Core Glossary
Core Glossary: The Epistle of James
English/Greek Term → Telugu Rendering, with Doctrine Risk Tiers
This glossary extends, and never contradicts, the baseline Romans translation_memory.json. Section 1 lists terms REUSED EXACTLY from the baseline. Section 2 lists NEW terms required by James, organized by the curriculum’s nine named doctrines. All risk tiers follow the baseline’s four-tier framework (Critical / High / Medium / Low) and routing conventions (Critical & High → human theologian review; Medium → native speaker review; Low → automated review).
Section 1: Terms Reused Exactly from the Romans Baseline
| English Term | Telugu (reused) | Transliteration | Risk (baseline) | James Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| faith | విశ్వాసం | viswāsam | Medium | 1:3,6; 2:1,5,14-26 (repeatedly); 5:15 |
| grace | కృప | kṛpa | High | 4:6 |
| sin | పాపం | pāpam | High | 1:15; 2:9; 4:17; 5:15-16,20 |
| law | ధర్మశాస్త్రము | dharmaśāstramu | Medium | 1:25; 2:8-12; 4:11 |
| lord | ప్రభువు | prabhuvu | Critical | 1:1,7,12; 2:1; 3:9; 4:10,15; 5:4,7-8,10-11,14-15 |
| god | దేవుడు | Dēvuḍu | Critical | throughout |
| glory | మహిమ | mahima | High | 2:1 |
| peace | శాంతి | śānti | Medium | 2:16; 3:17-18 |
| prophet | ప్రవక్త | pravakta | Low | 5:10 |
| righteousness | నీతి | nīti | High | 1:20; 2:23; 3:18; 5:16 |
| justification | నీతిమంతులుగా తీర్చడం | nītimantulugā tīrchaḍam | Critical | 2:21,24,25 (with mandatory contextual note — see §07 Core Passage analysis) |
| salvation (save) | రక్షణ | rakshana | Critical | 1:21; 2:14; 4:12; 5:15,20 |
| imputed righteousness | ఆపాదింపబడిన నీతి | āpādimpabaḍina nīti | Critical | 2:23 (direct Genesis 15:6 / Romans 4:3 parallel) |
| church | సంఘము | sanghamu | High | 5:14 (elders “of the church,” ἐκκλησία — NOT the συναγωγή of 2:2) |
| calling / called | పిలుపు / పిలువబడిన | pilupu / piluvabaḍina | Medium | 2:7 (“the honorable name by which you were called”) |
| holy | పరిశుద్ధ | pariśuddha | High | (informs ἁγνός/purity language, 3:17; 4:8) |
| exhort | ప్రోత్సహించడం | prōtsahin̄chaḍam | Low | (informs 5:19-20 restoration exhortation) |
Section 2: New Terms Required by James — By Doctrine
Doctrine: Faith and Works
| English Term | Greek | Telugu | Transliteration | Risk | Notes / Rejected Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| works | ἔργα | క్రియలు | kriyalu | Critical | Rejected: కర్మ (karma-laden merit-deed), పుణ్యకార్యాలు (merit-earning pious acts). Must partner with, never substitute for, విశ్వాసం. |
| justified (vindicating sense) | δικαιόω | నీతిమంతులుగా తీర్చడం (+ mandatory note) | nītimantulugā tīrchaḍam | Critical | Same baseline term as Pauline forensic sense; requires unit-level translator/theologian note distinguishing James’s evidential-vindication sense (2:21,24,25) from Paul’s initial-forensic sense (Rom 3-4), anchored at the shared Genesis 15:6 citation (James 2:23 / Romans 4:3). |
| faith alone | πίστις μόνον | విశ్వాసం మాత్రమే | viswāsam mātramē | Critical | James targets bare, workless, demon-shared intellectual assent (2:19), not Paul’s faith-as-sole-instrument doctrine; requires explanatory note. |
| faith working together (with works) | συνεργέω | కలిసి పనిచేయు | kalisi panichēyu | High | Must preserve organic cooperation without implying works add saving merit. |
| perfected/completed (by works) | τελειόω | పరిపూర్ణం చేయబడింది | paripūrṇam cheyabaḍindi | High | Faith brought to visible maturity, not supplemented for insufficiency. Shares root with τέλειος (see below). |
| dead (of faith without works) | νεκρός | మృతమైన | mṛtamaina | High | Must be held identical across 2:17, 2:20, 2:26 for internal consistency; shares root with baseline resurrection vocabulary (మృతులు, “the dead”). |
| doer of the word / hearer only | ποιητὴς λόγου / ἀκροατής | వాక్యమును ఆచరించువాడు / వినువాడు మాత్రమే | vākyamunu ācharin̄chuvāḍu / vinuvāḍu mātramē | Medium | Ch.1 anticipation of the Faith-and-Works argument; conceptual (not necessarily lexical) consistency with ch.2 required. |
| friend of God | φίλος θεοῦ | దేవుని స్నేహితుడు | Dēvuni snēhituḍu | Medium | Relational fruit of vindicated faith; contrast with demons’ terror (2:19). |
| a body without breath | σῶμα χωρὶς πνεύματος | శరీరం ప్రాణం లేకుండా | śarīram prāṇam lēkuṇḍā | High | Use ప్రాణం (breath/life), NOT ఆత్మ, to avoid collision with పరిశుద్ధాత్మ (Holy Spirit) terminology. Added to curriculum’s careful-usage list. |
| counted/credited as righteousness | λογίζομαι εἰς δικαιοσύνην | ఆపాదింపబడిన నీతి (reuse) | āpādimpabaḍina nīti | Critical | Direct Genesis 15:6 citation shared verbatim with Romans 4:3; must use the EXACT baseline term. |
Doctrine: Trials and the Testing of Faith
| English Term | Greek | Telugu | Transliteration | Risk | Notes / Rejected Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| trial (positive testing) | πειρασμός (1:2-3,12) | పరీక్ష | parīksha | High | Distinct Telugu word required from శోధన (temptation) below; same Greek root as πειρασμός/πειράζω creates a wordplay lost in translation — flag with translator’s note. |
| temptation (enticement to sin) | πειρασμός/πειράζω (1:13-14) | శోధన | śōdhana | High | Never render as God’s action (1:13 explicitly denies God tempts). |
| the testing/proving | δοκίμιον | పరీక్ష / శోధించుట | parīksha / śōdhin̄chuṭa | Medium | Refining-metal metaphor. |
| endurance/steadfastness (under trial) | ὑπομονή | ఓర్పు | ōrpu | Medium | Distinct from దీర్ఘశాంతము (patient waiting, ch.5); active perseverance, not fatalistic resignation. |
| perfect/complete/mature | τέλειος | పరిపూర్ణ | paripūrṇa | Medium | Moral/spiritual maturity, not sinless perfection. |
| double-minded | δίψυχος | ద్విమనస్కుడు | dvimanaskuḍu | Medium | 1:8; 4:8. |
| desire/lust | ἐπιθυμία | దురాశ | durāśa | Medium | Locates moral responsibility within the person, not an impersonal fate. |
| crown of life | στέφανος τῆς ζωῆς | జీవకిరీటం | jīvakirīṭam | Medium | Eschatological reward imagery. |
Doctrine: Wisdom from Above
