Core Glossary
Core Glossary: Acts 1–28 (English → Telugu)
This glossary consolidates every load-bearing term identified in analysis/07_semantic_analysis.md, citing terms from every chapter of Acts. Terms already recorded in the baseline Romans translation_memory.json are marked [REUSED] and carry their baseline rendering, risk tier, and doctrine forward unchanged — they must never be re-translated or re-assessed. Terms newly introduced by Acts are marked [NEW] and are proposed here for addition to the project’s translation memory at Phase 1 Step 2 and beyond.
Risk tiers follow the baseline doctrine_risk_registry.json definitions exactly:
- Critical — human theologian review required, every occurrence
- High — human theologian review required
- Medium — native speaker review recommended
- Low — automated review sufficient
Section 1 — Reused Baseline Terms (Romans → Acts)
| Term | Telugu Rendering | Risk | Doctrine | Key Acts Passages | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| gospel | సువార్త | Medium | Gospel | 1:8; 15:7; 20:24 | [REUSED] exactly as baseline. |
| grace | కృప | High | Grace | 4:33; 11:23; 15:11; 20:24, 32 | [REUSED]. Acts 15:11 (“saved through grace”) is the doctrinal peak — flag Critical in that verse per grace/works contrast rule. |
| faith | విశ్వాసం | Medium | Faith | 3:16; 10:43; 14:27; 16:31; 20:21 | [REUSED]. |
| righteousness | నీతి | High | Salvation | 13:39 (contrast); 24:25 | [REUSED]. |
| justification | నీతిమంతులుగా తీర్చడం | Critical | Justification apart from the Law | 13:38-39 | [REUSED]. Direct anchor for this curriculum’s “Justification apart from the Law” doctrine. |
| salvation | రక్షణ | Critical | Salvation | 2:21, 40; 4:12; 16:17, 30-31; 27:20 (physical sense, see 08 §3) | [REUSED]. NEVER మోక్షం/ముక్తి. |
| apostle | అపొస్తలుడు | Medium | Apostleship / Apostolic Authority | throughout; esp. 1:2, 25-26; 14:4, 14 | [REUSED]. |
| called | పిలువబడిన | Medium | Divine Calling | 2:39 | [REUSED]. |
| calling | పిలుపు | Medium | Divine Calling | 13:2 (aphorizō, adjacent sense) | [REUSED]. |
| holy | పరిశుద్ధ | High | Sanctification | 3:14; 6:5; 9:13 (“saints”) | [REUSED]. Never పవిత్ర; locked per baseline. |
| saints | పరిశుద్ధులు | Medium | Sainthood | 9:13, 32, 41 | [REUSED]. |
| sanctification | పరిశుద్ధపరచడం | High | Sanctification | 20:32 (“those sanctified”) | [REUSED]. |
| resurrection | పునరుత్థానం | Critical | Resurrection of Christ | 1:22; 2:24, 31-32; 4:2, 33; 17:18, 31-32; 23:6-8; 24:15, 21; 26:23 | [REUSED]. NEVER పునర్జన్మ. See §3 for the individual-revivification disambiguation (Tabitha, Eutychus). |
| lord | ప్రభువు | Critical | Lordship of Christ | 2:21, 34-36; 4:12 area; 10:36; 16:31 | [REUSED]. |
| son_of_god | దేవుని కుమారుడు | Critical | Sonship of Christ | 9:20 | [REUSED]. |
| incarnation | శరీరధారణ | Critical | Incarnation (background doctrine) | (theological background to 2:22-24) | [REUSED]; not a direct lexical hit in Acts but the doctrine underlies apostolic preaching about Jesus’s earthly life. |
| peace | శాంతి | Medium | Peace with God | 9:31; 10:36 | [REUSED]. |
| spiritual_gifts | ఆత్మీయ వరములు | Medium | Spiritual Gifts (background) | (conceptually adjacent to 2:38’s “gift of the Spirit,” kept distinct — see §2) | [REUSED]; must stay distinct from దేవుని వరము/పరిశుద్ధాత్మ వరము (the gift of the Spirit himself). |
| thanksgiving | కృతజ్ఞతాస్తుతి | Low | Thanksgiving | 27:35; 28:15 | [REUSED]. |
| fellowship | సహవాసం | Low | Christian Fellowship / Church as Community | 2:42 | [REUSED]. |
| church | సంఘము | High | Church as God’s People / Church as Community | 2:47; 5:11; 8:1, 3; 9:31; 11:22, 26; 12:1, 5; 14:23, 27; 15:3-4, 22, 41; 20:17, 28 | [REUSED]. Locked term; never దేవాలయం/సభ. |
| kingdom_of_god | దేవుని రాజ్యం | Medium | Kingdom Mission | 1:3, 6; 8:12; 14:22; 19:8; 20:25; 28:23, 31 | [REUSED]. Brackets the whole book (1:3 / 28:31). |
| law | ధర్మశాస్త్రము | Medium | Justification apart from the Law | 13:39; 15:5; 21:20-24; 22:3; 23:29; 25:8 | [REUSED]. Never “corrected” to a niyama-compound. |
| sin | పాపం | High | Repentance and Baptism | 2:38; 3:19; 22:16; 26:18 | [REUSED]. |
| gentiles | అన్యజనులు | Medium | Gospel to Jews and Gentiles | 9:15; 10:45; 11:1, 18; 13:46-48; 14:27; 15:3, 7, 12, 14, 19; 18:6; 21:19, 25; 22:21; 26:17, 20, 23; 28:28 | [REUSED]. Central to the Acts curriculum’s namesake doctrine. |
| glory | మహిమ | High | Deity of Christ (background) | 7:2, 55; 12:23; 22:11 | [REUSED]. |
| obedience_of_faith | విశ్వాస విధేయత | High | Obedience of Faith (background) | 6:7 (“obedient to the faith,” adjacent) | [REUSED]. |
| power_of_god | దేవుని సామర్థ్యం | High | Power of God for Salvation / Apostolic Authority | 1:8; 4:33 (adjacent); 8:10, 19 (contrast with Simon’s counterfeit) | [REUSED]. Never శక్తి. |
| messiah | మెస్సీయ | Critical | Messianic Promise | 2:31, 36; 3:18, 20; 9:22; 17:3; 18:5, 28 | [REUSED]. |
| prophet | ప్రవక్త | Low | Fulfillment of Prophecy | 2:16, 30; 3:18, 21-25; 7:37, 52; 8:28, 30, 34; 11:27; 13:1, 20, 40; 15:32; 21:10; 28:23 | [REUSED]. |
| prophecy | ప్రవచనం | Low | Fulfillment of Prophecy | 2:17-18; 19:6; 21:9-11 | [REUSED]. |
| covenant | నిబంధన | High | Davidic Covenant (background) | 3:25; 7:8 | [REUSED]. |
| election | దేవుని ఏర్పాటు | High | Effectual Calling | 9:15; 13:48; 22:14 | [REUSED]. |
| intercession | మధ్యవర్తిత్వం | Medium | Prayer and Intercession | 8:24 (adjacent); 12:5 | [REUSED]. |
| providence | దేవుని పరిపాలన | High | Providence | 5:38-39 (adjacent); 17:26-28 | [REUSED]. |
| mission | మిషన్ / సువార్తా ప్రచారం | Low | Mission to the Nations / Great Commission Fulfilled | throughout, esp. 1:8; 13:1-3; 26:16-18 | [REUSED]. |
| david | దావీదు | Medium | Davidic Covenant | 2:25, 29, 34; 4:25; 7:45; 13:22, 34, 36; 15:16 | [REUSED]. |
| israel | ఇశ్రాయేలు | Medium | Gospel to Jews and Gentiles | 1:6; 2:36; 4:10, 27; 5:21, 31; 7:23, 37, 42; 9:15; 10:36; 13:16-24; 28:20 | [REUSED]. |
| jesus | యేసు | Critical | Lordship / Conversion of Paul | throughout | [REUSED]. |
| god | దేవుడు | Critical | Deity of Christ (background) | throughout | [REUSED]. See §3 for disambiguation notes at 14:11 and 28:6 (pagan crowd’s mistaken usage). |
| holy_spirit | పరిశుద్ధాత్మ | Critical | The Holy Spirit and Pentecost | throughout, esp. ch.2; 4:8, 31; 8:15-19; 9:17; 10:44-47; 13:2, 9; 15:28; 19:6 | [REUSED]. This is the Acts curriculum’s namesake doctrine; never పరమాత్మ. |
| father | తండ్రి | Critical | (background) | 1:4, 7; 2:33 | [REUSED]. |
| abba | అబ్బా | High | (background) | (not directly attested in Acts; retained for cross-curriculum consistency) | [REUSED]. |
| exhort | ప్రోత్సహించడం | Low | Mutual Edification | 2:40; 11:23; 14:22; 15:32; 16:40; 20:2 | [REUSED]. |
| seed_of_david | దావీదు వంశములో పుట్టినవాడు | High | Davidic Covenant | 2:30; 13:23 | [REUSED]. |
| imputed_righteousness | ఆపాదింపబడిన నీతి | Critical | Justification apart from the Law | (conceptual background to 13:39) | [REUSED]. |
