If you are a serious studier of the Bible you will know that there are many beliefs that are not
explicitly stated in the Bible but are based on a build up of evidence. The demand for a verse that explicitly states "X" or "Y" is a copout from examining the evidence.
Much evidence has been given for the belief in the perpetual virginity of Mary. If all you have in opposition to that is that the Bible speaks of brothers (and sisters) of Mary then you only have flimsy evidence. Let's review this "brothers" evidence.
Here are 8 points to consider.
1. There is no genealogy in the Bible that goes past Jesus.
2. Nowhere does the Bible say that Mary had other children.
3. There are different kinds of brothers (and sisters) - full blood brothers, half brothers, adoptive brothers. If a man and woman marry and both have children by a previous marriage they will be regarded as brothers and sisters even though they have no genetic relationship. The actual relationship of these “brothers” to Jesus cannot be established unless a genealogy is given, and it is not.
Secondly the word brother can be used in a very loose sense. In Aramaic there is no word for cousin and the word for brother (
aha) would include cousin or even nephew. Whilst Greek does include a word for cousin but it is quite possible to translators/writers just used the Greek
adelphos to replace the Aramaic
aha. Moreover the Greek word for brother (
adelphos) was also used very loosely for various degrees of kinship.
In the Greek translation of the Old Testament (the LXX) the word
adelphos is used for Lot’s nephew (Gen 14:14). Other similar examples can be given.
Paul says in Col 4:7 & 9
“
Tychicus, my beloved brother [adelphos]……..together with Onesimus, a trustworthy and beloved brother [adelphos]”. We know from the letter to Philemon that Onesimus was actually a runaway slave, not Paul’s brother (or cousin).
4. An important argument from a theological perspective is that always, when a birth is announced by an angel of a son, it is a matter of an
only son.
- Isaac (Gen 18:10)
- Samson (Judges 13:4)
- John the Baptist (Lk 1:13)
If these were figures of the Messiah, it would be illogical that they would be only sons, and the one represented by them were not like them.
5. There is no mention of other children when we might expect there to be.
a) When Luke tells us about the family in Nazareth, he only mentions three persons, not more. (Lk 2:41-52) When Jesus was lost in the temple, Joseph and Mary did not return with other sons. If one were lost, surely they would not leave the others (if there were any) at risk of losing them as well.
b) John tells us that Mary was at the wedding at Cana (John 2) and Jesus was also invited with his disciples. Surely any other children of Mary would have been there (it would have been rude not to invite them) but John mentions none.
6. At the cross Jesus, asks John to look after Mary. If there had been other children Jesus would not have done that.
7. In John 7:3-4 we read So his brothers said to him,
“Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples may see the works you are doing. For no man works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” In that culture it would have been very disrespectful for younger brothers to speak to an elder like that. That implies the brothers were older than Jesus and therefore not Mary's children.
8. Finally there indications in scripture that the brothers and sisters referred to in Mt 13:55 (and the equivalent in other gospels) are not Jesus brothers in any genetic sense.
Mark says that at the foot of the cross was
“Mary the mother of the younger James and of Joses [Joseph], and Salome” This was obviously not Mary the mother of Jesus, so there is another Mary with sons called James and Joseph.
Matthew similarly says of the women at the foot of the cross
“Among them were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph” (Mt 26:56)
Luke says that at the tomb were
“Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James” (Lk 24:10)
John says
“Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala.” (Jn 19:25). Now this could mean that Jesus’ mother’s sister was there (whatever is meant by “sister”)
and Mary the wife of Clopas or they were the same person, but either way there were at least three Mary’s at the cross – Mary the mother of Jesus, Mary the wife of Clopas and Mary of Magdalene. Now Mary the mother of James and Joseph could have been a fourth or she could have been Mary wife of Clopas (let's call her Mary Clopas) Either way Mary the mother of Jesus was not the mother of James and Joseph mentioned as Jesus’ brothers. And since they were listed first, neither was Simon and Judas, since if the were they would hardly have been listed after non-brothers.
The Church historian Eusebius quoting from Hegesippus (110-180 AD) writes
After the martyrdom of James and the conquest of Jerusalem which immediately followed, it is said that those of the apostles and disciples of the Lord that were still living came together from all directions with those that were related to the Lord according to the flesh (for the majority of them also were still alive) to take counsel as to who was worthy to succeed James. They all with one consent pronounced Symeon, the son of Clopas, of whom the Gospel also makes mention; to be worthy of the episcopal throne of that parish. He was a cousin, as they say, of the Saviour. For Hegesippus records that Clopas was a brother of Joseph.
So Symeon (Simeon, Simon) was the
cousin of Jesus, and Mary Clopas was therefore the sister-in-law of Mary the mother of Jesus. Again note the loose use of relationships. Mary Clopas is referred to as Mary’s “sister” in Jn 19:25 when she is actually her sister-in-law.
In the book of Jude he says
“Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and brother of James” (Jude 1:1) So Jude (or Judas) is probably the brother of James the son of Clopas.
Then also Luke when listing the apostles says James, son of Alpheus. But the Aramaic Alpheus can be rendered in Greek as either Alpheus or Clopas. So again James, the “brother” of the Lord is probably the son of Clopas.