Doctrine Analysis
Doctrine Analysis — Acts (Full Book)
This document extends doctrine_risk_registry.json (Acts) into a full chapter-by-chapter doctrine matrix, per PRD Phase 1 Step 4/5 full-book-coverage mandate. The core passage, Acts 2:1-41 (Pentecost and Peter’s sermon), is the theological anchor of the curriculum, not its scope boundary: every chapter of Acts 1–28 is analyzed below. Doctrine names, risk tiers, and review routing are held IDENTICAL to doctrine_risk_registry.json; no new doctrine or tier is introduced here that is not already present there. Chapters that mainly carry forward an already-tiered doctrine without new translation risk are explicitly marked “Reviewed — no new risk” rather than omitted.
Section 1: Chapter-by-Chapter Doctrine Matrix
| Ch. | Key Passages | Doctrines Engaged (registry key) | Risk | Translation Risk Summary | Review Routing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1:1-11 (ascension, promise of the Spirit); 1:8 (programmatic outline); 1:12-26 (Matthias) | great_commission_fulfilled (High); holy_spirit_and_pentecost (Critical, anticipatory); apostolic_authority (High, eyewitness qualification for Matthias, 1:21-22) | Critical/High | 1:9-11’s ascension must be worded distinctly from the resurrection-exaltation sequence so it is never confused with the Qur’anic no-death “raised up” (kor loo qaaday) reading rejected in the baseline; here Christ visibly ascends AFTER a real death and bodily resurrection already narrated, not instead of dying. Apostleship (1:21-22) hinges on eyewitness testimony to the risen Christ — reinforce Diray, never Rasuul. | Human theologian |
| 2 | 2:1-13 (Pentecost, tongues); 2:14-36 (Peter’s sermon: David, resurrection, exaltation, Lord and Christ); 2:37-41 (repentance, baptism, forgiveness); 2:42-47 (community) | holy_spirit_and_pentecost (Critical); tongues_as_known_languages (Medium); resurrection_of_christ_in_acts (Critical); crucifixion_of_christ (Critical); exaltation_and_enthronement_of_christ (Critical); lordship_of_christ_in_acts (Critical); salvation_exclusivity (Critical); repentance_and_baptism (High); forgiveness_of_sins_in_acts (High); church_as_community (Medium); breaking_of_bread_and_fellowship (Low) | Critical (anchor chapter) | CORE PASSAGE. Every Critical-tier Christological and salvational claim in the book converges here: real death (2:23) → bodily resurrection, body not decayed (2:24-31) → exaltation (2:33) → “made him Lord and Christ” (2:36, requires mandatory translator note distinguishing declarative enthronement from adoptionist origination) → universal call-on-the-name formula (2:21, must match Romans 10:9-13 register exactly) → repentance/baptism/forgiveness (2:38, received not earned) → Spirit-filling distinguished from possession (2:4) → tongues as real known languages (2:6, 8, 11) → voluntary community life (2:44-46). No segment in this chapter may be approved without theologian review. | Human theologian |
| 3 | 3:1-10 (healing of lame man); 3:11-26 (Peter’s temple sermon: Holy One, repentance, prophetic fulfillment) | signs_and_wonders_doctrine (High); repentance_and_baptism (High, “repent and turn back,” 3:19); deity_of_christ_in_acts (Critical, “Holy One,” 3:14); Fulfillment of Prophecy (baseline High, reused) | Critical/High | 3:14’s “Holy One” (Kan Quduuska ah) is a direct Christological title reinforcing sinlessness and unique consecration; must connect to, not dilute, the deity claim. The healing (3:6, “in the name of Jesus Christ”) must retain the exclusive-name invocation formula, not a generalized blessing formula. | Human theologian |
| 4 | 4:1-22 (Peter/John before council, boldness); 4:12 (no other name); 4:23-31 (prayer, filled again); 4:32-37 (community of goods) | salvation_exclusivity (Critical, 4:12); persecution_and_bold_witness (High); apostolic_authority (High); holy_spirit_and_pentecost (Critical, repeated filling 4:31); community_of_goods (Medium) | Critical | 4:12 (“salvation in no other name”) is one of the strongest exclusivity statements in the NT; must never be softened toward pluralism. 4:31’s repeated Spirit-filling reinforces that filling is not a one-time possession event but a repeatable divine empowering of the same persons’ own will. | Human theologian |
| 5 | 5:1-11 (Ananias and Sapphira, Holy Spirit lied to); 5:12-16 (signs and wonders); 5:17-42 (arrest, Gamaliel, apostles rejoice in suffering) | holy_spirit_and_pentecost (Critical, Spirit as a Person who can be lied to/tested, 5:3-4, 9); satan_and_spiritual_conflict (Medium, 5:3); signs_and_wonders_doctrine (High); persecution_and_bold_witness (High) | Critical/High | 5:3-4 is a key text for the Spirit’s full personhood and deity (lying to the Spirit = lying to God) — must not be flattened into a generic “breaking a religious rule” reading; this directly reinforces holy_spirit_and_pentecost’s Critical tier. | Human theologian |
| 6 | 6:1-7 (Hellenist/Hebrew dispute, appointment of the Seven); 6:8-15 (Stephen accused) | unity_across_group_lines (High, intra-Jewish favoritism template); apostolic_authority (High); Deacon/service (baseline-extending term, Medium) | High | 6:1’s dispute is a clean, low-stakes narrative template for how group-line favoritism threatens unity — directly transferable to Somali qabiil dynamics without importing the more acute Jew/Gentile boundary language yet; teaching should draw this connection explicitly. | Human theologian |
| 7 | 7:1-53 (Stephen’s speech); 7:54-60 (Stephen’s martyrdom, vision of Son of Man) | son_of_man_title (Critical, 7:56); martyrdom_doctrine (Critical); stoning_doctrine (Critical); Fulfillment of Prophecy (baseline High) | Critical | Three Critical doctrines converge: (1) the distinct title “Son of Man” (7:56) must never substitute for or be absorbed into “Son of God”; (2) Stephen’s death must be described with a Markhaati-root descriptive phrase, never “shahiid”; (3) the stoning itself requires mandatory pastoral/physical-safety framing given rajm’s continued invocation by armed extremist authorities in parts of Somalia today. | Human theologian |
| 8 | 8:1-3 (persecution scatters church); 8:4-25 (Philip in Samaria, Simon the sorcerer); 8:26-40 (Ethiopian eunuch, baptism) | great_commission_fulfilled (High, Samaria as the second concentric circle of 1:8); sorcery_vs_spirit_power (High); laying_on_of_hands_doctrine (High, 8:17-19); repentance_and_baptism (High); persecution_and_bold_witness (High) | High | Simon’s own wrong assumption (that Spirit-power operates on a purchasable plane like sixir, 8:18-23) must be preserved with its narrative correction intact, not simplified in a way that could accidentally validate the very error the text condemns. Laying on of hands here must be taught as sign of Spirit-given commissioning, not mechanical potency-transfer. | Human theologian |
