Junia, the Apostle: Part 5

There has been a bit of discussion and some suggestion that Junia simply could not be an apostle and that should guide how we translate episemos en tois apostolois. However, this just highlights our condition as language and culture-bound humans. Why should a woman not be an apostle, and is a woman apostle incompatible with a traditional faith? Not at all, as it turns out.

This is one of those times when I just sit back and scratch my head. What is all the fuss about?

I didn't have much luck when I tried to google the expression 'equal to the apostles' or 'isapostolos' although these are established terms and even show up in wikipedia. But I simply could not bring myself to... well, you know, quote wikipedia. Go have a gander if you like. But when I googled 'egale aux apotres', then I hit paydirt.

(Please excuse lack of accents and all things decorous. I have been without my own computer for a few weeks and now that I have it back it needs to be recustomized.)

So here is what I found. Nino, the Christian, virgin and apostle.

L'évêque de Metz, Mgr Jauffret, fort impressionné par la communauté propose à ses membres la consécration de leur vie à Dieu. Le 20 avril 1807, il donne au groupe le statut de Congrégation religieuse, et une patronne: NINO la Chrétienne, vierge et apôtre, qui évangélisa la Géorgie au 4ème siècle. Ce nouvel institut de vie religieuse apostolique appartient à la famille ignatienne.

The Bishop of Metz, Msg Jauffret, much impressed by the community, proposed to its members the consecration of their life to God. The 20th of April, 1807, he gave to the group the statute of a religious congregation, and a patron: NINO, the Christian, virgin and apostle, who evangelised Georgia in the 4th century. This new institute of apostolic religious life belonged to the Ignatian family.

Nino arrive en Georgie depuis les contrées d'Arménie le long du fleuve. A Myskheta, près de l'actuelle capitale Tbilissi, elle s'arrête, se fait une hutte, une croix... Trois ans durant elle vit dans le silence. Et voici qu'on lui amène un enfant malade. Elle le guérit au nom de Jésus...La Georgie, pays situé au sud du Caucase, a connu Jésus-Christ au 4ème siècle par Nino. Pour les géorgiens, elle est leur "illuminatrice", égale aux apôtres.

Nino arrived in Georgia from the regions of Armenia along the river. At Myskheta, near the present capital Tbilissi, she stopped, made a hut, a cross ... For three years she lived in silence. And then someone brought her a sick child. She healed it in the name of Jesus. ... Georgia, a country situated in the south of the Caucasus, knew Jesus Christ in the 4th century because of Nino. For the Georgians, she is their visionary, equal to the apostles.

Dans la tradition chrétienne, Nino est appelée Chrétienne ou Christinia. C'est le nom que donna l'évêque de Metz en 1807 à cette Congrégation de femmes-apôtres.

In the Christian tradition, Nino is called Christian or Christiania. This is the name which the bishop of Metz gave to the congregation of apostolic women (women apostles?) in 1807.

So I really just wanted to say that men should not be too threatened by a woman apostle. It is predominantly in the reformed and western tradition, which does not have a consecrated male priesthood, that the apostleship of women is a concern. As long as hierarchy depends on a representational and traditional priesthood which excludes women on some other basis, contortions of grammar and semantics in Romans 16:7 are not necessary.

The arguments for keeping women from roles which are equal to men, are by no means the same across cultures. These tenets are not universal and natural, God-given and inspired. They are propositions sewn together to fit the occasion.

It is worth considering , however, that the distinction between priest and apostle may not be all that great. I offer this for as food for thought.

τον αποστολον και αρχιερεα της ομολογιας ημων χριστον ιησουν

the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;
KJV Hebrews 3:1