Section 2 — New Acts Terms (Proposed Additions to Translation Memory)
| Term | Original (Greek) | Telugu Rendering | Transliteration | Risk | Doctrine | Key Passages | Rejected Alternatives | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pentecost | Πεντηκοστή | పెంతెకొస్తు | Pentekostu | Medium | The Holy Spirit and Pentecost | 2:1; 20:16 | (transliteration; no viable native alternative) | Established Telugu Bible transliteration; requires OT Shavuot background note. |
| other tongues | ἑτέραις γλώσσαις | వేరు భాషలు | vēru bhāshalu | High | The Holy Spirit and Pentecost | 2:4, 6, 11; 10:46; 19:6 | అన్యభాషలు | Must denote real known languages in Acts 2’s narrative context, reversing Babel; keep distinct from later ambiguous glossolalia debates outside this curriculum’s scope. |
| filled with the Holy Spirit | πλησθέντες πνεύματος ἁγίου | పరిశుద్ధాత్మతో పూర్ణులై | pariśuddhātmatō pūrṇulai | Critical | The Holy Spirit and Pentecost | 2:4; 4:8, 31; 9:17; 13:9 | పరిశుద్ధాత్మ కలిగి (weaker) | Inherits Critical risk from పరిశుద్ధాత్మ; denotes complete Spirit-saturation, not partial endowment. |
| repentance | μετάνοια | మారుమనస్సు | mārumanassu | High | Repentance and Baptism | 2:38; 3:19; 11:18; 17:30; 20:21; 26:20 | పరితాపం | Must convey reorientation/turning, not mere emotional remorse. |
| baptism / to baptize | βάπτισμα / βαπτίζω | బాప్తిస్మము | baptismamu | High | Repentance and Baptism | 2:38, 41; 8:36-38; 9:18; 10:47-48; 16:15, 33; 18:25; 19:3-5; 22:16 | నీటిదీక్ష (too generic/ritual-neutral) | Must be clearly distinguished from John’s preparatory baptism (19:3-5) and kept free of implying mechanical sacramental efficacy apart from repentance/faith. |
| the Way | ἡ ὁδός | మార్గము | mārgamu | High | Great Commission Fulfilled | 9:2; 18:25-26; 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22 | ధర్మము (too dharma-coded) | Early self-designation of the Christian movement; must retain definite-article exclusivity, not read as one path among many. |
| witness | μάρτυς | సాక్షి | sākshi | High | Persecution and Bold Witness | 1:8, 22; 5:32; 10:39, 41; 13:31; 22:15, 20; 26:16 | (none; established legal/testimonial term) | Spans testimony and (by ch.7-8, 22) martyrdom-adjacent sense; track consistently. |
| boldness | παρρησία | ధైర్యము | dhairyamu | High | Persecution and Bold Witness | 4:13, 29, 31; 9:27-28; 13:46; 14:3; 18:26; 19:8; 26:26; 28:31 | ఆత్మవిశ్వాసం (too self-confidence-coded) | Spirit-given courage to proclaim under threat, not mere self-assurance. |
| signs and wonders | σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα | సూచక క్రియలు మరియు ఆశ్చర్యకార్యములు | sūchaka kriyalu mariyu āścharyakāryamulu | High | Apostolic Authority and Miracles | 2:22, 43; 4:30; 5:12; 6:8; 8:6, 13; 14:3; 15:12 | అద్భుతములు (used for separate “mighty works” sense) | Standard Acts triad with δύναμις (mighty works); authenticates the messenger, must not read as generic supernatural spectacle. |
| mighty works | δυνάμεις | అద్భుతకార్యములు | adbhutakāryamulu | High | Apostolic Authority and Miracles | 2:22; 8:13; 19:11 | (paired with signs/wonders above) | Distinct Greek term from σημεῖα/τέρατα though overlapping category; keep triad’s three words distinguishable where the text lists all three. |
| laying on of hands | ἐπίθεσις τῶν χειρῶν | హస్తనిక్షేపణ | hastanikshepana | High | Apostolic Authority and Miracles / Church as Community | 6:6; 8:17-19; 9:17; 13:3; 19:6 | చేతులు మోపుట (too generic/folk-touch-coded) | Ordination/impartation gesture; must be distinguished from folk-healing touch practices. |
| sorcery / magic | μαγεία | మాంత్రికవిద్య | māntrikavidya | High | Apostolic Authority and Miracles | 8:9-24; 13:6-11; 19:19 | (none; established term) | Illegitimate counterfeit power contrasted with Spirit-given signs; live cultural resonance with regional folk-magic/astrology practices. |
| the Holy and Righteous One | ὁ ἅγιος καὶ ὁ δίκαιος | పరిశుద్ధుడును నీతిమంతుడును | pariśuddhuḍunu nītimantuḍunu | Critical | Deity/Sonship of Christ (background) | 3:14 | (none) | Christological title compounding two locked baseline roots (పరిశుద్ధ, నీతి). |
| author/originator of life | ἀρχηγός | జీవకర్త | jīvakarta | High | Apostolic Authority and Miracles / Resurrection of Christ | 3:15; 5:31 | నాయకుడు (too generic-leader-coded) | Must not collapse to a generic “leader/guru” sense. |
| persecution | διωγμός | హింస | hinsa | Medium | Persecution and Bold Witness | 8:1; 11:19; 13:50 | ఇబ్బంది (too weak) | Organized hostile suppression, not vague trouble. |
| ceremonially unclean / clean | ἀκάθαρτος / κοινός // καθαρίζω | అపవిత్రమైనది / శుద్ధమైనది | apavitramainadi / śuddhamainadi | High | Gospel to Jews and Gentiles | 10:14-15, 28; 11:8-9 | పరిశుద్ధ-family terms (forbidden collision) | MUST be kept distinct from the locked హోలీ-doctrine term పరిశుద్ధ (hagios); this is a separate ceremonial-purity word family the passage is deliberately overturning. |
| God shows no partiality | οὐ προσωπολήμπτης | దేవుడు పక్షపాతం చూపడు | Dēvuḍu pakshapātam chūpaḍu | High | Gospel to Jews and Gentiles | 10:34 | (descriptive phrase; no single-word alternative) | Parallels baseline Romans “Universal Scope of the Gospel” doctrine; resonates with Telugu Dalit-community Christian history. |
| Christian(s) | Χριστιανοί | క్రైస్తవులు | Kraistavulu | Medium | Great Commission Fulfilled | 11:26; 26:28 | (none; established self-designation) | Originated as an outsider label at Antioch; became accepted self-designation. |
| elders (church office) | πρεσβύτεροι | పెద్దలు | peddalu | Medium | Church as Community | 11:30; 14:23; 15:2, 4, 6, 22-23; 16:4; 20:17; 21:18 | సీనియర్లు (secular-coded) | Distinguish church-office sense from generic “elderly persons.” |
| overseers | ἐπίσκοποι | అధ్యక్షులు | adhyakshulu | High | Church as Community | 20:28 | బిషప్పులు (transliteration, avoided for consistency) | Same office as elders in this passage; lock రెండు (elders/overseers) terms across the curriculum to avoid denominational-vocabulary fragmentation, paralleling the baseline’s పరిశుద్ధాత్మ/పరిశుద్ధ lock logic. |
| deacon / those who serve | διάκονος / διακονία | పరిచారకులు / పరిచర్య | parichārakulu / parichárya | Medium | Church as Community | 6:1-6 | సేవకులు (too generic “servants”) | New church office established for practical care ministry; distinguish from apostolic “ministry of the word.” |
| Hellenists | Ἑλληνισταί | గ్రీకు భాష మాట్లాడు యూదులు | Grīku bhāsha māṭlāḍu yūdulu | Medium | Church as Community | 6:1; 9:29; 11:20 | (transliteration అలానే గ్రీకువారు, too imprecise) | Greek-speaking Diaspora Jews within the early church; requires explanatory gloss. |
| individual revivification (raised to life) | ἀνίστημι / ἐγείρω (of Tabitha, Eutychus) | బ్రతికించెను | brathikin̄chenu | High | Apostolic Authority and Miracles | 9:36-41; 20:9-12 | పునరుత్థానం (forbidden here) | MUST be kept distinct from the doctrinal, once-for-all Critical term పునరుత్థానం, reserved for Christ’s resurrection and the future general resurrection. |
