Jesus had brothers and sisters, according to the Bible. How come Mary is still called virgin?

Question

Or is she called this way just because it is said that Jesus was born while she was still a virgin?

Well actually it IS written in the Gospel of Matthew (1,25) that Joseph and Mary actually had sex after Jesus being born.
And why would she be considered without a "sin" if she remained a virgin while married to Joseph?.. never knew sex with ur husband would be a sin.. will it?!

Answer 1

the latter

Answer 2

It is likely that the brothers and sisters of Jesus were the sons and daughters of Joseph from a previous marriage.

The Gospel of James gives some details on the lives of mary and Joseph. Mary was born of a very elderly coouple who consecrated Mary to the Lord at her birth. She was made a "handmaid of the Lord", meaning that she was consecrated a virgin. Joseph was chosen as her husband because he was a widower and already had a family.

Biblical evidence of Mary's perpetual virginity can be seen in her response to the announcement that she was to have a son. A woman who is engaged to be married and was expecting to have marital relations with her husband would have replied to such news with delight. Instead, Mary knew that she was still going to be a virgin even after her marriage, and therefore questioned how this was going to happen.

Mary remaining a virgin after marriage has nothing to do with being sinless. The catholic Church does not consider sex in marriage a sin. in fact, sex in a marriage is holy.

Answer 3

It is because Jesus was born while she was still a virgin.

We know Jesus had brothers, several of them are mentioned by name: James, Joseph/Joses , Simon, Judas, and he also had sisters.

Catholics believe Mary remained a virgin all her life, but i am not convinced by their arguments, which are based on the need for them to back up their idea of sex as sinful and Mary as sinless:
http://www.globalserve.net/~bumblebee/ecclesia/brothers.htm

Search for "mother and brothers" in the gospels. It seems pretty clear from these passages that they are Jesus' close relatives, not just in the sens of them having a brotherly relationship with him like close friends.
http://www.biblegateway.com/keyword/?search=mother%20and%20brothers&version1=31&searchtype=phrase&bookset=4

It is possible that his brothers were half brothers from another wife of Joseph, but we are not told this. Even if this were the case and Jesus was Mary's only child, it seems unlikely that Mary stayed a virgin since in Matthew 1:25 it says that Joseph "knew her not until she had given birth to a son", which implies that he knew her after that.

There is no indication at all in the Bible that Mary stayed a virgin after Jesus' birth.

Answer 4

Catholics argue that the brothers and sisters were only "half-brothers", sons and daughthers of a previous marriage of Joseph, and that Mary and Joseph never had sex during their marriage.

Almost all the rest of christians think that they are sons/daughters of Joseph and Mary, born after Jesus. As Joseph and Mary were married there was no sin for them to have sex and children.

Answer 5

She was artificially planted in her womb. Jesus life force.
Then it says Joseph waited until Jesus was born to have sex with her. don't you think as her husband he checked it out that she was still a virgin? So he knew that she hadn't messed around. Then they later had a big family. That was for a reason. Later Joseph died and Jesus got to experience what it was like to take care of a big family.
As a carpenter he supported them until his brothers could take over and take care of his mother. Then he entered the ministry. He had to experience what it was like to be a human. Anyone who still calls her a virgin it is coming from ancient worship of Goddesses and then they become Christians and still want to worship a woman.
They cannot fully conceive that God is neither male nor female. But a spirit creature.

Answer 6

If You think about it, all scriptures in place and a virgin conceives a child -- how can she physically be a virgin after giving birth? So either her son took her virginity (NOT a new idea in that day and age!) or You have to expand Your definition of virgin.

In original manuscripts, the word used (which was interpreted as "virgin") merely means "young woman."

But here, for me, is the clincher. If Mary had other children, where were they when Jesus, dying, gave his mother to the care of young John, brother of James, sons of Zebedee? (NOT sons of Joseph; Jesus called them the "Sons of Thunder.") And thus could James call himself the brother of our Lord.

I do not intend to cast stones at any sincere belief. In my personal experience, the Truth is infinitely large and can incorporate it all, even ideas that SEEM to contradict each other. Admit that human understanding is limited.

I appreciate the courage of Jewish and Muslim contributors and i hope the negative responses -- well, i really hope they will STOP! -- but i hope that other children of Abraham will not be discouraged, but have patience with the narrower views of younger souls.

Are we really here to argue about these things?

Answer 7

Mary is referred to as the "Virgin Mary" because she became impregnated with Jesus when she was a virgin. So even after having children with Joseph, she is still referred to as the Virgin Mary because of Jesus.

Answer 8

Mary is called Virgin because in the Catholic tradition they will not admit that she ever had intercourse with her husband. They try to say that Joseph was older and had children by a previous wife. For some reason, the idea that Mary ever had any more children or was intimate with her husband takes away her purity in their eyes.

The scripture says that Joseph "knew her not until she had brought forth her firstborn son." Which both "knew" and "firstborn" indicates that she had both sexual intercourse with Joseph and bore other babies.

(Matthew 1:25)

Others may call her the "Virgin Mary" because she was a virgin at the birth of Jesus.

Answer 9

Yes, she was considered a virgin with the birth of Christ. The other siblings, born out of Joseph, were not born to a virgin. Christianity, especially the Catholics, continue to proclaim her a virgin to this day, since she once was a virgin.

Answer 10

sure. References to brothers and sisters in the Bible, does not in hassle-free terms recommend blood siblings. it is the subject with interpreting a e book written in an historic language 2000 years in the past and attempting to interpret it with on the instant's use of the English language. in case you examine Genesis, you would comprehend that Lot replaced into Abrams nephew. yet, he's stated as his brother. it incredibly is because of the fact the be conscious used for "family individuals individuals" of any variety, is translated brother. So while the Bible refers back to the brothers and sisters of Jesus, it could merely as properly recommend cousins, uncles, step-siblings, etc. it incredibly is lots greater probably that Mary remained a virgin. all of us comprehend that Jesus "gave" Mary to John. this does not have been accomplished if there have been different little ones to look after her. additionally, as a non secular Jew it incredibly is fantastically not likely, certainly dazzling, that Joseph could have seen having intercourse with Mary after she gave start to God's own Son. consistent with Jewish regulation on my own, Mary could have been off limits. The early Christians, additionally believed and popular Mary's perpetual virginity as fact. They have been lots closer to the time while she lived, so if there have been different little ones, then there could have been grand-little ones and great-grandchildren around to disprove one in each of those theory, yet that may not the case.

Answer 11

Jesus was born of a virgin, Mary, in Bethlehem of Judea. From His mother, Mary, Jesus inherited mortality, the capacity to feel the frustrations and ills of this world, including the capacity to die.

It was after this that she had other children.