Core Glossary
Core Glossary: James (Full Book)
This glossary consolidates every load-bearing term identified in analysis/07_semantic_analysis.md, across the core passage (James 2:14-26) and all five chapters of James. It follows the same risk-tier framework as the baseline Romans package (Critical / High / Medium / Low) and marks every term that reuses an existing baseline rendering.
Legend: [BASELINE REUSE] = term and Spanish rendering are already fixed in the Romans translation_memory.json/bible_term_registry.json and MUST be used exactly as recorded, unchanged. [NEW] = term first formally defined by this curriculum; proposed rendering and risk tier given below for insertion into translation memory.
A. Baseline Terms Reused Exactly (no deviation permitted)
| Term (EN) | Greek | Spanish rendering | Risk (baseline) | James occurrences | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| faith | πίστις (pistis) | fe | High | 1:3,6; 2:1,5,14,17-26 (core); 5:15 | Core passage is the highest-stakes occurrence in the whole curriculum; see Section C. |
| grace | χάρις (charis) | gracia | High | 4:6 | Preserve unmerited-favor sense; do not let 4:6 read as a reward for humility-as-merit. |
| sin | ἁμαρτία (hamartia) | pecado | High/Medium | 1:15; 2:9; 4:17; 5:15,16,20 | Never soften to “falta.” |
| law | νόμος (nomos), Mosaic sense | ley | High | 2:9-11 | Only where νόμος denotes the Mosaic/moral law generally; see “law of liberty” [NEW] below for James’s distinct qualified usage. |
| lord | κύριος (kyrios) | Señor | Critical | 1:1,7; 2:1; 4:10,15; 5:4,7,8,10,11,14,15 | Exclusive, supreme lordship in every occurrence, including the compound “Señor de los ejércitos” (5:4). |
| god | θεός (theos) | Dios | Critical | throughout | Standard. |
| father | πατήρ (patēr) | Padre | Critical | 1:17,27; 3:9 | ”Padre de las luces” (1:17); “Dios el Padre” (1:27). |
| glory | δόξα (doxa) | gloria | Medium | 2:1 | ”el Señor de gloria.” |
| peace | εἰρήνη (eirēnē) | paz | Medium | 2:16; 3:18 | 2:16’s “id en paz” is used ironically — must preserve the irony, not soften it into sincerity. |
| church | ἐκκλησία (ekklēsia) | iglesia | Medium | 5:14 | ”ancianos de la iglesia” — lowercase, gathered-people sense, not institutional-hierarchical. |
| justification / justified | δικαιόω / δικαίωσις (dikaioō) | justificación / justificar | Critical | 2:21,24,25 | See Section C for the core passage’s demonstrative-sense usage, distinct from but complementary to Romans’ forensic sense. |
| imputed righteousness | ἐλογίσθη…εἰς δικαιοσύνην | justicia imputada | Critical | 2:23 | Direct quotation of the identical clause already fixed in baseline for Romans 4:3. NEVER “justicia infundida.” |
| righteousness | δικαιοσύνη (dikaiosynē) | justicia | Critical | 2:23; 3:18 | 3:18 (“fruto de justicia”) uses the practical/ethical sense; teach as distinct from, but related to, the forensic sense anchored in 2:23. |
| election / elect | ἐκλέγομαι (eklegomai) | elección / elegir | High | 2:5 | God’s sovereign choice of the poor as heirs; same doctrine as baseline Romans “election,” new social application. |
| kingdom of God | βασιλεία (basileia) | reino de Dios | Medium | 2:5 | ”herederos del reino.” |
B. New Terms Introduced by James — Full Glossary Table
| # | Term (EN) | Greek / Translit. | Proposed Spanish rendering | Doctrine | Risk Tier | James refs | Core rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | works | ἔργα / erga | obras | Faith and Works | Critical | 1:25; 2:14-26 (core); 4:17 | Same Spanish word (“obras”) carries an opposite valence in Romans (excluded as ground of justification) vs. James (required evidence of living faith). Highest cross-document consistency risk in this curriculum. |
| 2 | faith is dead | πίστις…νεκρά / pistis…nekra | fe muerta | Faith and Works | Critical | 2:17,26 | Thesis statement of core passage; never soften “muerta” to “incompleta/débil.” |
| 3 | justified (demonstrative sense) | ἐδικαιώθη / edikaiōthē | fue justificado/a | Faith and Works | Critical | 2:21,24,25 | Same Spanish verb as baseline’s forensic “justificar”; sense-distinction must be carried entirely by teaching notes, never by lexical substitution. |
| 4 | not by faith alone | οὐκ ἐκ πίστεως μόνον | no solamente por la fe | Faith and Works | Critical | 2:24 | The historic Catholic-Protestant flashpoint clause. Translate literally; never insert interpretive qualifiers into the Scripture text itself. |
| 5 | worked together with / cooperated | συνήργει / synērgei | actuaba/obraba junto con | Faith and Works | High | 2:22 | Risk of being read through a Tridentine merit-cooperation framework if rendered with a static “cooperación” noun. |
| 6 | was perfected/completed | ἐτελειώθη / eteleiōthē | se perfeccionó / llegó a su plenitud | Faith and Works | Medium | 2:22 | Describes faith’s mature outward expression, not its soteriological sufficiency being supplemented. |
| 7 | friend of God | φίλος θεοῦ / philos theou | amigo de Dios | Worldliness versus Friendship with God | High | 2:23 | Risk of being read as an elite status (paralleling baseline’s “saints” Critical risk) rather than available to every believer through faith. |
| 8 | friendship with the world / enmity with God | φιλία τοῦ κόσμου / echthra tou theou | amistad con el mundo / enemistad con Dios | Worldliness versus Friendship with God | High | 4:4 | Must be taught paired with “amigo de Dios” (2:23) as the letter’s deliberate antithesis. |
| 9 | world | κόσμος / kosmos | mundo | Worldliness versus Friendship with God | High | 1:27; 4:4 | The God-opposed value-system, not merely “the created world” or “the planet.” |
| 10 | trial / temptation | πειρασμός / peirasmos | prueba (trial) / tentación (temptation) | Trials and the Testing of Faith | High | 1:2,12 (prueba) / 1:13-14 (tentación) | James deliberately plays on one Greek word’s dual sense; Spanish requires two distinct words, risking loss of the wordplay if not taught explicitly. |
| 11 | testing / genuineness | δοκίμιον / dokimion | la prueba (genuina) | Trials and the Testing of Faith | Medium | 1:3 | Metallurgical refining image; preserve in teaching notes. |
