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Core Glossary

08 Core Glossary — 2 Corinthians

This glossary consolidates every load-bearing term identified in 07_semantic_analysis.md, spanning the entire book (chapters 1–13, with the core passage 5:11–21 given priority theological weight). It is organized into two sections:

  • Section A — Terms already fixed in the baseline Romans translation_memory.json / bible_term_registry.json. These renderings MUST be reused exactly; this section documents where and how they recur in 2 Corinthians.
  • Section B — New terms introduced by 2 Corinthians’ curriculum doctrines, proposed for addition to translation memory in Phase 1 Step 2.

All risk tiers follow the baseline doctrine_risk_registry.json definitions (Critical / High / Medium / Low) and routing conventions (Critical/High → human theologian review; Medium → native speaker review; Low → automated review).


Section A — Reused Baseline Terms (Locked Renderings)

TermVietnamese (locked)Baseline Risk2 Corinthians OccurrencesNotes for This Curriculum
graceân điểnHigh1:2,12; 4:15; 6:1; 8:1,6,7,9,19; 9:8,14; 12:9; 13:14Extends into the “Generosity and Grace in Giving” doctrine (ch. 8–9); must never be assimilated to phước đức/công đức (Buddhist merit-giving) or ơn nghĩa (reciprocal-debt favor).
faithđức tinMedium1:24; 4:13; 5:7; 8:7; 10:15; 13:5”Walk by faith, not by sight” (5:7) reinforced.
righteousnesssự công bìnhHigh3:9; 5:21; 6:7,14; 9:9,10; 11:155:21’s “righteousness of God” is Critical-weight within this term (see Section B, imputed reckoning).
salvationsự cứu rỗiCritical1:6; 6:2; 7:10Never sự giải thoát.
apostlesứ đồMedium1:1; 8:23; 11:5,13; 12:11,12Combines with “giả” (false) in ch. 11 — see Section B false_apostles.
holythánhMedium1:1; 7:1; 8:4; 13:12
saintscác thánh đồHigh1:1; 8:4; 9:1,12; 13:12Never bare các thánh.
sanctificationsự nên thánhMedium7:1
resurrectionsự sống lạiCritical4:14; 5:15Never đầu thai/luân hồi.
lordChúaCriticalthroughout (e.g., 1:2,3,14; 3:17-18; 4:5,14; 5:6,8,11; 8:5,9,19,21; 10:8,17,18; 11:31; 12:1,8; 13:14)Exclusive, supreme Lordship retained throughout.
glorysự vinh hiểnMedium/High3:7-11,18; 4:4,6,15,17; 8:19,23Elevated to High in ch. 3–4’s fading-vs-unfading contrast.
covenantgiao ướcHigh3:6,14Base for new_covenant — see Section B.
churchHội ThánhMedium1:1; 8:1,18,19,23,24; 11:8,28; 12:13
sintội lỗiMedium5:19,21; 11:7Never nghiệp xấu.
gentilesdân ngoạiMedium(contextual, “all nations” references)
holy_spiritĐức Thánh LinhCritical1:22; 3:3,6,8,17-18; 5:5; 6:6; 13:13-14Never bare thần linh.
godĐức Chúa TrờiCritical/HighthroughoutNever left to default to Ông Trời.
jesusĐức Chúa Giê-xuCriticalthroughoutStandard 1926 form.
fatherChaHigh1:2,3; 6:18Grace/intimacy over hierarchical obligation.
gospelTin LànhMedium2:12; 4:3,4; 8:18; 9:13; 10:14; 11:4,7
fellowshipsự thông côngLow6:14; 8:4; 13:14Locked for Trinitarian benediction (13:14).
thanksgivingsự cảm tạLow1:11; 2:14; 4:15; 9:11,12
exhortkhích lệ / khuyên nàiLow1:4,6; 2:7,8; 5:20; 6:1; 7:6,7,13; 8:6; 9:5; 10:1; 12:18; 13:11Context-sensitive per baseline: khuyên nài for entreaty (5:20), khích lệ for edification/comfort-building.
power_of_godquyền năng của Đức Chúa TrờiMedium/Critical4:7; 6:7; 12:9; 13:4Elevated to Critical at 12:9 (“Power in Weakness” doctrinal center).
imputed_righteousnesssự công bình được kể choCritical5:19,21 (verb root λογίζομαι shared)Reused verb-root “kể” for both positive (righteousness credited) and negative (sin not counted) reckoning — see Section B not_counting_trespasses.

