Semantic Analysis

Semantic Analysis: 2 Timothy (Koine Greek → Russian)

Curriculum: 2 Timothy Core passage: 2 Timothy 3:14–4:5 Destination language: Russian Baseline authority: Romans Language Package (translation_memory.json, bible_term_registry.json, doctrine_risk_registry.json) — all terms already recorded there are reused exactly and are marked [TM-REUSE] below. New terms specific to 2 Timothy are marked [NEW].

Method: The core passage (3:14–4:5) receives verse-by-verse treatment of every load-bearing term. Every other chapter (1, 2, 3:1–13, 4:6–22) receives a chapter-level table of its load-bearing theological vocabulary using the same seven fields: original word, transliteration, literal meaning, semantic range, English variants, contextual theological meaning, and destination-language (Russian) rendering risk. No chapter is silently skipped.

PART 1 — CORE PASSAGE VERSE-BY-VERSE: 2 Timothy 3:14–4:5

2 Timothy 3:14

Greek: σὺ δὲ μένε ἐν οἷς ἔμαθες καὶ ἐπιστώθης, εἰδὼς παρὰ τίνων ἔμαθες

μένω (menō)

Transliteration: menō
Literal meaning: to remain, stay, abide, dwell
Semantic range: physical remaining → persevering in a state, doctrine, or relationship
English variants: continue, abide, remain, stay
Contextual theological meaning: a command to Timothy to persevere steadfastly in the apostolic teaching already received, in contrast to the false teachers of 3:1–13 who are “progressing” (προκόψουσιν, 3:13) in the wrong direction
Russian rendering: пребывай (prebyvay) — Low risk. Standard Bible-register verb, well understood, no rival meaning.

μανθάνω (manthanō)

Transliteration: manthanō
Literal meaning: to learn
Semantic range: acquiring knowledge through instruction, not self-discovery
English variants: learned, was taught
Contextual theological meaning: emphasizes the received, transmitted nature of Timothy’s doctrine (cf. “Faithful Transmission of the Gospel,” 2:2)
Russian rendering: научен (nauchen, from учить) — Low risk.

πιστόω (pistoō, passive ἐπιστώθης)

Transliteration: epistōthēs
Literal meaning: to be assured, convinced, firmly persuaded (passive: “you were made certain/confirmed”)
Semantic range: shares the πίστις (faith) root — moves from “being made trustworthy/reliable” to “being assured/convinced of something”
English variants: firmly believed, were assured, were convinced, was entrusted
Contextual theological meaning: Timothy’s confidence is not autonomous conviction but a conviction produced through trustworthy transmission (“knowing from whom you learned it,” v.14b) — certainty rooted in a reliable human and apostolic chain of custody, not private impression
Russian rendering: был уверен / удостоверился (byl uveren / udostoverilsya) — Medium risk. Because this word shares the вера (faith) root conceptually but is not the noun вера itself, translators may be tempted to render it generically as “поверил” (believed), which would blur the distinct emphasis on being made certain through reliable transmission rather than “coming to personal faith” as a first-time conversion event. Recommend a form of убедиться/увериться to preserve the “assurance via trustworthy source” sense.

εἰδὼς (oida, “knowing”)

Transliteration: eidōs
Literal meaning: to know (perfect-stem verb, a settled state of knowledge)
Semantic range: factual/relational knowledge, here of the source of instruction (Paul, and behind him the apostolic gospel)
English variants: knowing, being aware
Contextual theological meaning: grounds perseverance in the known, verifiable trustworthiness of the teacher, not in vague spiritual feeling
Russian rendering: зная (znaya) — Low risk.

2 Timothy 3:15

Greek: καὶ ὅτι ἀπὸ βρέφους [τὰ] ἱερὰ γράμματα οἶδας, τὰ δυνάμενά σε σοφίσαι εἰς σωτηρίαν διὰ πίστεως τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ.

ἱερὰ γράμματα (hiera grammata)

Transliteration: hiera grammata
Literal meaning: “sacred letters/writings”
Semantic range: a common Hellenistic-Jewish designation for the Hebrew Scriptures (distinct from the more general term γραφή used in v.16 for the inspired character of Scripture as a whole)
English variants: sacred writings, Holy Scriptures, holy writ
Contextual theological meaning: refers to the Old Testament Timothy was raised on from infancy through his believing mother/grandmother (1:5) — the childhood catechetical foundation on which apostolic teaching now builds
Russian rendering: священные Писания (svyashchennyye Pisaniya) — [NEW] Medium-High risk. This is the established Synodal phrase, but it must be visibly distinguished from Писание (v.16, “all Scripture” — a broader, technical term for the inspired canon as a category). If both are flattened into a single generic “Библия,” the argument’s structure (childhood exposure to the OT text → sufficiency of the whole inspired canon, OT+NT, for the man of God) is lost. See doctrine note under “Inspiration and Sufficiency of Scripture,” Glossary.

σοφίζω (sophizō)

Transliteration: sophizō
Literal meaning: to make wise, instruct in wisdom
Semantic range: can also carry a negative sense elsewhere in Greek literature (“to devise cleverly/sophistically”), but here is unambiguously positive
English variants: make wise, give wisdom, instruct unto wisdom
Contextual theological meaning: Scripture’s purpose is not information alone but wisdom that terminates in salvation
Russian rendering: умудрить (umudrit’) — Low risk; this is the exact, established Synodal verb for this clause.

σωτηρία (sōtēria) — [TM-REUSE from Romans]

Transliteration: sōtēria
Literal meaning: deliverance, rescue, salvation
Semantic range: deliverance from danger → theological deliverance from sin and its consequences, reconciliation with God
English variants: salvation, deliverance
Contextual theological meaning: the goal toward which the Scriptures make one wise; salvation is received “through faith in Christ Jesus,” not through the Scriptures as an independent mechanism
Russian rendering: спасение (spaseniye) — reuse exactly per Romans TM. Critical risk carried over: as in Romans, спасение must not be left to default into an open-ended theosis process; here the anchor is explicitly “through faith in Christ Jesus” (διὰ πίστεως τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ), which must be preserved as the stated means, not merely one contributing factor among sacramental participation.

πίστις (pistis) — [TM-REUSE from Romans]

Russian rendering: вера (vera) — reuse exactly. High risk carried over from Romans: personal trust in Christ specifically, not generic religious identity.

2 Timothy 3:16

Greek: πᾶσα γραφὴ θεόπνευστος καὶ ὠφέλιμος πρὸς διδασκαλίαν, πρὸς ἐλεγμόν, πρὸς ἐπανόρθωσιν, πρὸς παιδείαν τὴν ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ,

πᾶσα γραφή (pasa graphē)

Transliteration: pasa graphē
Literal meaning: “all writing/Scripture,” or possibly “every Scripture [passage]”
Semantic range: γραφή moves from “a writing” generally to the technical NT sense of “the sacred/canonical Scripture”
English variants: all Scripture, every Scripture, the whole of Scripture
Contextual theological meaning: the entire OT canon (and by canonical extension, the whole of what the church has recognized as Scripture) — the basis for the doctrine of Scripture’s full and unified inspiration
Russian rendering: всё Писание (vsyo Pisaniye) — [NEW] High risk. Established Synodal phrase. Risk: capital-П “Писание” in ordinary Russian religious usage is closely bound to the Orthodox Church’s canon as received and safeguarded through Church Tradition (Предание); a Protestant-shaped emphasis on Scripture’s sufficiency apart from an external interpretive authority must be stated explicitly in surrounding teaching text rather than assumed to be self-evident from the word “Писание” alone.

