Greet
Andronicus and
[his wife] Junia,
my relatives
(Jewish compatriots) and fellow prisoners.
[Andronicus is a Greek-Jewish male name meaning "victor among men." Junia is a female Latin name meaning "the younger one." It is likely that Andronicus and Junia were a married couple who worked together in the same way as Priscilla and Aquila, see . They may have been siblings, but since Paul mentions that type of relationship in , but not here, it is less likely. Paul was often imprisoned, see . Andronicus and Junia had also suffered for the gospel and been imprisoned together with Paul. The word fellow prisoner is also used in about Aristarchus, who is also mentioned in the riots in Ephesus, see . Perhaps it was in Ephesus that Andronicus and Junia were also imprisoned together with Paul.] They have a good reputation
(are highly respected and well known) among the apostles,
and they also belonged to the Anointed One
(Messiah, Christ) before me.
[Andronicus and Junia must have been among the first Christians in Jerusalem or in Judea, where they probably also got to know Paul after his conversion. This verse can be translated in two ways. Either they were prominent members among the apostles, or they were not apostles themselves but well known and highly regarded by the apostles. Regardless of the interpretation, Paul gives honorable recognition to the service of Andronicus and Junia. The apostles may refer to the twelve disciples, but are also used in a broader sense, see ; ; ; . Junia could therefore be a female apostle! It should be noted that the Bible never forbids female apostles. The fact that the Bible speaks of female prophets, and that the ministries of prophet and apostle are often mentioned together, see ; , suggests that Junia was a female apostle. Some examples of prophetesses in the Old Testament are Miriam, Deborah, Huldah, Noadiah, and in the New Testament, Hannah and Philip's four daughters are mentioned.]
