Apostle Junia's Missionary Journeys
- Elaine R Kelly
- May 8
- 7 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Junia is named as an apostle who was outstanding among the apostles. How did she earn this accolade? Who was the Apostle Junia, and where might she have gone as an apostle? Where might she have been in prison? Was she in prison with Paul? What was her relationship with Andronicus? How might they have been related to Paul?
I imagine answers to these questions in my upcoming historical fiction: Finding Her Voice, from Broken to Bold : A Novel of the Earliest Female Apostles (set in Acts 11-15)
Orthodox tradition holds that Junia and Andronicus preached the gospel throughout Illyricum, Pannonia and Dalmatia, Roman provinces east of the Adriatic Sea. Today, this area includes parts of Croatia, Serbia, and Bosnia & Herzegovina. They performed miracles, drove out demons, healed the sick, destroyed idols, closed pagan temples, and brought many to Christ. Andronicus became the bishop of Pannonia; he and Junia were martyred there, and their relics were found near Constantinople (Istanbul)[1].
Emperor Claudius banned Jews from Rome until his death in AD 54, and Paul likely wrote the letter to the Romans, greeting both Jews and Greeks in the late AD 50s. They would have completed many years of service together before being in Rome and being greeted in this letter from Paul.
Like Paul, she may have had more than one mission journey, so for this novel, I imagine an earlier journey, set in the late AD 40s. Since Paul's missionary journeys are already written in the book of Acts, and Junia is not named as being with Paul at that time, I imagined a trip to places that are not named as places Paul visited. Her fictional mission journey in this novel is based on the Roman roads and major trade routes and goes to Perga, Colossae, Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22), Hierapolis, Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7-13), Sardis (Revelation 3:1-6), and Smyrna (Revelation 2:8-11).
How Did Junia Earn the Descriptions Paul Attributes to her in Romans 16?
Junia is named only once in the Bible. In Romans 16:7, Paul tells us:
She was in Christ before Paul, becoming a follower of Jesus before Paul. Since Paul became a believer shortly after Jesus’s resurrection, Junia may have been among the disciples at Pentecost (Acts 1:14) or a disciple while Jesus was alive.
Junia is “my kindred”, which may mean relatives or fellow Jews
My fellow captive means she was either in prison with Paul or in the same cause as Paul
Outstanding among the apostles, which likely means she was not only an apostle, but she was notable in the company of the apostles.
Translators changed Romans 16:7 by changing the female name "Junia" to a non-existent male name, "Junias". This incorrect translation was spread from about the sixth century until the 20th century. When it was proven that this verse refers to a female, those who continue to deny that there could be female apostles interpret the verse to mean Junia was well-known to the apostles, not an actual apostle herself.
As I wrote about how the Bible, endorsed equality, regardless of gender, I came across more arguments for and against equal freedoms, opportunities, rights, and responsibilities for women. I put opposing views side by side in my non-fiction, The Sword: A Fun Way to Engage in Healthy Debate on What the Bible says About a Woman's Role. It uses
My research has revealed many women in the Bible who were disciples, patrons, teachers, deacons, prophets, judges, leaders, evangelists, church planters, and apostles. No matter how many women the Bible shows in speaking and leading roles, those who believe in a male hierarchy (Complementarians) refuse to take a second look at the meaning of the passages that seem to oppose women speaking or leading. Complementarians would rather repeat similar denials for each woman:
The apostle was not really a woman (Junias, Nympha)
She was not a patron and leader, simply hosted the church in her house (Nympha)
She was really not a church patron and leader (Lydia)
She was not really Paul's co-worker, called "sister" and at the same level as Timothy, called"brother" (Apphia)
She was not really an apostle (Junia, Mary Magdalene)
She was not really a teacher or she didn't teach men or she didn't teach publicly or she didn't lead a church in her home (Priscilla)
She was not really Paul's benefactor, leader or teacher (Phoebe)
The women are not really commended as Paul's co-workers who serve as Timothy serves or encouraged to be like-minded as Timothy is like-minded (Euodia and Syntyche); Paul calls them out, and they were likely quarrelling and show how unsuited all women are to leadership
She was not God's first choice (Deborah)
In Christ Before Paul
Junia is the Latin form of the Hebrew name Joanna, and it is possible that she used her Latin name when in Rome. Paul used his Latin name in Roman provinces and his Hebrew name, Saul, when he was pursuing the Jewish Pharisaic faith in Jerusalem. My fiction runs with the tradition that Junia, who is "in Christ before Paul," is Joanna, the disciple and patron (Luke 8:1-3, Matthew 28:8-10).
