Semantic Analysis: James (Full Book, Koine Greek)

Method and Baseline Compliance

This analysis examines the Letter of James in the original Koine Greek, chapter 1 through chapter 5, with the core passage (James 2:14-26) receiving full verse-by-verse treatment. Every other chapter receives chapter-level treatment of its load-bearing theological terms, using identical fields: original word, transliteration, literal meaning, semantic range, English variants, contextual theological meaning, and destination-language (Spanish) rendering risk.

Where a term already exists in the baseline Romans Language Package (translation_memory.json / bible_term_registry.json), the established Spanish rendering is reused exactly and is marked [BASELINE REUSE]. New terms introduced by James receive a proposed rendering, a risk tier consistent with the baseline’s Critical/High/Medium/Low framework, and grounded notes on Spanish-Catholic and broader Hispanophone cultural collision risk. All new term assignments in this document feed analysis/08_core_glossary.md and are candidates for insertion into translation_memory.json in a later phase.

James is written in relatively unpolished but vivid Koine Greek, dense with imperatives, imagery from nature and commerce, and direct address (“my brothers”). Its argument is structurally different from Romans: where Romans builds a sustained forensic argument about justification, James is a wisdom-paraenetic letter testing whether professed faith produces visible fruit. This creates a specific, well-documented translation tension with Romans-derived vocabulary (especially δικαιόω/δικαιοσύνη) that must be flagged carefully rather than harmonized away.

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PART 1 — CORE PASSAGE VERSE-BY-VERSE: JAMES 2:14-26

This is the curriculum’s theological anchor and the single most doctrinally contested passage in the book, because it appears — in isolated English or Spanish translation — to teach justification by works, directly beside Romans 4’s and the baseline’s “justicia imputada” (imputed righteousness) teaching. Every verse below is treated individually.

James 2:14

Field	Detail
Original	τί τὸ ὄφελος, ἀδελφοί μου, ἐὰν πίστιν λέγῃ τις ἔχειν, ἔργα δὲ μὴ ἔχῃ; μὴ δύναται ἡ πίστις σῶσαι αὐτόν;
Load-bearing term 1	ὄφελος (ophelos)
Transliteration	ophelos
Literal meaning	profit, benefit, use
Semantic range	commercial/practical gain; rhetorical “what good is it”
English variants	”what good,” “what use,” “what profit”
Contextual theological meaning	Opens a rhetorical diatribe (a teaching style also found in Romans 3-9) questioning the practical value of a faith-claim with no visible fruit. Not questioning faith’s existence but its inertness.
Spanish rendering risk	”provecho” / “de qué le sirve” — Low risk; standard idiom.
Load-bearing term 2	πίστις (pistis)
Transliteration	pistis
Literal meaning	trust, faithfulness, conviction
Semantic range	(a) intellectual assent/belief; (b) personal trust/reliance; (c) faithfulness/fidelity as a character trait
English variants	”faith,” “belief”
Contextual theological meaning	James is examining a claimed faith (πίστιν λέγῃ τις ἔχειν — “if someone says he has faith”) that produces no works — i.e., mere intellectual assent divorced from trust that reorders one’s life. [BASELINE REUSE: fe]
Spanish rendering risk	High. “fe” is correct and required by the baseline, but this verse is the doorway into the passage most likely to be quoted by Catholic catechesis as biblical warrant against “sola fide” (justification by faith alone). Teaching notes must clarify James is not contradicting Paul’s forensic doctrine (Romans 3-4) but exposing a counterfeit, fruitless profession of faith.
Load-bearing term 3	ἔργα (erga)
Transliteration	erga
Literal meaning	works, deeds, actions
Semantic range	deeds done, whether moral/ethical acts, ritual observances, or (in Paul) law-keeping as a basis of merit
English variants	”works,” “deeds,” “actions”
Contextual theological meaning	In James, ἔργα denotes the visible, active outworking of genuine faith (caring for the needy, obeying God’s word) — not meritorious law-observance earning salvation, which is Paul’s target concept in Romans 3-4 and Galatians. Different referents, same lexeme.
Spanish rendering risk	CRITICAL — new term, not in baseline. Render “obras.” Because the baseline’s Romans package trains reviewers to treat “obras/works” as the category opposed to grace (Romans 4:4-5, 11:5-6), the identical Spanish word “obras” recurring in James 2 with an approving sense creates the single highest cross-document consistency risk in this curriculum. Every occurrence requires a translator note distinguishing James’s “obras” (the observable fruit that authenticates living faith) from the “obras” Paul excludes as the ground of justification (meritorious law-works). See doctrine entry “Faith and Works” in doctrine_risk_registry.json (to be extended).
Load-bearing term 4	σῶσαι (sōsai, from σῴζω sōzō)
Transliteration	sōzō
Literal meaning	to save, rescue, deliver, heal
Semantic range	deliverance from physical danger/illness; ultimate/eschatological salvation
English variants	”save,” “rescue,” “heal”
Contextual theological meaning	Rhetorical: can a fruitless, merely-verbal faith rescue anyone in the ultimate sense? James’s question presumes it cannot — a dead faith saves no one. [BASELINE REUSE: root shared with “salvación”/“salvar”]
Spanish rendering risk	Critical, matching baseline “salvación” risk tier — must not be read as “will this faith earn him merit,” but “does this kind of faith (inert, fruitless) actually accomplish the rescue it claims.”