| 9 | 9:1-19 (Saul’s conversion, Ananias); 9:20-31 (Paul preaches, “Son of God”); 9:32-43 (Peter’s miracles, Tabitha) | conversion_of_paul (High); election_of_paul (High); sonship_of_christ_in_acts (Critical, 9:20); signs_and_wonders_doctrine (High); the_way_and_sect_naming (Medium, 9:2) | Critical/High | Paul’s transformation must be taught as God’s sovereign initiative (a “chosen instrument,” anchoring election_of_paul), not a generic moral-conversion story; 9:20’s declaration that Jesus is “the Son of God” must retain full Critical-tier Sonship content even in this brief summary statement. | Human theologian |
| 10 | 10:1-8 (Cornelius); 10:9-23 (Peter’s vision); 10:24-48 (Gentile Pentecost, Peter’s sermon, “no partiality”) | gentile_inclusion_vision (Critical); gospel_to_jews_and_gentiles (Critical); unity_across_group_lines (High, “no partiality,” 10:34); holy_spirit_and_pentecost (Critical, Gentile outpouring 10:44-47); lordship_of_christ_in_acts (Critical, 10:36) | Critical (anchor chapter) | The vision’s food-to-PEOPLE metaphorical extension (10:28) must be made explicit; xalaal/xaraan vocabulary must never render “common/unclean” here, since it would import an Islamic dietary-legal framework into an entirely different theological argument. This is one of the book’s structural hinge-chapters and requires the same weight of review as Acts 2. | Human theologian |
| 11 | 11:1-18 (Peter’s report to Jerusalem); 11:19-26 (Antioch, “Christians” first named); 11:27-30 (famine relief) | gospel_to_jews_and_gentiles (Critical); christian_identity_and_naming (High, 11:26); community_of_goods (Medium, extended to inter-church relief) | Critical/High | 11:26’s naming of “Christians” is not a historical footnote; the identity-cost dynamics it introduces parallel the present-day pastoral and physical-safety weight of adopting an identity that relativizes clan (qabiil) primacy in Somali society. | Human theologian |
| 12 | 12:1-19 (Herod’s persecution, James killed, Peter’s escape); 12:20-25 (Herod’s death) | persecution_and_bold_witness (High); providence_in_acts (High, angelic deliverance); angels_distinct_from_holy_spirit (High, 12:7-11) | High | James’s death (12:2) is a second martyrdom (cf. martyrdom_doctrine, Critical) narrated more briefly than Stephen’s; the same forbidden-substitution caution against “shahiid” applies. The angel who frees Peter (12:7-11) must be taught, at least on first occurrence, as a created being distinct from the Holy Spirit. | Human theologian |
| 13 | 13:1-3 (commissioning, fasting); 13:4-12 (Cyprus, Elymas the sorcerer); 13:13-43 (Paul’s sermon at Antioch of Pisidia — justification preview); 13:44-52 (Gentile response, rejection by some Jews) | apostolic_authority (High); fasting_practice (Medium); sorcery_vs_spirit_power (High); justification_apart_from_law (Critical, 13:38-39); resurrection_of_christ_in_acts (Critical, 13:34-37, “did not see corruption”); gospel_to_jews_and_gentiles (Critical) | Critical | 13:38-39 previews the Romans argument directly and MUST use the identical fixed terms already established in the baseline (Xaqnimo, Xaq lagu caddeeyay, Qaanuunka Muuse) — no deviation permitted between Acts and Romans renderings of this claim. 13:34-37 adds the specific non-decay claim reinforcing bodily resurrection. | Human theologian |
| 14 | 14:1-7 (Iconium); 14:8-18 (Lystra healing, mistaken for gods, idols); 14:19-20 (Paul stoned); 14:21-28 (Derbe, appointing elders) | signs_and_wonders_doctrine (High); idols_and_common_ground_against_shirk (Medium); stoning_doctrine (Critical, 14:19); elders_and_overseers (High, 14:23) | Critical/High | Paul’s own stoning (14:19) carries the same physical-safety weight as Stephen’s; must be routed identically. 14:15’s rejection of idol-worship is genuine common ground with Islamic tawhid but must not be presented as though it resolves the separate, sharper collision over Christ’s deity. | Human theologian |
| 15 | 15:1-21 (Jerusalem Council, circumcision controversy); 15:22-35 (letter, Spirit-guided decision); 15:36-41 (Paul/Barnabas split) | circumcision_controversy (High); justification_apart_from_law (Critical); apostolic_authority (High, Spirit-confirmed collaborative decision-making, 15:28) | Critical/High | The council’s argument concerns the GROUND of salvation (faith vs. law-works), not a condemnation of circumcision itself, a nearly universal and religiously significant Somali male practice; teaching must make this narrower point unmistakable to prevent a serious cultural misreading. The Yoke metaphor (15:10) reinforces the grace-versus-works contrast already fixed High in the baseline. | Human theologian |
| 16 | 16:1-5 (Timothy); 16:6-10 (Macedonian call, Spirit’s guidance); 16:11-15 (Lydia); 16:16-24 (spirit of divination, Philippian jailer’s household); 16:25-40 (jailer’s conversion) | providence_in_acts (High); household_salvation (High, 16:31-34); lordship_of_christ_in_acts (Critical, “believe on the Lord Jesus,” 16:31); sorcery/divination (baseline-extending term, Medium) | Critical/High | 16:31’s promise must retain the exclusive object of faith even when paired with household-solidarity language; 16:32-34 must be preserved to show each household member individually heard and believed, guarding against a misreading of automatic clan/family-based salvation by association. | Human theologian |
| 17 | 17:1-9 (Thessalonica); 17:10-15 (Berea); 17:16-34 (Athens: Areopagus, unknown god, idols, resurrection mocked) | idols_and_common_ground_against_shirk (Medium); great_commission_fulfilled (High, contextualization model, 17:23); resurrection_of_christ_in_acts (Critical, 17:18, 32, mocked by hearers) | Critical/High | 17:23’s “unknown god” rhetorical bridge must not be read as endorsing generic natural theology as sufficient; it is a contextualizing device leading directly to the specific exclusive gospel claim. 17:31-32’s resurrection announcement provoking mockery is a realistic model for anticipated reader reaction and should inform accompanying pastoral notes, not the translation itself. | Human theologian |
