That Jesus had brothers and sisters is not in dispute. Therefore, that Mary their mother was not a single woman to the day she died, being the wife of Joseph, or was not a "virgin", to the day she died, is also not in dispute. Given human anatomy and reproduction, is not in dispute.
Is this man not the carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they
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δελφός (adelphos)
Strong: G80
GK: G81
a brother, near kinsman or relative; one of the same nation or nature; one of equal rank and dignity; an associate, a member of the Christian community
See
everywhere adelphos appears in the New Testament via BillMounce.com.
If we want to be technical we can state Jesus brothers and sisters were his half siblings. Because while their father was Mary's husband Joseph, Jesus Father was God.
In John 19 wherein Jesus from the cross says John is now Mary's son, and Mary was John's mother, we must I think remember the culture.
Jesus,Mary's first child,was the eldest of her children.He was naturally obligated to care for her. Therefore, when he was on the cross he gave over his duty to the disciple whom he loved,John. And because his brothers were not present.
Mary was not a virgin to the day she died,or to the moment of her assumption,for those who believe in that. Just because the church claims she was virgin throughout does not make it true. And is not evidence it is true.
In fact that Jesus had half sisters and brothers,as we are told,proves it cannot and is not true.
While tradition that manipulates scripture to say the contrary is Eisegesus.And a shame.
The truth does not change because Eisegesis wishes to take its place.
I've already done the
work to prove my position, which is that Joseph, Simon, James, and Judas (Jude/Thaddeus) were the sons of Joseph's brother, Alphaeus, and his wife Mary of Cleophas (Clopas/Alphaeus), and thus were in fact Jesus's brothers, as in kinsmen, specifically cousins.
However, that doesn't guarantee you'll accept the Truth of this, and you don't, so I'm going to try a different approach: show that Jesus's brothers Joseph, Simon, James, and Judas (Jude/Thaddeus) were His siblings, verse by verse below:
Note: The words "ἀδελφός" (sing. adelphos; pl. ἀδελφοὶ adelphoi) and "αδελφαι" (sing. adelphē; pl. αδελφαι adelphai), or "brother" and "sister" in English, have multiple definitions, e.g., "fellow-countryman", "disciple/follower", "one of the same faith", and "a near kinsman, or relative", etc. Additionally, the word "ἀδελφός" (sing. adelphos; pl. ἀδελφοὶ adelphoi) in the plural regularly refers to men and women.
I. "Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is His mother not called Mary, and His brothers, James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? 56 And His sisters, are they not all with us?" (Matt. 13:55-56)
Is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are His sisters not here with us?” (Mk. 6:3-4)
Matt. 13:55 and Mk. 6:3 are two accounts of the same scene. We agree the definition that applies to the words
"ἀδελφοί" (pl. ἀδελφοὶ adelphoi) and "
αδελφαι"
(pl. αδελφαι adelphai) in Matt. 13:55-56/Mk. 6:3-4 is "a near kinsman, or relative", but a kinsman/kinswoman/relative can be a sibling, cousin, nephew, niece, uncle, or aunt, etc., and the words themselves don't indicate which
type of kinship applies. What evidence do you have, if any, that shows the
type of kinship that applies to Jesus's brothers and sisters here is
siblings?
II. "While He was still speaking to the crowds, behold, His mother and brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him". (Matt. 12:46)
"Then His mother and His brothers came..." (Mk. 3:31)
"Now His mother and brothers came to Him..." (Lk. 8:19)
Matt. 12:46, Mk. 3:31, and Lk. 8:19 are three accounts of the same scene, and the word used in each is
"ἀδελφοί" (pl. ἀδελφοὶ adelphoi) or
"brothers" in English
. What evidence do you have, if any, that shows the definition "a near kinsman, or relative" applies here; that the
type of kinship that applies here is
siblings; and that those brothers were specifically some or all of Jesus's male brothers named in Matt. 13:55/Mk. 6:3, and which ones?
III. "After this He went down to Capernaum, He and His mother, and His brothers and His disciples; and they stayed there a few days." (Jn. 2:12)
What evidence do you have, if any, that shows the definition "a near kinsman, or relative" applies here; that the
type of kinship that applies here is
siblings; and that the brothers here were specifically some or all of Jesus's male brothers named in Matt. 13:55/Mk. 6:3, and which ones?
IV. "For not even His brothers believed in Him". (Jn. 7:5)
What evidence do you have, if any, that shows the definition "a near kinsman, or relative" applies here; that the
type of kinship that applies here is
siblings; and that those brothers were specifically some or all of Jesus's male brothers named in Matt. 13:55/Mk. 6:3, and which ones?
V. "All these were continually devoting themselves with one mind to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers". (Ac. 1:14)
What evidence do you have, if any, that shows the definition "a near kinsman, or relative" applies here; that the
type of kinship that applies here is
siblings; and that the brothers here were specifically some or all of Jesus's male brothers named in Matt. 13:55/Mk. 6:3, and which ones?
VI. "But I did not see another one of the apostles except James, the Lord’s brother". (Gal. 1:19)
The James called Jesus's brother in Gal. 1:19 is also called an apostle in that same verse, and there's only two apostles named "James": James of Zebedee and James of Alphaeus. Therefore, how could this James be the
sibling of Jesus?
VII. "Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?" (1 Cor. 9:5)
What evidence do you have, if any, that shows the definition "a near kinsman, or relative" applies here; that the
type of kinship that applies here is
siblings; and that the brothers here were specifically some or all of Jesus's male brothers named in Matt. 13:55/Mk. 6:3, and which ones?
