Semantic Analysis
Semantic Analysis — 1 Corinthians (Full Book) | English → Spanish
Purpose and Method
This document analyzes the entire text of 1 Corinthians in the original Koine Greek, chapter 1 through chapter 16, to surface every load-bearing theological term for the Spanish destination-language Language Package. It extends the baseline Romans Language Package and never contradicts it: every term already recorded in translation_memory.json / bible_term_registry.json is reused here with its exact established Spanish rendering. New terms introduced by 1 Corinthians receive full first-time analysis with the same fields used in the Romans baseline (original word, transliteration, literal meaning, semantic range, English variants, contextual theological meaning, and destination-language rendering risk).
The core passage, 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, receives verse-by-verse treatment as the theological anchor of the curriculum (the resurrection creed/tradition Paul received and passed on). Every other chapter receives chapter-level treatment of its load-bearing terms. Chapters that introduce no new theological vocabulary state this explicitly.
Risk tiers (Critical/High/Medium/Low) follow the same definitions as doctrine_risk_registry.json:
- Critical — mistranslation destroys essential doctrine; human theologian review required for every occurrence.
- High — significant theological confusion or syncretism risk; human theologian review required.
- Medium — reduces clarity but preserves essential meaning; native speaker review recommended.
- Low — minor imprecision; automated review sufficient.
PART 1 — Core Passage: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 (Verse-by-Verse)
Verse 1
“Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand”
| Terms | Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Spanish Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| gospel εὐαγγέλιον euangelion good news, announcement | authoritative proclamation of victory/salvation ”gospel,” “good news” | The specific apostolic message of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection about to be summarized in vv.3-5; not a generic uplifting message | evangelio — reused exactly from Romans TM. Risk: High (baseline). No new risk introduced; 1 Cor 15 is in fact the fullest apostolic definition of “the gospel” in the NT and anchors the term’s content. |
| preached εὐηγγελισάμην euēngelisamēn announced good news | to proclaim, evangelize ”preached,” “proclaimed,” “announced” | Paul’s founding proclamation at Corinth (Acts 18); the verb form of “gospel” | anuncié / prediqué el evangelio. Risk: Medium. Keep verb tied to the noun “evangelio” already fixed in TM; do not drift to a generic “compartí un mensaje” that loses the technical sense. |
| received παρελάβετε parelabete took, received (as a fixed deposit) | technical rabbinic/Hellenistic term for receiving a formal tradition passed down (paired with παραδίδωμι, “deliver,” in v.3) “received,” “were handed” | Corinthians received the gospel as authoritative tradition, not personal opinion | recibisteis / recibieron. Risk: Medium. Must preserve the technical “received a fixed tradition” sense (paired with v.3’s “delivered”), not a vague “escuchar” (heard about). |
| stand ἑστήκατε hestēkate stand, have taken a stand, stand firm | perfect tense: a past action with continuing present result — firm standing ground ”stand,” “have your standing” | The gospel is the immovable ground of the Corinthians’ present standing before God | en el cual estáis firmes / permanecen firmes. Risk: Low. Standard, unambiguous. |
Verse 2
“and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain”
| Terms | Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Spanish Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| are being saved σῴζεσθε sōzesthe are saved, are being kept safe | present passive: an ongoing, presently-experienced deliverance grounded in a past decisive event ”are being saved,” “are saved” | Present application of the once-for-all gospel event; salvation as an ongoing state resting on a completed historical act | sois salvos / están siendo salvos. Reuses baseline salvación-family vocabulary. Risk: Critical (per baseline salvation doctrine entry) — must not be read as an uncertain, ongoing process of merit accumulation (folk-Catholic framing); the ongoing experience is grounded in a finished, once-for-all fact (vv.3-4), not in progressive sacramental achievement. |
| hold fast κατέχετε katechete hold down, hold firmly, retain | to keep possession of, retain against loss ”hold fast,” “hold firmly,” “retain” | Continuing to grasp the apostolic gospel content, not merely an initial assent | retenéis / se aferran a. Risk: Low-Medium. Avoid a term implying passive custom (“mantener la costumbre”) rather than active grasp of content. |
| word λόγος logos word, message, account | spoken message, reasoned account, the gospel message as content ”word,” “message” | The specific content Paul preached (defined in vv.3-5) | palabra / mensaje. Risk: Low. |
| believed in vain εἰκῇ ἐπιστεύσατε eikē episteusate believed without cause / to no purpose | groundlessly, for nothing, without effect ”believed in vain,” “believed for nothing” | Warns that if the resurrection is not true, the Corinthians’ faith has no real object or effect (anticipates vv.12-19) | creído en vano. Risk: Medium. Preserve the conditional-warning force; do not soften to a simple “tal vez no entendieron bien.” |
Verse 3
“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures”
| Terms | Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Spanish Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| delivered παρέδωκα paredōka handed over, transmitted | technical term for transmitting a fixed tradition (paired with παραλαμβάνω, v.1); note: same root verb is used with a very different disciplinary sense in 5:5 (“hand over to Satan”) — polysemy to flag for translators ”delivered,” “handed on,” “passed on” | Paul transmits an already-fixed, pre-Pauline creedal tradition — the gospel is not his invention | entregué / transmití. Risk: High. Must be distinguished contextually from the disciplinary sense of the same Greek verb in 1 Cor 5:5; a translator note should flag this polysemy so 15:3 is never rendered with disciplinary connotations (“entregar a alguien a su suerte/castigo”). |
| of first importance ἐν πρώτοις en prōtois among the first things, of first rank | primary, foundational, of chief importance ”of first importance,” “as of first importance,” “first of all” | Marks the death-burial-resurrection creed as the non-negotiable core of the gospel | como cosa de primera importancia. Risk: Low. |
| Christ died Χριστὸς ἀπέθανεν Christos apethanen Christ died | historical, factual death ”Christ died” | Real, historical death — foundation of the atonement | Cristo murió. Risk: Critical — reuses baseline Cristo/Jesús Critical-risk Christology entries; the historicity and reality of the death must never be softened toward myth or metaphor. |
| for our sins ὑπὲρ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν hyper tōn hamartiōn hēmōn on behalf of / for the sake of our sins | vicarious, substitutionary “for” (ὑπέρ = on behalf of, in place of) “for our sins,” “on account of our sins” | Substitutionary atonement — Christ’s death deals with sin’s guilt on behalf of sinners | por nuestros pecados. Reuses baseline pecado. Risk: High. The substitutionary “ὑπέρ” force must be preserved — not merely “in connection with” our sins, but “in our place, for our sake.” |
| according to the Scriptures κατὰ τὰς γραφάς kata tas graphas according to the writings | in fulfillment of, in agreement with the Old Testament Scriptures ”according to the Scriptures,” “as the Scriptures said” | Christ’s death fulfills OT prophecy (e.g., Isaiah 53); ties to baseline fulfillment_of_prophecy doctrine | conforme a las Escrituras. Risk: Medium (per baseline fulfillment_of_prophecy) — requires OT background many nominal believers lack; teach explicitly. |
Verse 4
“that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures”
