Andronicus

Info

• #apostle
• Home:: Roman Church (or Jerusalem originally)
• Other Locales:: Unknown
• References:: Romans 16#16:7

Notes

• Paired with Junia - likely a married couple
• Called "outstanding among the apostles" and Paul's "kinsmen" and "fellow prisoners"
• In Christ before Paul

Summary

Andronicus appears only in Romans 16#16:7, but the single verse Paul devotes to him and his partner Junia is one of the most theologically charged greetings in the New Testament. Paul writes: "Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners, who are outstanding among the apostles, and who were in Christ before me."

Paul calls Andronicus his "kinsman," which most likely means fellow Jew rather than blood relative. The designation "fellow prisoner" indicates that Andronicus shared imprisonment with Paul at some point.

The phrase "outstanding among the apostles" can be read in two ways: that Andronicus and Junia were themselves apostles of outstanding reputation, or that they were well-known to the apostles. The majority of patristic interpreters, including John Chrysostom, took the former reading. The word "apostle" here carries its broader Pauline sense of an authorized equipping servant, not the narrow sense of the Twelve.

Andronicus was "in Christ before me," placing his conversion within the first few years after the resurrection, making him one of the earliest Jewish believers. Some scholars speculate he was among the original Jerusalem community, possibly even a witness to the resurrection. His presence in Rome suggests he was part of the early mission that carried the gospel to the imperial capital, possibly among those who founded the Roman church.

Andronicus and Junia represent a pre-Pauline layer of the Christian movement, Jewish believers who were doing apostolic work before Paul's conversion and continued as recognized leaders in the Roman church.

References

• reedBILDEncyclicals2017 - References Andronicus and Junia in the context of early apostolic networks.
• theodoretCommentaryRomansc425 - Theodoret of Cyrus's patristic commentary on Romans, with early church interpretation of Andronicus in Romans 16:7.
• mouleEpistlePaulApostle2015 - Moule's commentary on Romans covering Andronicus's mention in Romans 16:7.
• bruceRomans2014 - F.F. Bruce's Romans commentary addressing Andronicus in Romans 16:7.
• mcclainRomansGospelGod1989 - McClain's Romans commentary covering Andronicus in Paul's closing greetings.
• mooEncounteringBookRomans2002 - Moo's Romans survey covering the greetings context where Andronicus appears in Romans 16:7.
• Romans 16:7 Commentaries - BibleHub
• What does Romans 16:7 mean? - BibleRef.com