Section B — New Terms Introduced in 2 Corinthians

#Term (English)Greek / TransliterationProposed VietnameseRiskDoctrine CategoryKey PassagesGrounded Risk Rationale
1Reconciliationκαταλλαγή / καταλλάσσω — katallagē / katallassōsự hòa giải (noun); hòa thuận lại với (verb, imperative context)CriticalReconciliation with God5:18,19,20Vietnamese “hòa giải” is the standard legal/interpersonal term for mediated settlement between equal, negotiating parties; risks implying mutual concession rather than God’s unilateral, gracious initiative. Every occurrence requires a teaching note establishing God as sole initiator, Christ’s death as exclusive basis.
2New Creationκαινὴ κτίσις — kainē ktisistạo vật mớiCriticalNew Creation in Christ5:17Risks assimilation to Buddhist notions of gradual self-transformation/rebirth through merit or enlightenment (echoes the resurrection/reincarnation collision already Critical in baseline). Must be taught as instantaneous, gift-based, once-for-all new identity in union with Christ. Rejected alternatives: any phrase using đầu thai, hóa kiếp, chuyển kiếp.
3Ministry (diakonia)διακονία — diakoniachức vụHighSincerity and Apostolic Authority; Suffering and Comfort in Ministry3:7,8,9; 4:1; 5:18,19; 6:3; 8:4,19,20; 9:1,12,13; 11:8Established Vietnamese Bible term, but “chức vụ” carries Confucian-hierarchical/bureaucratic rank connotations (an office/position of status) that can undercut the servant-nature of the role. Requires contextual framing as humble Christ-appointed service, not honorific rank.
4God of this age (title for Satan)ὁ θεὸς τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου — ho theos tou aiōnos toutouthần của thế gian nàyCriticalGenuine versus False Apostleship (spiritual opposition); general soteriology4:4Bare “thần” is the ordinary Vietnamese folk-religious word for a legitimate god/spirit/deity within the local pantheon. Applying it to Satan without explicit clarification risks readers granting Satan legitimate deity status. Requires a note every occurrence: defeated, false usurper-power, never an object of reverence.
5Angel of light / Messenger of Satanἄγγελος φωτός / ἄγγελος Σατανᾶ — angelos phōtos / angelos Satanathiên sứ sáng láng (giả) / sứ giả của Sa-tanCriticalGenuine versus False Apostleship11:14; 12:7Risks conflation with the trusted Vietnamese folk category of ancestor-spirits or benevolent spirits appearing in dreams/visions (báo mộng) to guide descendants. Must be explicitly taught as deceptive Satanic counterfeit, never a benevolent spirit visitation.
6Transformed / Transfiguredμεταμορφόω — metamorphoōbiến đổi (được biến đổi)HighNew Creation in Christ; The New Covenant versus the Old3:18AVOID “biến hóa,” which in Vietnamese folklore and translated Chinese classical literature denotes magical shape-shifting by deities/spirits/legendary beings. This is progressive, Spirit-wrought moral transformation into Christ’s likeness, not a change of form.
7Fear of the Lordφόβος τοῦ Κυρίου — phobos tou Kyriousự kính sợ ChúaHighReconciliation with God; general apostolic motivation5:11; 7:1Risk of collapsing into folk-religious appeasement-fear of displeased ancestors/spirits (cúng giải hạn). Must be taught as reverential awe tied to future accountability before a holy, personal God, not ritual appeasement.
8Judgment seat of Christβῆμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ — bēma tou Christoutòa án của Đấng ChristHighReconciliation with God; Genuine versus False Apostleship5:10Risk of conflation with karmic retribution (nghiệp báo/quả báo). Must be taught as a believer’s accountability/reward evaluation distinct from condemnation, not an impersonal karmic ledger.
9Not counting trespasses (negative imputation)μὴ λογιζόμενος … τὰ παραπτώματα — mē logizomenos ta paraptōmatakhông kể tội lỗi (sự vi phạm) của họ cho họCriticalReconciliation with God5:19Shares the accounting-verb root (“kể”) with baseline’s imputed_righteousness; must retain lexical/doctrinal consistency between positive imputation (righteousness credited) and negative imputation (sin not charged) as two sides of one forensic act of grace.
10Christ made sin for usἁμαρτίαν ἐποίησεν — hamartian epoiēsenĐức Chúa Trời đã làm cho Ngài chịu tội lỗi vì chúng taCriticalReconciliation with God5:21Must preserve substitutionary, judicial exchange (Christ bearing sin’s legal liability representatively) without implying moral corruption in Christ or reducing it to mere sympathetic identification.
11Boasting (illegitimate/legitimate)καύχημα / καυχάομαι — kauchēma / kauchaomaisự khoe mình / khoe mình (trong Chúa)HighGenuine versus False Apostleship; Sincerity and Apostolic Authority5:12; 10:8,13,15-18; 11:10,12,16-18,30; 12:1,5,6,9,11Confucian-shaped Vietnamese modesty norms treat self-boasting as inherently shameful. Paul’s paradoxical legitimate boasting “in the Lord” and in weakness must be distinguished from condemned self-glorifying boasting, or the argument collapses.
12Comfort / Consolationπαράκλησις / παρακαλέω — paraklēsis / parakaleōsự an ủi / an ủiHighSuffering and Comfort in Ministry1:3-7; 7:6,7,13Must be distinguished from Buddhist consolation-through-detachment (vô thường acceptance) or ritual comfort of the bereaved; biblical comfort is relational, sourced in a personal, once-suffering God, producing active ministry to others.
13Affliction / Sufferingθλῖψις / πάθημα — thlipsis / pathēmasự hoạn nạn / sự chịu khổHighSuffering and Comfort in Ministry1:4-9; 4:17; 6:4; 7:4; 8:2Vietnamese vocabulary overlaps with Buddhist “khổ” (dukkha), an impersonal reality escaped through detachment/liberation. Must be taught as meaningful suffering under a sovereign, comforting, personal God producing hope, not an impersonal cosmic reality to escape.
14Guarantee / Down payment (of the Spirit)ἀρραβών — arrabōncủa tiền bảo chứng (Đức Thánh Linh)HighReconciliation with God; New Creation in Christ1:22; 5:5Commercial down-payment term risks implying a repayable transaction; must be taught as God’s free guarantee of an already-secured gift, echoing baseline’s grace-vs-debt concern.
15New Covenantκαινὴ διαθήκη — kainē diathēkēgiao ước mớiHighThe New Covenant versus the Old3:6,14Built on locked covenant (giao ước); must be taught as God’s gracious inaugurating act through Christ, not a human religious “upgrade” of an existing ethical/classical tradition.