θεόπνευστος (theopneustos)

Transliteration: theopneustos
Literal meaning: “God-breathed” (θεός + πνέω, “to breathe/blow”)
Semantic range: a Pauline coinage (occurs nowhere else in the NT or LXX) — describes Scripture’s origin as the very breath/output of God, not merely divinely approved or divinely inspiring to read
English variants: inspired by God, God-breathed, breathed out by God
Contextual theological meaning: grounds Scripture’s profitability (v.16b) and sufficiency (v.17) in its divine origin, not human religious insight
Russian rendering: богодухновенно (bogodukhovenno) — [NEW] Critical risk. This is the settled Synodal term and must be used; there is no viable alternative. CRITICAL because Russian Orthodox theology locates ultimate doctrinal authority in Scripture-within-Holy Tradition (Предание — councils, patristic consensus, liturgy) rather than in Scripture as a self-sufficient, self-interpreting final authority. This is the single word on which the entire “Inspiration and Sufficiency of Scripture” doctrine turns for this curriculum; unlike in Romans (where this doctrine appeared only as background for OT prophecy-fulfillment), here it is the curriculum’s headline doctrine and load-bearing thesis verse. Must be explicitly taught, not assumed as neutral common ground with Orthodox readers.

ὠφέλιμος (ōphelimos)

Transliteration: ōphelimos
Literal meaning: useful, beneficial, profitable
Semantic range: practical benefit/advantage in any domain, here specifically spiritual-formational benefit
English variants: profitable, useful, beneficial
Contextual theological meaning: inspiration is not an abstract property but issues in practical usefulness for the list that follows
Russian rendering: полезно (polezno) — Low risk, standard.

διδασκαλία (didaskalia)

Transliteration: didaskalia
Literal meaning: teaching, instruction, doctrine
Semantic range: the act of teaching or its content (“a body of doctrine”)
English variants: teaching, doctrine, instruction
Contextual theological meaning: the first purpose of inspired Scripture — positive instruction in truth; this same word reappears critically at 4:3 (ὑγιαινούσης διδασκαλίας, “sound teaching”) as the thing the last-days audience will no longer endure
Russian rendering: научение / учение (naucheniye/ucheniye) — [NEW] High risk. Central to the “Guarding Sound Doctrine” doctrine of this curriculum. Must be rendered consistently across 3:16 and 4:3 so the reader sees the connection between “Scripture’s purpose is teaching” and “the last days reject sound teaching.” See Glossary entry “sound doctrine.”

ἐλεγμός (elegmos, “elenchos” family)

Transliteration: elegmos
Literal meaning: reproof, exposure of fault, conviction
Semantic range: legal/forensic cross-examination language → moral conviction of sin or error
English variants: reproof, conviction, rebuke
Contextual theological meaning: Scripture actively exposes error and sin, not merely informs
Russian rendering: обличение (oblicheniye) — Low-Medium risk, standard Synodal term, well understood.

ἐπανόρθωσις (epanorthōsis)

Transliteration: epanorthōsis
Literal meaning: restoration to an upright condition, correction (medical/architectural metaphor: setting something straight again)
Semantic range: correction of behavior or belief after exposure of fault
English variants: correction, setting right
Contextual theological meaning: Scripture not only exposes fault (elegmos) but actively restores
Russian rendering: исправление (ispravleniye) — Low risk, standard.

παιδεία (paideia)

Transliteration: paideia
Literal meaning: child-training, discipline, upbringing/education
Semantic range: broad Greco-Roman educational concept — formative discipline that shapes character over time, not a single corrective act
English variants: training, instruction, discipline
Contextual theological meaning: paired with “in righteousness” (ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ), this is the ongoing, formational discipline by which Scripture shapes a person toward righteous living — the capstone purpose of the fourfold list
Russian rendering: наставление (nastavleniye) — Medium risk. Standard Synodal choice, but “наставление” in modern Russian can sound like generic advice-giving; the deeper sense of disciplined, formative training of character (paideia) should be reinforced in surrounding teaching text.

δικαιοσύνη (dikaiosynē) — [TM-REUSE from Romans]

Russian rendering: праведность (pravednost’) — reuse exactly. High risk carried over: must not drift toward “справедливость” (justice/fairness) nor toward “righteousness as achieved personal virtue” (the праведник/saintly-elder association flagged in Romans TM).

2 Timothy 3:17

Greek: ἵνα ἄρτιος ᾖ ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ ἄνθρωπος, πρὸς πᾶν ἔργον ἀγαθὸν ἐξηρτισμένος.

ἄνθρωπος τοῦ θεοῦ (anthrōpos tou theou)

Transliteration: anthrōpos tou theou
Literal meaning: “man of God”
Semantic range: an OT prophetic-office title (Moses, Elijah, Samuel) now applied by Paul to any believer/minister shaped by inspired Scripture
English variants: man of God, person of God, God’s servant
Contextual theological meaning: signals that the OT title for a Spirit-empowered spokesman for God is now the identity and vocation of every Scripture-formed believer (and especially the minister, in this pastoral letter’s immediate context)
Russian rendering: человек Божий (chelovek Bozhiy) — [NEW] Medium risk. Established Synodal phrase, recognizable from OT prophetic narratives (Elijah is regularly “человек Божий” in the Synodal OT). Risk: readers may hear it as an exclusive, elevated prophetic-office title (parallel to the Orthodox associations already flagged for “apostle” and “saints” in the Romans package) rather than as a description that this curriculum applies, in principle, to every believer equipped by Scripture — though in the immediate pastoral-letter context it does retain special reference to the minister of the Word.

ἄρτιος (artios)

Transliteration: artios
Literal meaning: fitted, complete, exactly suited to a purpose
Semantic range: technical sense of something precisely fitted/adequate for its function
English variants: complete, proficient, fully qualified, adequate
Contextual theological meaning: Scripture’s sufficiency produces a complete minister — nothing essential is lacking that some other source of authority must supply
Russian rendering: совершенный / вполне готовый (sovershennyy / vpolne gotovyy) — Medium-High risk. “Совершенный” is the Synodal choice, but in ordinary Russian it strongly suggests moral/spiritual perfection (a saint-like state), which risks overstating the claim (Paul is not claiming sinless perfection but functional adequacy/completeness for ministry via Scripture). A qualifying phrase or gloss is recommended on first use to prevent misreading as a perfectionism claim.

ἐξαρτίζω (exartizō)

Transliteration: exartizō
Literal meaning: to equip fully, furnish completely (root shares with ἄρτιος)
Semantic range: outfitting for a task, as a soldier or craftsman is outfitted with necessary tools
English variants: equipped, thoroughly equipped, fully furnished
Contextual theological meaning: reinforces v.17a — Scripture is sufficient equipment, requiring no supplementary authority, for every category of good work
Russian rendering: приготовлен / снаряжён (prigotovlen/snaryazhyon) — Medium risk, same sufficiency-of-Scripture concern as above.

2 Timothy 4:1

Greek: Διαμαρτύρομαι ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ, τοῦ μέλλοντος κρίνειν ζῶντας καὶ νεκρούς, καὶ τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτοῦ·

διαμαρτύρομαι (diamartyromai)

Transliteration: diamartyromai
Literal meaning: to charge solemnly, testify earnestly, adjure
Semantic range: legal/covenantal language of solemn witness before witnesses (here, God and Christ Jesus as witnesses) — stronger than ordinary exhortation
English variants: I charge, I solemnly charge, I adjure, I solemnly testify
Contextual theological meaning: elevates the following command (“preach the word,” v.2) to the level of a binding, witnessed commission — this is the verse anchoring the curriculum doctrine “The Charge to Preach the Word”
Russian rendering: заклинаю (zaklinayu) — [NEW] High risk. This is the established Synodal rendering, but modern colloquial Russian has drifted so that “заклинать/заклинание” is now most commonly associated with casting a magic spell/incantation (e.g., in fantasy literature and film) or with impassioned pleading (“умолять, заклинать кого-то”), not with a solemn legal-covenantal charge before witnesses. Recommend accompanying gloss text clarifying this is a solemn, binding commission — not incantation language — on first occurrence in any teaching material.

κρίνειν ζῶντας καὶ νεκρούς (krinein zōntas kai nekrous)

Transliteration: krinein zōntas kai nekrous
Literal meaning: “to judge the living and the dead”
Semantic range: κρίνω ranges from “to distinguish/decide” to full forensic “to judge/condemn or vindicate”
English variants: judge the living and the dead, is to judge
Contextual theological meaning: grounds the charge in Christ’s eschatological judicial authority over all humanity, living and already dead
Russian rendering: судить живых и мёртвых (sudit’ zhivykh i myortvykh) — Low-Medium risk. This exact phrase is already familiar to Russian readers from the Nicene Creed as prayed in Orthodox liturgy (“паки грядущаго со славою судити живым и мертвым”), which is a strong cultural asset here — no new concept needs to be introduced.