James 2:15-16

Field	Detail
Original	ἐὰν ἀδελφὸς ἢ ἀδελφὴ γυμνοὶ ὑπάρχωσιν καὶ λειπόμενοι τῆς ἐφημέρου τροφῆς… ὑπάγετε ἐν εἰρήνῃ, θερμαίνεσθε καὶ χορτάζεσθε
Load-bearing term 1	γυμνός (gymnos)
Transliteration	gymnos
Semantic range	literal nakedness; inadequate clothing/destitution
English variants	”naked,” “without clothes,” “ill-clad”
Contextual theological meaning	Concrete, bodily need — James grounds the “Faith and Works” argument in tangible material poverty, not abstraction. Connects directly to the “Favoritism and the Poor” doctrine (2:1-13, immediately preceding).
Spanish rendering risk	”desnudo” / “sin ropa” — Low risk, direct.
Load-bearing term 2	εἰρήνῃ (eirēnē, dative)
Load-bearing term 3	χρεία (chreia, v.16 “τὰ ἐπιτήδεια τοῦ σώματος”) — need

James 2:17

Field	Detail
Original	οὕτως καὶ ἡ πίστις, ἐὰν μὴ ἔχῃ ἔργα, νεκρά ἐστιν καθ’ ἑαυτήν.
Load-bearing term	νεκρά (nekra, from νεκρός nekros)
Transliteration	nekros
Literal meaning	dead, lifeless, corpse-like
Semantic range	physical death; figurative lifelessness/inactivity; spiritual deadness (cf. Romans 6:11 “dead to sin,” Ephesians 2:1 “dead in trespasses”)
English variants	”dead,” “lifeless,” “useless”
Contextual theological meaning	This is the thesis-sentence of the whole core passage: faith with no works is not weak faith or immature faith but dead faith — i.e., no living faith at all, only its corpse. James is not describing two categories of genuine faith (one fruitful, one fruitless); he is describing genuine faith versus counterfeit.
Spanish rendering risk	Critical. “muerta” is the only faithful rendering; any softening (e.g., “incompleta,” “débil,” “en desarrollo” — “incomplete,” “weak,” “developing”) would misrepresent James’s stark antithesis and must be explicitly forbidden in the Phase 2 instruction set, parallel to the baseline’s forbidden-substitution list.

James 2:18

Field	Detail
Original	Ἀλλ’ ἐρεῖ τις· σὺ πίστιν ἔχεις κἀγὼ ἔργα ἔχω· δεῖξόν μοι τὴν πίστιν σου χωρὶς τῶν ἔργων, κἀγὼ σοι δείξω ἐκ τῶν ἔργων μου τὴν πίστιν.
Load-bearing term	δεῖξόν (deixon, from δείκνυμι deiknymi)
Transliteration	deiknymi
Literal meaning	to show, demonstrate, exhibit
Semantic range	visual demonstration; proof by evidence
English variants	”show,” “demonstrate,” “prove”
Contextual theological meaning	Works are the demonstrative evidence of faith, not a supplementary contribution to faith’s saving power. James’s imagined interlocutor challenges the false separability of faith and works — faith is invisible; works are its only visible proof.
Spanish rendering risk	Medium — “muéstrame” is direct, but the teaching note must clarify: works function epistemically (as evidence to observers) not soteriologically (as a co-cause of salvation alongside faith).

James 2:19

Field	Detail
Original	σὺ πιστεύεις ὅτι εἷς θεός ἐστιν, καλῶς ποιεῖς· καὶ τὰ δαιμόνια πιστεύουσιν καὶ φρίσσουσιν.
Load-bearing term 1	εἷς θεός (heis theos)
Load-bearing term 2	δαιμόνια (daimonia)

James 2:20-21

Field	Detail
Original	ὦ ἄνθρωπε κενέ… Ἀβραὰμ ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῶν οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη, ἀνενέγκας Ἰσαὰκ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον;
Load-bearing term 1	κενέ (kene, vocative of κενός kenos)
Load-bearing term 2	ἐδικαιώθη (edikaiōthē, from δικαιόω dikaioō)
Spanish rendering risk	CRITICAL. The baseline mandates “justificación”/“justificar” render the forensic sense with absolute consistency (Romans 3-5). James 2:21 and 2:24-25 use the same Spanish verb form (“justificado,” “justificada”) for the demonstrative sense. This is not an error to correct by using a different Spanish word (there is no separate Reina-Valera-tradition lexeme for this — RV1960 and virtually all Spanish Bibles render both Pauline and Jacobean δικαιόω as “justificar”). The risk must be managed entirely through teaching notes and doctrine framing, exactly as the baseline handles “justicia”/“justicia imputada” for Romans. This curriculum must explicitly teach the two-sense harmonization above; it must NOT resolve the tension by quietly translating James’s δικαιόω differently, nor by suppressing Romans’ forensic sense to accommodate James. This is the James-curriculum parallel to the baseline’s Trent/Reformation fault line and requires Human theologian review on every occurrence.

James 2:22

Field	Detail
Original	βλέπεις ὅτι ἡ πίστις συνήργει τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἔργων ἡ πίστις ἐτελειώθη;
Load-bearing term 1	συνήργει (synērgei, from συνεργέω synergeō)
Spanish rendering risk	High — new term. Render “actuaba/obraba junto con” (not a single-word gloss). Extreme caution: “cooperar” is the exact term historically used in Tridentine Catholic soteriology for meritorious human cooperation with infused grace (cf. baseline’s rejected “gracia” framing: “favor merecido,” “recompensa por buenas obras,” “justicia infundida”). If rendered with “cooperación” as a technical noun, this verse could be quoted as biblical warrant for a merit-cooperation soteriology the baseline explicitly rejects for Romans. Must be rendered dynamically (“la fe actuaba junto con sus obras”) and taught with the same care as Romans 4:4-5’s grace/works antithesis, clarifying this is Abraham’s authentic faith expressing itself through action, not faith plus works as two independent contributing causes of justification.
Load-bearing term 2	ἐτελειώθη (eteleiōthē, from τελειόω teleioō)

James 2:23

Field	Detail
Original	καὶ ἐπληρώθη ἡ γραφὴ ἡ λέγουσα· Ἐπίστευσεν δὲ Ἀβραὰμ τῷ θεῷ, καὶ ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην, καὶ φίλος θεοῦ ἐκλήθη.
Load-bearing term 1	ἐλογίσθη…εἰς δικαιοσύνην (elogisthē…eis dikaiosynēn)
Spanish rendering risk	CRITICAL — mandatory baseline reuse. Must render exactly as the baseline’s established term: “justicia imputada” for the doctrine, and the clause itself as “le fue contado/atribuido por justicia” (matching Reina-Valera’s Genesis 15:6/Romans 4:3 phrasing). NEVER “justicia infundida” — the baseline’s forbidden substitution applies with full force here, and this verse is in fact the strongest textual anchor curriculum writers have for teaching James 2 as harmonious with, not contradictory to, Romans 4.
Load-bearing term 2	φίλος θεοῦ (philos theou)
Spanish rendering risk	High — new term. Render “amigo de Dios.” Risk: in popular Hispanic Catholic piety, uniquely intimate divine friendship/favor language is often reserved for canonized saints or the Virgin Mary as special intercessory favorites (parallel to the baseline’s “saints”/“santos” Critical risk). Must be taught explicitly as available to every believer through faith, not an elite status of a few especially holy figures — directly mirroring the baseline’s teaching note pattern for “saints.”