16Letter and Spiritγράμμα / πνεῦμα — gramma / pneumavăn tự / Thánh LinhHighThe New Covenant versus the Old3:6Risk of flattening πνεῦμα into an abstract “spirit of the law” principle rather than the personal Holy Spirit who gives life; must retain the personal, divine referent (reuse holy_spirit).
17Inner Man / Outer Manἔσω ἄνθρωπος / ἔξω ἄνθρωπος — esō/exō anthrōposcon người bên trong / con người bên ngoàiHighSuffering and Comfort in Ministry; New Creation in Christ4:16Risk of conflation with Buddhist “true self” (Buddha-nature) discourse or Taoist inner-cultivation (nội công); must be taught as physical decay contrasted with Spirit-wrought inward renewal, not self-realized enlightenment.
18Temple of the Living Godναὸς θεοῦ ζῶντος — naos theou zōntosđền thờ của Đức Chúa Trời sốngHighNew Creation in Christ; Church as God’s dwelling6:16Distinct from baseline-forbidden bare “đền,” but “đền thờ” remains conceptually close to folk shrine buildings (đền, miếu); requires a note that believers themselves, Spirit-indwelt, are meant — not a physical shrine needing ritual offerings.
19Godly Sorrow / Repentanceλύπη κατὰ θεόν / μετάνοια — lypē kata theon / metanoiasự buồn rầu theo ý Đức Chúa Trời / sự ăn nănHighSincerity and Apostolic Authority7:9-10Must be distinguished from ritual guilt-appeasement of ancestors/spirits (xin lỗi tổ tiên, cúng giải hạn) and from mere worldly regret; godly sorrow issues in relational, saving repentance.
20Generosity / Grace-Givingχάρις (extended sense) — charisân điển (mở rộng: sự rộng rãi trong việc dâng hiến)HighGenerosity and Grace in Giving8:1-9; 9:8,14Applies locked grace term to giving; must never be assimilated to Buddhist “làm phước”/“cúng dường” (merit-generating almsgiving) — a deeply entrenched Vietnamese cultural practice.
21Sowing and Reapingσπείρω / θερίζω — speirō / therizōgieo / gặtHighGenerosity and Grace in Giving9:6The Vietnamese proverb “gieo nhân nào gặt quả nào” is popularly tied to Buddhist nhân quả (karma), an impersonal cosmic mechanism. Must be taught as God’s personal, sovereign, gracious multiplying of blessing — not automatic karmic cause-effect.
22Cheerful Giverἱλαρὸς δότης — hilaros dotēsngười dâng cho cách vui lòngHighGenerosity and Grace in Giving9:7Must be distinguished from merit-generating “làm phước”/“cúng dường”; cheerful giving flows from gratitude for grace received, accruing no merit toward standing before God.
23False Apostlesψευδαπόστολοι — pseudapostoloisứ đồ giảHighGenuine versus False Apostleship11:13Combines locked apostle (sứ đồ) with “giả”; must convey deliberate religious counterfeit/deception (servants of Satan disguised), not merely a lesser-qualified teacher.
24Super-Apostles (ironic)ὑπερλίαν ἀπόστολοι — hyperlian apostoloinhững kẻ tự xưng là sứ đồ hơn hếtHighGenuine versus False Apostleship11:5; 12:11Ironic/sarcastic tone must be preserved; these are self-promoting rivals, not truly superior apostles.
25Paradise / Third Heavenπαράδεισος / τρίτος οὐρανός — paradeisos / tritos ouranosBa-ra-đi / tầng trời thứ baHighGenuine versus False Apostleship (validating revelation); general eschatology12:2-4Distinguish from the tiered, merit-attained heavens of Buddhist cosmology; Paul’s experience is a singular, unearned, sovereignly granted revelation, not a cosmological tier reached by spiritual achievement.
26Grace Is Sufficient / Power Perfected in Weaknessἀρκεῖ ἡ χάρις μου / ἡ δύναμίς μου ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ τελεῖταιân điển của Ta đầy đủ cho con / quyền năng của Ta nên trọn vẹn trong sự yếu đuốiCriticalPower in Weakness12:9The doctrinal center of the “Power in Weakness” curriculum theme. Must not be softened into a self-help/self-effort message, which would collapse the paradox into a moralistic self-cultivation framework (Confucian tu thân / Buddhist self-effort toward enlightenment).
27Thorn in the Fleshσκόλοψ τῇ σαρκί — skolops tē sarkicái giằm xóc trong thịtMediumPower in Weakness12:7Must not be read as karmic punishment for personal sin (risk given popular quả báo/nhân quả reasoning); this is a God-permitted, sanctifying affliction, not retribution.
28Signs of an Apostleσημεῖα τοῦ ἀποστόλου — sēmeia tou apostoloucác dấu lạ của sứ đồ (thật)Medium/HighGenuine versus False Apostleship12:12Authenticating marks distinguishing genuine from false apostleship; ties directly to ch.11’s counterfeit-apostle warnings.
29Examine Yourselvesδοκιμάζετε ἑαυτούς — dokimazete heautoushãy tự xét mìnhHighSincerity and Apostolic Authority13:5Risk of conflation with karmic self-accounting (a mental tally of merit/demerit). Must be taught as testing whether one is genuinely in Christ by faith, not a merit audit.
30Sincerityἁπλότης / εἰλικρίνεια — haplotēs / eilikrineiasự chân thành / sự trong sạchMediumSincerity and Apostolic Authority1:12; 2:17; 11:3Standard integrity vocabulary; ensure it reads as transparency of motive before God, not merely social politeness.
31Peddling God’s Word for Profitκαπηλεύω — kapēleuōbuôn bán lời của Đức Chúa Trời để trục lợiMedium/HighSincerity and Apostolic Authority2:17Serious negative-contrast term; must convey exploitation of sacred teaching for gain, not mild criticism.
32Ambassadorπρεσβεύω / πρεσβευτής — presbeuō / presbeutēsđại sứ (thay mặt cho Đấng Christ)MediumReconciliation with God; Sincerity and Apostolic Authority5:20Ensure it reads as a Christ-commissioned spiritual representative, not a purely political/diplomatic office.
33Trinitarian Benedictionχάρις, ἀγάπη, κοινωνία — charis, agapē, koinōniaân điển, tình yêu thương, sự thông côngHighReconciliation with God (Trinitarian ground); general doxology13:14Reuses locked grace/fellowship exactly; must be rendered identically wherever quoted elsewhere in the curriculum per cross-document consistency rule.
34Unequally Yokedἑτεροζυγέω — heterozygeōmang chung một ách khác loại (với)MediumSincerity and Apostolic Authority (separation from compromise)6:14Agrarian metaphor; distinguish from folk astrological compatibility-matching customs (xem tuổi) — this concerns spiritual allegiance, not zodiac compatibility.
35Triumphal Procession / Fragrance of Christθριαμβεύω / εὐωδία Χριστοῦ — thriambeuō / euōdia Christoudẫn trong đám khải hoàn / mùi thơm của Đấng ChristMediumSuffering and Comfort in Ministry2:14-16Roman military-parade and OT sacrificial-aroma imagery unfamiliar in Vietnamese context; requires brief explanatory framing, minimal syncretism risk.