| 12 | endurance / perseverance | ὑπομονή / hypomonē | perseverancia | Trials and the Testing of Faith | High | 1:3,4; 5:11 | Kept lexically distinct from μακροθυμία (“paciencia,” #29 below) despite English’s single gloss “patience” for both. |
| 13 | complete/mature | τέλειος / teleios | perfecto / maduro / cabal | Trials and the Testing of Faith; Wisdom from Above | Medium | 1:4,17,25 | Maturity/completeness sense, not sinless perfectionism. |
| 14 | wisdom | σοφία / sophia | sabiduría | Wisdom from Above | High | 1:5; 3:13-18 | Must be taught as God-given, requested in prayer, not innate cleverness or folk/esoteric wisdom traditions. |
| 15 | double-minded | δίψυχος / dipsychos | de doble ánimo / inconstante | Trials and the Testing of Faith | Medium | 1:8; 4:8 | Consistent rendering across both occurrences. |
| 16 | desire/lust | ἐπιθυμία / epithymia | deseo / concupiscencia | Trials and the Testing of Faith | Medium | 1:14-15 | The internal, personal origin of temptation — not external fate or divine testing to sin (contrast 1:13). |
| 17 | word of truth / implanted word | λόγος ἀληθείας / ἔμφυτος λόγος | palabra de verdad / palabra implantada | Faith and Works; Inspiration of Scripture (cross-ref. baseline) | High | 1:18,21 | Related to baseline “gospel” (evangelio); the gospel’s regenerating and indwelling power. |
| 18 | doer of the word / hearer only | ποιητὴς λόγου / ἀκροατής | hacedor de la palabra / oidor | Faith and Works | High | 1:22-25 | Previews the ch. 2 argument; same doctrinal caution as “obras” (#1). |
| 19 | law of liberty / royal law | νόμος τῆς ἐλευθερίας / νόμος βασιλικός | ley de la libertad / ley real | Faith and Works | High | 1:25; 2:8,12 | Distinct referent from baseline’s Mosaic-Torah “ley” (Romans); the internalized moral/love-command law fulfilled in Christ. Must not import Romans’ law-versus-grace argument wholesale. |
| 20 | religion | θρησκεία / thrēskeia | religión | Faith and Works | Medium | 1:26-27 | Popular Spanish usage often equates “religión” with institutional/denominational identity; teach James’s redefinition toward lived compassion and purity. |
| 21 | favoritism | προσωπολημψία / prosōpolēmpsia | favoritismo (trad. RV: “acepción de personas”) | Favoritism and the Poor | High | 2:1,9 | Acute, live social-ethical relevance given real socioeconomic/racial hierarchies across the Spanish-speaking world. |
| 22 | the poor / the rich | πτωχός / plousios | pobre / rico | Favoritism and the Poor | Medium | 1:9-10; 2:2-6; 5:1-6 | Standard vocabulary; risk is applicational, not lexical. |
| 23 | heir | κληρονόμος / klēronomos | heredero | Favoritism and the Poor | Medium | 2:5 | Teach alongside baseline “adoption” (full-heir status). |
| 24 | mercy | ἔλεος / eleos | misericordia | Favoritism and the Poor; Wisdom from Above | Medium | 2:13; 3:17; 5:11 | Distinct from baseline “gracia”; relational compassion toward the needy/guilty. |
| 25 | tongue | γλῶσσα / glōssa | lengua | Taming the Tongue | High | 3:1-12 | Low lexical ambiguity, high doctrinal weight; teach as coherent unit. |
| 26 | bridle / tame | χαλιναγωγέω / damazō | poner freno a / domar | Taming the Tongue | Medium | 3:2-8 | Consistent rendering across the unit. |
| 27 | hell/Gehenna | γέεννα / geenna | geenna / infierno | Taming the Tongue | Medium-High | 3:6 | Risk of importing extra-biblical Spanish-Catholic afterlife geography (purgatorio, folk imagery) not present in James’s narrow image. |
| 28 | wisdom from above vs. earthly/demonic wisdom | σοφία ἄνωθεν / ἐπίγειος, ψυχική, δαιμονιώδης | sabiduría de lo alto / terrenal, puramente humana, diabólica | Wisdom from Above | High | 3:15,17 | Preserve the three-part negative description as a distinct triad, not one generic “bad wisdom.” |
| 29 | patience (with people/circumstances, awaiting the Lord) | μακροθυμία / makrothymia | paciencia | Patience and the Lord’s Return | High | 5:7,8,10 | Kept lexically distinct from ch.1’s ὑπομονή (“perseverancia,” #12). |
| 30 | coming of the Lord | παρουσία τοῦ κυρίου / parousia | la venida del Señor | Patience and the Lord’s Return | High | 5:7,8 | Teach as settled, imminent hope; guard against date-setting speculation risk in some regional charismatic strands. |
| 31 | Lord of hosts | Κύριος Σαβαώθ | Señor de los ejércitos | Favoritism and the Poor | High | 5:4 | OT divine-warrior/vindicator title on behalf of the exploited poor; teach its background explicitly. |
| 32 | sick | ἀσθενέω / astheneō | estar enfermo | Prayer and Healing | Medium | 5:14 | Standard. |
| 33 | elders of the church | πρεσβύτεροι τῆς ἐκκλησίας | ancianos de la iglesia | Prayer and Healing | High | 5:14 | Render “ancianos,” not “presbíteros,” to avoid the Catholic ordained-priesthood/sacramental frame. |
| 34 | anointing with oil | ἀλείφω ἐλαίῳ / aleiphō elaiō | ungir con aceite | Prayer and Healing | Critical | 5:14 | Primary text underlying the Catholic Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick/Last Rites; James envisions expectant healing prayer by congregational elders, not a priestly last-rites sacrament. Mandatory Human theologian review every occurrence. |
| 35 | prayer of faith | εὐχὴ τῆς πίστεως / euchē tēs pisteōs | oración de fe | Prayer and Healing | High | 5:15 | Confident, Spirit-led petition; not a guaranteed-outcome formula, not saint/Marian-mediated. |
| 36 | save/heal | σῴζω / sōzō | sanar / salvar (context-dependent) | Prayer and Healing | Critical | 5:15,20 | Deliberate dual sense (physical healing + spiritual salvation/forgiveness) must be preserved, not collapsed into a single either/or English-style choice. |
| 37 | forgive | ἀφίημι / aphiēmi | perdonar | Prayer and Healing | Medium | 5:15 | Avoid implying a rigid illness-equals-sin causal theology; contrast with Job (5:11). |
| 38 | confess sins to one another | ἐξομολογέομαι ἀλλήλοις τὰς ἁμαρτίας | confesaos los pecados unos a otros | Confession and Restoration | Critical | 5:16 | Mutual, horizontal, reciprocal confession with no priestly intermediary in view; sharp, teachable contrast with the Catholic Sacrament of Confession/Reconciliation. Mandatory Human theologian review every occurrence. |
