The Junia Evidence: V

All except one of the Greek examples so far have supported the notion that Junia is one of the apostles. In these examples, the person referred to as episemos is a member of the group of people who are the object of the preposition en. Andronicus and Junia episemoi en tois apostolois fits that pattern, these two are members of the group. However, it is usually the case that prominent people are also well known to the group of which they are members. So it is rather difficult to find examples where the people are prominent in their group, and not well known to their group.

There is one exception, It is found in Euripides’ Hippolytus, 428 BC, and refers to Aphrodite,

σεμνή γε μέντοι κἀπίσημος ἐν βροτοῖς.
Yet she’s revered and famous among mortals.

This one example fits in with another case where laws are honoured among the people. In these examples, the referent of episemos cannot possibly be a member of the group, so there is no need to disambiguate by using another construction. I am, however, not convinced that the native Greek reader of Romans 16:7 would question whether Andronicus and Junia were members of the group. In fact, we know that they did not.

Here is what Chrysostom had to say about Junia,

“Greet Andronicus and Junia … who are outstanding among the apostles”: 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 that she was even deemed worthy of the title apostle. (In ep. Ad Romanos 31.2).

There is not one mention in Greek literature of Andronicus and Junia not being among the apostles. There is, however, one reference to Junia being masculine. This was made by Epiphanius, a writer who also made Prisca masculine, so it is rightly disregarded. Although the Greek Orthodox Church does not ordain women, they do recognize Junia as a woman, and the co-worker of Apostle Andronicus.

What is important here is that Greeks thought that Romans 16:7 said that Andronicus and Junia were apostles. Their theology on women is not really an issue. We know that they don’t ordain women, but that did not affect the way they read the text. When the Archbishop Vamva came to revise the New Testament for a contemporary audience in the 19th century, he wrote unambiguously,

᾽Απάσθητε τὸν ᾽Ανδρόνικον καὶ ᾽Ιουνίαν τοὺς συγγενεῖς μου καὶ συναιχμαλώτους μου, οἵτνες εἴναι ἐπίσημοι μεταξὺ τῶν ἀποστόλων οἵτνες καὶ πρὸ ἐμοῦ ἦσαν εις τὸν Χριστόν

The witness of Greek literature is unequivocal. Romans 16:7 ought to be translated in such a way that we can understand that Andronicus and Junia were members of a group of apostles.

In addition to knowing that the Greek Orthodox Church honoured Junia as among the apostles in an unbroken tradition, we can also trace the history of the translation of Romans 16:7.

qui sunt nobiles in Apostolis Vulgate
noble among the apostles Wycliffe

insignes inter apostolis Erasmus Calvin
of note among the apostles KJV

If it is not clear how this was interpreted, we can read Calvin’s commentary on Erasmus Latin translation. He wrote,

In the third place, he calls them Apostles: he uses not this word in its proper and common meaning, but extends it wider, even to all those who not only teach in one Church, but also spend their labor in promulgating the gospel everywhere. He then, in a general way, calls those in this place Apostles, who planted Churches by carrying here and there the doctrine of salvation; for elsewhere he confines this title to that first order which Christ at the beginning established, when he appointed the twelve disciples. It would have been otherwise strange, that this dignity should be only ascribed to them, and to a few others. But as they had embraced the gospel by faith before Paul, he hesitates not to set them on this account before himself.

Luther fully accepted that the two people named in Romans 16:7 were apostles so he translates welche sind berühmte Apostel, “which are famous apostles.” However he changes Junia’s name to Junias, masculine. As far as I know there is no Bible translation predating this century which translates in the sense of “well-known to the apostles.”

The question ought not to be “Can a woman be an apostle?” but rather “On what basis do we abandon a long-standing interpretation in the Bible?”

Junia is not alone
Junia Is a Woman, and I Am a Complementarian
Denny Burk’s Complementarian Cover-up
The Junia Evidence: I
The Junia Evidence: II
The Junia Evidence: III
The Junia Evidence: IV
Was Junia Really An Apostle by Burer and Wallace
Linda Belleville’s article
Michael Burer Enters the Junia Debate
Reassessing Junia: A Review of Eldon Epp’s Junia: The First Woman Apostle
Due Diligence on Junia and Apostleship
Matt Colvin on Junia and Apostleship
 Some Lengthy Thoughts on Women’s Leadership
A Closer Examination of Junia, The Female Apostle