Semantic Analysis
Semantic Analysis — Acts (English → Thai)
Scope and Method
This document analyzes the entire book of Acts, chapter 1 through chapter 28, in the original Koine Greek. The core passage, Acts 2:1-41 (Pentecost and Peter’s sermon), receives full verse-by-verse treatment: every load-bearing term is documented with its original Greek word, transliteration, literal meaning, semantic range, common English translation variants, contextual theological meaning in Acts, and its Thai destination-language rendering risk. Every other chapter receives a chapter-level section covering its load-bearing theological terms with the same fields. Chapters that introduce no new theological vocabulary beyond what has already been analyzed state this explicitly and cite the terms being reused.
Governing rule: Any term already established in the baseline Romans/Galatians Language Package (translation_memory.json, bible_term_registry.json) is reused with its EXACT recorded Thai rendering. This document only assigns new Thai renderings to terms that do not already appear in the baseline package.
PART A — Core Passage: Acts 2:1-41 (Verse-by-Verse)
Acts 2:1
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
| Greek term | Πεντηκοστή |
| Transliteration | Pentēkostē |
| Literal meaning | ”Fiftieth [day]” — the Jewish harvest festival (Feast of Weeks/Shavuot), fifty days after Passover |
| Semantic range | A named calendar festival; by metonymy, the day itself |
| English variants | Pentecost; Feast of Weeks |
| Contextual theological meaning | The historical-redemptive moment God chose to inaugurate the New Covenant outpouring of the Spirit, fulfilling Joel 2 and completing the Passover-to-Pentecost typology (Christ’s death fulfills Passover; the Spirit’s coming fulfills Pentecost) |
| Thai rendering risk | NEW TERM. Medium. Render as transliteration วันเพ็นเทคอสต์ (wan Phentekhosat), the established Thai Bible Society form. No natural Thai festival is a doctrinal equivalent, so risk is primarily comprehension, not syncretism; a brief explanatory note on the OT harvest-festival background is recommended for readers without OT literacy. |
Acts 2:2
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
| Greek term | πνοή βιαία |
| Transliteration | pnoē biaia |
| Literal meaning | ”A violent breath/blast” |
| Semantic range | πνοή = breath, wind, blowing; often paired conceptually with πνεῦμα (spirit/wind) |
| English variants | ”a sound like a mighty rushing wind”; “a violent wind” |
| Contextual theological meaning | The wind is a theophanic sign accompanying the Spirit’s arrival, echoing OT wind/spirit imagery (Genesis 1:2; Ezekiel 37) — not the Spirit itself but its audible herald |
| Thai rendering risk | NEW TERM. Low. Render descriptively: เสียงดังกึกก้องเหมือนพายุแรงกล้าพัดมา. No Thai folk-religious collision; minor risk of readers treating the wind as the Spirit itself rather than its sign — a clarifying note is sufficient. |
Acts 2:3
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
| Greek term | γλῶσσαι ὡσεὶ πυρός |
| Transliteration | glōssai hōsei pyros |
| Literal meaning | ”Tongues as of fire” — flame-shaped, tongue-shaped visual manifestations |
| Semantic range | γλῶσσα = tongue (organ) or language; here a visual simile, “tongue-shaped flame” |
| English variants | ”tongues of fire”; “flames like tongues” |
| Contextual theological meaning | A visible sign of the Spirit’s presence resting individually on each believer, marking each as personally indwelt (not a corporate cloud, but distributed “one on each”) |
| Thai rendering risk | NEW TERM. Low. Render เปลวไฟลักษณะดังเปลวเพลิงรูปเหมือนเปลวไ�ลิ้น — standard rendering เปลวไฟรูปเหมือนเปลวลิ้นไฟ. Low collision risk; no need to avoid any specific Thai term, though translators should avoid language suggesting the flame is itself worshiped (paralleling the baseline’s caution against sacred-object potency, ฤทธิ์อำนาจลึกลับ, already flagged for “spiritual gifts”). |
Acts 2:4
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
| Greek term (1) | ἐπλήσθησαν πάντες Πνεύματος Ἁγίου |
| Transliteration | eplēsthēsan pantes Pneumatos Hagiou |
| Literal meaning | ”All were filled with Holy Spirit” |
| Semantic range | πίμπλημι = to fill completely, to saturate; used repeatedly in Acts for Spirit-empowerment for a specific task or moment |
| English variants | ”filled with the Holy Spirit” |
| Contextual theological meaning | The defining Pentecost event: the promised Spirit (Acts 1:5, 8) takes personal, complete possession of every believer present, empowering witness. Foundational for the doctrine of the Holy Spirit and Pentecost. |
| Thai rendering risk | Reuses baseline holy_spirit = พระวิญญาณบริสุทธิ์. The verb “filled” (เต็มด้วยพระวิญญาณบริสุทธิ์) is Critical risk in Thai: Thai folk religion has a fluent, frequently-used vocabulary for spirit possession (ผีเข้า, การทรงเจ้า, วิญญาณสิงร่าง) in which a spirit takes over a human body, often involuntarily and often through a medium (ร่างทรง). “Filled with the Holy Spirit” must be taught as the personal, willing indwelling of the one true God’s own Spirit empowering purposeful witness, categorically distinct from a folk-spirit possessing a medium’s body. A translator note distinguishing เต็มด้วยพระวิญญาณบริสุทธิ์ from ผีเข้า/ทรงเจ้า is mandatory at every occurrence in Acts (recurs at 4:8, 31; 6:3, 5; 7:55; 9:17; 13:9, 52). |
| Greek term (2) | γλώσσαις ἑτέραις |
| Transliteration | glōssais heterais |
| Literal meaning | ”Other/different tongues” |
| Semantic range | γλῶσσα = tongue/language; ἕτερος = other (of a different kind) |
| English variants | ”other tongues”; “different languages” |
| Contextual theological meaning | Miraculous speech in genuine human languages the speakers had not learned, immediately confirmed in v.6-11 as real, known languages understood by hearers from many nations — a sign inaugurating the gospel’s move to all nations |
| Thai rendering risk | NEW TERM. High. Render ภาษาอื่น (the established Thai Bible Society phrase, “other/different languages”) — NEVER ภาษาแปลกๆ (“strange tongues”) or terminology overlapping with Thai spirit-possession glossolalia (การพูดภาษาแปลกในพิธีทรงเจ้า, a recognized feature of Thai spirit-medium ritual). The Acts 2 phenomenon is real, intelligible human language given for cross-cultural gospel proclamation (confirmed explicitly in vv.6-11), not ecstatic unintelligible utterance associated with trance states. This distinction must be reinforced by a translator note. |
Acts 2:5-6
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
| Greek term | Ἰουδαῖοι … ἀπὸ παντὸς ἔθνους τῶν ὑπὸ τὸν οὐρανόν |
| Transliteration | Ioudaioi … apo pantos ethnous tōn hypo ton ouranon |
| Literal meaning | ”Jews … from every nation under heaven” |
| Semantic range | ἔθνος = nation, people group (root of “Gentiles,” ἔθνη, already in baseline) |
| English variants | ”Jews from every nation under heaven” |
| Contextual theological meaning | The diaspora Jewish pilgrim crowd represents the seed of the gospel’s coming worldwide, all-nations reach — the Pentecost crowd’s diversity previews the Gentile mission that unfolds through the rest of Acts |
| Thai rendering risk | Reuses baseline israel/proper-name conventions and the gentiles (คนต่างชาติ) root concept for ἔθνος; render ชนทุกชาติที่อยู่ใต้ฟ้า — Low. No new doctrinal risk; sets up the High-risk universal-scope doctrine developed at v.39 and throughout Acts 10-15. |
Acts 2:11
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
| Greek term | τὰ μεγαλεῖα τοῦ Θεοῦ |
| Transliteration | ta megaleia tou Theou |
| Literal meaning | ”The great/mighty things of God” |
| Semantic range | μεγαλεῖος = magnificent, great; used of God’s mighty acts |
| English variants | ”the mighty/wonderful works of God” |
| Contextual theological meaning | The content of the Spirit-given speech is not neutral information but praise-declaration of God’s saving acts — confirming the tongues are worship/proclamation, not entertainment or omen |
| Thai rendering risk | Low. Render พระราชกิจอันยิ่งใหญ่ของพระเจ้า, reusing baseline glory/power_of_god conceptual field (พระสิริ, ฤทธิ์เดชของพระเจ้า) as needed in surrounding exposition. |
Acts 2:14-21 (Peter’s Sermon, Part 1 — Joel Citation)
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
| Greek term | ἐκχεῶ ἀπὸ τοῦ Πνεύματός μου |
| Transliteration | ekcheō apo tou Pneumatos mou |
| Literal meaning | ”I will pour out from my Spirit” |
| Semantic range | ἐκχέω = to pour out, spill out (liquid metaphor) |
| English variants | ”I will pour out my Spirit” |
| Contextual theological meaning | Joel 2:28-32 fulfilled: God’s own sovereign, abundant, universal (v.17 “all flesh”) self-giving of his Spirit marks the last-days era inaugurated at Pentecost |
| Thai rendering risk | NEW TERM (verb). Medium. Render ทรงเทพระวิญญาณของพระองค์ลง, keeping ทรง- as agent-marking honorific consistent with the baseline’s convention for divine action. No major Thai-specific collision, but must keep God as the explicit subject of the pouring — an outward act of divine generosity, not an impersonal cosmic emanation. |
| Greek term | προφητεύσουσιν |
| Transliteration | prophēteusousin |
| Literal meaning | ”They will prophesy” |
| Semantic range | προφητεύω = to speak forth under divine inspiration |
| English variants | ”shall prophesy” |
| Contextual theological meaning | The Spirit’s outpouring democratizes prophetic speech across gender, age, and social class (sons/daughters, young/old, even servants) — a marker of the new covenant age |
| Thai rendering risk | Reuses baseline prophecy/prophet root (คำพยากรณ์, ผู้เผยพระวจนะ). Low. Verb form จะพยากรณ์. |
| Greek term | σημεῖα … τέρατα |
| Transliteration | sēmeia … terata |
| Literal meaning | ”Signs … wonders” |
| Semantic range | σημεῖον = a sign pointing beyond itself to meaning; τέρας = a startling, awe-inducing marvel |
| English variants | ”signs and wonders” |
