October 12, 2023 — What IF…?

What if Junia Was a Female Apostle?

“Greet Andronicus and Junia, my relatives who were in prison with me; they are prominent among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was.” Romans 16:7

There has been a scholarly debate whether Junia was a man or a woman. Most manuscripts give the name Junia (which is a female name) while some manuscripts give the name Junias (a male name). The reason, as I can understand it, for the confusion is the fact that Paul identifies Andronicus and Junia as “Prominent among the Apostles…in Christ before I was.” I could see that it would be hard for many in the first or second century to name a woman as a “Prominent Apostle” – so the gloss would be to add an “S”, to change the name from a woman to a man. After all, how could a woman be named as an Apostle?

We do know of several women who are among the prominent disciples or apostles or workers within the early Christian church. Aquila and Priscilla are named as early converts of Paul’s. They were tent makers, well-to-do, without children and most likely middle-aged. Junia’s relationship with Andronicus is somewhat ambiguous, but it is generally supposed that they were husband and wife. It is also possible they could have been siblings or simply a team of evangelists. What is important is that Junia is referred to in her own right, not as an attachment to someone else. This means that she earned her title and position on her own merit, rather than it being simply a natural derivation from her husband’s status. Paul refers to Priscilla as another of his “fellow workers in Christ Jesus”. Phebe is also mentioned by Paul as a servant or deaconess of the church.

When we think of women who may have been Apostles or workers for Christ in the early church, we must contend with the Patriarchal society in which the early church developed. There may have been many women who served in the role of Apostle, but their names have been redacted from the canon by men. However, many of our own churches today still struggle to allow women equal status to serve in leadership roles. It is my opinion that without women serving the church of Jesus Christ, many churches will lack leadership and will eventually close due to a lack of people willing to serve the Gospel.

Pastor Dave

October 11, 2023 — What IF…?

What if Aaron Was Too Busy to Marry Elisheba?

“Aaron married Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.” Exodus 6:23

“Elisheba was the daughter of Amminadab, and sister of Nashon, captain in Judah’s army. She became the wife of Aaron, the high priest and brother of Moses – and as the wife of Aaron, she became the mother of the priestly tribes in Israel. Her children were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar” (Exodus 6:23)

Isaac Williams writes in his Female Characters of Scripture this interesting comparison—

“It is not only in the New Testament that Elisabeth and the Holy Mary are those associated together: their types in the Old Testament are in like manner combined, for there is a remarkable circumstance which sets forth beforehand what was now taking place, and there we find them brought into a like connection. Elisabeth herself was, it is said by Luke, of the daughter of Aaron, but it is mentioned in the Book of Exodus that Aaron’s own wife was named Elisheba, that is Elisabeth (Exodus 6:23); again, we find in Luke, that the Virgin Mary was the cousin of Elisabeth, so in the former instance the sister of Aaron was named Miriam, that is, Mary, for it is the same name; Miriam or Mary, the virgin prophetess, who took the lead of all the other women in singing the song of thanksgiving for the miraculous deliverance of Israel (Exodus 15:20). Thus even now the Blessed Mary is followed by all other women in singing her Magnificat; the virgin and the prophetess, she leads the sacred company in the Church unto this day.” (biblegateway, All the Women of the Bible, Elisheba)

In other words, in the Gospel of Luke Elizabeth, the cousin of Mary is the daughter of Aaron. Elisheba, a derivative of the name Elizabeth, is the wife of Aaron, the brother of Moses. The sister of Aaron, the brother of Moses, is named Miriam, a derivative of the name Mary. It is Miriam who sings the song of thanksgiving when the people of Israel have been delivered. (Exodus 15:20). It will be Mary who sings her famous Magnificat (Luke 1:46) while in the home of her cousin Elizabeth. It all comes together, the Old Testament and the New Testament – two Elizabeth’s attached to an Aaron – two Mary’s who sing songs of deliverance. Isn’t it great when we can make these connections in the Biblical story.

Pastor Dave