| 39 | the effective prayer of a righteous person | δέησις δικαίου ἐνεργουμένη | la oración eficaz del justo | Confession and Restoration; Prayer and Healing | High | 5:16-18 | Efficacy grounded in the praying person’s faith-relationship with God (illustrated by Elijah), not ritual/clerical mediation; cross-reference baseline “prayer_and_intercession.” |
| 40 | turn back / restore | ἐπιστρέφω / epistrephō | hacer volver / restaurar | Confession and Restoration | High | 5:19-20 | Active, whole-community pastoral responsibility; not a specialized sacramental/clerical function. |
| 41 | devil | διάβολος / diabolos | diablo | Worldliness versus Friendship with God | Medium | 4:7 | Standard and unambiguous doctrinally; note regional folkloric usage as a register (not doctrinal) caution. |
| 42 | mist/vapor (life’s brevity) | ἀτμίς / atmis | vapor | Patience and the Lord’s Return | Low | 4:14 | Vivid imagery; minimal risk. |
| 43 | ”if the Lord wills” | ἐὰν ὁ κύριος θελήσῃ | si el Señor quiere | Patience and the Lord’s Return; cross-ref. baseline “providence” | High | 4:15 | Reclaim from casual idiomatic “si Dios quiere” toward serious God-dependent humility; cf. baseline caution against fatalistic “destino/suerte.” |
| 44 | servant/slave (self-designation) | δοῦλος / doulos | siervo | (introductory, cross-ref. Divine Calling) | Medium | 1:1 | ”Siervo,” not “esclavo,” matching Romans 1:1 register convention. |
| 45 | blessed | μακάριος / makarios | bienaventurado | Trials and the Testing of Faith | Low | 1:12 | Standard Reina-Valera register term. |
| 46 | crown of life | στέφανος τῆς ζωῆς | corona de vida | Trials and the Testing of Faith | Low | 1:12 | Standard, unambiguous. |
| 47 | prostitute (Rahab) | πόρνη / pornē | prostituta / (trad.) ramera | Faith and Works | Medium | 2:25 | Preserve the deliberate scandal of the Abraham/Rahab pairing; avoid softening euphemism. |
| 48 | bless/curse (same mouth) | εὐλογέω / kataraomai | bendecir / maldecir | Taming the Tongue | Medium | 3:9-10 | Preserve the ironic contradiction James highlights. |
| 49 | fruit of righteousness | καρπὸς δικαιοσύνης | fruto de justicia | Wisdom from Above; Faith and Works | High | 3:18 | Practical/ethical sense of δικαιοσύνη distinct from, but related to, the forensic sense in the core passage. |
| 50 | envy / selfish ambition | ζῆλος πικρός / eritheia | celos amargos / ambición egoísta | Wisdom from Above | Medium | 3:14,16 | Root of “disorder and every evil practice,” negative counterpart to wisdom from above. |
| 51 | human spirit (body/spirit analogy) | πνεῦμα / pneuma (human sense) | espíritu (lowercase, human sense) | Faith and Works | High | 2:26 | Lowercase “espíritu” (human life-breath) vs. capitalized “Espíritu Santo” (baseline Holy Spirit term); capitalization convention carries real doctrinal weight here. |
| 52 | transgressor / guilty | παραβάτης / enochos | transgresor / culpable | Favoritism and the Poor; cross-ref. baseline “universal_human_accountability” | Medium | 2:9-11 | Structurally parallels Romans 3:23’s universal-accountability argument. |
C. High-Priority Doctrinal Flashpoint: “Faith and Works” vs. Baseline “Justification”
Because James 2:14-26 is this curriculum’s core passage, and because it is the single most historically weaponized text in Catholic-Protestant polemics over justification, this section states the required harmonization explicitly for all downstream Phase 2 and Phase 3 work:
- Do not translate James’s δικαιόω/ἔργα differently from Romans’s to artificially resolve the tension. Spanish Bible tradition (Reina-Valera and virtually all Catholic and Protestant versions alike) uses the same “justificar”/“justificación” and “obras” vocabulary in both books. This curriculum follows that same lexical convention.
- Resolve the tension entirely through doctrine teaching and translator notes, never through silent lexical substitution. The required harmonization frame: Genesis 15:6 / James 2:23 (quoted verbatim) is the forensic ground, received by faith and credited as righteousness — identical to Romans 4’s doctrine and identical to the baseline’s fixed term “justicia imputada.” Genesis 22 / James 2:21,24-25 describes the vindication before observers of that already-existing righteous standing, using δικαιόω in its demonstrative sense.
- Every occurrence of ἔργα (“obras”), δικαιόω (“justificar/justificado”), and the “not by faith alone” clause in James 2:14-26 is tagged Critical and requires mandatory Human theologian review, matching the baseline’s escalation rule for Romans 10:9-10 and the baseline’s Critical entries for “justification,” “righteousness,” and “imputed_righteousness.”
D. Risk Summary (James New Terms Only)
| Risk Tier | Count | Representative terms |
|---|---|---|
| Critical | 8 | obras, fe muerta, justificado (demonstrative), “no solamente por la fe,” ungir con aceite, sanar/salvar (dual sense), confesaos…unos a otros |
| High | 20 | amigo de Dios, amistad con el mundo, mundo, prueba/tentación, perseverancia, sabiduría, palabra implantada, hacedor de la palabra, ley de la libertad, favoritismo, lengua, sabiduría de lo alto/terrenal-diabólica, paciencia, venida del Señor, Señor de los ejércitos, ancianos de la iglesia, oración de fe, la oración eficaz del justo, hacer volver/restaurar, espíritu (human sense, 2:26), si el Señor quiere |
| Medium | 20 | siervo, la prueba (dokimion), complete/mature, doble ánimo, deseo/concupiscencia, religión, pobre/rico, heredero, misericordia, bridle/tame, geenna/infierno, sick, forgive, devil, transgresor/culpable, prostituta, bless/curse, fruto de justicia, envy/ambición, servant designation duplicates as noted |
| Low | 4 | blessed, crown of life, mist/vapor, ophelos-type minor idioms |
This glossary, together with analysis/07_semantic_analysis.md, is the required Phase 1 input for extending the baseline translation_memory.json, bible_term_registry.json, and doctrine_risk_registry.json for the James curriculum in subsequent Phase 1 steps.
