Junia: The Invisible Apostle

In my last blog, I looked at Paul’s female co-workers, and how women also built the church. This month I will examine Andronicus and Junia, likely to be a married couple, ministering together in Rome.  

“Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews who have been in prison with me.
They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was.”
Romans 16:7 NIVUK

Poor Junia has had somewhat of an identity crisis in the last two thousand years since Paul mentioned her in his letter. How you view her as either a man or woman, apostle, missionary, or church leader may depend upon the English translation of your Bible. Of translations other than English I cannot comment upon. For the first thousand years of church history, Junia was identified as both a woman and an apostle. Later she became a man and an apostle, before becoming a woman once more, but not an apostle. Until finally reverting back to a woman and an apostle.

The fourth-century theologian John Chrysostom had no doubts that Junia was indeed both a woman and an apostle.

“And indeed to be apostles at all is a great thing. But to be even among these of note, just consider what a great tribute this is! But they were of note owing to their works, to their achievements. Oh! How great is the wisdom of this woman, that she should be even counted worthy of the appellation of apostle!” Chrysostom, Homily 31 on Romans.

Rediscovering Junia as a woman

Other early church theologians and commenters also had no doubts that she was a woman. It was only in the Middle Ages that her sex became a problem. If Paul says she was outstanding among the apostles, then she would have to be a man, so her name was changed from Junia to the masculine Junias. In Greek, the name is written as iunian, and whilst technically it could be either male or female, there is no attested man’s name of Junias in the Greek and Roman world, where there are many examples of Junia. The majority of Bible scholars since the 1980s have restored her female identity, and most English translations since then say, Junia. It is interesting to note that The Message Version still says Junias.

Rediscovering Junia as an Apostle

Once Junia was given back her identity as a woman, then her role as an apostle was in doubt. There are questions as to the phrase which is translated either as they were well known to the apostles or outstanding among the apostles. An important distinction. Was she an apostle and what did the title mean?

This blog post is too short to go into the ins and outs of Greek grammar, to say which of these two phrases is more likely to describe Junia. Except to say those early church fathers, who were closer in time to the events and therefore more likely to understand the Greek as it was written, assumed she was an apostle, and that women could be apostles. If you would like to delve into the minutia of the Greek translation into English, then read Marg Mowczko post.

Was Junia Well Known “to” The Apostles?

Theodoret Of Cyprus (423–457) refers to apostles as “men and women of note, not among the pupils but among the teachers, and not among the ordinary teachers but among the apostles.”

When we think of apostles, we think of the original twelve disciples, but other people in the New Testament, with significant ministries, were also called apostles. Such as Paul, Barnabas, Silas and Timothy, among others. It is in this list that Junia belongs.

Rediscovering Junia’s ministry

Paul calls Junia and Andronicus his family, more likely as fellow Jews rather than a member of his actual family, and that they were Christians before him. This means they were very early believers in Christ. To be an apostle was to have seen the risen Jesus, so they had to be believers from the beginning. The meaning of an apostle is to be sent out, and perhaps they were even among the seventy-two Jesus sent out to the towns and villages in Judea.

Some have suggested that she could be Joanna, who was healed by Jesus, became his disciple, followed him to his death, and was present at the tomb on the first Easter Sunday. Whoever she was, Paul held her in high regard.

Both Junia and Andronicus had been in prison with Paul. Either as a prisoner themselves or staying with him in that dark place. Acts record Paul as having been in prison at least three times. Roman prisons were not like today. You were imprisoned whilst waiting for your judgement and sentence, which could be a long time. You had to rely on other people to give you food and water, and torture and physical punishments were commonplace. We can only imagine how dangerous this was for a woman when sexual abuse was rife amongst fellow prisoners and guards.

Junia was out there on the front line, shoulder to shoulder with Andronicus and Paul and her brothers and sisters, fulfilling Jesus’s commission to spread the good news to all the world. Her courage and faith meant that even when she knew she may be imprisoned and in great personal danger as a woman, she did not falter. She was one brave lady. Not only does Paul hold her in high esteem, so do I.

Read the first blog in this series.

How women (also)built the church – Paul’s female co-workers

Poor Junia has had somewhat of an identity crisis in the last two thousand years

Oh! How great is the wisdom of this woman, that she should be even counted worthy of the appellation of apostle!

John Chrysostom

Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash

Junia was out there on the front line, shoulder to shoulder with Andronicus and Paul