Risk Summary — 2 Corinthians New Terms (Section B)

Risk TierCountReview Routing
Critical5Human theologian review (every occurrence)
High20Human theologian review
Medium/High (borderline)2Human theologian review (treated as High)
Medium8Native speaker review
Total new terms35

Combined with the 24 reused baseline terms in Section A (all already routed per baseline doctrine_risk_registry.json), this glossary provides full-book term coverage for 2 Corinthians 1–13, anchored on the core passage 5:11–21.

This glossary feeds directly into Phase 1 Step 2 (translation memory update) and must be cross-checked against analysis/07_semantic_analysis.md for full contextual justification of every entry.


Critical Risk Terms

Righteousness

Approved rendering: sự công bình
Transliteration: su cong binh
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: đức hạnh

Inherited from Romans package. Elevated to Critical weight in this curriculum at 5:21 (‘the righteousness of God’), the New Testament’s clearest ‘great exchange’ statement; must retain forensic, credited-status force, not moral achievement.


Salvation

Approved rendering: sự cứu rỗi
Transliteration: su cuu roi
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: sự giải thoát

Inherited from Romans package. CRITICAL: NEVER use sự giải thoát (Buddhist liberation from rebirth). Occurs at 1:6; 6:2; 7:10.


Resurrection

Approved rendering: sự sống lại
Transliteration: su song lai
Doctrine: Resurrection of Christ
Rejected alternatives: sự đầu thai, luân hồi

Inherited from Romans package. CRITICAL: NEVER use sự đầu thai or luân hồi. Occurs at 4:14; 5:15, grounding new-creation life on Christ’s resurrection.


Lord

Approved rendering: Chúa
Transliteration: Chua
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ

Inherited from Romans package. Pervasive throughout 2 Corinthians (1:2,3,14; 3:17-18; 4:5,14; 5:6,8,11; 8:5,9,19,21; 10:8,17-18; 11:31; 12:1,8; 13:14); must always retain exclusive, supreme Lordship.


Son Of God

Approved rendering: Con Đức Chúa Trời
Transliteration: Con Duc Chua Troi
Doctrine: Sonship of Christ

Inherited from Romans package. Retained for cross-curriculum consistency; not a heavily recurring phrase in 2 Corinthians but must render identically wherever it occurs.


Incarnation

Approved rendering: Ngôi Lời trở nên xác thịt
Transliteration: Ngoi Loi tro nen xac thit
Doctrine: Incarnation
Rejected alternatives: hóa thân

Inherited from Romans package. CRITICAL: NEVER use bare hóa thân. Relevant background for 8:9’s ‘though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor’ (Christ’s voluntary self-humbling).


God

Approved rendering: Đức Chúa Trời
Transliteration: Duc Chua Troi
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
Rejected alternatives: Ông Trời

Inherited from Romans package. Never left to default to the impersonal, fate-dispensing Ông Trời of folk speech; every Critical occurrence needs sufficient context (e.g., 5:19 ‘God was in Christ’).


Jesus

Approved rendering: Đức Chúa Giê-xu
Transliteration: Duc Chua Gie-xu
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ

Inherited from Romans package. Standard 1926 Bản Dịch Truyền Thống form; keep consistent across all documents.


Holy Spirit

Approved rendering: Đức Thánh Linh
Transliteration: Duc Thanh Linh
Doctrine: Sanctification
Rejected alternatives: thần linh

Inherited from Romans package. Never bare thần linh. Central in ch. 3’s letter-vs-Spirit contrast and as the ‘guarantee’ given (1:22; 5:5).


Imputed Righteousness

Approved rendering: sự công bình được kể cho
Transliteration: su cong binh duoc ke cho
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: công đức tích lũy

Inherited from Romans package. The accounting-verb root (‘kể’) is shared with the new term not_counting_trespasses (5:19) so that positive imputation (righteousness credited) and negative imputation (sin not charged) read as two sides of one forensic act of grace.


Reconciliation

Approved rendering: sự hòa giải (danh từ) / hòa thuận lại với (Đức Chúa Trời) (mệnh lệnh)
Transliteration: su hoa giai / hoa thuan lai voi (Duc Chua Troi)
Doctrine: Reconciliation with God
Rejected alternatives: hòa giải tranh chấp (mediated settlement between equal parties), any rendering implying mutual concession or negotiated compromise

CRITICAL: Vietnamese ‘hòa giải’ is the standard legal/interpersonal term for mediated settlement between two equal, negotiating parties (hòa giải tranh chấp, hòa giải ly hôn). Every occurrence (5:18,19,20) requires a teaching note establishing God as sole initiator, humanity as recipient, and Christ’s death as the exclusive, non-negotiated basis. The imperative ‘be reconciled’ (5:20) uses the distinct verb-phrase ‘hòa thuận lại với Đức Chúa Trời’ to preserve the passive sense of receiving, not achieving, reconciliation.


New Creation

Approved rendering: tạo vật mới
Transliteration: tao vat moi
Doctrine: New Creation in Christ
Rejected alternatives: đầu thai, hóa kiếp, chuyển kiếp

CRITICAL: Must never be assimilated to Buddhist notions of a self transformed or reborn through gradual attainment, meditation, or merit across cycles of existence — the same rebirth/reincarnation risk already Critical for baseline ‘resurrection.’ This is a decisive, gift-based, once-for-all new identity in union with Christ (5:17).


God Of This Age

Approved rendering: thần của thế gian này
Transliteration: than cua the gian nay
Doctrine: Spiritual Opposition and Satanic Deception
Rejected alternatives: applying Đức Chúa Trời or Chúa to Satan, leaving bare ‘thần’ unqualified

CRITICAL: Bare ‘thần’ is the ordinary Vietnamese folk-religious word for a legitimate god/spirit/deity within the local pantheon. Applying it to Satan (4:4) without explicit clarification risks readers granting Satan legitimate deity-status. Every occurrence requires a note: this names a defeated, false usurper-power, never a legitimate object of reverence, fear-based appeasement, or worship.


Angel Of Light

Approved rendering: thiên sứ sáng láng (giả) / sứ giả của Sa-tan
Transliteration: thien su sang lang (gia) / su gia cua Sa-tan
Doctrine: Genuine versus False Apostleship / Spiritual Opposition and Satanic Deception
Rejected alternatives: framing as trustworthy báo mộng (ancestor/spirit dream-visitation)

CRITICAL: Risk of conflation with the broad Vietnamese folk-religious phenomenon of ancestor-spirits or benevolent spirits appearing in dreams/visions to guide or warn descendants (báo mộng), a familiar and generally trusted category. Every occurrence (11:14; 12:7) must be taught explicitly as deceptive Satanic counterfeit, never a benevolent spirit visitation to be trusted.