James 2:24

Field	Detail
Original	ὁρᾶτε ὅτι ἐξ ἔργων δικαιοῦται ἄνθρωπος καὶ οὐκ ἐκ πίστεως μόνον.
Load-bearing term	οὐκ ἐκ πίστεως μόνον (ouk ek pisteōs monon)
Contextual theological meaning	The single most historically contested clause in the book, quoted for centuries in Catholic-Protestant polemics over “sola fide.” In context (following 2:21-23), James is not denying that justification’s forensic ground is God’s crediting of righteousness to faith (which he has just affirmed via Genesis 15:6 in v.23); he is denying that a merely verbal, fruitless, demonically-shared species of “faith” (v.19) can vindicate/demonstrate anyone as righteous before observers. “Justified” here functions in the demonstrative sense established at v.21, answering the practical question of v.14 (“can that kind of faith save?”), not reopening the forensic question Paul answers in Romans.
Spanish rendering risk	CRITICAL. Render literally and without softening: “no solamente por la fe.” Do not insert clarifying words into the translated Bible text itself (e.g., adding “aparente” before “fe” or similar interpretive glosses) — the tension must be resolved in teaching notes and doctrine documentation, never by altering the wording of Scripture. This is the single most important escalation point in the whole curriculum: every occurrence of this clause requires mandatory Human theologian review, paralleling the baseline’s escalation rule for Romans 10:9-10.

James 2:25

Field	Detail
Original	ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ Ῥαὰβ ἡ πόρνη οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη, ὑποδεξαμένη τοὺς ἀγγέλους καὶ ἑτέρᾳ ὁδῷ ἐκβαλοῦσα;
Load-bearing term	πόρνη (pornē)
Spanish rendering risk	Low lexically (“prostituta” or the traditional “Rahab la ramera” per Reina-Valera); Medium doctrinally — must not be softened euphemistically (e.g., “una mujer de mala vida” as a vague euphemism) in a way that dulls the deliberate scandal of the pairing, which is part of James’s rhetorical point.

James 2:26

Field	Detail
Original	ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸ σῶμα χωρὶς πνεύματος νεκρόν ἐστιν, οὕτως καὶ ἡ πίστις χωρὶς ἔργων νεκρά ἐστιν.
Load-bearing term	πνεῦμα (pneuma)
Spanish rendering risk	High — translators must render “espíritu” here in its human, life-breath sense (not capitalized “Espíritu,” which the baseline reserves for the Holy Spirit) to avoid implying a Trinitarian statement is being made in a simple bodily analogy. This is a clear case where capitalization convention in Spanish carries real doctrinal weight and must be specified in the style sheet.

Summary doctrinal note for the core passage: James 2:14-26 must be taught, translated, and reviewed as complementary to the baseline’s Romans doctrine of justification by faith, not as a competing soteriology. The forensic declaration (imputed righteousness, received by faith alone, Genesis 15:6/James 2:23) is the ground; the observable transformation (works, James 2:21,24-25) is the fruit and proof. Every occurrence of δικαιόω, ἔργα, and πίστις in this passage is flagged Critical and routes to mandatory Human theologian review.

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

Chapter 1 — James 1:1-27

James 1 introduces the letter’s major motifs: trials, wisdom, poverty/wealth reversal, the “implanted word,” and pure religion. It contains extensive new load-bearing vocabulary.