Critical Risk Terms
Lord
Approved rendering: Señor
Transliteration: kyrios
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Rejected alternatives: Señor mío (devotional-only, without lordship claim)
Original: κύριος
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. James 1:1,7; 2:1; 4:10,15; 5:4,7,8,10,11,14,15, including the compound title ‘Señor de los ejércitos’ (5:4, see lord_of_hosts). Exclusive, supreme lordship in every occurrence.
God
Approved rendering: Dios
Transliteration: theos
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
Original: θεός
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. James 2:19’s monotheistic confession (‘Dios es uno’) must be taught as theologically inert bare assent without works — not as James disparaging sound doctrine itself.
Righteousness
Approved rendering: justicia
Transliteration: dikaiosynē
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Rejected alternatives: rectitud moral autónoma, mérito acumulado
Original: δικαιοσύνη
Category: Faith and Works
Inherited from Romans package. James 2:23 (forensic sense, quoting Genesis 15:6) and James 3:18 (‘fruto de justicia,’ the practical/ethical sense) are related but distinct applications; teach 3:18 as James’s practical extension, not a reopening of the forensic question anchored at 2:23.
Justification
Approved rendering: justificación / justificar
Transliteration: dikaiōsis / dikaioō
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Rejected alternatives: proceso gradual de purificación interior, justicia infundida
Original: δικαιόω / δικαίωσις
Category: Faith and Works
Inherited from Romans package with a mandatory James-specific sense flag: Romans and James 2:23 use δικαιόω forensically (declared righteous by faith); James 2:21,24,25 uses the SAME Spanish verb demonstratively (vindicated/proven righteous before observers by visible works). Spanish Bible tradition uses one verb for both senses; the distinction must be carried entirely by teaching notes, never by lexical substitution. Mandatory Human theologian review on every occurrence in James 2:14-26.
Imputed Righteousness
Approved rendering: justicia imputada
Transliteration: elogisthē autō eis dikaiosynēn
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Rejected alternatives: justicia infundida (Tridentine category, forbidden)
Original: ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην
Category: Faith and Works
Inherited from Romans package, MANDATORY reuse. James 2:23 quotes the identical Genesis 15:6 clause already fixed for Romans 4:3. This verse is the strongest textual anchor for teaching James 2 as harmonious with, not contradictory to, Romans 4. NEVER ‘justicia infundida.‘
Salvation
Approved rendering: salvación / salvar / sanar (context-dependent, see save_heal)
Transliteration: sōtēria / sōzō
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: salvarse por buenas obras, merecer el cielo mediante sacramentos y penitencia
Inherited from Romans package. James 2:14 asks rhetorically whether a fruitless, merely-verbal faith can ‘save’ (σῴζω) — assumes it cannot. James 5:15,20 hold physical healing and spiritual salvation/forgiveness together in one verb; see save_heal (new term) for the dual-sense handling rule.
Jesus
Approved rendering: Jesús
Transliteration: Iēsous
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Inherited from Romans package. James 1:1; 2:1 (‘Jesucristo, el Señor de gloria’).
Intercession
Approved rendering: intercesión
Transliteration: enteuxis / hyperentynchanei
Doctrine: Confession and Restoration
Rejected alternatives: intercesión de los santos o de la Virgen como mediadores necesarios ante Dios
Inherited from Romans package. Cross-referenced by James 5:16-18 (‘la oración eficaz del justo,’ Elijah’s example): efficacious prayer is grounded in the praying person’s faith-relationship with God, not ritual mediation through a separate class of especially holy intercessors — the same caution as the baseline entry, now reinforced by James’s Elijah illustration.
Works
Approved rendering: obras
Transliteration: erga
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Rejected alternatives: hechos meritorios que ganan la salvación (must never be taught this way)
Original: ἔργα
Category: Faith and Works
CRITICAL cross-document risk: the identical Spanish word is fixed in the Romans package as the category EXCLUDED from the ground of justification (Romans 4:4-5; 11:5-6). James uses it approvingly as required evidence of already-present living faith. Every occurrence in James 2:14-26 requires a translator note distinguishing James’s ‘obras’ (fruit/evidence) from Paul’s ‘obras’ (excluded meritorious ground). Never resolve by translating differently in the two books.
Faith Dead
Approved rendering: fe muerta
Transliteration: pistis…nekra
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Rejected alternatives: fe incompleta, fe débil, fe en desarrollo
Original: πίστις…νεκρά
Category: Faith and Works
Thesis statement of the core passage (James 2:17,26). ‘Muerta’ is the only faithful rendering. Any softening misrepresents James’s stark antithesis between genuine and counterfeit faith and is explicitly forbidden.
Not By Faith Alone
Approved rendering: no solamente por la fe
Transliteration: ouk ek pisteōs monon
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Rejected alternatives: no solamente por una fe aparente/vacía (forbidden interpretive insertion into Scripture text itself)
Original: οὐκ ἐκ πίστεως μόνον
Category: Faith and Works
James 2:24. The single most historically contested clause in Catholic-Protestant sola fide polemics across the Spanish-speaking world. Translate literally; NEVER insert interpretive qualifiers into the Scripture text. Resolve the tension only in teaching notes. Mandatory Human theologian review every occurrence.
Anointing With Oil
Approved rendering: ungir con aceite
Transliteration: aleipsantes elaiō
Doctrine: Prayer and Healing
Original: ἀλείψαντες ἐλαίῳ
Category: Prayer and Healing
James 5:14-15. Primary text underlying the Catholic Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick (historically ‘Extremaunción’/Last Rites), popularly priest-administered near death. James envisions congregational elders praying expectantly for restoration to life and activity. Mandatory Human theologian review every occurrence, same tier as baseline Critical ‘intercession’/‘saints.‘
Save Heal
Approved rendering: sanar / salvar
Transliteration: sōzō
Doctrine: Prayer and Healing
Rejected alternatives: forced single either/or choice between ‘sanar’ and ‘salvar’ (forbidden — erases deliberate dual sense)
Original: σῴζω
Category: Prayer and Healing
James 2:14; 5:15,20. Dual physical (healing) and spiritual (forgiveness/salvation) sense; must be preserved via teaching notes in 5:15, not collapsed into a single English-style either/or choice.
