Was junia an apostle

Nevertheless, beginning with erasmus in 1516, all greek new testament translations except one consider junia female. Jan 02, 2020 it is unlikely that junia was an apostle, but romans 16. Most likely, junia was a female apostle who served alongside her husband. The name junia was a very common womans name, but the name junias was unknown in antiquity and girls werent named boy names and viseversa. Junia became junias simply because a woman could not possibly be an apostle. John chrysostom ad 347407, bishop of constantinople, wrote a series of homilies that have been preserved. Further, junia was a common enough latin name and, since this was pauls letter to the romans, one might expect to see a few latin names on the list. Yet this sexchange operation occurred without a shred of evidence or even an attempt at persuasion. Junia was an apostle and was not the only woman so honored by the early church. In the earliest generation of christianity, there was a female apostle named junia whom paul said was prominent among the apostles before he himself was converted 1. First, disagreement exists as to whether junia was a male or female and second, was junia a female apostle, a position of authority and leadership. Junia is the subject of debate within the academic world concerning the implications of a female apostle leading within the early church, that it might suggest the ordination of women. The phrase among the apostles can also be translated as to the apostles, placing junia within or outside this ministry category.

Junia or junias was a 1stcentury christian highly regarded and complimented by paul the apostle. Junias story is an important one to consider for two reasons. This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title junia. The word apostle, from the greek word apostolos, has a similar range of meanings as the word missionary, from the latin word missionis the more straightforward reading of romans 16. Well, it would mean that junia based on the definition of apostolos was sent, by someone in authority, to deliver a message. The view among most modern new testament scholars is that this person was a woman named junia, but a common view in the past was that it was a man named junias. Salute andronicus and junia, my kinsmen and fellow prisoners, who are of note among the. Maybe junia was with the followers for the entire time of jesus ministry speculation. Grenz tentatively mentions that biblical commentators up until about 1200 were in large agreement that junia was a woman, and according to him. One of the most thorough and comprehensive treatments available on the subject of the name junia in romans 16. Perhaps junia is the wife of andronicus, and they were simply referred to as a team. Joanna certainly qualifies as being an apostle according to the traditional understanding of apostolic prerequisites e. Though widely accepted as a woman apostle throughout early church history, in later translations an s was added to the end of her name, making it into a. Jun 26, 2007 he concludes, because the weight of the evidence favors interpreting junia as an authoritative apostle, pauls greeting sufficiently opens the possibility that women served in this capacity.

This breaks open our notions of what was possible for women in the early church and further reveals the significant ways that women contributed to the leadership and growth of the church in the first century. A new article by yiijan lin, a professor at yale divinity school. It is unlikely that junia was an apostle, but romans 16. For too long have women been prevented to take any office in the church other than admin and being prayer warriors because of. First, it really is significant that paul called her an apostle.

Greet andronicus and junia, my fellow jews who have been in prison with me. Salute andronicus and junia, my kinsmen and fellow prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in christ, before me romans 16. Yolanda powell brings us to a spectacular vision of the. This could be as simple as being a witness of jesus ministry sharing the gospel with others or it could mean. Saint paul mentions them in his epistle to the romans. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in christ before i was. The epistle to the romans, new international commentary on the new testament by douglas moo. In different translations of the bible, the spelling of junia is where the disagreement is and whether the greek word for junia is masculine or feminine.

This film represents the breaking of the chains for all women, everywhere. In this important work, epp investigates the mysterious disappearance of junia from the traditions of the church. There is a female apostle in the bible named junia romans 16. The jewish woman who was imprisoned with paul marg. Since his conversion occurred just a few years after the resurrection of christ, junia must have been one of the earliest converts to christianity and probably was. But even the data on this score can be deceptive, for the mans name junianas was frequent enough in latin and greek writings and, from my cursory examination of latin materials, the nickname. Blame martin luther for people thinking the bibles female. En is a greek preposition, much like our english in. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in christ before me. Junia, a female apostle, prominent among the apostles.

