BIBLE STUDY MANUALS: MARY, DID SHE HAVE CHILDREN AFTER GIVING BIRTH TO OUR LORD?

JESUS CHRIST HAD BROTHERS AND SISTERS, HIS MOTHER HAD CHILDREN AFTER HIM
INDIV	NOTES	PASSAGE
MARY
Mary ['a']- Mariam	Mother of Jesus	[Jn 19:25]: "Near the cross of Jesus stood His mother [Mary ['a'], his mother's sister, Mary ['b'] the wife of Clopas, and Mary ['c'] Magdalene." '

	Mother of James ['c'], Joseph ['i'], Simon ['b'], Judas ['e']	[Mt 13:55-56]: "Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary ['a'], and aren't his brothers James ['c'], Joseph ['i'], Simon ['b'] and Judas ['e']? 56 Aren't all his sisters with us?" [Mk 6:3]: "Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James ['c'], Joseph, Judas ['e'] and Simon ['b']? Aren't his sisters here with us?" [Jn 2:12]: "After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days." [Acts 1:14]: "They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers." [1 Cor 9:4-5]: 4 "Don't we have the right to food and drink? 5 Don't we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Cephas?"
OBJECTORS TO MARY HAVING CHILDREN AFTER JESUS INSIST THAT THE WORD 'BROTHERS AND SISTERS' MEANS BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN A SPIRITUAL, NOT A BIOLOGICAL SENSE Objectors to Mary ['a'], Mariam having children after Jesus insist that the word 'brothers' and 'sisters' means brothers and sisters in the faith, the spiritual term not the biological term. But consider that Mt 13:55-56 just quoted enumerates four of His brothers and then says 'all of His sisters.' This points to blood relationships, for His spiritual brothers would not be limited to just four men. He had at least Twelve 'spiritual brothers.' Furthermore, consider: [Gal 1:19]: "I saw none of the other apostles--only James, the Lord's brother." [Compare John 7:1-10]: (v. 1) "After this, Jesus went around in Galilee, purposely staying away from Judea because the Jews there were waiting to take his life. (v. 2) But when the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near, (v. 3) Jesus' brothers said to Him, "You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. (v. 4) No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world. *(v. 5) For even his own brothers did not believe in Him.* (v. 6) Therefore Jesus told them, 'The right time for me has not yet come; for you any time is right. (v. 7) The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil. (v. 8) You go to the Feast. I am not yet going up to this Feast, because for me the right time has not yet come.' (v. 9) Having said this, He stayed in Galilee. (v. 10) However, after his brothers had left for the Feast, He went also, not publicly, but in secret." Note that the word 'brothers' here obviously could not mean brothers in the faith because it is clearly stipulated [italics underlined above] that His own brothers did not believe in Him. Cousins must be also ruled out as the intended meaning for 'brothers' for there is a Greek word for cousins nor would all of the Lord's relatives in this passage be cousins. Finally, if a variety of distant relatives were intended then the language would have reflected this. Certainly, our Lord's immediate family of brothers is in view here. [Dr. Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum states in a Thursday, February 28, 2002 12:22 PM email]: "To answer the specific question, the issue is not whether the term "brother" can have another meaning than an immediate blood brother, since that term is used in a wider way. In fact, even the term "father" and "mother" can also have a wider meaning as the passage in Matthew... shows. The real issue is: in any given context, what would be the obvious meaning of the term? In dealing with the situation in Nazareth it is obvious the people of Nazareth are rejecting Jesus since they see Him as one of their own and nothing special. When they refer to the "father" and "mother" of Jesus, they are obviously referring to His immediate blood parents because no other meaning would make sense in that context. This also applies to "brothers" and the listing of the four names. To make them refer only to cousins makes no sense in this context as it would not help the point they are trying to make. The whole issue is that they all knew the immediate family of Jesus and not the distant family of Jesus. Furthermore, if the four sons named were cousins, then they would have also named the parents of the four "brothers" thus naming the uncle and aunt of Jesus as well. This they do not do. The very fact they mentioned who they consider to be the blood parents of Jesus and immediately mentioned the brothers kept in context requires these brothers to be the children of the same set of parents as Jesus. It makes no sense to introduce four men who are not the children of the same parents within this context. Other parents for these brothers are not even inferred within this context. It is not merely how a word is used, it is also how it is used in a specific context that is determinative of the correct interpretation. This is one good example. It is only if one’s theology, like Catholic theology, that requires a specific interpretation be imposed on the text. This is a good example of how a preconceived theology is imposed upon a text of Scripture. Without this preconceived theology no one