Romans 14:14

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An Exegetical Examination of κοινός in Romans 14:14: Addressing Translational Divergence

This exegetical study of An Exegetical Examination of κοινός in Romans 14:14: Addressing Translational Divergence is based on an ongoing b-greek discussion concerning the adjective κοινός. The discussion notes that κοινός appears twelve times in the New Testament, with a particular English translation (Alpha-Beta) rendering it as “common” seven times, “unclean” three times, “defiled” once, and “unholy” once. Specifically, the translation “unclean” is applied to κοινός exclusively in Romans 14:14 among its twelve occurrences.

The primary exegetical issue under consideration is the divergence in the translation of κοινός in Romans 14:14. While the Latin Vulgate translates κοινόν by the Latin word *communem*, which directly relates to the English word “common,” many contemporary English translations render it as “unclean.” This presents a tension, especially when compared to Acts 10:14, where the apostle Peter explicitly distinguishes between κοινόν and ἀκάθαρτον. There, Jerome in the Vulgate translates these as *commune* and *inmundum* respectively, and English versions as “common” and “unclean.” The question arises whether translating κοινόν as “common” in Romans 14:14, consistent with its more frequent rendering elsewhere and the Vulgate’s choice, would be an acceptable and accurate representation of the original Greek text and its semantic range in this particular Pauline context.

Greek Text (Nestle 1904):
Οἶδα καὶ πέπεισμαι ἐν κυρίῳ Ἰησοῦ ὅτι οὐδὲν κοινὸν δι᾿ ἑαυτοῦ, εἰ μὴ τῷ λογιζομένῳ τι κοινὸν εἶναι, ἐκείνῳ κοινόν.

• Key differences with SBLGNT (2010): No substantive differences are found in the Greek text of Romans 14:14 between Nestle 1904 and SBLGNT (2010). Both editions present identical readings for this verse.

Textual Criticism (NA28): The critical apparatus of the Nestle-Aland 28th edition (NA28) shows no significant textual variants for the term κοινόν in Romans 14:14. The reading is exceptionally well-attested across the manuscript tradition, affirming its originality in the Pauline text.

Lexical Notes (KITTEL, BDAG):
The term κοινός (koinós) exhibits a significant semantic range crucial for understanding its usage in Romans 14:14.

• KITTEL (TDNT, *Theological Dictionary of the New Testament*, Vol. III, pp. 789-809): Kittel highlights the dual nature of κοινός. Primarily, it means “common,” “shared,” or “public” (a neutral sense, e.g., Acts 2:44, 4:32). However, particularly in the Septuagint and Jewish thought, it increasingly acquired a pejorative cultic-religious sense, meaning “profane,” “defiled,” “unholy,” or “unclean” (often in antithesis to ἅγιος, “holy”). This negative connotation becomes prominent when referring to things not prepared according to ritual purity laws or things touched by Gentiles. In Romans 14, the context of food and ritual purity strongly suggests this second, negative meaning.
• BDAG (Bauer, Danker, Arndt, Gingrich, *A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature*, *s.v.* κοινός): BDAG confirms two main categories for κοινός: (1) “pertaining to what is common, shared” and (2) “pertaining to what is ritually or ceremonially impure, unholy, defiled, unclean.” For Romans 14:14, BDAG explicitly places it under the second meaning, “unclean,” specifically regarding food. It further elaborates on the distinction in Acts 10:14 between κοινός (food that is common/profane by association or lack of ritual preparation) and ἀκάθαρτος (food inherently forbidden by Mosaic Law). In Romans 14, Paul argues that *no* food is inherently defiling, but it becomes “unclean” for the individual who *perceives* it as such, thereby defiling their conscience.

Translation Variants

The grammatical structure of Romans 14:14 presents κοινόν as a predicate adjective modifying “οὐδὲν” (nothing) in the phrase “οὐδὲν κοινὸν δι’ ἑαυτοῦ” (“nothing is κοινὸν by itself”). The critical interpretive challenge lies in accurately conveying the semantic nuance of κοινός within this Pauline context.

Rhetorically, Paul is addressing a significant source of division within the Roman church concerning dietary practices and the observance of special days (Romans 14:1-6). His aim is to foster unity and mutual acceptance by establishing a theological principle: no food is inherently defiling. The issue is not the intrinsic nature of the food but the conscience of the believer. The distinction drawn in Acts 10:14 between κοινός (foods made “common” or “profane” through contact or lack of proper ritual) and ἀκάθαρτος (foods intrinsically “unclean” according to Mosaic Law) is instructive. Paul’s argument in Romans 14 implicitly transcends even this distinction, asserting that for the Christian, *nothing* is intrinsically defiling. Thus, whether food falls into the category of κοινός or ἀκάθαρτος by Jewish standards, Paul proclaims Christian liberty: “nothing is κοινόν in itself.”

If κοινός is rendered “common,” the statement “nothing is common by itself” might seem less forceful in the context of ritual purity. However, *if “common” is understood as “profane” or “non-sacred”*, then it perfectly aligns with the argument against ritual defilement. The Latin Vulgate’s *communem* can carry this latent meaning. Conversely, translating κοινός as “unclean” or “defiled” directly addresses the concerns of those with a “weak faith” who regard certain foods as ritually impure. Paul’s rhetorical move is to affirm the objective purity of all food for the believer (“nothing is unclean by itself”) while simultaneously upholding the subjective reality for the sensitive conscience (“but to the one who considers something to be unclean, to that one it is unclean”). The choice of “unclean” or “profane” thus best captures the practical implications for the early church debates on diet, emphasizing the concept of ritual defilement rather than mere sharedness.

Conclusions and Translation Suggestions

The exegetical analysis of κοινός in Romans 14:14 reveals that while its fundamental meaning is “common” or “shared,” in specific cultic and religious contexts, it acquires the sense of “profane,” “defiled,” or “unclean.” In Romans 14, Paul employs κοινός to address the concerns regarding dietary purity within the Christian community. His assertion is that no food is *inherently* defiling; rather, its status as “unclean” is contingent upon the perception and conscience of the individual. Therefore, translations must carefully navigate this semantic range to accurately convey Paul’s theological and pastoral point.

Based on this analysis, the following translation suggestions are offered:

1. “I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, except to the one who considers something to be unclean—to that one it is unclean.”
   This rendering directly addresses the issue of ritual impurity, aligning with the concerns of those with a “weak faith” regarding food, and reflecting the usage of κοινός in other purity contexts. It is a common and theologically sound translation.
2. “I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is profane in itself, except for the one who considers something to be profane; for that one it is profane.”
   This translation uses “profane” to capture the nuance of ritual impurity that is not necessarily “unclean” in the sense of inherently forbidden (as ἀκάθαρτος), but rather “common” or “non-sacred” in a way that some might find defiling according to Jewish custom. It bridges the gap between “common” and “unclean.”
3. “I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is common in the sense of being defiling by itself, except to the one who considers something to be defiling; to that one it is defiling.”
   This option attempts to retain the literal meaning of “common” while adding a qualifying phrase to clarify its semantic intent in this specific context, directly addressing the concept of ritual defilement through perception. While more explicit, it maintains fidelity to the root meaning of κοινός.

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