ἐπιφάνεια (epiphaneia)

Transliteration: epiphaneia
Literal meaning: appearing, manifestation, visible arrival
Semantic range: used in Hellenistic Greek for the visible manifestation of a god or the ceremonial arrival of a ruler; in the Pastoral Epistles a technical term for Christ’s first coming (1:10) and future return (4:1, 4:8)
English variants: appearing, manifestation, coming
Contextual theological meaning: names Christ’s future visible return as the horizon against which the charge to preach is given
Russian rendering: явление (yavleniye) — [NEW] Medium risk. Standard Synodal term. Mixed risk profile: on the positive side, “явление” is already used in Russian religious vocabulary for angelic/divine appearances (e.g., “явление Ангела”), giving it appropriate theological gravity; on the negative side, secular Russian uses “явление” generically for any observable phenomenon (“явление природы”), which can flatten the term’s weight if not anchored explicitly to Christ’s personal, visible, future return.

βασιλεία (basileia) — [TM-REUSE from Romans]

Russian rendering: Царство (Tsarstvo) — reuse root of “Царство Божие.” Medium risk carried over: avoid nostalgic association with Russia’s own historical tsardom.

2 Timothy 4:2

Greek: κήρυξον τὸν λόγον, ἐπίστηθι εὐκαίρως ἀκαίρως, ἔλεγξον, ἐπιτίμησον, παρακάλεσον, ἐν πάσῃ μακροθυμίᾳ καὶ διδαχῇ.

κηρύσσω (kēryssō)

Transliteration: kēryssō
Literal meaning: to herald, proclaim publicly as an official messenger (κῆρυξ, “herald,” is the cognate noun used of Paul himself in 1:11)
Semantic range: formal public proclamation with delegated authority, not private opinion-sharing
English variants: preach, proclaim, herald, announce publicly
Contextual theological meaning: the central verb of the “Charge to Preach the Word” doctrine — an authoritative, public announcement of a message not one’s own
Russian rendering: проповедуй (propoveduy) — [NEW] High risk. Established Synodal verb. Risk: “проповедовать” is legally and culturally sensitive in the contemporary Russian context — public proclamation of religious content outside registered religious premises is restricted under current Russian missionary-activity law (as already flagged for “evangelism”/“mission” in the Romans baseline package). Teaching material using this term for public exhortation should include the same cultural-legal sensitivity notes as Romans’ “evangelism” and “mission” entries.

λόγος (logos, “the word”)

Transliteration: logos
Literal meaning: word, speech, message, reasoned account
Semantic range: here a technical shorthand for “the word of God” / the apostolic gospel message (cf. 2:9, ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ)
English variants: the word, the message, the word of God
Contextual theological meaning: the content of the charge — not any word, but the specific apostolic gospel message entrusted to Timothy (2:2) and rooted in inspired Scripture (3:16)
Russian rendering: слово (slovo), full form слово Божие (slovo Bozhiye) where the referent needs disambiguation — [NEW] Medium risk. “Слово” alone is extremely common in secular Russian; teaching text should specify “Божие” or contextually anchor the referent so readers do not read it as “words/rhetoric in general.”

εὐκαίρως ἀκαίρως (eukairōs akairōs)

Transliteration: eukairōs akairōs
Literal meaning: “well-timed, ill-timed” / “in season, out of season”
Semantic range: a merism (paired opposites) meaning “at every opportunity, regardless of convenience”
English variants: in season and out of season, whether convenient or not, at all times
Contextual theological meaning: the charge admits no scheduling exception — proclamation is not contingent on favorable circumstance
Russian rendering: всегда, когда это удобно и когда неудобно or established Synodal во время и не во время (vo vremya i ne vo vremya) — Low risk; idiomatic, preserve meaning over literal form.

ἐλέγχω / ἐπιτιμάω / παρακαλέω (elegchō / epitimaō / parakaleō)

Transliteration: elegchō, epitimaō, parakaleō
Literal meaning: “expose fault/convict”; “rebuke/charge sternly”; “call alongside, urge/comfort/exhort”
Semantic range: a rising triad from exposing error, to sternly correcting it, to positively urging a better course
English variants: reprove/rebuke/exhort; convict/correct/encourage
Contextual theological meaning: the full pastoral range required by sound-doctrine ministry — not proclamation alone but corrective and encouraging application
Russian rendering: обличай, запрещай (or строго увещевай), увещевай — Medium risk on ἐπιτιμάω specifically: запрещать in modern Russian primarily means “to forbid/prohibit” (administrative sense), which can obscure the interpersonal, corrective “rebuke a person” sense of ἐπιτιμάω; consider glossing. παρακαλέω reuses the Romans TM entry: увещевать (uveshchevat’) — [TM-REUSE], exact term, Low risk.

μακροθυμία (makrothymia)

Transliteration: makrothymia
Literal meaning: long-temperedness, patience, forbearance
Semantic range: emotional/relational endurance with difficult people, distinct from κακοπαθέω (endurance of external hardship, 4:5)
English variants: patience, longsuffering, forbearance
Contextual theological meaning: the manner in which correction and exhortation must be carried out — not harshly, but with sustained patience
Russian rendering: долготерпение (dolgoterpeniye) — Low-Medium risk, standard established term, positive connotation in Russian devotional vocabulary.

διδαχή (didachē)

Transliteration: didachē
Literal meaning: teaching (the act or its content — near-synonym of διδασκαλία but denoting the message taught rather than the discipline of instruction)
Semantic range: overlaps heavily with διδασκαλία (v.16, 4:3)
English variants: teaching, instruction
Contextual theological meaning: paired with patience as the twin means by which the charge is carried out
Russian rendering: наставление / учение (nastavleniye/ucheniye) — Medium risk. Note: the established Synodal text renders this clause “со всяким долготерпением и назиданием,” choosing назидание (edification) rather than a literal “teaching.” Translators should be aware this is an interpretive choice broadening διδαχή toward its edifying effect rather than its literal content; either choice is defensible, but consistency with 3:16/4:3’s “teaching/doctrine” vocabulary should be considered.

2 Timothy 4:3

Greek: ἔσται γὰρ καιρὸς ὅτε τῆς ὑγιαινούσης διδασκαλίας οὐκ ἀνέξονται, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὰς ἰδίας ἐπιθυμίας ἑαυτοῖς ἐπισωρεύσουσιν διδασκάλους κνηθόμενοι τὴν ἀκοήν,

ὑγιαίνω (hygiainō)

Transliteration: hygiainō
Literal meaning: to be healthy, sound in body (medical root — source of English “hygiene”)
Semantic range: physical health → metaphorical soundness of doctrine, as opposed to a “diseased” teaching that spreads like the γάγγραινα of 2:17
English variants: sound, healthy, wholesome
Contextual theological meaning: the central adjective of the “Guarding Sound Doctrine” curriculum doctrine — doctrine is here conceived as an organism that can be healthy or sick, not merely correct or incorrect in a static sense
Russian rendering: здравое (учение) (zdravoye ucheniye) — [NEW] High risk. Established Synodal phrase; “здравый” retains its “sound/sensible” sense well in modern Russian (cf. “здравый смысл,” common sense), which is a genuine asset. Risk is that the underlying medical/health metaphor (doctrine as something that can be diseased, per the “gangrene” image of 2:17) may not be consciously felt by readers and should be drawn out explicitly in teaching text to strengthen the doctrine’s force.

ἀνέχομαι (anechomai)

Transliteration: anechomai
Literal meaning: to bear with, put up with, endure
Semantic range: tolerance of something considered burdensome or unwelcome
English variants: endure, tolerate, put up with
Contextual theological meaning: the last-days audience will find sound teaching intolerable, not merely uninteresting — an active rejection
Russian rendering: не будут принимать / не потерпят (ne budut prinimat’) — Low-Medium risk, standard.

