stephen
2016-11-11 16:13:18 UTC
Chapter 108: Jesus' brothers and sisters
Here I’ll address the brothers of Jesus named in the Bible.
We’ve seen that the Greek word “adelphos” (“brother” in Mark 6:3) can
mean close relative or cousin. Laban and Jacob (Gen 29:15) are called
brothers (adelphos in the Septuagint), yet were not siblings; similarly
Lot and Abraham are called bothers in Gen 14:14, yet they were not
siblings. That it is also used this way in the New Testament to refer to
“brothers” of Jesus is undeniable.
Mark 6:3 – Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of
James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here
with us? And they were offended at him.
One key to understanding who these brothers were lies with the women
present at Jesus’ crucifixion.
Matt 27:56 – Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of
James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s children.
Here we see two of the brothers mentioned, and their mother was Mary.
Odd, that Mary should be listed as their mother, and not Jesus’ mother,
given the circumstances, if this Mary were Jesus’ mother. This indicates
that this Mary, mother of James and Joses, was not Jesus’ mother.
John 19:25 – Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his
mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.
So now there are three Marys present – Jesus’ mother, Mary the wife of
Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.
Either James and Joses were the sons of Jesus’ mother, or of Mary the
wife of Cleophas.
James and Jude were brothers, as indicated above in Mark 6:3, and also
in Jude 1:1, as well as in Acts 1:13.
Jude 1:1 – Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to
them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus
Christ, and called
Acts 1:13 – And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room,
where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and
Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon
Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.
But here James is the son of Alpheus.
In Greek, the Aramaic name Alpheus was translated as either Alpheus or
Cleophas.
If you put the above together, you get James, Joses, and Jude being the
sons of Mary, wife of Alpheus/Cleophas. This shows that at least three
of the “brothers” (adelphoi) in Mark 6:3 are not immediate siblings of
Jesus, but rather close relatives. First cousins, in fact, because this
Mary is Jesus’ mother’s sister (or likely sister-in-law).
Simon’s relationship here isn’t explicitly explained in the Bible, but
if the Bible groups him with James, Joses, and Jude, and these three are
not Mary’s children, it makes sense that he’s the same type of “brother”
(adelphos) to Jesus as they are.
Lastly, James the Apostle is called the brother of Jesus in Gal 1:19:
Gal 1:19 – But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s
brother.
There were two Apostles called James:
James, brother of John, the son of Zebedee (Matt 10:2)
James, brother of Jude (Luke 6:16), the son of Alpheus/Cleophas – Luke 6:15
So James the brother of Jesus, if Paul is right about him being an
Apostle, was not a biological sibling of Jesus.
That, then, leaves Mary, Jesus’ mother, with no other named children in
the Bible.
Here I’ll address the brothers of Jesus named in the Bible.
We’ve seen that the Greek word “adelphos” (“brother” in Mark 6:3) can
mean close relative or cousin. Laban and Jacob (Gen 29:15) are called
brothers (adelphos in the Septuagint), yet were not siblings; similarly
Lot and Abraham are called bothers in Gen 14:14, yet they were not
siblings. That it is also used this way in the New Testament to refer to
“brothers” of Jesus is undeniable.
Mark 6:3 – Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of
James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here
with us? And they were offended at him.
One key to understanding who these brothers were lies with the women
present at Jesus’ crucifixion.
Matt 27:56 – Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of
James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s children.
Here we see two of the brothers mentioned, and their mother was Mary.
Odd, that Mary should be listed as their mother, and not Jesus’ mother,
given the circumstances, if this Mary were Jesus’ mother. This indicates
that this Mary, mother of James and Joses, was not Jesus’ mother.
John 19:25 – Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his
mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.
So now there are three Marys present – Jesus’ mother, Mary the wife of
Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.
Either James and Joses were the sons of Jesus’ mother, or of Mary the
wife of Cleophas.
James and Jude were brothers, as indicated above in Mark 6:3, and also
in Jude 1:1, as well as in Acts 1:13.
Jude 1:1 – Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to
them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus
Christ, and called
Acts 1:13 – And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room,
where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and
Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon
Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.
But here James is the son of Alpheus.
In Greek, the Aramaic name Alpheus was translated as either Alpheus or
Cleophas.
If you put the above together, you get James, Joses, and Jude being the
sons of Mary, wife of Alpheus/Cleophas. This shows that at least three
of the “brothers” (adelphoi) in Mark 6:3 are not immediate siblings of
Jesus, but rather close relatives. First cousins, in fact, because this
Mary is Jesus’ mother’s sister (or likely sister-in-law).
Simon’s relationship here isn’t explicitly explained in the Bible, but
if the Bible groups him with James, Joses, and Jude, and these three are
not Mary’s children, it makes sense that he’s the same type of “brother”
(adelphos) to Jesus as they are.
Lastly, James the Apostle is called the brother of Jesus in Gal 1:19:
Gal 1:19 – But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s
brother.
There were two Apostles called James:
James, brother of John, the son of Zebedee (Matt 10:2)
James, brother of Jude (Luke 6:16), the son of Alpheus/Cleophas – Luke 6:15
So James the brother of Jesus, if Paul is right about him being an
Apostle, was not a biological sibling of Jesus.
That, then, leaves Mary, Jesus’ mother, with no other named children in
the Bible.
--
blog: http://blog.theotokos.co.za/
ebook: https://www.facebook.com/DiscussingAdventismBook/
blog: http://blog.theotokos.co.za/
ebook: https://www.facebook.com/DiscussingAdventismBook/