Did Jesus have any brothers and/or sisters?

Question

Did Mary give birth to other children than Jesus? It’s interesting to notice that the Orthodox, Catholics and Protestants have different opinions on this matter, that anyway still remains debated. The orthodox believe that James and the others would be children of a preceding marriage of Joseph, instead, according to the Catholic Church, James and the others would have been cousins of Jesus (the use of the word “brother” for cousin is well attested in the biblical Greek and in the papyruses). At the same time, the Protestants believe that Mary had other children in addition to Jesus. I’m quoting some passages of the Gospel of Matthew, in which it’s clearly said that Jesus had some brothers and sisters:

Matthew 12:46While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you." 48He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" 49Pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. 50For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."

Matthew 13:55"Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary, and aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56Aren't all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?"

And this is the Giovanni Luzzi's translation, often used by the gospels:
Matthew 1:24When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Message for DougLawrence: It would be interesting to know if your "image" about Mary might have been changed if she had other children in addition to Jesus.

Answer 1

He had two older sisters and a retarded much younger "brother/nephew"

Answer 2

Yes, Jesus had brothers and sisters. Matthew (as you quoted) shows that Jesus had at least four brothers and at least two sisters.

The New Catholic Encyclopedia (1967, Vol. IX, p. 337) acknowledges that the Greek words adelphos and aldephai (used in Matthew 13) "have the meaning of full blood brother and sister in the Greek-speaking world of the Evangelist's time and would naturally be taken by his Greek reader in this sense." An entirely different Greek word would be used for cousins or other relatives.

As for Jesus leaving his mother in the care of his cousin and apostle, John, as first-born, Jesus had the responsibility of caring for the family. By now, Joseph must have been dead. Jesus recognized the spiritual relationship as superior to the fleshly relationship. Thus, he spoke the words you quoted at Matthew 12:46-49. Incidentally, "when somebody told him "your mother and brothers are standing outside," not one person or religious group suggests that the word "mother" in this scripture means anything other than Jesus' fleshly mother. Mother didn't mean aunt, did it? Why, then, do some suggest that the words "brothers and sisters" mean Jesus' cousins? Might it be because some wish to perpetuate the unbiblical teaching that Mary remained a virgin her entire life?

There is absolutely no scriptural basis for contending that these were children from a previous marriage of Joseph's. That is pure speculation. And considering the context of every reference to these brothers and sisters, there is no scriptural basis for contending that they are cousins or distant relatives. But there is every scriptural basis for teaching that Mary led a normal life as a wife …that she had sexual relations with her husband and that she and her husband had other children. Some seem to think that refraining from normal sexual relations and refraining from having children in a marriage somehow elevates you. It does not. Particularly in the first century. it would simply make you odd.

Hannah

Answer 3

How could someone who showed up 1500 years after the fact, and relied only on the relatively obscure references in scripture, possibly come up with the right answer?

It matters little what the Orthodox or the Protestants think about it.

Catholics had people on the ground with Jesus, Mary, and the apostles.

They knew the Blessed Virgin had only one child ... Jesus Christ ... and they knew it long before the new testament was ever set to writing.

Your interpretation of Matthew is wrong, as is the other poster's reference to "The New Catholic Encyclopedia" which has no authority on the subject.

Here's the straight info ... from the real Catholic Encyclopedia:

Mary's perpetual virginity

In connection with the study of Mary during Our Lord's hidden life, we meet the questions of her perpetual virginity, of her Divine motherhood, and of her personal sanctity. Her spotless virginity has been sufficiently considered in the article on the Virgin Birth. The authorities there cited maintain that Mary remained a virgin when she conceived and gave birth to her Divine Son, as well as after the birth of Jesus. Mary's question (Luke 1:34), the angel's answer (Luke 1:35, 37), Joseph's way of behaving in his doubt (Matthew 1:19-25), Christ's words addressed to the Jews (John 8:19) show that Mary retained her virginity during the conception of her Divine Son. [65]

As to Mary's virginity after her childbirth, it is not denied by St. Matthew's expressions "before they came together" (1:18), "her firstborn son" (1:25), nor by the fact that the New Testament books repeatedly refer to the "brothers of Jesus". [66] The words "before they came together" mean probably, "before they lived in the same house", referring to the time when they were merely betrothed; but even if the words be understood of marital intercourse, they only state that the Incarnation took place before any such intercourse had intervened, without implying that it did occur after the Incarnation of the Son of God. [67]

The same must be said of the expression, "and he knew her not till she brought forth her firstborn son" (Matthew 1:25); the Evangelist tells us what did not happen before the birth of Jesus, without suggesting that it happened after his birth. [68] The name "firstborn" applies to Jesus whether his mother remained a virgin or gave birth to other children after Jesus; among the Jews it was a legal name [69], so that its occurrence in the Gospel cannot astonish us.

Finally, the "brothers of Jesus" are neither the sons of Mary, nor the brothers of Our Lord in the proper sense of the word, but they are His cousins or the more or less near relatives. [70] The Church insists that in His birth the Son of God did not lessen but consecrate the virginal integrity of His mother (Secret in Mass of Purification). The Fathers express themselves in similar language concerning this privilege of Mary. [71]

Answer 4

Yes Jesus did have brothers and Sisters but we were never told
If Mary was the biological Mother,however I see no difference we
are told Mary was a virgin when she had Jesus,not through out
Her entire married life.

Answer 5

Figuratively, yes. Literally, no. Mary gave birth to no other children.


John 19:26-27
When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, "Woman, behold thy son!" Then saith he to the disciple, "Behold thy mother!" And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.

"If Jesus had brothers and sisters, there would be no need to put His mother under the care of John. In fact, it would probably be an insult to His siblings. On the other hand, if we assume Jesus had no siblings, the way He provided for the care of His mother makes perfect sense."

Answer 6

Yes, Mary and Joseph had other children. I think it's in Matthew.

Answer 7

I am not a pastor nor an evangelist, but I believe that Jesus did have brothers and sisters. James was one of them and to tell you the truth, when Jesus died and resurrected, he didn't believe. It was a few years later that he was convinced that Jesus wasn't just his brother, he was the messiah. So did Jesus have Brothers and sisters? of course! its just that they weren't his objective when he started his ministry. Jesus didn't come on earth to please his mother, brothers and sisters, he came to win lost souls and that is exactly what he did.

Answer 8

Catholic belief is that Mary was a virgin unto death.

I don't know about Joseph having other children.

Answer 9

Yes, there's a verse that talks about Mary bringing her other children to Jesus during His ministry years. I'm sure someone will get you the reference (as you note, it's in Matthew somewhere).

Answer 10

yes besides Jesus mary gave birth to his brother james.or i should say half-brother because james' real father was joseph.Jesus' father was God

Answer 11

Everyone is a brother and a sister in Christianity.