The 1st Woman Apostle Recorded in Holy Writ
"Great Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was."
(Romans 16:7)
Who Is Junia?
For centuries, no one knew that Junia was a female apostle! She served on the earliest frontlines of the Gospel of the Kingdom, along with her husband Andronicus. Together they were stealth in their assignment as apostolic pioneers and advancers of Christ Jesus as The Way, Truth & Life in the first century. The Apostle Paul was so impressed with their caliber of ministry that he wrote poignantly of them in his letter to the Romans. He called them "noteworthy" and "outstanding," among all the other apostolic leaders of their day. He further wrote that they were of Jewish heritage, endured imprisonment for the sake of their Lord & Savior, and were seasoned apostles, who served in the field long before he even showed up. What a sphere of influence!
Women in the Government of God
This magnitude of apostolic intelligence, impartation, and impact, soon brought a spiritual attack that was so severe that it would completely remove Junia's feminine and marital status from the biblical record altogether. Even though early church fathers like Chrysostom wrote:
"And indeed to be apostles at all is a great thing. But to be even amongst those of note...Oh! How great is the devotion of this woman, that she should be even counted worthy of the appellation of apostle!"
The 700 Year Cover Up...Finally Revealed
For the first one thousand years of Church history, all agreed that Junia
(as recorded in Romans 16:7) was a female apostle. Her name was
common among women within Greco-Roman society. But soon a sinister
plot prevailed, and JUNIA became JUNIAS (by a theological stroke of the
pen), and the single letter "s" was added to her name. This literally
'transgendered" Junia from a woman to a man and removed her female
apostleship entirely. She was hidden away in plain sight and buried alive
within scripture. This gave way to a 700-year coverup regarding women
in ministry and whether female 'disciples of Christ' could serve within the
Government of God; especially in Five-fold ministry. If Junia was indeed an
apostle as the majority of theological research now proves - then we
have argued for too long about Paul, women preachers, and the heart of
God concerning His "devoted daughters." Junia is the 'apostolic woman'
who changes the rules. The Junia Papers will highlight her life and inspires us all!
~ Dr. Yolanda Powell
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