| 18 | 18:1-17 (Corinth, Gallio); 18:18-23 (vow, travel); 18:24-28 (Apollos) | apostolic_authority (High, background); Vow (baseline-extending term, Medium); Faith/Grace (baseline High, reused) | High | Nidar (vow, 18:18) shares vocabulary with Islamic nadhr; teaching notes should clarify this reflects dated first-century Jewish-Christian ritual practice, not an ongoing obligation for believers generally. No new Critical content. | Native speaker review |
| 19 | 19:1-7 (Ephesian disciples, Holy Spirit, tongues); 19:8-20 (sons of Sceva, sorcery, books burned); 19:21-41 (riot over Artemis, idols) | holy_spirit_and_pentecost (Critical); tongues_as_known_languages (Medium); sorcery_vs_spirit_power (High); idols_and_common_ground_against_shirk (Medium) | Critical/High | 19:1-6 repeats the reception-of-the-Spirit pattern and must retain the same care against spirit-possession conflation as Acts 2. The sons of Sceva episode (19:13-16) sharply distinguishes genuine Spirit-authorized ministry from imitative magical formula-use — the distinction must not be blurred. | Human theologian |
| 20 | 20:1-12 (Troas, Eutychus, breaking of bread); 20:13-38 (farewell at Miletus: elders, overseers, shepherd/flock, wolves) | breaking_of_bread_and_fellowship (Low); elders_and_overseers (High, 20:17-28); providence_in_acts (High, background) | High | Elder/overseer qualification (20:28) must be explicitly taught as spiritual maturity and sound doctrine, distinguished from clan-elder (waayeel/oday) qualification by lineage and age, while retaining the positive “trusted leader” resonance. | Human theologian |
| 21 | 21:1-16 (journey, Agabus’s prophecy); 21:17-26 (James, elders, purification vow, Paul’s accommodation to Jewish custom); 21:27-40 (arrest in temple) | circumcision_controversy (High, background context — Paul’s continued respect for Jewish custom without requiring it for Gentiles); Prophecy (baseline Medium, reused); persecution_and_bold_witness (High) | High | Paul’s voluntary participation in a purification rite (21:23-26) must be distinguished from any suggestion that law-observance is required for salvation, consistent with justification_apart_from_law; this is Paul practicing cultural accommodation, not reversing the Council’s ruling. Reviewed — no new risk beyond doctrines already tiered above. | Human theologian |
| 22 | 22:1-21 (Paul’s defense, conversion testimony repeated); 22:22-29 (Roman citizenship); 22:30 (before council) | conversion_of_paul (High); salvation_exclusivity (Critical, 22:16, “call on his name”); election_of_paul (High, 22:21) | Critical/High | Reviewed — this chapter restates doctrines already fully tiered above (conversion/election of Paul, salvation exclusivity via “call on the name of the Lord,” 22:16, matching 2:21’s formula); no new doctrine introduced, but consistency of rendering with Acts 2 and Acts 9 is essential. | Human theologian |
| 23 | 23:1-11 (before Sanhedrin, Pharisee/Sadducee resurrection dispute); 23:12-35 (plot against Paul, transfer to Caesarea) | resurrection_of_christ_in_acts (Critical, background — resurrection already a contested Jewish theological question, 23:6-9); legal_procedural_narrative (Low) | Critical/Low | 23:6-9 usefully shows that bodily resurrection was a live, contested Jewish theological question even before Christ; supports rather than complicates the doctrine already fixed Critical. Legal/procedural material (Sanhedrin proceedings) carries no independent doctrinal weight. | Human theologian (resurrection) / Automated (procedural) |
| 24 | 24:1-9 (accusation before Felix); 24:10-21 (Paul’s defense, “the Way” called a sect); 24:22-27 (Felix delays) | the_way_and_sect_naming (Medium, 24:5, 14); resurrection_of_christ_in_acts (Critical, 24:15, 21, background) | Medium/Critical | 24:14’s “the Way, which they call a sect” is a clear example of outsider mischaracterization of the movement Luke elsewhere describes neutrally; relevant pastoral background for how Somali believers may hear their faith minimized by outsiders. | Native speaker review (naming) / Human theologian (resurrection references) |
| 25 | 25:1-12 (before Festus, appeal to Caesar); 25:13-27 (before Agrippa, introduction) | legal_procedural_narrative (Low) | Low | Reviewed — purely narrative/legal-procedural content; standard proper-noun and legal-term transliteration suffices; no doctrinal risk beyond the already-tiered resurrection references anticipated in ch. 26. | Automated review |
| 26 | 26:1-23 (Paul’s testimony before Agrippa, conversion retold, resurrection preached); 26:24-32 (Agrippa’s response) | conversion_of_paul (High); election_of_paul (High, 26:16-18); resurrection_of_christ_in_acts (Critical); satan_and_spiritual_conflict (Medium, 26:18); legal_procedural_narrative (Low, 26:32) | Critical/High | Third and fullest retelling of Paul’s conversion; consistency of rendering with chs. 9 and 22 is essential for reader recognition across the curriculum. No new doctrine introduced. | Human theologian |
| 27 | 27:1-44 (voyage, storm, shipwreck) | providence_in_acts (High, 27:21-25); legal_procedural_narrative (Low, background) | High | God’s personal, purposive care working THROUGH difficult circumstances, not merely despite them, must never be rendered with qaddar or fatalistic idiom; Paul’s confidence (27:21-25) is grounded in a specific personal divine assurance (angelic message), not resigned fatalism. | Human theologian |
| 28 | 28:1-10 (Malta, snake bite, healing); 28:11-16 (arrival near Rome); 28:17-31 (Paul in Rome, “quite openly and without hindrance”) | signs_and_wonders_doctrine (High, 28:8-9); great_commission_fulfilled (High, 28:28-31 climactic statement); gospel_to_jews_and_gentiles (Critical, 28:28) | Critical/High | The book’s closing statement (28:31) is the fulfillment of the 1:8 programmatic outline and must be handled with the same evangelism/proclamation-safety caution as all great_commission_fulfilled and persecution_and_bold_witness material — accuracy in translation, with pastoral/physical-safety framing handled separately in teaching notes, not by softening the text. | Human theologian |
Section 2: Consolidated Doctrine Register (Cross-Reference)
The following table restates every doctrine in doctrine_risk_registry.json in analysis form. Names, risk tiers, and review routing are unchanged from the registry; this section adds a one-line “translation risk” gloss per doctrine for quick reference during Phase 2 planning.
