Who was junia the apostle

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. Maybe junia was with the followers for the entire time of jesus ministry speculation. This film represents the breaking of the chains for all women, everywhere. Surely if junia was an well known female apostle, a kinsmen he would have worded this statement very differently. 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. This contextual evidence has been mostly ignored in junia studies. Jun 26, 2007 does the bible refer to a female apostle named junia. Since apostles are in place of authority, then junia demonstrates that women can be in authority. The early church leaders recognized her as an apostle and they were much closer to the time frame. These newer translations, along with a careful examination of the historical record, provide conclusive evidence that junia was indeed a female apostle.

Saint paul mentions them in his epistle to the romans. Often times romans 16 is glossed over when reading the bible, being treated like the cast and credits that appear at the end of a film that one quickly glances over while. An apostle, a deacon, and a pastor walk into a bar. Much is made by the author of junia being a female apostle. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Most likely, junia was a female apostle who served alongside her husband. Epp tracks how this happened in new testament manuscripts, scribal traditions, and translations of the bible. The reason andronicus and junia were in prison with paul romans 16. Why this is even in question is because of translations like the rsv which says this in the text. In his homilies on the book of romans, fourthcentury church father john chrysostom preached favourably about junia, and acknowledged her as a female apostle.

Theologians and historians have debated the text used in support of this claim and come to differing conclusions. Junia would not be regarded as a female apostle because the entire teaching and context of the bible limits leadership in the organized church to men. The first woman apostle by eldon jay epp in 2005, the article provides new evidence that junia was indeed an apostle by considering pauls attitudes toward apostleshipboth others and his own. There is a female apostle in the bible named junia romans 16. John chrysostom on the apostle junia january 1, 2019 church history 0 comments photo by carl christian peters jump to series indexif youve ever read a serious article on the apostle junia, youve read the following quote from john chrysostom of. Greet andronicus and junia, my fellow jews who have been in prison with me. Because later theologians and scribes could not believe or wanted to suppress that paul had numbered a woman among the earliest churches apostles, junia s. Yolanda powell brings us to a spectacular vision of the.

It is unlikely that junia was an apostle, but romans 16. Does the bible refer to a female apostle named junia. 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. Part 6 lexicon entries for episemos junia, the apostle. We know from the book of romans that junia served alongside paul in his ministry, and was effective enough to be considered a threat to the local authorities, who imprisoned her along with paul. Any discussion of womens roles in the church must take into account the apostle junia. Paul refers to a male apostle, andronicus, and a female apostle, junia, as outstanding among the apostles niv every greek and latin church father until giles of rome circa ce acknowledged that junia was a woman. At the end of romans, nestled amid a series of greetings which paul extends to various women and men, one finds this salutation, greet andronicus and junia, my relatives who were in prison with me. Junia lepida, another roman noblewoman of 1st century junia claudilla, first wife of caligula junia new testament person, or junias, a person mentioned by paul in the epistle to the romans. The view among most modern new testament scholars is. 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. For someone who is only mentioned once in the whole bible romans 16. Further, junia was a common enough latin name and, since this was paul s letter to the romans, one might expect to see a few latin names on the list.

Another argument raised by the egalitarians in support of women being an authority is the case of junia in romans 16. If a woman, junia s apostleship opens the door to the highest office in the early church and thus to womens church leadership of any kind in any age. Salute andronicus and junia, my kinsmen and fellow prisoners, who are of note among the apostles. Junia isnt one of the 12, nor an apostle like paul, or jesus, nor a false apostle. 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. There are two major interpretive problems in this verse, both of which involve the identification of junias. The apostle junia barbara andersons watchtower documents. So was this junias a man who was a prominent apostle, or junia, a woman. Apr 01, 2010 the epigraphic and literary evidence is overwhelmingly in favour of junia being a woman. In addition to origen and chrysostom, other greek fathers and commentators unanimously understood junia to be a female apostle, including.

Junia or junias was a 1stcentury christian highly regarded and complimented by paul the apostle. Three women in the eye of the evangelical storm share. However, she was recognized by the twelve as being an apostle. In romans 16 the apostle paul mentions three women who have been recently become the subject of a great deal of conversation and controversy in the evangelical church. The first woman apostle kindle edition by epp, eldon jay. 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. First, we can be sure that junia was a woman for several reasons.

Part of resolving the first issue is that the name translated junia s appears only once in the greek nt. Since his conversion occurred just a few years after the resurrection of christ. Though she thinks of herself as the obedient wife of antipas viceroy, in gratitude to her. Chrysostom provides credible objective evidence that junia was an apostle. These are matters of speculation and not our business, anyway, but grist for novels. Junia new testament person, or junias, a person mentioned by paul in the epistle to the romans. What can be said for sure is that she worked alongside her husband in planting churches with the apostle paul, sometimes hosting those churches in their home. But most readers will want to take their time and savour the rich depth of detail epp packs into his work. 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. At the end of romans, nestled amid a series of greetings which paul extends to various women and men, one finds this salutation, greet andronicus and junia, my relatives who were in prison with. That said, it is clear that women like junia were teachers, deacons, and maybe even more but theres no definitive evidence for more. En is a greek preposition, much like our english in. Part 5 nino, equal to the apostles junia, the apostle.

Junia s story is an important one to consider for two reasons. Junias is an alternative spelling to junia, a female apostle found in romans 16. Further, it appears she had a very firm grasp of the gospel and partnered with her husband in mentoring new believers. 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 female apostle is a major claim, and it would require major clear biblical evidence, which is not found in the bible. New testament offices held by women include apostle, prophet, pastor, deacon, eldress, widow and virgin. There are two major interpretive problems in this verse, both of which involve the identification of junia s. Chrysostoms statements about these women are particularly convincing especially in light of his misogynist views toward women. Paul calls her first among the apostles, but some translators in the 1500. 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 one of the founders of the church at rome. Despite the fact that the earliest churches met in homes and that other women were clearly leaders in the churches e.