My Kindred
If Junia was the granddaughter of the high priest Theophilus, she would have been a Sadducee, while Paul was a Pharisee. They may not have been of the same tribe or bloodlines. In my novel, I imagined a backstory making Junia biracial, and not Paul's relative. Since Andronicus is a Greek name, I have imagined a backstory where he was a prisoner of war as a child, educated and employed by a member of the Costobarus family in Cilicia. There is a theory that Paul was the great-grandson of Costobarus and Salome I (the sister of Herod the Great). I imagine Andronicus is a freedman with limited Roman citizenship and the ability to travel freely, conduct business, and build wealth.
My Fellow Captive
In this novel, I imagine Junia imprisoned in the same cause as Paul, for her faith and her evangelism. However, she is not with Paul on this mission trip. She may have also been in prison at the same time as Paul on a different mission trip.
Outstanding Amon the Apostles
I imagine Junia may have been travelling as an apostle and missionary at the same time as Paul, but in different locations. I imagine Andronicus as a trader in spices, taking the Roman roads often used by traders of the day. He offers to take Junia and her handmaid on his merchant trading trip, along with his driver. The group goes to cities where there is no record of Paul visiting. We know from Paul's letters and from the book of Revelation that some early apostles evangelized and founded churches in these cities. Why not Junia?
I imagine how Junia's backstory in my new novel, set in the AD 40s, with Junia meeting Andronicus for the first time, advocating to speak, and finally getting the opportunity to go on her first missionary journey. The novel covers the timeline of Acts 11-15 and concludes with Junia at the Jerusalem Council. This stand-alone novel imagines Junia, a travelling preacher, and Susannah, mother of four daughters. They became two of the earliest female apostles.
At some point, Apostle John took Jesus's mother Mary to live in Ephesus, possibly after Herod killed John’s brother James. John likely established the first Christian community in Ephesus and led it before Paul arrived in Ephesus. John wrote the Gospel of John, the three letters of John, and the book of Revelation. It describes a vision of seven churches, and four of them are on Junia’s fictional journey in this novel. Under Roman law the penalty for prophecy, astrology and magic was banishment. John is said to have lived in Ephesus until he was banished to the island of Patmos under Roman Emperor Domitian (AD 81 – 96) and later returned to Ephesus and died there.
Check out the map of Junia's Journey!
Below is the fictional journey that Junia takes in Finding Her Voice from Broken to Bold: A Novel of the Earliest Female Apostles. It is st in the late AD 40s, in the same timeline as Paul's first missionary journey, which is also shown on the map below.
Later, Paul takes additional, longer journeys, and I imagine that Junia later takes additional, longer journeys. Tradition tells us that Junia and Andronicus later had missionary journeys throughout the areas east of the Adriatic Sea, and that Andronicus became the Bishop of Pannonia (modern-day Hungary). They could easily have been in Rome by the late AD 50s when Paul greeted them in his letter to the Romans.
This map is (c) Elaine Ricker Kelly and for exclusive use in her writing and publication.
Finding Her Voice, from Broken to Bold book 3: A Novel of the Earliest Female Apostles
Two women called to speak. The world told them to stay silent.
After being sent to Syria, Joanna must hide her Hebrew heritage and live under her Latin name, Junia. Straddling two worlds, she fears her son will never fully belong if she doesn't convince the early church to accept all races as equals. Junia protects herself by hiding her bi-racial identity, but her message can be convincing only by revealing it.
Susannah knows she is to make God’s word understood by many, but as unrest shakes the streets and new life grows within her, she begins to wonder: Is it possible to raise a family and still raise her voice?
Brimming with adventure, fear, laughter, and love, this inspiring novel shows courage, conviction, and the power of a woman’s voice—both in the home and in the world. Explore faith, identity, and the courage to speak out despite the opposition and upheaval of Acts 11-15. Read it as a standalone or as the powerful conclusion to the feminist and LGBTQ+ affirming historical fiction trilogy: From Broken to Bold.
Can the two women boldly proclaim Jesus’s message of equality before church councils silence them forever?
Coming October 2025.
Contact Me to receive your ebook Advance Reader Copy this summer!
Elaine Ricker Kelly Author is empowering women with historical fiction about women in the Bible and early church and Christian blogs about women in leadership, church history and doctrine. Her books include:
Forgotten Followers from Broken to Bold, Book 1, A Novel (2022)
The Sword: A Fun Way to Engage in Healthy Debate on What the Bible Says About a Woman's Role (2023)
Because She Was Called from Broken to Bold, Book 2, A Novel of the Early Church (2024)
Walk with Mara on Her Healing Journey: 21 Steps to Emotional Resilience (2024)
Finding Her Voice from Broken to Bold, Book 3, A Novel of the Earliest Female Apostles (coming October 2025)
[1] https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2022/05/17/101405-apostle-andronicus-of-the-seventy-and-his-fellow-laborer-junia
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