ἐπιθυμία (epithymia)

Transliteration: epithymia
Literal meaning: strong desire, craving
Semantic range: neutral “desire” in secular Greek, but overwhelmingly negative in the NT (“sinful passion/lust”)
English variants: desires, passions, lusts, cravings
Contextual theological meaning: the driving motive behind last-days doctrinal drift is not intellectual honesty but self-serving appetite
Russian rendering: страсти / прихоти (strasti/prikhoti) — Medium risk. The established Synodal choice at this verse is прихоти (“whims/caprices”), which is somewhat weaker than the NT’s morally loaded “sinful passions” sense elsewhere; “страсти” carries stronger and more consistent theological weight across the NT and should be considered where consistency with other epithymia occurrences (e.g., 2:22, 3:6) matters more than matching this specific Synodal wording.

κνήθω τὴν ἀκοήν (“itching ears”)

Transliteration: knēthomenoi tēn akoēn
Literal meaning: “being tickled/itched as to hearing”
Semantic range: a vivid, colloquial idiom — a craving for pleasant or novel words rather than truthful ones
English variants: itching ears, ears that must be tickled, wanting to hear something new
Contextual theological meaning: describes consumer-driven religion — seeking teachers who flatter one’s preferences rather than teach truth
Russian rendering: established Synodal phrase renders this more loosely as teachers “who flatter the hearing” (которые льстили бы слуху, “l’stili by slukhu”) rather than a literal “itching” image — [NEW] Medium risk. The vivid physical idiom is softened in the Synodal tradition into a more abstract “flattery” concept; teaching material should be aware the punchy sensory image of the Greek is somewhat muted in the established Russian phrasing, and may supplement with explanatory color in prose commentary while keeping the Synodal wording for any direct Scripture quotation.

διδάσκαλος (didaskalos) — reuse root established in ch.1 (κῆρυξ/διδάσκαλος)

Russian rendering: учитель(и) (uchitel’/uchiteli) — Low-Medium risk here specifically because it is plural and self-selected (“teachers to suit their own passions”) — contrast with the singular, authoritative “man of God” (3:17) and Paul’s own commissioned role as διδάσκαλος (1:11). Teaching text should highlight this deliberate contrast.

2 Timothy 4:4

Greek: καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀληθείας τὴν ἀκοὴν ἀποστρέψουσιν, ἐπὶ δὲ τοὺς μύθους ἐκτραπήσονται.

ἀλήθεια (alētheia)

Transliteration: alētheia
Literal meaning: truth, reality, that which is not concealed
Semantic range: from simple factual accuracy to the full theological sense of divine reality revealed in the gospel
English variants: truth, the truth
Contextual theological meaning: the fixed reference point against which “myths” (below) are defined as deviation
Russian rendering: истина (istina) — Low-Medium risk, standard, well-established. Note Russian distinguishes истина (transcendent, ultimate Truth) from правда (situational truth/fairness) — истина is the correct and already-standard choice here.

ἀποστρέφω / ἐκτρέπω (apostrephō / ektrepō)

Transliteration: apostrephō, ektrepō
Literal meaning: “to turn away from” / “to turn aside, be diverted, deviate from a path”
Semantic range: deliberate rejection followed by deliberate deviation — a two-stage description of apostasy
English variants: turn away; wander off, be turned aside
Contextual theological meaning: apostasy is portrayed as an active, willful road-departure, not passive drift
Russian rendering: отвратят [слух] / уклонятся (otvratyat/uklonyatsya) — Low-Medium risk, standard.

μύθος (mythos)

Transliteration: mythos
Literal meaning: story, tale, fable, myth
Semantic range: in the Pastoral Epistles, a fixed technical term for fabricated, speculative religious teaching, contrasted with the apostolic, historically-grounded gospel (cf. 1 Tim 1:4, 4:7; Titus 1:14)
English variants: myths, fables, tales
Contextual theological meaning: names the destination of doctrinal drift — invented religious speculation replacing revealed truth
Russian rendering: басни (basni) — [NEW] Medium risk. Established Synodal term; “басня” in Russian literary culture (via Krylov’s famous fables) carries the connotation of a short moralizing fable/fiction, which usefully preserves “fabricated, non-factual story,” but must be kept distinct from children’s fairy tales (сказки), which would trivialize the seriousness of last-days doctrinal apostasy into something merely quaint rather than dangerous.

2 Timothy 4:5

Greek: σὺ δὲ νῆφε ἐν πᾶσιν, κακοπάθησον, ἔργον ποίησον εὐαγγελιστοῦ, τὴν διακονίαν σου πληροφόρησον.

νήφω (nēphō)

Transliteration: nēphō
Literal meaning: to be sober (as opposed to drunk)
Semantic range: literal sobriety → metaphorical clear-headed watchfulness and self-control
English variants: be sober-minded, be watchful, be self-controlled
Contextual theological meaning: the alert, undistracted posture required precisely because the last-days deception described in 4:3–4 is disorienting
Russian rendering: established Synodal choice будь бдителен (“be vigilant/watchful”) rather than a literal “будь трезв” (be sober) — Low-Medium risk. The Synodal tradition favors the watchfulness sense over the literal sobriety-metaphor; either is defensible, but “бдительность” (vigilance) somewhat separates the term from the sobriety/self-mastery nuance still present in 1 Timothy and elsewhere; note for consistency across the corpus if a broader NT curriculum is planned.

κακοπαθέω (kakopatheō)

Transliteration: kakopatheō
Literal meaning: to suffer evil/hardship, endure ill-treatment (κακός + πάθος)
Semantic range: enduring affliction, distinct from μακροθυμία’s interpersonal patience — this is endurance of external suffering and hardship for the gospel’s sake (same verb used of Paul himself, 1:8, 2:9, 4:5)
English variants: endure hardship, suffer, endure suffering
Contextual theological meaning: the load-bearing verb for this curriculum’s “Perseverance under Suffering” doctrine — Timothy is charged to follow Paul’s own pattern of accepting suffering as integral to gospel ministry, not incidental to it
Russian rendering: переноси страдания / скорби (perenosi skorbi/stradaniya) — [NEW] Medium risk. Established Synodal phrase (“переноси скорби”). Note of genuine cultural asset: Russian Orthodox spirituality has an unusually rich, positive theology of redemptive suffering (martyrdom, ascetic endurance, historical suffering under persecution both Tsarist and Soviet), which generally supports rather than undermines this doctrine’s reception. The residual risk is the opposite direction from Romans’ typical risk profile: suffering could be received as inherently meritorious or purifying in itself (an earned-standing framing) rather than as gospel-service faithfully carried out by grace; surrounding teaching text should keep suffering tied to gospel ministry and God’s reward (4:8), not to suffering as self-justifying virtue.

εὐαγγελιστής (euangelistēs)

Transliteration: euangelistēs
Literal meaning: one who proclaims good news; “evangelist”
Semantic range: shares the root of εὐαγγέλιον (gospel) — a functional ministry title for one whose work is proclaiming the gospel
English variants: evangelist, gospel-preacher
Contextual theological meaning: names the specific ministry-work Timothy is to “do,” rooted in the already-established гospel term
Russian rendering: благовестник (blagovestnik) — Low-Medium risk. Shares the root of the Romans TM’s approved “миссия / благовестие” (mission) entry, giving good lexical consistency across the two curricula; benefits from avoiding the more legally/culturally loaded “миссионер,” per the Romans package’s existing caution about missionary-activity law.

διακονία (diakonia)

Transliteration: diakonia
Literal meaning: service, ministry, attendance upon another’s needs
Semantic range: from menial table-service (root sense) to the full range of Christian ministry offices and functions
English variants: ministry, service
Contextual theological meaning: names Timothy’s total pastoral commission, of which preaching and evangelizing are components
Russian rendering: служение (sluzheniye) — Low risk, standard, well-established.

πληροφορέω (plērophoreō)

Transliteration: plērophoreō
Literal meaning: to fill completely, carry out fully, fulfill
Semantic range: bringing something to its full and complete accomplishment, not partial performance
English variants: fulfill, fully carry out, discharge fully
Contextual theological meaning: closes the charge with an expectation of complete, not partial, faithfulness — echoed by Paul’s own testimony in 4:7 (“I have finished the race”)
Russian rendering: исполни (ispolni) — Low risk, standard.