| English Term | Greek | Telugu | Transliteration | Risk | Notes / Rejected Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| wisdom | σοφία | జ్ఞానం | jñānam | High | Risk of conflation with Jnana Yoga/Advaita Vedanta’s self-attained liberating knowledge. Recommend qualifying compound దేవుని జ్ఞానం or పైనుండి వచ్చు జ్ఞానం wherever ambiguity possible. |
| wisdom from above | σοφία ἄνωθεν | పైనుండి వచ్చిన జ్ఞానం | painuṇḍi vachina jñānam | High | The “from above” qualifier is doctrinally load-bearing; never drop it. |
| earthly/soulish, demonic (counterfeit wisdom) | ψυχικός / δαιμονιώδης | లోకసంబంధమైన / పిశాచ సంబంధమైన | lōkasambandhamaina / piśācha sambandhamaina | Medium | Names the corrupted source of counterfeit wisdom. |
| pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, sincere (fruit of wisdom) | ἁγνός, εἰρηνικός, ἐπιεικής, εὐπειθής, ἀνυπόκριτος | నిర్మలమైన, శాంతియుతమైన (reuse శాంతి), సాత్వికమైన, అణకువగల, కపటం లేని | — | Medium | Seven-fold character profile verifying wisdom’s heavenly origin; parallels the faith/works fruit-logic. |
| jealousy, selfish ambition | ζῆλος / ἐριθεία | అసూయ / స్వార్థపరత్వం | asūya / svārthaparatvam | Medium | Bitter fruit of counterfeit “earthly” wisdom. |
Doctrine: Favoritism and the Poor
| English Term | Greek | Telugu | Transliteration | Risk | Notes / Rejected Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| favoritism/partiality | προσωπολημψία | పక్షపాతం | pakshapātam | High | Direct, live resonance with caste-based discrimination in Telugu Christian communities (cf. baseline’s Universal-Scope-of-Gospel / Unity-of-Jews-and-Gentiles cultural notes); retain full force. |
| poor / rich | πτωχός / πλούσιος | పేదవాడు / ధనవంతుడు | pēdavāḍu / dhanavantuḍu | Medium | Consistent across 1:9-11, 2:1-7, 5:1-6. |
| heir | κληρονόμος | వారసుడు | vārasuḍu | Medium | Ties to baseline Adoption doctrine (దత్తపుత్రత్వం) — inheritance granted, not earned. |
| royal law | νόμος βασιλικός | రాజోచిత ధర్మశాస్త్రము | rājōchita dharmaśāstramu | Medium | Reuses baseline ధర్మశాస్త్రము. |
| neighbor | πλησίον | పొరుగువాడు | poroguvāḍu | Low | Explicitly includes the discriminated-against poor person. |
| mercy | ἔλεος | దయ | daya | Medium | Kept distinct from కృప (grace/unmerited favor) to preserve the grace/mercy distinction. |
| wages (unpaid) | μισθός | కూలి | kūli | Medium | Economic-justice dimension of favoritism-and-the-poor (5:4). |
Doctrine: Taming the Tongue
| English Term | Greek | Telugu | Transliteration | Risk | Notes / Rejected Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| tongue | γλῶσσα | నాలుక | nāluka | Low-Medium | Literal/metonymic for speech; low syncretism risk but must read clearly as metaphor throughout 3:1-12. |
| bridle/control | χαλιναγωγέω | నోరు అదుపులో పెట్టుకొను | nōru adupulō peṭṭukonu | Low | Equestrian control metaphor. |
| hell/Gehenna (figurative) | γέεννα | నరకం | narakam | Medium | Established Telugu Christian term; James’s usage here is figurative (tongue’s corrupt source), not a direct afterlife-doctrine statement. |
| image of God | εἰκὼν θεοῦ | దేవుని స్వరూపం | Dēvuni svarūpam | Medium | Established Genesis 1:26 Telugu Bible term. |
| religion/religious observance | θρησκεία | దైవభక్తి / దేవుని సేవ | daivabhakti / Dēvuni sēva | High | భక్తి-root risks Hindu devotional-practice association; prefer descriptive పరిశుద్ధమైన దైవసేవ where practical/ethical emphasis (not devotional-emotional register) is intended. |
Doctrine: Worldliness versus Friendship with God
| English Term | Greek | Telugu | Transliteration | Risk | Notes / Rejected Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| world (value-system opposed to God) | κόσμος | లోకం | lōkam | Medium | Established Telugu term; must read as the God-opposing value-system, not the created world generally. |
| friendship with the world | φιλία τοῦ κόσμου | లోక స్నేహం | lōka snēham | High | Central antithesis with “enmity with God”; either/or, not both/and — do not soften. |
| enmity with God | ἔχθρα τοῦ θεοῦ | దేవునితో వైరం | Dēvunitō vairam | High | Paired term; see above. |
| the devil | διάβολος | అపవాది | apavādi | High | Personal, singular adversary — never diffuse into an impersonal “evil” concept. Parallel term: సాతాను. |
| submit / oppose (God/proud) | ὑποτάσσω / ἀντιτάσσομαι | లోబడు / ఎదిరించు | lōbaḍu / edirin̄chu | Low | Proper posture toward God vs. God’s active resistance to the proud. |
| proud / humble | ὑπερήφανος / ταπεινός | గర్విష్ఠి / దీనుడు | garviṣṭhi / dīnuḍu | Low-Medium | Disposition determining reception of grace (4:6). |
| the will of the Lord | θέλημα τοῦ κυρίου | ప్రభువు చిత్తం | Prabhuvu chittam | Medium | Echoes, without replacing, baseline Providence vocabulary (దేవుని పరిపాలన). |
Doctrine: Prayer and Healing
| English Term | Greek | Telugu | Transliteration | Risk | Notes / Rejected Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| prayer of faith | εὐχὴ τῆς πίστεως | విశ్వాస ప్రార్థన | viswāsa prārthana | High | Reuses baseline విశ్వాసం. |
| anoint with oil | ἀλείφω ἐλαίῳ | నూనె రాచుట | nūne rāchuṭa | Critical | NEVER అభిషేకం — that term names Hindu temple ritual anointing (e.g., Tirupati Venkateswara abhishekam ceremonies) and must be added to this curriculum’s forbidden-substitution list. James uses a plain, practical, non-cultic verb. |
| elders (of the church) | πρεσβύτεροι | పెద్దలు | peddalu | Medium | Established Telugu church-governance term; pairs with reused సంఘము. |
| save/heal (the sick) | σῴζω (physical sense) | స్వస్థపరచు | svasthaparachu | High | Distinct from రక్షణ-root salvation vocabulary elsewhere, though James’s own Greek deliberately uses one verb (σῴζω) for both senses (2:14, 4:12, 5:15, 5:20) — flag the deliberate overlap for translators. |
| raise up (the sick) | ἐγείρω | లేపు / ఆరోగ్యము కలుగజేయు | lēpu / ārōgyamu kaluguja̮ēyu | Medium | Distinct from resurrection-context ἐγείρω/πునరుత్థానం usage; clarify non-resurrection sense. |
| confess (sins, to one another) | ἐξομολογέομαι | ఒప్పుకొనుట | oppukonuṭa | High | Mutual, horizontal, voluntary practice among believers — not a sacramental/priestly confession requirement (denominational-consistency concern) nor ritual purification. |
| prayer of a righteous person, effective | δέησις δικαίου ἐνεργουμένη | నీతిమంతుని ప్రార్థన మిక్కిలి బలమైనది | nītimantuni prārthana mikkili balamainadi | Medium-High | Reuses baseline నీతి-root. |
