Bible Dictionary
COMMON
Common means shared, public, ordinary, or belonging to all. In the New Testament it can describe the faith and salvation shared by believers, while also referring to what was regarded as ceremonially ordinary or unclean before God’s cleansing.
Definition
Common means public, general, universal, shared, or ordinary, in contrast with what is individual or set apart. The word may therefore describe either shared spiritual blessings or things regarded as ordinary and unsuitable for sacred use.
Biblical Usage
The common faith and common salvation are blessings shared by all Christians. Peter’s language contrasts what was considered common and unclean with what God had cleansed.
Historical Background
Old Testament religion emphasized separation in people, ministers, foods, times, places, rites, and vessels. New Testament universalism and spirituality rise above these external distinctions.
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>kom'-un: koinos, in the classics, and primarily in the New Testament, means what is public, general, universal, as contrasted with idios, what is peculiar, individual, not shared with others. Thus, "common faith" (Tit 1:4), "common salvation" (Jude 1:3), refer to that in which the experience of all Christians unites and is identical: "common," because there is but one faith and one salvation (Eph 4:4-6). From this comes the derived meaning of what is ordinary and, therefore, to be disesteemed, as contrasted with what pertains to a class, and to be prized, because rare. This naturally coincides with Old Testament exclusivism, particularity and separation. Its religion was that of a separated people, with a separated class as its ministers, and with minute directions as to distinctions of meat, drink, times, places, rites, vessels, etc. Whatever was common or ordinary, it avoided. The New Testament, on the other hand, with its universalism of scope, and its spirituality of sphere, rose above all such externals. The salvation which it brought was directed to the redemption of Nature, as well as of man, sanctifying the creature, and pervading all parts of man's being and all relations of life. The antithesis is forcibly illustrated in Ac 10:14 f, where Peter says: "I have never eaten anything that is common and unclean," and the reply is: "What God hath cleansed, make not thou common."</p><p>H. E. Jacobs</p>