Romans 16:7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

“Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen.” Although even this seems to be praise, what follows is much greater. What is it? “And my fellow prisoners.”

Behold the greatest crown; behold the loud glory. Where was Paul a prisoner, when he calls them his fellow captives?

He was not a captive, but he suffered more than any captive. He was not only separated from his homeland and house, but struggled with hunger, constant death, and thousands of other calamities.

This is especially terrible for a captive: being separated from his own, he often becomes a slave from being free.

But here one may point to countless temptations suffered by blessed Paul. He was dragged from place to place, scourged, bound, stoned, cast into the sea, and surrounded by thousands plotting against him.

That they are Paul’s kinsmen is not as great a praise as that they are prisoners with him. They suffered far more than any prisoner, being dragged from place to place and despoiled. It is also important to be an apostle, especially if one considers that Junia was a woman. Still more important is it to be renowned among the apostles. They were renowned by their works. Paul is not ashamed to say, “who were in Christ before me,” setting it to their praise that they came forward earlier and anticipated the good.

They were Paul’s relatives both according to the flesh and according to the Spirit, as the angel also said to Mary, “And behold, Elizabeth your relative,” and so forth (Lk 1:36).

“Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and fellow prisoners, who are notable among the apostles, and who were in Christ before me.” He joins many praises together. First, they shared dangers with the divine Paul, for he called them fellow prisoners as those who shared his sufferings. Then he says that they are notable, not among disciples, but among teachers. Nor are they notable among just any teachers, but among apostles. He also praises them for the time of their faith, saying, “who were in Christ before me.” After them I was called. In every case I marvel at the modest self-understanding of this divinely wise head.

“Andronicus and Junia,” in some manuscripts, “Julia.” The Apostle calls them notable among the apostles, which gives some reason to regard both persons as men. Yet the common opinion, following Chrysostom (On Romans, Homily 31:2), takes them as husband and wife. By what they became renowned among the apostles, and when they were imprisoned together with Paul, is unknown.

“My kinsmen.” Although even this seems to be praise, what follows is much greater. What is it? “And my fellow prisoners.”

Behold the most glorious crown; behold the loud proclamation! Where was Paul a prisoner, when he calls them his fellow prisoners?

He was not a prisoner in the sense that some foreign nation had taken him captive. Yet he suffered far more than any prisoner.

This refers to imprisonment, which Saint Paul often had to endure, see 2 Cor 11:23. Clement of Rome, in the First Epistle to the Corinthians, chapter 5, says that Paul was seven times in prison chains.

Somewhere during this, Andronicus and Junia also sat with him.