Confess Sins To One Another
Approved rendering: confesaos los pecados unos a otros
Transliteration: exomologeomai allēlois tas hamartias
Doctrine: Confession and Restoration
Rejected alternatives: confesión sacramental a un sacerdote ordenado (forbidden framing)
Original: ἐξομολογέομαι ἀλλήλοις τὰς ἁμαρτίας
Category: Confession and Restoration
James 5:16. Mutual, horizontal, reciprocal confession among believers, no priestly intermediary in view. Sharp, teachable contrast with the Catholic Sacrament of Confession/Reconciliation. Never drop the reciprocal marker ‘unos a otros.’ Mandatory Human theologian review every occurrence.
High Risk Terms
Gospel
Approved rendering: evangelio
Transliteration: euangelion
Doctrine: Gospel
Rejected alternatives: buenas nuevas (only as a descriptive gloss, never the standalone technical term)
Inherited from Romans package. Cross-referenced in James via 1:18,21 (‘palabra de verdad’/‘palabra implantada’) — the regenerating gospel message James assumes but does not re-name.
Grace
Approved rendering: gracia
Transliteration: charis
Doctrine: Grace
Rejected alternatives: favor merecido, recompensa por buenas obras
Original: χάρις
Category: Faith and Works
Inherited from Romans package. James 4:6 (‘Dios da gracia a los humildes’) contrasts grace with pride; must not be read as a reward earned by the merit of humility.
Faith
Approved rendering: fe
Transliteration: pistis
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Rejected alternatives: devoción religiosa general, creencia cultural heredada
Original: πίστις
Category: Faith and Works
Inherited from Romans package. In James 2:14-26 this term is examined for its authenticity (claimed vs. living faith), not redefined; the object of trust must remain recoverable from context. Highest-stakes occurrence in the whole curriculum given James 2’s use in Catholic catechesis against sola fide.
Sin
Approved rendering: pecado
Transliteration: hamartia
Doctrine: Universal Human Accountability
Rejected alternatives: falta (minimizing euphemism common in pastoral speech)
Original: ἁμαρτία
Category: Faith and Works
Inherited from Romans package. James 1:15; 2:9; 4:17; 5:15,16,20. James 4:17 extends the doctrine explicitly to sins of omission. Never soften to ‘falta.‘
Law
Approved rendering: ley
Transliteration: nomos
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Original: νόμος (Mosaic/general sense)
Category: Faith and Works
Inherited from Romans package. Use only where νόμος denotes the Mosaic/moral law generally (James 2:9-11). Do not use for James’s distinct ‘law of liberty’ referent (see law_of_liberty, new term below), which must not import Romans’ law-versus-grace argument.
Father
Approved rendering: Padre
Transliteration: patēr
Doctrine: Adoption into God’s Family
Original: πατήρ
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package (baseline risk Critical for ‘Padre’ generally; James-specific occurrences retain High per the James doctrine registry). ‘Padre de las luces’ (1:17) is standard Reina-Valera phrasing; also 1:27, 3:9.
Glory
Approved rendering: gloria
Transliteration: doxa
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
Original: δόξα
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. James 2:1 ‘el Señor de gloria’ affirms Christ’s deity in the immediate context of the favoritism prohibition.
Election
Approved rendering: elección / elegir
Transliteration: eklogē / eklegomai
Doctrine: Favoritism and the Poor
Rejected alternatives: destino, suerte
Original: ἐκλέγομαι
Category: Favoritism and the Poor
Inherited from Romans package. James 2:5 applies God’s sovereign choice specifically to the economically poor as heirs of the kingdom — an outworking of the same doctrine, not a separate one.
Cooperated With Works
Approved rendering: actuaba/obraba junto con
Transliteration: synērgei (synergeō)
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Rejected alternatives: cooperación (static noun; Tridentine merit-cooperation technical term, forbidden)
Original: συνήργει (συνεργέω)
Category: Faith and Works
James 2:22. Faith and works pictured as one authentic faith’s self-expression through action, not two independent contributing causes of justification. Never render with the static noun ‘cooperación.‘
Friend Of God
Approved rendering: amigo de Dios
Transliteration: philos theou
Doctrine: Worldliness versus Friendship with God
Rejected alternatives: amigo de Dios en sentido restringido a santos canonizados o la Virgen
Original: φίλος θεοῦ
Category: Worldliness versus Friendship with God
James 2:23. Parallels the baseline’s Critical ‘saints’ risk: popular Hispanic Catholic piety often reserves uniquely intimate divine friendship/favor language for canonized saints or the Virgin. Must be taught as available to every believer through faith.
Friendship With World
Approved rendering: amistad con el mundo / enemistad con Dios
Transliteration: philia tou kosmou / echthra tou theou
Doctrine: Worldliness versus Friendship with God
Original: φιλία τοῦ κόσμου / ἔχθρα τοῦ θεοῦ
Category: Worldliness versus Friendship with God
James 4:4. Deliberately mirrors and inverts ‘amigo de Dios’ (2:23); must be cross-referenced explicitly in teaching materials as the letter’s central antithesis.
World
Approved rendering: mundo
Transliteration: kosmos
Doctrine: Worldliness versus Friendship with God
Original: κόσμος
Category: Worldliness versus Friendship with God
James 1:27; 4:4. The God-opposed value-system organizing human society, not merely ‘the planet’ or created order. Disambiguate contextually every occurrence.
Trial
Approved rendering: prueba
Transliteration: peirasmos (positive sense)
Doctrine: Trials and the Testing of Faith
Original: πειρασμός (positive sense)
Category: Trials and the Testing of Faith
James 1:2,12. External hardship that tests/refines faith. Must be kept lexically distinct from ‘tentación’ (temptation) so James’s deliberate wordplay and theodicy (God tests but never tempts to sin) are preserved.
Temptation
Approved rendering: tentación
Transliteration: peirasmos / peirazō (negative sense)
Doctrine: Trials and the Testing of Faith
Original: πειρασμός / πειράζω (negative sense)
Category: Trials and the Testing of Faith
James 1:13-14. Internal enticement to sin, arising from one’s own desire, never from God. Must be kept lexically distinct from ‘prueba.‘
Endurance
Approved rendering: perseverancia
Transliteration: hypomonē
Doctrine: Trials and the Testing of Faith
Rejected alternatives: paciencia (reserved for μακροθυμία, see patience_longsuffering)
Original: ὑπομονή
Category: Trials and the Testing of Faith
James 1:3-4; 5:11 (Job). Kept lexically distinct from ‘paciencia’ despite both glossing ‘patience’ in English source material.
Wisdom
Approved rendering: sabiduría
Transliteration: sophia
Doctrine: Wisdom from Above
Rejected alternatives: sabiduría ancestral, sabiduría esotérica/curanderista
Original: σοφία
Category: Wisdom from Above
James 1:5; 3:13-18. God-given, requested by prayer; must be distinguished from folk wisdom, curanderismo, and New Age ‘sabiduría ancestral’ traditions live in parts of Latin America.