| Terms | Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Spanish Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| buried ἐτάφη etaphē was buried, was entombed | a factual, verifiable burial ”was buried” | Confirms the reality of Christ’s death (a dead body was interred) — guards against docetism | fue sepultado. Risk: Medium. Standard; must retain the historical, bodily force. |
| raised ἐγήγερται egēgertai has been raised (perfect tense) | perfect tense signals a past event with abiding, present effect — Christ remains in the raised state ”was raised,” “has been raised,” “is risen” | The heart of the doctrine: bodily, historical, once-for-all, with continuing effect in the present | resucitó / ha resucitado. Reuses baseline resurrección. Risk: Critical (per baseline resurrection_of_christ) — must never be rendered with reincarnation/spirit-return language; the Caribbean Espiritismo/Santería flag from the Romans baseline applies with full force to this verse, which is the doctrinal center of 1 Corinthians. |
| third day τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ τρίτῃ tē hēmera tē tritē on the third day | a specific, calendrically fixed day ”the third day,” “on the third day” | Ties resurrection to a concrete point in history, not a timeless myth | al tercer día. Risk: Low. |
| according to the Scriptures κατὰ τὰς γραφάς kata tas graphas (repeated) | (repeated) (repeated) | The resurrection, too, fulfills OT prophecy (e.g., Psalm 16, Hosea 6:2 typologically) | conforme a las Escrituras. Risk: Medium (same as v.3). |
Verse 5
“and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve”
| Terms | Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Spanish Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| appeared ὤφθη ōphthē was seen, appeared | passive of “to see” used as a technical formula for a genuine, objective resurrection appearance (not a subjective vision-only experience) “appeared to,” “was seen by” | Introduces the chain of eyewitnesses establishing the resurrection as verifiable historical fact | se apareció / fue visto por. Risk: High. Must retain the sense of an objective, bodily appearance to real witnesses, not a private mystical vision; this formula repeats through v.8 and underwrites the doctrine’s historical evidentiary structure. |
| Cephas Κηφᾷ Kēpha Cephas (Aramaic “rock”) | proper name; Peter’s Aramaic name ”Cephas,” “Peter” | The first named eyewitness — Peter/Simon | Cefas (Reina-Valera form; may gloss with “Pedro” on first use). Risk: Low. Standard proper name form. |
| the twelve τοῖς δώδεκα tois dōdeka the twelve | the twelve apostles as a fixed group/title, even though only eleven remained after Judas ”the twelve,” “the Twelve” | An official, corporate eyewitness body, not merely “some disciples” | los doce. Risk: Low. |
Verse 6
“Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep”
| Terms | Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Spanish Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| five hundred brothers πεντακοσίοις ἀδελφοῖς pentakosiois adelphois five hundred brothers | a large, numbered group of named/nameable witnesses ”five hundred brothers,” “500 brothers” | Mass eyewitness testimony — Paul appeals to living, checkable witnesses | quinientos hermanos. Risk: Low. |
| fallen asleep ἐκοιμήθησαν ekoimēthēsan have fallen asleep | euphemism for physical death used specifically of believers, implying a temporary state with future waking (resurrection hope) “fallen asleep,” “have died” | Death is reframed for believers as “sleep” because resurrection guarantees a waking; distinct from a final or cyclical end | han dormido / durmieron. Risk: Medium. Should be paired with contextual clarity that this is a resurrection-hope euphemism for death, not a claim about an intermediate soul-sleep doctrine to be taught dogmatically; avoid confusion with spiritist notions of the dead as active, communicable “spirits” (relevant to the same Caribbean context flagged in the Romans baseline). |
Verse 7
“Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles”
| Terms | Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Spanish Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Ἰακώβῳ Iakōbō James | proper name (the Lord’s brother, later leader of the Jerusalem church) “James” | Another named, checkable eyewitness of high standing in the early church | Jacobo (established Bible form; distinguish from the apostle James son of Zebedee where relevant in teaching notes). Risk: Low. |
| all the apostles τοῖς ἀποστόλοις πᾶσιν tois apostolois pasin all the apostles | the wider circle of apostles beyond the Twelve ”all the apostles” | Reuses baseline apóstol | todos los apóstoles. Risk: Low (per baseline apostleship). |
Verse 8
“Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me”
| Terms | Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Spanish Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| last of all ἔσχατον eschaton last, at the end | final in a sequence; closes the chain of appearances ”last of all,” “lastly” | Marks Paul’s appearance as the final, closing eyewitness event | por último. Risk: Low. |
| untimely born ἔκτρωμα ektrōma miscarried/aborted fetus, one born abnormally/prematurely | a violent, abrupt, or premature birth — a term of self-abasement ”untimely born,” “as one abnormally born,” “as to one born at the wrong time” | Paul’s self-description as an unlikely, abrupt, undeserving addition to the apostolic company (echoes vv.9-10) | como a un abortivo / como a uno nacido fuera de tiempo. Risk: Medium. This is a vivid, harsh self-abasement image; a flattened rendering (“de manera inesperada”) loses the force of Paul’s humility motif that flows directly into v.9’s “least of the apostles.” Preserve the startling image while keeping register appropriate. |
Verse 9
“For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God”
| Terms | Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Spanish Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| least ἐλάχιστος elachistos smallest, least | superlative of “small”; lowest-ranked ”least,” “smallest” | Paul’s genuine self-assessment relative to the other apostles | el más pequeño / el menor. Risk: Low. |
| unworthy/unfit οὐκ ἱκανός ouk hikanos not sufficient, not fit | adequate, qualified, worthy ”unworthy,” “not fit,” “not qualified” | Paul disclaims personal worthiness for apostleship apart from grace (sets up v.10) | no soy digno / no soy apto. Risk: Low-Medium. Must connect logically to v.10’s “by the grace of God” — the unworthiness is real, resolved only by grace, not self-effort. |
| called καλεῖσθαι kaleisthai to be called | reuses baseline called/calling vocabulary”to be called” | Being named/designated an apostle | ser llamado. Reuses baseline llamado. Risk: High (per baseline divine_calling). |
| persecuted ἐδίωξα ediōxa pursued, persecuted | hostile pursuit to harm ”persecuted,” “pursued” | Paul’s pre-conversion hostility toward the church (Acts 9) — heightens the wonder of grace | perseguí. Risk: Low. |
| church of God τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ θεοῦ tēn ekklēsian tou theou the assembly of God | reuses baseline church”the church of God” | The gathered new-covenant people, not a building or institution | la iglesia de Dios. Reuses baseline iglesia (lowercase, per baseline forbidden-substitution rule against capitalized institutional “la Iglesia”). Risk: Medium (per baseline church_as_gods_people). |
Verse 10
“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than all of them, though it was not I, myself, but the grace of God that is with me”
| Terms | Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Spanish Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| grace of God χάριτι θεοῦ / ἡ χάρις [τοῦ θεοῦ] chariti theou by the grace of God | unmerited favor, repeated three times in one verse for emphasis ”grace of God,” “God’s grace” | Grace is the sole efficient cause of Paul’s transformation from persecutor to laboring apostle — the theological crux of the whole verse | la gracia de Dios. Reuses baseline gracia. Risk: High (per baseline grace) — this verse is a prime teaching text for grace vs. merit: “not I, but the grace of God” must never be softened toward “grace helped me achieve it,” which would reintroduce a cooperation-with-merit framing the baseline explicitly guards against. |