Doctrine: Patience and the Lord’s Return
| English Term | Greek | Telugu | Transliteration | Risk | Notes / Rejected Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| the coming of the Lord | παρουσία τοῦ κυρίου | ప్రభువు రాకడ | Prabhuvu rākaḍa | Critical | Established Telugu term for the Second Coming; must convey a real, certain, imminent future event, reusing baseline ప్రభువు. |
| patient waiting (for an outcome) | μακροθυμέω | దీర్ఘశాంతము | dīrghaśāntamu | Medium | Distinct from ఓర్పు (endurance under trial, ch.1); the two Greek near-synonyms appear together in ch.5 and should be distinguished in Telugu. |
| establish the heart | στηρίζω τὴν καρδίαν | హృదయమును స్థిరపరచుకొను | hṛdayamunu sthiraparachukonu | Low | Inner steadfastness in view of the Lord’s nearness. |
| the patience/endurance of Job | ὑπομονὴ Ἰώβ | యోబు ఓర్పు | Yōbu ōrpu | Medium | Reuses ఓర్పు for consistency with 1:3-4. |
| swear (an oath) | ὄμνυμι | ప్రమాణము చేయు | pramāṇamu cheyu | Low | Plain truthfulness sufficient; oath-taking prohibited as a truth-guarantee. |
Doctrine: Confession and Restoration
| English Term | Greek | Telugu | Transliteration | Risk | Notes / Rejected Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| turn back (a wandering sinner) | ἐπιστρέφω | త్రిప్పు | trippu | Medium | Pastoral restoration language, closing pericope (5:19-20). |
| wander/go astray | πλανάω | తప్పిపోవు | tappipōvu | Medium | Paired with ἐπιστρέφω. |
| save a soul from death | ψυχὴν ἐκ θανάτου σῴζειν | ఆత్మను మరణంనుండి రక్షించును | ātmanu maraṇamnuṇḍi rakshin̄chunu | Critical | Reuses baseline రక్షణ-root; forms a deliberate literary/theological bracket with 2:14’s opening σῴζω question — must echo, not diverge from, that verse’s rendering pattern. |
Section 3: Terms Requiring Cross-Reference to Chapter 1 Introductory Material (no new doctrine tag, but load-bearing)
| English Term | Greek | Telugu | Transliteration | Risk | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| servant/bondservant | δοῦλος | దాసుడు | dāsuḍu | Medium | James’s self-designation, 1:1. |
| word (of truth); implanted word | λόγος; ἔμφυτος λόγος | వాక్యము; నాటబడిన వాక్యము | vākyamu; nāṭabaḍina vākyamu | Medium | 1:18, 1:21. |
| perfect law of liberty / law of liberty | νόμος τέλειος τῆς ἐλευθερίας / νόμος ἐλευθερίας | స్వాతంత్ర్యపు ధర్మశాస్త్రము | svātantryapu dharmaśāstramu | High | 1:25; 2:12. Reuses baseline ధర్మశాస్త్రము; must not read as license/lawlessness. |
| orphan / widow | ὀρφανός / χήρα | అనాథలు / విధవలు | anāthalu / vidhavalu | Low | 1:27; concrete content of true θρησκεία. |
| synagogue/assembly (gathering) | συναγωγή | సమావేశము | samāvēśam | Medium | 2:2; deliberately distinct from ἐκκλησία/సంఘము (5:14). |
| adulteresses (figurative, covenant-unfaithfulness) | μοιχαλίδες | వ్యభిచారులు | vyabhichārulu | Medium | 4:4; figurative/covenantal, not literal accusation. |
| lawgiver and judge | νομοθέτης καὶ κριτής | ధర్మశాస్త్రమును నియమించువాడు మరియు న్యాయాధిపతి | dharmaśāstramunu niyamin̄chuvāḍu mariyu nyāyādhipati | Medium | 4:12; exclusively divine roles. |
| Lord of Sabaoth/hosts | κύριος Σαβαώθ | సేనల ప్రభువు | Sēnala Prabhuvu | Medium | 5:4; reuses baseline ప్రభువు. |
Summary Risk Distribution (James-specific new terms, Section 2–3)
| Risk Tier | Count | Review Routing |
|---|---|---|
| Critical | 9 | Human theologian review mandatory |
| High | 15 | Human theologian review mandatory |
| Medium | 26 | Native speaker review |
| Low | 12 | Automated review |
New forbidden-substitution additions for this curriculum (append to baseline list):
- Anointing (James 5:14): NEVER అభిషేకం — always నూనె రాచుట
- Body/breath analogy (James 2:26): prefer ప్రాణం over ఆత్మ to avoid Holy Spirit terminology collision
- Wisdom (James 1:5; 3:13-17): qualify జ్ఞానం with “from above/of God” wherever ambiguity with Jnana Yoga concepts is possible
Critical Risk Terms
Lord
Approved rendering: ప్రభువు
Transliteration: prabhuvu
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Rejected alternatives: స్వామి
Original: κύριος
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. Established, consistent term across denominational lines. Applied to Jesus Christ throughout James (1:1; 2:1; 5:7-8, etc.) and to God the Father (5:4, 5:10-11); verify referent per occurrence, but the term itself is fixed.
God
Approved rendering: దేవుడు
Transliteration: Dēvuḍu
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
Rejected alternatives: భగవంతుడు
Original: θεός
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. Standard, near-universally accepted Telugu Christian term. Never భగవంతుడు in doctrinally precise contexts. Source of every good gift (James 1:17), sole lawgiver and judge (4:12).
Justification
Approved rendering: నీతిమంతులుగా తీర్చడం
Transliteration: nītimantulugā tīrchaḍam
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Rejected alternatives: క్షమాపణ పొందడం
Original: δικαιόω
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package EXACTLY (same Telugu phrase as the baseline’s forensic-declaration sense). CRITICAL JAMES-SPECIFIC RULE: James 2:21,24-25 uses the identical Greek verb (δικαιόω) in an EVIDENTIAL/VINDICATING sense — the public demonstration of an already-declared righteousness by visible works — not Paul’s initial forensic declaration. Every occurrence of this term within James 2:14-26 MUST carry a mandatory theologian-authored translator’s note distinguishing James’s vindicating sense from Romans 3-4’s forensic sense, anchored at the shared Genesis 15:6 citation (James 2:23 / Romans 4:3). Without this note, readers trained on the baseline Romans usage may perceive James as contradicting Paul.
Salvation
Approved rendering: రక్షణ
Transliteration: rakshana
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: మోక్షం, ముక్తి
Original: σωτηρία / σῴζω
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. CRITICAL: NEVER మోక్షం or ముక్తి. Use for James’s eschatological/spiritual σῴζω occurrences (2:14; 4:12; 5:20). Do NOT use for the physical-healing sense at 5:15 — see heal_save_physical below for that distinct rendering.
