Romans 16

I have been reading Romans during my devotion time. Today I read Romans 16 and was reminded again how many exegetical conundrums are found in a realtively unimportant chapter [it is mostly greetings with a doxology].

The first problem is in verse 1: "Now I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea [NET]. The debate centers around the word "servant." Is Phoebe just a servant of the church or a deaconess? The same Greek word can be translated either way. The argument for deaconess usually centers around the fact that Phoebe is associated with a certain church, likely making her a deaconess of it. Contra that, however, is the fact that Epaphras is associated with the churches of Colossae and Timothy with Ephesus. Neither is considered a deacon for those churches. I lean toward "servant" but the conclusion is held loosely. I must admit that my Southern Baptist presuppositions play a part in my view (can presuppositions ever be denied?).

The second problem is in verse 7: "Greet Andronicus and Junia . . . They are well known to the apostles" [NET]. The debate here centers around the phrase "well known to the apostles." As the NET translates the phrase, it is in the elative sense, following Daniel Wallace. Others, however, insist the phrase should be translated in the comparative sense, "prominent among the apostles." There is no doubt that Junia is a female, probably the wife of Andronicus. But is she an apostle or someone well known to the apostles? Once again, the evidence is difficult to determine for sure. Eldon Epp has written persuasively for Junia's apostleship [Junia: The First Woman Apostle-Augsburg Fortress Press, 2005]. He brings considerable exegetical skill to his argument. Contra Epp is the article by M.H. Burer and D.B. Wallace, "Was Junia Really an Apostle? A Re-examination of Rom. 16:7," NTS 47 (2001): 76-91.

I must admit that the Burer/Wallace article is not as compelling as Epp's work. I have not made up my mind competely on which translation I support. The most natural reading of the phrase favors Epp. The NT silence about any other woman who might be an apostle leans toward the apostle's knowlege and respect for Junia.

There are two other textual problems in Romans 16. I'll deal with those later.