Scot McKnight Speaks on Women in Ministry

Scot McKnight, North Park University’s Karl A. Olsson Professor in Religious Studies, visited a full Travis Auditorium for a lecture entitled "Junia Is Not Alone in the Church" on October 26, sponsored by the Lowell W. Berry Center for Lifelong Learning.

The lecture offered a narrative history of Junia, one of two apostles mentioned in Romans 16:7. After hundreds of years of Greek texts translating the name as feminine, McKnight noted that early twentieth century Greek texts changed an accent to turn the feminine Ἰουνίαν (“Junia”) into the masculine Ἰουνιᾶν (“Junias”). McKnight indicated this was done to protect the idea that "apostles were men, and Junia was an apostle, so Junia was a man." McKnight joked, "This is called a 'sex-change operation by redaction.'"

For McKnight, it is clear that Junia was a woman and not a contraction of "Junianas" as some have claimed. It is also clear, he said, that Junia was an apostle and that this was not a problem for the author of Romans.

"Paul was not snickering with a mischievous look in his eye because he had just pulled off an incredible act of calling a woman an 'apostle,'” McKnight affirmed. “He didn't have a moment's afterthought, because Junia was not alone [as the only female apostle].”

"Junia was in essence a church-establishing, probably miracle-working, missionizing woman who preached the gospel and taught the church," McKnight said. Further, Junia is not alone in her importance in the Bible, McKnight noted, citing women like Debra, the prophet Huldah, and Phoebe.

McKnight went on to mention the role of other important women in the history of Christian mission—women like Marie Dentiere, a reformed pastor in France; Phoebe Palmer, one of the founders of the Holiness movement; and Mary McLeod Bethune, one of the founders of Bethune-Cookman University. "Junia is not alone," McKnight concluded. "She is accompanied by a host of women today who have been gifted by God to teach, preach and lead."

The traditional translation of  Ἰουνίαν ("Junia") was restored in influential Greek texts in 1998, but has still not been reflected in all Bible translations.

David Moore is coordinator of continuing education programs at Fuller.