2007-10-13 15:15:52 · 36 answers · asked by Robert M 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
By the way - I am not attacking Mary. God chose her because she was honorable and Godly, however, I hate the fact that she is often revered more that our Saviour. Why pray to Mary? She is but mortal flesh ~ not eternally blessed~ As for those of you who don't believe in God at all - One day you will - and it'll be hot for you!
2007-10-13 15:32:13 · update #1
she wasn't even a virgin before he was born
2007-10-13 15:19:20 · answer #1 · answered by Nemesis 7 · 1⤊ 7⤋
How was James, “the brother of the Lord,” (Matt. 13:55, Acts 15:13-21, 1 Cor. 15:7, Gal. 1:19) related to Jesus. All believers agree he was related, but no one knows exactly how.
The possibilities are that James was:
1. A full brother of Jesus, another Son of God born of the Blessed Virgin Mary. No one to my knowledge accepts that God had another child by the Blessed Virgin Mary.
2. A half-brother of Jesus, a younger son of Joseph and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Some Christians believe this possibility but most Christians including those who are Catholic and Eastern Orthodox believe that Mary remained a virgin for her entire life.
3. A stepbrother of Jesus, a son of Joseph and a previous wife. Many Christians believe that Joseph had a least one previous marriage that resulted in children.
4. A stepbrother of Jesus, an adopted son of Joseph and the Blessed Virgin Mary. When parents died, relatives frequently took their children in and raised them as thier own. An adopted orphaned boy would be considered the brother of Jesus.
5. A cousin of Jesus. The Aramaic language has no word for cousin. Aramaic frequently uses the word “aha,” which we translate into Greek as “adelphos” or English as brother, for cousin.
6. A comrade of Jesus. This is a remote possibility. Greek uses adelphos the same as English does in “a band of brothers.”
Possibilities 1 and 2 obviously go against Catholic beliefs.
The Catholic Church prefers possibility 5 but 3, 4 and 6 would not go against doctrine.
With love in Christ.
2007-10-14 18:22:18 · answer #2 · answered by imacatholic2 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Probably about the same time that Martin Luther, John Calvin, Ulrich Zwingli (all noted Protestant scholars) realize it...since all three confessed it - along with all of Orthodoxy, we Anglicans, the Ecumenical Council of the undivided Church...
Exodus 13:2,12 - Jesus is sometimes referred to as the "first-born" son of Mary. But "first-born" is a common Jewish expression meaning the first child to open the womb. It has nothing to do the mother having future children.
Exodus 34:20 - under the Mosaic law, the "first-born" son had to be sanctified. "First-born" status does not require a "second" born.
Ezek. 44:2 - Ezekiel prophesies that no man shall pass through the gate by which the Lord entered the world. This is a prophecy of Mary's perpetual virginity. Mary remained a virgin before, during and after the birth of Jesus.
Mark 6:3 - Jesus was always referred to as "the" son of Mary, not "a" son of Mary. Also "brothers" could have theoretically been Joseph's children from a former marriage that was dissolved by death. However, it is most likely, perhaps most certainly, that Joseph was a virgin, just as were Jesus and Mary. As such, they embodied the true Holy Family, fully consecrated to God.
Luke 1:31,34 - the angel tells Mary that you "will" conceive (using the future tense). Mary responds by saying, "How shall this be?" Mary's response demonstrates that she had taken a vow of lifelong virginity by having no intention to have relations with a man. If Mary did not take such a vow of lifelong virginity, her question would make no sense at all (for we can assume she knew how a child is conceived). She was a consecrated Temple virgin as was an acceptable custom of the times.
Luke 2:41-51 - in searching for Jesus and finding Him in the temple, there is never any mention of other siblings.
John 7:3-4; Mark 3:21 - we see that younger "brothers" were advising Jesus. But this would have been extremely disrespectful for devout Jews if these were Jesus' biological brothers.
John 19:26-27 - it would have been unthinkable for Jesus to commit the care of his mother to a friend if he had brothers.
John 19:25 - the following verses prove that James and Joseph are Jesus' cousins and not his brothers: Mary the wife of Clopas is the sister of the Virgin Mary.
Matt. 27:61, 28:1 - Matthew even refers to Mary the wife of Clopas as "the other Mary."