| Doctrine (registry key) | Risk | Primary Acts Passages | Translation Risk (one-line) | Review Routing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| holy_spirit_and_pentecost | Critical | 1:5,8; 2:1-4,33,38; 4:31; 10:44-47; 19:1-6 | Must never read as possession (saar/qorriin) or as Jibriil; God’s own indwelling of the believer’s will. | Human theologian |
| tongues_as_known_languages | Medium | 2:4,6,8,11; 10:46; 19:6 | Real unlearned human languages, not ecstatic/unintelligible speech. | Native speaker review |
| gift_of_the_holy_spirit_as_person | High | 2:38; 8:14-20; 10:45; 11:17; 19:2 | Distinct from plural “spiritual gifts”; the gift IS the Spirit’s own person. | Human theologian |
| gospel_to_jews_and_gentiles | Critical | 1:8; 10; 11:1-18; 13:46-48; 15; 28:28 | Maps onto qabiil (clan) fault lines, not abstract ethnicity; must not be softened to a historical footnote. | Human theologian |
| gentile_inclusion_vision | Critical | 10:9-16,28; 11:5-9 | Must extend food-purity metaphor explicitly to PEOPLE; never use xalaal/xaraan vocabulary. | Human theologian |
| unity_across_group_lines | High | 6:1-6; 10:34; 11:19-26; 15:7-12 | Direct transfer template for clan-favoritism dynamics; must not be read as abstract theology only. | Human theologian |
| repentance_and_baptism | High | 2:38; 3:19; 8:12-13,36-38; 9:18; 16:31-33; 19:1-5; 22:16 | Toobad/tawba overlap risks a merit-earning reading; baptism received, not itself meritorious. | Human theologian |
| forgiveness_of_sins_in_acts | High | 2:38; 5:31; 10:43; 13:38; 26:18 | Must not substitute for the fuller forensic Xaq lagu caddeeyay; one benefit among the whole of salvation. | Human theologian |
| church_as_community | Medium | 2:42-47; 4:32-37; 5:11; 9:31 | Resonance with qaraan mutual-aid custom; must stay voluntary/Spirit-motivated, not enforced collectivism. | Native speaker review |
| apostolic_authority | High | 1:2,21-26; 2:42-43; 5:12-18; 15:6-29 | Diray, never Rasuul; Spirit-guided collective authority, distinct from single-sheekh charismatic rule. | Human theologian |
| signs_and_wonders_doctrine | High | 2:22,43; 4:30; 5:12; 6:8; 14:3; 19:11; 28:8-9 | Avoid mucjiso and karaamad; signs confirm the corporate gospel, not personal spiritual rank. | Human theologian |
| laying_on_of_hands_doctrine | High | 6:6; 8:17-19; 9:17; 13:3; 19:6 | Adjacent to barako transfer; must be commissioning sign, not mechanical potency transfer. | Human theologian |
| sorcery_vs_spirit_power | High | 8:9-24; 13:6-11; 16:16-18; 19:11-20 | Simon’s wrong assumption (power is purchasable like sixir) must be preserved with its correction intact. | Human theologian |
| persecution_and_bold_witness | High | 4:13,29-31; 5:40-42; 8:1-4; 9:16; 14:19-22; 16:22-25 | Boldness is culturally admired, but its application (exclusive proclamation) is acutely dangerous in context. | Human theologian |
| martyrdom_doctrine | Critical | 7:54-60; 12:1-2; 22:20 | Never use “shahiid”; use a descriptive Markhaati-root phrase. | Human theologian |
| stoning_doctrine | Critical | 7:58-59; 14:19 | Live category (rajm) invoked by extremist authorities in parts of Somalia; mandatory safety framing. | Human theologian |
| conversion_of_paul | High | 9:1-19; 22:6-16; 26:12-18 | Must be sovereign-election testimony, not generic moral-improvement narrative. | Human theologian |
| election_of_paul | High | 9:15; 22:21; 26:16-18 | Reuses Doorashada Ilaah; never qaddar/nasiib. | Human theologian |
| justification_apart_from_law | Critical | 13:38-39; 15:1-11,24-29; 18:12-13 | Must use identical fixed Romans terms; circumcision debate is about the GROUND of salvation, not the practice itself. | Human theologian |
| great_commission_fulfilled | High | 1:8; 8:4-40; 13:1-3; 28:28-31 | Structural spine of the book; all derived application touches the Critical evangelism-safety doctrine. | Human theologian |
| christian_identity_and_naming | High | 9:2; 11:26; 24:14; 26:28 | Parallels acute present-day cost of an identity that relativizes clan primacy. | Human theologian |
| deity_of_christ_in_acts | Critical | 2:36; 3:14; 7:55-56; 9:5; 26:15 | The direct tawhid collision; never soften to honored-prophet status. | Human theologian |
| sonship_of_christ_in_acts | Critical | 9:20; 13:33 | Eternal non-physical Sonship, distinct from literal biological offspring (abtirsiimo sensitivity). | Human theologian |
| son_of_man_title | Critical | 7:56 | Distinct title from Son of God; neither substitutes for the other. | Human theologian |
| resurrection_of_christ_in_acts | Critical | 2:24-32; 4:2,33; 13:34-37; 17:18,32; 23:6-9; 24:15,21; 26:23 | Must presuppose a real prior death; bodily, non-decayed resurrection, not Qur’an 4:157’s denial. | Human theologian |
| crucifixion_of_christ | Critical | 2:23,36; 4:10; 5:30; 10:39; 13:28-29 | Specific historical means of death; never generalized to vague “suffered/was killed.” | Human theologian |
| lordship_of_christ_in_acts | Critical | 2:21,34-36; 10:36; 16:31 | Rabbiga, never sayidka; exclusive supreme lordship. | Human theologian |
| exaltation_and_enthronement_of_christ | Critical | 2:33,36; 5:31 | Must follow, not replace, real death/resurrection; 2:36 requires mandatory translator note. | Human theologian |
| salvation_exclusivity | Critical | 2:21; 4:12; 22:16 | Strongest NT exclusivity claim; must match Romans 10:9-13 register exactly; no pluralist softening. | Human theologian |
| household_salvation | High | 16:31-34 | Individual faith of each household member must be preserved against automatic family/clan-based salvation misreading. | Human theologian |