| chosen instrument | σκεῦος ἐκλογῆς | ఏర్పరచబడిన పాత్ర | ērparachabaḍina pātra | High | Conversion of Paul | 9:15 | (descriptive phrase) | Ties to locked baseline election term దేవుని ఏర్పాటు; divine sovereign choice for specific mission. |
| unknown god | ἄγνωστος θεός | అపరిచిత దేవుడు | aparichita dēvuḍu | High | Great Commission Fulfilled | 17:23 | (quoted pagan inscription; no substitute) | Must be marked as the Athenians’ own label, not an endorsed alternate name for the true God. |
| pagan deity names (Zeus, Hermes, Artemis) | Ζεύς, Ἑρμῆς, Ἄρτεμις | జెయుస్, హెర్మేస్, అర్తెమి దేవత | Zeyus, Hermēs, Artemi dēvata | High | Apostolic Authority and Miracles / Great Commission Fulfilled | 14:11-13; 19:24-35 | (proper names; retain and gloss) | Direct structural parallel to the baseline’s Tirupati/Kanaka-Durgamma syncretism concerns; render as clearly named foreign cult figures being confronted, not generic “a god/goddess.” |
| authority (Satan’s) | ἐξουσία | అధికారము | adhikāramu | High | Conversion of Paul | 26:18 | సామర్థ్యం (forbidden here — reserved for God’s saving power); శక్తి (forbidden per baseline) | Must use a third term distinct from the baseline’s God-power vocabulary to avoid implying Satan wields comparable power. |
| Satan | Σατανᾶς | సాతాను | Sātānu | Critical | Conversion of Paul | 26:18 | దయ్యము (too generic “demon/devil”) | Established transliterated proper name; keep as a named personal adversary, not an abstract evil-principle. |
| gift of the Holy Spirit | δωρεὰ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος | పరిశుద్ధాత్మ వరము | pariśuddhātma varamu | Critical | The Holy Spirit and Pentecost | 2:38; 10:45; 11:17 | ఆత్మీయ వరములు (reserved for charismata, kept distinct) | The gift of the Spirit himself, not the subsequent gifts he distributes. |
| forgiveness of sins | ἄφεσις τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν | పాపక్షమాపణ | pāpakshamāpaṇa | High | Repentance and Baptism | 2:38; 5:31; 10:43; 13:38; 26:18 | (none; established compound) | Distinct from నీతిమంతులుగా తీర్చడం (justification, the fuller forensic declaration). |
| sect/faction | αἵρεσις | వర్గము | vargamu | High | Great Commission Fulfilled | 24:5, 14; 28:22 | మతము (forbidden — implies a wholly separate religion) | Preserves Paul’s own claim of continuity with, not departure from, biblical faith. |
| physical rescue/safety (nautical) | σωτηρία / διασώζω | ప్రాణరక్షణ | prāṇarakshaṇa | High | (disambiguation from Salvation doctrine) | 27:20, 31, 34, 44 | రక్షణ (reserve for soteriological use only) | Same Greek root as doctrinal salvation but used of ordinary physical rescue; keep contextually bounded to avoid diluting రక్షణ’s doctrinal precision. |
| vision | ὅραμα | దర్శనము | darśanamu | Medium | Great Commission Fulfilled | 9:10, 12; 10:3, 17, 19; 16:9-10; 18:9 | (none; established term) | Standard term for divinely-given vision; anchor contextually to avoid generic mystical-vision conflation. |
| vow | εὐχή | ప్రతిజ్ఞ | pratijña | Medium | (background, Church as Community) | 18:18; 21:23 | (none) | Requires Numbers 6/Nazirite OT background gloss. |
| whole counsel of God | πᾶσα ἡ βουλὴ τοῦ θεοῦ | దేవుని సంకల్పమంతయు | Dēvuni sankalpamantayu | Medium | Church as Community | 20:27 | (none) | Established compound; Paul’s summary of his complete teaching ministry. |
Section 3 — Cross-Reference: Disambiguation Flags
The following terms use identical or near-identical Telugu/Greek vocabulary in two senses within Acts and require context-sensitive handling to avoid doctrinal blurring. All are flagged Critical/High and require human theologian review at each occurrence:
| Shared Term | Sense A (Doctrinal) | Sense B (Non-doctrinal/Different referent) | Passages Requiring Disambiguation | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ఆత్మ (spirit) | పరిశుద్ధాత్మ — the Holy Spirit (Critical) | ఆత్మ unprefixed — a human’s own spirit/soul | 7:59 (Stephen’s own spirit) vs. throughout (Holy Spirit) | Never render 7:59 with పరిశుద్ధాత్మ. |
| దేవుడు (god/God) | The one true God (Critical, doctrinal) | Pagan crowd’s mistaken identification of a man as “a god” | 14:11 (Lystra); 28:6 (Malta) | Same Telugu word required by the shared Greek θεός, but flag with translator note clarifying the referent is the crowd’s error, not narrative endorsement. |
| పునరుత్థానం (resurrection) | Christ’s bodily, historical, once-for-all resurrection; the future general resurrection (Critical) | Individual miraculous revivification of Tabitha (9:40-41) and Eutychus (20:9-12) | 9:36-41; 20:9-12 vs. 2:24-32; 17:31-32; 23:6-8; 24:15, 21; 26:23 | Use బ్రతికించెను for the individual revivifications; reserve పునరుత్థానం exclusively for the doctrinal sense. |
| రక్షణ / సాజో-root (save/salvation) | Salvation from sin (Critical, doctrinal) | Physical rescue from shipwreck | 27:20, 31, 34, 44 vs. 2:21, 40; 4:12; 16:31 | Use ప్రాణరక్షణ or a contextually-bounded verb for the physical sense; reserve రక్షణ for the doctrinal sense. |
| కృప (grace/favor) | Unmerited saving grace (High/Critical, doctrinal) | Ordinary relational goodwill/favor with onlookers | 2:47 vs. 4:33; 15:11; 20:24, 32 | Disambiguate by context; both uses are legitimate but must not be treated as equally doctrinally weighted. |
Section 4 — Chapters Reviewed with No New Load-Bearing Terms
Per the full-book coverage mandate, the following note applies: every chapter of Acts (1–28) has been explicitly reviewed above, either as a standalone chapter section in 07_semantic_analysis.md or, where a chapter’s content is a direct narrative continuation using only previously-established vocabulary (e.g., extended geographic/itinerary detail within chapters 20–21, 27–28), it is folded into the adjacent chapter’s treatment with an explicit note. No chapter was silently omitted. Chapters 25 and parts of 27–28 introduce narrative/legal detail (appeal to Caesar, shipwreck itinerary) without new theological vocabulary beyond what is tabulated in Section 2 above (ప్రాణరక్షణ, అడ్డంకి లేకుండా).
Section 5 — Risk Distribution Summary (Acts New Terms Only)
| Risk Tier | Count (New Acts Terms) | Review Routing |
|---|---|---|
| Critical | 3 | Human theologian review, every occurrence |
| High | 19 | Human theologian review |
| Medium | 8 | Native speaker review |
| Low | 0 | — |
Combined with the 47 reused baseline Romans terms (Section 1), this glossary tracks the full doctrinal-vocabulary surface of the Acts curriculum at the close of Phase 1 Step 1. These proposed new-term entries must be formally added to translation_memory.json and bible_term_registry.json in the subsequent Phase 1 steps, using the same JSON schema as the baseline Romans Language Package, before Phase 2 segment translation begins.
