Junia

Biblical Record

Junia appears only once in Scripture, in Romans 16:7. In his greetings to the church in Rome, Paul writes: "Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellowprisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me" (Romans 16:7, KJV). The verse establishes the following:

• Junia is named together with Andronicus. Many interpreters regard the two as a married couple, but the text does not state their relationship directly.
• Junia is among Paul's "kinsmen." The Greek word translated "kinsmen" can refer to blood relatives or, more broadly, to fellow Jews.
• Junia was once imprisoned with Paul. The text does not record when or where this imprisonment took place.
• Junia became a Christian before Paul did. For this reason, some suppose that Junia belonged to the earliest community in Jerusalem.

Scripture records no other events from Junia's life.

Significance Within Scripture

The list of greetings in Romans 16 includes several women coworkers, among them Phoebe and Priscilla, who is greeted together with Aquila (Priscilla and Aquila; Romans 16:1–7). For this reason, the chapter is frequently cited as evidence of how men and women served and ministered in the early church. Among those named, Junia draws particular attention because the name appears in connection with the word "apostles."

Interpretation and Points of Debate

The first issue is the gender of the name. Greek manuscripts were originally written without accent marks, so the same spelling can be read either as the feminine name Junia or as the masculine name Junias. Ancient church fathers such as John Chrysostom in the fourth century read the name as feminine. From the Middle Ages onward, however, the West long tended to read it as masculine. Since the late twentieth century, the major critical editions of the Greek New Testament and many translations have adopted the feminine form. Junia was a common female name in ancient Rome, whereas the masculine form Junias is reportedly unattested in ancient literature. Today the majority view holds that Junia was a woman.

The second issue is the meaning of the phrase rendered "of note among the apostles." One view reads it as "outstanding among the apostles." On this reading, Junia was also called an apostle in the broader sense, that is, one sent out to proclaim the gospel. Another view reads it as "well known to the apostles." On this reading, Junia was not an apostle but a believer highly regarded by the apostles. The New Korean Revised Version, which renders the phrase "esteemed by the apostles," is closer to the latter interpretation.

Both issues bear on the debate over the ordination of women. Those who support the ordination of women cite Junia as an example of a female leader in the early church. Those who oppose it point to disagreements over translation or hold that this "apostle" did not hold the same office as the Twelve.

The Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church commemorate Andronicus and Junia as saints. Accounts such as the claim that Andronicus was one of the Seventy disciples of Jesus belong to later tradition and do not appear in the biblical text.

In the Korean Church

Junia is rarely the sole subject of a sermon or a Sunday school lesson; she is mentioned mainly in expositions of Romans 16 that introduce Paul's coworkers. Because Korean denominations differ in their positions on the ordination of women, however, Junia is frequently discussed in theological papers, denominational debates, and Christian media articles that address the issue.