How (Not) to Read the Bible: Making Sense of the Anti-women, Anti-science, Pro-violence, Pro-slavery and Other Crazy-Sounding Parts of Scripture

by Dan Kimball

Paul uses a title when he describes Andronicus and Junia as “apostles.” Andronicus is likely a man, but most scholars believe Junia is a woman. Some translations list “Junias” rather than “Junia,” and Junias would be a masculine name while Junia is feminine. But there is no record of anyone with the name Junias in first-century Greek writings. Junia, however, was a common woman’s name, and the writings of the early church refer to Junia as a woman. The best and most reliable manuscripts, as well as the writings of the early church leaders, indicate that the person Paul is commending as an apostle is a woman named “Junia” and not a man named “Junias.” So we very likely have a woman listed as an apostle here.