| angels_distinct_from_holy_spirit | High | 5:19; 8:26; 10:3; 12:7-11; 27:23 | Malaa’ig shared with Islamic usage; must be paired with a created-being clarification near the Holy Spirit. | Human theologian |
| circumcision_controversy | High | 15:1-29; 21:20-24 | Argument concerns the GROUND of salvation, not condemnation of a near-universal Somali practice. | Human theologian |
| elders_and_overseers | High | 14:23; 15:2-23; 20:17-28 | Must distinguish spiritual qualification from clan-elder (waayeel/oday) lineage/age authority. | Human theologian |
| providence_in_acts | High | 2:23; 17:26-28; 27:21-25 | Must hold determined plan + human responsibility together; never render with qaddar fatalism. | Human theologian |
| community_of_goods | Medium | 2:44-45; 4:32-37 | Resonance with qaraan; voluntary, not enforced or a redirection of clan obligation. | Native speaker review |
| the_way_and_sect_naming | Medium | 9:2; 19:9,23; 24:5,14; 28:22 | Insider-neutral vs. outsider-dismissive naming of the same movement. | Native speaker review |
| fasting_practice | Medium | 13:2-3; 14:23 | Shares vocabulary with siyaam; voluntary occasion-specific discipline, not an obligatory merit pillar. | Native speaker review |
| idols_and_common_ground_against_shirk | Medium | 14:11-18; 17:16-31; 19:23-41 | Genuine shared anti-idolatry conviction; does not resolve the separate collision over Christ’s deity. | Native speaker review |
| satan_and_spiritual_conflict | Medium | 5:3; 13:10; 26:18 | Shared recognition of Shaydaan; NT’s defeated-enemy framing differs from Islamic narrative material. | Native speaker review |
| breaking_of_bread_and_fellowship | Low | 2:42,46; 20:7,11 | Carries both ordinary-meal and commemorative senses; do not flatten to only one. | Automated review |
| legal_procedural_narrative | Low | 22:25-29; 23; 25; 28:19 | Purely narrative/legal content; standard transliteration sufficient. | Automated review |
Section 3: Chapters Explicitly Reviewed with No New Translation Risk
Per the full-book-coverage mandate, the following chapters are confirmed reviewed even though they primarily carry forward doctrines already fully tiered elsewhere rather than introducing new terms or doctrines:
- Chapter 18 — Corinth/Gallio narrative and the vow at 18:18 introduce no doctrine beyond already-tiered apostolic authority and background faith/grace vocabulary; Nidar (vow) is Medium and native-speaker-reviewed only.
- Chapter 21 — Paul’s accommodation to Jewish purification custom restates
justification_apart_from_lawandcircumcision_controversywithout new doctrinal content; requires only consistency checking against chapter 15’s fixed renderings. - Chapter 22 — Restates
conversion_of_paul,election_of_paul, andsalvation_exclusivity; no new doctrine, but exact-match consistency with chapters 2, 9, and 26 is mandatory. - Chapter 23 — Sanhedrin legal proceedings are Low-risk procedural narrative; the resurrection reference (23:6-9) is background support for the already-Critical
resurrection_of_christ_in_actsdoctrine, not a new claim. - Chapter 25 — Purely legal-procedural (appeal to Caesar); Low risk, automated review sufficient.
- Chapter 26 — Third retelling of Paul’s conversion testimony; no new doctrine, consistency with chapters 9 and 22 required.
No chapter of Acts 1–28 is silently omitted from this analysis.
This document must be loaded alongside doctrine_risk_registry.json, translation_memory.json, and bible_term_registry.json before Phase 2 segment translation of any Acts lesson begins.
Critical Risk Doctrines
The Holy Spirit and Pentecost
Somali name: Ruuxa Quduuska ah iyo Bentekoste
Key terms: Holy Spirit, filled with the Spirit, tongues, Pentecost, gift of the Holy Spirit
Review routing: Human theologian
Ruuxa Quduuska ah must be taught as God himself, the third divine Person, never Jibriil, per the baseline. Acts compounds this risk: ‘being filled with the Spirit’ (2:4) sits adjacent to the well-established Somali/Horn-of-Africa folk-religious category of spirit-possession (saar/qorriin, jinn), in which an external entity involuntarily takes over a person’s body and speech. Teaching must explicitly distinguish God’s own indwelling empowerment of the believer’s own will from involuntary possession requiring ritual exorcism.
The Gospel to Jews and Gentiles
Somali name: Injiilka oo la Gaadhsiiyay Yuhuudda iyo Quruumaha
Key terms: Jew and Greek, Gentiles, no distinction, to the nations
Review routing: Human theologian
The book’s structural arc (Jerusalem to Judea/Samaria to the nations, 1:8) turns on Gentile inclusion without requiring adoption of Jewish ritual identity. Because qabiil (clan), not ethnicity in the abstract, is the primary social fault line Somali readers will map this onto, a soft or vague rendering risks being heard as an abstract historical footnote rather than the direct challenge to inherited group-boundary thinking Luke intends.
Gentile Inclusion: The Vision of Clean and Unclean
Somali name: Riyada Wax Daahirka ah iyo Wax Aan Daahirin
Key terms: common, unclean, call no person unclean
Review routing: Human theologian
This vision is the narrative hinge of Gentile acceptance. Somali readers, shaped by an extensive Islamic dietary purity system (xalaal/xaraan), risk mapping this onto an ongoing food-law debate and missing Luke’s real point — the metaphorical extension from food to PEOPLE (10:28) must be made explicit. Xalaal/xaraan vocabulary itself must never be used for ‘clean/unclean’ here, since it would import a specifically Islamic legal-dietary framework into an OT/Levitical purity discussion serving an entirely different theological purpose.