would have remotely concluded any other way than that these were the real brothers of Jesus." [Compare 1:12-14]: (v. 12) "Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day's walk from the city. (v. 13) When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. (v. 14) They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers." Note that here "His brothers" cannot mean brothers in the faith with all of the disciples previously mentioned - certainly they are brothers in the faith themselves. Nor does the context suggest cousins only. Later on in this passage the word brothers does refer to brothers in the faith - which is under a change of context as you will notice: [Compare Acts 1:15-17]: (v. 15) "In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) (v. 16) and said, "Brothers, [notice: brothers in the faith] the Scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through the mouth of David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus-- (v. 17) he was one of our number and shared in this ministry." [http://www.christianseparatist.org/Briefs.html Mary's Other Children by Pastor V.S. Herrell]: "It is this James, the brother of Jesus, who more than likely wrote the Book of James, the first book of the New Testament. Incidently, this verse would become absurd if 'spiritual brother' were the intended meaning for 'brother'. Why would Paul refer to James as an apostle and then also as a 'spiritual' brother of Jesus unless he meant a biological brother? Can we not assume that if someone was an apostle that he was also a brother of Jesus in the faith? In fact, the reason that Paul said that James was Jesus' brother was to distinguish him from James the Younger and James the son of Zebedee. When these latter two Jameses are referred to, Paul and the writers of the gospels are careful to refer to them as 'the Younger' or the 'son of Zebedee' in order to distinguish them from the James the brother of Jesus. But if we assume that the term brother or brothers in this verse and others like it are not in reference to biological brothers, but in reference to brothers in the faith, then there is no distinction between these three Jameses, because they are all Jesus' brothers in the persuasion. This point is made very clear, however in the following passage from Mark (and its parallels): [Mk 3:31-35, cf Mt 12:46-50; cf Lk 8:19-21]: (v. 31) "Then Jesus' mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. (v. 32) A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, "Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you." (v. 33) "Who are my mother and my brothers?" he asked. (v. 34) Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! (v. 35) Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother." [http://members.aol.com/jasonte/mary.htm]: "We see Jesus setting spiritual relationships above physical relationships in other passages as well, including ones that specifically refer to Mary. In one passage (Matthew 12:46-50), Jesus is seen with His disciples, while Mary is outside with Jesus' unbelieving siblings. Jesus explains that His spiritual family, consisting of His disciples, is closer to Him than His physical family. Those disciples are contrasted with Jesus' mother and siblings. In another passage, Jesus specifically refers to His own household rejecting Him at that time, and He makes no exemption of Mary (Mark 6:1-4). Mary is specifically mentioned in verse 3. Similarly, Mark 3:20-32 portrays Mary as among those kinsmen who thought Jesus had "lost His senses" (verse 21), which explains why Jesus goes on to say that His disciples are His more important family, and that He was rejected even in His own household." [http://www.christianseparatist.org/Briefs.html Mary's Other Children by Pastor V.S. Herrell, cont.]: It is absurd to argue here that the phrase 'your mother and your brothers' is in reference to anything but our Lord's biological mother and brothers. In fact, the point of the teaching would be lost if the reader did not understand that these were the biological brothers and mother of Jesus....[who were not spiritually in accord with Him as opposed to 'whoever does God's will... (being His) brother and sister and mother.' as the verse says" Finally, consider [Jn 2:12]: [Jn 2:12]: "After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days." Were not our Lord's disciples His spiritual brothers???? So why make a distinction here, or was our Lord referring to His mother and His familial brothers as the text plainly reads?" OBJECTORS MAINTAIN 'BROTHERS AND SISTERS' REFERS TO COUSINS Consider the Catholic New American Bible in a note on Mark 6:3: http://www.christianseparatist.org/Briefs.html Mary's Other Children by Pastor V.S. Herrell "...In Semitic usage, the terms 'brother,' 'sister' are applied not only to children of the same parents, but to nephews, nieces, cousins, half-brothers, and half-sisters ... one cannot suppose that the meaning of a Greek word should be sought in the first place from Semitic usage ... The question of meaning here would not have arisen but for the faith of the church in Mary's perpetual virginity." Here, the Catholics admit that this absurd argument would not even be made if not for their ......... doctrine of Mary's perpetual virginity. It of course goes without saying that nowhere in