| Contextual theological meaning | God-given confirming acts that authenticate the message and messenger — a doctrinal pillar of “Apostolic Authority and Miracles,” recurring throughout Acts (2:22, 43; 4:30; 5:12; 14:3; 15:12) |
| Thai rendering risk | NEW TERM. Medium. Render หมายสำคัญและการอัศจรรย์ (established Thai Bible phrase). Must be distinguished from the sacred potency ascribed to amulets and holy objects (วัตถุมงคล — already flagged in the baseline for power_of_god) and from the wonder-working claims of Thai folk spirit-mediums; these are God’s own authenticating acts pointing to the risen Christ, not free-floating supernatural power. |
| Greek term | ἐπικαλέσηται τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου |
| Transliteration | epikalesētai to onoma Kyriou |
| Literal meaning | ”Shall call upon the name of the Lord” |
| Semantic range | ἐπικαλέω = to call upon, invoke, appeal to |
| English variants | ”calls on the name of the Lord” |
| Contextual theological meaning | Joel’s universal salvation promise (“everyone who calls…”) — quoted again by Paul at Romans 10:13, establishing verbatim cross-curriculum consistency; foundational to the doctrine “The Gospel to Jews and Gentiles” |
| Thai rendering risk | Critical — must match Romans 10:13 rendering verbatim. Reuses baseline lord (องค์พระผู้เป็นเจ้า) and salvation (ความรอด) terms. Render ทุกคนที่ร้องออกพระนามขององค์พระผู้เป็นเจ้า. The consistency rule from the baseline requirements doc (“Same rendering of Romans 10:9-10… must be verbatim consistent”) extends to this Joel citation shared between Acts 2:21 and Romans 10:13. |
Acts 2:22-24 (Sermon Part 2 — Jesus of Nazareth)
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
| Greek term | Ἰησοῦν τὸν Ναζωραῖον |
| Transliteration | Iēsoun ton Nazōraion |
| Literal meaning | ”Jesus the Nazarene” |
| Semantic range | Ναζωραῖος = a resident/native of Nazareth; also the term later applied to the whole movement (24:5, “sect of the Nazarenes”) |
| English variants | ”Jesus of Nazareth”; “Jesus the Nazarene” |
| Contextual theological meaning | Anchors the exalted, risen Lord of vv.33-36 in the same fully human, historically locatable person crucified in Jerusalem — the Incarnation and Humanity of Christ doctrines undergird this identification |
| Thai rendering risk | NEW proper name/title. Low. Render พระเยซูชาวนาซาเร็ธ, using the established jesus baseline term (พระเยซู) plus the place-name. No collision risk; a brief geographical/historical note aids OT-illiterate readers. |
| Greek term | ἀνεῖλατε … προσπήξαντες |
| Transliteration | aneilate … prospēxantes |
| Literal meaning | ”You killed … having nailed [him]“ |
| Semantic range | ἀναιρέω = to kill, do away with; προσπήγνυμι = to fasten/nail |
| English variants | ”you killed… by nailing him to the cross” |
| Contextual theological meaning | Peter directly indicts the crowd’s complicity in Christ’s crucifixion, a rhetorical move producing the conviction of v.37; grounds the doctrine of Universal Human Accountability (already Critical in the Romans baseline) in a specific historical event |
| Thai rendering risk | Low. Standard historical-narrative vocabulary; no Thai-specific collision. |
| Greek term | ὁ Θεὸς ἀνέστησεν |
| Transliteration | ho Theos anestēsen |
| Literal meaning | ”God raised [him] up” |
| Semantic range | ἀνίστημι = to raise up, cause to stand again |
| English variants | ”God raised him up” |
| Contextual theological meaning | God, not Jesus unilaterally nor a natural process, is the explicit subject of the resurrection — a Trinitarian pattern repeated throughout Acts (3:15, 26; 4:10; 5:30; 10:40; 13:30, 37; 17:31) |
| Thai rendering risk | Reuses baseline resurrection = การเป็นขึ้นจากตาย, Critical. ทรงให้เป็นขึ้นจากตาย. NEVER การเกิดใหม่ or การกลับชาติมาเกิด (rebirth/reincarnation), per the Romans baseline’s forbidden-substitution rule, which applies with equal force to every resurrection reference throughout Acts (see also 2:31-32; 3:15; 4:2, 33; 17:18, 32; 23:6; 24:15, 21; 26:23). |
Acts 2:25-31 (David’s Prophecy)
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
| Greek term | Δαυίδ |
| Transliteration | Dauid |
| Literal meaning | Proper name, David |
| Semantic range | — |
| English variants | David |
| Contextual theological meaning | Peter cites Psalm 16 as David’s own prophetic anticipation of the Messiah’s resurrection, reinforcing the Davidic Covenant and Fulfillment of Prophecy doctrines already Critical/High in the Romans baseline |
| Thai rendering risk | Reuses baseline david = ดาวิด. Low. |
| Greek term | οὔτε … ἡ σάρξ αὐτοῦ εἶδεν διαφθοράν |
| Transliteration | oute … hē sarx autou eiden diaphthoran |
| Literal meaning | ”Nor did his flesh see decay/corruption” |
| Semantic range | διαφθορά = decay, corruption, decomposition |
| English variants | ”his flesh did not see corruption” |
| Contextual theological meaning | Establishes that Jesus’ resurrection was bodily and incorruptible, distinct from David (whose tomb “is with us to this day,” v.29) — a key apologetic plank for the doctrine of the Resurrection of Christ |
| Thai rendering risk | Medium. Render เนื้อหนังของพระองค์ไม่เปื่อยเน่า. The baseline’s flesh term (เนื้อหนัง) here is used in its neutral bodily sense (as at Galatians 2:20), not the technical sinful-nature sense; translators must not import the Galatians technical-sense caution here — a brief disambiguating note is useful for consistency across the whole Language Package. |
Acts 2:32-36 (Exaltation and Lordship)
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
| Greek term | τῇ δεξιᾷ τοῦ Θεοῦ |
| Transliteration | tē dexia tou Theou |
| Literal meaning | ”By/at the right hand of God” |
| Semantic range | δεξιά = right hand; idiom of place of highest honor and authority |
| English variants | ”exalted at/by the right hand of God” |
| Contextual theological meaning | Christ’s exaltation to the position of supreme co-ruling authority with the Father, the basis for pouring out the Spirit (v.33) and for his universal Lordship (v.36) |
| Thai rendering risk | Medium. Render ทรงถูกยกขึ้นให้อยู่เบื้องขวาพระหัตถ์ของพระเจ้า, an idiom without a Thai royal-court equivalent that could be safely borrowed (Thai royal-court right-hand imagery is reserved exclusively for the monarchy, so a literal transfer must be handled carefully with explanatory framing rather than mapped onto existing court vocabulary). |
| Greek term | Κύριον αὐτὸν καὶ Χριστὸν ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεός |
| Transliteration | Kyrion auton kai Christon epoiēsen ho Theos |
| Literal meaning | ”God made him both Lord and Christ” |
| Semantic range | Κύριος (already baseline lord); Χριστός (already baseline christ); ποιέω here in the sense of “constituted/declared,” not “created out of nothing” |
| English variants | ”God has made him both Lord and Christ” |
| Contextual theological meaning | The climactic confessional statement of the sermon; “made” here must be read as public installation/declaration into the office and status always rightfully his, not an ontological coming-into-being of his deity — this is the pivot point of the Lordship of Christ doctrine, already Critical in the Romans baseline (10:9) |
| Thai rendering risk | Critical. Reuses baseline lord (องค์พระผู้เป็นเจ้า) and christ/messiah (พระคริสต์ / พระเมสสิยาห์). Render พระเจ้าทรงตั้งพระองค์ให้เป็นทั้งองค์พระผู้เป็นเจ้าและพระคริสต์. The verb ทรงตั้ง (“appointed/installed”) must not be rendered with a verb implying Christ’s Lordship began to exist only at this moment (which would contradict the eternal Sonship/Deity of Christ doctrines, already Critical in the baseline); this is the resurrection-exaltation’s public vindication and enthronement of an eternally true status, not its origination. Flag for mandatory theologian review per the baseline’s escalation rule for any Lordship-of-Christ segment. |
Acts 2:37-41 (The Response — Repentance, Baptism, Forgiveness)
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
| Greek term | κατενύγησαν τὴν καρδίαν |
| Transliteration | katenygēsan tēn kardian |
| Literal meaning | ”They were pierced/stabbed in the heart” |
| Semantic range | κατανύσσομαι = to be pricked, stung, deeply stirred with distress |
| English variants | ”cut to the heart”; “pierced to the heart” |
| Contextual theological meaning | The Spirit-empowered word produces genuine, God-given conviction of sin — the necessary precondition for repentance, not mere emotional persuasion |
| Thai rendering risk | NEW TERM. Medium. Render รู้สึกเสียดแทงใจ / สะเทือนใจอย่างยิ่ง. No specific Thai-religious collision, but translators should avoid vocabulary suggesting a merely social feeling of shame (เสียหน้า) disconnected from genuine conviction of sin before God. |
| Greek term | μετανοήσατε |
| Transliteration | metanoēsate |
| Literal meaning | ”Change your mind/turn around” (imperative) |
| Semantic range | μετανοέω = a fundamental reorientation of mind and life-direction, turning away from sin and toward God |
| English variants | ”repent” |
| Contextual theological meaning | The foundational summons of apostolic preaching throughout Acts (3:19; 17:30; 26:20) — the doctrine of “Repentance and Baptism” begins here; repentance is a Spirit-enabled turn toward God in response to the proclaimed gospel, inseparable from faith in Christ, not a private psychological process alone |
| Thai rendering risk | NEW TERM. High. Render กลับใจ (the established Thai Christian term, literally “turn the heart/mind back”). Must be distinguished from generic remorse or regret (เสียใจ, สำนึกผิด) that carries no reorientation toward God, and from the Buddhist practice of confession/vow-renewal before a monk or Buddha image (which functions within a self-directed merit-restoration framework rather than turning to a personal God in response to Christ’s finished work). A translator note anchoring กลับใจ to “toward God, on the basis of Christ’s death and resurrection” is required at every occurrence. |