Terms	Variants	Contextual meaning	Spanish rendering risk
servant/slave δοῦλος doulos slave, bondservant	legal slave; voluntary devoted servant of God/Christ ”servant,” “slave,” “bondservant”	James identifies himself, like Paul (Romans 1:1), as one wholly owned by God and Christ	Medium (new). Render “siervo” (matching the register of Romans 1:1’s “siervo” convention in the same Bible tradition) rather than “esclavo,” which in modern Spanish carries chattel-slavery connotations foreign to the honorific self-designation intended.
trial/testing πειρασμός peirasmos trial, test, ordeal	(a) external hardship that tests/refines faith (1:2,12); (b) internal enticement to sin, “temptation” (1:13-14, closely related πειράζω) “trial,” “test,” “temptation”	Key doctrine: “Trials and the Testing of Faith.” James deliberately plays on this word’s dual sense: God sends/permits trials (v.2-3, productive) but never tempts anyone to sin (v.13, destructive) — the same root, two moral directions.	High — new term. Spanish must distinguish “prueba” (trial, vv.2-3,12, positive/refining) from “tentación” (temptation to sin, vv.13-14, negative). Collapsing both into one Spanish word obscures James’s deliberate wordplay and theological point that God tests but does not tempt.
testing/genuineness δοκίμιον dokimion the tested/proven genuine part; a testing process	metallurgical refining metaphor (the “genuine” that survives testing, as of metal) “testing,” “proving,” “genuineness”	The trial’s purpose is to prove faith’s genuineness, as fire proves metal.	Medium; “la prueba” (the proven/tested quality); teaching note should preserve the refining-metal image.
endurance ὑπομονή hypomonē steadfast endurance, perseverance	patient endurance under pressure/adversity (distinct from μακροθυμία, patience toward people, ch.5) “endurance,” “perseverance,” “patience”	The intended fruit of testing (1:3-4); reused in 5:11 (Job’s ὑπομονή).	High — new term. Render “perseverancia” consistently, distinct from “paciencia” (reserved for μακροθυμία in ch.5), to preserve James’s distinct vocabulary for enduring circumstances versus being patient with people/God’s timing.
complete/mature τέλειος teleios complete, whole, mature, perfect	moral/spiritual maturity and wholeness, not sinless perfection ”perfect,” “complete,” “mature”	Describes the intended outcome of endurance (1:4), God’s gifts (1:17), and the law of liberty (1:25).	Medium. “Perfecto/cabal/maduro” — must be taught as maturity/completeness, not sinless perfectionism, given popular Spanish usage of “perfecto” as flawless.
wisdom σοφία sophia wisdom	practical, God-given skill for righteous living, as opposed to mere cleverness ”wisdom”	Key doctrine: “Wisdom from Above.” Introduced here (1:5) as a gift to be requested from God in the midst of trials; developed fully in 3:13-18.	High — new term. Render “sabiduría.” Must be distinguished from generic cleverness, folk wisdom/dichos populares, or esoteric/occult “wisdom” traditions (curanderismo, New Age sabiduría ancestral) present in some Latin American contexts — teach as God-given, not innate or acquired through mystical practice.
doubt/waver διακρίνω (διακρινόμενος) diakrinomenos to be divided, to doubt, waver	to be at odds with oneself in judgment ”doubt,” “waver”	Contrasted with confident, undivided prayerful request (1:6).	Low; “dudar/vacilar.”
double-minded δίψυχος dipsychos double-souled, two-minded	inner division of loyalty/conviction ”double-minded,” “wavering”	Reused at 4:8 in the call to purify the heart; a key character flaw James targets throughout.	Medium — new term. “De doble ánimo” or “inconstante.” Ensure consistent rendering across 1:8 and 4:8.
the lowly / the rich ταπεινός / πλούσιος tapeinos / plousios lowly, humble / rich	social-economic status; also spiritual posture (humility) “lowly,” “poor” / “rich”	Key doctrine: “Favoritism and the Poor,” introduced here via the reversal-of-status theme (the poor “boast” in exaltation; the rich “boast” in being brought low), developed fully in 2:1-13.	Medium — new terms. “Humilde/de condición humilde” and “rico.” Standard vocabulary; doctrinal risk lies in application (see ch.2), not lexical ambiguity.
blessed μακάριος makarios blessed, happy, fortunate	divine favor and flourishing, not mere emotional happiness ”blessed”	Describes the one who endures trial (1:12).	Low — new term, standard Bible Spanish “bienaventurado,” matching Reina-Valera register (cf. Beatitudes tradition).
crown of life στέφανος τῆς ζωῆς stephanos tēs zōēs victor’s wreath of life	athletic/military image of a victory garland; eschatological reward ”crown of life”	The promised reward for enduring trial with love for God.	Low; “corona de vida” — standard, unambiguous rendering.
desire/lust ἐπιθυμία epithymia strong desire, craving	neutral “desire” or morally negative “lust/craving” depending on context; here negative, the internal source of temptation ”desire,” “lust,” “craving”	The internal mechanism James identifies as sin’s true origin (1:14-15), preceding external trial language.	Medium — new term. “Deseo/concupiscencia.” Teach that James locates temptation’s source internally (one’s own desire), not externally in God (v.13) or in impersonal fate.
sin ἁμαρτία hamartia sin, missing the mark	moral transgression against a personal God ”sin”	[BASELINE REUSE: pecado] The “offspring” of unchecked desire (1:15), leading to death.	High, per baseline — reuse “pecado” exactly; never soften to “falta.”
Father of lights πατὴρ τῶν φώτων patēr tōn phōtōn Father of the lights	a title for God as source and giver of heavenly light/luminaries, and by extension of every good gift ”Father of lights”	Emphasizes God’s unchanging goodness and generosity (1:17), in contrast to shifting created lights.	[BASELINE REUSE: Padre] Critical per baseline for “Padre”; render “el Padre de las luces,” a standard Reina-Valera phrase, no additional risk beyond the baseline’s existing Father entry.
word of truth / implanted word λόγος ἀληθείας / ἔμφυτος λόγος logos alētheias / emphytos logos word of truth / implanted word	the gospel message that regenerates (1:18) and that continues to dwell within believers, taking root (1:21) “word of truth,” “implanted word”	Ties the gospel’s regenerating power (1:18, cf. baseline “gospel”/evangelio) to its ongoing indwelling and transformative capacity (1:21), which must be not merely heard but obeyed (1:22).	High — new term, related to baseline “gospel” (evangelio, High risk). Render “la palabra de verdad” and “la palabra implantada.” Note: distinct from the baseline’s “inspiration of Scripture” doctrine (Romans package) but closely related — flag for consistency with that doctrine’s Spanish phrasing if cross-referenced.
doer of the word / hearer ποιητὴς λόγου / ἀκροατής poiētēs logou / akroatēs doer of the word / hearer	one who acts on what is heard versus one who merely listens ”doer of the word,” “hearer only”	Foundational for “Faith and Works.” James 1:22-25 previews the ch.2 argument in miniature: self-deceived hearing without doing is worthless; blessing comes to the one who both hears and does.	High — new term, directly linked to the ἔργα (works) risk documented in the core passage above. Render “hacedor de la palabra” / “oidor.” Same doctrinal caution applies: doing here is the fruit/proof of genuine reception of the word, not a supplementary meritorious act earning favor.
perfect law of liberty νόμος τέλειος τῆς ἐλευθερίας nomos teleios tēs eleutherias the perfect law of liberty	the moral law as fulfilled/completed in Christ and internalized by the Spirit, producing freedom rather than external constraint (cf. the fuller “law of liberty,” 2:12, “royal law,” 2:8) “perfect law of liberty,” “law of freedom”	Distinct from the Mosaic ceremonial law (νόμος, baseline term “ley,” High risk, Romans package) — James uses νόμος for the moral law summarized in the love-command and internalized through the gospel, associated with liberating obedience rather than external legal constraint.	High. Because “ley” is a baseline High-risk term fixed to the Mosaic Law/Torah sense in the Romans package, James’s distinct usage (“ley de la libertad,” “ley real”) must be flagged in every occurrence with a clarifying note so learners do not import Romans’ Torah-focused argument (law versus grace, works of the law) into James’s different referent (the internalized moral law fulfilled in Christ, synonymous with love of neighbor).
religion θρησκεία thrēskeia religious practice, cultic observance	outward religious ritual/observance, here qualified as “pure and undefiled" "religion,” “religious practice”	Key term. James redefines authentic θρησκεία not as ritual correctness but as care for orphans and widows and moral purity (1:26-27) — an implicit critique of religious observance divorced from ethical fruit, structurally parallel to the “Faith and Works” argument in ch. 2.	Medium — new term. Render “religión.” Risk: in Spanish-speaking culture, “religión” often connotes institutional, ritual, or denominational identity (frequently Catholic by default) rather than personal devotion; teach that James is contrasting empty ritualism with lived compassion and holiness, not institutional religion as such.
world κόσμος kosmos world, worldly order	the created order; more often (as here) the God-opposed system of values organizing human society ”world”	Introduced at 1:27 (“unstained by the world”) and developed as a major doctrine at 4:4. Key doctrine: “Worldliness versus Friendship with God.”	High — new term, tracks with 4:4 below. Render “mundo,” teach consistently across both occurrences.