Matt. 27:56; Mark 15:47 - Mary the wife of Clopas is the mother of James and Joseph.
Mark 6:3 - James and Joseph are called the "brothers" of Jesus. So James and Joseph are Jesus' cousins.
Matt. 10:3 - James is also called the son of "Alpheus." This does not disprove that James is the son of Clopas. The name Alpheus may be Aramaic for Clopas, or James took a Greek name like Saul (Paul), or Mary remarried a man named Alpheus.
2007-10-13 15:22:14 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
In claiming Jesus had brothers, you are attacking Jesus himself AND His mother Mary. Think about it, you are deriving this ill-conceived belief from the Bible, aka "the Word of God". Jesus is the "Word of God" incarnate. The Bible is the Words of Jesus. Therefore, to miscontrue a Biblical teaching is to misconstrue Jesus.
Mary is Ever Virgin:
Exodus 13:2,12 - Jesus is sometimes referred to as the "first-born" son of Mary. But "first-born" is a common Jewish expression meaning the first child to open the womb. It has nothing to do the mother having future children.
Exodus 34:20 - under the Mosaic law, the "first-born" son had to be sanctified. "First-born" status does not require a "second" born.
Ezek. 44:2 - Ezekiel prophesies that no man shall pass through the gate by which the Lord entered the world. This is a prophecy of Mary's perpetual virginity. Mary remained a virgin before, during and after the birth of Jesus.
Mark 6:3 - Jesus was always referred to as "the" son of Mary, not "a" son of Mary. Also "brothers" could have theoretically been Joseph's children from a former marriage that was dissolved by death. However, it is most likely, perhaps most certainly, that Joseph was a virgin, just as were Jesus and Mary. As such, they embodied the true Holy Family, fully consecrated to God.
Luke 1:31,34 - the angel tells Mary that you "will" conceive (using the future tense). Mary responds by saying, "How shall this be?" Mary's response demonstrates that she had taken a vow of lifelong virginity by having no intention to have relations with a man. If Mary did not take such a vow of lifelong virginity, her question would make no sense at all (for we can assume she knew how a child is conceived). She was a consecrated Temple virgin as was an acceptable custom of the times.
Luke 2:41-51 - in searching for Jesus and finding Him in the temple, there is never any mention of other siblings.
John 7:3-4; Mark 3:21 - we see that younger "brothers" were advising Jesus. But this would have been extremely disrespectful for devout Jews if these were Jesus' biological brothers.
John 19:26-27 - it would have been unthinkable for Jesus to commit the care of his mother to a friend if he had brothers.
John 19:25 - the following verses prove that James and Joseph are Jesus' cousins and not his brothers: Mary the wife of Clopas is the sister of the Virgin Mary.
Matt. 27:61, 28:1 - Matthew even refers to Mary the wife of Clopas as "the other Mary."
Matt. 27:56; Mark 15:47 - Mary the wife of Clopas is the mother of James and Joseph.
Mark 6:3 - James and Joseph are called the "brothers" of Jesus. So James and Joseph are Jesus' cousins.
Matt. 10:3 - James is also called the son of "Alpheus." This does not disprove that James is the son of Clopas. The name Alpheus may be Aramaic for Clopas, or James took a Greek name like Saul (Paul), or Mary remarried a man named Alpheus.
Jesus' "Brothers" (adelphoi)) = Cousins or Kinsmen
Luke 1:36 - Elizabeth is Mary's kinswoman. Some Bibles translate kinswoman as "cousin," but this is an improper translation because in Hebrew and Aramaic, there is no word for "cousin."
Luke 22:32 - Jesus tells Peter to strengthen his "brethren." In this case, we clearly see Jesus using "brethren" to refer to the other apostles, not his biological brothers.
Acts 1:12-15 - the gathering of Jesus' "brothers" amounts to about 120. That is a lot of "brothers." Brother means kinsmen in Hebrew.
Acts 7:26; 11:1; 13:15,38; 15:3,23,32; 28:17,21 - these are some of many other examples where "brethren" does not mean blood relations.
Rom. 9:3 - Paul uses "brethren" and "kinsmen" interchangeably. "Brothers" of Jesus does not prove Mary had other children.
