Was Junia a female apostle

Answer 1

According to the earliest texts, yes. The name Junia, and the context in which the name is given, is feminine, and Paul calls her a fellow apostle. Some groups and individuals have changed the name to "Junio", but this is due to their own prejudices about the subject. The only thing that is contested today is what "apostle" meant to Paul; it did not refer exclusively to the Twelve who were called by Jesus, or even Paul and the twelve, though he certainly thought the title carried a great deal of dignity. He apparently though all apostles were equal in that dignity as well, since he ironically refers to John and Peter as Super Apostles (yes, really) in one of his epistles. This stems from a disagreement he had with Peter, who initially sat and ate with Gentiles but then sat with the Jews upon the arrival of John (who lead the church in Jerusalem, and was probably the brother of Jesus according to reference in The Bible and Josephus). Paul chastised them for this, among other difference in opinion, apparently believing himself to be their equal despite them having known Christ personally while he was alive. And it seems that this was the general view. So for Paul to call a woman an Apostle is significant from a practical standpoint. However, since Paul was writing to audiences who already had common knowledge of what it was to be a Christian, or follower of "The Way", he leaves out explanations for such things, and we can only guess. Apostle itself only means "messenger", so it is possible it was used in many different contexts by the early church, though it seems to have been a sort of special position, like a prophet or deacon. We can only speculate what apostle meant to them, but yes, Junia was an apostle, and a woman.