The Eastern Orthodox Church holds that the brothers of Jesus were Joseph's offsprings from a previous marriage

Question

while most Catholics reject that, and believe they were Jesus cousins, why? (Why as in why reject the Joseph had kids from a previous marriage)

Answer 1

Traditionally, Joseph fits the profile of a young man waiting to marry for the first time.

Why wouldn't they just be Joseph and Mary's kids from after Jesus?

Answer 2

Actually the Orthodox Churches uphold that Mary is Aiparthenos" Ever Virgin" until death as was ratified by the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus(431) and that the brethren of Jesus were not the children biologically of Mary. Orthodox may hold that the brethren were children of Joseph and someone else(if Joseph were a widower,which was not uncommon then) or cousins or further relatives or close family associates or anything but the "womb-children' of Mary Theotokos(God-Bearer).

Answer 3

*Is Catholic*

I wouldn't say "most" Catholics. The difference comes from whether or not you think Joseph was an old widower or a young man. The young man idea is relatively new while the old widower is the traditional view.

Besides, all the Icons that I have seen of Joseph are of older men.

Perhaps, though, the brothers and sisters are both references to Jesus' cousins and to Joseph's own children.

Answer 4

Catholics know that these brothers and sisters were half (or make that foster)brothers and sisters, they were Josephs children from his first marriage that lasted 49 years. Joseph was over 90 when he was betrothed to Mary. It is Protestants that claim they were actual blood brothers and sisters and that Mary gave birth to them.

Mary’s birth was prophesied, her mother, St. Anne, vowed that she would devote the child to the service of the Lord, as Samuel had been by his mother (1 Sam. 1:11). Mary would thus serve the Lord at the Temple, as women had for centuries (1 Sam. 2:22), and as Anna the prophetess did at the time of Jesus’ birth (Luke 2:36–37). A life of continual, devoted service to the Lord at the Temple meant that Mary would not be able to live the ordinary life of a child-rearing mother. Rather, she was vowed to a life of perpetual virginity.


However, due to considerations of ceremonial cleanliness, it was eventually necessary for Mary, a consecrated "virgin of the Lord," to have a guardian or protector who would respect her vow of virginity.
Joseph, an elderly widower who already had children, was chosen to be her spouse. (This would also explain why Joseph was apparently dead by the time of Jesus’ adult ministry, since he does not appear during it in the gospels, and since Mary is entrusted to John, rather than to her husband Joseph, at the crucifixion).


Joseph was required to regard Mary’s vow of virginity with the utmost respect. The gravity of his responsibility as the guardian of a virgin was indicated by the fact that, when she was discovered to be with child, he had to answer to the Temple authorities, who thought him guilty of defiling a virgin of the Lord. Mary was also accused of having forsaken the Lord by breaking her vow. Keeping this in mind, it is an incredible insult to the Blessed Virgin to say that she broke her vow by bearing children other than her Lord and God, who was conceived through the power of the Holy Spirit.


Today most Protestants are unaware of these early beliefs regarding Mary’s virginity and the proper interpretation of "the brethren of the Lord." And yet, the Protestant Reformers themselves—Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Ulrich Zwingli—honored the perpetual virginity of Mary and recognized it as the teaching of the Bible, as have other, more modern Protestants.

Answer 5

There are about ten instances in the New Testament where "brothers" and "sisters" of the Lord are mentioned (Matt. 12:46; Matt. 13:55; Mark 3:31–34; Mark 6:3; Luke 8:19–20; John 2:12, 7:3, 5, 10; Acts 1:14; 1 Cor. 9:5).

When trying to understand these verses, note that the term "brother" (Greek: adelphos) has a wide meaning in the Bible. It is not restricted to the literal meaning of a full brother or half-brother. The same goes for "sister" (adelphe) and the plural form "brothers" (adelphoi). The Old Testament shows that "brother" had a wide semantic range of meaning and could refer to any male relative from whom you are not descended (male relatives from whom you are descended are known as "fathers") and who are not descended from you (your male descendants, regardless of the number of generations removed, are your "sons"), as well as kinsmen such as cousins, those who are members of the family by marriage or by law rather than by blood, and even friends or mere political allies (2 Sam. 1:26; Amos 1:9).

Lot, for example, is called Abraham’s "brother" (Gen. 14:14), even though, being the son of Haran, Abraham’s brother (Gen. 11:26–28), he was actually Abraham’s nephew. Similarly, Jacob is called the "brother" of his uncle Laban (Gen. 29:15). Kish and Eleazar were the sons of Mahli. Kish had sons of his own, but Eleazar had no sons, only daughters, who married their "brethren," the sons of Kish. These "brethren" were really their cousins (1 Chr. 23:21–22).

The terms "brothers," "brother," and "sister" did not refer only to close relatives. Sometimes they meant kinsmen (Deut. 23:7; Neh. 5:7; Jer. 34:9), as in the reference to the forty-two "brethren" of King Azariah (2 Kgs. 10:13–14).

http://www.catholic.com/library/Brethren_of_the_Lord.asp

To "norrispenguin": If Joseph fits the profile of a young man waiting to marry for the first time, why is he gone by the time Jesus is 30?

Answer 6

I hope you get some good answers. I'm Catholic, and I have no problem with the idea that Joseph had children from a previous marriage.

Answer 7

I would rejected it as the Scripture doesn't say they were cousins or in anyway suggest that Joseph was married previously. The only reason people make either claim is to avoid challenging the "perpetual" virginity of Mary.

As a protestant who is sola scriptura, I believe that if Mary were perpetually a virgin she would have been a sinner. Paul tells us that husbands and wives should not withhold their bodies from one another, except "for a time". If Mary withheld sex from Joseph she was sinning (and being very selfish.) Also, as a teaching I believe it demeans sex. Again, as Hebrews tells us, the marriage bed is undefiled--its not sin, not dirty etc. Sooooo, that's why I reject the Joseph had kids from a preious marriage thing.

Answer 8

Or another idea is that they were children born to Mary after Jesus. Afterall it does say "When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son." Matthew 1:24,25 And Mary would not actually have been his wife had they not consummated the marriage. So what's the problem with them being kids born to Mary?

Answer 9

Perhaps visiting this site and reading its contents may give posters a better idea of who St. Joseph really was.

Answer 10

They reject the fact that Jesus had brothers because they hold to the idea (falsely) that Mary remained a virgin her entire life.

It state very simply that Mary had other sons.

"Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedees children." Matthew 27:56

Notice "Mary the Mother of James and Joses" is the same Mary mentioned in the following verse.

"Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?" Matthew 13:55

Notice the same James and Joses??

If the Bible had meant to call them "cousins" it would have been a different Greek word. The Greek word translated brothers is the word that refers to blood relatives. There is no mistaking the fact that Mary had other children and Jesus had , at the least, half-brothers. Either way, Mary did NOT remain a virgin her entire life.