Core Glossary
Core Glossary — Gospel of John | English → Spanish
This glossary consolidates every load-bearing term identified in 07_semantic_analysis.md, drawn from the core passage (John 3:1-21) and the full chapter-by-chapter study (John 1-21). Terms marked [Baseline TM] are already fixed in the Romans translation_memory.json and MUST be reused exactly, with no alternative rendering proposed. New terms are proposed here for the first time for this curriculum and must be added to translation memory before Phase 2 processing begins, per the Language Package’s term-addition procedure.
Risk tiers follow the baseline’s doctrine_risk_registry.json definitions: Critical (human theologian review, every occurrence), High (human theologian review), Medium (native speaker review recommended), Low (automated review sufficient).
Terms Reused Exactly from Baseline Romans Package
| # | English Term | Spanish Rendering | Original (Greek) | Risk (per baseline) | John Chapters | Note for John Usage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | God | Dios | θεός | Critical | 1,3,5,8,10,14,17,20 | Climaxes at 20:28’s worship-confession. |
| 2 | Jesus | Jesús | Ἰησοῦς | Critical | all | Standard, unchanged. |
| 3 | Lord | Señor | κύριος | Critical | 4,6,9,11,13,20,21 | 20:28 “Señor mío y Dios mío” is the Gospel’s climactic confession. |
| 4 | Son of God | Hijo de Dios | υἱὸς θεοῦ | Critical | 1,3,5,10,11,19,20 | John 20:31 states this title as the Gospel’s own purpose. |
| 5 | Holy Spirit | Espíritu Santo | πνεῦμα ἅγιον | Critical | 1,3,7,14,15,16,20 | Same Espiritismo/Santería caution applies; also underlies the new Counselor/Consolador entry. |
| 6 | Father | Padre | πατήρ | Critical | 1,3,5,6,8,10,14,17,20 | Foundational to Trinitarian relations across the Gospel. |
| 7 | grace | gracia | χάρις | High | 1 | Paired with “truth” (1:14,17) echoing OT ḥesed we’emet. |
| 8 | sin | pecado | ἁμαρτία | Medium | 1,8,9,15,16,19,20 | Recurs in the Counselor’s convicting work (16:8). |
| 9 | holy | santo | ἅγιος | Medium | 6,10,17,20 | ”Holy Father” (17:11); Holy Spirit throughout. |
| 10 | glory | gloria | δόξα | Medium | 1,2,7,8,9,11,12,17 | Climaxes paradoxically at the cross (12:23-24; 17:1,5). |
| 11 | messiah / Christ | Mesías / Cristo | Χριστός / Μεσσίας | Critical | 1,4,7,9,10,11,20 | John himself glosses the transliteration at 1:41. |
| 12 | resurrection | resurrección | ἀνάστασις | Critical | 5,11,20 | Same reincarnation-confusion caution (Espiritismo/Santería) applies. |
| 13 | kingdom of God | reino de Dios | βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ | Medium | 3,18 | 18:36 explicitly denies a political/territorial referent. |
| 14 | law | ley | νόμος | High | 1,7 | Standard Mosaic Law sense, unchanged. |
| 15 | peace | paz | εἰρήνη | Medium | 14,16,20 | Christ’s own bequeathed peace (14:27) amid trial. |
| 16 | salvation / save | salvación / salvar | σωτηρία / σῴζω | Critical | 3,4,12 | 3:17’s stated purpose of Christ’s sending. |
| 17 | incarnation | encarnación | (John 1:14, “ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο”) | High | 1 | John 1:14 is this doctrine’s primary proof-text. |
| 18 | apostle (cognate: “sent”) | apóstol / enviar | ἀπόστολος / ἀποστέλλω | Medium/Low | 3,17,20 | 3:17’s “sent” (ἀπέστειλεν) shares the root; note conceptual link only. |
New Terms Introduced by This Curriculum (John-Specific)
| # | English Term | Spanish Rendering | Original (Greek) | Transliteration | Risk | Doctrine | Key Chapters | Risk Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Word (Logos) | Verbo | λόγος | logos | Critical | Deity and Pre-existence of Christ | 1 | RV1960 anchor renders “Verbo”; modern versions (NVI, DHH) use “Palabra.” Must never be reduced to “a word spoken”; this is the primary text asserting Christ’s eternal, personal, divine pre-existence. |
| 2 | only begotten | unigénito | μονογενής | monogenēs | Critical | Deity and Pre-existence of Christ | 1,3 | RV1960 precedent. Must convey Nicene “eternal generation,” not created origin — guards against Arian/Jehovah’s Witness-style readings that treat the Son as having a beginning. |
| 3 | I AM (absolute self-declaration) | Yo soy / YO SOY | ἐγώ εἰμι | egō eimi | Critical | Deity and Pre-existence of Christ; Seven “I Am” Statements | 6,8,10,11,14,15,18,20 | Echoes Exodus 3:14 LXX divine name. Must be distinguished from ordinary self-identification, especially at 8:58 and 18:5-6; requires a translator note at absolute (predicate-less) occurrences. |
| 4 | born again / born from above | nacer de nuevo / nacer de lo alto | γεννηθῇ ἄνωθεν | gennēthē anōthen | Critical | The New Birth and Regeneration by the Spirit | 3 | ἄνωθεν means both “again” and “from above”; RV1960’s “de nuevo” preserves only the first sense, obscuring the “from above” nuance active at 3:31. Requires a translator note at every occurrence. |
| 5 | water and Spirit | agua y Espíritu | ὕδατος καὶ πνεύματος | hydatos kai pneumatos | High | New Birth and Regeneration | 3 | Must not be taught as if water baptism itself regenerates; present Ezekiel 36 new-covenant background without silently adjudicating sacramental debate. |
| 6 | eternal life | vida eterna | ζωὴ αἰώνιος | zōē aiōnios | Critical | Eternal Life through Faith in Christ | 3,4,5,6,10,12,17,20 | Popular usage reduces this to a future-only reward; John 17:3 defines it as present, relational knowledge of God — must be taught with both dimensions. |
| 7 | life | vida | ζωή | zōē | High | Eternal Life through Faith in Christ | 1,3,5,6,10,11,14,20 | Intrinsic to the Word’s own being (1:4), not only a gift bestowed — a deity claim, not soteriology alone. |
| 8 | believe | creer | πιστεύω | pisteuō | High | Eternal Life through Faith / Judgment and Belief/Unbelief | 1,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,14,16,17,20 | John never uses the noun πίστις (“fe”); the verb (98x) must be taught, alongside the baseline’s faith entry, as ongoing personal trust in Christ, not mere cognitive assent (“creo que…“). |
| 9 | world | mundo | κόσμος | kosmos | High | God’s Love for the World; Judgment and Belief/Unbelief | 1,3,4,8,9,12,14,15,16,17,18 | Three distinct senses (created order / humanity loved by God / hostile system) must be tracked per occurrence; collapsing any two senses undermines either 3:16’s universal love or 15:18-19’s moral realism. |
| 10 | love (agapaō/agapē) | amar / amor | ἀγάπη / ἀγαπάω | agapē / agapaō | High | God’s Love for the World | 3,13,14,15,17,21 | Everyday Spanish “amor” carries romantic/affectionate connotations; must be taught as willed, costly, self-giving love. Spanish (like English) cannot lexically distinguish ἀγαπάω from φιλέω (see #38, ch.21). |
| 11 | light | luz | φῶς | phōs | High | Judgment and Belief/Unbelief | 1,3,8,9,12 | Risk of a New Age/self-help “inner light” misreading; must be taught as Christ’s own revealing presence entering the world from outside it. |
| 12 | darkness | tinieblas | σκότος / σκοτία | skotos / skotia | Medium | Judgment and Belief/Unbelief | 1,3,8,12 | Not neutral ignorance but active, culpable preference for concealment (3:19-20). |