the New Testament is it taught that Mary had no other children or was always a virgin; neither is such prophesied in the Old Testament prophecies regarding the birth of the Messiah and the prophecy which stated that His mother would be a virgin at the time of His birth. But after the birth, the hymen would have been broken and it would have been expected that Joseph would have had children to carry on his family line. [To violate this marital promise would have been a sin]. So if not for [insistence on] this .............. doctrine which finds absolutely no support in the Bible, no one would ever question the fact that Jesus had brothers and sisters....... There are two versions of the argument. One version says that there was no Aramaic or Hebrew word for cousin and that the word for brother doubled for both brothers and cousins. This, however, cannot be proven [as we have only a limited knowledge of the Aramaic language of that time]; the only thing that can be proven is that there were no words differentiating between maternal and paternal cousins. The Hebrew in the Masoretic Old Testament and Aramaic and Syriac translations of the Old and New Testament, however, do refer to cousins by stating "the uncle's son" or "daughter, etc. So Aramaic speakers were by no means incapable of describing a cousin, and this round-about way of doing so was very common. [Version two] But the fact remains that it is absolutely irrelevent what the Aramaic, Hebrew, Luwian, Hungarian or any other language except Greek meant because the New Testament was written in Greek. Greek was the native language of Paul, Mark and Luke, all of whom had Greek names, and these men had an extremely wide variety of Greek words to choose from when they wrote that Jesus had brothers and sisters. In the Greek, the word used for brother in these passages is .....("adelphoi") and it very specifically and only means 'brother' [and 'sister' = 'adelphai']." This word was never used for any other type of relative in all of Greek literature. In Galatians 1:19, if the Greek-speaking, Roman citizen, Apostle Paul had wished to tell the Greek-speaking Galatians, who could speak no Aramaic and did not know a single Semitic idiom, that James was the cousin of Jesus and not his brother, then Paul would have used the Greek word ... 'anepsios' like he did in Colossians 4:10 (AST): [Col 4:10]: "Aristarchus, my fellow-captive, greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas, about whom you received orders." This word very specifically means "cousin," and this word was even used in the Greek Septuagint: [Numbers 36:11 KJV]: "For Mahlah, Tirzah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, were married unto their fathers brothers' sons" [Numbers 36:11 NIV & SEPTUAGINT]: "Zelophehad's daughters--Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah and Noah--married their cousins on their father's side." This Greek word is very important because......[objectors] specifically tell [others] that the Greek language had no word for cousin and that this was the reason that the word brother had to be used............ In fact, ... 'anepsios' is not the only word for cousin; there are other words for specific types of cousin and other synonyms, etc. If Paul or Mark had meant that James and Joseph were simply kinsmen of Jesus, not necessarily cousins or brothers, then they could have used the Greek word ... 'sungenes' which means just a generic kinsman and is used by both Mark (6:4) and by Paul (Romans 9:3) as well as all throughout the New Testament. The story is the same in the....... Latin Vulgate. In Galatians 1:19, for example, the Latin word 'frater' is used which specifically means brother. The word 'nepos', meaning 'cousin', could have been used, but it was not. Thus, there can be absolutely no doubt that Jesus had at least four brothers and two sisters who were the biological children of Mariam or Mary." GOD PROVIDED NO SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS TO MARY OR JOSEPH TO SET ASIDE THE MARRIAGE VOW OF SEXUAL INTIMACY [Compare Lk 1:26-35]: (v. 26) "In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, (v . 27) to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. (v. 28) The angel went to her and said, 'Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.' (v. 29) Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. (v. 30) But the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. (v. 31) You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. (v. 32) He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, (v. 33) and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.' (v. 34) 'How will this be', Mary asked the angel, 'since I am a virgin?' (v. 35) The angel answered, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.' " Clearly in this passage and any passage in the bible, the lack of instruction for Mary to remain a virgin and the omission of any command to Joseph or Mary to not have sex or more children is significant. This is especially noteworthy since to abstain from sexual intercourse would be a violation of the vows of marriage - an offense under the Mosaic Law. OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY POINTS TO OUR LORD HAVING BROTHERS http://www.carm.org/catholic/brothers.htm "There are many arguments pro and con