Not Counting Trespasses

Approved rendering: không kể tội lỗi (sự vi phạm) của họ cho họ
Transliteration: khong ke toi loi (su vi pham) cua ho cho ho
Doctrine: Reconciliation with God

Shares the accounting-verb root (‘kể’) with baseline imputed_righteousness; positive imputation (righteousness credited) and negative imputation (sin not charged, 5:19) must read as two sides of one forensic act of grace, both grounded solely in Christ’s finished work.


Christ Made Sin

Approved rendering: Đức Chúa Trời đã làm cho Ngài chịu tội lỗi vì chúng ta
Transliteration: Duc Chua Troi da lam cho Ngai chiu toi loi vi chung ta
Doctrine: Substitutionary Atonement (The Great Exchange)
Rejected alternatives: any phrasing implying moral corruption in Christ, any phrasing reducing this to mere sympathetic identification

5:21 — Must preserve substitutionary, judicial exchange (Christ bearing sin’s legal liability representatively) without implying moral corruption in Christ, and never softened into mere sympathetic identification with sinners.


Grace Sufficient Power In Weakness

Approved rendering: ân điển của Ta đầy đủ cho con / quyền năng của Ta nên trọn vẹn trong sự yếu đuối
Transliteration: an dien cua Ta day du cho con / quyen nang cua Ta nen tron ven trong su yeu duoi
Doctrine: Power in Weakness
Rejected alternatives: a self-help/self-effort rendering (‘God helps those who try hard’)

Doctrinal center of ‘Power in Weakness’ (12:9). Must not be softened into a self-help message, which would collapse Paul’s paradox into a moralistic self-cultivation framework resonant with Confucian tu thân (self-cultivation) or Buddhist self-effort toward enlightenment. Render as a fixed, non-abbreviated dual clause; sufficiency is located in grace received, not effort exerted.


Substitutionary Death

Approved rendering: một người đã chết vì mọi người / mọi người đã chết
Transliteration: mot nguoi da chet vi moi nguoi / moi nguoi da chet
Doctrine: Substitutionary Atonement (The Great Exchange)
Rejected alternatives: died alongside/as an example for (weakening ὑπέρ), a universalist reading of ‘all died’, a karmic self-extinction reading of ‘all died’

The substitutionary ‘for all’ (5:14-15) must retain vicarious, representative force. ‘All died’ is representative, forensic death in Christ, appropriated by faith — not automatic universal salvation nor karmic extinguishing of the self.


High Risk Terms

Grace

Approved rendering: ân điển
Transliteration: an dien
Doctrine: Grace
Rejected alternatives: phước đức, công đức, ơn nghĩa

Inherited from Romans package. Extended in 2 Corinthians 8-9 to describe generous giving flowing from grace received; this extended sense must never be assimilated to Buddhist merit-giving (làm phước, cúng dường) or Confucian reciprocal-debt favor (ơn nghĩa). See generosity_grace_giving below.


Faith

Approved rendering: đức tin
Transliteration: duc tin
Doctrine: Faith

Inherited from Romans package (risk tier as recorded in this curriculum’s registry). ‘Walk by faith, not by sight’ (5:7) reinforces trust in Christ despite unseen realities.


Justification

Approved rendering: sự xưng công bình
Transliteration: su xung cong binh
Doctrine: Salvation

Inherited from Romans package. Not a primary focus term in 2 Corinthians but retained for cross-curriculum consistency wherever justification language recurs.


Saints

Approved rendering: các thánh đồ
Transliteration: cac thanh do
Doctrine: Sainthood
Rejected alternatives: các thánh

Inherited from Romans package. Never shorten to bare các thánh. Occurs at 1:1; 8:4; 9:1,12; 13:12.


Glory

Approved rendering: sự vinh hiển
Transliteration: su vinh hien
Doctrine: Deity of Christ / New Covenant versus Old

Inherited from Romans package, elevated to High in this curriculum’s ch. 3-4 fading-versus-unfading-glory contrast, doctrinally load-bearing for ‘New Covenant versus Old.‘


Obedience Of Faith

Approved rendering: sự vâng phục của đức tin
Transliteration: su vang phuc cua duc tin
Doctrine: Obedience of Faith
Rejected alternatives: đạo hiếu

Inherited from Romans package. Retained for cross-curriculum consistency; background for 2 Corinthians’ concern with genuine faith-obedience versus ritual/hierarchical duty.


Power Of God

Approved rendering: quyền năng của Đức Chúa Trời
Transliteration: quyen nang cua Duc Chua Troi
Doctrine: Power of God for Salvation

Inherited from Romans package, elevated to Critical weight at 12:9 (‘my power is made perfect in weakness’), the doctrinal center of ‘Power in Weakness.’ See grace_sufficient_power_in_weakness below for the fixed compound rendering.


Covenant

Approved rendering: giao ước
Transliteration: giao uoc
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant / New Covenant

Inherited from Romans package. Base term for ‘giao ước mới’ (new covenant) at 3:6,14; see new_covenant below.


Father

Approved rendering: Cha
Transliteration: Cha
Doctrine: Adoption into God’s Family

Inherited from Romans package. ‘Father of mercies’ (1:3) and ‘Lord Almighty … will be a father to you’ (6:18) must emphasize grace/intimacy over Confucian hierarchical obligation (đạo hiếu).


Ministry

Approved rendering: chức vụ
Transliteration: chuc vu
Doctrine: Ministry as Servanthood, Not Rank

The established Vietnamese Bible term for διακονία carries Confucian-hierarchical/bureaucratic rank connotations (an office of status). Every occurrence (3:7-9; 4:1; 5:18-19; 6:3; 8:4,19-20; 9:1,12-13; 11:8) requires contextual framing as humble, Christ-appointed service, not honorific rank.


Transformed

Approved rendering: biến đổi (được biến đổi)
Transliteration: bien doi (duoc bien doi)
Doctrine: Transformation by the Spirit
Rejected alternatives: biến hóa

AVOID ‘biến hóa,’ the term used in Vietnamese folklore and translated Chinese classical literature for magical shape-shifting by deities, spirits, or legendary beings (e.g., Tây Du Ký-style transformations). At 3:18 this is progressive, Spirit-wrought moral and relational transformation into Christ’s likeness, not a magical change of form.


