Читать книгу The Book of Gratitudes - Pablo R. Andiñach - Страница 22

In the libraries of Michigan and Dublin dwell the treasures that Sir Alfred Chester Beatty collected throughout his life. Among the works of art and rare pieces, there is also a collection of Islamic, Persian and Chinese texts, including several papyri from the Old and New Testaments.

Only one of the three New Testament papyri interests us at this time, the so-called P 46, which contains the Epistles of Paul. And from this papyrus, verse 7 of chapter 16 of the Epistle to the Romans. There, in the papyrus, the Apostle Paul says: “. . .greet Andronicus and Julia, my kinsfolk and my fellow prisoners; they are of note among the apostles. . ..” Later he mentions that they were both Christians before he was. There is no room for doubt: Julia was an apostle and perhaps the wife of Andronicus.

This mention of the Apostle Julia also appears in the Bible called the Vetus Latina (the “old” Latin, prior to the Vulgate which was published in the year 382 replacing it) and in the translation of the Bible to the Coptic language, which is late Egyptian. The oldest Bibles mention “Julia.” However, this name is replaced by the name Junias—a word in masculine form—in all Bible versions beginning in the 5th century. And that is how it has been reproduced until it reached our modern bibles.

It is difficult to hide the truth and, although a long time may go by, that which is authentic rises to the surface. There are two arguments in favor of Julia, each different and each indisputable. The first is that the studies of all ancient Greek and Latin literature, of all the literary texts, of their theater and lyrics, of their history and philosophy, have not found a single instance of the name Junias. Junias, as a name, does not exist.

The second argument involves a sage. In the late 4th century, John Chrysostom, the greatest preacher and theologian of his day, bishop and patriarch of Constantinople, when preaching on Romans 16:7 said, “How great was the devotion of this woman that she should be deemed worthy of being called an apostle!”

John Chrysostom read Paul’s Epistles in their original version, before they were adulterated.

(From St. John Chrysostom,Homily on the Epistle to the Romans)