| 13 | truth | verdad | ἀλήθεια | alētheia | High | Judgment and Belief/Unbelief; Unity of Father and Son | 1,3,4,8,14,16,17,18 | Risk of reduction to mere propositional accuracy; John’s “truth” is relational/covenantal and ultimately personal (14:6); Pilate’s question (18:38) invites contemporary relativistic misreading. |
| 14 | witness / testimony | testimonio / testificar | μαρτυρία / μαρτυρέω | martyria / martyreō | High | supports Deity of Christ throughout | 1,3,5,8,10,15,19,21 | Grounded, specific collision risk: “testigo/testimonio” is the self-designation of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, a visible movement across Spain/Latin America that denies Christ’s full deity — the very doctrine John’s witness-vocabulary supports. |
| 15 | Son of Man | Hijo del Hombre | υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου | huios tou anthrōpou | High | Deity and Pre-existence of Christ | 3,5,6,9,12,13 | Draws on Daniel 7:13-14’s exalted heavenly figure; risk of flattening to mean simply “a human being,” losing the exaltation background. |
| 16 | flesh | carne | σάρξ | sarx | High | Deity and Pre-existence of Christ (Incarnation) | 1,3,6 | Distinct from Romans’ morally-negative “flesh” (Romans 8); John 1:14 and 3:6 use it more neutrally/anthropologically. Requires a note preventing doctrinal bleed-through from the Romans curriculum. |
| 17 | lifted up | levantado | ὑψωθῆναι | hypsōthēnai | High | Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection | 3,8,12 | Deliberate double meaning: physical crucifixion AND exaltation/glorification; must be rendered consistently across 3:14, 8:28, 12:32-34 for the pun to register. |
| 18 | sign | señal | σημεῖον | sēmeion | Medium | supports Deity of Christ | 2,3,4,6,9,11,12,20 | Risk of miracle-as-spectacle misreading; John’s signs point to Christ’s glory/identity, not entertainment. |
| 19 | hour | hora | ὥρα | hōra | Medium | Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection | 2,7,8,12,13,17 | Technical term for the divinely appointed time of the cross; risk of being read as ordinary clock-time. |
| 20 | dwelt / tabernacled | habitó | ἐσκήνωσεν | eskēnōsen | Medium-High | Deity and Pre-existence of Christ (Incarnation) | 1 | Echoes Exodus Tabernacle/Shekinah presence; Spanish “habitó” loses the tent imagery entirely without a teaching note. |
| 21 | Lamb of God | Cordero de Dios | ἀμνὸς τοῦ θεοῦ | amnos tou theou | Critical | Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection | 1 | Passover/Isaiah 53 substitutionary background must be taught explicitly; risk of dilution via the secular Spanish idiom “manso como un cordero.” |
| 22 | Rabbi | Rabí | ῥαββί | rhabbi | Low | supports Deity of Christ (title progression) | 1,3,4,6,9,11,20 | Standard transliteration; risk only of flattening to generic “profesor.” |
| 23 | judge / condemn / judgment | juzgar / condenar / juicio | κρίνω / κρίσις / κατακρίνω | krinō / krisis / katakrinō | High | Judgment and Belief/Unbelief | 3,5,7,8,9,12,16,18 | Must preserve the present-tense, already-standing verdict of 3:18-19, not only a distant future “juicio final.” |
| 24 | Counselor / Advocate (Paraclete) | Consolador | παράκλητος | paraklētos | Critical | The Holy Spirit as Counselor | 14,15,16 | RV1960 anchors “Consolador”; the curriculum’s own English doctrine label “Counselor” reflects a different (equally valid) facet of the same Greek term. Must be taught as the same personal Spirit named in the baseline holy_spirit entry, not a separate concept. |
| 25 | Spirit of truth | Espíritu de verdad | πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας | pneuma tēs alētheias | High | The Holy Spirit as Counselor | 14,15,16 | Epithet for the Paraclete; ties directly to the truth and holy_spirit entries. |
| 26 | good shepherd | buen pastor | ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλός | ho poimēn ho kalos | High | Seven “I Am” Statements; Substitutionary Death | 10,21 | Draws on Ezekiel 34/Psalm 23’s exclusive divine-shepherd role; exclusivity (“the,” not “a”) must be retained. |
| 27 | bread of life | pan de vida | ὁ ἄρτος τῆς ζωῆς | ho artos tēs zōēs | High | Seven “I Am” Statements | 6 | Manna background (Exodus 16); exclusivity of the definite article must be retained. |
| 28 | door | puerta | ἡ θύρα | hē thyra | Medium | Seven “I Am” Statements | 10 | Exclusive access through Christ alone. |
| 29 | true vine | la vid verdadera | ἡ ἄμπελος ἡ ἀληθινή | hē ampelos hē alēthinē | High | Seven “I Am” Statements | 15 | OT unfaithful-vine background (Isaiah 5; Psalm 80) needed for “true” to register as contrast, not mere adjective. |
| 30 | way, truth, and life | camino, verdad, y vida | ἡ ὁδὸς καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια καὶ ἡ ζωή | hē hodos kai hē alētheia kai hē zōē | Critical | Seven “I Am” Statements; Eternal Life | 14 | Exclusivity (“no one comes to the Father except through me”) must never be softened for pluralistic sensitivities. |
| 31 | resurrection and the life | la resurrección y la vida | ἡ ἀνάστασις καὶ ἡ ζωή | hē anastasis kai hē zōē | Critical | Seven “I Am” Statements; Resurrection | 11 | Same Caribbean/Afro-Caribbean reincarnation caution as baseline resurrection entry; Lazarus’s raising is a real, bodily, historical restoration, not a spirit’s return. |
| 32 | light of the world | luz del mundo | τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου | to phōs tou kosmou | High | Seven “I Am” Statements | 8,9 | Exclusivity of the definite article must be retained against readings that permit other “lights.” |
| 33 | abide | permanecer | μένω | menō | High | (supports New Birth / Christian Identity in Christ, cross-curriculum with Romans 6) | 14,15 | Must convey active, dependent, relational union, not passive location (“estar”). Connective term throughout the Farewell Discourse. |
| 34 | equal with God | igual a Dios | ἴσος τῷ θεῷ | isos tō theō | Critical | Deity and Pre-existence of Christ | 5 | Direct ontological-equality claim; must not soften to “como Dios” (like God). |
| 35 | I and the Father are one | Yo y el Padre uno somos | ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἕν ἐσμεν | egō kai ho patēr hen esmen | Critical | Unity of the Father and the Son | 10 | Must convey unity of divine essence without collapsing into modalism; guards against subordinationist/unitarian (incl. Jehovah’s Witness) readings of “unity of purpose only.” |
| 36 | that they may be one | para que sean uno | ἵνα ὦσιν ἕν | hina ōsin hen | High | Unity of the Father and the Son (applied to the church) | 17 | Believers’ relational/purposive unity, patterned after but not identical in kind to the Father-Son ontological unity of 10:30. |
| 37 | sanctify | santificar | ἁγιάζω | hagiazō | High | (cognate of baseline sanctification) | 17 | Must remain continuous with baseline’s caution against a penitential/merit-earned holiness framework. |
| 38 | love (agapaō vs. phileō distinction) | amar (single verb for both) | ἀγαπάω / φιλέω | agapaō / phileō | Medium (translation) / notable (doctrine) | God’s Love for the World | 21 | Spanish, like English, cannot lexically preserve the Greek alternation in Peter’s threefold restoration; requires a translator’s note, not a forced lexical distinction. |