Critical Risk Terms
Salvation
Approved rendering: రక్షణ
Transliteration: rakshana
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: మోక్షం, ముక్తి
Original: σωτηρία
Category: Salvation
CRITICAL: NEVER మోక్షం or ముక్తి (release from the rebirth cycle). రక్షణ (deliverance) is the long-established Telugu Christian term, shared with Kannada’s cognate రక్షణ/ರಕ್ಷಣೆ across the Dravidian-language Christian tradition of South India. In Acts, see physical_rescue_nautical for the disambiguated non-doctrinal use in the shipwreck narrative (Acts 27). Inherited from Romans package; retained exactly per baseline lock.
Resurrection
Approved rendering: పునరుత్థానం
Transliteration: punarutthānam
Doctrine: Resurrection of Christ
Rejected alternatives: పునర్జన్మ
Original: ἀνάστασις
Category: Eschatology
CRITICAL: NEVER పునర్జన్మ. పునరుత్థానం is a one-time bodily event ending death, not another turn of a rebirth cycle. In Acts, must be kept distinct from individual_revivification (Tabitha, Acts 9:36-41; Eutychus, Acts 20:9-12). Inherited from Romans package; retained exactly per baseline lock.
Lord
Approved rendering: ప్రభువు
Transliteration: prabhuvu
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Rejected alternatives: స్వామి
Original: κύριος
Category: Christology
CRITICAL: established, consistent term across denominational lines. In Romans 10:9 the confession ‘Jesus is Lord’ = యేసు ప్రభువు; the identical rendering governs Acts 2:36 and Acts 16:31. Must convey exclusive, supreme, presently-reigning Lordship. Inherited from Romans package; retained exactly per baseline lock.
Son Of God
Approved rendering: దేవుని కుమారుడు
Transliteration: Dēvuni Kumāruḍu
Doctrine: Sonship of Christ
Rejected alternatives: అవతారపురుషుడు
Original: υἱὸς θεοῦ
Category: Christology
CRITICAL: full phrase required. Conveys eternal, unique Sonship, not an avatar-figure or divinely-elevated human. Governs Acts 9:20. Inherited from Romans package; retained exactly per baseline lock.
Incarnation
Approved rendering: శరీరధారణ
Transliteration: śarīradhāraṇa
Doctrine: Incarnation
Rejected alternatives: అవతారం
Original: ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο
Category: Christology
CRITICAL: NEVER అవతారం. Tirupati’s Venkateswara (Balaji) temple, among the most-visited Hindu pilgrimage sites in the world, sits in Telugu-speaking Andhra Pradesh and keeps avatar theology a live, immediate reference point even in a region with a long-established Christian population. Background doctrine underlying apostolic preaching about Jesus’s earthly life in Acts. Inherited from Romans package; retained exactly per baseline lock.
Messiah
Approved rendering: మెస్సీయ
Transliteration: Messīya
Doctrine: Messianic Promise
Rejected alternatives: అవతారపురుషుడు
Original: Χριστός / מָשִׁיחַ
Category: Christology
CRITICAL: transliterated term; the unique OT-promised deliverer, not one of many avatar-descents. Governs Acts 2:31,36; 3:18,20; 9:22; 17:3; 18:5,28. Inherited from Romans package; retained exactly per baseline lock.
Jesus
Approved rendering: యేసు
Transliteration: Yēsu
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Original: Ἰησοῦς / יֵשׁוּעַ
Category: Christology
యేసు is the shared standard across Telugu Protestant and Catholic usage alike. Inherited from Romans package; retained exactly per baseline lock.
God
Approved rendering: దేవుడు
Transliteration: Dēvuḍu
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
Rejected alternatives: భగవంతుడు
Original: θεός / אֱלֹהִים / יהוה
Category: God
CRITICAL: దేవుడు is the standard, near-universally accepted Telugu Christian term across every denomination. Avoid భగవంతుడు in doctrinally precise contexts. In Acts, requires a mandatory translator note at 14:11 (Lystra) and 28:6 (Malta) — see pagan_god_referent below for the disambiguation entry. Inherited from Romans package; retained exactly per baseline lock.
Holy Spirit
Approved rendering: పరిశుద్ధాత్మ
Transliteration: pariśuddhātma
Doctrine: Sanctification
Rejected alternatives: పరమాత్మ, పవిత్రాత్మ
Original: πνεῦμα ἅγιον
Category: God
CRITICAL: never పరమాత్మ (the monistic Universal Self of Vedantic usage). This curriculum standardizes on పరిశుద్ధాత్మ. This is the Acts curriculum’s namesake doctrine (The Holy Spirit and Pentecost), governing throughout, especially Acts 2; 4:8,31; 8:15-19; 9:17; 10:44-47; 13:2,9; 15:8,28; 19:6. Requires disambiguation at Acts 7:59 — see human_spirit_unprefixed below. Inherited from Romans package; retained exactly per baseline lock.
Father
Approved rendering: తండ్రి
Transliteration: Tandri
Doctrine: Adoption into God’s Family
Rejected alternatives: సృష్టికర్త
Original: πατήρ
Category: God
God as personal Father, using the everyday Telugu word for father rather than the more distant, abstract సృష్టికర్త (creator). Governs Acts 1:4,7; 2:33. Inherited from Romans package; retained exactly per baseline lock.
Imputed Righteousness
Approved rendering: ఆపాదింపబడిన నీతి
Transliteration: āpādimpabaḍina nīti
Doctrine: Justification by Faith
Rejected alternatives: స్వార్జిత నీతి
Original: ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην
Category: Salvation
Credited righteousness from God, NOT self-earned righteousness. Conceptual background to Acts 13:39. Inherited from Romans package; retained exactly per baseline lock.
Filled With The Holy Spirit
Approved rendering: పరిశుద్ధాత్మతో పూర్ణులై
Transliteration: pariśuddhātmatō pūrṇulai
Doctrine: The Holy Spirit and Pentecost
Rejected alternatives: పరిశుద్ధాత్మ కలిగి
Original: πλησθέντες πνεύματος ἁγίου
Category: Holy Spirit and Pentecost
NEW ACTS TERM. Inherits Critical risk from పరిశుద్ధాత్మ. Complete Spirit-saturation enabling bold proclamation (Acts 2:4; 4:8,31; 9:17; 13:9), not a partial or occasional endowment. The weaker idiom పరిశుద్ధాత్మ కలిగి (‘having the Holy Spirit’) must never substitute.
Holy And Righteous One
Approved rendering: పరిశుద్ధుడును నీతిమంతుడును
Transliteration: pariśuddhuḍunu nītimantuḍunu
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
Original: ὁ ἅγιος καὶ ὁ δίκαιος
Category: Christology
NEW ACTS TERM. Christological title (Acts 3:14) compounding the two locked baseline roots పరిశుద్ధ and నీతి. Must be understood as a divine title, not a description of an unusually devout human being.
Satan
Approved rendering: సాతాను
Transliteration: Sātānu
Doctrine: Conversion of Paul
Rejected alternatives: దయ్యము
Original: Σατανᾶς
Category: Spiritual Conflict
NEW ACTS TERM. Established transliterated proper name (Acts 26:18). Must be kept as a named personal adversary, never softened to the generic దయ్యము (demon/devil).
Gift Of The Holy Spirit
Approved rendering: పరిశుద్ధాత్మ వరము
Transliteration: pariśuddhātma varamu
Doctrine: The Holy Spirit and Pentecost
Rejected alternatives: ఆత్మీయ వరములు (reserved for charismata)
Original: δωρεὰ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος
Category: Holy Spirit and Pentecost
NEW ACTS TERM. δωρεὰ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος: the gift of the Spirit himself, given at repentance/baptism (Acts 2:38) and poured out on Gentiles (10:45; 11:17). Distinguish from ఆత్మీయ వరములు (spiritual gifts, Medium) — here it is the gift of the Spirit himself, not gifts he subsequently distributes.