Wisdom From Above
Approved rendering: sabiduría de lo alto / terrenal, puramente humana, diabólica
Transliteration: sophia anōthen / epigeios, psychikē, daimoniōdēs
Doctrine: Wisdom from Above
Rejected alternatives: mala sabiduría (generic, flattens the theologically distinct triad)
Original: σοφία ἄνωθεν / ἐπίγειος, ψυχική, δαιμονιώδης
Category: Wisdom from Above
James 3:15,17. The threefold negative description (earthly/soulish/demonic origin) must be preserved as a distinct triad, never collapsed.
Word Of Truth Implanted
Approved rendering: palabra de verdad / palabra implantada
Transliteration: logos alētheias / emphytos logos
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Original: λόγος ἀληθείας / ἔμφυτος λόγος
Category: Faith and Works
James 1:18,21. Related to baseline ‘evangelio’; the gospel’s regenerating and indwelling power, requiring obedience (1:22).
Doer Of The Word
Approved rendering: hacedor de la palabra / oidor
Transliteration: poiētēs logou / akroatēs
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Original: ποιητὴς λόγου / ἀκροατής
Category: Faith and Works
James 1:22-25. Previews the chapter 2 argument; same doctrinal caution as ‘obras’ — doing is the fruit/proof of genuine reception, not a supplementary meritorious act.
Law Of Liberty
Approved rendering: ley de la libertad / ley real
Transliteration: nomos teleios tēs eleutherias / nomos basilikos
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Original: νόμος τέλειος τῆς ἐλευθερίας / νόμος βασιλικός
Category: Faith and Works
James 1:25; 2:8,12. Distinct referent from the baseline’s Mosaic-Torah ‘ley’ (Romans); the internalized love-command law fulfilled in Christ. Must not import Romans’ law-versus-grace argument wholesale.
Favoritism
Approved rendering: favoritismo
Transliteration: prosōpolēmpsia
Doctrine: Favoritism and the Poor
Rejected alternatives: acepción de personas (traditional RV phrase, archaic/opaque to contemporary readers; note but do not rely on exclusively)
Original: προσωπολημψία
Category: Favoritism and the Poor
James 2:1,9. Acute, live social-ethical relevance given real socioeconomic/racial hierarchies across Latin America and Spain; teach as a live ethical command, not an ancient illustration.
Tongue
Approved rendering: lengua
Transliteration: glōssa
Doctrine: Taming the Tongue
Original: γλῶσσα
Category: Taming the Tongue
James 3:1-12. Low lexical ambiguity, high doctrinal weight; teach as a coherent unit (bit/rudder/fire/spring/fig-tree images), not isolated proverbs.
Gehenna
Approved rendering: geenna / infierno
Transliteration: geenna
Doctrine: Taming the Tongue
Rejected alternatives: infierno (unqualified, importing full Dante-derived purgatorial afterlife geography)
Original: γέεννα
Category: Taming the Tongue
James 3:6. Render ‘geenna’ transliterated with a first-occurrence gloss, or contextual ‘infierno’ only paired with a mandatory narrowing teaching note. Popular Spanish-Catholic afterlife geography (cielo/infierno/purgatorio) must not be imported into James’s narrow tongue-fire image.
Fruit Of Righteousness
Approved rendering: fruto de justicia
Transliteration: karpos dikaiosynēs
Doctrine: Wisdom from Above
Original: καρπὸς δικαιοσύνης
Category: Wisdom from Above
James 3:18. Practical/ethical sense of δικαιοσύνη, distinct from but related to the forensic sense anchored at 2:23; teach explicitly as ethical application, not a reopening of the justification question.
If The Lord Wills
Approved rendering: si el Señor quiere
Transliteration: ean ho kyrios thelēsē
Doctrine: Patience and the Lord’s Return
Rejected alternatives: si Dios quiere (as unreflective, desemanticized everyday hedge — must be reclaimed toward serious theological content)
Original: ἐὰν ὁ κύριος θελήσῃ
Category: Patience and the Lord’s Return
James 4:15. Conditional submission to divine providence. Must be reclaimed from the near-superstitious everyday idiom ‘si Dios quiere’ toward a serious call to God-dependent humility.
Lord Of Hosts
Approved rendering: Señor de los ejércitos
Transliteration: Kyrios Sabaōth
Doctrine: Favoritism and the Poor
Rejected alternatives: Sabaot (bare transliteration, breaks established Reina-Valera OT convention)
Original: Κύριος Σαβαώθ
Category: Favoritism and the Poor
James 5:4. Follows established Reina-Valera paraphrase convention (Isaiah, Psalms). OT divine-warrior/vindicator title on behalf of the exploited poor; teach its background explicitly.
Patience Longsuffering
Approved rendering: paciencia
Transliteration: makrothymeō / makrothymia
Doctrine: Patience and the Lord’s Return
Rejected alternatives: perseverancia (reserved for ὑπομονή, see endurance)
Original: μακροθυμέω / μακροθυμία
Category: Patience and the Lord’s Return
James 5:7,8,10. Kept lexically distinct from chapter 1’s ‘perseverancia,’ even though both loosely gloss ‘patience’ in English source material.
Coming Of The Lord
Approved rendering: la venida del Señor
Transliteration: parousia tou kyriou
Doctrine: Patience and the Lord’s Return
Original: παρουσία τοῦ κυρίου
Category: Patience and the Lord’s Return
James 5:7-9. Settled, imminent hope; guard against date-setting speculation active in some regional charismatic/popular-apocalyptic subcultures.
Elders Of Church
Approved rendering: ancianos de la iglesia
Transliteration: presbyteroi tēs ekklēsias
Doctrine: Prayer and Healing
Rejected alternatives: presbíteros (Catholic ordained clerical/sacramental office, forbidden)
Original: πρεσβύτεροι τῆς ἐκκλησίας
Category: Prayer and Healing
James 5:14. Render ‘ancianos,’ never ‘presbíteros,’ to avoid importing the Catholic ordained-priesthood sacramental frame absent from James’s text.
Prayer Of Faith
Approved rendering: la oración de fe
Transliteration: euchē tēs pisteōs
Doctrine: Prayer and Healing
Original: εὐχὴ τῆς πίστεως
Category: Prayer and Healing
James 5:15. Confident, Spirit-led petition, not a guaranteed-outcome formula, and not equivalent to saint/Marian-mediated petitionary prayer.