Fear Of The Lord

Approved rendering: sự kính sợ Chúa
Transliteration: su kinh so Chua
Doctrine: Fear of the Lord and Accountability
Rejected alternatives: appeasement-fear framing modeled on cúng giải hạn

Risk of collapsing into folk-religious appeasement-fear of displeased ancestors or spirits (cúng giải hạn, sợ thần quở). Every occurrence (5:11; 7:1) must be taught as reverential awe before a holy, personal, covenant-keeping God tied to future accountability, not ritual appeasement of a capricious spirit.


Judgment Seat Of Christ

Approved rendering: tòa án của Đấng Christ
Transliteration: toa an cua Dang Christ
Doctrine: Fear of the Lord and Accountability

Risk of conflation with karmic retribution (nghiệp báo, quả báo). Must be taught as a believer’s accountability/reward evaluation distinct from condemnation, resting on grace already secured (5:10), not an impersonal karmic ledger.


Boasting

Approved rendering: sự khoe mình / khoe mình (trong Chúa)
Transliteration: su khoe minh / khoe minh (trong Chua)
Doctrine: Boasting in the Lord versus Self-Boasting

Confucian-shaped Vietnamese modesty norms treat all self-boasting as inherently shameful. Every occurrence (5:12; 10:8-18; 11:10-30; 12:1-11) requires contextual framing distinguishing condemned self-glorifying boasting from Paul’s paradoxical legitimate boasting in the Lord and in weakness.


Comfort

Approved rendering: sự an ủi
Transliteration: su an ui
Doctrine: Suffering and Comfort in Ministry
Rejected alternatives: consolation modeled on detachment/vô thường acceptance, cúng an ủi vong linh (ritual comfort of the bereaved)

Must be distinguished from Buddhist consolation achieved through detachment/acceptance of impermanence (vô thường) or folk ritual consolation of the bereaved. Biblical comfort (1:3-7; 7:6-13) is relational, sourced in the ‘Father of mercies,’ producing active ministry to others, not passive resignation.


Affliction

Approved rendering: sự hoạn nạn / sự chịu khổ
Transliteration: su hoan nan / su chiu kho
Doctrine: Suffering and Comfort in Ministry

Vietnamese vocabulary for suffering overlaps with the core Buddhist term khổ (dukkha), escaped only through detachment/liberation (giải thoát, already forbidden for salvation). Must be taught that affliction (1:4-9; 4:17; 6:4; 7:4; 8:2) has personal meaning under a sovereign, comforting God producing hope and ministry, not an impersonal reality to be escaped.


Guarantee Of Spirit

Approved rendering: của tiền bảo chứng (Đức Thánh Linh)
Transliteration: cua tien bao chung (Duc Thanh Linh)
Doctrine: Assurance via the Spirit’s Guarantee

As a commercial down-payment term, risks implying a repayable transaction or reciprocal debt (echoing baseline’s ơn nghĩa concern for grace). Every occurrence (1:22; 5:5) must be taught as God’s free guarantee of a gift already secured, not a deposit the believer must repay through further merit.


New Covenant

Approved rendering: giao ước mới
Transliteration: giao uoc moi
Doctrine: The New Covenant versus the Old

Built on the locked baseline term ‘giao ước’; must be taught as God’s own gracious inaugurating act through Christ’s Spirit (3:6,14), not a human religious ‘upgrade’ or evolution of an existing ethical/classical tradition.


Letter And Spirit

Approved rendering: văn tự / Thánh Linh
Transliteration: van tu / Thanh Linh
Doctrine: The New Covenant versus the Old
Rejected alternatives: an abstract ‘spirit of the law’ rendering of πνεῦμα

Risk of flattening πνεῦμα into a vague abstract ‘spirit of the law’ principle rather than the person of the Holy Spirit (3:6) who gives life; must retain the personal, divine referent, reusing the baseline ‘Đức Thánh Linh.‘


Inner Outer Man

Approved rendering: con người bên ngoài / con người bên trong
Transliteration: con nguoi ben ngoai / con nguoi ben trong
Doctrine: New Creation in Christ / Suffering and Comfort in Ministry

Risk of conflation with Buddhist discourse distinguishing an illusory outer self from a ‘true self’ or Buddha-nature realized through enlightenment (giác ngộ), or with Taoist-influenced inner-cultivation (nội công) concepts. Must be taught (4:16) as physical decay contrasted with Spirit-wrought inward renewal grounded in union with Christ.


Temple Of Living God

Approved rendering: đền thờ của Đức Chúa Trời sống
Transliteration: den tho cua Duc Chua Troi song
Doctrine: Church as the Temple of the Living God
Rejected alternatives: bare đền (folk temple to a deified hero/spirit)

‘Đền thờ’ is the established Vietnamese Bible term for the OT Temple and is retained, but remains conceptually close to folk shrine buildings (đền, miếu) where spirits or deified heroes receive incense and ritual offerings. Every occurrence (6:16) needs a note: believers themselves, Spirit-indwelt, are meant — not a physical shrine requiring ritual offerings.


Godly Sorrow

Approved rendering: sự buồn rầu theo ý Đức Chúa Trời / sự ăn năn
Transliteration: su buon rau theo y Duc Chua Troi / su an nan
Doctrine: Godly Sorrow and Repentance

Must be distinguished from ritual guilt-appeasement of offended ancestors or spirits (xin lỗi tổ tiên, cúng giải hạn) and from mere worldly regret. Godly sorrow (7:8-11) is relational, God-ward, and issues in genuine, saving repentance, not ritual restitution.


Generosity Grace Giving

Approved rendering: ân điển (mở rộng: sự rộng rãi trong việc dâng hiến)
Transliteration: an dien (mo rong: su rong rai trong viec dang hien)
Doctrine: Generosity and Grace in Giving
Rejected alternatives: làm phước, cúng dường

Applies the locked baseline term ‘ân điển’ to the collection in chs. 8-9; must never be assimilated to Vietnamese Buddhist ‘làm phước’ or ‘cúng dường’ (giving to accumulate merit — phước đức/công đức — for the giver or a deceased relative), a deeply entrenched cultural practice.