Pagan God Referent
Approved rendering: దేవుడు
Transliteration: Dēvuḍu
Doctrine: Confrontation with Paganism
NEW ACTS TERM (disambiguation). At Acts 14:11 (Lystra, Paul and Barnabas) and Acts 28:6 (Malta, Paul), θεός is applied by pagan crowds to a human being in evident error. The same Telugu word దేవుడు is required by the shared Greek term, but every such occurrence carries a MANDATORY translator note marking the referent as the crowd’s mistaken usage, not narrative endorsement, per the escalation rules in 12_ai_translation_requirements.md.
High Risk Terms
Grace
Approved rendering: కృప
Transliteration: kṛpa
Doctrine: Grace
Rejected alternatives: పుణ్యం, కర్మఫలం
Original: χάρις
Category: Salvation
Unmerited favor apart from human merit. Telugu’s century-old hymnody and preaching tradition already carries a strong grace vocabulary, which lowers (but does not eliminate) the risk of merit-based confusion for readers from Vaishnava/Shaiva devotional family backgrounds. Inherited from Romans package; retained exactly per baseline lock.
Righteousness
Approved rendering: నీతి
Transliteration: nīti
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: ధర్మం
Original: δικαιοσύνη
Category: Salvation
Right standing before God received through faith, not cosmic duty (ధర్మం) or ethical/legal correctness in the generic sense. Inherited from Romans package; retained exactly per baseline lock.
Justification
Approved rendering: నీతిమంతులుగా తీర్చడం
Transliteration: nītimantulugā tīrchaḍam
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: క్షమాపణ పొందడం
Original: δικαίωσις
Category: Salvation
Compound phrase required; a forensic declaration of right standing, distinct from simply receiving forgiveness (క్షమాపణ పొందడం). Direct anchor for Acts 13:38-39. Inherited from Romans package; retained exactly per baseline lock.
Holy
Approved rendering: పరిశుద్ధ
Transliteration: pariśuddha
Doctrine: Sanctification
Rejected alternatives: పవిత్ర, శుద్ధ
Original: ἅγιος
Category: Sanctification
పరిశుద్ధ is the historic Baptist/Protestant-mission Telugu Bible term; పవిత్ర is more common in Catholic Telugu usage. Both are doctrinally sound, but this curriculum standardizes on పరిశుద్ధ throughout for internal consistency — the risk here is fragmentation across lessons, not syncretism. In Acts 10, keep clearly distinct from the separate ceremonial-purity word family (see ceremonially_unclean_clean). Inherited from Romans package; retained exactly per baseline lock.
Sanctification
Approved rendering: పరిశుద్ధపరచడం
Transliteration: pariśuddhaparachaḍam
Doctrine: Sanctification
Rejected alternatives: శుద్ధీకరణ
Original: ἁγιασμός
Category: Sanctification
The Spirit’s ongoing work of making believers holy, distinct from ritual purification. Inherited from Romans package; retained exactly per baseline lock.
Church
Approved rendering: సంఘము
Transliteration: sanghamu
Doctrine: Church as God’s People
Rejected alternatives: దేవాలయం, సభ
Original: ἐκκλησία
Category: Church
సంఘము (assembly/congregation) is the majority Protestant/Baptist usage, matching this region’s larger established denominational base; Catholic Telugu usage sometimes favors సభ. This curriculum standardizes on సంఘము and holds it consistently. Never దేవాలయం (Hindu temple). Inherited from Romans package; retained exactly per baseline lock.
Sin
Approved rendering: పాపం
Transliteration: pāpam
Doctrine: Universal Human Accountability
Rejected alternatives: అధర్మం
Original: ἁμαρτία
Category: Sin
Moral transgression before a personal God who judges and forgives. Inherited from Romans package; retained exactly per baseline lock.
Glory
Approved rendering: మహిమ
Transliteration: mahima
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
Rejected alternatives: తేజస్సు
Original: δόξα
Category: God
God’s radiant honor; avoid light-only imagery that could merge with generic divine-light devotional associations. Inherited from Romans package; retained exactly per baseline lock.
Obedience Of Faith
Approved rendering: విశ్వాస విధేయత
Transliteration: viswāsa vidhēyata
Doctrine: Obedience of Faith
Rejected alternatives: ధార్మిక కర్తవ్యం
Original: ὑπακοὴ πίστεως
Category: Faith
Obedience flowing from faith already granted, not ధార్మిక కర్తవ్యం (religious duty), which reads as merit-earning obligation. Adjacent to Acts 6:7’s ‘obedient to the faith.’ Inherited from Romans package; retained exactly per baseline lock.
Power Of God
Approved rendering: దేవుని సామర్థ్యం
Transliteration: Dēvuni Sāmarthyam
Doctrine: Power of God for Salvation
Rejected alternatives: శక్తి
Original: δύναμις θεοῦ
Category: God
Use సామర్థ్యం; never శక్తి — Andhra Pradesh’s prominent Shakta tradition (Kanaka Durgamma temple at Vijayawada) makes శక్తి read as a specific divine-feminine power. Governs Acts 1:8 (empowerment for witness). Must also be kept distinct from Satan’s usurped అధికారము (authority_satans). Inherited from Romans package; retained exactly per baseline lock.
Covenant
Approved rendering: నిబంధన
Transliteration: nibandhana
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant
Rejected alternatives: ఒప్పందం
Original: διαθήκη
Category: Covenant
నిబంధన is the long-established Telugu Bible term for a binding relational covenant; ఒప్పందం (a mutual contract) is too transactional. Inherited from Romans package; retained exactly per baseline lock.
Election
Approved rendering: దేవుని ఏర్పాటు
Transliteration: Dēvuni Ērpāṭu
Doctrine: Effectual Calling
Rejected alternatives: విధి, కర్మ
Original: ἐκλογή
Category: Salvation
God’s sovereign, personal choice, not విధి (impersonal destiny) or కర్మ (karma). Governs Acts 9:15; 13:48; 22:14, and ties directly to chosen_instrument. Inherited from Romans package; retained exactly per baseline lock.
Providence
Approved rendering: దేవుని పరిపాలన
Transliteration: Dēvuni Paripālana
Doctrine: Providence
Rejected alternatives: విధి, కర్మసిద్ధాంతం
Original: πρόνοια
Category: God
God’s personal, purposive governance, not fatalism (విధి) or karma (కర్మసిద్ధాంతం). Acts 17:26-28 (Areopagus speech) is a live syncretism-adjacent risk point. Inherited from Romans package; retained exactly per baseline lock.
Abba
Approved rendering: అబ్బా
Transliteration: Abbā
Doctrine: Adoption into God’s Family
Original: אַבָּא
Category: God
Aramaic term of intimacy; not directly attested in Acts, retained for cross-curriculum consistency with the Romans Language Package. Inherited from Romans package; retained exactly per baseline lock.
Seed Of David
Approved rendering: దావీదు వంశములో పుట్టినవాడు
Transliteration: Dāvīdu vamśamulō puṭṭinavāḍu
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant
Original: σπέρμα Δαυίδ
Category: Covenant
Conveys physical lineage and OT covenant fulfillment. Governs Acts 2:30; 13:23. Inherited from Romans package; retained exactly per baseline lock.
Other Tongues
Approved rendering: వేరు భాషలు
Transliteration: vēru bhāshalu
Doctrine: The Holy Spirit and Pentecost
Rejected alternatives: అన్యభాషలు
Original: ἑτέραις γλώσσαις
Category: Holy Spirit and Pentecost
NEW ACTS TERM. Real, known human languages miraculously spoken at Pentecost, confirmed by the nation-list (Acts 2:9-11), reversing Babel’s language-scattering (Acts 2:4,6,11; 10:46; 19:6). Never అన్యభాషలు, which imports the అన్య- root shared with అన్యజనులు (Gentiles) and risks an unintended ethnic-exclusion note into this deliberately inclusive miracle.
Repentance
Approved rendering: మారుమనస్సు
Transliteration: mārumanassu
Doctrine: Repentance and Baptism
Rejected alternatives: పరితాపం
Original: μετάνοια
Category: Repentance and Baptism
NEW ACTS TERM. A decisive change of mind and direction, turning from sin toward God (Acts 2:38; 3:19; 11:18; 17:30; 20:21; 26:20). Must not be reduced to పరితాపం (regret/remorse alone), which loses the turning/reorientation sense, nor confused with Hindu ascetic renunciation categories.