Chapter 2, part A — James 2:1-13 (before the core passage)

(James 2:14-26, the core passage, is fully treated in Part 1 above and is not repeated here.)

Terms	Variants	Contextual meaning	Spanish rendering risk
favoritism προσωπολημψία prosōpolēmpsia receiving/lifting up a face	partiality, showing favor based on external status ”favoritism,” “partiality,” “respect of persons”	Key doctrine: “Favoritism and the Poor.” James forbids treating the wealthy visitor better than the poor visitor in the assembly (2:1-4), grounding the prohibition in God’s own preferential choice of the poor as heirs of the kingdom (2:5).	High — new term. Reina-Valera 1960 traditionally renders this “acepción de personas” (an archaic idiom largely opaque to contemporary readers); render “favoritismo” for clarity, with a note acknowledging the traditional RV phrase for readers encountering it elsewhere. Doctrinal risk: this doctrine has acute, ongoing social relevance in Latin America and Spain given real socioeconomic and racial/ethnic hierarchies (cf. baseline’s “unity_of_jews_and_gentiles” doctrine note on regional and racial hierarchy); teach as a live ethical command, not a merely ancient illustration.
the poor πτωχός ptōchos poor, destitute	economic poverty; occasionally metaphorical (spiritual poverty, not the sense here) “poor”	God has chosen (ἐκλέγομαι) the poor to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom (2:5).	Medium — new term. “Pobre.” Consistent with “Favoritism and the Poor” doctrine; ensure register avoids any pejorative connotation.
choose/elect ἐκλέγομαι eklegomai to choose, select, elect	God’s sovereign selecting action ”chose,” “elected,” “selected”	Echoes the baseline’s “election” doctrine (elección, High risk, Romans package) but applied here specifically to God’s preferential choice of the economically poor.	High — [BASELINE REUSE: elección/elegir]. Reuse baseline rendering exactly; the new context (economic reversal) should be taught as an outworking of the same sovereign choice already documented, not a separate doctrine.
heir / kingdom κληρονόμος / βασιλεία klēronomos / basileia heir / kingdom	inheritance rights; God’s reign ”heir” / “kingdom”	The poor, chosen by God, are heirs of “the kingdom he promised to those who love him” (2:5).	[BASELINE REUSE: reino de Dios for βασιλεία]. “Heredero” is new (Medium risk) — teach alongside the baseline’s “adoption” doctrine (full heir status, not provisional), since both concepts converge on full inheritance rights granted, not earned.
blaspheme βλασφημέω blasphēmeō to blaspheme, slander, revile	speaking evil against a sacred name or person ”blaspheme,” “slander,” “dishonor”	The rich are said to blaspheme “the honorable name” (of Christ) invoked over believers (2:7).	Low — new term; “blasfemar,” standard and unambiguous in Spanish Christian usage.
royal law / love your neighbor νόμος βασιλικός / ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον nomos basilikos / agapēseis ton plēsion royal law / you shall love your neighbor	the law of the King (Christ), summarized in the neighbor-love command (Leviticus 19:18) “royal law” / “love your neighbor as yourself”	Ties directly to the “law of liberty” concept from 1:25 and 2:12; the whole law is fulfilled/broken in this one command (2:8-11).	High — see “law of liberty” note above; consistent Spanish rendering “ley real” / “amarás a tu prójimo como a ti mismo” (matching Leviticus 19:18/Matthew 22:39 established Spanish Bible phrasing).
transgressor / guilty παραβάτης / ἔνοχος parabatēs / enochos transgressor / liable, guilty	one who crosses a legal boundary / legally liable ”transgressor” / “guilty”	Breaking even one point of the law makes one a transgressor of the whole (2:10-11) — establishing universal accountability, paralleling the baseline’s “universal_human_accountability” doctrine (Romans 3:23).	Medium — new terms; “transgresor” / “culpable.” Teach alongside the baseline’s Romans 3:23 doctrine as a structurally parallel argument.
mercy ἔλεος eleos mercy, compassion	God’s or a person’s compassionate favor toward the needy/guilty ”mercy”	Judgment without mercy awaits the merciless (2:13) — introduces mercy as a major thread continuing through James (2:13; 3:17; 5:11).	Medium — new term. “Misericordia.” Note conceptual proximity to baseline “grace” (gracia, High risk) but distinct: mercy here is relational compassion shown toward the suffering/guilty, to be taught in its own right, not collapsed into “gracia.”