PART 2 — CHAPTER-BY-CHAPTER STUDY OF THE WHOLE BOOK

Chapter 1 (2 Timothy 1:1–18)

Greek / Translit.	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Russian Rendering	Risk & Notes
ἀπόστολος / apostolos	one sent with authority	delegated messenger → closed apostolic office	apostle	Paul’s foundational authority for the whole letter’s charge	апостол — [TM-REUSE]	Medium (per Romans baseline)
ἐπαγγελία ζωῆς / epangelia zōēs	promise of life	divine pledge (distinct from human ἐπαγγελία/promise)	promise of life	the gospel as fulfillment of God’s life-promise in Christ	обетование жизни	[NEW] Low-Medium. “Обетование” is the reserved Bible-register word for divine promise, distinct from ordinary “обещание” (human promise); good existing distinction in Russian, low risk.
χάρις, ἔλεος, εἰρήνη / charis, eleos, eirēnē	grace, mercy, peace	the Pastoral Epistles’ distinctive triple greeting (Paul’s other letters greet with grace+peace only)	grace, mercy, peace	three distinguishable gifts flowing from God the Father and Christ	благодать, милость, мир — благодать and мир [TM-REUSE]; милость [NEW]	Medium. Because Romans TM explicitly rejects милость as a substitute for благодать, translators must take care that this three-term greeting is not read as two synonyms plus one filler word; милость (mercy, God’s compassion toward the guilty) and благодать (grace, God’s unmerited favor/gift) are distinct, complementary, and both must retain full weight side by side.
καθαρὰ συνείδησις / kathara syneidēsis	clean/clear conscience	moral self-awareness, capacity for self-judgment	clear conscience, pure conscience	Paul’s inherited, Spirit-affirmed integrity of worship, grounding his charge to Timothy	чистая совесть	[NEW] Low-Medium. Совесть is a well-understood, secular-and-religious shared term in Russian; low collision risk.
χάρισμα / charisma	gift	a specific enablement given by God, here via ordination (laying on of hands)	gift, spiritual gift	Timothy’s particular ministry gift, which he is charged to “rekindle”	дар (Божий) — root of TM’s “духовные дары”	[TM-adjacent] Medium, per Romans baseline spiritual_gifts entry: must not be confused with экстрасенсорные способности (psychic ability).
δειλία / deilia	cowardice, timidity	fearful shrinking back	timidity, fear, cowardice	the spirit believers are not given, contrasted with power/love/self-control	боязнь / дух робости	[NEW] Low. Standard.
ἀγάπη / agapē	love	self-giving, others-oriented love (as opposed to romantic ἔρως or affectionate φιλία)	love	one of the three gifts (with power and self-control) given instead of fear	любовь	[NEW] Medium. Not present as a headline entry in the Romans baseline despite its centrality; ordinary Russian usage of “любовь” defaults strongly toward romantic/familial love, so the self-giving, unconditional agapē sense needs contextual reinforcement whenever it appears (also at 2:22, 3:3-4 [negated], 4:8 [ἠγαπηκόσι]). Recommended for addition to the master glossary as a standing entry for any future NT curriculum, not only this one.
σωφρονισμός / sōphronismos	sound-mindedness, self-discipline, self-control	disciplined, sober judgment (root σῶς + φρήν, “sound mind”)	self-control, sound judgment, self-discipline	the third gift; a disciplined, clear-thinking approach to fear-inducing circumstances	established Synodal целомудрие	[NEW] High risk. This is a significant semantic-drift danger: in modern Russian, “целомудрие” is used almost exclusively to mean sexual chastity/purity, not general self-discipline or sound judgment. A reader encountering “дух… целомудрия” here will very likely (mis)understand the verse as being about sexual purity, when the Greek concerns disciplined, sober-minded courage in the face of persecution and shame (1:8, 1:12). Recommend either retaining the established Synodal word with an explicit disambiguating gloss on first use, or supplying “здравомыслие” (sound-mindedness) as a clarifying paraphrase in expository (non-Scripture-quotation) text.
σωτήρ / sōtēr	Savior	title of deity/deliverer	Savior	Christ Jesus as Savior, whose appearing abolished death	Спаситель	[NEW] Low-Medium. Well-established, positively resonant term (cf. the “Спас” icon tradition); good cultural asset, minimal risk beyond ensuring the referent (Christ specifically, not a generic “savior/rescuer”) stays clear.
ἀφθαρσία / aphtharsia	incorruption, imperishability	freedom from decay/death; used of resurrection bodies and immortality	immortality, incorruption	what Christ’s gospel “brought to light” alongside life, i.e., resurrection life beyond bodily decay	established Synodal нетление	[NEW] High risk. This word is the exact term used in Russian Orthodox popular piety for the incorruptibility of venerated saints’ relics (нетленные мощи) — a major feature of pilgrimage devotion. Readers may default to associating “нетление” primarily with a small class of especially holy relics rather than with the general resurrection-immortality promised to every believer through the gospel. Must be explicitly generalized in teaching text: this is Christ’s gift to all who believe, not a rare relic-phenomenon reserved for a venerated few — structurally the same collision pattern as “saints” (святые) in the Romans baseline.
κῆρυξ / kēryx	herald	an official public announcer with delegated authority	preacher, herald	Paul’s self-description of his commissioned office, matching the imperative “preach” (κήρυξον) given to Timothy at 4:2	проповедник	[NEW] Medium. See κηρύσσω note under 4:2 above regarding legal/cultural sensitivity of public proclamation in the contemporary Russian context.
διδάσκαλος / didaskalos	teacher	one who instructs	teacher	third of Paul’s three self-descriptions (herald, apostle, teacher)	учитель	[NEW] Low. Standard; note secular Russian also uses “учитель” for any schoolteacher — low risk of confusion in context.
πάσχω / paschō (συγκακοπαθέω, sygkakopatheō v.8)	to suffer (with)	enduring hardship, here specifically “share in suffering for the gospel”	suffer, suffer with, share in suffering	Timothy is called to share Paul’s imprisonment-suffering for the gospel, not to be ashamed of it	страдать (с) / соучаствовать в страданиях	[NEW] Medium; core term for “Perseverance under Suffering” doctrine — see also κακοπαθέω, 4:5.
ἐπαισχύνομαι / epaischynomai	to be ashamed	shame/honor category — refusing public identification out of fear of social disgrace	be ashamed	Timothy is charged not to be ashamed of Paul’s imprisonment or the gospel testimony, mirroring an honor-shame dynamic	стыдиться	[NEW] Medium-High. Honor/shame dynamics are already flagged in the Romans baseline’s escalation rules for native-speaker review generally; here the specific object of potential shame is public identification with a prisoner (Paul) and his gospel, a socially costly act of solidarity that should be rendered with full social weight, not softened into private embarrassment.
παραθήκη / parathēkē	deposit, that which is entrusted for safekeeping	a valuable item placed in trust with another, expected to be returned intact	the deposit, that which is entrusted, the good deposit	the gospel/apostolic truth entrusted to Paul (and by extension, to Timothy, 2:2) which must be safeguarded intact	залог	[NEW] Medium-High. Established Synodal term, but “залог” in contemporary Russian usage is dominated by financial/legal senses (a security deposit, bail, or down payment), which risks a transactional or commercial coloring rather than a sacred trust of truth handed down through persons. Teaching text should reinforce the relational, non-commercial sense: a treasured truth entrusted person-to-person, to be kept faithfully and passed on (cf. 2:2), directly serving the “Faithful Transmission of the Gospel” doctrine.
φυλάσσω / phylassō	to guard, keep watch over	protective custody of something valuable or vulnerable	guard, keep, protect	the verb of active custodianship required over the παραθήκη — core to “Guarding Sound Doctrine”	хранить / сохранить	[NEW] Medium. Standard, low ambiguity.
ὑποτύπωσις ὑγιαινόντων λόγων / hypotypōsis hygiainontōn logōn	pattern/outline of sound words	a model or standard-form to be held onto and imitated	pattern of sound words, standard of sound teaching	Timothy must retain the specific verbal form/content of apostolic teaching he received from Paul, not merely its general spirit	Synodal образец здравого учения	[NEW] High. Note translational choice: the Synodal tradition renders λόγων (“words”) broadly as “учения” (doctrine/teaching), slightly generalizing from the literal “words” to the wider category “teaching.” This connects directly to 4:3’s ὑγιαινούσης διδασκαλίας (“sound doctrine”) — reinforcing the “Guarding Sound Doctrine” thread; consistency of the “здравый/здравое” (sound/healthy) vocabulary across 1:13, 3:16, and 4:3 is important for the doctrine’s cumulative force.
πνεῦμα ἅγιον / pneuma hagion	Holy Spirit	third Person of the Trinity, personal and divine	Holy Spirit	the indwelling Spirit who enables Timothy to guard the entrusted deposit	Святой Дух — [TM-REUSE]	Medium, per Romans baseline.