| Greek term | βαπτισθήτω … εἰς ὄνομα Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ |
| Transliteration | baptisthētō … eis onoma Iēsou Christou |
| Literal meaning | ”Let him be baptized… into the name of Jesus Christ” |
| Semantic range | βαπτίζω = to immerse, dip, wash ritually; here the Christian ordinance signifying union with Christ and public identification with him |
| English variants | ”be baptized in/into the name of Jesus Christ” |
| Contextual theological meaning | The visible, communal response to the gospel, uniting repentance and public confession of Christ’s Lordship; distinct from, though building on, John’s baptism (cf. Acts 19:1-5) |
| Thai rendering risk | NEW TERM. High. Render รับบัพติศมาในพระนามของพระเยซูคริสต์, using the established transliteration-loanword บัพติศมา standard in Thai Christian usage. Must be clearly distinguished from Thai ritual water-blessing performed by Buddhist monks (รดน้ำมนต์) — already flagged as a related but distinct practice under the baseline’s clothed_with_christ entry — and from Brahmanical purification bathing rites. Christian baptism marks a one-time, decisive identification with Christ’s death and resurrection and public entry into the believing community, not a repeatable blessing-renewal ritual. |
| Greek term | εἰς ἄφεσιν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ὑμῶν |
| Transliteration | eis aphesin tōn hamartiōn hymōn |
| Literal meaning | ”For/unto the forgiveness of your sins” |
| Semantic range | ἄφεσις = release, letting-go, remission (of a debt or offense); ἁμαρτία = already baseline sin |
| English variants | ”for the forgiveness of your sins” |
| Contextual theological meaning | God’s own gracious remission of the personal debt of sin, secured through Christ’s death and resurrection just proclaimed (vv.23-24, 32) — connects directly to the Justification apart from the Law doctrine developed later in Acts (13:38-39; 15:9-11) |
| Thai rendering risk | NEW TERM. Critical. Render เพื่อการทรงยกบาปโทษของท่าน (or ได้รับการอภัยโทษบาป). NEVER render with vocabulary suggesting the erasure or offsetting of accumulated negative karma (ล้างกรรม, ลบล้างบาปกรรม) — a live and tempting substitution given how ubiquitous the karma-ledger frame is in Thai popular religious speech. Forgiveness here is God’s own judicial remission granted through Christ’s atoning death, not a self-generated or ritually-purchased clearing of one’s own moral debt. This must be flagged for mandatory theologian review whenever “forgiveness of sins” occurs in Acts (also 5:31; 10:43; 13:38; 26:18). |
| Greek term | τὴν δωρεὰν τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος |
| Transliteration | tēn dōrean tou Hagiou Pneumatos |
| Literal meaning | ”The gift of the Holy Spirit” |
| Semantic range | δωρεά = a free gift, given without payment or merit (cf. Romans 5:15-17’s use of the same word-family, already Critical grace territory in the baseline) |
| English variants | ”the gift of the Holy Spirit” |
| Contextual theological meaning | The Spirit himself, not merely his effects, is given freely to every believer who repents and is baptized — extending the baseline’s grace-versus-merit doctrine to the reception of the Spirit specifically |
| Thai rendering risk | Medium. Render ของประทานคือพระวิญญาณบริสุทธิ์, combining the baseline’s spiritual_gifts root (ของประทาน) with holy_spirit (พระวิญญาณบริสุทธิ์). Must preserve the “freely given, unearned” sense already established for พระคุณ/grace; avoid any phrasing suggesting the Spirit is a reward for the merit of repenting or being baptized. |
| Greek term | ἡ ἐπαγγελία |
| Transliteration | hē epangelia |
| Literal meaning | ”The promise” |
| Semantic range | Already baseline promise (Galatians ἐπαγγελία) |
| English variants | ”the promise” |
| Contextual theological meaning | Explicitly extended to “you and your children, and all who are far off” (v.39) — the universal-scope-of-the-gospel principle rooted in God’s own binding covenant word, now including Gentiles (“all who are far off,” echoing Isaiah 57:19) |
| Thai rendering risk | Reuses baseline promise = พระสัญญา, High. The phrase “all who are far off” (πᾶσιν τοῖς εἰς μακράν) requires careful rendering (ทุกคนที่อยู่ไกล) to preserve its Gentile-inclusion force — this is the seed of the doctrine “The Gospel to Jews and Gentiles” and “The Great Commission Fulfilled,” which fully flowers in Acts 10-15 and 28. |
| Greek term | προσετέθησαν … ψυχαὶ |
| Transliteration | prosetethēsan … psychai |
| Literal meaning | ”Were added … souls” |
| Semantic range | προστίθημι = to add to, join to; ψυχή = soul, person, living being |
| English variants | ”there were added… souls”; “about three thousand people were added” |
| Contextual theological meaning | Salvation results in incorporation into a visible, countable community (the doctrine of “The Church as Community” begins precisely here) — conversion is never merely private |
| Thai rendering risk | NEW TERM. Low-Medium. Render มีคนราวสามพันคนเข้าร่วมกับพวกเขา (literally “joined with them”). ψυχή here means “person/individual,” not a disembodied soul-essence in the Buddhist sense of a non-self process (anattā) — a brief note may forestall confusion since Thai วิญญาณ can carry technical Buddhist connotations about the nature of a “self.” Prefer คน (person) over a literal-sounding วิญญาณ-based rendering. |
PART B — Chapter-by-Chapter Study, Acts 1-28
Chapter 1 — Ascension, Promise of the Spirit, Apostolic Succession
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Thai rendering risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| ascension ἀνελήμφθη (1:2, 11, 22) anelēmphthē ”He was taken up” | ἀναλαμβάνω = to take up, receive up ”was taken up”; “ascended” | Christ’s bodily, visible, historical return to the Father’s presence, distinct from his resurrection appearances; grounds his ongoing session at the Father’s right hand (cf. 2:33) | NEW TERM. Critical. Render การเสด็จขึ้นสู่สวรรค์ (established Thai Christian phrase, “royal-honorific ascent to heaven”). Must not be confused with a deva’s or an enlightened being’s rising to a heavenly plane, nor with the apotheosis motif of a king ascending to become a deity after death — a live risk given Thai royal-honorific vocabulary. This is Christ’s unique bodily return to the Father in permanent glorified humanity, not a disembodied spiritual ascent. |
| witness(es) μάρτυρες (1:8, 22) martyres ”Witnesses” | μάρτυς = one who testifies, especially in a legal/forensic sense; root of English “martyr" "witnesses” | The apostles’ defining task: authoritative, eyewitness legal testimony to Christ’s resurrection, empowered by the Spirit (1:8) — the doctrine “Persecution and Bold Witness” is named directly from this term | NEW TERM. High. Render พยาน (established Thai term for a legal/eyewitness witness). Must convey formal, authoritative testimony grounded in firsthand experience of the risen Christ, not a vague personal opinion or a devotee’s subjective testimony of religious experience common in Thai popular spirituality. Recurs throughout Acts as a structural keyword (2:32; 3:15; 5:32; 10:39, 41; 13:31; 22:15; 26:16). |
| promise of the Father ἐπαγγελία τοῦ πατρός (1:4) epangelia tou patros ”The promise of the Father” | Combines baseline promise and father”the promise of the Father” | The Father’s own covenant word to send the Spirit, fulfilled at Pentecost | Reuses baseline promise (พระสัญญา) and father (พระบิดา). Low, given both terms already established. |
| lots (casting lots) κλῆρος / ἔβαλον κλήρους (1:26) klēros / ebalon klērous ”Lot(s) / they cast lots” | κλῆρος = a lot, allotted portion (root of English “clergy,” “cleric”) “cast lots” | A means of discerning God’s specific choice (cf. Proverbs 16:33) in selecting Matthias, following prayer — not a divinatory practice independent of God’s sovereignty | NEW TERM. Medium. Render จับสลาก / ทอดสลาก (the standard Thai term for casting/drawing lots). Must be distinguished from Thai fortune-telling practices (การเสี่ยงเซียมซี at temples, หมอดู) that operate independently of a personal God’s guidance; here the lot is used only after prayer explicitly addressed to the sovereign Lord (1:24) who already knows the outcome. |
| apostleship (restored) ἀποστολή (1:25) apostolē ”Apostleship, sent-commission” | Root of baseline apostle”apostleship”; “this ministry and apostleship” | Matthias’s replacement of Judas preserves the foundational number and authority of the Twelve as authoritative eyewitness-founders of the church | Reuses baseline apostle (อัครทูต). Low. |
| kingdom of God βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ (1:3, 6) basileia tou Theou — | Already baseline kingdom_of_god”kingdom of God” | The risen Christ’s forty-day teaching topic before the ascension, connecting his earthly ministry to the church’s coming mission | Reuses baseline kingdom_of_god (แผ่นดินของพระเจ้า). Medium (per baseline). |
Chapter 2 — Core Passage
See Part A above (Acts 2:1-41). Verses 42-47 (the summary of early church life) introduce: koinōnia (κοινωνία, fellowship — reuses baseline fellowship การสามัคคีธรรม); “breaking of bread” (κλάσις τοῦ ἄρτου, NEW TERM, Medium risk — render การหักขนมปัง, distinguish from ordinary communal meal-sharing and from Buddhist merit-making almsgiving to monks, ถวายอาหารพระ, since the Lord’s Supper commemorates Christ’s once-for-all atoning death rather than generating merit for the giver); “held all things in common” (εἶχον ἅπαντα κοινά, NEW TERM, Medium risk — render มีทุกสิ่งเป็นของกลาง/ของร่วมกัน, distinguish from communal monastic property, จตุปัจจัยของสงฆ์, since this is voluntary, Spirit-motivated generosity among a lay community of equals, not an institutional rule for a religious specialist class); and “awe/fear” (φόβος, 2:43, NEW TERM, Medium risk — render ความเกรงกลัว, reverential awe before God’s manifest power, distinguished from fear of ghosts/spirits, ผี, in Thai folk religion).