Chapter 3 — James 3:1-18

Terms	Variants	Contextual meaning	Spanish rendering risk
tongue γλῶσσα glōssa tongue	the physical organ; metonym for speech ”tongue,” “speech”	Key doctrine: “Taming the Tongue.” The tongue is described as a small member with disproportionate power to bless or destroy (3:5-10).	High — new term. “Lengua.” Low lexical ambiguity but High doctrinal weight; teach the full unit (3:1-12) as a coherent doctrine of speech ethics, not isolated proverbs.
bridle/tame χαλιναγωγέω / δαμάζω chalinagōgeō / damazō to bridle (as a horse) / to tame (as a wild animal)	controlling something powerful and unruly ”bridle,” “control” / “tame”	Human beings can tame wild animals (3:7) but the tongue, James says, no one can fully tame (3:8) — highlighting the necessity of divine wisdom/grace for self-control of speech, not mere willpower.	Medium — new terms. “Poner freno a” / “domar.” Consistent rendering across the unit.
fire / Gehenna πῦρ / γέεννα pyr / geenna fire / Gehenna (Valley of Hinnom, a byword for fiery judgment)	literal fire; place/state of final judgment ”fire” / “hell”	The tongue is “set on fire by hell” (γέεννα, 3:6) — one of the few explicit γέεννα references outside the Gospels.	Medium-High — new term. Render “geenna” or contextually “el infierno.” Risk: popular Catholic and folk-Christian culture across the Spanish-speaking world holds a developed afterlife geography (cielo/infierno/purgatorio) in which “infierno” carries substantial extra-biblical tradition (imagery from Dante, folk art, purgatorial intermediate-state ideas). Teach γέεννα here narrowly as James’s image for the tongue’s destructive, judgment-bound potential, not as an occasion to import purgatory or intermediate-state teaching absent from the text.
bless/curse εὐλογέω / καταράομαι eulogeō / kataraomai to bless / to curse	invoking divine favor / invoking harm ”bless” / “curse”	The same mouth blessing God and cursing people made in God’s likeness (ὁμοίωσις θεοῦ) is James’s central irony (3:9-10).	Medium — new terms. “Bendecir” / “maldecir.” Standard vocabulary; doctrinal weight lies in the applied ethical contradiction James highlights, not lexical ambiguity.
wisdom from above vs. earthly/demonic wisdom σοφία ἄνωθεν / σοφία ἐπίγειος, ψυχική, δαιμονιώδης sophia anōthen / epigeios, psychikē, daimoniōdēs wisdom from above / earthly, soulish (merely natural), demonic wisdom	God-given wisdom marked by purity, peace, gentleness, mercy, good fruit, impartiality, sincerity, contrasted with self-serving wisdom marked by envy, ambition, disorder ”wisdom from above” / “earthly,” “unspiritual,” “demonic”	Key doctrine: “Wisdom from Above.” The full doctrinal development of the wisdom theme introduced in 1:5, now paired with an explicit negative counterpart.	High — new term. Render “sabiduría que viene de lo alto” (or “sabiduría de lo alto”) and “sabiduría terrenal / puramente humana / diabólica.” Must not flatten the three-part negative description (ἐπίγειος/ψυχική/δαιμονιώδης — earthly/soulish/demonic) into a single generic “mala sabiduría”; each qualifier is theologically distinct (worldly origin, merely natural/non-Spirit-given origin, demonic origin) and should be preserved as a triad.
envy/selfish ambition ζῆλος πικρός / ἐριθεία zēlos pikros / eritheia bitter jealousy / selfish ambition, rivalry	destructive interpersonal rivalry, contrasted with the “wisdom from above" "bitter envy” / “selfish ambition”	Named as the root of “disorder and every evil practice” (3:16), the negative fruit corresponding to peace’s positive fruit (3:18).	Medium — new terms. “Celos amargos” / “ambición egoísta, rivalidad.”
fruit of righteousness / peace καρπὸς δικαιοσύνης / εἰρήνη karpos dikaiosynēs / eirēnē fruit of righteousness / peace	righteous outcomes cultivated through peaceable action ”fruit of righteousness” / “peace”	Closes the chapter: righteousness ([BASELINE REUSE: justicia]) here as practical, communal righteous outcome, sown by peacemakers — distinct from, though related to, the forensic “justicia” of Romans and the core passage. [BASELINE REUSE: paz]	High — δικαιοσύνη’s baseline entry is Critical (forensic right-standing before God, Romans 3-5). Here in James 3:18 it denotes the practical, ethical fruit that righteous conduct produces in community — a related but distinct sense. Teach explicitly as James’s ethical/practical application of righteousness, not a reopening of the forensic-justification question addressed in the core passage.

Chapter 4 — James 4:1-17

Terms	Variants	Contextual meaning	Spanish rendering risk
friendship with the world / enmity with God φιλία τοῦ κόσμου / ἔχθρα τοῦ θεοῦ philia tou kosmou / echthra tou theou friendship with the world / enmity with God	exclusive relational allegiance; the world as the God-opposed value-system (κόσμος, 1:27) “friendship with the world,” “enmity with God”	Central term for the doctrine “Worldliness versus Friendship with God.” Deliberately mirrors and inverts the positive “φίλος θεοῦ” (friend of God) applied to Abraham in the core passage (James 2:23) — the two phrases must be taught together as a matched antithesis running through the whole letter.	High — new term, structurally paired with the core passage’s “amigo de Dios.” Render “amistad con el mundo” / “enemistad con Dios.” Must be cross-referenced explicitly with James 2:23 in teaching materials so learners see the letter’s internal antithesis (friend of God ↔ friend of the world), not two unrelated verses.
grace χάρις charis grace, favor	unmerited divine favor ”grace”	[BASELINE REUSE: gracia] — God “gives grace to the humble” (4:6, quoting Proverbs 3:34), contrasted with pride.	High, per baseline — reuse “gracia” exactly; preserve the humility/pride contrast without drifting toward a merit framework.
devil διάβολος diabolos slanderer, accuser	the personal evil adversary ”devil"	"Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (4:7) — direct personal spiritual opposition, paired with submission to God.	Medium — new term. “Diablo.” Standard and unambiguous across Spanish Christian tradition; low collision risk, though should be distinguished from folk-cultural “diablo” figures in regional festival traditions (e.g., “diablada” folk dances) where the word carries folkloric rather than doctrinal freight — a brief clarifying note is prudent, not because of doctrinal confusion but cultural register.
humble/exalt ταπεινός / ταπεινόω / ὑψόω tapeinos / tapeinoō / hypsoō lowly / to humble / to exalt, lift up	reversal-of-status theme, echoing 1:9-10 and anticipating 1 Peter 5:5-6 ”humble” / “exalt"	"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you” (4:10) — reinforces the Favoritism/reversal theme from ch.1-2 in a directly personal, devotional register.	Medium; “humillarse” / “exaltar” — standard vocabulary.
mist/vapor ἀτμίς atmis vapor, mist, breath-like exhalation	brevity and insubstantiality ”mist,” “vapor,” “breath”	Life’s brevity, illustrating human presumption about the future (4:14).	Low — new term; “vapor, neblina” — vivid imagery with no significant collision risk.
if the Lord wills ἐὰν ὁ κύριος θελήσῃ ean ho kyrios thelēsē if the Lord should will	conditional submission to divine providence ”if the Lord wills,” “God willing”	[BASELINE REUSE: Señor for κύριος] Directly parallels the baseline’s “providence” doctrine (Romans 8:28) — human plans held in submission to God’s purposive governance, not fatalistic resignation.	High, tracking baseline’s κύριος/Señor Critical entry and “providence” Medium entry. Note: in everyday Hispanic speech, “si Dios quiere” is an extremely common idiom, sometimes used with minimal theological weight (near-superstitious hedge). Teach James 4:15 as a serious call to God-dependent humility, reclaiming the phrase’s theological substance rather than treating it as mere cultural filler — parallel to the baseline’s caution against fatalistic “destino/suerte” framing of providence.
sin (of omission) ἁμαρτία hamartia sin	moral failure, here specifically failure to act on known good ”sin”	[BASELINE REUSE: pecado] “Whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin” (4:17) — an important extension of the “Faith and Works” doctrine into sins of omission.	High, per baseline; reuse “pecado” exactly; note the specific application to omission, reinforcing that inactive “knowledge of the good” without corresponding action is itself culpable — structurally reinforcing ch.1-2’s dead-faith argument.