Chapter 2 (2 Timothy 2:1–26)

Greek / Translit.	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Russian Rendering	Risk & Notes
χάρις / charis	grace	reused	grace	”be strengthened in the grace” — grace as an ongoing empowering resource for ministry, not only a past forensic verdict	благодать — [TM-REUSE]	Critical, per Romans baseline; here note the added nuance of grace as sustaining strength for ministry, which must not collapse into a sacramental “infusion” reading without the forensic “apart from works” anchor already established.
παρατίθημι / paratithēmi	to entrust, deposit alongside	committing something valuable into another’s keeping for safeguarding and further transmission	entrust, commit, hand over	2:2 — the chain of gospel transmission: Paul → Timothy → faithful men → others; THE key verse for “Faithful Transmission of the Gospel”	передай / вверь	[NEW] High. This is the doctrine’s anchor verse. The verb must clearly convey a multi-generational handoff of a fixed body of truth (not evolving oral tradition subject to reinterpretation at each stage) — a distinctly Protestant/evangelical emphasis on a stable, transmissible apostolic content that should be stated plainly rather than assumed shared with an Orthodox framework that would locate this transmission within the broader, living stream of Church Tradition (Предание).
πιστοὶ ἄνθρωποι / pistoi anthrōpoi	faithful/trustworthy people	reliable, proven-trustworthy persons fit to receive and pass on teaching	faithful men, reliable people	the qualified recipients of the entrusted gospel content	верные люди	[NEW] Medium, shares root with TM’s вера (faith) — trustworthiness flowing from and demonstrated by faith.
στρατιώτης / stratiōtēs	soldier	one who serves under military discipline and authority	soldier	metaphor for undivided devotion to one’s commanding officer (Christ), as against ordinary “civilian pursuits”	воин	[NEW] Low. Standard metaphor, well understood, no significant collision risk.
ἀθλέω / stephanos root / athleō	to compete as an athlete (in the games)	contest according to fixed rules, with a crown/wreath as the prize	compete, strive, contend	metaphor for disciplined, rule-bound faithfulness rewarded appropriately (echoing 4:7-8’s crown language)	подвизаться	[NEW] Medium-High. Shares the root of “подвиг” (see 4:7 note below) — carries strong positive resonance with Russian Orthodox ascetic-heroic vocabulary (подвижник = ascetic struggler); mostly an asset for conveying disciplined struggle, but must be anchored to Christ’s reward rather than self-generated merit.
γεωργός / geōrgos	farmer, tiller of the soil	one who labors patiently for a future harvest	farmer, tiller	metaphor for patient, laborious ministry that precedes its reward	земледелец	[NEW] Low. Standard.
λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ / logos tou theou	word of God	reused, full form	word of God	”the word of God is not bound” (2:9) — Scripture/gospel content that persists and spreads even when its messenger is imprisoned	слово Божие	[NEW] Medium; see also under 4:2. Central to “Inspiration and Sufficiency of Scripture” and “Faithful Transmission of the Gospel.”
ἐκλεκτός / eklektos	chosen, elect	reused	elect, the chosen	Paul endures all things “for the sake of the elect,” so that they too obtain salvation	избранные — [TM-REUSE, root of “избрание”]	High, per Romans baseline election entry: must not be rendered with судьба/рок/карма.
σωτηρία μετὰ δόξης αἰωνίου / sōtēria meta doxēs aiōniou	salvation with eternal glory	reused terms combined	salvation with eternal glory	the goal of Paul’s suffering-endurance on behalf of the elect	спасение с вечной славой — [TM-REUSE] (спасение, слава)	Critical/Medium per Romans baseline entries for спасение and слава respectively.
πιστὸς ὁ λόγος / pistos ho logos	”the saying/word is trustworthy”	a fixed Pastoral Epistles formula introducing a reliable, quotable maxim	”this is a trustworthy saying,” “here is a faithful saying”	introduces the “died with him/live with him” couplet (2:11-13) as settled, authoritative teaching	Synodal верно слово	[NEW] Low-Medium. Formulaic, recognizable phrase from the Pastoral Epistles genre; low ambiguity risk.
ἀρνέομαι / arneomai	to deny, disown	refusal to acknowledge or claim relationship with someone	deny, disown, renounce	”if we deny him, he will also deny us” (2:12) — the seriousness of apostasy/denial	отвергать / отрекаться	[NEW] Low-Medium; resonance (mostly positive) with the well-known Gospel narrative of Peter’s denial (отречение Петра), which reinforces rather than obscures the term’s theological seriousness in Russian religious memory.
ἐργάτης ἀνεπαίσχυντος / ergatēs anepaischyntos	a workman unashamed	a laborer who need not be embarrassed at inspection of his work	a worker who has no need to be ashamed	Timothy as a “worker” whose handling of Scripture withstands scrutiny	делатель неукоризненный / труженик	[NEW] Low-Medium.
ὀρθοτομέω / orthotomeō	to cut straight, cut a straight path	surveying/roadbuilding metaphor: cutting a road or furrow accurately and directly	rightly divide, correctly handle, accurately teach	precise, undistorted teaching of Scripture’s truth — core to “Guarding Sound Doctrine”	Synodal право преподающий (rightly/correctly teaching)	[NEW] High. Note the literal roadbuilding/surveying image (cutting a straight path) is not preserved in the established Synodal phrase, which generalizes to “correctly teaching.” Consider supplementing expository text with the vivid original image (a straight, undeviating path through the text of Scripture, avoiding both legalistic and antinomian detours) since this directly serves the “Guarding Sound Doctrine” doctrine’s emphasis on precision.
λόγος ἀληθείας / logos alētheias	word of truth	the apostolic gospel content characterized by truthfulness	word of truth	the substance Timothy must “rightly handle”	слово истины	[NEW] Medium.
βέβηλος κενοφωνία / bebēlos kenophōnia	irreverent, empty talk	profane (ritually unclean/common) chatter devoid of real content	worthless chatter, empty/godless talk	describes false teachers’ speech, to be avoided entirely	Synodal негодное пустословие	[NEW] Medium.
γάγγραινα / gangraina	gangrene	necrotic, spreading tissue death	gangrene, spreading sore	the corrosive, self-propagating nature of false teaching (Hymenaeus and Philetus, 2:17-18)	established Synodal как рак (“like cancer”)	[NEW] Medium. Important established deviation: the Synodal tradition translates γάγγραινα not literally (“гангрена”) but as “рак” (cancer) — a different, though comparably serious, disease image. This is the recognized Russian Bible idiom and should generally be retained for continuity with reader expectation, but translators producing fresh exposition should know the original Greek image is gangrene (necrotic, spreading tissue death from an external wound), not cancer (uncontrolled internal cell growth) — a meaningfully different medical picture that may be worth restoring in explanatory (non-quotation) text.
ἀνάστασις / anastasis	resurrection	reused	resurrection	the false teaching that “the resurrection has already happened” (2:18) — an over-spiritualized, already-fulfilled-only reading	воскресение — [TM-REUSE]	Critical per Romans baseline (never render with reincarnation language); here the doctrinal error is different (a premature “already” claim) and should be flagged distinctly in teaching notes as a case study for “Apostasy and False Teachers.”
θεμέλιος / themelios; σφραγίς / sphragis	foundation; seal	building/legal-document metaphors	foundation; seal	God’s foundation stands firm regardless of local apostasy, marked by his own “seal” of ownership	основание; печать	[NEW] Low. Standard.
σκεῦος / skeuos	vessel, container	household-object metaphor for varied roles/uses within a household	vessel	vessels of honorable and dishonorable use within God’s “household” — those who purify themselves are useful vessels	сосуд	[NEW] Low-Medium. Already a familiar Biblical metaphor in Russian usage (cf. Romans 9’s potter/vessel imagery), good consistency.
ἁγνίζω / hagnizō	to purify, cleanse	ritual and moral purification	purify, cleanse oneself	self-purification enabling honorable service — related to, but a distinct verb from, освящение (sanctification)	очищать(ся)	[NEW] Medium. Should be kept distinct from освящение (sanctification, the Spirit’s ongoing transformative work per the Romans baseline) — this verb describes a specific act of self-distancing from dishonorable influences, a component of, not identical to, the fuller sanctification doctrine.
δικαιοσύνη, πίστις, ἀγάπη, εἰρήνη / dikaiosynē, pistis, agapē, eirēnē	righteousness, faith, love, peace	reused virtue quartet	righteousness, faith, love, peace	the positive pursuit that replaces “youthful passions”	праведность, вера, любовь, мир — three [TM-REUSE], love [NEW, see ch.1]	Critical/High per Romans baseline entries; love per ch.1 note above.
μετάνοια / metanoia	change of mind, repentance	a fundamental reorientation of thought leading to a changed direction of life	repentance	God-granted repentance that leads opponents to the knowledge of truth (2:25)	покаяние	[NEW] Critical risk. Russian Orthodox tradition treats покаяние principally as one of the seven sacraments/Mysteries (Исповедь, sacramental confession before a priest), a formal ritual act. Readers will very naturally hear “God may grant them покаяние” primarily in this sacramental-ritual key — an act mediated through the Church’s confession rite — rather than in the NT’s sense of an inward, God-granted change of mind/direction that may occur entirely apart from any specific sacramental setting. This is a direct structural parallel to the Critical-risk treatment already given to “sanctification” and “justification” in the Romans baseline package, and should be added to the master glossary and doctrine risk registry at Critical tier with the same explicit-naming requirement (if sacramental confession needs comparative mention, name it explicitly rather than letting покаяние silently absorb the term).
ἐπίγνωσις ἀληθείας / epignōsis alētheias	knowledge of the truth	full, personal, experiential knowledge (ἐπί- intensifies γνῶσις)	knowledge of the truth, full knowledge	the goal toward which God-granted repentance leads	познание истины	[NEW] Low-Medium.
διάβολος / diabolos	slanderer, the Devil	as a title, Satan; as a common adjective, “slanderous” (cf. 3:3)	the devil, slanderer	the personal, defeated enemy whose “snare” holds false teachers captive	диавол	[NEW] Low-Medium. Well-established; note dual usage (proper title vs. common adjective at 3:3) requires care for consistent rendering.