| what I am ὅ εἰμι ho eimi what I am | identity/status, not merely activity ”what I am” | Paul’s entire identity as apostle is grace-constituted | lo que soy. Risk: Low. |
| not in vain οὐ κενή ou kenē not empty | without effect, fruitless ”not in vain,” “not without effect” | Grace received actually produced real fruit (labor) — grace is effectual, not merely potential | no fue en vano. Risk: Medium. Must not be read as implying grace needed Paul’s effort to “become” effective; grace’s effectuality is affirmed, not grace’s dependency on effort. |
| worked harder περισσότερον … ἐκοπίασα perissoteron ekopiasa I labored more abundantly | toiled, worked to exhaustion ”worked harder,” “labored more” | Genuine apostolic labor, but immediately re-attributed to grace in the clause that follows | trabajé más. Risk: Low. |
| not I, but the grace of God οὐκ ἐγὼ δὲ ἀλλὰ ἡ χάρις τοῦ θεοῦ ouk egō de alla hē charis tou theou not I but the grace of God | strong contrastive negation; grace as the true agent behind apparent human effort ”not I, but grace,” “it was not I but the grace of God” | The interpretive key of the verse: grace, not Paul, is the acting subject — the same grace/works antithesis central to Romans 4 and 11:5-6 | no yo, sino la gracia de Dios. Risk: High (per baseline grace/works contrast rule) — flag for theologian review per the baseline’s validation rule: “Grace-merit distinction… verify contrast is preserved.” |
Verse 11
“Whether then it was I or they, so we preach, and so you believed”
| Terms | Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Spanish Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| preach κηρύσσομεν kēryssomen we proclaim, we herald | authoritative public proclamation (herald’s announcement) “preach,” “proclaim” | The unified apostolic message — Paul’s or the other apostles’, it is one and the same gospel content | predicamos / proclamamos. Risk: Medium. Tie explicitly to the fixed gospel content of vv.3-5, reinforcing unity of apostolic testimony (also anticipates the unity-vs-factionalism theme of chs. 1-4). |
| believed ἐπιστεύσατε episteusate you believed | reuses baseline faith”believed” | The Corinthians’ faith rests on this apostolic, unified, historically-anchored gospel | creísteis / creyeron. Reuses baseline fe-family vocabulary. Risk: High (per baseline faith). |
PART 2 — Chapter-by-Chapter Study of the Whole Book
Chapter 1 — Christian Unity vs. Factionalism; The Cross as Wisdom and Power (introduction)
| Term | Original/Translit | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Spanish Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| called (saints) | κλητοῖς ἁγίοις — klētois hagiois | called holy ones | reuses baseline called+saints | ”called to be saints” | 1:2 repeats Romans 1:7’s exact formula: every believer at Corinth (a notoriously flawed church!) is designated “santo” | llamados a ser santos. Reuses baseline llamado and santos. Risk: Critical (per baseline sainthood) — the same explanatory note required in Romans 1:7 applies here with added force: this is a divided, immature, scandal-ridden church, yet still corporately “santos” — teach that sainthood is positional/vocational, not a reward for good behavior, precisely because 1 Corinthians shows saints behaving badly. |
| division/schism | σχίσμα — schisma | a tear, a split | a rend in cloth (literal); factional split in a group | ”division,” “dissension,” “schism” | 1:10-13; the presenting problem of the letter — rival loyalty groups within one church | división. Risk: Medium. Note: avoid the loaded ecclesiastical-historical term “esquisma” (used for major church-historical schisms like East-West 1054 or the Reformation itself) as the default rendering, since it could import unintended historical baggage; “división” keeps the register at the level of intra-congregational strife Paul is addressing. |
| strife/quarrels | ἔρις — eris | strife, contention | rivalry, discord | ”quarreling,” “strife,” “contentions” | 1:11; concrete evidence of the schisma — reported quarrels among Corinthian factions | contiendas / disensiones. Risk: Low. |
| wisdom | σοφία — sophia | wisdom | human wisdom/rhetorical skill vs. God’s wisdom revealed in the cross | ”wisdom” | 1:17-25; the letter’s central paradox: what the world calls foolish (a crucified Messiah) is in fact God’s wisdom | sabiduría. Risk: Medium. Must be tracked in careful antithesis with “locura” (foolishness) across 1:18-2:16; a flattened translation that loses the rhetorical contrast weakens the doctrine “The Cross as Wisdom and Power.” |
| foolishness | μωρία — mōria | foolishness, folly | that which appears absurd/nonsensical | ”foolishness,” “folly” | 1:18-25; the cross appears foolish to those without the Spirit, yet is in fact God’s power and wisdom | locura. Risk: Medium. Preserve the paradox (μωρία τοῦ θεοῦ, “the foolishness of God,” 1:25) rather than smoothing it into a less provocative phrase. |
| cross | σταυρός — stauros | execution stake, cross | instrument of Roman capital punishment; by metonymy, Christ’s crucifixion and its saving significance | ”cross,” “the cross,” “crucifixion” | 1:17-18; “the word of the cross” (ὁ λόγος τοῦ σταυροῦ) is shorthand for the whole gospel message of a crucified and risen Messiah | cruz. Risk: High. In Catholic-majority Hispanic culture, “la cruz” carries extremely strong devotional and popular-piety associations (crucifix veneration, Stations of the Cross processions, protective use of the sign of the cross, cruz as a talisman/protective symbol worn or displayed). Teaching must recover Paul’s specific rhetorical point — a scandalous instrument of shameful execution is, paradoxically, the very locus of God’s saving power and wisdom — rather than letting “cruz” default to a generic devotional or protective religious object. |
| power of God | δύναμις θεοῦ — dynamis theou | reuses baseline power_of_god | ”power of God” | 1:18, 24; the cross, not merely the miraculous, is where God’s power for salvation is displayed | poder de Dios. Reuses baseline poder de Dios. Risk: Medium (per baseline), with the added contextual note that here God’s power is specifically located in the cross’s apparent weakness (1:25, 27), a rhetorical structure worth flagging alongside power_of_god. | |
| Lord (calling on the name) | κύριος — kyrios | reuses baseline lord | ”Lord” | 1:2, 1:9; “our Lord Jesus Christ” — exclusive lordship confession, foundational to the letter’s opening | Señor. Reuses baseline Señor. Risk: Critical (per baseline lordship_of_christ). | |
| fellowship | κοινωνία — koinōnia | reuses baseline fellowship | ”fellowship” | 1:9; “fellowship of his Son” — shared participatory union with Christ, a theme that resurfaces in 10:16 with Eucharistic weight | compañerismo (contextual comunión permitted per baseline note). Risk: Low here; flagged High later at 10:16-17 and 11:24-26 where κοινωνία intersects the Lord’s Supper. | |
| boasting | καυχάομαι — kauchaomai | to boast | to take pride in, glory in | ”boast,” “boasting” | 1:29, 31; “let no one boast… let him boast in the Lord” — reorients the ground of legitimate pride away from human wisdom/status | gloriarse / jactarse. Risk: Low-Medium. Distinguish “boasting in the Lord” (legitimate) from self-boasting (rejected); a single flat verb should not collapse this distinction. |
Chapter 2 — The Cross as Wisdom and Power (continued); Spirit-given discernment
| Term | Original/Translit | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Spanish Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| spiritual person | πνευματικός — pneumatikos | pertaining to the Spirit | Spirit-indwelt, Spirit-discerning person | ”spiritual person,” “the one who is spiritual” | 2:15; one who has the Spirit and can discern spiritual truth, contrasted with the ψυχικός below | espiritual. Risk: Medium. In charismatic/Pentecostal-influenced Hispanic contexts “espiritual” can be read as a claim to special supernatural experience rather than Paul’s simpler point of Spirit-given discernment of gospel truth; teach the distinction explicitly. |