Baptism
Approved rendering: బాప్తిస్మము
Transliteration: baptismamu
Doctrine: Repentance and Baptism
Rejected alternatives: నీటిదీక్ష
Original: βάπτισμα / βαπτίζω
Category: Repentance and Baptism
NEW ACTS TERM. Established transliterated term for ritual immersion marking decisive, public identification with Christ, performed in Jesus’s name (Acts 2:38,41; 8:36-38; 9:18; 10:47-48; 16:15,33; 18:25; 19:3-5; 22:16). Must be clearly distinguished from John’s preparatory baptism (Acts 19:1-5) and must not imply the water rite mechanically effects forgiveness apart from repentance and faith — a live cross-denominational sensitivity in Telugu tradition. Never నీటిదీక్ష (too generic/ritual-neutral).
The Way
Approved rendering: మార్గము
Transliteration: mārgamu
Doctrine: The Way as Fulfilled Faith
Rejected alternatives: ధర్మము
Original: ἡ ὁδός
Category: Christian Identity and Mission
NEW ACTS TERM. The early self-designation of the Christian movement as a way of life and faith (Acts 9:2; 18:25-26; 19:9,23; 22:4; 24:14,22). Must retain the definite article’s exclusivity (‘the Way,’ not ‘a way’); Telugu’s broader religious culture supplies a ready multi-path framework that must be actively resisted here.
Witness
Approved rendering: సాక్షి
Transliteration: sākshi
Doctrine: Persecution and Bold Witness
Original: μάρτυς
Category: Persecution and Bold Witness
NEW ACTS TERM. Spans legal testimony (Acts 1:8,22) shading into martyrdom-adjacent sense by Stephen’s death and Acts 22:20. Track the semantic shift consistently across occurrences; flag for theologian review at first occurrence and at 22:20.
Boldness
Approved rendering: ధైర్యము
Transliteration: dhairyamu
Doctrine: Persecution and Bold Witness
Rejected alternatives: ఆత్మవిశ్వాసం
Original: παρρησία
Category: Persecution and Bold Witness
NEW ACTS TERM. Spirit-given courage to proclaim the gospel publicly despite threat (Acts 4:13,29,31; 9:27-28; 13:46; 14:3; 18:26; 19:8; 26:26; 28:31). Must not be watered down to ఆత్మవిశ్వాసం (mere self-confidence).
Signs And Wonders
Approved rendering: సూచక క్రియలు మరియు ఆశ్చర్యకార్యములు
Transliteration: sūchaka kriyalu mariyu āścharyakāryamulu
Doctrine: Apostolic Authority and Miracles
Rejected alternatives: అద్భుతములు
Original: σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα
Category: Apostolic Ministry
NEW ACTS TERM. Standard Acts triad with δύναμις (mighty works) authenticating apostolic proclamation (Acts 2:22,43; 4:30; 5:12; 6:8; 8:6,13; 14:3; 15:12). Miracle vocabulary sits near a live cultural field of guru/godman miracle claims and temple-based miracle traditions; must be rendered as authenticating acts of the one true God, not generic supernatural spectacle.
Mighty Works
Approved rendering: అద్భుతకార్యములు
Transliteration: adbhutakāryamulu
Doctrine: Apostolic Authority and Miracles
Original: δυνάμεις
Category: Apostolic Ministry
NEW ACTS TERM. δυνάμεις, distinct Greek term overlapping with but separate from signs/wonders (Acts 2:22; 8:13; 19:11). Keep distinguishable from సూచక క్రియలు/ఆశ్చర్యకార్యములు where the text lists the full triad.
Laying On Of Hands
Approved rendering: హస్తనిక్షేపణ
Transliteration: hastanikshepana
Doctrine: Apostolic Authority and Miracles
Rejected alternatives: చేతులు మోపుట
Original: ἐπίθεσις τῶν χειρῶν
Category: Apostolic Ministry
NEW ACTS TERM. A recurring ordination/impartation gesture (Acts 6:6; 8:17-19; 9:17; 13:3; 19:6). Must be kept distinct from folk-healing touch-practices present in regional culture, hence the more formal compound over the everyday చేతులు మోపుట.
Sorcery Magic
Approved rendering: మాంత్రికవిద్య
Transliteration: māntrikavidya
Doctrine: Spiritual Authority and Conflict
Rejected alternatives: చిల్లంగివిద్య, క్షుద్రవిద్య
Original: μαγεία
Category: Apostolic Ministry
NEW ACTS TERM. Illegitimate, self-serving counterfeit supernatural power (Simon Magus, Acts 8:9-24; Elymas, Acts 13:6-11; Ephesian scrolls, 19:19), contrasted with genuine Spirit-given signs. Live cultural resonance with regional folk-magic and astrology practices; lock this single term rather than varying by lesson.
Author Of Life
Approved rendering: జీవకర్త
Transliteration: jīvakarta
Doctrine: Apostolic Authority and Miracles
Rejected alternatives: నాయకుడు
Original: ἀρχηγός
Category: Christology
NEW ACTS TERM. ἀρχηγός: Christ as source, pioneer, and originator of life and salvation (Acts 3:15; paired with రక్షకుడు at 5:31). Must not collapse to a generic నాయకుడు (leader) or గురువు-adjacent sense.
Ceremonially Unclean Clean
Approved rendering: అపవిత్రమైనది / శుద్ధమైనది
Transliteration: apavitramainadi / śuddhamainadi
Doctrine: Ceremonial Purity and Gospel Inclusion
Rejected alternatives: పరిశుద్ధ-family terms (forbidden collision)
Original: κοινός / ἀκάθαρτος // καθαρίζω
Category: Gospel to Jews and Gentiles
NEW ACTS TERM. κοινός/ἀκάθαρτος: ritual purity categories reversed in Peter’s vision to open Gentile table-fellowship (Acts 10:14-15,28; 11:8-9). MUST be kept lexically distinct from the locked holiness term పరిశుద్ధ (hagios) — a separate Greek word family the passage is deliberately overturning; conflating the two inverts the pericope’s own exegetical point.
God Shows No Partiality
Approved rendering: దేవుడు పక్షపాతం చూపడు
Transliteration: Dēvuḍu pakshapātam chūpaḍu
Doctrine: The Gospel to Jews and Gentiles
Original: οὐ προσωπολήμπτης
Category: Gospel to Jews and Gentiles
NEW ACTS TERM. οὐ προσωπολήμπτης (Acts 10:34). Parallels the baseline’s Universal Scope of the Gospel doctrine and its resonance with Telugu Dalit-community Christian history; retain unqualified. Lock as a fixed doctrinal formula, not a freely-paraphrasable sentence.
Overseers
Approved rendering: అధ్యక్షులు
Transliteration: adhyakshulu
Doctrine: The Church as Community
Rejected alternatives: బిషప్పులు, పాస్టర్లు, కరుణాధికారులు
Original: ἐπίσκοποι
Category: Church
NEW ACTS TERM. ἐπίσκοποι, used interchangeably with elders for the same office (Acts 20:17,28). Telugu’s several denominational traditions use varying office-vocabulary; this curriculum locks అధ్యక్షులు curriculum-wide for cross-lesson consistency, paralleling the baseline’s పరిశుద్ధాత్మ/పరిశుద్ధ denominational-lock logic. Risk is internal fragmentation, not syncretism.
Individual Revivification
Approved rendering: బ్రతికించెను
Transliteration: brathikin̄chenu
Doctrine: Apostolic Authority and Miracles
Rejected alternatives: పునరుత్థానం (forbidden here)
Original: ἀνίστημι / ἐγείρω (of Tabitha, Eutychus)
Category: Apostolic Ministry
NEW ACTS TERM. Individual miraculous restoration to life (Tabitha, Acts 9:36-41; Eutychus, Acts 20:9-12), distinct from the doctrinal, once-for-all resurrection. MUST be kept distinct from the Critical term పునరుత్థానం, reserved exclusively for Christ’s resurrection and the future general resurrection.
