Who Are Your Apostles?

Greet 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

Junia was a female apostle. You can read more about her history HERE, including how bible scribes added an ‘s’ to her name a few centuries after the New Testament was written to turn it masculine so it wouldn’t look like there was a female apostle, how most English translations did the same (including the NIV until 2011), and how church teachers continue to avoid mentioning her to this day.

It’s important to think about those structural injustices. It’s also important to think about our individual lives. Where are the female apostles in our own personal lives? Who are the females - and maybe expand that a bit and think of gender non-binary or trans leaders - who we look to as teachers, mentors, guides?

If we find males only or primarily filling those roles in our lives, what’s an appropriate step for us to take? (It does not mean we all put a call in to our female co-pastor and ask her to mentor us!) See if you can conceive of one or two of these steps as an appropriate spiritual practice for you to put you under the leadership of (or in peer spaces with) those who are not male. As a way of honoring the Junias God has given us, are there..

  • books you could read?

  • online cohorts you could join?

  • a mentorship program at work you could sign up for?

  • a small group at church or with friends you could be a part of?