| natural person | ψυχικός — psychikos | pertaining to the soul/natural life | unregenerate, without the Spirit; NOT “psychological” in the modern sense | ”natural person,” “the unspiritual person,” “the man without the Spirit” | 2:14; cannot receive/understand spiritual truths because lacking the Spirit | hombre natural / persona no espiritual. Risk: Medium-High. False-cognate risk: modern Spanish readers may associate the root (“psico-”) with psychology/emotional states rather than Paul’s meaning of “unregenerate, without the Spirit.” Must be explicitly glossed, not left as a bare cognate rendering. |
| mind of Christ | νοῦς Χριστοῦ — nous Christou | mind, understanding of Christ | Christ’s own perspective/understanding, given to believers | ”mind of Christ” | 2:16; believers, taught by the Spirit, share Christ’s own discernment | la mente de Cristo. Risk: Low. |
| mystery | μυστήριον — mystērion | that which is hidden, now revealed | a previously hidden divine plan now disclosed by revelation, not an esoteric secret for initiates | ”mystery,” “hidden wisdom” | 2:1, 7; “God’s wisdom in a mystery” — the gospel as a plan long hidden and now revealed in Christ | misterio. Risk: High. In Catholic tradition “misterio” is strongly associated with the “misterios” of the rosary and sacramental “misterios” (transubstantiation, etc.) — a fixed devotional catalogue. Paul’s sense (a hidden divine plan now fully disclosed to all believers through the Spirit, not an esoteric or sacramentally-mediated secret) must be taught explicitly against that devotional backdrop; recurs at 4:1, 13:2, 14:2, 15:51. |
Chapter 3 — Christian Unity vs. Factionalism (continued)
| Term | Original/Translit | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Spanish Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| carnal/fleshly | σαρκικός — sarkikos | belonging to the flesh | immature, worldly-minded, governed by the flesh rather than the Spirit | ”carnal,” “fleshly,” “worldly” | 3:1-3; describes the Corinthians’ factionalism as spiritual immaturity, not mere social preference | carnal. Risk: Medium. Avoid a purely moralistic reading (sensual sin only); Paul’s point is immaturity/worldly-mindedness evidenced specifically by factional loyalty to human leaders. |
| temple of God | ναὸς θεοῦ — naos theou | sanctuary/inner shrine of God | the holy dwelling place of deity | ”temple of God,” “God’s temple” | 3:16-17; the whole Corinthian church corporately is God’s dwelling place, indwelt by the Spirit — a claim used to warn against destroying the church through division | templo de Dios. Risk: High. In everyday Spanish usage “templo” is a common synonym for a physical church building (cf. “el templo parroquial”). Must be taught explicitly that Paul means the gathered community of believers, not a building — the same building/institution collapse the baseline flags for iglesia applies here with greater force, since “templo” evokes sacred physical space even more strongly. |
| reward | μισθός — misthos | wages, reward | payment due for labor; here, an eschatological reward for faithful ministry | ”reward,” “wages” | 3:8, 14; ministers will receive reward for building faithfully on the one foundation (Christ) | recompensa. Risk: Low-Medium. Distinguish from earning salvation itself (which is never in view here) — the reward is for quality of ministry, not for meriting justification; keep this passage from bleeding into the baseline’s grace/merit cautions regarding salvation itself. |
Chapter 4 — Christian Unity vs. Factionalism (continued); apostolic humility
| Term | Original/Translit | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Spanish Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| steward | οἰκονόμος — oikonomos | household manager | one entrusted with managing another’s household/resources | ”steward,” “manager” | 4:1-2; apostles are stewards of “the mysteries of God,” accountable to God, not to Corinthian factional approval | administrador / mayordomo. Risk: Low. |
| servant | ὑπηρέτης — hypēretēs | under-rower, attendant, servant | subordinate assistant | ”servant,” “assistant” | 4:1; Paul’s self-description reinforces ministerial humility, countering factional hero-worship of individual leaders | servidor / siervo. Risk: Low. |
| judge | κρίνω — krinō | to judge, decide | to evaluate, assess, pass judgment | ”judge,” “examine” | 4:3-5; Paul defers ultimate evaluation of his ministry to the Lord’s future judgment, not Corinthian factions’ present opinions | juzgar. Risk: Low. |
Chapter 5 — Church Discipline and Holiness
| Term | Original/Translit | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Spanish Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| sexual immorality | πορνεία — porneia | prostitution, sexual sin | any sexual immorality outside God’s design for marriage, broader than English “fornication” (includes here a case of incest) | “sexual immorality,” “fornication,” “sexual sin” | 5:1; the specific scandal (a man with his father’s wife) that Paul commands the church to address through discipline | inmoralidad sexual. Alternative “fornicación” (traditional Reina-Valera rendering) noted but flagged as narrower than πορνεία’s actual scope in this passage (which includes incest, not just premarital relations); recommend “inmoralidad sexual” as the primary Language Package term for πορνεία going forward, with “fornicación” retained only where a narrower RV-style quotation is needed. Risk: Medium. |
| leaven | ζύμη — zymē | yeast, leaven | fermenting agent; metaphor (from Passover/unleavened bread imagery) for corrupting influence that spreads | ”leaven,” “yeast” | 5:6-8; unaddressed sin corrupts the whole community, as leaven spreads through dough — tied to Passover typology (Christ as Paschal lamb) | levadura. Risk: Low-Medium. Requires a brief Passover/unleavened-bread background note for readers unfamiliar with the OT festival calendar; the metaphor itself translates cleanly. |
| hand over (to Satan) | παραδοῦναι τῷ Σατανᾷ — paradounai tō Satana | to hand over to Satan | disciplinary exclusion from the church’s protective fellowship, exposing the offender to the sphere outside the church’s covering, for the goal of eventual repentance/restoration | ”deliver… to Satan,” “hand over to Satan” | 5:5; formal church discipline — expulsion from fellowship as a severe, restorative (not merely punitive) measure | entregar a Satanás. Risk: High. Same root verb as the “delivered” of 15:3, but here in a wholly different, disciplinary sense — translators and teachers must never let the technical tradition-transmission sense of 15:3 bleed into this verse’s severe act of church discipline, or vice versa; a translator note flagging the polysemy is required at both occurrences. |
| purge/cleanse | ἐκκαθάρατε — ekkatharate | cleanse out, purge out | to remove something impure/corrupting entirely | ”cleanse out,” “purge,” “get rid of” | 5:7, 13; removing the corrupting influence to preserve the church’s holiness | limpiaos / expulsad. Risk: Low. |
Chapter 6 — Church Discipline and Holiness (continued); the body as temple
| Term | Original/Translit | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Spanish Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| temple of the Holy Spirit | ναὸς τοῦ ἐν ὑμῖν ἁγίου πνεύματος — naos tou en hymin hagiou pneumatos | temple of the Holy Spirit within you | the individual believer’s body as the Spirit’s dwelling place (parallel/complement to 3:16’s corporate temple) | “temple of the Holy Spirit” | 6:19; grounds the ethical appeal against sexual immorality in the Spirit’s indwelling of the individual believer’s body | templo del Espíritu Santo. Risk: High (same “templo”-as-building risk noted at 3:16, applied here to the individual body). Reuses baseline Espíritu Santo. Must teach clearly that this is the individual believer’s body, distinct from the corporate-church sense of 3:16 — two related but distinct applications of the same metaphor. |
| bought with a price | ἠγοράσθητε τιμῆς — ēgorasthēte timēs | you were bought for a price | redemption/purchase imagery (marketplace/slave-purchase metaphor) | “bought with a price,” “purchased” | 6:20; believers belong to God because Christ purchased them — grounds bodily holiness in redemption, not self-ownership | fuisteis comprados por un precio. Risk: Medium. Related to, but distinct from, the baseline’s salvation/justification entries; ensure the redemption-purchase metaphor is not confused with a commercial transaction devoid of grace — the “price” is Christ’s own sacrificial death, not a merit-earning payment by the believer. |
| glorify God (in the body) | δοξάσατε [τὸν θεόν] — doxasate [ton theon] | glorify God | reuses baseline glory | ”glorify God” | 6:20; the practical aim of bodily holiness | glorificad a Dios. Reuses baseline gloria-family vocabulary. Risk: Low-Medium. |
Chapter 7 — Marriage and Singleness
| Term | Original/Translit | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Spanish Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| marriage | γάμος — gamos | wedding, marriage | the marital union/institution | ”marriage” | 7:1-9 and throughout; addresses marriage as a good gift, not a lesser concession | matrimonio. Risk: Low. |
| unmarried/single | ἄγαμος — agamos | unmarried | the state of being unmarried, whether never-married or widowed | ”unmarried,” “single” | 7:8, 11, 32-34; Paul commends singleness as a legitimate, even advantageous, calling for undivided devotion to the Lord | soltero / soltera. Risk: High. In Catholic-majority Hispanic culture, sustained voluntary singleness for the sake of devotion to God is culturally coded almost exclusively as vocación religiosa (call to priesthood/consecrated religious life) rather than as an option for ordinary lay believers. Per the baseline’s caution on “vocación,” this chapter’s teaching that any believer may be called to single devotion to the Lord — not only those entering formal religious orders — must be taught explicitly, using llamado (per baseline) rather than “vocación,” to avoid the reader assuming Paul is describing priesthood/convent life. |
| virgin | παρθένος — parthenos | virgin, unmarried woman | a woman (or in some NT usage, more broadly a person) who has not been married/has not had sexual relations | ”virgin,” “unmarried woman” | 7:25-38; Paul’s specific counsel to unmarried women (and, in some readings, engaged couples) regarding marriage in light of “the present distress” | virgen. Risk: Critical. Across the entire Spanish-speaking world, “la Virgen” is overwhelmingly the title of Mary (la Virgen María, la Virgen de Guadalupe, la Virgen de Guadalupe/del Carmen/de Fátima, etc.) — one of the single most culturally loaded words in Hispanic religious vocabulary. Rendering 1 Corinthians 7’s “παρθένος” as “virgen” risks an immediate, unintended Marian association in the reader’s mind. This term requires an explicit clarifying gloss every time it occurs in this chapter (“la mujer soltera que no se ha casado,” or “virgen” always paired with a contextual note that Paul is addressing unmarried Christian women in general, not referring to Mary). Human theologian review required for every occurrence. |
| self-control | ἐγκράτεια — enkrateia | self-mastery, self-control | inward mastery over one’s desires, including sexual desire | ”self-control,” “self-mastery” | 7:5, 9 (cf. also 9:25); the ability (or lack thereof) to remain single without falling into sin | dominio propio. Risk: Low-Medium. |
| gift | χάρισμα — charisma | grace-gift | reuses baseline spiritual_gifts term but applied here to one’s state of life (married or single) rather than a ministry enablement | ”gift” | 7:7; Paul describes both marriage and singleness as varieties of God’s charisma given to different individuals | don. Note: distinct application from the corporate ministry “dones espirituales” of chs. 12-14, though the same Greek root; a brief note distinguishing the two uses is recommended. Risk: Medium. |
| sanctified (mixed marriage) | ἡγίασται — hēgiastai | has been sanctified/made holy | reuses baseline sanctification/holy | ”is sanctified,” “is made holy” | 7:14; the unusual claim that an unbelieving spouse/children are “sanctified” through the believing spouse in some qualified sense | santificado/a. Reuses baseline santificación/santo. Risk: High (per baseline sanctification) — must not be misread as implying automatic salvation of the unbelieving spouse or children; this is a qualified, relational/positional sense distinct from personal saving faith, and requires explicit teaching. |
Chapter 8 — Christian Liberty and Idol Meat (introduction)
| Term | Original/Translit | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Spanish Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| food sacrificed to idols | εἰδωλόθυτον — eidōlothyton | idol-sacrificed thing | meat previously offered in pagan temple ritual, later sold in the marketplace | ”food sacrificed to idols,” “idol meat” | 8:1-13; the presenting ethical question — may believers eat meat with this ritual history? | carne sacrificada a los ídolos. Risk: High. In contemporary Latin America and especially the Caribbean, ritual food offerings to spiritual beings remain a live practice (offerings to orishas in Santería, spirit offerings in Espiritismo, syncretistic folk-Catholic saint offerings). This is not merely an ancient-world curiosity for these readers; teach the underlying principle (liberty of conscience balanced by love for the weaker believer) with explicit awareness that some learners’ own extended families may practice analogous food-offering rituals today. |
| idol | εἴδωλον — eidōlon | image, likeness; a false god represented by an image | an object of pagan worship — “nothing” ontologically, yet spiritually dangerous when engaged in worship | ”idol” | 8:4-7; “an idol has no real existence,” yet eating “as in a temple” can still wound the conscience of a weaker believer | ídolo. Risk: High. Requires careful handling in a Catholic-majority context where Protestant polemics have sometimes labeled Catholic veneration of images/statues of saints and the Virgin as “idolatry.” This curriculum must teach Paul’s actual point (idols have no real divine power; the danger is in the worship directed to a false god, and in wounding weaker consciences) without turning the lesson into inter-tradition polemic against Catholic devotional images as such — a distinction requiring careful, non-inflammatory teaching notes. |
| conscience | συνείδησις — syneidēsis | co-knowledge, moral awareness | inner moral faculty that approves or condemns one’s own actions | ”conscience” | 8:7, 10, 12; the “weaker” believer’s conscience can be wounded by another’s liberty | conciencia. Risk: Medium. Standard term; ensure it is not read as mere cultural sensitivity/etiquette but as a genuine moral-spiritual faculty that can be defiled. |
| right/liberty | ἐξουσία — exousia | authority, right, power | a legitimate right or freedom one possesses; elsewhere in the NT, “authority" | "right,” “liberty,” “authority” | 8:9; “take care that this right of yours does not become a stumbling block” — introduces the doctrine of Christian liberty, developed through ch. 10 | derecho / libertad. Risk: Medium. This is the anchor term for the doctrine “Christian Liberty and Idol Meat”; must be distinguished from unrestrained license — liberty is real but voluntarily limited by love. |
| stumbling block | πρόσκομμα — proskomma | a thing struck against; obstacle | cause of another’s fall into sin | ”stumbling block,” “obstacle” | 8:9, 13; the limiting principle on the exercise of liberty | piedra de tropiezo / obstáculo. Risk: Low. |
Chapter 9 — Christian Liberty (Paul’s example); apostolic rights forgone
| Term | Original/Translit | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Spanish Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| right | ἐξουσία — exousia | (reuses ch.8 term) | “right” | 9:4-18; Paul illustrates voluntarily forgoing his own legitimate apostolic rights (to material support) for the gospel’s sake | derecho. Reuses ch.8 entry. Risk: Medium (same as above). | |
| race/contest | ἀγών / τρέχω — agōn / trechō | contest, race; to run | athletic competition imagery (stadium games) | “race,” “contest,” “run” | 9:24-27; disciplined self-training for an imperishable prize, applied to Christian perseverance | carrera. Risk: Low. |
