to avoid the more liturgically loaded ‘comuniune.‘
Unity of Jews and Gentiles
Romanian name: Unitatea dintre iudei și neamuri
Key terms: gentiles, israel, common_unclean, circumcision
Review routing: Native speaker review
The Jerusalem Council’s resolution (ch. 15) is Acts’ central unity-of-Jew-and-Gentile text; as in the Romans baseline, the historic entanglement of Romanian Orthodoxy with national identity (‘neam’) requires care that this doctrine is not read as merely a first-century issue with no bearing on contemporary ethnic/national attitudes within the church.
Church as God’s People
Romanian name: Biserica ca popor al lui Dumnezeu
Key terms: church, saints
Review routing: Native speaker review
Acts narrates the church’s founding and early corporate identity; must be distinguished from the exclusivist institutional claim of ‘Biserica’ as the one legitimate visible church in continuity with the apostles, even while Acts itself narrates that very apostolic foundation.
Low Risk Doctrines
Apostleship
Romanian name: Apostolatul
Key terms: apostle
Review routing: Automated review
‘Apostol’ is unambiguous and consistent across Romanian Christian traditions; Acts additionally narrates the qualification and replacement of an apostle (1:21-26), carrying low translation risk.
Thanksgiving
Romanian name: Mulțumirea
Key terms: thanksgiving
Review routing: Automated review
Standard term; minimal risk, consistent with the Romans baseline.
Referenced passages