Jennifer Rothnie Supporter Housewife, Artist, Perpetually Curious

Most likely, Junia was a female apostle who served alongside her husband. She was also a fellow prisoner for Christ, though not necessarily in the same jail cell or jail.

Andronicus and Junia are called outstanding among the apostles, which places them within the grouping of apostles.

"En" is a greek preposition, much like our English "In". It literally means 'inside' or 'within' something. Figuratively, it refers to 'in the realm of' something, such as location, proximity, contents, etc, and can also refer to the means by which something is accomplished. It can be then translated in/on/among/etc depending on what it is modifying [In the synagogue, on the street corner, among the crowd, sanctified in the spirit, judged by us, etc] - but it retains the relationship of "in". 

This preposition is used almost 3000 times in the NT. The following are types of the various ways it is used:

Mary was found to be with child - or literally, she was found "in" womb to have child, and that child conceived "in" her was from the Holy Spirit (Matt 1:18-20) Jesus was born "in" Bethlehem (Matt 2:1) A voice was heard "in" Rama, weeping for her children (Matt 2:18) When Jesus discovers power has gone out from Him, He turns around "in" or "among" the crowd (Mark 5:30-31). Paul's instructions were written "in" his letter (I Cor 5:9). A lustful look at a woman is adultery "in" one's heart (Matt 5:28). Jesus was moved "in himself" by the death of Lazarus (John 11:38) Paul uses it in the sense of "in my case" in I Cor 9:15. In I Cor 4:2 it is used as in, of, among - that among the stewards a faithful one be found (I Cor 4:2). Believers are called those who are "in" God the Father in Jude 1:1. The tomb of David was among/in the midst of the Jews (Acts 2:29) The 24 elders are clothed with/in white garments (Rev 4:4) The king should count if he along with 10,000 can meet a larger army (Luke 14:31). John baptized 'with' water to repentance (Matt 3:11). We are to pray for those "in" authority (I Tim 2:2). The ministry of death was engraved "in" letters on stones and yet was produced "in" glory (II Cor 3:7). Paul's ministry was commended 'in' endurance, 'in' the Holy Spirit, etc (II Cor 6) And so forth!

Following this usage of the Greek, Junia and Andronicus were outstanding in/among the apostles, being part of the group. This is the more probable given the grammar and word use. This is also the view held by many church fathers and scholars (Origen, Calvin, Luther, etc).

A less likely reading, which ignores the general meaning of the Greek 'en', is the that the group of apostles merely found Junia/Andronicus outstanding. 

"To interpret the statement as meaning that these were outstanding in the estimation of the apostles scarcely does justice to the construction in the Greek" (The Expositor's Bible Commentary, vol. 10, p. 164). 

Moving on from word use and grammar, there is no real reason to think Junia could not have been among the apostles:

In the same passage, Paul greets Priscilla and Aquila, another husband/wife team (Rom 16:1-15), and he greets many other women. While Paul was single, there were many disciples and Apostles who were married. There were widows who hosted house churches, daughters who prophesied, and there was even a deaconess, Phoebe, that Paul called a 'commander of many'. Women were active in the ministry of the church, though most seemed to stay closer to home. Junia would have spread the gospel alongside her husband, until the two were eventually imprisoned.

There were apostles besides the 12. Explicitly mentioned are the 70/72 (Luke 10:1-17) - Mark the evangelist was probably among these; James the brother of the Lord (Gal 1:19); Barnabas (Acts 13:2, Acts 14:4); Jesus (Heb 3:1); and Andronicus and Junia. An apostle is 'one who is sent' - such as for mission work, to share the gospel, plant churches, encourage believers, etc. We see husband/wife teams, and even teams of women, going out and doing this work to this day.

October 27 2014 • 3 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

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