Chapter 3 — Healing of the Lame Man; the Name of Jesus
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Thai rendering risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| name of Jesus (invoked for healing) ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ (3:6, 16) en tō onomati Iēsou Christou ”In the name of Jesus Christ” | ὄνομα = name, standing for the full authority and person named ”in the name of Jesus Christ” | Healing power flows from Christ’s own person and authority invoked in faith, not from Peter’s own ability (3:12) — foundational to “Apostolic Authority and Miracles” | NEW TERM. High. Render ในพระนามของพระเยซูคริสต์. Must be distinguished from an invoked magic formula or incantation (คาถาอาคม) used in Thai folk-magic healing (ไสยศาสตร์) — the name is not a technique that channels impersonal power but an appeal to the living, personal, exalted Christ himself. Extends the baseline’s power_of_god caution (never the potency of an amulet) directly into the Acts healing-narratives. |
| Servant (of God) ὁ παῖς αὐτοῦ (3:13, 26) ho pais autou ”His servant/child” | παῖς = child, servant; echoes Isaiah’s Suffering Servant songs (Isaiah 52-53) “his servant”; “his holy servant” | Identifies Jesus as the promised, suffering, vindicated Servant of Isaiah, not a subordinate divine being — messianic office language | NEW TERM. High. Render ผู้รับใช้ของพระองค์. Must not be read as diminishing Christ’s deity (already Critical in the baseline) to a lesser, merely obedient figure; requires a note connecting this title to the Isaiah Servant Songs and the Messianic Promise doctrine (already Critical in the baseline). |
| repent, turn again μετανοήσατε … ἐπιστρέψατε (3:19) metanoēsate … epistrepsate ”Repent… and turn back” | ἐπιστρέφω = to turn back, return ”repent and turn back” | Repentance paired with a positive turning toward God, not merely away from sin; results in “times of refreshing” | Reuses ch.2’s repent (กลับใจ), High, plus NEW pairing term “turn back” (หันกลับมา), Low. |
| times of refreshing καιροὶ ἀναψύξεως (3:20) kairoi anapsyxeōs ”Seasons of refreshing/reviving” | ἀνάψυξις = a cooling, refreshing, respite ”times of refreshing” | Eschatological relief following repentance, anticipating Christ’s return | NEW TERM. Low-Medium. Render วาระแห่งความชุ่มชื่นใจ. No major collision; minor risk of being read as this-worldly prosperity rather than eschatological relief — a brief note suffices. |
| prophet like Moses προφήτην … ὡς ἐμὲ (3:22, citing Deut 18:15) prophētēn … hōs eme ”A prophet like me [Moses]“ | Already baseline prophet/prophecy root”a prophet like Moses” | Identifies Jesus as the definitive, final fulfillment of Moses’ own prophecy, extending the Fulfillment of Prophecy doctrine (already Critical/High in the baseline) | Reuses baseline prophet (ผู้เผยพระวจนะ) and prophecy (คำพยากรณ์). Medium, requires OT background note (Deuteronomy 18) for readers with low OT literacy. |
Chapter 4 — Boldness before the Council; Filled with the Spirit
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Thai rendering risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| boldness παρρησία (4:13, 29, 31) parrēsia ”Freedom of speech, outspokenness” | παρρησία = frank, fearless, unreserved speech, often in the face of danger or social pressure ”boldness”; “confidence” | The Spirit-given courage to speak the gospel plainly despite threat, opposition, and social cost — names the doctrine “Persecution and Bold Witness” | NEW TERM. High. Render ใจกล้า / ความกล้าหาญ, glossed as “boldness that comes from the Holy Spirit” to distinguish it from mere natural bravado, social face-claiming behavior, or aggressive confrontation that Thai honor/face-culture (การเสียหน้า/รักษาหน้า) could otherwise read negatively. Must be taught as Spirit-given confidence rooted in the truth of the gospel, not human self-assertion. Recurs at 9:27-29; 13:46; 14:3; 18:26; 19:8; 26:26; 28:31. |
| no other name οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν ἄλλῳ οὐδενὶ ἡ σωτηρία (4:12) ouk estin en allō oudeni hē sōtēria ”There is salvation in no other” | Combines already-baseline salvation with an exclusivity clause”there is salvation in no one else”; “no other name under heaven” | The exclusivity of salvation in Christ alone — a direct extension of the baseline’s Critical salvation doctrine into Acts’ most explicit exclusivity statement | Reuses baseline salvation (ความรอด), Critical. Must retain full exclusivity: ไม่มีความรอดในผู้ใดอื่นเลย. Flag for mandatory theologian review, consistent with the baseline’s escalation rule for salvation-exclusivity language. |
| filled with the Holy Spirit ἐπλήσθησαν Πνεύματος Ἁγίου (4:8, 31) eplēsthēsan Pneumatos Hagiou — | See Acts 2:4 above ”filled with the Holy Spirit” | Repeated Spirit-filling for specific occasions of bold witness, not a single unrepeatable event | Same Critical risk and required translator note as Acts 2:4 (never ผีเข้า/ทรงเจ้า). |
| everything in common ἅπαντα κοινά (4:32) hapanta koina — | See Acts 2:44-45 ”everything in common” | Repeated emphasis on the church’s radical, voluntary economic solidarity as a fruit of the gospel | Reuses ch.2 term, Medium. |
Chapter 5 — Ananias and Sapphira; Signs and Wonders; Gamaliel
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Thai rendering risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| lied to/tested the Holy Spirit ψεύσασθαί σε τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον (5:3, 9) pseusasthai se to Pneuma to Hagion ”You lied to the Holy Spirit” | ψεύδομαι = to lie, deceive; direct object is the Spirit himself, not merely the apostles ”lied to the Holy Spirit”; “tested the Spirit of the Lord” | Establishes the Spirit’s full personhood and deity: sinning against the church’s human leaders is sin against God the Spirit personally — reinforces the Critical Deity-of-the-Spirit dimension already embedded in the baseline’s holy_spirit entry | NEW TERM (specific construction). Critical. Render มุสาต่อพระวิญญาณบริสุทธิ์. Must be taught with full force as an offense against a personal, present, all-knowing God, categorically different from breaking a private vow to an impersonal fate or accruing negative karma (บาป/กรรม); this is the most direct NT statement of the Spirit’s full deity outside the Trinitarian baptismal formula, and must be flagged for theologian review. |
| signs and wonders σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα (5:12) sēmeia kai terata — | See Acts 2:19, 22 ”signs and wonders” | Continuing apostolic authentication of the gospel message through the apostles | Reuses ch.2 term, Medium. |
| if this is of God εἰ δὲ ἐκ Θεοῦ ἐστιν (5:39) ei de ek Theou estin ”But if it is from God” | Gamaliel’s counsel regarding discernment of divine versus merely human undertakings ”if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow it” | An implicit providence statement: God’s purposes cannot be thwarted by human opposition — reinforces the baseline’s High-risk providence doctrine | Reuses baseline providence conceptual field (การทรงดูแลรักษาของพระเจ้า). Medium. Must not be rendered so as to suggest an impersonal, self-operating “fate” (เวรกรรม, ดวง), already forbidden in the baseline for providence. |
Chapter 6 — Deacons; Stephen Full of Spirit and Wisdom
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Thai rendering risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hellenists Ἑλληνισταί (6:1) Hellēnistai ”Greek-speakers” | Diaspora, Greek-speaking Jews, distinct from Ἑβραῖοι (Aramaic/Hebrew-speaking Jews) “Hellenists”; “Greek-speaking Jews” | Names the ethnic-linguistic tension underlying the church’s first internal administrative crisis, resolved by appointing seven Spirit-filled men — an early instance of “The Church as Community” doctrine in practice | NEW TERM. Low-Medium. Render ชาวยิวที่พูดภาษากรีก (descriptive rendering; no single-word Thai equivalent needed). Requires a short historical/cultural note distinguishing this from a religious or doctrinal division. |
| serving tables / deacon service διακονεῖν τραπέζαις / διακονία (6:2, 4) diakonein trapezais / diakonia ”To serve tables” / “service, ministry” | διακονία = service, ministry, often of practical care; root of English “deacon" "serve tables”; “this ministry” | Establishes a distinct, Spirit-qualified office of practical service alongside the apostles’ ministry of the word and prayer | NEW TERM. Medium. Render การปรนนิบัติ (general “service”) and, for the office itself, มัคนายก (the established Thai Christian transliteration-based term for “deacon,” used from 6:1-6 onward in the wider NT, though the noun “deacon” itself first appears later at Philippians 1:1 / 1 Timothy 3). Distinguish from the Buddhist temple-attendant or lay-almoner role; this is a church office of practical Christian service, not religious merit-work. |
| full of the Spirit and of wisdom πλήρης Πνεύματος καὶ σοφίας (6:3, 5) plērēs Pneumatos kai sophias ”Full of Spirit and wisdom” | See Acts 2:4 “filled” root; σοφία = wisdom ”full of the Spirit and of wisdom” | Qualification criterion for church leadership, combining spiritual empowerment and practical discernment | Reuses holy_spirit term and its Critical translator-note requirement (see Acts 2:4); σοφία render สติปัญญา, Low. |
