Not only Junia / Junias is the subject, but all the missing women of early Christianity. And with them all the offices, that these women have had. The deaconess Phoebe for example, the leader of a house church, Lydia, Priscilla / Priskia who taught Paul along with her husband Aquilla, or Mary Magdalene, the first apostle and close confidante of Jesus. Mary Magdalene was created as a sinner, made a prostitute. From a Pope in the 6th century, the same century in which disappeared the last Office for Women, the Office of the deaconess in the catholic church. Coincidence?
Hi Jutta, as I said, "to get you started"
I'm sorry, but I've been especially busy this week because of the holiday festivities, so that's why I only mentioned Junia in my 1st reply. BTW, I hope you had a wonderful Christmas
I'd like to discuss the subject further, so let's talk about each and every woman you mentioned.
Phoebe (
Romans 16:1) - was a deaconess (most churches have female deacons or "servants of the church" today). The RCC has a number of women in that role called "nuns", right? The, "house church", met at
Prisca and Aquila's home, not Phoebe's, correct? (
Romans 16:1-5 .. see especially v5).
Lydia (
Acts 16:14-15) - what office did Lydia hold?
Mary Magdalene - what official "office" do you believe she held? I realize some have called her the "apostle to the Apostles" in the sense that she was the one who first brought the good news about His resurrection to them, but we don't see her "called" into service by the Lord, do we?
As for the RCC, they ordained deaconesses until the 11th century, not the 6th, but there have never been woman in the office of elder or priest (teaching/ruling). And as I said above, as far as women in the "role" of deaconesses, IOW, servants of the church, I don't believe any church has more women in that role than the RCC does (nuns).
Prisca and Aquila -
"taught" Paul
Do you have a chapter/verse reference on that one? (he calls them "fellow workers" and they both risked their lives to save his ..
Romans 16:3-4). Apparently no one "taught" St. Paul but One (
Galatians 1:1; Galatians 1:11-12)
Yours and His,
David