Koine Greek was the language of the common man (the Greek word Koine means common) during Greece’s Hellenistic period. It was widely used as the language of the eastern Mediterranean during the New Testament era. The spread of Alexander the Great's empire made Greek a lingua franca for commerce, politics, and daily communication across the Roman Empire. The Greek language had become the medium of commerce, culture, and philosophy (i.e., the lingua franca), and so it was possible for the gospel a