Chapter 7 — Stephen’s Speech and Martyrdom
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Thai rendering risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Son of Man υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου (7:56) huios tou anthrōpou ”Son of man” | A Danielic (Daniel 7:13-14) title of exalted, universal divine-human authority given to Christ ”the Son of Man” | Stephen’s dying vision identifies the exalted Jesus with the Danielic figure who receives everlasting dominion from God — a distinct but complementary Christological title to “Son of God,” reinforcing Deity and Lordship of Christ | NEW TERM. Critical. Render บุตรมนุษย์ (established transliteration-calque rendering). Must not be flattened to a merely generic phrase for “a human being,” which would erase the Danielic exalted-authority background; requires a brief note connecting it to Daniel 7 for readers with low OT literacy, and flag for theologian review given its direct link to the Deity of Christ doctrine. |
| stoning ἐλιθοβόλουν (7:58-59) elithoboloun ”They were stoning” | λιθοβολέω = to throw stones at, to execute by stoning ”they stoned him” | The historical mode of Stephen’s martyrdom, a judicial execution method under Jewish law for perceived blasphemy | NEW TERM. Low. Render เอาหินขว้าง / ปาหินขว้าง. No Thai-specific religious collision; a historical/legal note on Jewish capital punishment practice is sufficient. |
| witness/martyr (implicit) μάρτυς (root sense, cf. 22:20) martys — | See ch.1 witness entry”witness” (later “martyr” in developed Christian usage) | Stephen becomes the prototype of faithful witness unto death, linking “Persecution and Bold Witness” directly to the cost of testimony | Reuses ch.1 witness term (พยาน). High, as established. |
| covenant, promise, law (Stephen’s speech, vv.2-53) διαθήκη, ἐπαγγελία, νόμος diathēkē, epangelia, nomos — | Already baseline terms ”covenant,” “promise,” “law” | Stephen’s speech is a sweeping salvation-historical survey; no new theological vocabulary introduced beyond reused baseline terms | Reuses baseline covenant (พันธสัญญา), promise (พระสัญญา), law (ธรรมบัญญัติ). High (per baseline). |
Chapter 8 — Philip, Simon Magus, the Ethiopian Eunuch
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Thai rendering risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| sorcery/magic μαγεύων (8:9, 11) mageuōn ”Practicing magic” | μαγεία = magical/occult practice for personal gain and prestige ”practiced sorcery”; “amazed them with his magic” | Simon’s counterfeit supernatural power contrasted sharply with the genuine, God-given power behind apostolic signs and wonders | NEW TERM. High. Render ใช้เวทมนตร์คาถา / ไสยศาสตร์, directly continuous with the baseline’s caution (already flagged for “spiritual gifts,” ฤทธิ์อำนาจลึกลับ) and with the Galatians package’s rendering of φαρμακεία. Simon’s condemnation (8:20-23) must be preserved with full force as a rejection of using spiritual power for personal gain, a live and relevant warning given the prevalence of paid spiritual services (สะเดาะเคราะห์, การดูดวง, เครื่องรางของขลัง) in Thai popular religion. |
| laying on of hands ἐπίθεσις τῶν χειρῶν (8:17-19) epithesis tōn cheirōn ”Laying on of the hands” | A gesture of blessing, commissioning, or impartation ”laid hands on them”; “the laying on of hands” | The physical act accompanying prayer for reception of the Holy Spirit, apostolic commissioning, or healing throughout Acts (6:6; 9:17; 13:3; 19:6; 28:8) | NEW TERM. Medium. Render การวางมือ. Must be distinguished from the touch of a Thai spirit-medium (ร่างทรง) transmitting power from an ancestral or nature spirit, or from a monk’s blessing-touch/string-tying (ผูกด้ายมงคล, ปะพรมน้ำมนต์); this is a prayer-accompanying gesture invoking the one true God’s own action, not a channel of impersonal transferable power. |
| eunuch εὐνοῦχος (8:27, 34, 36, 38-39) eunouchos ”Eunuch” | A castrated court official, often of high administrative rank in ancient royal courts ”eunuch” | The Ethiopian court official’s conversion and baptism previews the gospel reaching to socially marginalized and geographically distant peoples (cf. Isaiah 56:3-5’s inclusion of eunuchs) — an early marker of “The Gospel to Jews and Gentiles” and “The Great Commission Fulfilled” | NEW TERM. Low. Render ขันที (the standard, established Thai historical term for a court eunuch, familiar from Thai and broader Southeast Asian royal-court history). No doctrinal collision; a brief note on the OT background (Isaiah 56; Deuteronomy 23:1) on eunuchs’ prior exclusion from full covenant participation strengthens the inclusion-doctrine teaching point. |
Chapter 9 — Conversion of Saul
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Thai rendering risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| the Way τῆς ὁδοῦ (9:2; also 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22) tēs hodou ”The Way/road” | ὁδός = a road, path, way; used absolutely as an early self-designation of the Christian movement ”the Way”; “this Way” | An early name for Christianity as a distinct, coherent way of life following Christ, prior to the term “Christian” (11:26) | NEW TERM. High. Render ทางนั้น (a descriptive, non-technical rendering — “that Way/teaching”). CRITICAL CAUTION: NEVER render with มรรค, the core Pali-derived technical term for the Buddhist Noble Eightfold Path (อริยมรรคมีองค์แปด) leading to the cessation of suffering through self-disciplined practice. Using มรรค would powerfully but falsely suggest Christianity is a variant self-attained path to liberation parallel to the Buddhist path, directly undermining the grace-versus-merit distinction already Critical throughout the baseline package. ทางนั้น/ทางของพระเจ้า is doctrinally safer precisely because it is not already a loaded Buddhist technical term — the same principle underlying the baseline’s caution against กิเลส for “flesh.” |
| disciples μαθηταί (9:1, 10, 19, 25-26, etc.; recurring throughout Acts) mathētai ”Learners, students” | μαθητής = one who learns from and follows a teacher; the standard NT designation for followers of Jesus ”disciples” | The ordinary designation for believers throughout Acts, prior to and alongside “Christians” (11:26) and “saints” (already baseline) | NEW TERM. Medium. Render สาวก (the standard Thai Bible term for “disciple”). NOTE: สาวก is also the standard Thai Buddhist term for a disciple of the Buddha (a พระสาวก, one of the Buddha’s followers), making this a case of genuinely shared vocabulary parallel to the baseline’s caution for บาป (“sin”). Translators must ensure context always anchors สาวก to Christ as the object of discipleship (สาวกของพระเยซู/สาวกของพระคริสต์) rather than leaving it to stand alone, where it could default to its more common Buddhist referent. |
| scales fell from his eyes ἀπέπεσαν … αἱ λεπίδες (9:18) apepesan … hai lepides ”The scales fell off” | λεπίς = a fish-scale-like film; a vivid physical/symbolic image of blindness lifting ”the scales fell from his eyes” | A physical healing that doubles as a symbol of Saul’s spiritual illumination — his conversion from spiritual blindness to sight, developed further at Acts 26:18 | NEW TERM. Low. Render เกล็ดตาหลุดออกจากตาของเขา. Purely descriptive; no Thai-specific collision. |
| calling (from heaven, by name) Σαοὺλ Σαούλ (9:4) Saoul Saoul ”Saul, Saul” | Direct divine address by name, initiating the effectual call ”Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” | The paradigm case of sovereign, effectual, unsought divine calling — extends the baseline’s already-Critical calling/election doctrines with Acts’ most vivid narrative example | Reuses baseline called/calling (ผู้ที่ทรงเรียก / การทรงเรียก). High, as established; this is the curriculum’s core “Conversion of Paul” doctrine passage. |
Chapter 10 — Cornelius; Clean and Unclean
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Thai rendering risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| unclean/common κοινὸν ἢ ἀκάθαρτον (10:14, 28) koinon ē akatharton ”Common or unclean” | κοινός = common, ordinary (here, ritually non-set-apart); ἀκάθαρτος = unclean, impure ”common or unclean”; “unclean” | Peter’s vision overturns the ceremonial food-purity categories of the Mosaic law as a barrier to table-fellowship, symbolically announcing the removal of the Jew-Gentile barrier itself (10:28, 34-35) | NEW TERM. High. Render ที่เป็นของแปดเปื้อนหรือไม่สะอาด. Must be presented as a specifically ceremonial/dietary legal category being fulfilled and set aside in Christ (cf. Mark 7:19), not confused with Thai folk-animist concepts of ritual contamination or inauspiciousness (เสนียดจัญไร, ของแสลง) that operate on a wholly different logic of spiritual danger. The theological point is God’s declaration that he accepts people from every nation, not a statement about food safety or ritual danger. |