Chapter 3, verses 1–13 (2 Timothy 3:14–4:5 treated separately above as the core passage)

Greek / Translit.	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Russian Rendering	Risk & Notes
ἔσχαται ἡμέραι / eschatai hēmerai	last days	the final eschatological period inaugurated by Christ’s first coming, prior to his return	last days, latter days	the temporal frame for the entire vice-list and apostasy warning; core to “Apostasy and False Teachers in the Last Days”	последние дни	[NEW] Medium. Lower collision risk than in many other target cultures (no competing native eschatological framework to displace), per the general pattern the Romans baseline already notes for eschatological terms in Russian; residual risk is secular/pop-culture flattening into generic “apocalypse” sensationalism rather than sober pastoral realism.
καιροὶ χαλεποί / kairoi chalepoi	difficult/dangerous times	perilous, hard-to-navigate seasons	terrible times, difficult times, dangerous times	describes the character of the last days	тяжкие времена / трудные времена	[NEW] Low.
εὐσέβεια / eusebeia	godliness, piety	reverent, God-oriented living that shapes conduct	godliness, piety, devotion	the virtue whose outward “form” (μόρφωσις) false teachers retain while denying its “power”	благочестие	[NEW] Medium. Risk: could be heard as generic “religiosity/ritual observance,” inviting readers to hear the “form without power” critique as targeted at Orthodox ritual practice specifically rather than as a universal warning against hypocrisy in any tradition; frame pastorally and generally, per the same principle already established for справедливость-type false-friend risks in the Romans baseline.
μόρφωσις εὐσεβείας … δύναμις / morphōsis eusebeias … dynamis	form of godliness … power	outward shape/appearance contrasted with inward force/effect	outward form of godliness, but denying its power	the central diagnostic of false religion in the last days: appearance without transforming reality	вид благочестия … сила	[NEW] Medium-High; this form/power contrast is the doctrinal crux of the passage and should be preserved sharply, not softened into synonyms.
φιλήδονοι μᾶλλον ἢ φιλόθεοι / philēdonoi mallon ē philotheoi	lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God	a summary contrast-compound closing the vice list	lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God	the root diagnosis beneath every item in the vice list: misdirected love	Synodal сластолюбивы более, нежели боголюбивы	[NEW] Medium-High; the vice list’s summarizing thesis-phrase and therefore load-bearing for the whole “Apostasy” doctrine — must retain the parallel “-любивы” (lovers-of) construction to preserve the rhetorical structure.
γόητες / goētes	sorcerers, imposters (literal root: magician/enchanter)	classical Greek sense: practitioner of magic; NT/Pastoral usage: fraudulent religious imposter	imposters, deceivers, charlatans	describes the false teachers who “will go on from bad to worse”	established Synodal обманщики (deceivers)	[NEW] Medium. Note the literal root sense (magician/sorcerer) is not preserved in the Synodal rendering, which generalizes to “deceivers.” This root sense could be a useful cross-reference to the Romans baseline’s existing caution about экстрасенсы/folk psychics in post-Soviet culture, if a curriculum wishes to draw that connective line explicitly in commentary.
Ἰάννης καὶ Ἰαμβρῆς / Iannēs kai Iambrēs	Jannes and Jambres	proper names, extra-biblical Jewish tradition naming Pharaoh’s magicians who opposed Moses	Jannes and Jambres	historical exemplars of opposition to God’s messenger, applied typologically to present-day false teachers	Ианний и Иамврий	[NEW] Low. Minor proper names; standard transliteration practice.
διωγμοί, παθήματα / diōgmoi, pathēmata	persecutions, sufferings	external hostile action against believers; the resulting suffering endured	persecutions, sufferings	Paul’s own pattern of endurance, held up as Timothy’s model — feeds directly into “Perseverance under Suffering”	гонения, страдания	[NEW] Medium; see also κακοπαθέω (4:5) and πάσχω (1:8).

Chapter 4, verses 6–22 (4:1–5 treated above as part of the core passage)