Imputed Righteousness
Approved rendering: ఆపాదింపబడిన నీతి
Transliteration: āpādimpabaḍina nīti
Doctrine: Justification by Faith
Rejected alternatives: స్వార్జిత నీతి
Original: ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package EXACTLY. James 2:23 directly cites Genesis 15:6 — the same verse Paul cites in Romans 4:3 — naming Abraham’s initial forensic justification by faith, logically prior to the altar-scene vindication of James 2:21. Mandatory theologian flag: this cross-reference is the key proof-point that James affirms, rather than contradicts, Paul’s doctrine.
Works
Approved rendering: క్రియలు
Transliteration: kriyalu
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Rejected alternatives: కర్మ, పుణ్యకార్యాలు
Original: ἔργα
Category: Faith and Works
NEW TERM (James). Visible actions flowing from and displaying genuine faith (James 2:14-26); NOT meritorious deeds earning standing before God. NEVER కర్మ (karma-laden, causally merit-accruing deed) or పుణ్యకార్యాలు (merit-earning pious acts) — either would make James appear to teach works-based salvation in a culture where deeds-based religious merit is a dominant, live framework. The single highest-stakes lexical fence in the entire curriculum.
Faith Alone
Approved rendering: విశ్వాసం మాత్రమే
Transliteration: viswāsam mātramē
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Original: πίστις μόνον
Category: Faith and Works
NEW TERM (James 2:24). The bare, workless, intellectual-assent-only ‘faith’ James targets (exemplified by the demons’ correct-but-terrified belief, 2:19) — distinct from Paul’s ‘faith alone’ as the sole INSTRUMENT of justification. Requires a mandatory explanatory note distinguishing James’s target (dead, workless faith-claims) from Paul’s target (works of the Law as a basis for justification).
Anoint With Oil
Approved rendering: నూనె రాచుట
Transliteration: nūne rāchuṭa
Doctrine: Prayer and Healing
Rejected alternatives: అభిషేకం
Original: ἀλείφω ἐλαίῳ
Category: Prayer and Healing
NEW TERM (James 5:14, ἀλείφω ἐλαίῳ). REQUIRED. NEVER అభిషేకం — that term names the elaborate ritual anointing of Hindu temple deities, most prominently the milk-and-oil abhishekam ceremonies at the Tirupati Venkateswara temple in Telugu-speaking Andhra Pradesh, one of the most-visited pilgrimage sites in the world. James uses a plain, practical, non-cultic verb (ἀλείφω, not the ceremonial χρίω). Added to this curriculum’s forbidden-substitution list.
Coming Of The Lord
Approved rendering: ప్రభువు రాకడ
Transliteration: Prabhuvu rākaḍa
Doctrine: Patience and the Lord’s Return
Original: παρουσία τοῦ κυρίου
Category: Eschatology
NEW TERM (James 5:7-8, παρουσία τοῦ κυρίου). Established Telugu Christian term for the Second Coming, reusing baseline ప్రభువు. Must convey a real, certain, imminent future event, never a vague spiritual metaphor for inward change.
Save Soul From Death
Approved rendering: ఆత్మను మరణంనుండి రక్షించును
Transliteration: ātmanu maraṇamnuṇḍi rakshin̄chunu
Doctrine: Confession and Restoration
Original: ψυχὴν ἐκ θανάτου σῴζειν
Category: Confession
NEW TERM (James 5:20, ψυχὴν ἐκ θανάτου σῴζειν). James’s closing σῴζω occurrence, forming a deliberate literary/theological bracket with 2:14’s opening question. Reuses baseline రక్షణ-root exactly; MUST echo, not diverge from, the 2:14 rendering pattern — reviewers must check this against 2:14 specifically, not only against the general glossary.
Lord Of Glory
Approved rendering: మహిమగల ప్రభువు
Transliteration: mahimagala prabhuvu
Doctrine: Deity and Lordship of Christ
NEW TERM (James 2:1, description of ‘our Lord Jesus Christ’ as κύριος τῆς δόξης). Pairs baseline ప్రభువు and మహిమ in direct apposition to Jesus — a full deity-of-Christ affirmation. Must retain equal doctrinal weight to Romans 10:9’s Lordship confession, never reading as mere honorific praise.
High Risk Terms
Grace
Approved rendering: కృప
Transliteration: kṛpa
Doctrine: Grace
Rejected alternatives: పుణ్యం, కర్మఫలం
Original: χάρις
Category: Faith and Works
Inherited from Romans package. Unmerited favor apart from human merit. James 4:6 (citing Proverbs 3:34, ‘God gives grace to the humble’) reinforces the same merit/non-merit contrast the baseline documents as a risk for readers with Vaishnava/Shaiva devotional-tradition extended family.
Sin
Approved rendering: పాపం
Transliteration: pāpam
Doctrine: Universal Human Accountability
Rejected alternatives: అధర్మం
Original: ἁμαρτία
Category: Sin
Inherited from Romans package. Moral transgression before a personal God. Reuse exactly across James’s occurrences (1:15; 2:9; 4:17; 5:15-16,20).
Glory
Approved rendering: మహిమ
Transliteration: mahima
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
Rejected alternatives: తేజస్సు
Original: δόξα
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. God’s/Christ’s radiant honor. In James 2:1, directly modifies ‘our Lord Jesus Christ’ as ‘the Lord of glory’ — a strong, direct deity-of-Christ statement; flag for theologian review per this package’s Deity and Lordship of Christ doctrine (Critical).
Righteousness
Approved rendering: నీతి
Transliteration: nīti
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: ధర్మం
Original: δικαιοσύνη
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. Right standing before God received through faith, never dutiful conduct or cosmic law. Underlies James’s ‘fruit of righteousness’ (3:18) and Abraham’s credited righteousness (2:23).
Church
Approved rendering: సంఘము
Transliteration: sanghamu
Doctrine: Church as God’s People
Rejected alternatives: దేవాలయం, సభ
Original: ἐκκλησία
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package. Used deliberately at James 5:14 (‘elders of the church,’ ἐκκλησία) in contrast to συναγωγή at 2:2. Do NOT use for 2:2 — see synagogue_gathering below; James’s own Greek marks these as distinct terms.
Holy
Approved rendering: పరిశుద్ధ
Transliteration: pariśuddha
Doctrine: Sanctification
Rejected alternatives: పవిత్ర, శుద్ధ
Original: ἁγνός (cf. ἅγιος)
Category: Sanctification
Inherited from Romans package. Standardizes on పరిశుద్ధ throughout for internal consistency. Informs James’s purity vocabulary (3:17’s ἁγνός register, 4:8’s ‘purify your hearts’), though 3:17’s specific adjective is separately rendered నిర్మలమైన — see fruit_of_wisdom below.
Faith Working Together
Approved rendering: కలిసి పనిచేయు
Transliteration: kalisi panichēyu
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Original: συνεργέω
Category: Faith and Works
NEW TERM (James 2:22, συνεργέω). Faith and works ‘working together’ — an organic, joint relationship, not two sequential or independent requirements. Must preserve organic cooperation without implying works causally supplement or add saving merit to faith.
Perfected By Works
Approved rendering: పరిపూర్ణం చేయబడింది
Transliteration: paripūrṇam cheyabaḍindi
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Original: τελειόω
Category: Faith and Works
NEW TERM (James 2:22, τελειόω). Faith ‘perfected’/brought to intended maturity by works — NOT supplemented for prior insufficiency. Must not suggest faith was previously incomplete or insufficient for salvation; shares root with perfect_mature below.