| God shows no partiality οὐκ ἔστιν προσωπολήμπτης ὁ Θεός (10:34) ouk estin prosōpolēmptēs ho Theos ”God is not a respecter of faces/persons” | προσωπολήμπτης = one who shows favoritism based on external status ”God shows no partiality”; “God is no respecter of persons” | The direct doctrinal statement grounding “The Gospel to Jews and Gentiles,” extending the baseline’s High-risk Unity of Jews and Gentiles doctrine to its fullest OT-to-NT climax | NEW TERM. High. Render พระเจ้าไม่ทรงเลือกที่รักมักที่ชัง (established idiomatic Thai Bible phrase). Must retain full force against any reading that some ethnic or social group has inherent religious priority — directly continuous with the baseline’s caution regarding Thai-Buddhist ethnic-religious identity claims. |
| Holy Spirit falls on Gentiles ἐπέπεσεν τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον (10:44-46) epepesen to Pneuma to Hagion ”The Holy Spirit fell upon” | See Acts 2:4 root ”the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard” | The Gentile Pentecost: the same Spirit-gift given to Jewish believers at Acts 2 is now given, without prior circumcision or law-keeping, directly to uncircumcised Gentiles — the decisive turning point for Gentile inclusion apart from the law | Reuses holy_spirit Critical-risk translator note (never ผีเข้า/ทรงเจ้า); the theological significance here directly anticipates the “Justification apart from the Law” doctrine developed fully at Acts 15. Critical, flag for theologian review. |
Chapter 11 — Report to Jerusalem; Antioch; “Christians”
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Thai rendering risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| repentance that leads to life μετάνοιαν εἰς ζωήν (11:18) metanoian eis zōēn ”Repentance unto life” | Combines repentance (see ch.2/3) with ζωή, life”repentance that leads to life”; “repentance unto life” | The Jerusalem church’s own doctrinal ratification that God has extended saving repentance to Gentiles as Gentiles, without prior Jewish identity-markers | Reuses ch.2 repentance term (กลับใจ), High, now explicitly universalized to Gentiles — direct doctrinal payload for “The Gospel to Jews and Gentiles.” |
| Christians Χριστιανοί (11:26) Christianoi ”Christ-people, followers of Christ” | A Greek/Latin-formation nickname (originally likely applied by outsiders) identifying the movement by its founder’s title, Χριστός ”Christians” | The first recorded use of the name that becomes the movement’s lasting self-designation, marking a decisive identity distinct from both Judaism and paganism | NEW TERM. Medium. Render คริสเตียน (established Thai transliteration-loanword, in universal use in Thai Christian and general usage). Must retain its specific, Christ-centered content (a follower specifically of Christ) rather than flattening into a generic “religious/moral person” category, given Thai popular usage sometimes applies “คริสเตียน” loosely to describe any non-Buddhist, non-Muslim Westerner. |
Chapter 12 — Herod’s Persecution; Peter’s Deliverance
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Thai rendering risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| angel of the Lord ἄγγελος Κυρίου (12:7, 11, 23) angelos Kyriou ”Angel/messenger of the Lord” | ἄγγελος = messenger; a created spiritual being sent by God on a specific mission ”an angel of the Lord” | God’s direct, personal, miraculous intervention to deliver Peter and to judge Herod — an instance of both providence and divine judgment | NEW TERM. Medium-High. Render ทูตสวรรค์ขององค์พระผู้เป็นเจ้า. Must be clearly distinguished from เทวดา, the class of minor deities in Buddhist-Brahmanic cosmology already forbidden as a substitute for “God” in the baseline; an angel here is a created, personal messenger dispatched by and entirely subordinate to the one true God, categorically different from an independently-existing deva whom Thai popular religion might venerate or petition directly. A brief translator note distinguishing ทูตสวรรค์ from เทวดา is recommended at each angelic-appearance passage in Acts (also 5:19; 8:26; 10:3, 22; 27:23). |
Chapter 13 — Paul and Barnabas Commissioned; Justification Preached to Gentiles
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Thai rendering risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| set apart / sent ἀφορίσατε … ἀπέλυσαν (13:2-3) aphorisate … apelysan ”Set apart… sent away” | ἀφορίζω = to mark off, separate for a purpose; already conceptually present in the baseline’s Separation unto God’s Service doctrine ”set apart”; “sent them off” | The Holy Spirit’s own initiative in commissioning Paul and Barnabas for Gentile mission, formalized by the Antioch church’s fasting, prayer, and laying on of hands | Reuses baseline conceptual field for separation_unto_gods_service; render ทรงแยกไว้/ส่งไป. High (per baseline doctrine risk). |
| justification proclaimed to Gentiles δικαιοῦται (13:39) dikaioutai ”Is justified” | Already baseline justification”everyone who believes is justified” | Paul’s Antioch synagogue sermon explicitly proclaims justification by faith apart from the law of Moses to a mixed Jewish-Gentile audience — direct textual anchor for the doctrine “Justification apart from the Law” | Reuses baseline justification (การถูกนับว่าเป็นผู้ชอบธรรม), Critical. Flag for mandatory theologian review per the baseline’s escalation rule. |
| light to the Gentiles φῶς ἐθνῶν (13:47, citing Isaiah 49:6) phōs ethnōn ”A light of/for the nations” | Already baseline gentiles (ἔθνη) root; φῶς = light”a light for the Gentiles” | Applies Isaiah’s Servant-mission language directly to Paul and Barnabas’s own apostolic commission, universalizing the Servant’s mission through the church | Reuses baseline gentiles (คนต่างชาติ). Medium. Render ความสว่างส่องแก่ชนต่างชาติ, connecting to the glory/light imagery already present in the baseline’s Deity of Christ entry. |
| sorcerer (Elymas) μάγος (13:6, 8) magos ”Magician, sorcerer” | Same semantic field as ch.8’s Simon Magus ”sorcerer”; “magician” | A second direct confrontation between apostolic authority and occult power, resulting in judgment (blindness) on the sorcerer | Reuses ch.8 sorcery term and its High-risk note (เวทมนตร์คาถา/ไสยศาสตร์). |
Chapter 14 — Lystra; Turning from Idols to the Living God
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Thai rendering risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| turn from these vain things to the living God ἐπιστρέφειν ἀπὸ τούτων τῶν ματαίων ἐπὶ Θεὸν ζῶντα (14:15) epistrephein apo toutōn tōn mataiōn epi Theon zōnta ”Turn from these empty/futile things to the living God” | μάταιος = empty, futile, without substance or result; Θεὸς ζῶν = the living (as opposed to lifeless/idol) God ”turn from these worthless things to the living God” | Paul’s direct confrontation of Greco-Roman idol worship (the crowd wants to sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas as gods), affirming the one living, personal Creator against lifeless idols | NEW TERM. High. Render เลิกละสิ่งไร้สาระเหล่านี้ หันมาหาพระเจ้าผู้ทรงพระชนม์อยู่. Must clearly present God as personally living and active (พระเจ้าผู้ทรงพระชนม์อยู่), distinct both from lifeless idol-images and from an impersonal ultimate cosmic principle or process (a live risk in a culture where non-theistic and semi-theistic frameworks coexist); reinforces the baseline’s Critical god doctrine (never เทวดา/พระพรหม) with its most direct polemical statement in Acts. |
| appointing elders χειροτονήσαντες … πρεσβυτέρους (14:23) cheirotonēsantes … presbyterous ”Having appointed elders” | πρεσβύτερος = elder, senior person; here a formal church office ”appointed elders”; “elders in every church” | Establishes ongoing local church leadership structure as the churches are planted — foundational to “The Church as Community” | NEW TERM. Medium. Render แต่งตั้งผู้ปกครอง (the established Thai term for a local church elder/overseer). Distinguish from generic social deference to elders (ผู้ใหญ่, a strong existing Thai social value) and from a Buddhist sangha elder monk (พระเถระ); this is a specific, appointed church governance office with defined spiritual responsibility, not an automatic status conferred by age. |
Chapter 15 — The Jerusalem Council; Salvation by Grace, Not the Law
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Thai rendering risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| saved through grace, not circumcision/law διὰ τῆς χάριτος … σωθῆναι (15:11) dia tēs charitos … sōthēnai ”Through grace … to be saved” | Already baseline grace and salvation”we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they are” | The council’s climactic doctrinal ruling: Gentile believers are saved by grace through faith, identically to Jewish believers, without circumcision or law-keeping — the definitive textual anchor for “Justification apart from the Law” in Acts, matching Galatians’ argument exactly | Reuses baseline grace (พระคุณ) and salvation (ความรอด), both Critical. Must be rendered with the full force of the baseline’s grace-versus-merit distinction (never บุญ, กรรมดี, บารมี); flag for mandatory theologian review. |