Gen. 11:26-28 - Lot is Abraham's nephew ("anepsios") / Gen. 13:8; 14:14,16 - Lot is still called Abraham's brother (adelphos") . This proves that, although a Greek word for cousin is "anepsios," Scripture also uses "adelphos" to describe a cousin.
Gen. 29:15 - Laban calls Jacob is "brother" even though Jacob is his nephew. Again, this proves that brother means kinsmen or cousin.
Deut. 23:7; 1 Chron. 15:5-18; Jer. 34:9; Neh. 5:7 -"brethren" means kinsmen. Hebrew and Aramaic have no word for "cousin."
2 Sam. 1:26; 1 Kings 9:13, 20:32 - here we see that "brethren" can even be one who is unrelated (no bloodline), such as a friend.
2 Kings 10:13-14 - King Ahaziah's 42 "brethren" were really his kinsmen.
1 Chron. 23:21-22 - Eleazar's daughters married their "brethren" who were really their cousins.
Neh. 4:14; 5:1,5,8,10,14 - these are more examples of "brothers" meaning "cousins" or "kinsmen."
Tobit 5:11 - Tobit asks Azarias to identify himself and his people, but still calls him "brother."
Amos 1: 9 - brotherhood can also mean an ally (where there is no bloodline).
2007-10-17 05:33:13 · answer #4 · answered by Daver 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Listen, I too an a protestant, but I came to the conclusion a long time ago that not everybody needs to walk lock-step with everything that I believe. If someone feels closer to God because they put great love in Mary, then I see nothing in the world wrong with this. Do I disagree with many doctrinal teachings of the Catholic Church? Sure I do, but I also know many fine Catholics who are just as much Christian as I am, who truly do have personal relationships with their Savior. Mel Gibson is Catholic, at least that is what I've been told, and he produced that wonderful work, The Passion of Christ. Pray with your Catholic friends and you just might be surprised.
2007-10-13 15:45:42 · answer #5 · answered by Terry L 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We Christians are already aware Jesus had siblings but the birth of Jesus was in fact a Virgin birth and because of this Mary is called The Virgin Mary.
2007-10-13 15:23:49 · answer #6 · answered by MrCool1978 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Ever wonder what our creator were trying to tell us in riddles.
As a woman she were a virgin before she got married.
Her first child were called Jesus.
Luke 8.10
Look in the real world.
Most women were no longer a virgin when they got married.
Wonder who's been climbing up the coconut trees and still look green?
Getting kick on the butts as casualty of the dead Mummy in not worshiping God.
The stories were meant for little children in school.
What do you think?
Luke 6.39-40,41-45,46-49
2007-10-13 15:25:38 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Mary was not born without sin, she was born the same way we were, Christ was the only one born without sin.
That is why He is our Savior.
Maybe when they realize He is Hebrew as was His mother and Father.
But they still have Christ on the cross, with a clothe on His mid section.
He hung as an open shame. But He is no longer on the cross.
His alive and well.
When are they going to read that Christ was in the grave three nights and three days.
Friday through Sunday is not three nights and three days.
2007-10-13 15:23:39 · answer #8 · answered by Sissy C 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Christmas 2012.
2007-10-13 15:25:12 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
They Know, but Traditions are hard to break. Particularly Religious Traditions.
Jesus said to the Religious Leaders of His day " You hypocrites, Isaiah aptly prophesied about you, when he said: “This people honors me with their lips, yet their hearts are far removed from me. It is in vain that they keep paying respect to me, because they teach commands of men as doctrines.’” With that he called the crowd near and said to them: ‘Listen and get the sense of it: Not what enters into his mouth defiles a man; but it is what proceeds out of his mouth that defiles a man.’”—Matt. 15:1-
2007-10-13 15:24:00 · answer #10 · answered by conundrum 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I am not Catholic. I know Mary had other children, but this is not a theological issue.
Whether or not Mary had other children has no bearing on the salvation of Catholics.
Do they believe the following:
Jesus Christ, born of a virgin, died on the cross to save us from our sin, rose the third day to conquer death for us, ascended to heaven to prepare a place for us, and is coming back to get all who believe this.
Then they are Christians and are going to heaven.
What difference does Mary's having other children make?
2007-10-13 15:21:40 · answer #11 · answered by Molly 6 · 1⤊ 3⤋