Jude 3, “Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation…”

What did Jude mean by “common”?

  • Looking in the concordance, “common” in Jude 3 is Greek word 2839.
  • The other Greek words (New Testament only) for “common” are 4232, 4183, 1219, 2840, and 442.
  • Looking in the Greek dictionary
    • 2839: koinos (common, defiled, unclean, unholy)  This is the one we care about the most.
    • 4232: praitorion (a common meeting hall)
    • 4183: polus (abundant, great, common, long, many, much, oft)  Basically, this version of common means that there is a whole lot of it, so it is common.
    • 1219: demosios (common, openly, publicly)  That which is demonstrated in public.
    • 2840: koinoo (call common, defile, pollute, unclean)  Closely related to the one we care about, the verb rather than the adjective.
    • 442: anthropinos (human, common to man, after the manner of man)  “Anthro-“ as in anthropology.  Having to do with humans.
  • Let’s research 2839 and 2840 because 2840 is just the verb form of 2839, the one we are most interested in.  But, keep the others in mind, since they are completely different Greek words also translated “common.”  We do not want our English definition of “common” to leak over into 2839 and 2840.
  • Common:
    • Acts 2:44, And all those who believed were together and has all things in common.
    • Acts 4:32, Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common.
    • Acts 10:14 – 15, But Peter said, “Not so, Lord!  For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.”  And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.”  (Note: “unclean” is Greek word 169, akathartes, nothing like koinos.  Looks like “not cathartic.”  Same note for 10:28 and 11:8 – 9)
    • Acts 10:28, Then he [Peter] said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation.  But God has shown me that I should not all any man common or unclean.” 
    • Acts 11:8 – 9, [Peter said,] “But I said, ‘Not so Lord!  For nothing common or unclean has at any time entered my mouth.’  But the voice answered me again from heaven, ‘What God has cleansed you must not call common.’”
    • Titus 1:4, To Titus, a true son in our common faith.
    • Jude 3, Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.
  • Defiled
    • Matthew 15:18, [Jesus] “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man.”
    • Matthew 15:20, [Jesus] “These are which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.”
    • Mark 7:2, Now they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands.
    • Mark 7:15, [Jesus] “There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.”
    • Mark 7:18, So He said to them, “Are you thus without understanding, also?  Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him…”
    • Mark 7:23, [Jesus] “All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”
  • Unclean
    • Romans 14:14, I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.”
    • Hebrews 9:13, For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh…
  • Unholy
    • Hebrews 10:29, Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?
  • Polluted
    • Acts 21:28, [People in the mob] crying out, “Men of Israel, help!  This is the man who teaches all everywhere against the people, the law, and this place; and furthermore he also brought Greeks into this holy place.”
  • Summary
    • The usages appear to fall into two categories: that which is shared between people versus something that is classified as unclean according to the Law.  The “common or unclean” phrase does not show that the ideas were different, since God replied, “What God has cleansed you shall not call common.”  So, “common” can be the opposite of “clean.”  Rather, this is a Hebrew form of emphasis: saying the same thing twice in different ways.
    • Perhaps the “unclean” definition is a figure of speech, like “asleep” being used for “dead,” or “pushed aside” for “setting aside well-earned distrust” (forgive), or “missing the mark” for sin, or “sidestep” for trespass.
    • When the word was used to mean “shared,” the figurative meaning would be hanging around in the background, “the salvation we share, right next door to unclean.”  Perhaps this was a bit of humor, like a pun.
    • Literal: Acts 2:44, 4:32, Titus 1:4, Jude 3.  The rest would be figurative.