Not Junia again!!
Over on Better Bibles Blog (personally I think it is a bit of a misnomer) one of the contributors has started a multi part post on whether or not Junia was an Apostle.....again.
Was Junia an Apostle? No is the simple answer. In the Bible all of the Apostles were men and Jesus would have included women amongst them if He had wanted to.
Some have dared to put it down to Jesus not wanting to offend the cultural mores of the time, well all I will say on that one is that such things did not stop Him at any other time.
There is much clear evidence in the NT to support male only leadership of the Church and none for the inclusion of women amongst that leadership.
Are they excluded from ministring to other women and to children? No.
Are they prevented from assisting their Husbands in ministring to men away from the main gatherings? No.
So the key to the misguided efforts on the BBB hinge around whether Paul was saying "well known amongst the Apostles" or the more accurate translation "well known to the Apostles".
The latter is actually more likely although the former is present in many translations. The latter has come about due to extensive new research into Greek usage etc from the relevant era.
Of course this is rejected out of hand by those with a vested interest in trying to prove that Junia was an Apostle.
Now, in and of itself this new research is actually a side issue. My comments about Jesus choosing only men for His Apostles is by far the more persuasive of the two as not even the advocates of Junia can deny that that is indeed what Jesus did.
They do not like it and try to deny the significance of that choice at all costs.
It also seems to escape their notice that they have to perform all sorts of theological 'gymnastics' to try and prove their point. Take verses or ideas in isolation to the rest of Scripture (when it suits) and when all else fails...deny that the scripture at that point is binding for today.
In other words, anything other than submitting to the clear teaching of scripture.
Was Junia an Apostle? No is the simple answer. In the Bible all of the Apostles were men and Jesus would have included women amongst them if He had wanted to.
Some have dared to put it down to Jesus not wanting to offend the cultural mores of the time, well all I will say on that one is that such things did not stop Him at any other time.
There is much clear evidence in the NT to support male only leadership of the Church and none for the inclusion of women amongst that leadership.
Are they excluded from ministring to other women and to children? No.
Are they prevented from assisting their Husbands in ministring to men away from the main gatherings? No.
So the key to the misguided efforts on the BBB hinge around whether Paul was saying "well known amongst the Apostles" or the more accurate translation "well known to the Apostles".
The latter is actually more likely although the former is present in many translations. The latter has come about due to extensive new research into Greek usage etc from the relevant era.
Of course this is rejected out of hand by those with a vested interest in trying to prove that Junia was an Apostle.
Now, in and of itself this new research is actually a side issue. My comments about Jesus choosing only men for His Apostles is by far the more persuasive of the two as not even the advocates of Junia can deny that that is indeed what Jesus did.
They do not like it and try to deny the significance of that choice at all costs.
It also seems to escape their notice that they have to perform all sorts of theological 'gymnastics' to try and prove their point. Take verses or ideas in isolation to the rest of Scripture (when it suits) and when all else fails...deny that the scripture at that point is binding for today.
In other words, anything other than submitting to the clear teaching of scripture.
posted by Glennsp at 19:30
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