Its an open secret that paul calls junia an apostle and yet she is rarely mentioned in histories of christianity. Chrysostoms statements about these women are particularly convincing especially in light of his misogynist views toward women. Greet andronicus and junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. The junia project is named for junia, a woman apostle in the early church see romans 16. However, i am unconvinced that junia and joanna are one and the same. Saint junia and saint andronicus of the seventy were relatives of the holy apostle paul. For someone who is only mentioned once in the whole bible romans 16. She was also a fellow prisoner for christ, though not necessarily in the same jail cell or jail. Certainly junia and andronicus are not members of the twelve, nor share the particular calling of paul as a singular apostle to the gentiles. The modern scholarly controversy over this name rests on the presumption that no woman could rank as an apostle, and thus that the accusative form must refer to a male by the name of. Either translation is possible within the scope of.

Nevertheless, three of the scholars cited, al wolters, david huttar, and michael burer, continue to question junias. In romans 16 the apostle paul mentions three women who have been recently become the subject of a great deal of conversation and. Saint andronicus apostle of the seventy and saint junia were relatives of the holy apostle paul. Junia school of apostles is dedicated to providing learners with advanced studies designed to advance their understanding of endtime kingdom ministry. Some people have suggested that junia is the same person as joanna who is mentioned in luke 8. Since apostles are in place of authority, then junia demonstrates that women can be in authority. Junia isnt one of the 12, nor an apostle like paul, or jesus, nor a false apostle. In this regard, 1 cor 15 seems to set these apart as apostles as different from others. Chrysostom provides credible objective evidence that junia was an apostle. To read the previous posts, click here for part one, here for part two, and here for part three. Apostle andronicus of the seventy and his fellowlaborer. Preato greet andronicus and junia, my fellow jews who have been in prison with me. The view among most modern new testament scholars is.

For junia and andronicus perhaps her husband, being an apostle wasnt a matter of privilege, but prison. Oct 29, 2008 the identity of junia named in romans 16. Yolanda powell under the auspices of the epic global network. In addition to origen and chrysostom, other greek fathers and commentators unanimously understood junia to be a female apostle, including. Her ministry in partnership with andronicus and paul reminds us that gods intention is for men and women to partner together as equals in the home, the church, and the community. Junia, the first woman apostle by harkness professor of biblical literature emeritus at case western reserve university and president of the society of biblical literature is not so much a text on junia, mentioned in chapter 16. In orthodox tradition, however, the title of apostle does not necessarily confer the kind of position that the twelve had from christ. The last stop in our tour of the women of romans 16 is verse 7. Junia was the name of a christian in rome, a person whose name is mentioned in the letter to the romans in connection with andronicus, as being pauls relatives, who were in prison with him. Further, she was involved in the formation of the early church in rome. Culminating in a devastating forensic critique of the allegedly scholarly view that the greek should be translated as known to as opposed to outstanding among the apostles worth the. That would leave only being an apostle like barnabas an apostle in the sense of one who is simply sent to proclaim the truth or one who was with christ before his death and saw him after his resurrection. Andronicus and junia are called outstanding among the apostles, which places them within the grouping of apostles.

Many maintain that she was an apostle and that her life therefore becomes a basis for affirming an egalitarian view of gender roles in the ministries of the christian church. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to. Junia arise is a revolutionary documentary film that unveils a seventeencenturyold biblical cover up of female leadership in society. The identity of junia as a woman apostle was not questioned until the middle ages when translators tried to change the gender of the name to the masculine junias. For too long have women been prevented to take any office in the church other than admin and being prayer warriors because of misinterpretation of scriptures. However, she was recognized by the twelve as being an. Aug 27, 2019 junia is a latin feminine name, ordinarly given to slaves or freedwomen of the junia family, of which some 250 examples have been found in roman evidence. A former mk from japan, she lives in southern california with her husband of 44 years, and enjoys spending time with her family, especially her eight grandkids.

1219 796 621 1035 1401 1085 257 1356 1316 1578 811 738 12 916 100 1160 1488 436 24 1069 90 373 1061 759 34 276 1038 138 1069 335 57 1381 973 114 1136 259