Junia, the apostle: Part 12

Before starting this study I assumed that the statement about Andronicus and Junia was ambiguous. Now I am not too sure. I am inclining toward accepting that it really does mean they were apostles. However, I am surprised that Wallace and Burer do not accept an ambiguous meaning.

This surprises me because they may have put forward this hypothesis without thinking through what is actually found in the Greek scriptures.

As a working hypothesis, we would suggest the following. Since a noun in the genitive is typically used with comparative adjectives, we might expect
such with an implied comparison too. Thus, if in Rom. 16:7 Paul meant to say that Andronicus and Junia were outstanding among the apostles, we might have expected him to use the genitive. On the other hand, if an elative force is suggested—i.e., where no comparison is even hinted at—we might expect en + the dative. It should be noted that this is merely a working hypothesis, and one that is falsifiable.

But here is an example of a comparative with en + dative. I had forgotten this one last week.

ὑμεῖς δὲ οὐχ οὕτως ἀλλ' ὁ μείζων ἐν ὑμῖν γινέσθω ὡς ὁ νεώτερος καὶ ὁ ἡγούμενος ὡς ὁ διακονῶν

But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. ESV Luke 22:26

Does this example falsify the hypothesis?

Update: When I first wrote this short post, I did not make it clear that this verse uses the comparative in Greek, rather than the superlative. Here it is literally,

ὑμεῖς δὲ οὐχ οὕτως ἀλλ' ὁ μείζων ἐν ὑμῖν γινέσθω ὡς ὁ νεώτερος καὶ ὁ ἡγούμενος ὡς ὁ διακονῶν

With you then not so, but let the greater among you become as the younger, and the one who rules as the one who serves. (my trans.)

So it is quite normal to use a comparative adjective with en + dative, and in that case, term A will be a member of the group in term B. The meaning is inclusive. So Andronicus and Junia would be outstanding among the apostles in the same way, members of the group. That is the intuitive reading.

Can anyone suggest how Wallace and Burer were viewing this matter in an alternative light, in order to come up with their hypothesis.

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