| 39 | draw | atraer | ἑλκύω | helkyō | High | (cross-curriculum with baseline election / effectual_calling) | 6,12 | Must avoid both mechanical-coercion and fatalistic “destino” readings, consistent with baseline cautions. |
| 40 | convict | convencer | ἐλέγχω | elegchō | Medium | The Holy Spirit as Counselor | 3,16 | Everyday “convencer” tends toward “persuade”; risks losing the forensic exposure-of-guilt sense. |
| 41 | wrath of God | ira de Dios | ὀργὴ τοῦ θεοῦ | orgē tou theou | High | Judgment and Belief/Unbelief | 3 | Not present in the baseline Romans TM despite Romans’ own heavy wrath usage (1:18; 2:5); flagged here for cross-curriculum consistency. Must be settled judicial opposition, not capricious anger. |
| 42 | living water | agua viva | ὕδωρ ζῶν | hydōr zōn | Medium | The Holy Spirit as Counselor | 4,7 | Must be linked to 7:38-39’s explicit Spirit-identification for full meaning. |
| 43 | worship (in spirit and truth) | adorar (en espíritu y en verdad) | προσκυνέω | proskyneō | High | (supports Unity/relationship doctrines) | 4,9 | Grounded risk given Hispanic Catholic place-centered pilgrimage/shrine devotion; text redefines worship away from sacred geography. |
| 44 | lay down one’s life | poner / entregar la vida | τίθημι τὴν ψυχήν | tithēmi tēn psychēn | High | Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection | 10,15 | Must retain voluntary, substitutionary (“for the sheep”) sense. |
| 45 | it is finished | Consumado es | τετέλεσται | tetelestai | High | Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection | 19 | RV1960 traditional rendering retained (cf. “Abba, Padre” precedent); must convey triumphant completion, never defeat. |
| 46 | blood and water | sangre y agua | αἷμα καὶ ὕδωρ | haima kai hydōr | Medium | Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection | 19 | Plain sense authenticates real death; some traditions add sacramental-typological readings — teach without silently adjudicating. |
| 47 | glorify | glorificar | δοξάζω | doxazō | High | Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection | 12,13,17 | Paradoxically climaxes at the cross itself, not only the resurrection; guards against a purely triumphalist reading. |
| 48 | eat flesh, drink blood | comer la carne, beber la sangre | φαγεῖν τὴν σάρκα, πιεῖν τὸ αἷμα | phagein tēn sarka, piein to haima | Critical | Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection | 6 | Major historical sacramental fault line (Real Presence vs. figurative-faith reading); flag every occurrence for theologian review. |
| 49 | new commandment | mandamiento nuevo | ἐντολὴ καινή | entolē kainē | Medium | (supports Unity of the Father and the Son, applied ethically) | 13 | Must retain christological grounding (“as I have loved you”), not a generic ethic of kindness. |
| 50 | joy | gozo | χαρά | chara | Medium | (supports Holy Spirit as Counselor) | 15,16,17 | Recommend “gozo” (established Hispanic evangelical liturgical register) over generic “alegría” for the specifically theological sense. |
| 51 | perish | perecer | ἀπόλλυμι | apollymi | Medium | Eternal Life through Faith in Christ | 3 | Must retain weight of genuine, eternal loss; RV1960 “perezca” is preferred over softer “perderse.” |
| 52 | name (of Christ) | nombre | ὄνομα | onoma | Medium | Eternal Life through Faith in Christ | 1,3,20 | Hebraic idiom: represents full identity/authority, not a mere label. |
| 53 | overcome | vencer | νικάω | nikaō | Medium | The Holy Spirit as Counselor (assurance) | 16 | Must retain already-accomplished (perfect tense) victory, not only future hope. |
| 54 | abundant life | vida en abundancia | ζωὴν περισσόν | zōēn perisson | Medium | Eternal Life through Faith in Christ | 10 | Grounded risk of prosperity-gospel misreading (material wealth) in Latin American/Iberian charismatic contexts; teach as qualitative fullness in Christ. |
Cross-Reference: Doctrines Named in Curriculum Parameters and Their Anchor Terms
| Curriculum Doctrine | Primary Anchor Terms (Glossary #) |
|---|---|
| The Deity and Pre-existence of Christ (the Word) | Word/Verbo (#1), only begotten/unigénito (#2), I AM/Yo soy (#3), equal with God/igual a Dios (#34), Son of Man/Hijo del Hombre (#15), My Lord and my God (Baseline Lord/God + #34) |
| The New Birth and Regeneration by the Spirit | born again/nacer de nuevo (#4), water and Spirit/agua y Espíritu (#5), flesh/carne (#16), Baseline holy_spirit |
| Eternal Life through Faith in Christ | eternal life/vida eterna (#6), life/vida (#7), believe/creer (#8), perish/perecer (#51), abundant life (#54) |
| God’s Love for the World | love/amar (#10, #38), world/mundo (#9), Baseline grace |
| Judgment and Belief/Unbelief | judge-condemn/juzgar-condenar (#23), light/luz (#11), darkness/tinieblas (#12), truth/verdad (#13), wrath of God/ira de Dios (#41) |
| The Seven “I Am” Statements | I AM/Yo soy (#3), bread of life (#27), light of the world (#32), good shepherd (#26), door (#28), way truth life (#30), resurrection and the life (#31), true vine (#29) |
| The Holy Spirit as Counselor | Counselor-Consolador (#24), Spirit of truth (#25), convict/convencer (#40), living water (#42), Baseline holy_spirit |
| Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection | Lamb of God (#21), lay down one’s life (#44), lifted up/levantado (#17), it is finished (#45), glorify/glorificar (#47), eat flesh drink blood (#48), Baseline resurrection |
| Unity of the Father and the Son | I and the Father are one (#35), that they may be one (#36), new commandment (#49, ethical application) |
This glossary must be merged into translation_memory.json before any Phase 2 segment translation of John begins, per the version-increment procedure defined in 12_ai_translation_requirements.md. All Critical and High risk new terms above require theologian sign-off before their first Phase 2 use.
Critical Risk Terms
God
Approved rendering: Dios
Transliteration: theos
Doctrine: Deity of Christ / The Deity and Pre-existence of Christ (the Word)
Original: θεός
Category: God
Universally standard; unlike Hindi there is no rival deity-name confusion in mainstream Hispanic Christian usage. In John, climaxes at 20:28’s worship-confession ‘Señor mío y Dios mío,’ the Gospel’s peak deity-of-Christ statement. Inherited from Romans package; rendering unchanged.
Jesus
Approved rendering: Jesús
Transliteration: Iēsous
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Original: Ἰησοῦς
Category: Christology
Universally standard across all Spanish Bible traditions; no variant-form risk in John. Inherited from Romans package; rendering unchanged.
Lord
Approved rendering: Señor
Transliteration: kyrios
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Rejected alternatives: Señor mío (devotional-only, without lordship claim over the whole of life)
Original: κύριος
Category: Christology
Must convey exclusive, supreme lordship. John 20:28 pairs ‘Señor’ directly with ‘Dios’ in Thomas’s confession. Inherited from Romans package; rendering unchanged.