| disqualified | ἀδόκιμος — adokimos | disapproved, failing the test | rejected after testing | ”disqualified,” “rejected” | 9:27; Paul’s concern for his own perseverance in ministry integrity — a warning, not a statement about the security of salvation itself, which must be taught carefully alongside baseline assurance_of_salvation | descalificado. Risk: Medium-High. Must not be taught as contradicting the baseline’s assurance_of_salvation doctrine; this verse addresses disqualification from effective ministry/reward through personal disintegrity, not the loss of salvation itself — a distinction requiring careful theological framing. |
Chapter 10 — Christian Liberty and Idol Meat (warnings from Israel’s history); the Lord’s Table
| Term | Original/Translit | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Spanish Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| participation/fellowship | κοινωνία — koinōnia | (reuses baseline fellowship) | “participation,” “fellowship,” “communion” | 10:16-17; “the cup… is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread… a participation in the body of Christ?” — κοινωνία bears real sacramental/participatory weight here | comunión / participación. Reuses baseline compañerismo, contextually rendered comunión per the baseline’s own allowance. Risk: High. Distinct from the general “fellowship” sense of Romans/1 Cor 1:9; here it directly touches the Lord’s Supper doctrine and must be coordinated with the ch.11 Lord’s Supper terms below — flag for theologian review to keep consistent, non-Tridentine, non-merely-symbolic-either framing across both passages. | |
| table of the Lord / table of demons | τράπεζα κυρίου / τράπεζα δαιμονίων — trapeza kyriou / trapeza daimoniōn | the Lord’s table / the demons’ table | a place of ritual participation and allegiance | ”the Lord’s table,” “the table of demons” | 10:21; one cannot share in both — participation in pagan ritual meals is participation with the spiritual realities behind idols | la mesa del Señor / la mesa de los demonios. Risk: Critical. In Afro-Caribbean Espiritismo, the “mesa espiritista” (spiritist table) is a specific, real ritual practice for communing with spirits — an unusually direct and concrete collision between Paul’s own warning and a live regional practice. This is not merely an abstract ancient parallel; teach with the explicit, direct application Paul intends: exclusive allegiance to the Lord’s table precludes any participation, literal or perceived, in spiritist or Santería ritual tables. Human theologian review required. |
| flee (idolatry) | φεύγετε — pheugete | flee! | urgent imperative to escape from danger | ”flee,” “run from” | 10:14; direct pastoral command preceding the table warning | huid. Risk: Low. |
Chapter 11 — Order in Worship (head coverings); The Lord’s Supper (institution)
| Term | Original/Translit | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Spanish Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| head | κεφαλή — kephalē | head (body part); by metaphor, source or authority | ranges between “authority over” and “source/origin of” depending on context — a genuinely disputed semantic range in NT scholarship | ”head” | 11:3; “the head of a wife is her husband… the head of Christ is God” — foundational (and contested) text for the doctrine of order in worship and gender roles | cabeza. Risk: High. The semantic range genuinely disputed (authority vs. source/origin) has direct consequences for how the passage is taught on gender and church order; render literally as “cabeza” (preserving the metaphor, as virtually all Spanish Bible traditions do) but flag every occurrence for human theologian review, since the interpretive choice belongs to teaching notes, not the lexical rendering itself. |
| tradition | παράδοσις — paradosis | that which is handed down | a body of teaching transmitted authoritatively (same root as παραδίδωμι in 11:2, 23; 15:3) | “tradition,” “traditions” | 11:2; “maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you” — apostolic, Scripture-bound instruction | tradición. Risk: High. In Catholic theology, “Tradición” (capitalized, Sacred Tradition) functions as a second authoritative source alongside Scripture, taught by the Magisterium. Paul’s παράδοσις here refers strictly to his own apostolic, Scripture-consistent instruction to this specific church — must be taught as bounded, apostolic, and Scripture-anchored, not equated with the broader Catholic doctrine of ongoing ecclesial Tradition. Connects to baseline’s inspiration_of_scripture caution. |
| the Lord’s Supper | κυριακὸν δεῖπνον — kyriakon deipnon | the Lord’s dinner/supper | the Lord’s own meal, as opposed to a common or self-serving meal | ”the Lord’s Supper” | 11:20; names the sacred meal being abused by the Corinthians’ self-serving practice | la Cena del Señor. Risk: Critical. This is the single most historically fraught doctrine-naming choice in the letter, parallel to justification/imputed_righteousness in Romans. Catholic tradition names this event la Eucaristía / la Santa Comunión, bound to transubstantiation and the re-presentation of Christ’s sacrifice; Reformation-descended traditions use la Cena del Señor, emphasizing remembrance/proclamation (11:24-26) while differing among themselves (Lutheran real presence, Reformed spiritual presence, Baptist/memorial). This Language Package standardizes on la Cena del Señor (paralleling the baseline’s choice of “pacto” over “alianza” for a Protestant/Evangelical-leaning audience) while explicitly NOT teaching against real spiritual presence one way or another beyond what the text itself states; the term “Eucaristía” should be avoided as the primary gloss to prevent importing transubstantiation categories not asserted by the text. Human theologian review required for every occurrence. |
| body / blood | σῶμα / αἷμα — sōma / haima | body / blood | Christ’s own body and blood, given/shed for believers, received in the meal by faith with remembrance | ”body,” “blood” | 11:24-25; “this is my body… this cup is the new covenant in my blood” | cuerpo / sangre. Risk: Critical (same Eucharistic-doctrine sensitivity as above). Must be rendered literally and without added interpretive glosses toward either a strict memorial-only or a transubstantiation reading; let the text’s own words stand, with interpretive nuance confined to teaching notes. |
| remembrance | ἀνάμνησις — anamnesis | remembrance, memorial | an active, participatory recalling/re-presentation, more than mere passive memory | ”remembrance,” “in memory of” | 11:24-25; “do this in remembrance of me” — the church’s ongoing, repeated proclamation of Christ’s death until he comes | memoria / en memoria de. Risk: High. Some traditions read ἀνάμνησις as merely “recalling a past event” (weakening it toward bare memorialism); others as an active “re-presentation.” The Spanish “memoria” is neutral enough to avoid forcing either extreme, but teaching notes must clarify this is a proclamatory, communal act of the gathered church (11:26), not private devotional recollection alone. |
| new covenant | καινὴ διαθήκη — kainē diathēkē | new covenant | reuses baseline covenant (pacto) | “new covenant” | 11:25; ties the Supper explicitly to covenant, echoing Jeremiah 31 and the Last Supper tradition | nuevo pacto. Reuses baseline pacto. Risk: High (per baseline covenant) — note the baseline’s own observation that Catholic tradition prefers “alianza”; this curriculum retains “pacto” per the established Language Package standard. |
| discern the body | διακρίνων τὸ σῶμα — diakrinōn to sōma | discerning/distinguishing the body | to properly recognize/evaluate what the Supper represents (and, in context, likely also the gathered church body, cf. 11:29-30 with 12:12-27) | “discerning the body,” “recognizing the body” | 11:29; unworthy, careless participation (specifically, the Corinthians’ factional, self-indulgent abuse of the meal at the expense of poorer members) brings judgment | discernir el cuerpo. Risk: High. Must be taught in connection with the social/economic abuse Paul is actually condemning (excluding poorer believers, 11:21-22), not reduced to a private, individualistic worthiness-examination detached from the church’s unity — this passage is frequently over-individualized in devotional use. |