Sowing And Reaping

Approved rendering: gieo / gặt
Transliteration: gieo / gat
Doctrine: Generosity and Grace in Giving
Rejected alternatives: nhân quả framing (‘gieo nhân nào, gặt quả nào’)

The Vietnamese proverbial pairing ‘gieo nhân nào, gặt quả nào’ is popularly tied to Buddhist nhân quả (karmic cause-and-effect), an impersonal cosmic law. Must be taught (9:6) as God’s own personal, sovereign, gracious multiplying of blessing on grace-motivated giving, not an impersonal karmic mechanism.


Cheerful Giver

Approved rendering: người dâng cho cách vui lòng
Transliteration: nguoi dang cho cach vui long
Doctrine: Generosity and Grace in Giving
Rejected alternatives: làm phước/cúng dường framing

Must be sharply distinguished from Vietnamese Buddhist ‘làm phước’/‘cúng dường’ (merit-generating almsgiving). Cheerful giving (9:7) flows from gratitude for grace already received, with no merit accrued toward the giver’s standing before God.


False Apostles

Approved rendering: sứ đồ giả
Transliteration: su do gia
Doctrine: Genuine versus False Apostleship
Rejected alternatives: a rendering implying merely a lesser-qualified or junior teacher

Combines the locked baseline term ‘sứ đồ’ with ‘giả’ (false/counterfeit). Must clearly convey deliberate religious counterfeit and deception (11:13-15): servants of Satan disguised as servants of righteousness.


Super Apostles

Approved rendering: những kẻ tự xưng là sứ đồ hơn hết
Transliteration: nhung ke tu xung la su do hon het
Doctrine: Genuine versus False Apostleship

Paul’s ironic title (11:5; 12:11) for self-promoting rival teachers claiming superior apostolic status. Ironic/sarcastic tone must be preserved; these are not truly superior apostles.


Paradise

Approved rendering: Ba-ra-đi / tầng trời thứ ba
Transliteration: Ba-ra-di / tang troi thu ba
Doctrine: Genuine versus False Apostleship (validating revelation)

Distinguish from the tiered, merit-attained heavens of Buddhist cosmology (multiple numbered cõi trời reached through accumulated merit/meditative attainment). Paul’s paradise (12:2-4) is a singular, unearned, sovereignly granted revelatory experience.


Examine Yourselves

Approved rendering: hãy tự xét mình
Transliteration: hay tu xet minh
Doctrine: Sincerity and Apostolic Authority
Rejected alternatives: a karmic merit/demerit self-accounting framing

Risk of conflation with karmic self-accounting (a mental tally of merit/demerit resonant with popular nhân quả reasoning). Must be taught (13:5) as testing whether one is genuinely in Christ by faith, not an audit of accumulated merit or demerit.


Peddling Gods Word

Approved rendering: buôn bán lời của Đức Chúa Trời để trục lợi
Transliteration: buon ban loi cua Duc Chua Troi de truc loi
Doctrine: Sincerity and Apostolic Authority

Serious negative-contrast term (2:17); must convey exploitation of sacred teaching for personal gain, not mild criticism.


Trinitarian Benediction

Approved rendering: ân điển, tình yêu thương, sự thông công
Transliteration: an dien, tinh yeu thuong, su thong cong
Doctrine: Reconciliation with God (Trinitarian ground)

Reuses locked baseline ‘ân điển’ and ‘sự thông công’ exactly (13:14); must be rendered identically wherever this benediction is quoted elsewhere in the curriculum, per the cross-document consistency rule established in the baseline requirements document.


Medium Risk Terms

Gospel

Approved rendering: Tin Lành
Transliteration: tin lanh
Doctrine: Gospel
Rejected alternatives: tin tức tốt lành

Inherited from Romans package. In 2 Corinthians contrasted with rival ‘different gospels’ (11:4) preached by false apostles; must retain its authoritative, singular referent.


Apostle

Approved rendering: sứ đồ
Transliteration: su do
Doctrine: Apostleship

Inherited from Romans package. Central to this curriculum’s ‘Genuine versus False Apostleship’ doctrine; combines with ‘giả’ (false) and ‘hơn hết’ (super-) to form new compound terms in Section B below.


Called

Approved rendering: được kêu gọi
Transliteration: duoc keu goi
Doctrine: Divine Calling

Inherited from Romans package. Retained for cross-curriculum consistency; 2 Corinthians does not significantly extend this term’s contextual range.


Holy

Approved rendering: thánh
Transliteration: thanh
Doctrine: Sanctification

Inherited from Romans package. Occurs at 1:1; 7:1; 8:4; 13:12.


Sanctification

Approved rendering: sự nên thánh
Transliteration: su nen thanh
Doctrine: Sanctification

Inherited from Romans package. Applied at 7:1 to ‘bringing holiness to completion.‘


Peace

Approved rendering: sự bình an
Transliteration: su binh an
Doctrine: Peace with God

Inherited from Romans package. Retained for cross-curriculum consistency.


Spiritual Gifts

Approved rendering: ân tứ thuộc linh
Transliteration: an tu thuoc linh
Doctrine: Spiritual Gifts

Inherited from Romans package. Retained for cross-curriculum consistency.


Church

Approved rendering: Hội Thánh
Transliteration: Hoi Thanh
Doctrine: Church as God’s People
Rejected alternatives: đền, chùa

Inherited from Romans package. Occurs at 1:1; 8:1,18-24; 11:8,28; 12:13.


Kingdom Of God

Approved rendering: Nước Đức Chúa Trời
Transliteration: Nuoc Duc Chua Troi
Doctrine: Kingdom Mission

Inherited from Romans package. Retained for cross-curriculum consistency; not a primary term in 2 Corinthians.


Law

Approved rendering: luật pháp
Transliteration: luat phap
Doctrine: Fulfillment of Prophecy

Inherited from Romans package. Background for the ‘letter’ (γράμμα) of the Mosaic covenant in ch. 3; see letter_and_spirit below.