Chosen Instrument
Approved rendering: ఏర్పరచబడిన పాత్ర
Transliteration: ērparachabaḍina pātra
Doctrine: Conversion of Paul
Rejected alternatives: ఎన్నుకున్న వ్యక్తి
Original: σκεῦος ἐκλογῆς
Category: Conversion of Paul
NEW ACTS TERM. σκεῦος ἐκλογῆς: God’s description of Saul/Paul as a chosen vessel (Acts 9:15), tying to the locked election term దేవుని ఏర్పాటు. Must retain divine sovereign choice for a specific mission, not a self-selected role; do not shorten to a bare ‘chosen person,’ which loses the vessel/instrument imagery.
Unknown God
Approved rendering: అపరిచిత దేవుడు
Transliteration: aparichita dēvuḍu
Doctrine: Confrontation with Paganism
Original: ἄγνωστος θεός
Category: Christian Identity and Mission
NEW ACTS TERM. A pagan Athenian altar inscription (Acts 17:23) Paul apologetically repurposes. Must be clearly marked as the Athenians’ own label for an unidentified deity, not a name Paul endorses as equivalent to దేవుడు, to avoid the appearance of syncretistic equivalence.
Pagan Deity Names
Approved rendering: జెయుస్ / హెర్మేస్ / అర్తెమి దేవత
Transliteration: Zeyus / Hermēs / Artemi dēvata
Doctrine: Confrontation with Paganism
Original: Ζεύς, Ἑρμῆς, Ἄρτεμις
Category: Christian Identity and Mission
NEW ACTS TERM. Named Greco-Roman deities the gospel directly confronts at Lystra (14:11-13) and Ephesus (19:24-35). Direct structural parallel to the baseline’s own Tirupati/Venkateswara and Kanaka Durgamma Shakta-tradition syncretism concerns; render as clearly named foreign cult figures being confronted, not a generic ‘a god/goddess.‘
Authority Satans
Approved rendering: అధికారము
Transliteration: adhikāramu
Doctrine: Conversion of Paul
Rejected alternatives: సామర్థ్యం, శక్తి
Original: ἐξουσία
Category: Spiritual Conflict
NEW ACTS TERM. ἐξουσία: Satan’s usurped dominion (Acts 26:18). Deliberately NOT సామర్థ్యం (reserved for God’s saving δύναμις/power) and NOT శక్తి (forbidden per the Shakta-collision rule). This third, distinct word preserves the discipline of never implying Satan wields power comparable to God’s.
Forgiveness Of Sins
Approved rendering: పాపక్షమాపణ
Transliteration: pāpakshamāpaṇa
Doctrine: Repentance and Baptism
Original: ἄφεσις τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν
Category: Repentance and Baptism
NEW ACTS TERM. ἄφεσις τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν: removal of the debt of sin (Acts 2:38; 5:31; 10:43; 13:38; 26:18). Distinct from నీతిమంతులుగా తీర్చడం (justification, the fuller forensic righteousness-crediting declaration); do not use interchangeably in lesson prose.
Sect Faction
Approved rendering: వర్గము
Transliteration: vargamu
Doctrine: The Way as Fulfilled Faith
Rejected alternatives: మతము
Original: αἵρεσις
Category: Christian Identity and Mission
NEW ACTS TERM. αἵρεσις: the hostile label ‘the sect of the Nazarenes’ (Acts 24:5,14; 28:22). Deliberately NOT మతము (a wholly separate religion) — mistranslating as ‘religion’ would concede the accusers’ framing that the Way is a novel breakaway rather than fulfilled biblical faith.
Physical Rescue Nautical
Approved rendering: ప్రాణరక్షణ
Transliteration: prāṇarakshaṇa
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: రక్షణ (reserve for soteriological use only)
Original: σωτηρία / διασώζω
Category: Salvation
NEW ACTS TERM (disambiguation). σωτηρία/διασώζω used of ordinary physical rescue from drowning in the shipwreck narrative (Acts 27:20,31,34,44). This curriculum reserves రక్షణ exclusively for the soteriological sense; use ప్రాణరక్షణ or a contextually-bounded verb form here so overuse does not dilute రక్షణ’s doctrinal precision.
Human Spirit Unprefixed
Approved rendering: ఆత్మ
Transliteration: ātma
Doctrine: The Holy Spirit and Pentecost
Rejected alternatives: పరిశుద్ధాత్మ (forbidden here — this is Stephen’s own human spirit, not the Holy Spirit)
NEW ACTS TERM (disambiguation). At Acts 7:59 (‘Lord, receive my spirit’), πνεῦμα refers to Stephen’s own human spirit/soul, NOT the Holy Spirit. Render with bare, unprefixed ఆత్మ. Never render this verse with పరిశుద్ధాత్మ, which would confuse Stephen’s dying prayer with an address to the Holy Spirit. Highest-value single fencing rule identified for the Acts curriculum.
Medium Risk Terms
Gospel
Approved rendering: సువార్త
Transliteration: suvārta
Doctrine: Gospel
Rejected alternatives: వార్త
Original: εὐαγγέλιον
Category: Salvation
Long-established Telugu Christian term, settled across every denominational tradition in this region since the 19th-century mission era. Risk here is low-syncretism; the main task is simply not to drift toward the generic వార్త (mere news). Inherited from Romans package; retained exactly per baseline lock.
Faith
Approved rendering: విశ్వాసం
Transliteration: viswāsam
Doctrine: Faith
Rejected alternatives: భక్తి
Original: πίστις
Category: Faith
Personal trust in Christ; భక్తి carries devotional-reverence connotations from regional Vaishnava bhakti practice that do not require a specific, exclusive object of trust. Inherited from Romans package; retained exactly per baseline lock.
Apostle
Approved rendering: అపొస్తలుడు
Transliteration: apostaluḍu
Doctrine: Apostleship
Rejected alternatives: గురువు
Original: ἀπόστολος
Category: Church
Transliterated, established Telugu Christian term. Avoid గురువు, which implies a self-attained teaching authority rather than a delegated, sent commission. Inherited from Romans package; retained exactly per baseline lock.
Called
Approved rendering: పిలువబడిన
Transliteration: piluvabaḍina
Doctrine: Divine Calling
Rejected alternatives: ఆహ్వానించబడిన
Original: κλητός
Category: Salvation
Context-sensitive: in 1:1 = called to apostleship; in 1:7 = called to be saints; in 8:28-30 = effectual calling to salvation. Inherited from Romans package; retained exactly per baseline lock.
Calling
Approved rendering: పిలుపు
Transliteration: pilupu
Doctrine: Divine Calling
Rejected alternatives: ఆహ్వానం
Original: κλῆσις
Category: Salvation
Noun form for the act/state of being called; pair with పిలువబడిన for the participle. Inherited from Romans package; retained exactly per baseline lock.
Saints
Approved rendering: పరిశుద్ధులు
Transliteration: pariśuddhulu
Doctrine: Sainthood
Rejected alternatives: సాధువులు
Original: ἅγιοι
Category: Church
సాధువులు denotes a generic Hindu ascetic-holy-man category; పరిశుద్ధులు keeps sainthood as the corporate status of every believer. Inherited from Romans package; retained exactly per baseline lock.
Peace
Approved rendering: శాంతి
Transliteration: śānti
Doctrine: Peace with God
Rejected alternatives: మనశ్శాంతి
Original: εἰρήνη
Category: Salvation
Relational peace with God through justification, not the inner calm (మనశ్శాంతి) sought through devotional or meditative practice. Inherited from Romans package; retained exactly per baseline lock.
Spiritual Gifts
Approved rendering: ఆత్మీయ వరములు
Transliteration: ātmīya varamulu
Doctrine: Spiritual Gifts
Rejected alternatives: వరం
Original: χαρίσματα
Category: Church
Always use the compound; వరం alone reads as a generic deity’s boon. Keep distinct from గిఫ్ట్ ఆఫ్ ద హోలీ స్పిరిట్ (gift_of_the_holy_spirit) — the gift of the Spirit himself, not the gifts he subsequently distributes. Inherited from Romans package; retained exactly per baseline lock.
Kingdom Of God
Approved rendering: దేవుని రాజ్యం
Transliteration: Dēvuni Rājyam
Doctrine: Kingdom Mission
Original: βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ
Category: Kingdom
God’s sovereign reign, not a territorial or political kingdom. Brackets the whole book of Acts (1:3,6 / 28:23,31). Inherited from Romans package; retained exactly per baseline lock.