| glory (hair covering context) | δόξα — doxa | (reuses baseline glory) | “glory” | 11:7, 15; used of both man and woman, and of hair as a woman’s “glory” | gloria. Reuses baseline. Risk: Low in this specific usage, though the passage as a whole (head coverings, gender order) is culturally sensitive and benefits from native-speaker-level contextualization regarding contemporary head-covering customs. |
Chapter 12 — Spiritual Gifts and the Body of Christ (introduction)
| Term | Original/Translit | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Spanish Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jesus is Lord | Κύριος Ἰησοῦς — Kyrios Iēsous | Lord Jesus | reuses baseline lord; the same confession as Romans 10:9 | ”Jesus is Lord” | 12:3; the Spirit’s own testimony — genuine Spirit-inspired speech will always confess Christ’s lordship, never curse him | Jesús es el Señor. Reuses baseline exactly, per the baseline’s own cross-document consistency rule requiring identical rendering of the Romans 10:9-10 confession wherever it recurs. Risk: Critical (per baseline lordship_of_christ). |
| spiritual gifts | χαρίσματα — charismata | grace-gifts | reuses baseline spiritual_gifts exactly | ”spiritual gifts,” “gifts” | 12:4-11; the Spirit’s enablements distributed for the common good of the church | dones espirituales. Reuses baseline exactly. Risk: Medium (per baseline). |
| manifestation | φανέρωσις — phanerōsis | disclosure, manifestation | outward evidencing of an inward reality | ”manifestation,” “expression” | 12:7; “to each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” | manifestación. Risk: Low. |
| body of Christ | σῶμα Χριστοῦ — sōma Christou | body of Christ | the church as a single, interdependent organism united to Christ | ”body of Christ” | 12:12-27; the central metaphor of the chapter — diverse members, one body, mutual dependence | cuerpo de Cristo. Risk: High. Distinct from, but easily conflated with, both (a) the Eucharistic “cuerpo de Cristo” spoken at Catholic Communion, and (b) the Catholic ecclesiological doctrine of the Church as the “Cuerpo Místico de Cristo” (a formal, developed Magisterial category). Paul’s own point here is more concrete and practical — interdependence of diverse members with diverse gifts, countering both factionalism and gift-based hierarchy — and should be taught on those terms without assuming the reader’s prior “Cuerpo Místico” categories. |
| member | μέλος — melos | limb, body part; by extension, a member of a group | an individual, functioning part of a larger organism | ”member,” “part” | 12:12-27; each believer is an indispensable “member” with a distinct function | miembro. Risk: Low. |
| tongues | γλῶσσαι — glōssai | tongues, languages | Spirit-given utterance, whether known human languages (cf. Acts 2) or, in Paul’s usage here, ecstatic/unknown utterance requiring interpretation | ”tongues,” “languages” | 12:10, 28, 30 (developed further in ch.14); one gift among many, deliberately placed near the bottom of Paul’s illustrative lists in this chapter | lenguas. Risk: High. Contemporary Latin American Pentecostal/Charismatic movements (a very large share of the region’s evangelical population) practice glossolalia; additionally, Afro-Caribbean Espiritismo and Santería trance/possession phenomena involve altered speech states that could be superficially conflated with the gift of tongues by uncatechized readers. Teach with care to distinguish the Spirit-given gift Paul describes (always for edification, always subject to order and interpretation, ch.14) from unrelated spirit-possession trance speech. |
| one Spirit | ἓν πνεῦμα — hen pneuma | reuses baseline holy_spirit | ”one Spirit” | 12:13; the basis of the body’s unity across ethnic/social distinctions (“Jew or Greek, slave or free”) — connects directly to Romans’ unity_of_jews_and_gentiles doctrine | un solo Espíritu. Reuses baseline Espíritu Santo. Risk: Critical (per baseline holy_spirit). |
Chapter 13 — Love as the Greater Way
| Term | Original/Translit | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Spanish Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| love | ἀγάπη — agapē | love | selfless, covenantal, self-giving love, distinct from erōs (romantic desire), philia (friendship affection), and storgē (familial fondness) — Greek’s fourfold distinction has no equivalent in Spanish’s single “amor" | "love,” “charity” (older English tradition, e.g., KJV) | 13:1-13; the “greater way” that must accompany and outlast every spiritual gift — patient, kind, not self-seeking, enduring | amor. Risk: High. Spanish “amor” is a single, extremely broad word covering romantic love, family affection, and friendship alike, heavily colored in popular culture by romantic-love connotations (popular music, telenovelas, Valentine’s Day “amor y amistad” customs in much of Latin America). Paul’s ἀγάπη — patient, self-giving, not romantic or emotional in the first instance — must be taught explicitly against this cultural backdrop; consider the traditional gloss “amor ágape” in teaching materials (not replacing the Bible text’s own “amor,” but as a clarifying pedagogical aid) to mark the distinct theological sense. |
| patient/kind (love’s attributes) | μακροθυμεῖ, χρηστεύεται — makrothymei, chrēsteuetai | is long-suffering, is kind | verbs, not adjectives, in the Greek — love is characterized by sustained action, not a static feeling | ”is patient,” “is kind” | 13:4-7; the extended list of ἀγάπη’s active behaviors | es paciente, es benigna (standard Reina-Valera-style verbal renderings). Risk: Low. |
Chapter 14 — Order in Worship (tongues, prophecy, edification)
| Term | Original/Translit | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Spanish Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| prophecy | προφητεία — reuses baseline prophecy | ”prophecy” | 14:1-5, 24-25, 29-33; here emphasized for its edifying, intelligible, church-building function, contrasted with uninterpreted tongues | profecía. Reuses baseline exactly. Risk: Low per baseline, though contextual note: in 1 Corinthians the doctrinal emphasis is edification/intelligibility rather than the Romans emphasis on OT fulfillment — flag this contextual shift for teaching notes even though the risk tier itself is unchanged. | ||
| tongues | γλῶσσα — reuses ch.12 term | ”tongues” | 14:2-28; regulated for orderly, edifying, interpreted use in public worship | lenguas. Reuses ch.12 entry. Risk: High (same as ch.12). | ||
| interpretation | ἑρμηνεία — hermēneia | interpretation, translation | rendering an unintelligible utterance into intelligible speech | ”interpretation” | 14:13, 26-28; the necessary companion gift to tongues in public worship | interpretación. Risk: Low. |
| edification | οἰκοδομή — oikodomē | building up | reuses baseline mutual_edification doctrine | ”edification,” “building up” | 14:3-5, 12, 26; the controlling criterion for all worship practices in this chapter — “let all things be done for building up” | edificación. Reuses baseline edificación-family vocabulary from mutual_edification. Risk: Low per baseline. |
| order | τάξις (implied by ἀκαταστασία’s negation, and explicit in 14:40) — taxis | order, proper arrangement | orderly sequence, as opposed to chaos/confusion (ἀκαταστασία) | “order,” “in order” | 14:33, 40; “God is not a God of confusion but of peace… let all things be done decently and in order” | orden. Risk: Medium. Anchor term for the doctrine “Order in Worship” — teach as flowing from God’s own character (peace, not confusion), not merely a pragmatic preference for liturgical tidiness. |
| confusion | ἀκαταστασία — akatastasia | instability, disorder | disorder, unruliness, tumult | ”confusion,” “disorder” | 14:33; the negative counterpart to “order,” describing what unregulated simultaneous speech produces | confusión / desorden. Risk: Low. |
Chapter 15 — The Resurrection of Christ and Believers (vv.1-11 treated above; vv.12-58 continued)
(Verses 1-11 receive full verse-by-verse treatment in Part 1 above. The remainder of the chapter is treated here at chapter level.)