Effective Prayer Of Righteous
Approved rendering: la oración eficaz del justo
Transliteration: deēsis dikaiou energoumenē
Doctrine: Confession and Restoration
Original: δέησις δικαίου ἐνεργουμένη
Category: Confession and Restoration
James 5:16-18. Efficacy grounded in the praying person’s faith-relationship with God (Elijah, an ordinary human), not ritual/clerical mediation; cross-reference baseline ‘intercession.‘
Turn Back Restore
Approved rendering: hacer volver / restaurar
Transliteration: epistrephō
Doctrine: Confession and Restoration
Original: ἐπιστρέφω
Category: Confession and Restoration
James 5:19-20. Active, whole-community pastoral responsibility, not a specialized sacramental or clerical function.
Human Spirit
Approved rendering: espíritu (minúscula)
Transliteration: pneuma (human sense)
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Rejected alternatives: Espíritu (mayúscula, reservado para el Espíritu Santo)
Original: πνεῦμα (human sense)
Category: Faith and Works
James 2:26. The animating human life-breath, not the Holy Spirit. Lowercase ‘espíritu’ is mandatory to avoid implying a Trinitarian statement in a simple bodily-death analogy restating the chapter’s dead-faith thesis.
Medium Risk Terms
Peace
Approved rendering: paz
Transliteration: eirēnē
Doctrine: Peace with God
Rejected alternatives: tranquilidad emocional
Original: εἰρήνη
Category: Faith and Works
Inherited from Romans package. James 2:16 uses ‘id en paz’ ironically as an empty pious formula with no material help — this irony must be preserved, not smoothed into sincerity. James 3:18 uses it positively as peacemakers’ fruit.
Church
Approved rendering: iglesia
Transliteration: ekklēsia
Doctrine: Church as God’s People
Rejected alternatives: la Iglesia (institución jerárquica en sentido católico-institucional)
Original: ἐκκλησία
Category: Prayer and Healing
Inherited from Romans package. James 5:14: lowercase ‘iglesia,’ the local gathered-assembly sense whose elders (not a clerical office) are summoned for prayer.
Kingdom Of God
Approved rendering: reino de Dios
Transliteration: basileia tou theou
Doctrine: Kingdom Mission
Original: βασιλεία
Category: Favoritism and the Poor
Inherited from Romans package. James 2:5: the poor, chosen by God, are ‘herederos del reino que prometió a los que le aman.‘
Providence
Approved rendering: providencia
Transliteration: pronoia
Doctrine: Patience and the Lord’s Return
Rejected alternatives: destino, la suerte
Inherited from Romans package. Cross-referenced by James 4:15 ‘si el Señor quiere’ (see if_the_lord_wills, new term). God’s personal, purposive governance, not fatalistic ‘destino/suerte.‘
Perfected Completed
Approved rendering: se perfeccionó / llegó a su plenitud
Transliteration: eteleiōthē (teleioō)
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Rejected alternatives: fue completada (implies prior insufficiency needing supplementation)
Original: ἐτελειώθη (τελειόω)
Category: Faith and Works
James 2:22. Faith’s outward maturation into visible fruit, not its inward sufficiency being supplemented by an external contribution.
Testing Genuineness
Approved rendering: la prueba (genuina)
Transliteration: dokimion
Doctrine: Trials and the Testing of Faith
Original: δοκίμιον
Category: Trials and the Testing of Faith
James 1:3. Metallurgical refining image; preserve in teaching notes so it is not flattened into a generic synonym for ‘prueba.‘
Complete Mature
Approved rendering: perfecto / maduro / cabal
Transliteration: teleios
Doctrine: Trials and the Testing of Faith
Rejected alternatives: perfecto sin pecado (sinless-perfection misreading)
Original: τέλειος
Category: Trials and the Testing of Faith
James 1:4,17,25. Moral/spiritual maturity and wholeness, not sinless perfection.
Double Minded
Approved rendering: de doble ánimo
Transliteration: dipsychos
Doctrine: Trials and the Testing of Faith
Original: δίψυχος
Category: Trials and the Testing of Faith
James 1:8; 4:8. Render consistently across both occurrences.
Desire Lust
Approved rendering: deseo / concupiscencia
Transliteration: epithymia
Doctrine: Trials and the Testing of Faith
Original: ἐπιθυμία
Category: Trials and the Testing of Faith
James 1:14-15. The internal, personal origin of temptation, never external fate or God testing toward sin (contrast 1:13).
Religion
Approved rendering: religión
Transliteration: thrēskeia
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Original: θρησκεία
Category: Faith and Works
James 1:26-27. Popular Spanish usage often equates ‘religión’ with institutional/denominational identity; teach James’s redefinition toward lived compassion (orphans/widows) and moral purity.
Poor
Approved rendering: pobre
Transliteration: ptōchos
Doctrine: Favoritism and the Poor
Original: πτωχός
Category: Favoritism and the Poor
James 1:9-10; 2:2-6; 5:1-6. Standard vocabulary; ensure register avoids pejorative connotation.
Rich
Approved rendering: rico
Transliteration: plousios
Doctrine: Favoritism and the Poor
Original: πλούσιος
Category: Favoritism and the Poor
James 1:10-11; 2:2-6; 5:1-6. Doctrinal risk is applicational (social hierarchy), not lexical.
Heir
Approved rendering: heredero
Transliteration: klēronomos
Doctrine: Favoritism and the Poor
Original: κληρονόμος
Category: Favoritism and the Poor
James 2:5. Teach alongside baseline ‘adoption’ doctrine (full-heir status, not provisional).
Mercy
Approved rendering: misericordia
Transliteration: eleos
Doctrine: Favoritism and the Poor
Original: ἔλεος
Category: Favoritism and the Poor
James 2:13; 3:17; 5:11. Relational compassion toward the needy/guilty; distinct from baseline ‘gracia’ (unmerited favor) — teach in its own right, do not collapse the two.
Transgressor Guilty
Approved rendering: transgresor / culpable
Transliteration: parabatēs / enochos
Doctrine: Favoritism and the Poor
Original: παραβάτης / ἔνοχος
Category: Favoritism and the Poor
James 2:10-11. Breaking one point of the law makes one a transgressor of the whole; structurally parallels the baseline’s Romans 3:23 universal-accountability doctrine.
Bridle Tame
Approved rendering: poner freno a / domar
Transliteration: chalinagōgeō / damazō
Doctrine: Taming the Tongue
Original: χαλιναγωγέω / δαμάζω
Category: Taming the Tongue
James 3:2-8. Humans can tame wild animals but not fully tame the tongue — highlights necessity of divine wisdom, not mere willpower.