Chapter 5 — James 5:1-20

Terms	Variants	Contextual meaning	Spanish rendering risk
Lord of Sabaoth/hosts Κύριος Σαβαώθ Kyrios Sabaōth Lord of hosts/armies	a Hebrew military-divine title (transliterated, not translated, in Greek) referring to God’s sovereign command over the heavenly armies ”Lord of hosts,” “Lord Almighty”	Invoked as the God who has heard the cries of exploited laborers (5:4) — a title of powerful, avenging justice on behalf of the oppressed poor, reinforcing “Favoritism and the Poor.”	High — [BASELINE REUSE: Señor for κύριος]; new full-title term. Render per established Reina-Valera convention “Señor de los ejércitos” (as used in Isaiah, Psalms, Romans-adjacent OT quotations). Must not be trivialized as a generic divine epithet; teach its OT background (divine warrior/vindicator of the oppressed) explicitly.
patience/longsuffering μακροθυμέω / μακροθυμία makrothymeō / makrothymia to be long-tempered, patient, forbearing	patient forbearance, especially in waiting on God’s timing or bearing with people (distinct from ὑπομονή’s endurance-under-pressure sense in ch.1) “be patient,” “patience”	Key doctrine: “Patience and the Lord’s Return.” The farmer awaiting harvest (5:7) models patient waiting for the Lord’s coming (παρουσία).	High — new term. Render “paciencia/tener paciencia,” kept lexically distinct from ch.1’s “perseverancia” (ὑπομονή) per the note above, even though both are loosely glossed “patience” in English — the Spanish curriculum must preserve James’s two distinct Greek words with two distinct (though related) Spanish terms.
coming/presence of the Lord παρουσία τοῦ κυρίου parousia tou kyriou the coming/arrival/presence of the Lord	the technical NT term for Christ’s future, personal return ”the coming of the Lord,” “the Lord’s return”	Key doctrine: “Patience and the Lord’s Return.” Grounds the call to patience in imminent eschatological hope; the Judge “is standing at the door” (5:9).	High — new term, related to baseline’s “assurance_of_salvation” and eschatological framing. Render “la venida del Señor.” Teach as a settled, imminent hope (not a source of anxiety or date-setting speculation, a live pastoral risk in some charismatic and popular-apocalyptic strands of Latin American Christianity).
sick/weak ἀσθενέω astheneō to be weak, sick, ill	physical illness; occasionally moral/spiritual weakness elsewhere in the NT, but physical illness is intended here ”sick,” “weak,” “ill”	Key doctrine: “Prayer and Healing.” Introduces the instruction to call for the elders (5:14).	Medium — new term. “Estar enfermo.”
elders of the church πρεσβύτεροι τῆς ἐκκλησίας presbyteroi tēs ekklēsias elders of the assembly	recognized, appointed spiritual leaders/overseers of a local congregation ”elders of the church”	[BASELINE REUSE: iglesia for ἐκκλησία] The ones to be summoned for prayer and anointing over the sick.	High — new term “presbíteros/ancianos.” Risk: in Catholic ecclesial structure, “presbítero” is a specific ordained clerical office (priest) within a hierarchical sacramental system, and anointing is restricted to ordained clergy administering a sacrament. Render “ancianos de la iglesia” (following Protestant/Evangelical Bible convention, e.g., RV1960) to avoid importing the Catholic “presbítero” clerical-sacramental frame, and teach that James envisions recognized congregational leaders praying, not a sacramental office exclusively empowered to heal.
anointing with oil ἀλείψαντες ἐλαίῳ aleipsantes elaiō having anointed with oil	a physical act accompanying prayer; in the OT/NT world, oil could signify consecration, blessing, or (some argue) practical medicinal application ”anointing with oil”	Paired with “the prayer of faith” (εὐχὴ τῆς πίστεως) as the means by which the Lord raises up the sick (5:14-15).	CRITICAL — new term, single highest syncretism risk in chapter 5. Render “ungiéndolo con aceite.” This verse is the primary biblical text underlying the Roman Catholic Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick (Unción de los Enfermos, historically “Extremaunción”/Last Rites), which in popular Catholic understanding is (a) a sacrament, (b) administered exclusively by an ordained priest, and (c) closely associated with preparation for death rather than expectation of physical healing and restoration. James 5:14-15 envisions congregational elders praying in faith with expectation of healing and restoration to life and activity, not a priestly last-rites sacrament administered near death. This doctrinal distinction MUST be taught explicitly with every occurrence and routed to mandatory Human theologian review, on the same tier as the baseline’s “intercession” and “saints” Critical entries.
prayer of faith εὐχὴ τῆς πίστεως euchē tēs pisteōs the prayer/vow of faith	prayer offered in confident trust in God ”the prayer of faith”	The efficacious element of the healing prayer (5:15), tying “Prayer and Healing” directly back to “Faith” ([BASELINE REUSE: fe]).	High — new compound term. Render “la oración de fe.” Teach as confident, Spirit-led petition, not a formulaic incantation guaranteeing a particular outcome, and not equivalent to petitionary prayer directed to a saint or the Virgin as intermediary (cf. baseline’s “intercession” Critical entry).
