But were there really only men who acted as apostles? The Greek word "Apostoloi" suggests this. Apostle, plurality: Apostoloi is male. So did Mathetai disciples. Male.
Sabine Bieberstein, Professor of New Testament at the Catholic University of Eichstätt, explains this phenomenon with the androcentricity of the ancient Greek language. Groups consisting of men and women are referred to in the plural with a male-constructed word – as was common in German and still is in some cases. For Sabine Bieberstein, this is one reason why the beginnings of Christianity seem male-dominated. (...)
"The fact that women have taken on quite remarkable functions in these early communities is not to be discussed away. Very interesting titles are used, such as the Phoebe, which is called the Deaconos and Prostatis of the municipality of Kenchräa. There is the Junia, which is called apostolos – that is, that there were these women, that they were proclaimed, that they also had managerial functions, that is some consensus in research. How this is then to be evaluated, evaluated and what conclusions are to be drawn from it, then the opinions diverge."
Bernhard Heininger, Professor of the Exegesis of the New Testament at the University of Würzburg, adds: "Generally speaking, I would like to add that a quarter of Paul's staff, who are mentioned in the New Testament, are women. Those who contribute in many ways to missionary work."
Angela Wäffler, author and pastor in Switzerland, also cites Paul as the most important witness for the role of women in the early church. "Perhaps it can also be said explicitly that he writes at the very beginning of the first Letter to the Corinth: he would have heard from the people of Chloe what conditions prevail in Corinth – that means: this Chloe plays a very important role, also a public role, in the community. And certainly not only on the coffee machine." (...)
The earliest interpreters of the New Testament, the Fathers of the Church, speak of Junia with respect. John Chrysostom, who lived from 344 to 407 AD, writes of Junia: "Being an apostle is something great. But famous among the Apostles, consider the great praise this is. How great must it have been for this woman's wisdom that she was found worthy of the title of Apostle."
In the Luther Bible and in the translation of unity, however, another name still stands instead of Junia: Junias – a man. Junias first appeared in the 13th century , with Egidius of Rome, an Augustinian hermit and disciple of the Church teacher Thomas Aquinas.
In the meantime, the view has prevailed in research that Junia, the female version, must be the original Pauline. Bernhard Heininger: "The historical-critical method has already been seen early, so early on I mean: mid-last century – that the male name Junias almost does not exist in antiquity, so not documented, while the woman's name Junia is often used, you can easily think: – Junia/June. What the Junia made junias can probably only be explained on the basis of a misguided understanding of ministry 4:00 Andronicus and Junia are described in Romans 16,7 as outstanding among the Apostles, and that has been a difficulty or a difficulty in counting Junia among the Apostles."
"It is quite natural for Paul: women appear in public, are publicly involved in the divine service, take on deaconesses' duties, are regarded as prophetesses, protectors, helpers, apostles – none of this is in question with Paul at all," says the author and pastor Angela Wäffler. (...)
Paul a misogynist?
For a long time, a completely different image of Paul prevailed. Paul was considered a misogynist. This is mainly due to a sentence in his letter to the church in Corinth: "As is customary in all the churches of the saints, women shall remain silent in the assembly; they are not allowed to talk. They should submit, as the law requires."
Heininger: "In my opinion, the requirement of silence in the first Letter to the Corinthians is a post-Pauline gloss or interpolation, so it is not Paul' that Paul says in the 11th chapter of the first Letter to the Corinthians that women should pray and prophesy with their heads covered, or a long hairstyle, whatever this should be translated. In the divine service, in the first Epistle to the Corinthians 11. This is fundamentally contradicted by the statement 1 Cor. 14 that the woman is silent in the church."
Sutter Rehmann: "This sentence has developed a very bad story of effect. Some say: this sentence should be put in brackets. In the Bible. For perhaps – quite surely, it does not come from the pen of Paul, it was inserted. Later. But that would actually leave out the story of the impact. And yet it worked, you are looking for this sentence, you have to be able to fight with it or put it in the right position."
Wäffler: "When we read the Bible, we always have to decide: What are our reference texts. And this sentence has been regarded as a reference for the position of women in the Church for centuries. From there, everything that can be read about women in the Bible has been interpreted and interpreted."
As a reference text, Angela Wäffler recommends another text: from Paul's letter to the Galatians: "You are all sons and daughters of God in Christ Jesus by faith, there are no more Jews and Greeks, not slaves and free men, not men and women, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Source:
https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/frau...ostelinnen.886.de.html?dram:article_id=272966)
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