Dead Faith
Approved rendering: మృతమైన
Transliteration: mṛtamaina
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Rejected alternatives: బలహీనమైన
Original: νεκρός / νεκρά
Category: Faith and Works
NEW TERM (James 2:17,20,26). Faith without works is spiritually inert, like a corpse — not merely weak or immature. Must be held identical across all three occurrences (2:17, 2:20, 2:26) for internal consistency; retain the shock value, never soften to ‘weak’ or ‘incomplete.‘
Body Without Breath
Approved rendering: శరీరం ప్రాణం లేకుండా
Transliteration: śarīram prāṇam lēkuṇḍā
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Rejected alternatives: శరీరం ఆత్మ లేకుండా
Original: σῶμα χωρὶς πνεύματος
Category: Faith and Works
NEW TERM (James 2:26). James’s closing analogy: πνεῦμα here means the animating breath/life-force of a physical body, NOT the Holy Spirit. Use ప్రాణం (breath/life), NEVER ఆత్మ, to avoid readers conflating this generic sense with పరిశుద్ధాత్మ (Holy Spirit) terminology locked in the Romans baseline.
Trial
Approved rendering: పరీక్ష
Transliteration: parīksha
Doctrine: Trials and the Testing of Faith
Original: πειρασμός (positive sense)
Category: Trials
NEW TERM (James 1:2-3,12, πειρασμός positive sense). External circumstances testing faith, producing endurance — a God-permitted, positively-framed testing. Must be kept lexically distinct from శోధన (temptation, negative sense) despite sharing one Greek root; flag the lost wordplay for translators.
Temptation
Approved rendering: శోధన
Transliteration: śōdhana
Doctrine: Trials and the Testing of Faith
Original: πειρασμός / πειράζω (negative sense)
Category: Trials
NEW TERM (James 1:13-14, πειρασμός/πειράζω negative sense). Enticement to sin, arising from one’s own desire — explicitly NEVER authored by God (1:13 denies this directly). Never render in a way implying God is its source.
Wisdom
Approved rendering: జ్ఞానం
Transliteration: jñānam
Doctrine: Wisdom from Above
Rejected alternatives: బుద్ధి
Original: σοφία
Category: Wisdom
NEW TERM (James 1:5, σοφία). CRITICAL CARE REQUIRED: జ్ఞానం is the central technical term of Jnana Yoga/Advaita Vedanta’s self-attained, meditative liberating knowledge, a prestigious, live philosophical tradition in Telugu-speaking regions. James’s σοφία is a relational GIFT asked for and given by a personal God, never a human achievement. NEVER leave unqualified in doctrinally load-bearing contexts — pair with దేవుని or పైనుండి వచ్చు wherever ambiguity is possible.
Wisdom From Above
Approved rendering: పైనుండి వచ్చిన జ్ఞానం
Transliteration: painuṇḍi vachina jñānam
Doctrine: Wisdom from Above
Original: σοφία ἄνωθεν
Category: Wisdom
NEW TERM (James 3:13-17, σοφία ἄνωθεν). The ‘from above’ qualifier is doctrinally load-bearing — the entire basis of James’s contrast with ψυχική/δαιμονιώδης wisdom — and must never be dropped.
Favoritism
Approved rendering: పక్షపాతం
Transliteration: pakshapātam
Doctrine: Favoritism and the Poor
Original: προσωπολημψία
Category: Social Justice
NEW TERM (James 2:1-9, προσωπολημψία). Favoritism named directly as sin against the royal law of neighbor-love. Direct, living resonance with caste-based discrimination in Telugu Christian communities whose largest churches trace to 19th-century Dalit (Madiga/Mala) mass movements seeking freedom from exactly this exclusion. Retain full rebuking force; never soften into generic etiquette advice.
Religion True
Approved rendering: పరిశుద్ధమైన దైవసేవ (దైవభక్తి / దేవుని సేవ)
Transliteration: pariśuddhamaina daivasēva (daivabhakti / Dēvuni sēva)
Doctrine: True Religion and Pure Devotion
Original: θρησκεία
Category: Ethics and True Religion
NEW TERM (James 1:26-27, θρησκεία). భక్తి-root compounds carry strong Hindu devotional-practice association; prefer the descriptive పరిశుద్ధమైన దైవసేవ (‘holy service to God’) wherever the passage’s practical, ethical emphasis (care for orphans/widows, self-control) needs foregrounding rather than a devotional-emotional register. దైవభక్తి/దేవుని సేవ may appear only as a secondary gloss.
Friendship With World
Approved rendering: లోక స్నేహం
Transliteration: lōka snēham
Doctrine: Worldliness versus Friendship with God
Original: φιλία τοῦ κόσμου
Category: Worldliness
NEW TERM (James 4:4, φιλία τοῦ κόσμου). Central antithesis with ‘enmity with God’ — an either/or, not both/and, relationship. Do not soften the exclusivity.
Enmity With God
Approved rendering: దేవునితో వైరం
Transliteration: Dēvunitō vairam
Doctrine: Worldliness versus Friendship with God
Original: ἔχθρα τοῦ θεοῦ
Category: Worldliness
NEW TERM (James 4:4, ἔχθρα τοῦ θεοῦ). Active hostility toward God, not neutral distance; paired term to friendship_with_world.
Devil
Approved rendering: అపవాది
Transliteration: apavādi
Doctrine: Worldliness versus Friendship with God
Rejected alternatives: దయ్యం, పిశాచి
Original: διάβολος
Category: Worldliness
NEW TERM (James 4:7, διάβολος). The personal, malevolent adversary resisted alongside submission to God. Must remain personal and singular, not diffuse into a generic ‘evil’ concept as regional folk-belief vocabulary (దయ్యం, పిశాచి) sometimes suggests. Parallel acceptable term: సాతాను.
Prayer Of Faith
Approved rendering: విశ్వాస ప్రార్థన
Transliteration: viswāsa prārthana
Doctrine: Prayer and Healing
Original: εὐχὴ τῆς πίστεως
Category: Prayer and Healing
NEW TERM (James 5:15, εὐχὴ τῆς πίστεως). The believing prayer offered over the sick, reusing baseline విశ్వాసం.
Heal Save Physical
Approved rendering: స్వస్థపరచు
Transliteration: svasthaparachu
Doctrine: Prayer and Healing
Rejected alternatives: రక్షించు
Original: σῴζω (physical-healing sense)
Category: Prayer and Healing
NEW TERM (James 5:15, σῴζω physical-healing sense). James’s own verb for eschatological salvation applied here to physical restoration, deliberately blurring the physical/spiritual line. Reserve స్వస్థపరచు strictly for this physical sense, reserving రక్షణ/రక్షించు for unambiguously salvific contexts (2:14; 4:12; 5:20), so healing is neither presented as automatically guaranteed nor salvation reduced to a health-and-wealth promise.
Confess
Approved rendering: ఒప్పుకొనుట
Transliteration: oppukonuṭa
Doctrine: Confession and Restoration
Original: ἐξομολογέομαι
Category: Confession
NEW TERM (James 5:16, ἐξομολογέομαι). Open, mutual, horizontal, voluntary acknowledgment of wrongdoing among believers, accompanying mutual prayer for healing. Must not be confused with a sacramental/priestly confession requirement — a live denominational-consistency concern given Telugu’s multiple established traditions (Catholic, Baptist, Lutheran, CSI) — nor with ritual purification.