concerning Jesus’ siblings. But the issue cannot be settled without examining Psalm 69, a Messianic Psalm." Jesus' disciples remembered Psalm 69:9 as referring to our Lord as He ran the money changers out of the Temple: [Jn 2:16-17]: (v. 16) "To those who sold doves he said, 'Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!' (v. 17) His disciples remembered that it is written: '*Zeal for your house will consume me.' " http://www.themoorings.org/apologetics/AD70/Psa69.html "Psalm 69 is Messianic.... [Ps 69:7-9]: (v. 7) "For I endure scorn for your sake, and shame covers my face. (v. 8) I am a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my own mother's sons; (v. 9) for zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who insult you fall on me." ...In the course of pleading with God to save him from dire troubles, David remembers that he has borne shame and reproach (v. 7), coming even from his own brothers (v. 8). He is now thinking about trouble of a kind that Christ Himself would endure, for He too would suffer opposition in His own house. As soon as David's musings open to a Messianic horizon, the Holy Spirit turns David away from self-absorption and lifts up his heart to enter, whether consciously or unconsciously, into the future experience of Christ. From verse 9 onward David records events connected with Christ, not himself. He loses sight of the mundane and temporal and fixes his thoughts upon a future drama of cosmic significance, the great drama of redemption. He shares vicariously in Christ's sufferings (vv. 8–29), as well as in the victory that Christ would achieve through them (vv. 30–36). The psalm reveals the destiny of both Christ and His enemies. Whereas He would be set on high (v. 29), they would fall prey to an awful judgment. God would harden their hearts against repenting of their wicked treatment of Christ (v. 27). They would die in their sins, their names forever blotted out of the registry showing who is entitled to live in the presence of God (v. 28). Yet even before coming to their final destiny, they would suffer a great calamity. The table intended for their welfare—no doubt an allusion to the Temple, the place where the Jewish nation spread out its offerings of food and drink before the Lord—would become a death trap (v. 22). Because they would act foolishly, with darkened eyes, they would soon topple into the grip of great terrors (v. 23). God would unloose His indignation upon them (v. 24), and they would suffer a disaster of such proportions that it would virtually depopulate their homeland (v. 25)." [Ps 69:7-9]: (v. 7) "For I endure scorn for your sake, and shame covers my face. (v. 8) I am a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my own mother's sons; (v. 9) for zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who insult you fall on me." http://www.carm.org/catholic/brothers.htm (cont.) "This messianic Psalm clearly shows that Jesus has brothers, (v. 8).... The question is, "Was Jesus estranged by His brothers?". Yes, He was. John 7:5 says "For not even His brothers were believing in Him." Furthermore, Psalm 69:8 says.... ["I am a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my own mother's sons"] = "my brothers" and "my mother's sons." Are these [phrases] both to be understood as not referring to His siblings? Hardly. [Objectors] are fond of saying that "brothers" must mean "cousins." But, if that is the case, then when we read "an alien to my mother's sons" we can see that the writer is adding a further distinction [to "I am a stranger to my brothers"] and [thereby] narrowing the scope of meaning [to "His mother's sons, i.e., blood brothers]. In other words, Jesus was alienated by his siblings, His very half-brothers begotten from Mary. It is sad to see [objectors] go to such lengths to maintain Mary's virginity, something that is a violation of biblical law to be married and fill the earth." EXTRA BIBLICAL HISTORICAL ACCOUNT INDICATES THAT JAMES WAS JESUS' BLOOD BROTHER* Josephus refers to Jesus in the "Antiquities", where we find this passage: "So he [Ananus, son of Ananus the high priest] assembled the sanhedrin of judges, and brought before him the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James, and some others (or some of his companions) and when he had formed an accusation against them, he delivered them to be stoned." (Antiquities 20.9.1) Notice the distinction between James described as Jesus' brother and Jesus' companions. 'Brother' must mean blood brother here, for all of our Lord's companions were brothers in the faith. OBJECTORS INSIST THAT OUR LORD'S BROTHERS WERE BY JOSEPH, A WIDOWER, FROM A PREVIOUS MARRIAGE "Some [objectors] attempt to get around the textual evidence by suggesting that the "brothers and sisters" were actually children from a former marriage of Joseph, but the historical evidence doesn't support that view. It originated in unreliable apocryphal material, and it seems to create the problem of keeping Christ from being the legitimate Heir to David's throne. If Jesus had older brothers from a former marriage of Joseph, one of those brothers would be the legitimate heir. And the New Testament passages about Jesus' childhood, such as Matthew 2:13-15, suggest that Jesus was the only Child Joseph and Mary had to care for at the time."