Son Of God
Approved rendering: Hijo de Dios
Transliteration: huios theou
Doctrine: Sonship of Christ (Son of God and Son of Man)
Rejected alternatives: hijo de Dios en el sentido genérico aplicado a todo creyente
Original: υἱὸς θεοῦ
Category: Christology
Full phrase required; unique, eternal, divine Sonship. Must never be read through the derivative ‘hijos de Dios’ sense John 1:12 applies to believers generally (see children_of_god). Anchors John 20:31’s stated purpose. Inherited from Romans package; rendering unchanged.
Holy Spirit
Approved rendering: Espíritu Santo
Transliteration: pneuma hagion
Doctrine: The Holy Spirit as Counselor
Rejected alternatives: una fuerza impersonal, un espíritu guía o ancestral (Espiritismo/Santería)
Original: πνεῦμα ἅγιον
Category: God
Must be taught as the personal third Person of the Trinity. Underlies the John-specific ‘Consolador/Paráclito’ entry (counselor_paraclete); the Espiritismo/Santería caution against impersonal guide-spirit readings applies with added force in Caribbean/Afro-Caribbean contexts. Inherited from Romans package; rendering unchanged.
Father
Approved rendering: Padre
Transliteration: patēr
Doctrine: Unity of the Father and the Son
Original: πατήρ
Category: God
God as personal Father; standard and unambiguous. Foundational to John’s Trinitarian relations (1:14,18; 5:18; 10:30; 14:9-11; 17). Inherited from Romans package; rendering unchanged.
Messiah
Approved rendering: Mesías
Transliteration: Christos / Mashiach
Doctrine: Messianic Fulfillment in Christ
Rejected alternatives: un ungido más, entre otros santos o profetas venerados
Original: Χριστός / מָשִׁיחַ
Category: Christology
The unique OT-promised Anointed One fulfilled exclusively in Jesus. John himself glosses the transliteration for a non-Aramaic audience at 1:41 (‘Mesías, que traducido es, el Cristo’), a bilingual gloss the curriculum should imitate. Inherited from Romans package; rendering unchanged.
Resurrection
Approved rendering: resurrección
Transliteration: anastasis
Doctrine: Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection
Rejected alternatives: reencarnación, el regreso de un espíritu (Espiritismo, Santería)
Original: ἀνάστασις
Category: Eschatology
Bodily, historical, once-for-all rising from death. John 11:25 and ch.20’s narrative make this the Gospel’s central proof event; the Caribbean/Afro-Caribbean Espiritismo/Santería reincarnation-confusion caution is intensified, now anchored to two major narrative set-pieces (Lazarus, the empty tomb). Inherited from Romans package; rendering unchanged.
Salvation
Approved rendering: salvación
Transliteration: sōtēria
Doctrine: Eternal Life through Faith in Christ
Rejected alternatives: salvarse por buenas obras, merecer el cielo mediante sacramentos y penitencia
Original: σωτηρία
Category: Salvation
Deliverance and reconciliation with God through Christ. John 3:17 states this as the purpose of the Son’s sending; must not be read as a lifelong, uncertain outcome secured through ongoing merit and intercession. Inherited from Romans package; rendering unchanged.
Incarnation
Approved rendering: encarnación
Transliteration: ho logos sarx egeneto
Doctrine: Incarnation of the Word
Rejected alternatives: la encarnación reducida al pesebre navideño únicamente
Original: ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο
Category: Christology
The eternal Son permanently assuming human nature. Risk elevated to Critical for John because 1:14 is this doctrine’s primary proof-text; catechetical risk that ‘encarnación’ is narrowed to the Christmas nativity scene. Inherited from Romans package; rendering unchanged, risk tier elevated for John per this curriculum’s doctrine analysis.
Word Logos
Approved rendering: Verbo
Transliteration: logos
Doctrine: The Deity and Pre-existence of Christ (the Word)
Rejected alternatives: Palabra (reservado para el sentido general de ‘palabra de Dios/Escritura’, no para el título cristológico técnico)
Original: λόγος
Category: Christology
The primary proof-text for Christ’s eternal, personal, divine pre-existence (1:1,14). RV1960 anchor renders ‘Verbo’; modern versions (NVI, DHH) use ‘Palabra.’ This package standardizes on ‘Verbo’ for the technical Christological title. Must never be reduced to ‘a word someone spoke.’ NEW TERM for this curriculum.
Only Begotten
Approved rendering: unigénito
Transliteration: monogenēs
Doctrine: Sonship of Christ (Son of God and Son of Man)
Rejected alternatives: hijo creado, engendrado en el sentido de ‘creado’ (lectura arriana o de los Testigos de Jehová)
Original: μονογενής
Category: Christology
God’s unique, eternally-generated Son (1:14,18; 3:16,18). Must be taught with the Nicene distinction between eternal generation and creation, guarding against Arian or contemporary Jehovah’s Witness readings. RV1960 precedent. NEW TERM for this curriculum.
I Am
Approved rendering: Yo soy
Transliteration: egō eimi
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements
Rejected alternatives: yo soy él (autoidentificación ordinaria sin resonancia del Nombre divino)
Original: ἐγώ εἰμι
Category: Christology
Jesus’ absolute, unqualified self-declaration echoing Exodus 3:14 LXX and Isaiah 43:10-13. ‘Yo soy’ alone reads as ordinary self-identification in Spanish; a mandatory translator note recovering the divine-name resonance is required at every absolute (predicate-less) occurrence (6:20; 8:24,28,58; 13:19; 18:5-6). The single highest-density Critical cluster in the book. NEW TERM for this curriculum.
Born Again From Above
Approved rendering: nacer de nuevo / nacer de lo alto
Transliteration: gennēthē anōthen
Doctrine: The New Birth and Regeneration by the Spirit
Rejected alternatives: nacer de nuevo (únicamente en el sentido temporal, sin recuperar ‘de lo alto’)
Original: γεννηθῇ ἄνωθεν
Category: Regeneration
anōthen is double-voiced: ‘again’ and ‘from above’ (cf. 3:31). RV1960’s ‘nacer de nuevo’ preserves only the temporal sense; a translator note recovering ‘de lo alto’ is required at every occurrence (3:3,7), since Nicodemus’s own confusion (3:4) depends on hearing only ‘again.’ Also risks being read as a denominational Evangelical/Pentecostal self-identifying badge rather than a universal biblical category. NEW TERM for this curriculum.
Eternal Life
Approved rendering: vida eterna
Transliteration: zōē aiōnios
Doctrine: Eternal Life through Faith in Christ
Rejected alternatives: vida eterna entendida únicamente como recompensa futura tras la muerte
Original: ζωὴ αἰώνιος
Category: Salvation
A qualitatively new order of life, present and future, defined at 17:3 as relational knowledge of God. Popular Latin American/Iberian usage reduces this to a future-only afterlife reward; both dimensions must be taught at every occurrence (3:15-16,36; 5:24; 6:35,40,47; 10:10,28; 11:25; 17:3; 20:31). NEW TERM for this curriculum.
Lamb Of God
Approved rendering: Cordero de Dios
Transliteration: amnos tou theou
Doctrine: Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection
Rejected alternatives: manso como un cordero (modismo secular que diluye el sentido sustitutorio)
Original: ἀμνὸς τοῦ θεοῦ
Category: Christology
The sacrificial substitute who removes sin, drawing on Passover (Exodus 12) and Isaiah 53 typology (1:29,36). Standard rendering across all Spanish traditions, but must be taught with its full substitutionary background. NEW TERM for this curriculum.
