Andronicus of Pannonia ( el, Ἀνδρόνικος) was a 1st-century
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
mentioned by the
Apostle Paul
Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...
in his
Epistle to the Romans (chapter 16):
According to that verse, Andronicus was a kinsman of Paul and a fellow prisoner at some time, particularly well known among the apostles, and had become a follower of
Jesus Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
before
Paul's Damascus road conversion. It is generally assumed that
Junia Junia may refer to:
*Three daughters of Servilia, mistress of Caesar, sisters or half sisters of Marcus Junius Brutus
*:Junia Prima
*: Junia Secunda
*:Junia Tertia
*Junia Calvina, Roman noblewoman of 1st century
*Junia Lepida, another Roman noble ...
was his wife, but they could have been brother and sister, or father and daughter, or no close relation to each other, but to Paul as kinsmen.
Apostleship
Translations of the
New Testament
The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...
vary with their renditions of the Greek words translated as "of note" and "apostles." One theory is that Andronicus and Junia were not apostles themselves, but enjoyed a high reputation among the apostles. However, classicist
Evelyn Stagg
Evelyn Stagg (''née'' Evelyn Owen) (July 9, 1914 – February 28, 2011) was a trailblazer for Southern Baptist women in ministry.Allen, Bob. "Evelyn Stagg, role model for Baptist women in ministry, dies at 96." ''Associated Baptist Press.'' May 20 ...
and New Testament scholar
Dr. Frank Stagg write that Paul makes a special point of explicitly stating how well known the couple is to him. His references to the couple's imprisonment with him and to the time of their conversion relative to his own would give him no interest in deferring to the opinion of others as a source of credentials. Hence, he considers himself competent to endorse the couple as "apostles" on the basis of his own involvement with them. The Staggs conclude that both the context and the content of this verse require that it be read naturally as Paul's commendation of Andronicus and Junia as being remarkable Christian workers and "apostles" alongside Silas, Timothy, and others given that title in the early Church. The traditional view of the
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Eastern Orthodox Church, also called the Orthodox Church, is the second-largest Christian church, with approximately 220 million baptized members. It operates as a communion of autocephalous churches, each governed by its bishops via ...
, states that Andronicus was Bishop of Pannonia and that Andronicus and Junia were both martyred.
Veneration
In the
Eastern Orthodox
Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism.
Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or "canonical") ...
and
Oriental Orthodox
The Oriental Orthodox Churches are Eastern Christian churches adhering to Miaphysite Christology, with approximately 60 million members worldwide. The Oriental Orthodox Churches are part of the Nicene Christian tradition, and represent o ...
traditions, Andronicus was one of the
Seventy Apostles. Andronicus was made bishop of
Pannonia
Pannonia (, ) was a province of the Roman Empire bounded on the north and east by the Danube, coterminous westward with Noricum and upper Italy, and southward with Dalmatia and upper Moesia. Pannonia was located in the territory that is now wes ...
and preached the Gospel throughout the whole of Pannonia together with Junia. Andronicus and Junia were successful in bringing many to Christ and in demolishing many temples of idolatry. The tradition holds that they were capable of performing
miracle
A miracle is an event that is inexplicable by natural or scientific lawsOne dictionary define"Miracle"as: "A surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divin ...
s, by which they drove out demons and healed many of sickness and disease.
[Velimirovic, Nikolai. ''The Prologue from Ochrid", Birmingham: Lazarica Press, 1985. 4th ed. Web: 7 Jan 2010. "The Holy Apostle Andronicus." Serbian Orthodox Church]
The Holy Apostle Andronicus
/ref>
In the Eastern Orthodox tradition, Andronicus died as a martyr
A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an externa ...
. He and Junia Junia may refer to:
*Three daughters of Servilia, mistress of Caesar, sisters or half sisters of Marcus Junius Brutus
*:Junia Prima
*: Junia Secunda
*:Junia Tertia
*Junia Calvina, Roman noblewoman of 1st century
*Junia Lepida, another Roman noble ...
are commemorated in the Eastern Orthodox Church
The Eastern Orthodox Church, also called the Orthodox Church, is the second-largest Christian church, with approximately 220 million baptized members. It operates as a communion of autocephalous churches, each governed by its bishops via ...
on May 17. In the Oriental Orthodox tradition, Andronicus departed in peace one day before the departure of Junia. He is commemorated on 22 Pashons in the Coptic Orthodox Church
The Coptic Orthodox Church ( cop, Ϯⲉⲕ̀ⲕⲗⲏⲥⲓⲁ ⲛ̀ⲣⲉⲙⲛ̀ⲭⲏⲙⲓ ⲛ̀ⲟⲣⲑⲟⲇⲟⲝⲟⲥ, translit=Ti.eklyseya en.remenkimi en.orthodoxos, lit=the Egyptian Orthodox Church; ar, الكنيسة القبطي ...
.
The Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
archbishopric of Moravia
The Archbishopric of Moravia ( la, Sancta Ecclesia Marabensis) was an ecclesiastical province, established by the Holy See to promote Christian missions among the Slavic peoples. Its first archbishop, the Byzantine Saint Methodius of Thessalonik ...
was originally established by Pope Nicholas I
Pope Nicholas I ( la, Nicolaus I; c. 800 – 13 November 867), called Nicholas the Great, was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 24 April 858 until his death. He is remembered as a consolidator of papal authority, exerting dec ...
in the 9th century as a revival of the see founded by Andronicus.
Notes
External links
Apostle Andronicus of the Seventy
From the Orthodox Church in America
Coptic Orthodox Synexarion
{{DEFAULTSORT:Andronicus Of Pannonia
1st-century bishops in Pannonia
1st-century Christian martyrs
People in the Pauline epistles
Seventy disciples
Epistle to the Romans
Year of birth unknown