Perfect Law Of Liberty
Approved rendering: స్వాతంత్ర్యపు ధర్మశాస్త్రము
Transliteration: svātantryapu dharmaśāstramu
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Original: νόμος τέλειος τῆς ἐλευθερίας / νόμος ἐλευθερίας
Category: Covenant
NEW TERM (James 1:25; 2:12, νόμος τέλειος τῆς ἐλευθερίας / νόμος ἐλευθερίας). The gospel-shaped moral law, kept freely from a transformed heart. Reuses baseline ధర్మశాస్త్రము; must not be heard as license/lawlessness.
Medium Risk Terms
Gospel
Approved rendering: సువార్త
Transliteration: suvārta
Doctrine: Gospel
Rejected alternatives: వార్త
Original: N/A (implied throughout; cf. εὐαγγέλιον tradition)
Category: Faith and Works
Inherited from Romans package. Long-established Telugu Christian term, settled across every denominational tradition since the 19th-century mission era. Reuse exactly wherever the gospel message itself (not merely λόγος, ‘the word,’ see word_implanted below) is in view in James.
Faith
Approved rendering: విశ్వాసం
Transliteration: viswāsam
Doctrine: Faith
Rejected alternatives: భక్తి
Original: πίστις
Category: Faith and Works
Inherited from Romans package. Personal trust in Christ. In James 2:14-26 this is the professed trust under scrutiny for whether it produces visible fruit; must retain the baseline sense of personal trust, not mere doctrinal assertion, even where James interrogates a workless faith-claim.
Law
Approved rendering: ధర్మశాస్త్రము
Transliteration: dharmaśāstramu
Doctrine: Fulfillment of Prophecy
Original: νόμος
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. Long-settled, doctrinally safe Telugu rendering; do not ‘correct’ to a niyama-based compound. Underlies James’s ‘royal law’ (2:8), ‘law of liberty’ (1:25; 2:12), and ‘lawgiver’ (4:12) compounds.
Peace
Approved rendering: శాంతి
Transliteration: śānti
Doctrine: Peace with God
Rejected alternatives: మనశ్శాంతి
Original: εἰρήνη
Category: Faith and Works
Inherited from Romans package. Relational peace, not devotional inner calm. In James 3:17-18, the peaceable character of wisdom-from-above; in 2:16, the (ironic) verbal blessing given without material help — let context carry the irony, do not add explanatory softening.
Called
Approved rendering: పిలువబడిన
Transliteration: piluvabaḍina
Doctrine: Divine Calling
Rejected alternatives: ఆహ్వానించబడిన
Inherited from Romans package. Relevant to James 2:7, ‘the honorable name by which you were called.‘
Calling
Approved rendering: పిలుపు
Transliteration: pilupu
Doctrine: Divine Calling
Rejected alternatives: ఆహ్వానం
Inherited from Romans package. Noun form for the act/state of being called; pair with పిలువబడిన for the participle form used at James 2:7.
Doer Of The Word
Approved rendering: వాక్యమును ఆచరించువాడు / వినువాడు మాత్రమే
Transliteration: vākyamunu ācharin̄chuvāḍu / vinuvāḍu mātramē
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Original: ποιητὴς λόγου / ἀκροατής
Category: Faith and Works
NEW TERM (James 1:22-25). Active practice of the word versus passive hearing only — anticipates the ch.2 faith/works argument. Conceptual (not necessarily lexical) consistency with క్రియలు should be preserved.
Friend Of God
Approved rendering: దేవుని స్నేహితుడు
Transliteration: Dēvuni snēhituḍu
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Original: φίλος θεοῦ
Category: Faith and Works
NEW TERM (James 2:23). Abraham’s relational status as the fruit of vindicated faith, contrasted with the demons’ terror (2:19). Pairs naturally with తండ్రి/అబ్బా intimacy language already established in the Romans baseline.
Testing Proving
Approved rendering: పరీక్ష / శోధించుట
Transliteration: parīksha / śōdhin̄chuṭa
Doctrine: Trials and the Testing of Faith
Original: δοκίμιον
Category: Trials
NEW TERM (James 1:3, δοκίμιον). The refining-metal process by which genuineness is verified. Telugu లacks the metallurgical image built into the noun; recommend a one-time explanatory gloss (‘as gold is tested by fire’) on first occurrence.
Endurance
Approved rendering: ఓర్పు
Transliteration: ōrpu
Doctrine: Trials and the Testing of Faith
Original: ὑπομονή
Category: Trials
NEW TERM (James 1:3-4,12; 5:11, ὑπομονή). Active, Spirit-produced steadfastness under pressure. Must convey active perseverance, not fatalistic resignation; avoid any resonance with విధి (fate). Kept distinct from దీర్ఘశాంతము (patient waiting, ch.5).
Perfect Mature
Approved rendering: పరిపూర్ణ
Transliteration: paripūrṇa
Doctrine: Trials and the Testing of Faith
Original: τέλειος
Category: Trials
NEW TERM (James 1:4,17,25, τέλειος). Moral/spiritual maturity, completeness of character — not sinless perfection.
Double Minded
Approved rendering: ద్విమనస్కుడు
Transliteration: dvimanaskuḍu
Doctrine: Trials and the Testing of Faith
Rejected alternatives: రెండు మనసుల మనిషి
Original: δίψυχος
Category: Trials
NEW TERM (James 1:8; 4:8, δίψυχος). Inner division, wavering loyalty — the opposite of undivided trust. Consistent across both occurrences.
Desire Lust
Approved rendering: దురాశ
Transliteration: durāśa
Doctrine: Trials and the Testing of Faith
Original: ἐπιθυμία
Category: Trials
NEW TERM (James 1:14-15, ἐπιθυμία). Disordered, sin-producing craving, the internal origin of temptation. Must locate moral responsibility within the person, distinct from an impersonal fate/karma framework; confirm context prevents a narrowly sexual-desire-only reading.
Crown Of Life
Approved rendering: జీవకిరీటం
Transliteration: jīvakirīṭam
Doctrine: Trials and the Testing of Faith
Original: στέφανος τῆς ζωῆς
Category: Trials
NEW TERM (James 1:12, στέφανος τῆς ζωῆς). Eschatological reward for enduring trial in love for God.
Earthly Demonic Wisdom
Approved rendering: లోకసంబంధమైన / పిశాచ సంబంధమైన
Transliteration: lōkasambandhamaina / piśācha sambandhamaina
Doctrine: Wisdom from Above
Original: ψυχικός / δαιμονιώδης
Category: Wisdom
NEW TERM (James 3:15, ψυχικός / δαιμονιώδης). Names the corrupted source of counterfeit ‘wisdom’ producing jealousy and strife; helps fence జ్ఞానం’s core sense off from the Advaita association.
