Romans Chapter 16 Vs. 7

 

Personal Greetings

Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellowprisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me. Rom 16:7

Salute Andronicus and... These two were relatives of Paul and his fellow prisoners. They were noted disciples among the apostles and were Christians before Paul. Just when they were fellow prisoners with Paul is not known.

Very little is written in the Bible about Andronicus. A history book states that he became bishop of Pannonia. His name means man-conquering. He and Junia seemed to be blood relations of Paul.

note among the... Just means they were well known to the apostles. The New Testament knows only the 12 apostles plus Matthias and Paul. The office of apostle was not extended beyond this number. Andronicus and Junia (a woman), are not apostles.

Their ministry with Paul, and perhaps with Peter and some of the other apostles in Jerusalem before Paul was converted, was well known and appreciated by the apostles.

Andronicus and Junias, greeted together, may have been husband and wife; Junias can be either masculine or feminine. Paul called them my relatives, which probably refers to a tribal, not a family kinship (cf. Rom. 9:3). He also mentioned four other “relatives” (Rom. 16:11, 16:21). He said Andronicus and Junias had been in prison with him (lit., “my fellow prisoners”); when or where this occurred is not mentioned (cf. 2Cor. 11:23). Paul commended them as outstanding (episēmoi, lit., “having a mark [sēma] on them,” therefore “illustrious, notable, outstanding”) among the apostles. The word “apostles” is probably used here in the broader, general sense in which Barnabas, Silas, and others were called apostles (Acts 14:14; 1Thes. 2:7). Or it could mean the apostles in the limited sense, referring to the reputation this pair had among the Twelve. Paul added, They were (perf. tense, “they came to be and still are”) in Christ before I was. So they had been believers for about 25 years.