Was Jude the Apostile related to Jesus Christ?

Question

The Catholics, in their prayers, describe Jude as "near kinsman of Jesus Christ."
Was he a cousin? A step-brother?

Please note I am asking a question, not making a statement. Why ask me for the scriptural basis of a question?

Answer 1

Half brother, since Jesus was conceived not by Joseph.
In the Greek, the Epistle of Jude is actually Judas.

Answer 2

Most likely, yes - half-brother that is, since they shared the same mother. The debate comes in because the word in the Septuagint translated "brother" (its most common meaning) can also have the meaning of "close relative." Some, wanting to uphold the idea that Mary was a "perpetual virgin" choose the latter.
Problem is, it's not a good idea to transfer the meaning of the Greek translation of the Old Testament (written nearly 200 years earlier) into the New Testament without any clear first-century examples. The fact is, "adelphos" never means "cousin" in the New Testament.
The only alternative meaning to the term in the first-century, other than physical brother - was spiritual brother. In fact, when the NT writers wanted to convey the idea of cousin or relative, they chose either "anepsios" or "sungeneis" both of which carry exactly that meaning - relative.
If they wanted to convey the idea of a relative rather than a brother, either of these words would have been a good choice. The fact that they were aware of the distinction between adelphos and these other words is evident in the fact that both adelphos and sungeneis are used in Luke 21:16 in reference to two different groups "You will be betrayed by parents, brothers, relatives and friends."

Answer 3

Jesus did not have any biological brothers or sisters. The Blessed Mother did not give birth to any other children. She was step mother to children (6)of Josephs from a previous marriage.

When forty years of age, Joseph married a woman called Melcha or Escha by some, Salome by others; they lived forty-nine years together and had six children, two daughters and four sons, the youngest of whom was James (the Less, "the Lord's brother"). A year after his wife's death, as the priests announced through Judea that they wished to find in the tribe of Juda a respectable man to espouse Mary, then twelve to fourteen years of age. Joseph, who was at the time ninety years old, went up to Jerusalem among the candidates; a miracle manifested the choice God had made of Joseph, and two years later the Annunciation took place.

Answer 4

Saint Jude..not to be confused with Judas... is the brother of Saint James and a Cousin to our Savior....he is the Saint of the Hopeless and lost Desperate People say if you Pray to him you will enrich your Life

Answer 5

According to one legend, Jude was a son of Clopas and his wife Mary, a cousin of the Virgin Mary.

Answer 6

Not to my knowledge, James is likely to have been the brother of Jesus.

Answer 7

Jude is a person I would like to know more about! :)

Answer 8

What's your Scriptural basis for this?