Martyrdom (Dying for Faithful Witness)
Somali name: Dhimasho Markhaatinimo Daraadeed
Key terms: stoned, killed with the sword, faithful witness unto death
Review routing: Human theologian
Shahiid (Arabic shahīd), the Islamic martyrdom category classically tied to dying in jihad with specific guaranteed afterlife rewards, must never be used as a substitute term. A descriptive phrase built on the Markhaati (witness) root must be used instead, extending the same forbidden-substitution logic already applied to apostle/Rasuul and witness/shahaado in the baseline. Mandatory theologian review for every occurrence.
Stoning as Religious Violence
Somali name: Dhagxinta
Key terms: stoned him, cast stones
Review routing: Human theologian
Stoning (rajm) is a recognized punishment category under classical Islamic penal law, still invoked by some armed extremist authorities operating in parts of Somalia today. Narrating Stephen’s stoning sits extremely close to contemporary, live religious-violence dynamics Somali converts may realistically face; requires the same pastoral/physical-safety framing mandated for the baseline’s evangelism doctrine.
Justification Apart from the Law
Somali name: Xaq lagu Caddeeyay oo aan ku Salaysnayn Qaanuunka
Key terms: justified, freed from the law, circumcision, yoke, grace
Review routing: Human theologian
Acts 13:38-39 previews the Romans argument directly and must use the identical fixed terms (Xaqnimo, Xaq lagu caddeeyay, Qaanuunka Muuse) already established in the baseline. The circumcision controversy (Acts 15) must be taught as an argument about the GROUND of salvation (faith vs. law-works), not a condemnation of a practice (gudniin) that is nearly universal and religiously significant among Somali males, to avoid a serious cultural misreading of the passage’s actual point.
Deity of Christ
Somali name: Ilaahnimada Masiixa
Key terms: Lord and Christ, Holy One, the glory of God, worthy of worship
Review routing: Human theologian
The single most direct collision with tawhid, carried forward from the baseline into Acts’ repeated post-resurrection proclamations. Must never be softened to a uniquely honored prophet/servant; Peter’s climactic declaration (2:36) requires careful teaching that this is public vindication/enthronement of what is eternally true, not the origination of Christ’s deity at that moment.
Sonship of Christ
Somali name: Wiilnimada Masiixa
Key terms: Son of God, his Son
Review routing: Human theologian
Qur’an 112:3’s denial that Allah ‘begets or is begotten’ remains the direct collision point carried into Acts; Wiilka Ilaah must be taught as eternal, non-physical Sonship within the Godhead, distinguished from literal biological offspring, a distinction sharpened by Somali culture’s deep genealogical consciousness (abtirsiimo).
Son of Man (Distinct Christological Title)
Somali name: Wiilka Aadanaha
Key terms: Son of Man, standing at the right hand of God
Review routing: Human theologian
Stephen’s dying vision uses a distinct Christological title (from Daniel 7:13-14) denoting Christ’s exalted, authoritative, judging humanity. Must be kept lexically and doctrinally distinct from Wiilka Ilaah (Son of God); the two titles together (full humanity, full divine authority) must both be taught, and neither may substitute for or absorb the other.
Resurrection of Christ
Somali name: Sarakicidda Masiixa
Key terms: raised, resurrection, did not see corruption, loosed the pangs of death
Review routing: Human theologian
Qur’an 4:157’s denial of the crucifixion is the direct collision point; Acts repeatedly presupposes and states the prior real death before affirming resurrection (2:23-24), and 2:27, 31 and 13:34-37 add the specific claim that Christ’s body did not decompose — this must be taught as bodily, not merely spiritual, resurrection following a real historical death.
Crucifixion of Christ (Specific Historical Means of Death)
Somali name: Iskutallaabaynta Masiixa
Key terms: crucified, nailed to the cross, you killed him
Review routing: Human theologian
Qur’an 4:157 explicitly denies that Ciise was crucified and killed, teaching instead that ‘it was made to appear so.’ Acts repeatedly and emphatically names this specific historical means of death; it must never be softened or generalized to a vaguer ‘he suffered/was killed’ that omits the specific means, since that omission would blur precisely the point of collision the baseline requires be confronted directly.
Lordship of Christ
Somali name: Rabbinimada Masiixa
Key terms: Lord, Lord Jesus, believe on the Lord Jesus
Review routing: Human theologian
Rabbiga must retain exclusive, supreme force, never sayidka (human master). Acts 16:31’s ‘believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved’ must retain the exclusive object of faith even when paired with household-solidarity language (16:31-34), per the household_salvation entry below.
Exaltation and Enthronement of Christ
Somali name: Sarraysiinta iyo Boqornimada Masiixa
Key terms: exalted, right hand of God, made him Lord and Christ
Review routing: Human theologian
Must be worded distinctly from the ascension-event phrase (Acts 1:9-11) to avoid any confusion with the specifically rejected ‘kor loo qaaday’ no-death-ascension reading flagged in the baseline; exaltation must presuppose and follow the already-affirmed death and bodily resurrection, never standing alone as if it were the whole of what happened to Christ. Acts 2:36’s ‘made him Lord and Christ’ requires a mandatory translator note distinguishing public declarative enthronement from adoptionist origination.
Salvation in No Other Name
Somali name: Badbaadada oo Kaliya ku Jirta Magaca Ciise
Key terms: no other name, salvation in no one else, call on the name of the Lord
Review routing: Human theologian
One of the strongest exclusivity claims in the New Testament; must not be softened, generalized, or made to sound like one valid path among several within a broader pluralistic religious landscape. Acts 2:21’s universal ‘everyone who calls’ formula must match the register and force of the baseline’s fixed Romans 10:9-13 rendering exactly.
High Risk Doctrines
The Gift of the Holy Spirit as the Spirit’s Own Person
Somali name: Hadiyadda Ruuxa Quduuska ah
Key terms: gift of the Holy Spirit, poured out, received the Spirit
Review routing: Human theologian
Must be clearly distinguished from Hadiyado Ruuxa ah (spiritual gifts/enablements, Medium in the baseline): here the ‘gift’ IS the Spirit’s own personal indwelling presence, given once for all, not one distributed enablement among several ministry gifts.