Counselor Paraclete
Approved rendering: Consolador
Transliteration: paraklētos
Doctrine: The Holy Spirit as Counselor
Rejected alternatives: Consejero/Abogado traducido literalmente del inglés como si fuera un concepto distinto de ‘Consolador’
Original: παράκλητος
Category: God
The Holy Spirit’s ongoing personal ministry (14:16,26; 15:26; 16:7). RV1960 anchors ‘Consolador’; must be explicitly identified with the curriculum’s own English doctrine label ‘Counselor’ so teachers do not conclude these are two different concepts. Must be taught as personal and divine, distinguished from Espiritismo/Santería guide-spirit concepts. NEW TERM for this curriculum.
Way Truth Life
Approved rendering: el camino, la verdad y la vida
Transliteration: hē hodos kai hē alētheia kai hē zōē
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements
Rejected alternatives: camino, verdad y vida suavizado hacia el pluralismo religioso
Original: ἡ ὁδὸς καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια καὶ ἡ ζωή
Category: Christology
An exclusive claim (14:6): ‘no one comes to the Father except through me.’ Must never be softened toward religious pluralism. NEW TERM for this curriculum.
Resurrection And The Life
Approved rendering: la resurrección y la vida
Transliteration: hē anastasis kai hē zōē
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements
Rejected alternatives: resurrección y vida leída como el regreso de un espíritu (Espiritismo, Santería)
Original: ἡ ἀνάστασις καὶ ἡ ζωή
Category: Eschatology
Jesus personally embodies and is the source of resurrection life, not merely granting it (11:25). Same Caribbean/Afro-Caribbean reincarnation caution as the resurrection entry applies. NEW TERM for this curriculum.
Equal With God
Approved rendering: igual a Dios
Transliteration: isos tō theō
Doctrine: The Deity and Pre-existence of Christ (the Word)
Rejected alternatives: como Dios, semejante a Dios
Original: ἴσος τῷ θεῷ
Category: Christology
Full ontological equality, recognized (and rejected) even by hostile witnesses (5:18). Must never be softened to a resemblance-analogy. NEW TERM for this curriculum.
Father And Son One
Approved rendering: Yo y el Padre uno somos
Transliteration: egō kai ho patēr hen esmen
Doctrine: Unity of the Father and the Son
Rejected alternatives: unidad de propósito únicamente (lectura de los Testigos de Jehová), un solo Dios sin distinción de personas (modalismo)
Original: ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἕν ἐσμεν
Category: Christology
Unity of divine essence/nature (10:30), confirmed as a deity claim by the hearers’ persecution response (10:31-33). Must explicitly resist the Testigos de Jehová reading of unity-of-purpose-only, an actively promoted, specific interpretation targeting this exact verse. NEW TERM for this curriculum.
Eat Flesh Drink Blood
Approved rendering: comer la carne, beber la sangre
Transliteration: phagein tēn sarka, piein to haima
Doctrine: Eating Christ’s Flesh and Drinking His Blood
Rejected alternatives: una resolución silenciosa a favor de la transubstanciación, una resolución silenciosa a favor de una lectura puramente figurada que descarta cualquier referente sacramental
Original: φαγεῖν τὴν σάρκα, πιεῖν τὸ αἷμα
Category: Salvation
Figurative language for total reliance on Christ’s sacrificial death (6:53-58), sitting on a historic sacramental fault line (Real Presence vs. figurative-faith reading) comparable to the baseline justification/grace Trent-Reformation divide. Present John’s own believing/receiving emphasis (6:35,40,47) without silently resolving the debate. Flag every occurrence for mandatory theologian review. NEW TERM for this curriculum.
Children Of God
Approved rendering: hijos de Dios
Transliteration: tekna theou
Doctrine: Children of God by the New Birth
Rejected alternatives: hijos de Dios confundido con el título único ‘Hijo de Dios’ aplicado a Cristo
Original: τέκνα θεοῦ
Category: Salvation
The right, granted by receiving Christ, to become children of God, born not of flesh but of God (1:12-13). Lexically distinct Greek word (teknon) from the baseline’s adoption term (huiothesia), but doctrinally adjacent. ‘Hijos de Dios’ must be sharply distinguished from the Critical baseline term ‘Hijo de Dios’ applied uniquely to Christ — the shared Spanish noun ‘hijo’ is a live, specific collision risk. NEW TERM for this curriculum.
High Risk Terms
Grace
Approved rendering: gracia
Transliteration: charis
Doctrine: Grace
Rejected alternatives: favor merecido, recompensa por buenas obras
Original: χάρις
Category: Salvation
Unmerited favor received by faith. John 1:14,16-17 pairs ‘gracia y verdad,’ echoing the OT covenant pair ḥesed we’emet; must not drift toward a merit-cooperation reading. Inherited from Romans package; rendering unchanged.
Sin
Approved rendering: pecado
Transliteration: hamartia
Doctrine: Judgment and Belief/Unbelief
Rejected alternatives: falta (minimizing euphemism common in pastoral speech)
Original: ἁμαρτία
Category: Sin
Moral transgression before a personal God. Recurs in the Counselor’s convicting ministry (16:8) and in 1:29’s ‘Cordero de Dios que quita el pecado del mundo.’ Inherited from Romans package; rendering unchanged.
Holy
Approved rendering: santo
Transliteration: hagios
Doctrine: Sanctification and Consecration
Rejected alternatives: puro en sentido ritual
Original: ἅγιος
Category: Sanctification
Set apart for God and morally pure. Applied to God the Father as ‘Padre santo’ (17:11) and throughout the Holy Spirit’s title. Inherited from Romans package; rendering unchanged.
Glory
Approved rendering: gloria
Transliteration: doxa
Doctrine: Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection
Rejected alternatives: una gloria puramente triunfalista que excluye la cruz como el momento culminante de la glorificación
Original: δόξα
Category: God
God’s radiant honor and presence. Risk elevated relative to Romans because in John glory climaxes paradoxically at the cross itself (12:23-24; 17:1,5), not only in triumphant display. Inherited from Romans package; rendering unchanged, risk tier elevated for John per this curriculum’s doctrine analysis.
Law
Approved rendering: ley
Transliteration: nomos
Doctrine: Fulfillment of Prophecy
Original: νόμος
Category: Covenant
The Mosaic Law/Torah; standard sense in John 1:17,45; 7:19-23. Inherited from Romans package; rendering unchanged.
Water And Spirit
Approved rendering: agua y Espíritu
Transliteration: hydatos kai pneumatos
Doctrine: The New Birth and Regeneration by the Spirit
Rejected alternatives: el bautismo del agua regenera por sí mismo, ex opere operato, sin la fe
Original: ὕδατος καὶ πνεύματος
Category: Regeneration
The Spirit-wrought cleansing and re-creation of the new birth (John 3:5), echoing Ezekiel 36:25-27. Must not be taught as if water baptism itself regenerates; present the Ezekiel 36 background without silently adjudicating the Catholic/Protestant sacramental debate. NEW TERM for this curriculum.
Life
Approved rendering: vida
Transliteration: zōē
Doctrine: Eternal Life through Faith in Christ
Rejected alternatives: vida entendida solo como don otorgado, sin ser inherente al Verbo mismo
Original: ζωή
Category: Christology
Life inherent in the Word’s own being (1:4), not merely a gift bestowed — a deity claim, not soteriology alone. Distinct from, though the source of, ‘vida eterna.’ NEW TERM for this curriculum.
