Andronicus of Pannonia

But then if we go through, say, you know, Paul's other letters, or we look at the book of Acts, but particularly in Romans chapter 16, Paul mentions a whole list of women who were involved in some way, shape or form with him in the advancement of the gospel.

Some of the names we read there are Phoebe, Priscilla, Mary, Andronicus, Junia, Tryphena, Tryphosa, Persis, and there are others.

And I just wanted to touch on this because There is some controversy currently in the evangelical world about the role of women and what they can and can't do in the church.

And it's funny, I read a book a while back and it was talking about how this sort of negative perspective on women involved in ministry that exist in some parts of evangelicalism, it really kind of has its roots in the mid 20th century.

I went and read that by the way, because I was like, I'm not even sure what they're talking about.

And it says in that passage, greet, Andronicus and Junia, or the textual note is Junius, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners.

So I had to go look at the Greek more closely, but I'm not even sure it's clear that that is a woman.

Yeah.

Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you.

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." All right.

So, so there's a few of those names, and we'll go back to our sheet here.

Not a fellow worker with Paul, but had a reputation for working with the believers in Rome.

So again, she's just one of those [laughs] workers that, uh, we're thankful for.

Uh, Andronicus, Andronicus maybe? I don't know.

Junia, early Jewish converts to Christianities.

The ESV renders it Junia.

She and Andronicus are Paul's kinsmen and his fellow prisoners.

This verse is translated a couple different ways.

The ESV says they are well known to the apostles, but most scholars agree a much better rendition is that they were well known among the apostles.

Remember me to Mary who has worked well amongst you.

Remember me to my cousins and fellow-assistants Andronicus and Junias, who are distinguished amongst the apostles, and came to Christ before me.

Regards to Amplias my friend in the Lord, and also our companion in Christ Urbanus, And my friend Stachys, with Apelles approved in Christ, and the family of Aristobulus, As well as my cousin Herodion.

Best wishes to the family of Narcissus, who are in the Lord; with those workers for the Lord Tryphaena and Tryphosa Remembering the good Persis who has done much in the Lord.

I do not want to see any Soma planter plant alone.

I want them to be surrounded by the best missional experts that we have and the best relational support that we have, and I would love those churches to be planted with teams that look like Paul's teams in the New Testament, which means that there are men and women on this team like Paul, like Priscilla, like Junia, like Andronicus, like Titus and Timothy, and the dozens of workers that, that helped Paul plant those churches.

And I also would like churches supported so that they don't have to appoint elders and deacons alone, and I would like them to not face any crisis alone.

And so we're organizing towards that end, and, um, and this has been the most difficult job that I, that I've ever had, and it was right at the end of what I thought was a difficult season that I, I was hoping that I would go into this next season with a job that would be so purely in my sweet spot and, and a little bit of a break from pastoral ministry.