Unity of Jews and Gentiles (and All Group Lines)
Somali name: Midnimada Yuhuudda, Quruumaha, iyo Kooxaha Kale
Key terms: no partiality, one body, Hellenists and Hebrews, God shows no favoritism
Review routing: Human theologian
Extends the baseline’s qabiil-sensitive unity_of_jews_and_gentiles doctrine. Acts 6:1’s intra-Jewish Hellenist/Hebrew favoritism over daily provision is a clean, low-stakes narrative template for how group-line favoritism threatens church unity, directly transferable to Somali clan dynamics; 10:34’s ‘God shows no partiality’ should be cross-referenced with the same doctrine wherever it recurs.
Repentance and Baptism
Somali name: Toobadkeenidda iyo Baabtiiska
Key terms: repent, be baptized, forgiveness of sins, turn back
Review routing: Human theologian
Toobad shares vocabulary with Islamic tawba, a genuine point of contact, but Islamic tawba operates within a framework where sincere repentance plus good deeds may earn Allah’s forgiveness on the individual’s own merit. Baabtiis is lexically distinct from Islamic ablution (wadaraysi/ghusl), reducing collision risk, but must be taught as identification with Christ’s death/resurrection and reception of the Spirit, received rather than earned, not itself the meritorious cause of salvation apart from faith.
Forgiveness of Sins
Somali name: Cafiga Dembiyada
Key terms: forgiveness of sins, sins washed away
Review routing: Human theologian
Per the baseline’s justification entry, cafiga dembiyada must never be presented as a substitute for the fuller forensic doctrine of Xaq lagu caddeeyay; here it functions correctly as one distinct benefit of repentance and faith, not the entirety of the salvation proclaimed.
Apostolic Authority
Somali name: Amarka iyo Awoodda Dirayaasha
Key terms: apostles, apostles’ teaching, council, it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us
Review routing: Human theologian
Apostleship (Diray, never Rasuul) rests specifically on eyewitness testimony to the risen Christ (1:21-22). The Jerusalem Council’s collaborative, Spirit-confirmed decision-making (15:28) is a model of Spirit-guided representative church authority distinct from the individual charismatic authority structures (a single sheekh’s ruling) more familiar in Somali Sufi religious life.
Apostolic Miracles: Signs and Wonders
Somali name: Calaamooyinka iyo Yaababka Dirayaasha
Key terms: signs and wonders, mighty works, healed
Review routing: Human theologian
Must avoid mucjiso (a Qur’anic prophet’s miracle offered as proof of prophethood) and karaamad (a Sufi saint’s personal miraculous endowment, already rejected in the baseline for spiritual gifts); these signs confirm the corporate apostolic gospel message, not individual spiritual rank.
Laying On of Hands
Somali name: Gacmo-saaridda
Key terms: laid hands on, receive the Spirit, commissioned
Review routing: Human theologian
Sits close to barako (Sufi blessing transmitted physically through a sheekh’s touch, already rejected as an alternative for grace) and folk-healing touch practices. Must be taught as a sign of commissioning under the Spirit’s sovereign, freely-given action, not a mechanical transfer of spiritual potency located in a person’s hands or lineage — reinforced by the narrative correction of Simon’s contrary assumption in Acts 8.
Genuine Spirit-Power versus Sorcery
Somali name: Awoodda Ruuxa oo ka Duwan Sixirka
Key terms: sorcery, magic, power of God, cannot be bought
Review routing: Human theologian
Sixir is seriously feared and condemned in both traditional Somali religion and mainstream Islam, a genuine point of moral agreement. The risk is that Simon’s own wrong assumption (spiritual power operating on the same purchasable plane as sixir, 8:18-23) could be imported into readers’ expectations of Spirit-empowered ministry unless the text’s own correction is preserved clearly.
Persecution and Bold Witness
Somali name: Silecda iyo Markhaatinimada Dhiirranaanta leh
Key terms: boldness, witness, persecution, suffered for the name
Review routing: Human theologian
Boldness (Dhiirranaan) as a concept is culturally admired in Somali oral/poetic tradition, keeping lexical risk moderate; the acute risk is in application, since this boldness is specifically about proclaiming Christ’s exclusive name — directly intersecting the baseline’s Critical evangelism-safety doctrine given the real danger of open evangelism in parts of Somalia.
Conversion of Paul
Somali name: Islaamidda Bawlos (Beddelidda Qalbiga Bawlos)
Key terms: light from heaven, chosen instrument, scales fell from his eyes, Ananias laid hands on him
Review routing: Human theologian
Paul’s radical, sudden transformation from a zealous persecutor into an apostle is framed explicitly as God’s sovereign election (‘a chosen instrument,’ 9:15), reusing the baseline’s High-risk Doorashada Ilaah; the narrative’s dramatic reversal (zealous law-observant persecutor turned gospel proclaimer) is a strong personal-testimony anchor for the Justification apart from the Law doctrine and must not be flattened into a generic moral-improvement story.
God’s Sovereign Election of Paul
Somali name: Doorashada Ilaah ee Bawlos
Key terms: chosen instrument, set apart from my mother’s womb, sent me
Review routing: Human theologian
Reuses Doorashada Ilaah (High in the baseline); must never be rendered with qaddar or nasiib (fatalistic decree/luck), which would strip the personal, purposive character of God’s specific commissioning of Paul.
The Great Commission Fulfilled
Somali name: Amarka Guud ee Loo Diray oo la Dhammaystiray
Key terms: witnesses to the end of the earth, unhindered, openly proclaiming
Review routing: Human theologian
Acts 1:8’s programmatic outline (Jerusalem, Judea/Samaria, ends of the earth) structures the whole book and closes with 28:31’s ‘quite openly and without hindrance.’ Any derived application material touches directly the baseline’s Critical evangelism-safety doctrine; route to human theologian review for both translation accuracy and the pastoral/physical-safety framing given the acute danger of open evangelism and conversion activity in parts of Somalia.
Christian Identity and the Naming of Disciples
Somali name: Aqoonsiga Masiixiyiinta
Key terms: Christians, disciples, the Way
Review routing: Human theologian
The historic origin of the ‘Christian’ label (11:26) is not merely a historical footnote; it directly parallels the acute, present-day pastoral and physical-safety cost many Somali believers face when adopting an identity that relativizes clan (qabiil) primacy, per the baseline’s christian_identity_in_christ doctrine.