| Term | Original/Translit | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Spanish Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| firstfruits | ἀπαρχή — aparchē | first portion of a harvest | the initial installment guaranteeing the full harvest to come | ”firstfruits,” “first fruit” | 15:20, 23; Christ’s resurrection guarantees and previews believers’ future bodily resurrection | primicias. Risk: Medium. Familiar to many Latin American evangelical congregations via tithing/offering teaching (“diezmos y primicias”), which is a helpful cultural bridge, but must be re-anchored here specifically to resurrection guarantee, not financial giving, to avoid an unintended conflation. |
| last Adam / first man Adam | ἔσχατος Ἀδάμ / πρῶτος ἄνθρωπος Ἀδάμ — eschatos Adam / prōtos anthrōpos Adam | last Adam / first man Adam | typological contrast: Adam as head of fallen humanity, Christ as head of redeemed, resurrected humanity | ”last Adam,” “first Adam” | 15:21-22, 45-49; grounds universal death in Adam and universal resurrection hope in Christ | el último Adán / el primer hombre Adán. Reuses established proper name Adán. Risk: Medium. Requires the same OT-background teaching the baseline flags for typological/covenantal passages (cf. baseline’s davidic_covenant note on needing explicit background). |
| spiritual body | σῶμα πνευματικόν — sōma pneumatikon | spiritual body | a real, transformed, physical body animated and empowered fully by the Spirit — NOT an immaterial, ghost-like, or non-physical body | ”spiritual body” | 15:44; describes the resurrection body’s nature, contrasted with the “natural body” (σῶμα ψυχικόν) of this present life | cuerpo espiritual. Risk: High. Directly parallels the baseline’s Caribbean Espiritismo/Santería flag on resurrection: “espiritual” here must not be read as bodiless, ghost-like, or as a “spirit’s return,” which is precisely the confusion the baseline already warns against for ἀνάστασις itself. This is arguably the single highest-stakes phrase in the whole doctrine of bodily resurrection for this destination language and requires explicit, repeated teaching that “spiritual body” means a real, transformed, imperishable body, not a disembodied spirit. |
| imperishable | ἄφθαρτος / ἀφθαρσία — aphthartos / aphtharsia | incorruptible, not subject to decay | permanent, undecaying quality of the resurrection body | ”imperishable,” “incorruptible” | 15:42, 50-54; the resurrection body will never again be subject to decay or death | incorruptible. Risk: Low. |
| victory | νῖκος — nikos | victory | triumph, conquest | ”victory” | 15:54-57; “death is swallowed up in victory… thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” — the chapter’s climactic doxology | victoria. Risk: Low. |
| mystery (resurrection transformation) | μυστήριον — reuses ch.2 term | ”mystery” | 15:51; “Behold, I tell you a mystery” — the sudden transformation of living believers at Christ’s return | misterio. Reuses ch.2 entry and its Critical/High Catholic-devotional-association risk note. Risk: High. |
Chapter 16 — Closing: collection, greetings, benediction
| Term | Original/Translit | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Spanish Rendering & Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| collection | λογεία — logeia | collection (of money) | a gathered financial offering | ”collection,” “offering” | 16:1-2; the collection for the Jerusalem believers — practical outworking of cross-congregational unity and love (connects to chs.1-4’s unity theme and ch.13’s love theme) | colecta / ofrenda. Risk: Low. |
| holy kiss | ἅγιον φίλημα — hagion philēma | holy kiss | a customary greeting of familial/church affection, ritually “holy” (set apart) in tone though not itself a sacrament | ”holy kiss” | 16:20; standard apostolic epistolary closing convention, expressing genuine familial affection among believers | beso santo. Risk: Low-Medium. Cultural note: cheek-kiss greetings are already common social custom in much of the Hispanic world, which can helpfully or unhelpfully flatten the term’s set-apart, “family of God” significance into a merely generic social greeting — worth a brief clarifying note. |
| Maranatha | Μαρανα θά — Marana tha | Aramaic: “Our Lord, come!“ | an eschatological prayer/exclamation, preserved untranslated (parallel to the baseline’s treatment of “Abba”) | “Maranatha,” “Our Lord, come” | 16:22; a primitive eschatological confession expressing longing for Christ’s return | Marana ta (retained as transliteration, per the same principle the baseline applies to “Abba, Padre” — preserve the Aramaic rather than translating it away; gloss with “¡Ven, Señor nuestro!” in a footnote). Risk: Medium. |
| grace (closing benediction) | ἡ χάρις τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ — hē charis tou kyriou Iēsou | reuses baseline grace | ”the grace of the Lord Jesus” | 16:23; standard Pauline epistolary benediction | la gracia del Señor Jesús. Reuses baseline gracia and Señor. Risk: High (per baseline grace); Critical (per baseline lordship_of_christ). |
Summary of New (non-baseline) Terms Requiring Language Package Extension
The following terms are newly introduced by 1 Corinthians and are not present in the Romans baseline translation_memory.json. They are compiled with full detail in 08_core_glossary.md for formal addition to the Language Package: schisma (división), eris (contienda), sophia (sabiduría), mōria (locura), stauros (cruz), pneumatikos/psychikos (espiritual/hombre natural), sarkikos (carnal), naos (templo), oikonomos (administrador), porneia (inmoralidad sexual), the disciplinary sense of paradidomi (entregar a Satanás), zymē (levadura), gamos (matrimonio), agamos (soltero/a), parthenos (virgen), enkrateia (dominio propio), eidōlothyton (carne sacrificada a los ídolos), eidōlon (ídolo), syneidēsis (conciencia), exousia (derecho/libertad), trapeza kyriou/daimoniōn (mesa del Señor/de los demonios), kephalē (cabeza), paradosis (tradición), kyriakon deipnon (la Cena del Señor), anamnesis (memoria/recuerdo), diakrinōn to sōma (discernir el cuerpo), sōma Christou (cuerpo de Cristo), melos (miembro), glōssa (lenguas), hermēneia (interpretación), taxis (orden), akatastasia (confusión), agapē (amor), aparchē (primicias), sōma pneumatikon (cuerpo espiritual), aphthartos (incorruptible), nikos (victoria), logeia (colecta), hagion philēma (beso santo), Marana tha (Marana ta), and mystērion (misterio).
All other terms in 1 Corinthians (evangelio, gracia, fe, justicia, justificación, salvación, apóstol, llamado, santo/santos, santificación, iglesia, Dios, Jesús, Señor, Espíritu Santo, Padre, pacto, gloria, poder de Dios, dones espirituales, profecía, compañerismo, reino de Dios, ley, pecado) reuse the Romans baseline renderings and risk tiers exactly, per the hard rule that established term renderings must be reused without alteration.