Fruit Of Wisdom
Approved rendering: నిర్మలమైన, శాంతియుతమైన, సాత్వికమైన, అణకువగల, కపటం లేని
Transliteration: nirmalamaina, śāntiyutamaina, sātvikamaina, aṇakuvagala, kapaṭam lēni
Doctrine: Wisdom from Above
Original: ἁγνός, εἰρηνικός, ἐπιεικής, εὐπειθής, ἀνυπόκριτος
Category: Wisdom
NEW TERM (James 3:17, ἁγνός/εἰρηνικός/ἐπιεικής/εὐπειθής/ἀνυπόκριτος). Seven-fold character profile verifying wisdom’s heavenly origin by visible fruit — structurally parallel to the faith/works fruit-logic of ch.2; preserve the conceptual parallel.
Jealousy Selfish Ambition
Approved rendering: అసూయ / స్వార్థపరత్వం
Transliteration: asūya / svārthaparatvam
Doctrine: Wisdom from Above
Original: ζῆλος / ἐριθεία
Category: Wisdom
NEW TERM (James 3:14,16, ζῆλος / ἐριθεία). Bitter fruit of counterfeit ‘earthly’ wisdom.
Poor Rich
Approved rendering: పేదవాడు / ధనవంతుడు
Transliteration: pēdavāḍu / dhanavantuḍu
Doctrine: Favoritism and the Poor
Original: πτωχός / πλούσιος
Category: Social Justice
NEW TERM (James 1:9-11; 2:1-7; 5:1-6, πτωχός/πλούσιος). Socio-economic status used throughout James as a lens for testing genuine faith. Keep consistent across all occurrences.
Heir
Approved rendering: వారసుడు
Transliteration: vārasuḍu
Doctrine: Favoritism and the Poor
Original: κληρονόμος
Category: Social Justice
NEW TERM (James 2:5, κληρονόμος). One who inherits the promised kingdom by right, not merit. Ties to the baseline Adoption doctrine (దత్తపుత్రత్వం) — inheritance is granted, not earned.
Royal Law
Approved rendering: రాజోచిత ధర్మశాస్త్రము
Transliteration: rājōchita dharmaśāstramu
Doctrine: Favoritism and the Poor
Original: νόμος βασιλικός
Category: Social Justice
NEW TERM (James 2:8, νόμος βασιλικός). The law given highest, kingly authority — love of neighbor (Lev 19:18), which favoritism directly violates. Reuses baseline ధర్మశాస్త్రము.
Mercy
Approved rendering: దయ
Transliteration: daya
Doctrine: Favoritism and the Poor
Rejected alternatives: కనికరం
Original: ἔλεος
Category: Social Justice
NEW TERM (James 2:13, ἔλεος). Active compassion toward the needy/guilty. Kept distinct from కృప (grace, unmerited favor apart from merit) and from కనికరం (pity, reserved for non-technical narrative color only) so James’s own grace/mercy distinction is not flattened.
Wages
Approved rendering: కూలి
Transliteration: kūli
Doctrine: Favoritism and the Poor
Original: μισθός
Category: Social Justice
NEW TERM (James 5:4, μισθός). Laborers’ unpaid wages withheld by the rich — the economic-justice dimension of favoritism toward the wealthy.
Tongue
Approved rendering: నాలుక
Transliteration: nāluka
Doctrine: Taming the Tongue
Original: γλῶσσα
Category: Speech
NEW TERM (James 3:1-12, γλῶσσα). Literal organ used by metonymy for speech. Low syncretism risk; must read clearly as a metaphor for speech throughout the unit’s sustained metaphor chain (bit/bridle, rudder, fire, spring).
Hell Gehenna
Approved rendering: నరకం
Transliteration: narakam
Doctrine: Taming the Tongue
Original: γέεννα
Category: Speech
NEW TERM (James 3:6, γέεννα). Established, low-residual-syncretism Telugu Christian term. James’s usage here is figurative (tongue’s corrupting source), not a direct afterlife-doctrine statement; do not over-theologize the metaphor.
Image Of God
Approved rendering: దేవుని స్వరూపం
Transliteration: Dēvuni svarūpam
Doctrine: Taming the Tongue
Original: εἰκὼν θεοῦ
Category: Anthropology
NEW TERM (James 3:9, εἰκὼν θεοῦ). Established Genesis 1:26 Telugu Bible term. Cursing a fellow human — made in God’s image — while blessing God is a self-contradiction; retains dignity-of-every-person force, tying back to the Favoritism doctrine.
World Kosmos
Approved rendering: లోకం
Transliteration: lōkam
Doctrine: Worldliness versus Friendship with God
Original: κόσμος
Category: Worldliness
NEW TERM (James 4:4, κόσμος). The value-system opposed to God, not the created physical world generally. Ensure surrounding syntax (లోక స్నేహం) disambiguates toward this sense every time.
Proud Humble
Approved rendering: గర్విష్ఠి / దీనుడు
Transliteration: garviṣṭhi / dīnuḍu
Doctrine: Worldliness versus Friendship with God
Original: ὑπερήφανος / ταπεινός
Category: Worldliness
NEW TERM (James 4:6,10, ὑπερήφανος / ταπεινός). Moral-spiritual disposition determining reception of grace.
Will Of The Lord
Approved rendering: ప్రభువు చిత్తం
Transliteration: Prabhuvu chittam
Doctrine: Providence and Human Planning
Rejected alternatives: విధి
Original: θέλημα τοῦ κυρίου
Category: Providence
NEW TERM (James 4:15, θέλημα τοῦ κυρίου). The idiom ‘if the Lord wills,’ submitting human planning to God’s sovereign, personal governance. Echoes, without replacing, the baseline’s providence vocabulary (దేవుని పరిపాలన); must never read as resignation to విధి (fatalism) or కర్మసిద్ధాంతం (karma).
Elders
Approved rendering: సంఘము పెద్దలు
Transliteration: Sanghamu peddalu
Doctrine: Prayer and Healing
Original: πρεσβύτεροι
Category: Church
NEW TERM (James 5:14, πρεσβύτεροι τῆς ἐκκλησίας). Recognized local church leadership, called to pray over and anoint the sick. Pairs the reused baseline సంఘము (ἐκκλησία, not συναγωγή — see synagogue_gathering) with the established Telugu church-governance term పెద్దలు.
Raise Up
Approved rendering: లేపు / ఆరోగ్యము కలుగజేయు
Transliteration: lēpu / ārōgyamu kaluguja̮ēyu
Doctrine: Prayer and Healing
Original: ἐγείρω
Category: Prayer and Healing
NEW TERM (James 5:15, ἐγείρω). The Lord restoring the sick person to health — same verb family used of Christ’s resurrection (పునరుత్థానం) but here a non-resurrection, physical-recovery sense. Never let పునరుత్థానం-rooted vocabulary drift into this verse.
Effective Prayer Righteous
Approved rendering: నీతిమంతుని ప్రార్థన మిక్కిలి బలమైనది
Transliteration: nītimantuni prārthana mikkili balamainadi
Doctrine: Prayer and Healing
Original: δέησις δικαίου ἐνεργουμένη
Category: Prayer and Healing
NEW TERM (James 5:16, δέησις δικαίου ἐνεργουμένη). Efficacy of prayer tied to righteous standing (by faith) and God’s active response, not a mechanical prayer-formula. Avoid phrasing suggesting prayer channels an impersonal power (శక్తి-adjacent conceptual risk, per baseline Shakta-tradition caution); prayer petitions a personal God who chooses to act.