Household Salvation and Individual Faith
Somali name: Badbaadada Qoyska iyo Iimaanka Shakhsiga
Key terms: you and your household, believed, each one
Review routing: Human theologian
Given the exceptional weight Somali culture places on family/clan solidarity, this promise could be misheard as automatic salvation for household members by virtue of a family head’s faith or clan association. Must be taught alongside 16:32-34’s confirmation that each household member individually heard and believed, preserving both the individual-faith requirement and the genuine positive household-solidarity dynamic.
Angels as Created Beings, Distinct from the Holy Spirit
Somali name: Malaa’igta oo ka Duwan Ruuxa Quduuska ah
Key terms: angel of the Lord, angel appeared
Review routing: Human theologian
Malaa’ig is the standard shared Somali/Islamic term for angel (cf. Jibriil), lexically appropriate and unavoidable since angels are genuine biblical figures in Acts, but it sits directly adjacent to the baseline’s Critical concern that the Holy Spirit not be confused with an angelic messenger like Jibriil. Every occurrence should be paired, at least on first teaching use per lesson, with a reminder that angels are created beings, categorically distinct from the Holy Spirit who is God himself.
The Circumcision Controversy
Somali name: Khilaafka Gudniinka
Key terms: circumcised, necessary for salvation, yoke
Review routing: Human theologian
Circumcision is a nearly universal, religiously significant Somali cultural practice (understood as sunnah); the doctrine here is specifically that it must not be required as the GROUND of salvation, not a general condemnation of the practice, and teaching must make this narrower point unmistakable to avoid a serious and unnecessary cultural misreading.
Elders and Overseers as a Spiritually-Qualified Office
Somali name: Waayeelka iyo Ilaaliyaha Kiniisadda
Key terms: elders, overseers, shepherd the flock
Review routing: Human theologian
Waayeel/oday carries strong existing associations with clan-elder authority (lineage, age, negotiated clan representation) within the qabiil system. Church-elder qualification must be explicitly taught as spiritual maturity, sound teaching, and godly character, distinguished from clan-elder qualification, while still allowing the positive ‘trusted communal leader’ resonance to inform understanding.
Providence
Somali name: Daryeelka Ilaah
Key terms: determined plan, foreknowledge, in him we live and move, must stand before Caesar
Review routing: Human theologian
God’s personal, purposive care working through, not merely despite, difficult circumstances (the shipwreck, 27:21-25) must never be rendered with qaddar or fatalistic idioms. Acts 2:23 holds together, without contradiction, God’s determined plan and full human moral responsibility for the crucifixion — this paradox must be preserved intact.
Medium Risk Doctrines
Tongues as Known Human Languages
Somali name: Afaf Kale oo Dhab ah
Key terms: other tongues, each in his own language, dialect
Review routing: Native speaker review
Must be taught as real, known, unlearned human languages confirmed by hearers recognizing their own native speech (2:6, 8, 11), not private ecstatic or unintelligible speech, which some readers may otherwise blur with trance speech associated with folk spiritual practice.
The Church as Community
Somali name: Kiniisadda oo ah Bulsho
Key terms: fellowship, breaking of bread, all things in common, devoted themselves
Review routing: Native speaker review
The community-of-goods practice resonates genuinely with Somali clan mutual-aid custom (qaraan, collective diya responsibility) but must be taught as voluntary, Spirit-motivated generosity within a cross-clan believing community, not an enforceable collectivist economic system or a redirection of existing clan obligations onto the church.
Community of Goods
Somali name: Hantida Wadaagga
Key terms: all things in common, sold their possessions, distributed to any who had need
Review routing: Native speaker review
Genuine resonance with Somali clan mutual-aid custom (qaraan, collective diya responsibility); must be taught as voluntary, Spirit-motivated generosity, not an enforceable collectivist system, and not a redirection of existing clan-based obligations onto the church.
‘The Way’ and Outsider Naming of the Movement
Somali name: Jidka iyo Sida Dadka Dibadda ay u Sheegaan
Key terms: the Way, sect of the Nazarenes
Review routing: Native speaker review
The same movement is described neutrally/positively from inside (‘the Way’) and dismissively from outside (‘a sect’); relevant pastoral background for how Somali believers may hear their faith minimized or mischaracterized by outsiders.
Fasting as a Voluntary Spiritual Discipline
Somali name: Soonka oo ah Camal Ruuxi ah oo Ikhtiyaari ah
Key terms: fasting, prayed and fasted
Review routing: Native speaker review
Fasting shares vocabulary with the Islamic Pillar of siyaam (especially Ramadan), a genuine devotional bridge; must clarify this is a voluntary, occasion-specific discipline tied to seeking guidance for mission, not an obligatory merit-earning pillar of religious duty.
Idols and the Shared Rejection of Idol-Worship
Somali name: Sanamyada iyo Diidmada la Wadaagga ee Cibaadada Sanamka
Key terms: idols, vain things, turn to the living God
Review routing: Native speaker review
Genuine shared conviction against idol-worship with Islamic tawhid/anti-shirk theology; teaching notes must affirm this common ground without implying it extends to, or resolves, the separate and much sharper collision over Christ’s deity, which Islamic theology itself classifies as a form of shirk.
Satan and Cosmic Spiritual Conflict
Somali name: Shaydaanka iyo Dagaalka Ruuxiga ah
Key terms: power of Satan, Satan filled your heart
Review routing: Native speaker review
Shaydaan is a shared figure recognized across Islamic tradition, a genuine point of resonance; but Islamic tradition’s own extensive Shaydaan/Iblis narrative material does not fully align with the New Testament’s cosmic-conflict framing of a defeated enemy whose downfall is secured by Christ. Teaching should draw on shared recognition while presenting the specifically Christian resolution.
Low Risk Doctrines
Breaking of Bread and Ordinary Fellowship
Somali name: Kibis-jajabinta iyo Wadaagga
Key terms: breaking of bread, glad and generous hearts
Review routing: Automated review
May carry both an ordinary shared-meal sense and a commemorative sense; low doctrinal risk, but should not be flattened to only one reading in teaching material.
Roman Legal Procedure and Citizenship
Somali name: Habraaca Sharciga Roomaanka
Key terms: appeal to Caesar, Roman citizen, council, governor
Review routing: Automated review
Purely narrative/legal-procedural content with no direct doctrinal weight; standard proper-noun and legal-term transliteration suffices.
Referenced passages