| apostolic decree τὰ δόγματα / ἔκρινεν (15:19-20, 28) ta dogmata / ekrinen ”The decisions/decrees” / “it was decided/judged” | δόγμα = an official decision or ruling; here the council’s binding pastoral judgment ”the decision of the apostles and elders”; “it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us” | The council’s authoritative but pastorally-limited ruling (avoiding food offered to idols, sexual immorality, etc.) balances Gentile freedom from the law with cross-cultural sensitivity toward Jewish believers | NEW TERM. Medium. Render คำวินิจฉัยของอัครทูตและผู้ปกครอง. No major Thai-specific collision; note that this is a pastoral wisdom-ruling for cross-cultural harmony, not new law re-imposing justification by works (parallel to the baseline’s law_of_christ caution in Galatians 6:2). |
| circumcision controversy περιτέμνεσθαι (15:1, 5, 24) peritemnesthai — | Already baseline circumcision”unless you are circumcised… you cannot be saved” | The precise historical controversy Galatians addresses is narrated directly here, making Acts 15 and Galatians 2 companion texts requiring doctrinally identical treatment | Reuses baseline circumcision (การเข้าสุหนัต) and works_of_the_law (การประพฤติตามธรรมบัญญัติ), both already established. Critical, per baseline “Justification by Faith” and “Law and Grace” doctrines. |
Chapter 16 — Timothy; Lydia; the Philippian Jailer
No new theological terms beyond those already established; reuses circumcision (ch.15), salvation/lord (baseline), and holy_spirit/providence (chs.2, 5, 12) for the Spirit’s guidance and prohibition of travel plans (16:6-7). One notable phrase requires explicit doctrinal reinforcement:
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Thai rendering risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| what must I do to be saved? τί με δεῖ ποιεῖν ἵνα σωθῶ; (16:30) ti me dei poiein hina sōthō ”What must I do that I might be saved?” | Already baseline salvation”what must I do to be saved?” | The Philippian jailer’s question and Paul’s answer (“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household,” 16:31) form Acts’ most concise salvation-by-faith-alone formula, paralleling Romans 10:9 | Reuses baseline salvation (ความรอด) and lord (องค์พระผู้เป็นเจ้า), both Critical. Consistency with the Romans 10:9-10 rendering is required per the baseline’s cross-document consistency rule. |
Chapter 17 — Athens; the Unknown God; Resurrection Debate
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Thai rendering risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| unknown god ἀγνώστῳ Θεῷ (17:23) agnōstō Theō ”To an unknown god” | ἄγνωστος = unknown, unrecognized ”to the unknown god” | Paul’s rhetorical bridge, quoting an actual Athenian altar inscription, to introduce the one true God the Athenians unknowingly seek — a missionary strategy of cultural engagement without doctrinal compromise | NEW TERM. High. Render พระเจ้าที่ไม่รู้จัก. Must be handled carefully: Paul uses this phrase only as a rhetorical starting point to then sharply distinguish the true, personal Creator God from the Athenians’ entire pantheon (17:24-29); it must never be taught as validating worship of an unspecified or unknown spirit as spiritually equivalent or acceptable, a risk in a Thai context where unnamed or unidentified spirits (ผีไม่มีชื่อ, ศาลพระภูมิที่ไม่รู้ที่มา) are commonly propitiated “just in case.” A translator/teaching note distinguishing Paul’s rhetorical bridge from actual syncretism is required. |
| the God who made the world ὁ Θεὸς ὁ ποιήσας τὸν κόσμον (17:24) ho Theos ho poiēsas ton kosmon ”The God who made the world” | Already baseline god; ποιέω here = to make, create”the God who made the world and everything in it” | Direct creedal statement of God as personal Creator, foundational to the entire Areopagus speech’s polemic against idolatry | Reuses baseline god (พระเจ้า), Critical. No new risk beyond the baseline’s existing caution (never เทวดา/พระพรหม). |
| resurrection (mocked) ἀνάστασιν νεκρῶν (17:32) anastasin nekrōn — | Already baseline resurrection”the resurrection of the dead” | Greek philosophical hearers’ mockery of bodily resurrection previews ongoing Greco-Roman resistance to this doctrine throughout Acts (23:6-8; 24:15, 21; 26:23) | Reuses baseline resurrection (การเป็นขึ้นจากตาย), Critical. Never การเกิดใหม่/การกลับชาติมาเกิด. |
| repentance (universal call) μετανοεῖν (17:30) metanoein — | Already established (ch.2, 3, 11) “God commands all people everywhere to repent” | The Areopagus speech universalizes the repentance-call beyond the Jewish audience of Acts 2-3 to “all people everywhere,” reinforcing universal scope | Reuses repentance term (กลับใจ), High. |
Chapter 18 — Corinth; Priscilla and Aquila
No new theological vocabulary; reuses christ/messiah (proclaiming that Jesus is the Christ, 18:5, 28), lord (18:9, “the Lord said to Paul in a vision”), fellowship/mission (Priscilla and Aquila’s partnership), and revelation (18:9’s vision, reusing the baseline’s caution against นิมิตของหมอดู). Chapter reviewed; no new terms to register.
Chapter 19 — Ephesus; John’s Baptism vs. Spirit Baptism; the Riot
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Thai rendering risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| John’s baptism vs. baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus βάπτισμα Ἰωάννου / εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ (19:3-5) baptisma Iōannou / eis to onoma tou Kyriou Iēsou ”John’s baptism” / “into the name of the Lord Jesus” | See ch.2 baptism”John’s baptism”; “baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus” | Distinguishes John’s preparatory repentance-baptism from full Christian baptism into Christ’s name accompanied by the Spirit’s coming — a fine doctrinal distinction requiring careful rendering | Reuses ch.2 baptism term (บัพติศมา), High. The distinction between the two baptisms must remain explicit in translation (บัพติศมาของยอห์น versus รับบัพติศมาในพระนามขององค์พระผู้เป็นเจ้าเยซู) rather than being collapsed into a single generic rendering, since Phase 2 reviewers must be able to trace the doctrinal contrast. |
| magic books burned τῶν βιβλίων … κατέκαιον (19:19) tōn bibliōn … katekaion ”They were burning the books” | Refers to books of magical incantations/spells ”they burned the books of magic” | A vivid renunciation-of-occult-practice narrative accompanying genuine conversion, directly relevant to Thai contexts where amulets, spell-books, and charm objects are common | Reuses sorcery term (เวทมนตร์คาถา/ไสยศาสตร์), established at ch.8/13. High, given direct cultural relevance for teaching on renouncing existing folk-religious practices upon conversion. |
| Artemis of the Ephesians Ἄρτεμις (19:24, 27-28, 34-35) Artemis Proper name of the Greco-Roman goddess | — “Artemis”; “Diana” (Latin form, used in some English translations) | Names the specific pagan cult whose commercial and religious interests provoke the Ephesian riot — an economic-religious conflict paralleling situations where gospel proclamation threatens religiously-linked commerce | NEW proper name. Low-Medium. Render อารเทมิส (transliteration). Historical/cultural note recommended; no direct Thai-deity collision, though the general dynamic (a popular deity’s cult tied to local commerce and civic identity) has instructive parallels to shrine-centered commerce in Thai popular religion and may be a useful teaching bridge if handled carefully. |
Chapter 20 — Miletus Farewell; Elders/Overseers; Eutychus
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Thai rendering risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| overseers ἐπισκόπους (20:28) episkopous ”Overseers” | ἐπίσκοπος = one who watches over, superintends; used interchangeably here with πρεσβύτεροι, “elders” (20:17) “overseers”; “bishops” | Names the pastoral-oversight function of local church leadership, identical to the “elders” of 14:23 and 15:2 viewed from a different angle (function vs. status) | NEW TERM. Medium. Render ผู้ดูแล (established Thai term for a pastoral overseer). Distinguish from an abbot’s institutional authority over a monastery (เจ้าอาวาส) and from a purely secular administrative supervisor; this is spiritual shepherding responsibility, explicitly modeled on Christ, “the Great Shepherd.” |
| whole counsel of God πᾶσαν τὴν βουλὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ (20:27) pasan tēn boulēn tou Theou ”The whole purpose/plan of God” | βουλή = plan, purpose, counsel ”the whole will/counsel of God” | Paul’s claim to have proclaimed the entirety of God’s revealed purpose without omission — reinforces Inspiration of Scripture and Providence doctrines already established in the baseline | NEW TERM. Medium. Render พระดำริทั้งสิ้นของพระเจ้า. Reuses baseline providence/revelation conceptual field; must not be rendered so as to suggest an impersonal fated plan (เวรกรรม/ดวง), the same caution already applied to providence. |