Law
Approved rendering: ధర్మశాస్త్రము
Transliteration: dharmaśāstramu
Doctrine: Fulfillment of Prophecy
Original: νόμος
Category: Covenant
Telugu’s own established Bible tradition already renders ‘the Law’ (Torah) as ధర్మశాస్త్రము without significant syncretism alarm; the rendering is over a century old and deeply settled. Do not ‘fix’ this to a novel niyama-based compound. Governs Acts 13:39; 15:5; 21:20-24; 22:3; 23:29; 25:8. Inherited from Romans package; retained exactly per baseline lock.
Gentiles
Approved rendering: అన్యజనులు
Transliteration: anyajanulu
Doctrine: Unity of Jews and Gentiles
Rejected alternatives: విదేశీయులు
Original: ἔθνη
Category: Church
Non-Jewish peoples; విదేశీయులు (foreigners) is too narrowly national. Central to this Acts curriculum’s namesake doctrine, The Gospel to Jews and Gentiles. Inherited from Romans package; retained exactly per baseline lock.
Intercession
Approved rendering: మధ్యవర్తిత్వం
Transliteration: madhyavartitvam
Doctrine: Prayer and Intercession
Original: ὑπερεντυγχάνει / ἔντευξις
Category: Faith
Prayer on behalf of others; standard term. Adjacent to Acts 8:24; 12:5. Inherited from Romans package; retained exactly per baseline lock.
David
Approved rendering: దావీదు
Transliteration: Dāvīdu
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant
Original: דָּוִד
Category: Covenant
Established proper name form. Governs Acts 2:25,29,34; 4:25; 7:45; 13:22,34,36; 15:16. Inherited from Romans package; retained exactly per baseline lock.
Israel
Approved rendering: ఇశ్రాయేలు
Transliteration: Iśrāyēlu
Doctrine: Unity of Jews and Gentiles
Original: יִשְׂרָאֵל
Category: Covenant
Proper name; established form. Inherited from Romans package; retained exactly per baseline lock.
Pentecost
Approved rendering: పెంతెకొస్తు
Transliteration: Pentekostu
Doctrine: The Holy Spirit and Pentecost
Original: Πεντηκοστή
Category: Holy Spirit and Pentecost
NEW ACTS TERM. Established Telugu Bible transliteration for the Feast of Weeks/Shavuot, fifty days after Passover, on which the Spirit is poured out (Acts 2:1; 20:16). No viable native alternative exists. Risk is ensuring learners receive the OT Shavuot covenant background rather than treating it as a generic ‘Christian holiday.‘
Persecution
Approved rendering: హింస
Transliteration: hinsa
Doctrine: Persecution and Bold Witness
Rejected alternatives: ఇబ్బంది
Original: διωγμός
Category: Persecution and Bold Witness
NEW ACTS TERM. Organized hostile suppression of the church (Acts 8:1; 11:19; 13:50), not vague ‘trouble’ (ఇబ్బంది), which understates the doctrine’s weight.
Christians
Approved rendering: క్రైస్తవులు
Transliteration: Kraistavulu
Doctrine: The Church as Community
Original: Χριστιανοί
Category: Church
NEW ACTS TERM. The name given to believers first at Antioch (Acts 11:26), later Paul’s own self-description (26:28). Originated as an outsider label; ensure learner-facing material notes it became the accepted self-designation without importing modern denominational-political connotations.
Elders
Approved rendering: పెద్దలు
Transliteration: peddalu
Doctrine: The Church as Community
Rejected alternatives: సీనియర్లు
Original: πρεσβύτεροι
Category: Church
NEW ACTS TERM. Local church leaders (Acts 11:30; 14:23; 15:2-23; 16:4; 20:17; 21:18). Also the ordinary Telugu word for ‘elderly people’; disambiguate by context and gloss on first use.
Deacon
Approved rendering: పరిచారకులు
Transliteration: parichārakulu
Doctrine: The Church as Community
Rejected alternatives: సేవకులు
Original: διάκονος / διακονία
Category: Church
NEW ACTS TERM. διάκονος/διακονία: the office of practical care established for the Seven (Acts 6:1-6), distinct from the apostles’ వాక్య పరిచర్య (ministry of the word). Reserve పరిచారకులు for this office; use సేవకులు only for non-office ‘servant’ contexts.
Hellenists
Approved rendering: గ్రీకు భాష మాట్లాడు యూదులు
Transliteration: Grīku bhāsha māṭlāḍu yūdulu
Doctrine: The Church as Community
Original: Ἑλληνισταί
Category: Church
NEW ACTS TERM. Ἑλληνισταί: Greek-speaking Diaspora Jews within the early Jerusalem church, distinguished from Ἑβραῖοι (Acts 6:1; 9:29; 11:20). Requires a brief explanatory gloss for Telugu learners unfamiliar with first-century Jewish diaspora sociolinguistics.
Vision
Approved rendering: దర్శనము
Transliteration: darśanamu
Doctrine: The Great Commission Fulfilled
Original: ὅραμα
Category: Christian Identity and Mission
NEW ACTS TERM. ὅραμα: a divinely-given vision guiding key mission decisions (Acts 9:10,12; 10:3,17,19; 16:9-10; 18:9). Anchor contextually to God’s specific guidance, not confused with generic mystical-vision terminology from regional devotional traditions.
Vow
Approved rendering: ప్రతిజ్ఞ
Transliteration: pratijña
Doctrine: The Church as Community
Original: εὐχή
Category: Church
NEW ACTS TERM. εὐχή: a Nazirite purification vow (Acts 18:18; 21:23-26). Requires an OT/Numbers 6 background gloss for Telugu learners without prior OT-narrative literacy exposure.
Whole Counsel Of God
Approved rendering: దేవుని సంకల్పమంతయు
Transliteration: Dēvuni sankalpamantayu
Doctrine: The Church as Community
Original: πᾶσα ἡ βουλὴ τοῦ θεοῦ
Category: Church
NEW ACTS TERM. πᾶσα ἡ βουλὴ τοῦ θεοῦ: Paul’s summary of his complete teaching ministry at Ephesus (Acts 20:27). Ensure the completeness sense (‘whole,’ ‘entire’) is not lost.
Low Risk Terms
Thanksgiving
Approved rendering: కృతజ్ఞతాస్తుతి
Transliteration: kṛtajñatāstuti
Doctrine: Thanksgiving
Original: εὐχαριστία
Category: Faith
Standard term. No significant risk. Inherited from Romans package; retained exactly per baseline lock.
Fellowship
Approved rendering: సహవాసం
Transliteration: sahavāsam
Doctrine: Christian Fellowship
Rejected alternatives: స్నేహం
Original: κοινωνία
Category: Church
Shared participation in Christ, not mere social friendship (స్నేహం). Inherited from Romans package; retained exactly per baseline lock.
Prophet
Approved rendering: ప్రవక్త
Transliteration: pravakta
Doctrine: Inspiration of Scripture
Rejected alternatives: జ్యోతిష్కుడు
Original: προφήτης
Category: Covenant
God’s spokesperson, not a fortune-teller/astrologer (జ్యోతిష్కుడు). Inherited from Romans package; retained exactly per baseline lock.
Prophecy
Approved rendering: ప్రవచనం
Transliteration: pravachanam
Doctrine: Fulfillment of Prophecy
Rejected alternatives: భవిష్యఫలం
Original: προφητεία
Category: Covenant
God-inspired declaration, distinct from astrological forecasting. Inherited from Romans package; retained exactly per baseline lock.
Mission
Approved rendering: మిషన్ / సువార్తా ప్రచారం
Transliteration: miṣan / suvārtā prachāram
Doctrine: Mission to the Nations
Original: ἀποστολή / πέμπω
Category: Church
Given Telugu Christianity’s indigenous, 19th-century-mass-movement roots, ‘mission’ carries markedly less colonial-baggage anxiety here. Inherited from Romans package; retained exactly per baseline lock.
Exhort
Approved rendering: ప్రోత్సహించడం
Transliteration: prōtsahin̄chaḍam
Doctrine: Mutual Edification
Original: παρακαλέω
Category: Faith
Context-sensitive: use వినతి for entreaty; ప్రోత్సాహం for encouragement/building up. Governs Acts 2:40; 11:23; 14:22; 15:32; 16:40; 20:2. Inherited from Romans package; retained exactly per baseline lock.
Referenced passages