Patient Waiting
Approved rendering: దీర్ఘశాంతము
Transliteration: dīrghaśāntamu
Doctrine: Patience and the Lord’s Return
Original: μακροθυμέω
Category: Eschatology
NEW TERM (James 5:7-8, μακροθυμέω). Patience specifically waiting for an outcome (the Lord’s coming), distinct from ὑπομονή’s endurance under pressure (ఓర్పు). Both near-synonyms appear together in ch.5 and must be kept lexically distinct.
Endurance Of Job
Approved rendering: యోబు ఓర్పు
Transliteration: Yōbu ōrpu
Doctrine: Patience and the Lord’s Return
Original: ὑπομονὴ Ἰώβ
Category: Eschatology
NEW TERM (James 5:11, ὑπομονὴ Ἰώβ). Job’s historically-exemplified endurance under severe testing, vindicated by God’s compassionate outcome. Reuses ‘endurance’ rendering (ఓర్పు) for consistency with 1:3-4.
Turn Back
Approved rendering: త్రిప్పు
Transliteration: trippu
Doctrine: Confession and Restoration
Original: ἐπιστρέφω
Category: Confession
NEW TERM (James 5:19-20, ἐπιστρέφω). Actively pursuing and restoring a straying believer.
Wander Astray
Approved rendering: తప్పిపోవు
Transliteration: tappipōvu
Doctrine: Confession and Restoration
Original: πλανάω
Category: Confession
NEW TERM (James 5:19, πλανάω). Wandering from the truth, the condition prompting pastoral restoration; paired with turn_back.
Servant Bondservant
Approved rendering: దాసుడు
Transliteration: dāsuḍu
Doctrine: General
Original: δοῦλος
Category: General
NEW TERM (James 1:1, δοῦλος). James’s self-designation as Christ’s owned servant. Standard Telugu Christian self-designation term; must not read as a demeaning social-caste term, a live risk given regional caste vocabulary — must carry the dignified NT sense of devoted bondservice.
Word Implanted
Approved rendering: వాక్యము / నాటబడిన వాక్యము
Transliteration: vākyamu / nāṭabaḍina vākyamu
Doctrine: General
Original: λόγος / ἔμφυτος λόγος
Category: General
NEW TERM (James 1:18,21-23, λόγος / ἔμφυτος λόγος). God’s saving/transforming message, pictured as a seed taking living root within the believer.
Synagogue Gathering
Approved rendering: సమావేశము
Transliteration: samāvēśam
Doctrine: Church as God’s People
Rejected alternatives: సభ, సంఘము
Original: συναγωγή
Category: Church
NEW TERM (James 2:2, συναγωγή). A concrete gathering-place scenario, deliberately distinct from ἐκκλησία at 5:14. Avoid సభ (already reserved/avoided per baseline church-term lock) and avoid సంఘము here since James is not using ἐκκλησία in this verse.
Adulteresses Figurative
Approved rendering: వ్యభిచారులు
Transliteration: vyabhichārulu
Doctrine: Worldliness versus Friendship with God
Original: μοιχαλίδες
Category: Worldliness
NEW TERM (James 4:4, μοιχαλίδες). Figurative OT-prophetic idiom for covenant-unfaithfulness to God, not a literal marital accusation; must be read figuratively/covenantally.
Lawgiver Judge
Approved rendering: ధర్మశాస్త్రమును నియమించువాడు మరియు న్యాయాధిపతి
Transliteration: dharmaśāstramunu niyamin̄chuvāḍu mariyu nyāyādhipati
Doctrine: Judging Others and God’s Sole Authority as Judge
Original: νομοθέτης καὶ κριτής
Category: God
NEW TERM (James 4:12, νομοθέτης καὶ κριτής). Exclusively divine roles/titles — only God, who alone can save or destroy, holds this authority. న్యాయాధిపతి must retain eschatological weight, not flatten to a merely civil-court-judge sense.
Lord Of Hosts
Approved rendering: సేనల ప్రభువు
Transliteration: Sēnala Prabhuvu
Doctrine: Favoritism and the Poor
Original: κύριος Σαβαώθ
Category: Christology
NEW TERM (James 5:4, κύριος Σαβαώθ). OT divine military title — the defrauded laborers’ cries have reached the sovereign, avenging Lord of heavenly armies. Reuses baseline ప్రభువు.
Low Risk Terms
Prophet
Approved rendering: ప్రవక్త
Transliteration: pravakta
Doctrine: Inspiration of Scripture
Rejected alternatives: జ్యోతిష్కుడు
Original: προφήτης
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. God’s spokesperson. James 5:10 cites the prophets as a model of endurance under suffering.
Exhort
Approved rendering: ప్రోత్సహించడం
Transliteration: prōtsahin̄chaḍam
Doctrine: Mutual Edification
Original: παρακαλέω (conceptually informing 5:19-20’s restoration charge)
Category: Faith and Works
Inherited from Romans package. Underlies the pastoral tone of James’s closing restoration exhortation (5:19-20).
Neighbor
Approved rendering: పొరుగువాడు
Transliteration: poroguvāḍu
Doctrine: Favoritism and the Poor
Original: πλησίον
Category: Social Justice
NEW TERM (James 2:8, πλησίον). Any person one encounters, explicitly including the poor person just discriminated against.
Bridle
Approved rendering: నోరు అదుపులో పెట్టుకొను
Transliteration: nōru adupulō peṭṭukonu
Doctrine: Taming the Tongue
Original: χαλιναγωγέω
Category: Speech
NEW TERM (James 3:2-3; cf. 1:26, χαλιναγωγέω). Equestrian control metaphor; self-control over speech as a litmus test of religious maturity.
Submit Oppose
Approved rendering: లోబడు / ఎదిరించు
Transliteration: lōbaḍu / edirin̄chu
Doctrine: Worldliness versus Friendship with God
Original: ὑποτάσσω / ἀντιτάσσομαι
Category: Worldliness
NEW TERM (James 4:6-7, ὑποτάσσω / ἀντιτάσσομαι). Submitting to God versus God’s active opposition to the proud.
Establish Heart
Approved rendering: హృదయమును స్థిరపరచుకొను
Transliteration: hṛdayamunu sthiraparachukonu
Doctrine: Patience and the Lord’s Return
Original: στηρίζω τὴν καρδίαν
Category: Eschatology
NEW TERM (James 5:8, στηρίζω τὴν καρδίαν). Inner stabilization/fortification in view of the Lord’s nearness.
Swear Oath
Approved rendering: ప్రమాణము చేయు
Transliteration: pramāṇamu cheyu
Doctrine: Oath-Taking and Truthfulness
Original: ὄμνυμι
Category: Ethics and True Religion
NEW TERM (James 5:12, ὄμνυμι). Formal oath-taking, prohibited as unnecessary given simple truthfulness. Care to avoid implying all solemn promise-making (e.g., wedding vows) is prohibited.
Orphan Widow
Approved rendering: అనాథలు / విధవలు
Transliteration: anāthalu / vidhavalu
Doctrine: True Religion and Pure Devotion
Original: ὀρφανός / χήρα
Category: Ethics and True Religion
NEW TERM (James 1:27, ὀρφανός / χήρα). The socially vulnerable, paradigmatic objects of covenant care — the concrete ethical content of true religion.
Referenced passages