Sin

Approved rendering: tội lỗi
Transliteration: toi loi
Doctrine: Universal Human Accountability
Rejected alternatives: nghiệp xấu

Inherited from Romans package. Never nghiệp xấu. Central at 5:19,21 (‘made him to be sin’ / ‘not counting trespasses’).


Gentiles

Approved rendering: dân ngoại
Transliteration: dan ngoai
Doctrine: Unity of Jews and Gentiles

Inherited from Romans package. Contextual references to all nations receiving the message of reconciliation.


Abba

Approved rendering: Áp-ba
Transliteration: Ap-ba
Doctrine: Adoption into God’s Family

Inherited from Romans package. Retained for cross-curriculum consistency; not directly recurring in 2 Corinthians.


Thorn In Flesh

Approved rendering: cái giằm xóc trong thịt
Transliteration: cai giam xoc trong thit
Doctrine: Power in Weakness

A God-permitted, ongoing affliction that keeps Paul humble and dependent on grace (12:7). Must not be read as karmic punishment for personal sin (quả báo/nhân quả).


Signs Of Apostle

Approved rendering: các dấu lạ của sứ đồ (thật)
Transliteration: cac dau la cua su do (that)
Doctrine: Genuine versus False Apostleship
Rejected alternatives: validation by folk-religious efficacy (linh nghiệm)

Authenticating marks (12:12) distinguishing genuine apostleship from the false apostles and super-apostles of ch. 11; must not be validated by perceived folk-religious spiritual efficacy (linh/linh nghiệm) but by gospel fidelity and Christlike character.


Sincerity

Approved rendering: sự chân thành / sự trong sạch
Transliteration: su chan thanh / su trong sach
Doctrine: Sincerity and Apostolic Authority

Standard integrity vocabulary (1:12; 2:17; 11:3); ensure it reads as transparency of motive before God, not merely social politeness.


Ambassador

Approved rendering: đại sứ (thay mặt cho Đấng Christ)
Transliteration: dai su (thay mat cho Dang Christ)
Doctrine: Reconciliation with God

Ensure this (5:20) reads as a Christ-commissioned spiritual representative, not merely a political/diplomatic office; apostolic authority is representative, not self-derived.


Unequally Yoked

Approved rendering: mang chung một ách khác loại (với)
Transliteration: mang chung mot ach khac loai (voi)
Doctrine: Church as the Temple of the Living God
Rejected alternatives: compatibility framing based on xem tuổi/hợp tuổi (zodiac matching)

Distinguish from folk astrological compatibility-matching customs; this (6:14) concerns spiritual allegiance to Christ versus idols, not zodiac compatibility.


Triumphal Procession

Approved rendering: dẫn trong đám khải hoàn / mùi thơm của Đấng Christ
Transliteration: dan trong dam khai hoan / mui thom cua Dang Christ
Doctrine: Gospel Proclamation as the Fragrance of Christ

Roman military victory-parade imagery and OT sacrificial-aroma imagery (2:14-16) have no direct Vietnamese cultural equivalent and require brief explanatory framing at first occurrence.


Spiritual Warfare

Approved rendering: binh khí thuộc linh / đồn lũy
Transliteration: binh khi thuoc linh / don lu
Doctrine: Spiritual Opposition and Satanic Deception
Rejected alternatives: framing as literal spirit-exorcism ritual (trừ tà, đuổi ma)

Targets proud arguments/thoughts opposed to the knowledge of God (10:3-5), not literal spirit-exorcism rituals.


Godly Jealousy

Approved rendering: lòng sốt sắng / ghen thánh theo Đức Chúa Trời
Transliteration: long sot sang / ghen thanh theo Duc Chua Troi
Doctrine: The Church’s Exclusive Devotion to Christ

Covenant-protective concern for exclusive devotion to Christ (11:2), imaged as a bride kept pure for one husband; not possessive human jealousy.


Love Of Christ

Approved rendering: tình yêu thương của Đấng Christ
Transliteration: tinh yeu thuong cua Dang Christ
Doctrine: Substitutionary Atonement (motivation)

Christ’s self-giving, covenantal love (5:14), the motivating power of apostolic ministry — not generic human affection.


Meekness Gentleness

Approved rendering: sự nhu mì và khiêm nhường của Đấng Christ
Transliteration: su nhu mi va khiem nhuong cua Dang Christ
Doctrine: Sincerity and Apostolic Authority

Christ’s humility and forbearance (10:1), the pattern for apostolic conduct, contrasted with rival teachers’ harshness; conveys humble strength, not weakness or passivity.


Holy Kiss

Approved rendering: cái hôn thánh
Transliteration: cai hon thanh
Doctrine: The Holy Kiss as a Sign of Fellowship

A customary early-church greeting (13:12), retained literally per Bản Dịch Truyền Thống convention; not a native Vietnamese social practice, though modern equivalents (holy embrace/handshake) are typically substituted in practice while the phrase is retained in translation.


Pure Virgin

Approved rendering: trinh nữ trong sạch
Transliteration: trinh nu trong sach
Doctrine: The Church’s Exclusive Devotion to Christ

Bridal purity imagery (11:2) for the church’s exclusive, undefiled devotion to Christ as her betrothed; requires brief cultural framing since bridal-betrothal imagery differs from Vietnamese marriage custom emphasis.


Low Risk Terms

Thanksgiving

Approved rendering: sự cảm tạ
Transliteration: su cam ta
Doctrine: Thanksgiving

Inherited from Romans package. Recurs across 1:11; 2:14; 4:15; 9:11-12, tying comfort and generosity doctrines to gratitude.


Fellowship

Approved rendering: sự thông công
Transliteration: su thong cong
Doctrine: Christian Fellowship

Inherited from Romans package. Locked for the Trinitarian benediction at 13:14; must render identically wherever quoted elsewhere in the curriculum.


Exhort

Approved rendering: khích lệ
Transliteration: khich le
Doctrine: Mutual Edification

Inherited from Romans package. Context-sensitive across 2 Corinthians: khuyên nài for entreaty (e.g. 5:20; 6:1), khích lệ for comfort/edification (e.g. 1:4-6; 7:6-13).


Conscience

Approved rendering: lương tâm
Transliteration: luong tam
Doctrine: Sincerity and Apostolic Authority

Standard, well-established term (5:11; 1:12; 4:2); no significant syncretism risk.

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