Romans 16:7, Junia

Romans 16:7

Greet Andronicus and Junia, my contrymen and my fellow prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.

This passage has many possible interpretations. It is very unlikely that it means that there was a woman apostle. Paul would not command in all the churches that women are not to have authority and then at the same time affirm a woman who was an apostle. This was not in the character of Paul, to speak one thing and do another. When he said "yes" or "amen" he meant "yes" or "amen".

Possible Interpretations:

1. Junias was used as a name for both men and women (similar to Chris, Shannon, etc.). Early church writings differ. Of the earliest three Origen (died in 254), Ambrosiaster (died after 384) and Epiphanius (died 403), Origen and Epiphanius refer to Junia(s) as a man and Ambrosiaster refers to Junia(s) as a woman. Epiphanius the only one to include more than what the text reveals adds that Junias "became a bishop of Apameia of Syria". After this Junias was often refered to as a woman. The evidence of whether or not Junia(s) was a man or women is inconclusive, however the only thing written apart from what can be found in Roman 16:7 by Epiphanius, claims that Junia(s) was a man.

2. Until I heard commentaries on this verse by those defending women as leaders, I never thought that these verses were referring to Andronicus and Junias as apostles, but instead as people that were admired among the apostles. This reading is also verified by research into the Greek usage of the words in this text and how they have been used in extrabiblical texts. (224)Based on this, the verse may be translated and is translated in the ESV as "Greet Andronicus and Junia [or Junias], my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles [or messengers], and were in Christ before me." This is an appropriate translation based on the evidence. The word note means:

1) having a mark on it, marked, stamped, coined
2) marked a) in a good sense
1) of note, illustrious b) in a bad sense
1) notorious, infamous

The word "of note" has been research using a Greek data base to see how it has been used throughout literature. It was found that this word is used to mean "well known" in the since that the apostles knew these people. This lates evidence was used for the English Standard Version which translates the word as "well known".


3. Andronicus and Junias might be married, and it is often interpreted as such

4. The word translated apostle is elsewhere used in reference to people who are not apostles but messengers of the church. 2 Corinthians 8:23 says, "they are messengers of the churches" referring to those accompanying Paul in bringing money to Jerusalem. Paul refers Epaphroditus similarly when in Phillipians 2:25 he says, "your messenger and minister to my need". He could be saying the same about Andronicus and Junia(s).

5. I would like to research the meaning of "fellow prisoners with me". If this means that they were fellow prisoners along with Paul at the same time and same place, then would it not be the case that only men would be imprisoned with men. I do not think this is necessarily the case, Paul could just mean those who were prisoners at the same time, but it is a question that should be looked into.