Greet Andronicus and Junia, my countrymen and my fellow prisoners, who are well thought of among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.
Truth to Learn
Some Christians are well known for their service in the church.
Behind the Words
The word “countrymen” is translated from sungenēs, which is made up of sun, meaning “together” and genos, meaning “offspring, family, or nation.” This word can be used to imply a family member (a relative) or someone with the same ethnic roots.
“Fellow prisoners” is from the Greek noun sunaichmalōtos, a double compound word made up of sun, meaning “together,” eichmē, meaning “a spear,” and a form of halōtos, meaning “to be conquered or taken captive.” Sunaichmalōtos refers to anyone who has been imprisoned with someone else.
The words “well thought of” come from the Greek word episēmos, which is made up of epi, meaning “upon” and sēma, meaning “a mark or a sign.” So, literally this means someone who has “a mark upon them.” In a good sense this word implies being “well thought of or distinguished.” In a bad sense this word refers to someone who is “notorious.”
Meaning Explained
Paul now extends a greeting to Andronicus and Junia. Although Junia is a name that can be given to a man or a woman, it is most likely that these two were both men. Though this translation refers to them as countrymen (fellow Jews) it is likely that they were more closely related to Paul than just descendants of Israel. A number of the people to whom Paul sends greetings have Jewish names, yet only these two are referred to as sungenēs. Therefore, it is likely that Andronicus and Junia were family relatives of Paul.
He tells us that they were imprisoned with him, although he doesn’t say when or where. Given that Paul was frequently imprisoned, it is difficult to speculate on which occasion they were imprisoned with him. What is of note is that Paul only refers to two other “fellow prisoners” in all his writing:
Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, (Philemon 1:23)
Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you … (Colossians 4:10a)
Paul tells us that Andronicus and Junia were well thought of among the apostles. He is not saying that these two were apostles, but that they were well thought of by those who were true apostles of Jesus Christ.
Finally, we are told that these two were believers in Jesus Christ as the Messiah before Paul was. It is likely that they were among the earliest converts among the Jews and became known to the apostles in Jerusalem before the martyrdom of Stephen and the ensuing dispersion of Christians from Jerusalem.
Application
Andronicus and Junia were well known among the leaders of the early church, probably because of their testimonies and their service in the church. What do the leaders of your church say about you? If asked, would they say that you are “well thought of” within your church, or do they even know who you are?
In God's service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved