Junia
Romans 16.7 speaks of two notable apostles, Andronicus and Junia, and good authorities agree that "Junia" is a woman's name. So here we have a sister as an apostle and a notable apostle at that. "Salute Andronicus and Junias [some manuscripts say "Julia"], my kinsmen, and my fellow-prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also have been in Christ before me" (16.7). These Apostles were doing the Work of the Ministry even before Paul started. Male-centered systems will try to teach these Apostles are not apostles, rejecting God's commissioning and authority, because they prefer an egotistical (maleocentric) system which is abusive towards women. Of course, they believe they are doing the right thing. God's word would never be so unclear as to confuse "of note among the apostles," to be taken to mean they are merely respected by the apostles. No! They are "among the apostles" because they are Apostles. Who is the author of confusion?
This same word for Junia is given in the NLT. The footnote reads, "some manuscripts read Julia." "Salute Philologus, and Julia" (v.15) "who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me" (v.7). We do not know if they were Apostles before Paul became one, but we know they were born-again before Paul was. Julia means "soft haired" and "youthful". The KJV Concordance refers to Junias ("Iounias" in Greek) as a "Christian woman" and a "Christian woman at Rome, mentioned by Paul as one of his kinsfolk and fellow prisoners." Thayer's Lexicon refers Junia as "a women's name...and the name occurs again in Rom. 16.15": "Salute Philologus, and Julia" (v.15).
http://www3.telus.net/trbrooks/womenapostles.htm
1 Peter 3:7
FELLOW HEIRS.
BECAUSE THERE IS NO 'MALE OR FEMALE' IN CHRIST JESUS.
Galatians 3:28
No comments:
Post a Comment