Believe
Approved rendering: creer
Transliteration: pisteuō
Doctrine: Eternal Life through Faith in Christ / Judgment and Belief-Unbelief
Rejected alternatives: creer en el sentido de mero asentimiento cognitivo (‘creo que…’)
Original: πιστεύω
Category: Faith
Ongoing, personal trust in Christ. John never uses the noun ‘pistis’ (the baseline’s ‘fe’), using this verb 98 times instead. Must be taught, alongside the baseline faith entry, as personal reliance on Christ specifically, always paired with its object (‘creer en él,’ ‘creer en su nombre’). NEW TERM for this curriculum, doctrinally continuous with the baseline ‘faith’ entry.
World
Approved rendering: mundo
Transliteration: kosmos
Doctrine: God’s Love for the World / Judgment and Belief-Unbelief
Rejected alternatives: mundo colapsado en un solo sentido (creación / humanidad amada / sistema hostil) sin distinguir el uso contextual
Original: κόσμος
Category: Judgment
Three distinct senses: created order (1:10), humanity loved by God (3:16), hostile organized system (15:18-19; 17:14). Must be tracked sense-by-sense per occurrence. NEW TERM for this curriculum.
Love Agape
Approved rendering: amar / amor
Transliteration: agapē / agapaō
Doctrine: God’s Love for the World
Rejected alternatives: amor en el sentido romántico o meramente afectivo
Original: ἀγάπη / ἀγαπάω
Category: God
Willed, self-giving love demonstrated in costly action (3:16; 13:1,34; 15:13; 17:23-26). Everyday Spanish ‘amor/amar’ carries dominant romantic connotations; must be taught as deliberate, sacrificial love. Spanish cannot lexically distinguish agapaō from phileō (see love_agape_vs_phileo, ch.21). NEW TERM for this curriculum.
Light
Approved rendering: luz
Transliteration: phōs
Doctrine: Judgment and Belief/Unbelief
Rejected alternatives: luz interior (potencial humano, idioma de autoayuda/Nueva Era)
Original: φῶς
Category: Judgment
Christ’s own revealing presence entering the world from outside it (1:4-9; 3:19-21; 8:12; 9:5; 12:35-36,46). Risk that Spanish-speaking audiences read ‘luz’ through New Age/self-help idiom (‘encuentra tu luz interior’) as impersonal inner potential. NEW TERM for this curriculum.
Truth
Approved rendering: verdad
Transliteration: alētheia
Doctrine: Judgment and Belief/Unbelief / Unity of the Father and the Son
Rejected alternatives: verdad como mera exactitud proposicional; ‘cada uno tiene su verdad’ (relativismo)
Original: ἀλήθεια
Category: Judgment
Ultimate reality and faithfulness, ultimately personal and embodied in Christ (14:6; 18:38). Pilate’s question invites contemporary relativistic misreading; must be connected back to 14:6’s exclusive claim. NEW TERM for this curriculum.
Witness Testimony
Approved rendering: testimonio / testificar
Transliteration: martyria / martyreō
Doctrine: Witness and Testimony to Christ
Rejected alternatives: testimonio/testigo leído a través del uso doctrinal de los Testigos de Jehová
Original: μαρτυρία / μαρτυρέω
Category: Christology
Forensic, eyewitness testimony supporting Christ’s deity throughout John (1:7-8,15,19-34; 5:31-39; 8:13-18; 15:26-27; 19:35; 21:24). Grounded collision risk: ‘testigo/testimonio’ is the self-designation of the Testigos de Jehová, a large, visible, proselytizing movement across Spain and Latin America that explicitly denies the full deity of Christ. NEW TERM for this curriculum.
Son Of Man
Approved rendering: Hijo del Hombre
Transliteration: huios tou anthrōpou
Doctrine: Sonship of Christ (Son of God and Son of Man)
Rejected alternatives: Hijo del Hombre entendido simplemente como ‘un ser humano’, sin el trasfondo de Daniel 7
Original: υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου
Category: Christology
Jesus’ favored self-designation, drawing on Daniel 7:13-14’s exalted heavenly figure while carrying ordinary-humanity overtones (3:13; 5:27; 6:27,53,62; 9:35; 12:23,34; 13:31). Requires explicit OT-background teaching. NEW TERM for this curriculum.
Flesh
Approved rendering: carne
Transliteration: sarx
Doctrine: The New Birth and Regeneration by the Spirit / Incarnation of the Word
Rejected alternatives: carne con la connotación moralmente negativa de Romanos 8, aplicada sin distinción al uso más neutral de Juan
Original: σάρξ
Category: Christology
Physical human nature/origin (1:14; 3:6), more neutral/anthropological than Paul’s morally-loaded usage in the Romans curriculum. A translator note distinguishing John’s senses from Romans’ ‘carne’ is required to prevent doctrinal bleed-through for learners who completed the Romans curriculum first. NEW TERM for this curriculum.
Lifted Up
Approved rendering: levantado
Transliteration: hypsōthēnai
Doctrine: Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection
Rejected alternatives: levantado en sentido meramente físico, sin la doble connotación de exaltación/glorificación
Original: ὑψωθῆναι
Category: Salvation
Deliberate double meaning: physical elevation (crucifixion) and exaltation/glorification (3:14; 8:28; 12:32-34). Must be rendered consistently across all three passages so the pun registers. NEW TERM for this curriculum, part of the core passage (John 3:14).
Dwelt Tabernacled
Approved rendering: habitó
Transliteration: eskēnōsen
Doctrine: Incarnation of the Word
Rejected alternatives: habitó sin trasfondo del Tabernáculo/Shekiná del Éxodo
Original: ἐσκήνωσεν
Category: Christology
A deliberate echo of the wilderness Tabernacle where God’s glory dwelt among Israel (Exodus 25-40). The vivid tent/Tabernacle imagery is entirely lost in the generic Spanish verb ‘habitó’ (1:14); a translator note recovering the Exodus background is required. NEW TERM for this curriculum.
Judge Condemn
Approved rendering: juzgar / condenar / juicio
Transliteration: krinō / krisis / katakrinō
Doctrine: Judgment and Belief/Unbelief
Rejected alternatives: juicio relegado únicamente a un ‘juicio final’ futuro y distante
Original: κρίνω / κρίσις / κατακρίνω
Category: Judgment
Forensic pronouncement of adverse judgment on unbelief (3:18-19; 5:22-30; 9:39; 12:47-48; 16:8-11). Must preserve the present-tense, already-standing verdict of 3:18 (‘ya ha sido condenado’), not only a distant future judgment. NEW TERM for this curriculum, part of the core passage (John 3:17-19).
Spirit Of Truth
Approved rendering: Espíritu de verdad
Transliteration: pneuma tēs alētheias
Doctrine: The Holy Spirit as Counselor
Original: πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας
Category: God
An epithet for the Paraclete (14:17; 15:26; 16:13), tying the Counselor doctrine to the truth entry. NEW TERM for this curriculum.
Good Shepherd
Approved rendering: buen pastor
Transliteration: ho poimēn ho kalos
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements
Rejected alternatives: buen pastor entendido como uno entre varios pastores válidos
Original: ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλός
Category: Christology
Draws on Ezekiel 34/Psalm 23’s exclusive divine-shepherd role, explicitly linked to substitutionary death (10:11,15,17-18). Exclusivity of the definite article must be retained. NEW TERM for this curriculum.
Bread Of Life
Approved rendering: pan de vida
Transliteration: ho artos tēs zōēs
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements
Rejected alternatives: pan de vida sin el trasfondo del maná y sin la exclusividad del artículo definido
Original: ὁ ἄρτος τῆς ζωῆς
Category: Christology
Draws on the manna background (Exodus 16; 6:35,48). Exclusivity of the definite article must be retained. NEW TERM for this curriculum.
