Junia
*This is not an image of Junia; however, it is a reliquary box dating back to the 4th or 5th century and it depicts 3 women (left side) and 3 men (right side). Due to the distinctive columns and apse, it likely portrays men and women side by side at the altar at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.[1]
Image source: Shala Graham, Visual Museum of Women in Christianity
Junia
In Romans 16:7, Paul introduces the Roman church to a female apostle. He says:
“Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Israelites who were in prison with me; they are prominent among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was” (NRSVUE).
In other words, Paul calls Junia, a woman, an apostle, one who not only belongs to this exclusive group, but who is also prominent among them. Paul elsewhere seems to define an apostle as one who performs signs and wonders (2 Corinthians 12:12) as well as one who witnessed Christ resurrected (1 Corinthians 9:1). Since Junia knew Christ before Paul, it is likely she witnessed the resurrected Christ.
A Woman
Around the 14th century, Bible translators began to question something the church had taken for granted for centuries: Junia’s identification as a woman. The idea that Junia was actually a man named Junias picked up steam in the late 1800s and throughout the 1900s.[2] However, the modern scholarly consensus, with few exceptions, is that Junia is, in fact, a woman.[3] The confusion apparently originated from a disbelief among translators that a woman could be called a prominent apostle by Paul as well as the possibility that Junia’s name could hypothetically be interpreted as masculine (Junias) or feminine (Junia). However, Eldon Jay Epps’s extensive case for Junia being female has largely convinced most scholars. To summarize, Epps argues that:
In Rome Junia’s name was common
Ancient Christians overwhelmingly believed Junia was a woman
Early translations interpreted her name as Junia
English translations used Junia until the late 1800s
The masculine name “Junias” has never been recorded anywhere in antiquity.[4]
Apostle
When the weight of scholarly consensus fell in favor of a feminine Junia, some translators turned their attention to the rest of the verse, claiming Junia could not be an apostle. They prefer to translate Romans 16:7 as Junia being “well known to the apostles” (ESV), implying that Junia is not an apostle herself. However, this is also a modern change to the traditional interpretation of the verse. If even John Chrysostom, a fourth century church father not known for being egalitarian, believed that Junia was a prominent female apostle, it’s improbable that this verse excludes Junia from apostleship. Chrysostom famously states
“To be an apostle is something great. But to be outstanding among the apostles--just think what a wonderful song of praise that is! They were outstanding on the basis of their works and virtuous actions. Indeed, how great the wisdom of this woman must have been that she was even deemed worthy of the title of apostle.”
Indeed. Early church fathers unilaterally considered Junia to be a prominent female apostle, and so must we.
Bravery
Paul’s description of Junia points to her willingness to suffer all for the sake of Christ. She even endures prison, which at the time “was exceedingly harsh, including coerced confessions, small spaces without windows or restrooms, lack of food and sleep, and chains and stocks.”[5] For a woman, it also brought the likely outcome of rape or sexual assault by prison guards.[6] Being a fellow prisoner alongside the men suffering for the gospel of Christ undoubtably cost Junia more than we can fully appreciate. Yet she persisted, gaining the admiration and respect of the apostle Paul, her fellow co-worker in Christ.
References
[1] See Ally Kateusz and Luca Badini Confalonieri, “Women Church Leaders in and around Fifth-century Rome” in Patterns of Women’s Leadership in Early Christianity, ed. Joan E. Taylor and Ilaria L. E. Ramelli (Oxford: Oxford, 2022), 228-260.
[2] Eldon Jay Epp, Junia: The First Woman Apostle (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2005), 62-65.
[3] Amy Peeler, “Junia/Joanna: Herald of the Good News” in Vindicating the Vixens, ed. Sandra Glahn (Grand Rapids: MI: Kregel Academic, 2017), 275-277.
[4] Epps, Junia, 23-24.
[5] Peeler, “Junia/Joanna,” 280.
[6] Peeler, “Junia/Joanna,” 280.