Kathryn riss proves that the junia was a woman and an apostle. Further, she was involved in the formation of the early church in rome. 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. It was first debated whether she was a woman or a man. 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. They are well known to or prominent among the apostles, and they were in christ before me.

Junia, a female apostle, prominent among the apostles. Junia lepida, another roman noblewoman of 1st century. Paul mentions such a woman in the sixteenth chapter of his letter to the romans. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading junia. She was also a fellow prisoner for christ, though not necessarily in the same jail cell or jail. The argument presented against this claim is that, due to a misplaced accent mark in rom. The seventy apostles were chosen and sent forth to preach by christ luke 10.

John chrysostom on the apostle junia weighted glory. Part 4 vamva version and lorimer junia, the apostle. Nov 29, 2019 those who favor the view that junia was not an apostle do so because of their prior assumption that women could not be apostles, not because of any evidence in the text. Apostle simply means someone who saw christ after his resurrection, it isnt a role of definite authority. Nor am i referring to anyone to whom he may have had an unfulfilled romantic attraction. 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.

The more obvious reading is that andronicus and junia, as well as being fellow jews and fellow prisoners of paul, were also fellow apostles or missionaries. In this important work, epp investigates the mysterious disappearance of junia from the traditions of the church. Junia was an apostle and was not the only woman so honored by the early church. Support for junia being a woman part of resolving the first issue is that the name translated junia s appears only once in the greek nt. Part 3 junia s name, wallace and burer junia, the apostle. Junia was an apostle, but so were many men and women. In the earliest generation of christianity, there was a female apostle named junia whom paul said was prominent among. The junia project is named for junia, a woman apostle in the early church see romans 16. Saint junia and saint andronicus of the seventy were relatives of the holy apostle paul. This could be as simple as being a witness of jesus ministry sharing the gospel with others or it could mean. Several patristic writers regard junia as a female apostle. On the one hand, no instances of junias as a mans name have surfaced to date in greek literature, while at least three instances of junia as a womans name have appeared in greek.

They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in christ before i was niv2011. But the overwhelming evidence from inscriptions and other ancient sources indicate that junia was a common name for a woman. In romans 16 the apostle paul mentions three women who have been recently become the subject of a great deal of conversation and. Beginning around 1900, the idea that the name was junia, a woman, esteemed by the apostles, was circulated in commentaries by several authors. Junia the female apostle sacred scripture catholic. Junias story is an important one to consider for two reasons. Jul 31, 2019 junia was called an apostle because she was active in proclaiming the message of christ. 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. To be fair, in her opening paragraph the author states that through the years, questions have been raised about her identity, occupation, and. At just 81 pages of text, eldon jay epps book, junia. Three daughters of servilia, mistress of caesar, sisters or half sisters of marcus junius brutus junia prima junia secunda junia tertia. In my historical novel, she is known as junia in the hellenized court of antipas, son of herod the great. The apostle junia, was a woman leader in the early church whose ministry reminds us that gods intention is for men and women to partner together as equals.

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. I am not speaking of the wife that he may or may not have had. The apostle junia by david tatro were there women apostles in new testament times. Using the search box on the homepage of our eewcchristian feminism today website, youll be led to many of her online articles. The first woman apostle kindle edition by epp, eldon. What about the women in the apostle pauls life and ministry. Thus, being a woman, did not prevent junia from being an apostle and from preaching the gospel. This claim is based on the apostle pauls description of andronicus and junia as my kinsmen, and my fellowprisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in christ before me romans 16. It is important to recognize, however, that chrysostom did not take junia to be an authoritative apostle, but rather as an apostle in a secondary.

At the end of the book of romans, paul greets many individuals by name. If this is a correct reading, it would be significant because junia as the name appears in the kjv and esv would be the only female apostle mentioned in the new testament. In addition, paul names a number of women as well as men whom he called. I have no disagreement whatsoever that, as you say, throughout the new testament the word apostle is placed correctly indicating who the apostles were. That would leave only being an apostle like barnabasan 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. Well, it would mean that junia based on the definition of apostolos was sent, by someone in authority, to deliver a message. From the number of persons six in all, and those not only in rome but also in greece and macedonia to whom the title is given in this chapter, it would seem as if the word kinsmen was to be taken in. Junia, mentioned by the apostle paul in his letter to the romans, is a woman whose identity and whose ministry has been much discussed in the past few decades. Yolanda powell under the auspices of the epic global network. Greet andronicus and junia, my fellow jews, who were in prison with me. This contextual evidence has been mostly ignored in junia studies, which have either focused narrowly on philo. This evidence is the basis for my assertion that junia in romans 16. In orthodox tradition, however, the title of apostle does not necessarily confer the kind of position that the twelve had from christ. Junia arise is a revolutionary documentary film that unveils a seventeencenturyold biblical cover up of female leadership in society.

The holy, glorious, alllaudable apostle junia of the seventy is commemorated by the church on may 17 with apostle andronicus, and on january 4 with the seventy. Either way when you consider what scripture clearly states about elders and bishops in timothy and titus as well. Two thousand years ago in the land of israel, jesus exorcises a demon from joanna, a jewish noblewoman. We encourage all of our subscribers to go visit the junia project site and see why patriarchy is bad for everybody.

First, it really is significant that paul called her an apostle. Junia, the first woman apostle the gospel coalition. Though this may be a surprise to some, yes, there were. Andronicus and junia are called outstanding among the apostles, which places them within the grouping of apostles. It not scriptual or logical that you would have a female apostle period. For too long have women been prevented to take any office in the church other than admin and being prayer warriors because of.