| Jesus did not have sibling brothers. The terms "brothers" and "brethren" is used very loosely in the bible. It was used to refer to cousins and other relatives, as well as associates. This notion that Jesus did not have brothers is not a "Catholic invention". It was always understood thusly. See below. | ||
| The word "brother" is used loosely throughout the bible. In fact, it refers to many sorts of relationships including cousin, grandson, nephew and associate. Further, the word "brother" is switched with other terms to show various relationships that are not sibling relationships. John even uses the word "brothers" in a reference to the Apostles. Below are several examples. | ||
| GEN 11:31 And Terah took his son Abram and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram's wife, and they went out with them from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan; and they came to Haran and dwelt there. | relationship is grandson | These are all the SAME relationship. |
| GEN 12:5 Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan. | relationship is nephew | |
| GEN 14:12 They also took Lot, Abram's brother's son who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed. | relationship is nephew | |
| GEN 14:14 Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants who were born in his own house, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. | relationship is brother | |
| GEN 14:16 So he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the people. | relationship is brother | |
| MT 5:22 "But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire. | relationship is associate, non-specific | |
| MT 5:23 "Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, | relationship is associate, non-specific | |
| MT 5:24 "leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. | relationship is associate, non-specific | |
| MT 12:46 While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him. | relationship is associate, non-specific | |
| MK 6:3 "Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?" And they were offended at Him. | relationship is associate, non-specific | |
| LK 14:12 Then He also said to him who invited Him, "When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. | relationship is associate, non-specific Note: brothers is not a subset of relatives, here. | |
| JN 7:3 His brothers therefore said to Him, "Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing. | relationship is associate, non-specific "brothers" are the Apostles. | |
| ACTS 9:17 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." | relationship is associate, non-specific Saul and Ananias were not confused as siblings. | |
| ROM 14:13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way. | relationship is associate, non-specific | |
| 1COR 16:12 Now concerning our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to come to you with the brethren, but he was quite unwilling to come at this time; however, he will come when he has a convenient time. | relationship is associate, non-specific Paul is not related to Apollos. "the brethren" is non-specific | |
| Jude 1:1 Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ: | Jude did not say Jesus Christ is his brother, but does say that James is his brother - in the same sentence. | |
| LK 2:41 His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 2:42 And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. 2:43 When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and His mother did not know it; 2:44 but supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a day's journey, and sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances. 2:45 So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him. 2:46 Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. 2:47 And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. 2:48 So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, "Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously." 2:49 And He said to them, "Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?" 2:50 But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them. 2:51 Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. | At this time, Jesus is twelve years old. There is no mention of any other children on the trip to Jerusalem. Therefore, the bible demonstrates that there were no other siblings of Jesus. If there had been, why were they not mentioned? What would have been the purpose? Also, if there had been siblings in the first twelve years of our Lord's life, why would there be no mention of them, unless they didn't exist? Luke specifically states that this gospel is carefully researched, and that he has a "perfect understanding" of the events. LK 1:1 Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, The gospel does say that Joseph and Mary "sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances." It does not say that there were other children. When Joseph and Mary found Jesus, there is no mention of any other children, because there were no other children. Jesus was the only child of Mary and Joseph. | |
| ACTS 1:13 And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. 1:14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers. | relationship is associate, non-specific "brothers" are the Apostles. This reference is by Luke, a similar reference above is by John. | |
- So, seeing that relationship references using the word "brother" are vague in the language of the bible, why would anyone decide to take any certain reference literally? Of course, the answer is: no reason. Therefore the reference to Jesus' "brothers" does not refer to siblings. It refers instead to kinsmen, cousins, uncles, associates, etc.
- In light of the evidence in the bible itself, any assertion that Jesus had siblings would be intellectually dishonest. The Tradition of the Church and the writings of the early Christians only verify the fact.
- There is no word for "cousin" in Hebrew or Aramaic. See Gen 14:12, above. The word "brother" or "brethren" was commonly used in place of the more awkward "his brother's son", or "his brother's sons".
- JN 19:26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold your son!"
19:27 Then He said to the disciple, "Behold your mother!" And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.
(Note: If Mary had sons other than Jesus, then why did Jesus entrust his mother, Mary, to John? If Mary had sons, she would have been entrusted to the remaining sons. Since there were no other sons, she was entrusted to John.)
- In MK 6:3, above, Jesus is referred to as "the" Son of Mary, and "brother" of James, Joses, Judas and Simon.... Notice that "the" Son is singular and that the others are grouped together, not as sons of Mary, but as some sort of "brothers". This is because Mary only had one Son, Jesus.
The other Mary - Mary the wife of Cleophas - (Alphaeus) - is the mother of James the less, Joses and Jude.
- Matt 27:55 And many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar,
27:56 among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.
(Note: The Mary "looking on from afar" was the mother of James and Joses. This cannot be Jesus' mother, Mary, for she was at the foot of the cross, not "afar". Therefore, James and Joses of MK 6:3 are not sibling brothers of Jesus because they are not the sons of the same woman.)
- In Jude 1:1, if Jesus was his actual sibling brother, wouldn't he have mentioned it here? Especially since the sentence mentions his brother, James?
- Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Ulrich Zwingli, leaders of the Protestant Reformation, all recognized the perpetual virginity of Mary and knew this was evident in the bible.
- Early Fathers of the Church, and all early Christians knew that Jesus had no siblings:
- Hilary of Poitiers: "If they [the brethren of the Lord] had been Mary's sons and not those taken from Joseph's former marriage, she would never have been given over in the moment of the Passion [Crucifixion] to the apostle John as his mother, the Lord saying to each, 'Woman, behold your son,' and to John, 'Behold your mother' [John 19:26-27], as he bequeathed filial love to a disciple as a consolation to the one desolate" (Commentary on Matthew 1:4 [A.D. 354]).
- Athanasius: "Let those, therefore, who deny that the Son is by nature from the Father and proper to his essence deny also that he took true human flesh from the ever-virgin Mary" (Discourses Against the Arians 2:70[A.D. 360]).
- St. Augustine: "In being born of a Virgin who chose to remain a Virgin even before she knew who was to be born of her, Christ wanted to approve virginity rather than to impose it. And He wanted virginity to be of free choice even in that woman in whom He took upon Himself the form of a slave." (Holy Virginity 4:4[A.D. 401]).
- St. Augustine: "It was not the visible sun, but its invisible Creator who consecrated this day for us, when the Virgin Mother, fertile of womb and integral in her virginity, brought Him forth, made visible for us, by whom, when He was invisible, she too was created. A Virgin conceiving, a Virgin bearing, a Virgin pregnant, a Virgin bringing forth, a Virgin perpetual. Why to you wonder at this, O man?" (Sermons 186:1[A.D. 411]).
- St. Augustine: "Heretics called the Antidicomarites are those who contradict the perpetual virginity of Mary and affirm that after Christ was born she was joined as one with her husband." (Heresies 56[A.D. 428]).
Copyright © 2000,2001,2002,2003 Steve Graessle