Bless Curse
Approved rendering: bendecir / maldecir
Transliteration: eulogeō / kataraomai
Doctrine: Taming the Tongue
Original: εὐλογέω / καταράομαι
Category: Taming the Tongue
James 3:9-10. Preserve the ironic contradiction of the same mouth blessing God and cursing people made in his likeness.
Envy Selfish Ambition
Approved rendering: celos amargos / ambición egoísta
Transliteration: zēlos pikros / eritheia
Doctrine: Wisdom from Above
Original: ζῆλος πικρός / ἐριθεία
Category: Wisdom from Above
James 3:14,16. Root of ‘disorder and every evil practice,’ negative counterpart to wisdom from above.
Devil
Approved rendering: diablo
Transliteration: diabolos
Doctrine: Worldliness versus Friendship with God
Original: διάβολος
Category: Worldliness versus Friendship with God
James 4:7. Standard and unambiguous doctrinally; note regional folkloric usage (e.g. ‘diablada’ festival dances) as a register, not doctrinal, caution.
Humble Exalt
Approved rendering: humillarse / exaltar
Transliteration: tapeinos / tapeinoō / hypsoō
Doctrine: Favoritism and the Poor
Original: ταπεινός / ταπεινόω / ὑψόω
Category: Favoritism and the Poor
James 4:10. Reversal-of-status theme echoing 1:9-10 in a devotional register.
Sick
Approved rendering: estar enfermo
Transliteration: astheneō
Doctrine: Prayer and Healing
Original: ἀσθενέω
Category: Prayer and Healing
James 5:14. Standard, unambiguous; introduces the elder-summoning instruction.
Forgive
Approved rendering: perdonar
Transliteration: aphiēmi
Doctrine: Prayer and Healing
Original: ἀφίημι
Category: Prayer and Healing
James 5:15. Teach carefully: James does not assert a universal illness-equals-sin causal link (contrast Job, 5:11); avoid implying rigid retribution theology.
Servant Self Designation
Approved rendering: siervo
Transliteration: doulos
Doctrine: Divine Calling
Rejected alternatives: esclavo (chattel-slavery connotation in modern Spanish, foreign to this honorific self-designation)
Original: δοῦλος
Category: Faith and Works
James 1:1. Matches the Romans 1:1 register convention for James’s self-identification as wholly owned by God and Christ.
Prostitute
Approved rendering: prostituta
Transliteration: pornē
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Rejected alternatives: una mujer de mala vida (softening euphemism)
Original: πόρνη
Category: Faith and Works
James 2:25. Rahab, James’s second faith-and-works example alongside Abraham; must preserve the deliberate scandal of the pairing across society’s moral extremes.
One God Confession
Approved rendering: Dios es uno / un solo Dios
Transliteration: heis theos
Doctrine: Faith and Works
James 2:19. Bare, even orthodox, doctrinal assent is theologically inert without works. Low lexical risk, but must be taught carefully so learners do not conclude James disparages sound doctrine itself, only doctrine divorced from trust and obedience.
Show Demonstrate Faith
Approved rendering: muéstrame / demostrar
Transliteration: deiknymi
Doctrine: Faith and Works
James 2:18. Works function epistemically as evidence of faith to observers, not soteriologically as a co-cause of salvation alongside faith.
Low Risk Terms
Prophet
Approved rendering: profeta
Transliteration: prophētēs
Doctrine: Patience and the Lord’s Return
Rejected alternatives: vidente, adivino
Inherited from Romans package. James 5:10 cites the prophets as an example of patient suffering in the Lord’s name.
Orphans And Widows
Approved rendering: huérfanos y viudas
Transliteration: orphanous kai chēras
Doctrine: Faith and Works
James 1:27. The concrete content of James’s redefined ‘pure religion’; standard vocabulary, no collision risk.
Blaspheme
Approved rendering: blasfemar
Transliteration: blasphēmeō
Doctrine: Favoritism and the Poor
James 2:7. The rich are said to blaspheme the honorable name invoked over believers; standard, unambiguous term.
Mist Vapor
Approved rendering: vapor
Transliteration: atmis
Doctrine: Patience and the Lord’s Return
Original: ἀτμίς
Category: Patience and the Lord’s Return
James 4:14. Life’s brevity, illustrating human presumption about the future; vivid imagery, minimal risk.
Twelve Tribes
Approved rendering: las doce tribus (de la dispersión)
Transliteration: tais dōdeka phylais en tē diaspora
Doctrine: Mission to the Nations
James 1:1. Addresses Jewish-Christian believers scattered outside Israel; standard rendering, minimal collision risk beyond ensuring the diaspora/dispersion sense is not lost.
Blessed
Approved rendering: bienaventurado
Transliteration: makarios
Doctrine: Trials and the Testing of Faith
Original: μακάριος
Category: Trials and the Testing of Faith
James 1:12. Standard Reina-Valera register term (cf. Beatitudes tradition).
Crown Of Life
Approved rendering: corona de vida
Transliteration: stephanos tēs zōēs
Doctrine: Trials and the Testing of Faith
Original: στέφανος τῆς ζωῆς
Category: Trials and the Testing of Faith
James 1:12. Standard, unambiguous athletic/military victory-garland imagery.
Body Physical
Approved rendering: cuerpo
Transliteration: sōma
Doctrine: Faith and Works
James 2:26. Paired with ‘espíritu (minúscula)’ in the body/spirit analogy closing the core passage; standard, unambiguous.
Physical Need
Approved rendering: desnudo / sin ropa / necesidad
Transliteration: gymnos / chreia
Doctrine: Faith and Works
James 2:15-16. Concrete, tangible material poverty grounding the faith-and-works illustration; direct, low-ambiguity vocabulary.
What Good Is It
Approved rendering: de qué le sirve / qué provecho hay
Transliteration: ophelos
Doctrine: Faith and Works
James 2:14,16. Opens the core passage’s rhetorical diatribe questioning the practical value of a fruitless faith-claim; standard idiom.
Demons
Approved rendering: demonios
Transliteration: daimonia
Doctrine: Faith and Works
James 2:19. The demons’ correct theology paired with dread is James’s proof that intellectual assent alone is not saving faith. In Caribbean contexts with active Espiritismo/Santería, teach as James’s rhetorical point, not an occasion for folk-spiritist speculation about demonic manifestation.
Foolish Empty Rebuke
Approved rendering: hombre necio / vano
Transliteration: kenos (vocative kene)
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Rejected alternatives: amigo (too mild; loses the diatribe’s direct rebuke register)
James 2:20. Direct rebuke of the interlocutor’s separation of faith from works; keep the formal-but-direct diatribe tone.
Referenced passages