Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me. -- Romans 16: 7 (ESV)
Those who want the Bible to say something it does not prefer the translations that say these two individuals were "outstanding among the apostles." Biblical scholars who are experts in syntax and grammar however agree that the ESV translation above is probably the most accurate. When other translations state that they were "outstanding" it simple meant that they would stand out" to the apostles. It is also of interesting note that Paul uses the male collective term kinsmen to describe both. As stated however, the gender does not matter as these two individuals were not apostles. They were simply well-known to the apostles.
I have saved one name for last and that is the judge, Deborah. She is the single representation of female leadership in the 6,000 + years of recorded biblical history. There is no question that Scripture states she was a judge and a prophetess. But beloved we must reason together. She is the outlier in Scripture, not the normative. Many have speculated that her rise to be a judge, the only female judge in the 400 years of judges, was a testimony against the men of Israel. That God had to turn to a woman to lead. I see no value in devaluing her role and her contribution to the people of God. The larger point is that in the entire canon of Scripture she is the only example of a woman in a leadership position, exercising authority over men. You cannot build doctrine upon that, especially in light of the very clear instructions that are in Scripture regarding the role of women.
I first wrote on this subject a few years ago and will close with the same closing from that devotional because nothing has really changed:
Beloved, God sets the standards; not man. While the world spins out of control in the change it thinks is progressive and positive, God does not change. The world might view this line of thinking as sexist but God's ways are so much higher than ours. We are not to think like the world. There have been plenty of women God has used through the millennia to further His cause and kingdom. There are plenty of roles women are allowed to pursue. Essentially there is only one they are asked to be submissive in and that is leadership within the body of Christ. Just like there was one tree that Adam and Eve were told not to eat the fruit of. Yet no matter how much God says no, our flesh cries out, "surely God did not say"
Without apology my dear sisters in Christ. Yes, He did.
Reverend Anthony Wade -- October 24, 2019