| Eutychus revived ἀνέστη (20:10, distinct usage) anestē ”He arose/stood up” | Same verb root as resurrection (ἀνάστασις) but describing a temporary restoration to life, not the unique, final resurrection of Christ”he was found alive”; “his life is in him” | A miracle of restoration to life, structurally similar to but doctrinally distinct from the singular, final resurrection of Christ (already Critical in the baseline) | NEW TERM. Medium-High. Render ฟื้นขึ้นมามีชีวิต (“revived to life”) rather than the baseline’s dedicated resurrection term การเป็นขึ้นจากตาย, reserving that phrase exclusively for Christ’s unique, final, once-for-all resurrection and for the future general resurrection of the dead. Using identical vocabulary for both would blur a distinction the biblical text itself maintains (this is a temporary revival within ongoing mortal life, not the eschatological resurrection body). A translator note flagging this distinction is recommended wherever restoration-to-life miracles occur in Acts (also 9:36-41, Tabitha/Dorcas). |
Chapter 21 — Agabus’s Prophecy; Paul’s Arrest
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Thai rendering risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| prophecy (Agabus) προφητεύει (21:10-11) prophēteuei — | Already baseline prophecy/prophet”Agabus… prophesied” | Specific, detailed predictive prophecy concerning Paul’s coming arrest, continuing the pattern of Spirit-given prophetic speech from Acts 2:17-18 onward | Reuses baseline prophecy (คำพยากรณ์), Low, per baseline. |
| Nazirite vow εὐχὴν … ξυρήσωνται τὴν κεφαλήν (21:23-24) euchēn … xyrēsōntai tēn kephalēn ”A vow … they shave the head” | Refers to the OT Nazirite vow of temporary consecration (Numbers 6) “a vow… shave their heads” | Paul’s participation in a Jewish purification ritual to demonstrate continuity with Jewish practice and defuse tension, without compromising the gospel of grace | NEW TERM. Low-Medium. Render คำสัตย์ปฏิญาณแบบนาซีร์. Requires an OT background note (Numbers 6) for readers with low OT literacy; low risk of direct Thai-religious collision, though care is needed not to let this be read as Paul re-imposing law-keeping as a means of justification (contra the doctrine already established at Acts 15 and throughout Galatians). |
Chapter 22 — Paul’s Defense; Roman Citizenship
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Thai rendering risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| defense/testimony ἀπολογία (22:1) apologia ”A defense speech” | ἀπολογέομαι = to speak in one’s own defense; root of English “apologetics" "my defense”; “hear my defense” | Paul’s formal, legal self-defense before a hostile crowd, retelling his conversion (repeating Acts 9) as authoritative personal testimony | NEW TERM. Medium. Render คำให้การแก้ต่าง / คำแก้ต่าง. No major collision; reinforces the witness (พยาน) doctrine already established at ch.1. |
| Roman citizenship Ῥωμαῖός εἰμι (22:25-28) Rhōmaios eimi ”I am a Roman [citizen]“ | Ῥωμαῖος = a citizen of Rome, carrying specific legal protections ”I am a Roman citizen” | Paul’s legal status protects him from illegal scourging, illustrating the church’s complex relationship to legitimate governing authority (cf. Romans 13, already flagged for Thai political-sensitivity in the baseline) | NEW TERM. Medium. Render สัญชาติโรมัน (historical/legal proper term). Given the baseline’s existing note that Romans 13’s government-authority section warrants “extra native-speaker attention” due to Thailand’s own lèse-majesté-sensitive register, similar care is warranted here: Paul’s appeal to legal rights before governing authorities should be presented factually and historically, not as a template for confrontational rights-assertion against contemporary Thai authority structures. |
Chapter 23 — The Sanhedrin; Pharisees and Sadducees on the Resurrection
No new theological vocabulary. Reuses baseline resurrection (การเป็นขึ้นจากตาย, Critical) for the Pharisee-Sadducee dispute (23:6-8) and witness/the Way terms established at chs.1, 9. The proper noun “Sanhedrin” (Συνέδριον) is rendered as the transliteration สภาแซนเฮดริน, a historical-institutional term, Low risk.
Chapter 24 — Felix; Faith in “the Way”; Conscience
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Thai rendering risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| conscience συνείδησις (24:16) syneidēsis ”Conscience, moral self-awareness” | συνείδησις = the inner faculty of moral self-judgment ”a clear conscience”; “conscience void of offense” | Paul’s claim to have maintained a God-oriented moral integrity, not merely a socially-conditioned sense of propriety | NEW TERM. Medium. Render สติรู้สึกผิดชอบ / มโนธรรม. Must be anchored to accountability before God (ต่อพระเจ้า) rather than left as a purely humanistic or socially-relative moral sense, consistent with the baseline’s caution (already applied to sin) against detaching moral vocabulary from a personal God. |
Chapter otherwise reuses the Way (ch.9), faith (baseline), and resurrection (baseline) terms.
Chapter 25 — Festus; Appeal to Caesar
No new theological vocabulary. “I appeal to Caesar” (Καίσαρα ἐπικαλοῦμαι, 25:11) is a legal-procedural term, rendered ข้าพเจ้าขออุทธรณ์ต่อซีซาร์, Low-Medium risk; note continuity with ch.22’s government-authority caution regarding Thai political sensitivity.
Chapter 26 — Paul before Agrippa; Light and Darkness; Satan
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Thai rendering risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| open their eyes … from darkness to light … from the power of Satan to God ἀνοῖξαι … ἀπὸ σκότους εἰς φῶς καὶ τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ Σατανᾶ ἐπὶ τὸν Θεόν (26:18) anoixai … apo skotous eis phōs kai tēs exousias tou Satana epi ton Theon ”To open … from darkness to light and from the authority of Satan to God” | σκότος = darkness (moral/spiritual); φῶς = light; ἐξουσία = authority/power; Σατανᾶς = Satan, the personal chief adversary of God ”to open their eyes… from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God” | Paul’s own commissioning summary, recapitulating the whole Acts narrative of conversion as God’s own rescuing action (not human self-improvement) from bondage to a personal evil power into fellowship with God | NEW TERM. High. Render เปิดตาให้เขาทั้งหลาย…จากความมืดมาถึงความสว่าง และจากอำนาจของซาตานมาถึงพระเจ้า. Two collision risks: (1) “light” imagery must not be assimilated to Buddhist enlightenment (โพธิ, ปัญญา ที่บรรลุได้ด้วยตนเอง) attained through the believer’s own insight and discipline — this light is God’s own rescuing gift, received, not self-attained (paralleling the baseline’s grace/salvation-versus-self-attainment caution); (2) “Satan” (ซาตาน, established transliteration) must be presented as a real, personal, defeated-but-active spiritual adversary of God, distinguished from มาร (Māra), the Buddhist personification of temptation and death that Thai Buddhist tradition also names, which operates within a very different cosmology of self-liberation from craving rather than rescue from a personal enemy by a personal Savior. Flag for theologian review. |
Chapter 27 — The Shipwreck; Providence
No new theological vocabulary. Reuses providence (การทรงดูแลรักษาของพระเจ้า, already High-risk in the baseline) for Paul’s assurance of God’s care through the angelic message (27:23-24, reusing ch.12’s angel of the Lord term) and the shipwreck’s providential outcome. Chapter reviewed; no new terms to register.
Chapter 28 — Malta; Rome; the Kingdom Preached Unhindered
No new theological vocabulary beyond minor descriptive terms (the viper bite, 28:3-6, งูพิษ, purely narrative/cultural, Low risk). The book’s closing statement — “proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance” (28:31) — reuses kingdom_of_god (แผ่นดินของพระเจ้า), lord/christ (baseline, Critical), and boldness (ch.4, High), bringing the whole book’s doctrinal vocabulary to its intended climax: the Great Commission fulfilled, unhindered, to the ends of the known world.
Summary of New Terms Introduced by Acts (not in Romans/Galatians baseline)
Pentecost, tongues/other languages, filled with the Holy Spirit (construction), signs and wonders, repent/repentance, baptism/baptize, forgiveness of sins, gift of the Holy Spirit, cut to the heart, added (to the church), breaking of bread, held all things in common, ascension, witness(es), casting lots, name of Jesus (invoked), Servant of God, times of refreshing, boldness, no other name, lied to the Holy Spirit, Hellenists, serving tables/deacon, Son of Man, sorcery/magic, laying on of hands, eunuch, the Way, disciples, scales fell from his eyes, unclean/common, God shows no partiality, Holy Spirit falls on Gentiles, repentance that leads to life, Christians, angel of the Lord, set apart/sent (mission commissioning), light to the Gentiles, turn from vain things to the living God, appointing elders, apostolic decree, what must I do to be saved, unknown god, John’s baptism vs. Spirit baptism, magic books burned, Artemis of the Ephesians, overseers, whole counsel of God, Eutychus revived, Nazirite vow, defense/testimony, Roman citizenship, conscience, light and darkness / power of Satan.
Every term above is documented in 08_core_glossary.md with risk tier, Thai rendering, and translation notes.