Phoebe, Junia and the Women of Rome

• Sermon Notes

  Romans 16:

  · 27 people are referred to.

  · 10 are women (Phoebe, Prica/Priscilla, Mary, Junia, Tryphena, Tryphosa, Persis, Rufus’ mother, Julia, and Nereus’ sister.)

  · 4 of the women are described as having “worked hard.” This compliment is not used of the men.

  Prisca/Priscilla (See fuller message 2 weeks ago):

  Romans 16:3-4 (ESV)

  · Named before her husband, Aquila

  · Fellow worker—Paul’s term for the highest-level leaders/missionaries that included: himself, Apollos, Timothy, Titus, Luke, Mark, Philemon

  · Risked her life for Paul

  · Church planter and church host in Rome, Corinth and Ephesus

  Phoebe:

  Romans 16:1-2 (NIV)

  · Commended carrier of Paul’s letter

  · Sister (all translations)

  · Diakonos (Philippians 1:1, 1 Timothy 3:8, 12) 1st named in history.

  o Deacon (NIV, NRSV, GW, ISV, NLT, NTE)

  o Minister (NABRE)

  o Leader (CEV)

  o Servant (CSB, ESV, NASB)

  · Prostatis--Patron/Patroness, Benefactor, Supporter of Paul and many others

  · Welcome her in the Lord in an honoring way

  · Give her whatever she may need from you

  Junia:

  Romans 16:7 (NIV)

  · Paired with Andronicus (male name). Married Couple probably.

  · Fellow Jew like Paul

  · Imprisoned with Paul

  · Followers of Jesus as Messiah before Paul

  · May be Latinized version of Joanna

  1. Was it Junia (a woman) or Junias (a man) in Romans 16:7?

  NIV (1973, 1978, 1984)

  Greet Andronicus and Junias

  NIV (2011)

  Greet Andronicus and Junia

  Recent translations and recent revisions of an existing translation overwhelmingly recognize that this is a woman, including the NLT, NASB, ESV, NRSV, CSB, ISV, NET, etc.

  · Junia is a common female name. Junias is a theoretical, but unrecorded male name. The idea that Junia was actually a man named Junias was not proposed for over 1,000 years in church history.

  · The early church Greek-speaking leaders understood her to be a woman. She and Andronicus were considered a couple.

  2. Was Junia an apostle?

  NO:

  They are noteworthy in the eyes of the apostles (CSB)

  They are well known to the apostles (ESV)

  It is possible to translate the phrase as meaning “well known to” or “in the eyes of the apostles”, but most NT scholars consider is far less likely from the Greek sentence structure. It is much more likely that Paul meant they were well regarded as apostles.

  YES:

  They are prominent among the apostles (NRSV/CEB/ISV)

  They are highly respected among the apostles (NLT)

  They are outstanding among the apostles (NIV)

  They are leaders among the apostles. (NIRV)

  They are eminent in the ranks of the apostles (NCB)

  They are very important apostles. (NCV)

  The NASB: A Translation Case Study--

  NASB 1995: Greet Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners, who are outstanding among the apostles.

  · Junias is a male. Junias is outstanding among the apostles.

  NASB (current revision): Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsfolk and my fellow prisoners, who are outstanding in the view of the apostles

  · Junia is now a female. Junia is now outstanding in the view of the apostles.

  Hmmmm. . . When the gender changed, so did the description.

  “Oh how great is the devotion of this woman, that she should even be counted worthy of the appellation of apostle!” – John Chrysostom, Early Church Father

  What was an Apostle:

  · One of the 12 minus Judas plus Matthias and/or Paul

  · A slightly larger group of high-level leaders/missionaries in the early church (Barnabas Acts 14:14)

  I’ve closed most of the messages in this series with these two questions:

  Men: If a woman could do all of these things in the 1st century, what is God calling YOU to celebrate women doing in the 21st century?

  Women: If a woman could do all of these things in the 1st century, what is God calling YOU to in the 21st century?

  What are some implications of what we have learned the past two months?