Koine Greek

In my limited study of Church history, I have seen an emphasis repeatedly placed on the dialect of Greek known as Koine. The word Koine (κοινὴ ), pronounced in English “KOY-nay,” itself translates to “common,” so the official title is literally “Common Greek.” 

As its name implies Koine was commonly used and understood throughout the biblical regions (aka. The regions in which the events recorded in the Bible took place) during the time of the New Testament writers. These lands correlate to modern-day Middle East and some portions of Europe and Africa. Although it was not the only language spoken at that time, it was commonly spoken in addition to an individual’s mother tongue.  

You might be wondering, why exactly this dialect is so important? The mutual tongue made evangelism as well as communication among the saints much easier during the first century, as it helped reduce the barriers formed by differences in language.

-S. N. Adams