True Vine
Approved rendering: la vid verdadera
Transliteration: hē ampelos hē alēthinē
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements
Rejected alternatives: vid verdadera sin el trasfondo del fracaso de Israel como vid infiel
Original: ἡ ἄμπελος ἡ ἀληθινή
Category: Christology
Jesus as the faithful vine Israel failed to be (Isaiah 5:1-7; Psalm 80:8-16; 15:1,5). Requires the OT unfaithful-vine background note. NEW TERM for this curriculum.
Light Of The World
Approved rendering: luz del mundo
Transliteration: to phōs tou kosmou
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements
Rejected alternatives: luz del mundo entendida como una luz entre varias luces válidas
Original: τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου
Category: Christology
Formalizes the light/darkness motif into self-identification (8:12). Exclusivity of the definite article must be retained. NEW TERM for this curriculum.
Abide
Approved rendering: permanecer
Transliteration: menō
Doctrine: Believers’ Unity Patterned on the Trinity
Rejected alternatives: permanecer en el sentido pasivo de ‘estar ubicado’, sin unión relacional activa
Original: μένω
Category: Discipleship
Ongoing, dependent, relational union with Christ (14:1-15:10), not mere physical proximity. The connective term of the Farewell Discourse; cross-curriculum with Romans 6’s union-with-Christ language. NEW TERM for this curriculum.
That They May Be One
Approved rendering: para que sean uno
Transliteration: hina ōsin hen
Doctrine: Believers’ Unity Patterned on the Trinity
Rejected alternatives: unidad de los creyentes equiparada, sin distinción, a la unidad esencial del Padre y el Hijo
Original: ἵνα ὦσιν ἕν
Category: Church
Believers’ relational/purposive unity, patterned after but not identical in kind to the Father-Son unity of 10:30 (17:11,21-22). NEW TERM for this curriculum.
Sanctify
Approved rendering: santificar
Transliteration: hagiazō
Doctrine: Sanctification and Consecration
Rejected alternatives: purificación penitencial, santidad obtenida mediante mérito acumulado
Original: ἁγιάζω
Category: Sanctification
The Father’s ongoing work of setting believers apart through the truth, and Christ’s own self-consecration (17:17,19). Cognate of the baseline sanctification entry; must remain continuous with its caution against penitential/merit-earned holiness. NEW TERM for this curriculum, cognate of baseline ‘sanctification’.
Draw
Approved rendering: atraer
Transliteration: helkyō
Doctrine: Eternal Life through Faith in Christ
Rejected alternatives: destino, coerción mecánica sin participación de la voluntad
Original: ἑλκύω
Category: Salvation
A strong verb of sovereign, effective drawing; salvation’s initiative lies with the Father (6:44; 12:32). Cross-curriculum with the baseline election/effectual_calling entries; avoid both mechanical coercion and fatalistic ‘destino’ readings. NEW TERM for this curriculum.
Wrath Of God
Approved rendering: ira de Dios
Transliteration: orgē tou theou
Doctrine: The Wrath of God and Judgment
Rejected alternatives: enojo caprichoso o arbitrario de Dios, mera decepción divina
Original: ὀργὴ τοῦ θεοῦ
Category: Judgment
Settled, judicial divine opposition to unbelief and sin (3:36), not capricious emotional outburst. Not present in the baseline Romans TM despite Romans’ own heavy wrath usage (1:18; 2:5); added here for cross-curriculum consistency going forward. NEW TERM for this curriculum, part of the core passage (John 3:36).
Worship
Approved rendering: adorar
Transliteration: proskyneō
Doctrine: Worship in Spirit and Truth
Rejected alternatives: adoración reducida a la devoción centrada en santuarios y lugares de peregrinación
Original: προσκυνέω
Category: Church
Inward, Spirit-enabled, truth-grounded devotion rather than location-bound ritual (4:20-24; 9:38). Grounded risk given Hispanic Catholic place-centered pilgrimage/shrine devotion; must be taught with pastoral sensitivity but without softening the claim. NEW TERM for this curriculum.
Lay Down Ones Life
Approved rendering: poner / entregar la vida
Transliteration: tithēmi tēn psychēn
Doctrine: Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection
Rejected alternatives: una pérdida trágica de la vida, sin el sentido voluntario y sustitutorio
Original: τίθημι τὴν ψυχήν
Category: Christology
A voluntary, substitutionary self-offering on behalf of others (10:11,15,17-18). Must retain the voluntary, substitutionary (‘for the sheep’) sense. NEW TERM for this curriculum.
It Is Finished
Approved rendering: Consumado es
Transliteration: tetelestai
Doctrine: Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection
Rejected alternatives: una declaración de derrota o resignación
Original: τετέλεσται
Category: Christology
Jesus’ dying declaration that his redemptive mission is fully accomplished (19:30). RV1960 traditional rendering retained (cf. ‘Abba, Padre’ precedent); must convey triumphant completion, never defeat. NEW TERM for this curriculum.
Glorify
Approved rendering: glorificar
Transliteration: doxazō
Doctrine: Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection
Rejected alternatives: glorificar leído únicamente en sentido triunfalista, sin incluir la cruz misma
Original: δοξάζω
Category: Christology
To reveal true worth/honor, climactically applied to the cross itself (12:23; 13:31-32; 17:1,5). A purely triumphalist reading must be avoided. NEW TERM for this curriculum.
Medium Risk Terms
Kingdom Of God
Approved rendering: reino de Dios
Transliteration: basileia tou theou
Doctrine: Kingdom Mission
Original: βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ
Category: Kingdom
God’s sovereign reign. John 3:3,5 conditions entrance on the new birth; 18:36 explicitly denies a political/territorial referent before Pilate, reinforcing the baseline caution. Inherited from Romans package; rendering unchanged.
Peace
Approved rendering: paz
Transliteration: eirēnē
Doctrine: Peace with God
Rejected alternatives: tranquilidad emocional
Original: εἰρήνη
Category: Salvation
Relational, covenantal peace. John 14:27 and 20:19-21 apply this to Christ’s own bequeathed peace amid trial and after the resurrection. Inherited from Romans package; rendering unchanged.
Apostle
Approved rendering: apóstol
Transliteration: apostolos
Doctrine: Apostleship
Original: ἀπόστολος
Category: Church
One sent with delegated authority. John does not use the noun of the disciples but the cognate verb apostellō (‘enviar’) underlies 3:17’s ‘Dios envió a su Hijo’; note the conceptual link without merging the terms. Inherited from Romans package; rendering unchanged.
Israel
Approved rendering: Israel
Transliteration: Yisra’el
Doctrine: Messianic Fulfillment in Christ
Original: יִשְׂרָאֵל
Category: Covenant
The covenant people descended from Jacob. John 3:10’s ‘maestro de Israel’ heightens irony: Israel’s authorized teacher fails to grasp what the Old Testament itself anticipated. Inherited from Romans package; rendering unchanged.
Darkness
Approved rendering: tinieblas
Transliteration: skotos / skotia
Doctrine: Judgment and Belief/Unbelief
Rejected alternatives: tinieblas como mera ignorancia neutral, no como rechazo culpable
Original: σκότος / σκοτία
Category: Judgment
Active, culpable preference for concealment (1:5; 3:19-20), not neutral ignorance. NEW TERM for this curriculum.