Greek / Translit.	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Russian Rendering	Risk & Notes
σπένδομαι / spendomai	to be poured out as a libation	cultic/sacrificial image: wine poured out in offering to a god	I am being poured out [as a libation/sacrifice]	Paul’s approaching death described as the final pouring-out of a life already offered in ministry	established Synodal я уже становлюсь жертвою (“I am already becoming a sacrifice”)	[NEW] Medium. Note the specific libation image (a poured-out drink-offering) is generalized in the Synodal tradition to the broader category “sacrifice”; the vivid cultic picture of a final drop poured out, completing an offering already substantially given, is worth restoring in expository commentary even where the established phrase is retained for Scripture quotation.
ἀνάλυσις / analysis	departure, “loosing” (of a ship from moorings, or a tent being struck)	euphemism for death, drawn from travel/departure imagery	departure, my going	Paul’s imminent death, described gently as a journey’s departure rather than an ending	Synodal отшествие	[NEW] Low. Archaic-register but recognizable term for death; appropriate dignified register.
ἀγών / agōn (ἠγώνισμαι)	contest, struggle (athletic or military)	the effort of formal competition; root of English “agony”	fight, contest, struggle	”I have fought the good fight” — summary of Paul’s faithful ministry under difficulty	Synodal подвиг (“Подвигом добрым я подвизался”)	[NEW] High. Подвиг is an unusually rich and positively loaded Russian word for “heroic feat/exploit,” carrying strong associations both with secular heroism (military/civic “подвиг”) and with Russian Orthodox ascetic spirituality specifically (подвижник = an ascetic struggler; подвижничество = ascetic labor, monastic self-denial). This is largely a cultural asset for conveying the weight and honor of faithful gospel endurance, but requires the same care already flagged for “grace” and “imputed righteousness” in the Romans baseline: the “good fight” must remain Paul’s faithful response to grace already given, not a merit-earning ascetic achievement that secures its own reward apart from Christ’s righteous judgment (4:8).
δρόμος / dromos	race, course	a fixed running-course to be completed	race, course	”I have finished the race” — completion, not merely effort	Synodal течение (совершил)	[NEW] Low-Medium. Somewhat archaic Synodal word choice (“течение,” literally “flow/current,” used here for “course”); modern paraphrase may prefer “путь” or “поприще” for clarity while Scripture-quotation contexts retain the established form.
τὴν πίστιν τετήρηκα / tēn pistin tetērēka	I have kept the faith	maintaining/guarding faith to the end, echoing φυλάσσω (1:14, guard the deposit)	I have kept the faith	Paul’s testimony of faithful custodianship, paralleling Timothy’s charge to guard sound doctrine	веру сохранил — [TM-REUSE root вера]	High, per Romans baseline faith entry; here in a testimonial rather than exhortatory mode.
στέφανος τῆς δικαιοσύνης / stephanos tēs dikaiosynēs	crown of righteousness	victor’s wreath (athletic/military image) qualified by righteousness	crown of righteousness	the reward Christ the righteous Judge will give — core to “Assurance of Reward” doctrine	венец праведности	[NEW] High. “Венец” carries a double resonance in Russian religious culture: (1) positively, it is the established word for a martyr’s crown (венец мученика) and for the ceremonial crowns used in the Orthodox marriage rite (венчание), both of which reinforce the sense of a costly, honor-conferring reward; (2) the risk is that “венец праведности,” following straight after “венец мученика” associations, could be heard as a reward earned through ascetic/martyr-like achievement rather than given by the righteous Judge on the basis of Christ’s own righteousness credited to the believer (cf. Romans TM’s “вменённая праведность,” imputed righteousness). Teaching text must connect this crown explicitly to grace-enabled faithfulness, not to merit, exactly paralleling the Romans baseline’s warning for “imputed_righteousness.”
δίκαιος κριτής / dikaios kritēs	righteous judge	a judge whose verdicts are themselves just	righteous judge	Christ’s future role in awarding the crown — grounds assurance in his character, not the believer’s self-assessment	праведный Судия	[NEW] Medium; reuses праведность root.
ἐπιφάνεια / epiphaneia	appearing	reused from 4:1, 4:8 (Christ’s future visible return, now the object of believers’ love — “all who have loved his appearing”)	his appearing, his coming	the reward is specifically for those who long for Christ’s return, not merely for religious performance	явление — [NEW, see 4:1 note]	Medium, as above.
Δημᾶς, Κρήσκης, Τίτος, Λουκᾶς, Μᾶρκος, Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ χαλκεύς / proper names	Demas, Crescens, Titus, Luke, Mark, Alexander the coppersmith	personal names of companions, deserters, and an antagonist	(proper names)	illustrates both faithful and unfaithful companions in ministry, personalizing the letter’s themes	Димас, Крискент, Тит, Лука, Марк, Александр медник	[NEW] Low. Standard transliteration; established forms already exist for several of these in wider NT usage (Тит, Лука, Марк already have fixed Synodal forms from other epistles/Gospels).
ἐγκαταλείπω / egkataleipō	to abandon, desert, leave behind	forsaking someone in a time of need	desert, abandon, forsake	describes Demas’s desertion (4:10) and “all” abandoning Paul at his first defense (4:16) — a sober counter-testimony to the perseverance theme	оставить / покинуть	[NEW] Low-Medium.
ὁ κύριος παρέστη καί ἐνεδυνάμωσέν / ho kyrios parestē kai enedynamōsen	the Lord stood by [me] and strengthened [me]	personal, active divine presence and empowerment in a moment of abandonment	the Lord stood by me and strengthened me	direct pastoral counterpoint to human desertion — the Lord’s faithfulness where people fail	Господь предстал мне и укрепил меня — [TM-REUSE Господь]	Medium; strong pastoral-comfort passage, low doctrinal collision risk.
ῥύομαι / rhyomai	to rescue, deliver	deliverance from acute danger	rescue, deliver	”rescued from the lion’s mouth” (4:17) and future deliverance from every evil work (4:18)	избавить/спасти	[NEW] Low-Medium; note the second occurrence (4:18) uses σώσει (from σῴζω, salvation-vocabulary) rather than ῥύομαι again, shifting into the full spaseniye/спасение [TM-REUSE] register for eternal deliverance into the heavenly kingdom.
βασιλεία ἐπουράνιος / basileia epouranios	heavenly kingdom	reused βασιλεία, qualified as heavenly/otherworldly	heavenly kingdom	the ultimate destination of God’s rescue, distinct from any earthly kingdom	небесное Царство — [TM-REUSE root]	Medium, as with 4:1.
δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων, ἀμήν / doxa eis tous aiōnas tōn aiōnōn, amēn	glory forever and ever, amen	doxological formula	to whom be glory forever and ever, amen	closing doxology, ascribing eternal glory to Christ	слава во веки веков, аминь — [TM-REUSE слава, аминь]	Medium/Low per Romans baseline.
ἡ χάρις μεθ’ ὑμῶν / hē charis meth’ hymōn	grace be with you [pl.]	standard Pauline epistolary benediction	grace be with you	closing benediction to the whole community reading the letter (plural “you,” widening from Timothy alone)	благодать с вами — [TM-REUSE]	Critical, per Romans baseline grace entry.

Summary: Terms Requiring Highest-Priority Translation Attention

The following new (non-Romans-baseline) terms carry Critical or High risk and require human theologian review in Phase 2, in addition to every term already flagged Critical/High in the Romans baseline that recurs in 2 Timothy (благодать, спасение, оправдание-adjacent праведность, вменённая-праведность-adjacent венец праведности, избрание, вера, святой/святые roots, освящение-adjacent ἁγνίζω):

θеόпнеustos / богодухновенно (3:16) — Critical — the single-word anchor of the curriculum’s headline “Inspiration and Sufficiency of Scripture” doctrine; collides with Orthodox Scripture-within-Tradition framework.
μετάνοια / покаяние (2:25) — Critical — direct collision with the sacrament of Confession/Исповедь.
σωφρονισμός / целомудрие (1:7) — High — severe modern semantic drift toward “sexual chastity” obscuring the intended “self-discipline/sound judgment.”
ἀφθαρσία / нетление (1:10) — High — collides with relic-incorruptibility piety.
διαμαρτύρομαι / заклинаю (4:1) — High — collides with modern “incantation/magic spell” register.
στέφανος τῆς δικαιοσύνης / венец праведности and ἀγών / подвиг (4:7-8) — High — risk of a merit-earning reading of reward language.
ὀρθοτομέω, ὑγιαίνω διδασκαλία, παρατίθημι (2:2, 2:15, 4:3) — High — the operative verbs of “Guarding Sound Doctrine” and “Faithful Transmission of the Gospel.”
ἱερὰ γράμματα / πᾶσα γραφή (3:15-16) — High — must be kept distinguishable from each other and from an undifferentiated “Bible” gloss.

All items above are carried forward into 08_core_glossary.md with full risk annotation and doctrine-category tagging for Phase 2 routing.

This document should be loaded alongside the Romans-derived translation_memory.json, bible_term_registry.json, and doctrine_risk_registry.json before any Phase 2 segment translation of 2 Timothy begins. New terms identified here (marked [NEW]) must be added to an extended translation memory before segment translation, per the Glossary Enforcement Priority Order established in the Romans Language Package.

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