Junia is only mentioned once in the entire New Testament, and it is brief, to say the least. Her name is recorded by Paul in Romans 16:7, nestled within a long line of shout-outs and thank-yous as Paul concludes his letter to the church in Rome. Notably, there are 10 women that Paul includes: Phoebe, Priscilla, Mary, Tryphena and Tryphosa, Persis, the mother of Rufus, Julia, the sister of Nereus, and of course, Junia.
Paul gives only a tiny bit of information about Junia in Romans 16:7, and translations of his words differ widely. The Common English Bible says: “Say hello to Andronicus and Junia, my relatives and my fellow prisoners. They are prominent among the apostles, and they were in Christ before me,” while the New International Version states: “Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was.”
Scholars have tried to read between the lines, gleaning more information than what Paul provides, but with little success. There are more unknowns than knowns here. It’s possible that Junia was an actual blood relation of Paul’s, but it’s just as possible that she was simply a fellow member of the Jewish faith. Junia is mentioned alongside Andronicus, but no relationship is stated explicitly. It is unclear if they were siblings, spouses, or simply fellow apostles. Even the idea that Junia was an apostle has been debated amongst scholars, with some arguing that the phrase “prominent/outstanding among the apostles,” means she was an apostle, herself, and others arguing that the phrase simply indicates that she was outstanding in the apostles’ eyes for her ministry in other capacities.
Because of the inherent sexism and patriarchy that exists in the world and in the Church, some scholars—and biblical translations (see Young’s Literal Translation and the 1995 New American Standard Bible)—have gone so far as to declare that Junia was in fact a man! They change her name to Junias, and can thus content themselves with her role as apostle. This is a cheap attempt to diminish the role of women in Scripture and in the life of the early Church. The male name “Junias” doesn’t appear in any Roman inscriptions, casting doubt on whether or not it was an actual name at all. On the contrary, there are over 250 mentions of the female name “Junia” in inscriptions found in Ancient Rome.1 Junia, the female apostle, is not a typo or error in translation.
John Chrysostom, an early church writer and father, praised Junia as a female apostle, stating in his 31st homily: “And indeed to be apostles at all is a great thing. But to be even among these of note, just consider what a great encomium this is! But they were of note owing to their works, to their achievements. Oh! How great is the devotion (φιλοσοφία) of this woman [Junia], that she should be even counted worthy of the appellation of apostle!” Michael Bird, in his commentary on Romans, hammers the point home: “There is a tsunami of textual and patristic evidence for ‘Junia’ that proves overwhelming. Despite some naughty scribes, biased translators, lazy lexicographers and dogmatic commentators, the text speaks about a woman named ‘Junia.’”2
Preaching on Junia provides an excellent opportunity to teach about this female apostle, while highlighting the other women Paul mentions in Romans 16 and the various roles they played in the early church. But since the mention of Junia is so brief, any sermon will need to do more than just share what we know about Junia and how scholars have interpreted—or misinterpreted—her work over the years.
The fact that some scholars have sought to change her into a man rather than lift her up as an apostle creates an interesting opportunity. As humans, we so often want to change the data to fit our own expectations and understandings, especially when it comes to God and faith. Encouraging the congregation to think about how they do this—how they make God smaller, or put God in a box, or expect and want one thing from God when they know God is so much more—is a worthy endeavor. Junia can be the launching point for a sermon that looks at how we want Jesus to show up, versus how he actually does. How we want God to behave, versus how God actually does act. Who Jesus calls us to welcome into our churches, and who we would rather leave out.
The truth of the matter is that our God is beyond understanding. Jesus calls us to widen the circle of welcome beyond our comfort. And the Holy Spirit calls all kinds of people—including women!—to the important work of the church. Junia’s story enables us to examine our temptation to make God in our own image and to proclaim with passion and joy the truth that at the end of the day, we cannot. God is God, and we are not!
Prayer of the Day:
O God, you have always surprised us with who you have called to bear witness to your love and hope in the world. You call women and men, old and young, those who live extraordinary lives, and those who live ordinary ones. Give us eyes to see you in people and places we would never think to look. Help us to remember that you are God, and we are not. Lead us to rest in this truth. Amen.
Hymn Suggestion: We All are One in Mission
Blessing:
Like Junia, may we boldly bear witness to Jesus Christ through our words and our deeds. May the Spirit move us to recognize God’s work in the unlikeliest of people and places, and may we always remember that God defies our human expectations, drawing all people into the love of Christ.