Sign
Approved rendering: señal
Transliteration: sēmeion
Doctrine: Signs and Belief
Rejected alternatives: señal como espectáculo o entretenimiento milagroso
Original: σημεῖον
Category: Christology
A miraculous deed revealing Christ’s glory and identity, not mere spectacle (2:11; 3:2; 4:54; 6:14; 9:16; 11:47; 12:18; 20:30-31). NEW TERM for this curriculum.
Hour
Approved rendering: hora
Transliteration: hōra
Doctrine: Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection
Rejected alternatives: hora como tiempo cronológico ordinario, sin el sentido técnico del momento señalado de la cruz
Original: ὥρα
Category: Christology
A technical term for the divinely appointed time of the cross (2:4; 7:30; 8:20; 12:23,27; 13:1; 17:1). Must be tracked consistently across every occurrence for the motif to register. NEW TERM for this curriculum.
Door
Approved rendering: puerta
Transliteration: hē thyra
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements
Rejected alternatives: puerta como una entre varias puertas de acceso válidas
Original: ἡ θύρα
Category: Christology
Exclusive access to the sheepfold/salvation through Christ alone (10:7,9). NEW TERM for this curriculum.
Love Agape Vs Phileo
Approved rendering: amar (verbo único para ambos)
Transliteration: agapaō / phileō
Doctrine: God’s Love for the World
Original: ἀγαπάω / φιλέω
Category: God
Jesus’ threefold question to Peter alternates between agapaō and phileō (21:15-17). Spanish has no lexical pair to preserve the alternation; both rendered ‘amar,’ with a translator’s note explaining the Greek wordplay rather than a forced lexical split. NEW TERM for this curriculum.
Convict
Approved rendering: convencer
Transliteration: elegchō
Doctrine: The Holy Spirit as Counselor
Rejected alternatives: convencer en el sentido débil de ‘persuadir’, sin la fuerza forense de exponer la culpa
Original: ἐλέγχω
Category: God
A forensic term for exposing hidden guilt through evidence, applied to the Spirit’s ministry (16:8) and the light’s exposing function (3:20). Everyday Spanish ‘convencer’ tends toward ‘persuade’; teachers should reinforce courtroom imagery explicitly. NEW TERM for this curriculum, part of the core passage (John 3:20).
Living Water
Approved rendering: agua viva
Transliteration: hydōr zōn
Doctrine: The Holy Spirit as Counselor
Rejected alternatives: agua viva como una imagen meramente refrescante, desconectada del Espíritu
Original: ὕδωρ ζῶν
Category: God
A metaphor for the Spirit’s life-giving provision (4:10-14), explicitly identified with the Spirit at 7:38-39. Must be linked forward to that identification. NEW TERM for this curriculum.
Blood And Water
Approved rendering: sangre y agua
Transliteration: haima kai hydōr
Doctrine: Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection
Original: αἷμα καὶ ὕδωρ
Category: Christology
Medical evidence of genuine, complete physical death (19:34), authenticating real death against docetic denial. Teach the plain sense clearly; flag, without adjudicating, the additional sacramental-typological reading (baptism/Eucharist) some traditions hold. NEW TERM for this curriculum.
New Commandment
Approved rendering: mandamiento nuevo
Transliteration: entolē kainē
Doctrine: The New Commandment of Christlike Love
Rejected alternatives: un mandamiento nuevo entendido como una ética genérica de bondad, sin fundamento cristológico
Original: ἐντολὴ καινή
Category: Church
A Christ-shaped intensification of the love command (13:34), grounded in ‘as I have loved you.’ Must retain that grounding, not reduce to generic kindness. NEW TERM for this curriculum.
Joy
Approved rendering: gozo
Transliteration: chara
Doctrine: The Holy Spirit as Counselor
Rejected alternatives: alegría genérica sin el peso teológico específico
Original: χαρά
Category: God
Spiritual joy grounded in Christ’s presence and victory (15:11; 16:20-22,24; 17:13). This package recommends ‘gozo’ consistently over generic ‘alegría’ for the specifically theological sense, matching established Hispanic evangelical liturgical register. NEW TERM for this curriculum.
Perish
Approved rendering: perecer
Transliteration: apollymi
Doctrine: Eternal Life through Faith in Christ
Rejected alternatives: perderse en el sentido débil de ‘extraviarse’
Original: ἀπόλλυμι
Category: Salvation
Ruin, destruction, exclusion from life — the real negative alternative to eternal life (3:16). RV1960 ‘perezca’ preferred over softer ‘perderse.’ NEW TERM for this curriculum, part of the core passage (John 3:16).
Name
Approved rendering: nombre
Transliteration: onoma
Doctrine: Eternal Life through Faith in Christ
Rejected alternatives: nombre como una mera etiqueta identificadora
Original: ὄνομα
Category: Christology
In Hebraic idiom, ‘name’ represents the whole person, character, and authority (1:12; 3:18; 20:31). Must be taught with its full Hebraic weight. NEW TERM for this curriculum, part of the core passage (John 3:18).
Overcome
Approved rendering: vencer
Transliteration: nikaō
Doctrine: Assurance of Eternal Life
Rejected alternatives: vencer entendido solo como una esperanza futura, sin el sentido de victoria ya consumada
Original: νικάω
Category: Salvation
Decisive, completed (perfect-tense) victory over the hostile world-system (16:33), spoken before the cross as anticipatory triumph. NEW TERM for this curriculum.
Abundant Life
Approved rendering: vida en abundancia
Transliteration: zōēn perisson
Doctrine: Abundant Life and the Prosperity-Gospel Misreading
Rejected alternatives: vida en abundancia entendida como promesa de prosperidad material
Original: ζωὴν περισσόν
Category: Salvation
Qualitative fullness of life in Christ, not primarily material prosperity (10:10). Grounded risk of prosperity-gospel misreading in Latin American/Iberian charismatic contexts. NEW TERM for this curriculum.
Low Risk Terms
David
Approved rendering: David
Transliteration: Dawid
Doctrine: Messianic Fulfillment in Christ
Original: דָּוִד
Category: Covenant
Standard proper name; implicit background to ‘Rey de los judíos’ (19:19-22) and Messianic debate in 7:42. Inherited from Romans package; rendering unchanged.
Rabbi
Approved rendering: Rabí
Transliteration: rhabbi
Doctrine: Rabbinic Titles and the Recognition of Jesus
Rejected alternatives: profesor (pierde la estructura relacional discípulo-maestro)
Original: ῥαββί
Category: Christology
Honorific address for a recognized Jewish teacher (1:38,49; 3:2; 4:31; 6:25; 9:2; 11:8,28; 20:16). Standard transliteration; John himself glosses it at 1:38. NEW TERM for this curriculum.
Disciple
Approved rendering: discípulo
Transliteration: mathētēs
Doctrine: Discipleship and Following Christ
Rejected alternatives: discípulo reducido a ‘estudiante’ académico
Original: μαθητής
Category: Church
A follower and learner attached to Jesus, used throughout the Gospel (1:35-51; 8:31; 13:35; 15:8; ch.21). Standard, unambiguous term. NEW TERM for this curriculum.
Passover
Approved rendering: Pascua
Transliteration: pascha
Doctrine: Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection
Original: πάσχα
Category: Covenant
The OT festival commemorating the exodus deliverance (Exodus 12), recurring as narrative backdrop (2:13,23; 6:4; 11:55; 12:1; 13:1; 18:28,39; 19:14). Standard transliteration; requires an OT background note connecting it to the Lamb of God typology (1:29,36). NEW TERM for this curriculum.
Referenced passages