Do you believe that Jesus had siblings?

Question

There is references to possible brothers and sisters in the gospels.

Answer 1

They called cousins 'brothers' in those days...

Answer 2

Yes. There are references to actual siblings in the gospels (not possible siblings).

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?

Galations 1:19 I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord's brother.

Answer 3

Yes, i think so (e.g. James). I don't see why people take such pains to frantically argue away any potential brothers and sisters as 'spiritual terms only'. If he did have siblings, it would hardly detract from his importance? People deny he had siblings in order to increase his holiness, when surely any christian would believe that he doesn't need us to artificially 'increase' his holiness and status as son of god. People had many children at the time, so it would be extremely bizzare (and moreover, non-jewish - see the command in the Bible to procreate. some people at this time even saw a refusal to have a many children as possible as a blasphemy against God!) for Mary and Joseph to have had no other children.

Answer 4

According to the New Testament, Jesus had several half-brothers and sisters. These were obviously the children of Joseph and Mary. Mary was not a perpetual virgin. She was just a virgin before the birth of Jesus Christ. Belief in the perpetual virginity of Mary comes from pagan mother-goddess religions.

Answer 5

Jesus had several half-siblings.
Mary was a virgin when conceived Jesus, but had other children. The Gospel of Luke chapter 2 states that she brought forth her first-born son, not her only child.

Matthew 13:55
55 Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?
56 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?

Answer 6

No, it has always been taught through the Church that Jesus did not have siblings, thus Mary remained ever virgin. This is not inconsistent with the New Testament writings if you take into consideration the time and place with which they were written. The biblical usage of the word bretheran can be expanded to include cousins and other relatives. The other evidence in the New Testament is that there is never any reference to Mary having given birth again, or specific naming of any of her "other' children. That would be very strange if there were other children that Mary had given birth to. One cannot read the Scriptures and say that God isn't pro-family and would always honor the family, especially Jesus' if it existed.

Answer 7

Yes. If indeed Jesus suffered like the rest of us, I like to believe that He had brothers and sisters to fight with growing up. The Bible does tell us that His brothers and Sisters were outside looking for Him. We have been taught that this means close relatives but it could also mean that after Jesus was born, Joseph and Mary were normal married people who had children besides Jesus.

Answer 8

One of the more controversial teachings of the Catholic church deals with the perpetual virginity of Mary. This doctrine maintains that Mary remained a virgin after the birth of Jesus and that biblical references suggesting Jesus had siblings are really references to cousins (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 510).

As the veneration of Mary increased throughout the centuries, the vehicle of Sacred Tradition became the means of promoting new doctrines not explicitly taught in the Bible. The virginity of Mary is clearly taught in scripture when describing the birth of Jesus. But is the doctrine of her continued virginity supported by the Bible? Did Mary lose her virginity after Jesus was born? Does the Bible reveal that Mary had other children, that Jesus had brothers and sisters? (See Mary's virginity and Matt. 1:25)

The Bible does not come out and declare that Mary remained a virgin and that she had no children. In fact, the Bible seems to state otherwise: (All quotes are from the NASB.)

Matthew 1:24-25 - "And Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took as his wife, and kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus."
Matthew 12:46-47 - "While He was still speaking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him. And someone said to Him, "Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside seeking to speak to You."
Matthew 13:55 - "Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?"
Mark 6:2-3 - "And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue; and the many listeners were astonished, saying, "Where did this man get these things, and what is this wisdom given to Him, and such miracles as these performed by His hands? "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James, and Joses, and Judas, and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?"
Luke 2:7 - "And she gave birth to her first-born son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn."
John 2:12 - "After this He went down to Capernaum, He and His mother, and His brothers, and His disciples; and there they stayed a few days."
Acts 1:14 - "These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers."
1 Cor. 9:4-5 - "Do we not have a right to eat and drink? 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?"
Gal. 1:19 - "But I did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lord’s brother."

Answer 9

Yes, Joseph and Mary had children after Jesus was born. This would have made them half brothers and sisters to Jesus.

Answer 10

Jesus had several half brothers and sisters. One of His half brothers James, became one of His desciples. It was first His mother Mary, then His half brother James that Jesus was talking to here...

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!

27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.

When Mary's husband Joseph died, it then became the responsiblility of the oldest son to care for his mother Mary. At this time it was Jesus. James was next in line to care for their Mother Mary. This repsonsiblity was passed on at the cross that Jesus was crucified on.

Galatians 1:19 But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother.

Answer 11

NO. James and John were disciples, followers of Jesus. Also other references in Hebrew were that the word 'brother' was used widely because back then there was no word for 'uncle' or 'cousin' or such. All male relatives and friends were called 'brothers'. Joseph, the man betrothed to Mary, may have been a widower and may then have had children, so Jesus may have had half-siblings. But they wouldn't not have been blood-related at all to Him. So when Jesus died, He still would have given Him mother, Mary, to John (the beloved disciple) to care for. It was tradition for the mother to be care for by the husband then after his deathm the eldest son, then after his death, the next eldest son, and so on. After Joseph died, Jesus cared for Mary. After Jesus died, there was no other children to care for Mary, so Jesus told John to care for her. John took Mary to Ephesus after His ascension and that's where they lived until her death.