Famous for Making Pizza or Preaching the Gospel?
Romans 16:7
“Greet Andronicus & Junia (a feminine name: ESV, KJV, NET, NIV 2011, NLT), my relatives & my fellow prisoners of war, who are outstanding among the apostles” Rom 16:7.
Junia was an Apostle
Junia, a woman, was both a relative (see use of the same word in 9:13) of Paul and an apostle who was imprisoned with him by the Romans. An apostle is one officially sent on a mission, an emissary. They fulfill tasks that we often associate with missionary work. Paul taught the Ephesians that Jesus will continue to give gifts, gifted people—the spoils of his victory at Calvary--to His church until the church reaches the unity of the faith (Eph 4:7-16; observe the repetition of the verb “give” and the word “gift”).
One of those sovereignly bestowed gifts is an apostle. Each of these four gifts (apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherd-teachers) that Jesus sovereignly bestows to the church are not gender specified. Philip’s daughters, for example, were prophetesses, gifts that Jesus gave to His church (Acts 21:9; 2:17-18). The gifts that Jesus continues to give are not to be confused or conflated with church offices, such as Elder or Deacon. There are numerous people described as apostles beyond the twelve apostles of Jesus (i.e., Paul, Barnabas, Silas, Timothy, Epaphroditus, etc.).
Junia and Andronicus, like Paul, were also apostles, sent on a Gospel mission by a local congregation.
Junia was a Prisoner of War
Paul also labels Junia and Andronicus literally as “my fellow prisoners of war” (συναιχμαλώτους μου). This suggests that they shared one of Paul’s numerous imprisonments (2 Cor 11:23). Junia and Andronicus, like Paul, were apostles, sent on a mission, presumably by a local congregation, and now sat in prison with Paul as “fellow prisoners of war.”
Junia was Outstanding among the Apostles
With Andronicus, Junia is described as “outstanding among the apostles.” The idea of the word ἐπίσημοι (“outstanding”) is one of prominence or being famous. Junia and Andronicus were famous and stood out prominently from among the rest of the other apostles. Their work as apostles was outstanding, head and shoulders above the rest. But as a result of their apostolic service to Christ, they were imprisoned by the Romans.
Was Junia jailed for her cooking or for her proclamation of Christ?
So, it is natural for us to ask: Did the Romans imprison Junia the apostle for preaching and teaching the Gospel of Christ just as Paul was also jailed?
Or, was Junia put in a Roman jail for baking outstanding pizza for the church or for hosting outstanding, apostolic, potluck suppers?
Paul describes her as “outstanding among the apostles.” Was she famous for her apostolic cooking or her outstanding proclamation of Christ? Was she jailed for being an outstanding chef or an outstanding proclaimer of the Gospel?
What does the evidence suggest? Go where the evidence leads you.
Thank you for reading.