κοινός (koinos)
koinos
common: unsanctified
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 12 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The Greek word koinos primarily means "common" in the sense of shared or ordinary. In passages like Acts 2:44 and 4:32, it describes possessions held in common by the early believers. However, its most significant usage in the New Testament shifts from social sharing to ritual status. Here, it carries the weight of being unhallowed, profane, or unclean according to Jewish law.
This distinction becomes central in Mark 7, where Jesus confronts the Pharisees about their traditions. They criticize his disciples for eating with "common" (unclean) hands, failing to observe ritual washings. Jesus uses this term to argue that external rituals do not defile a person, challenging the boundary between holy and ordinary. Paul echoes this in Romans 14:14, stating that no food is inherently unclean if received with thanksgiving.
The word appears twelve times across the New Testament, notably in Acts, Romans, and Mark. It serves as a linguistic bridge showing how early Christians redefined purity. Rather than focusing on separation from common things, the texts emphasize that holiness comes from within the heart, not from avoiding shared meals or ordinary objects.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word koinos often carries a heavy weight in religious contexts, suggesting that something is ordinary, shared, or even unclean. In the first century, this distinction defined social and spiritual boundaries. Jesus radically redefined this concept in Mark 7. He taught that true defilement comes from within the heart, not from external rituals or common objects. This shift invites us to look past surface-level purity tests and focus on inner integrity.
For your daily life, this means you are free from unnecessary burdens of ritualism. Paul reminds us in Romans 14 that no food or object is inherently unclean when received with gratitude. Instead of isolating yourself from the ordinary world, you can engage with it faithfully. Holiness is not found in avoiding common things, but in how you love and serve others within them.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 12 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- common3×
- unclean2×
- with unsanctified1×
- with defiled1×
- unsanctified1×
- unclean [it is];1×
- shared1×
- ordinary1×
- in common.1×
- in common,1×
- [our] common1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- κοινὸν7×
- κοιναῖς2×
- κοινῆς1×
- κοινόν·1×
- κοινὴν1×
- κοινά.1×
- κοινά,1×
Key Verses
-
Mark 7:2
Now when they saw some of his disciples eating bread with defiled, that is unwashed, hands, they found fault.
This verse introduces the conflict where Jesus challenges the Pharisees' strict interpretation of ritual purity regarding unwashed hands.
-
Acts 10:14
But Peter said, “Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.”
Peter uses this term to describe food that is unclean, showing his initial struggle with Jewish dietary laws before his vision.
-
Romans 14:14
I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean of itself; except that to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
Paul explicitly states that nothing is inherently unclean, emphasizing that personal conviction and faith determine one's stance on such matters.