save/heal σῴζω sōzō to save, heal, rescue	dual physical (healing) and spiritual (forgiveness/salvation) sense, both active in 5:15 ”save,” “heal”	James 5:15 deliberately holds both senses together: the prayer of faith will “save” (heal) the sick person, and if he has sins, he will be forgiven — physical restoration and spiritual forgiveness in a single verse. [BASELINE REUSE: root of “salvación”]	Critical, per baseline. Render contextually (“sanará”/“salvará”) but the teaching note must make clear both senses are present and neither excludes the other; do not force a single English-style either/or choice that erases the deliberate ambiguity.
forgive ἀφίημι (ἀφεθήσεται) aphiēmi to release, let go, forgive	releasing a debt or offense ”forgive"	"If he has committed sins, he will be forgiven” (5:15) — links physical healing prayer to the possibility of forgiveness of sin, without implying illness is always caused by personal sin.	Medium — new term. “Perdonar/será perdonado.” Teach carefully: James does not assert a universal illness-equals-sin causal link (contrast the very different case of Job, cited two verses earlier at 5:11, whose suffering was not due to personal sin); avoid implying a rigid retribution theology.
confess sins to one another ἐξομολογέομαι ἀλλήλοις τὰς ἁμαρτίας exomologeomai allēlois tas hamartias confess/acknowledge sins to one another	mutual, reciprocal confession among believers ”confess your sins to one another”	Key doctrine: “Confession and Restoration.” Communal, mutual confession paired with mutual prayer “that you may be healed” (5:16).	CRITICAL — new term, second-highest syncretism risk in the letter (alongside anointing above). Render “confesaos vuestros pecados unos a otros” (following established Reina-Valera phrasing). James 5:16 describes mutual, horizontal confession among believers generally — explicitly plural and reciprocal (“ἀλλήλοις,” “one another”) — with no priestly intermediary in view. This stands in sharp, teachable contrast to the Roman Catholic Sacrament of Confession/Reconciliation (Confesión/Reconciliación), which in popular understanding requires a one-directional confession to an ordained priest possessing sacramental authority to absolve. This must be flagged for mandatory Human theologian review on every occurrence, with an explicit teaching note distinguishing James’s mutual congregational practice from the sacramental system, without needing to deny that private pastoral confession to a leader can also be wise and biblical elsewhere.
the effective prayer of a righteous person δέησις δικαίου ἐνεργουμένη deēsis dikaiou energoumenē the petition of a righteous one, being made effective/at work	prayer’s power tied to the righteous character ([BASELINE REUSE: justicia/righteous]) of the one praying, illustrated immediately by Elijah ”the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective”	Elijah (5:17-18) is the paradigm example — an ordinary human (“a man with a nature like ours,” 5:17) whose earnest prayer had extraordinary effect, grounding confidence in ordinary believers’ prayer, not clerical/sacramental status.	High — new compound term. Render “la oración eficaz del justo.” Teach alongside the baseline’s “prayer_and_intercession” Critical doctrine (Romans 8:26-27, 34): James, like Romans, grounds efficacious prayer in the praying person’s relationship with God (righteous standing through faith) rather than in ritual mediation through a separate class of especially holy intercessors.
turn back/restore ἐπιστρέφω epistrephō to turn back, return, convert	bringing a wandering person back to the truth/right path ”bring back,” “turn,” “restore”	Closes the letter (5:19-20): restoring a brother who has wandered from the truth “will save his soul from death and cover a multitude of sins” — the letter’s final, climactic statement of the “Confession and Restoration” doctrine, and a fitting bookend to the “Faith and Works” theme (active, loving pursuit of the erring as the outworking of genuine faith).	High — new term. Render “hacer volver/restaurar.” Teach as active pastoral responsibility of the whole community (paralleling elders’ role in 5:14, and mutual confession in 5:16), not a specialized sacramental or clerical function.

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Cross-Chapter Doctrine Map (for cross-reference with analysis/08_core_glossary.md)

Doctrine (per curriculum parameters)	Primary passages	Core new terms
Faith and Works	1:22-25; 2:14-26 (core); 4:17	πίστις, ἔργα, δικαιόω, νεκρά, συνεργέω, τελειόω, ποιητὴς λόγου
Trials and the Testing of Faith	1:2-4, 12-15	πειρασμός, δοκίμιον, ὑπομονή
Wisdom from Above	1:5; 3:13-18	σοφία, σοφία ἄνωθεν, ψυχική/δαιμονιώδης
Favoritism and the Poor	1:9-11; 2:1-13; 5:1-6	προσωπολημψία, πτωχός, πλούσιος, ἐκλέγομαι, Κύριος Σαβαώθ
Taming the Tongue	3:1-12	γλῶσσα, χαλιναγωγέω, γέεννα
Worldliness versus Friendship with God	1:27; 2:23; 4:4	κόσμος, φίλος θεοῦ, φιλία τοῦ κόσμου
Prayer and Healing	5:13-18	ἀσθενέω, ἀλείφω ἐλαίῳ, εὐχὴ τῆς πίστεως, σῴζω, δέησις δικαίου
Patience and the Lord’s Return	5:7-11	μακροθυμία, παρουσία, ὑπομονή
Confession and Restoration	5:16, 19-20	ἐξομολογέομαι, ἐπιστρέφω

This document feeds analysis/08_core_glossary.md. All terms marked [BASELINE REUSE] must appear identically in Phase 2 output; all new terms proposed here are candidates for formal addition to translation_memory.json with the risk tiers assigned above.