Mary ['b']	Sister to Mary ['a'] = Miriam, Wife of Clopas	[Jn 19:25]: "Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother [Mary ['a'], his mother's sister, Mary ['b'] the wife of Clopas, and Mary ['c'] Magdalene."

	Mother of James ['b'] the Younger and Joseph	[Mt 27:56]: "Among them were Mary ['c'] Magdalene, Mary ['b] the mother of James ['b'] and Joseph ['h'], and the mother [Salome] of Zebedee's son." [Mk 15:40]: "Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary ['c'] Magdalene, Mary ['b'] the mother of James ['b'] the younger and of Joseph ['h'], and Salome."
	Mother of James ['b'] thus Wife of Alphaeus	[Mt 10:2-3]: "These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James ['a'] son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; *James ['b'] son of Alphaeus*, and Thaddaeus (Judas ['a']); 4 Simon ['a'] the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him."
http://www.bibletexts.com/glossary/Mary.htm "Mary, the mother of James, or of James and Joses or Joseph, or ‘the other Mary,’ among the women disciples at the cross (Mark 15:40; Matt. 27:55-56), with Mary Magdalene at the burial, empty tomb (Mark 15:47; 16:1; Matt. 27:61; 28:1), and first appearance of the risen Christ (Matt. 28:9). 5 Mary, the wife of Clopas, one of the women at the cross in John 19:25, often taken to be the same as Mary the mother of James and Joses."
Mary ['c']	Mary Magdalene	[Mt 27:56]: "Among them were Mary ['c'] Magdalene, Mary ['b] the mother of James and Joseph ['h'], and the mother [Salome] of Zebedee's sons." [Mk 16:1]: When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene ['c'], Mary ['b'] the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body."
http://www.bibletexts.com/glossary/Mary.htm "Mary Magdalene, or ‘of Magdala,’ mentioned first in every listing of Jesus’ female disciples (Mark 15:40-41, 47; 16:1; Matt. 27:55-56, 61; 28:1; Luke 8:2-3; 24:10). She therefore seems to have been the leader of a group of women who ‘followed’ and ‘served’ Jesus constantly from the outset of his ministry in Galilee to his death and beyond. Matthew and Mark acknowledge them only immediately after Jesus’ death, but Luke mentions their presence with the Twelve in Jesus’ ministry in Galilee (8:1-3). Here Mary is included among the many women who provided for Jesus’ ministry from their own means and among a smaller number ‘healed of evil spirits and infirmities.’ That she was healed of some serious affliction is expressed by describing her as one ‘from whom seven demons had gone out’ (v. 2). She is foremost as a witness to Jesus’ death according to all four Gospels (Mark 15:40-41, 47; Matt. 27:55-56, 61; Luke 23:49, 55-56; John 19:25), to the empty tomb (Mark 16:1-6; Matt. 28:1, 6; Luke 24:1-3, 10; John 20:1-2), and in receiving the news or appearance of the risen Christ to tell to the disciples (Mark 16:6-7; Matt. 28:5-9; Luke 24:4-10). According to Luke the women’s testimony was not believed but was later vindicated (24:11, 22-48). According to John 20:11-18 the risen Jesus appeared first to her and talked with her about his coming ascension (v. 17). She is characterized as an apostle in some apocryphal nt writings (e.g., The Gospel of Philip). She rivals Peter in that she receives revelations from the risen Christ to pass on to the rest of the apostles."
Mary ['d']	Mary of Bethany, sister of Martha	[Jn 12:1-3]: "Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary ['c'] took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume."
http://www.bibletexts.com/glossary/Mary.htm "Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus (Luke 10:38-39; John 11:1). She appears once in Luke, sitting at Jesus’ feet and listening as a disciple to his teaching (10:38-42). Martha objects that Mary has left her to serve alone, but Jesus commends Mary’s choice as that ‘which shall not be taken away from her’ (10:42). In John’s version Mary anoints Jesus’ feet with costly ointment and wipes them with her hair while Martha serves (12:1-3). Jesus defends her against Judas Iscariot’s objection that the ointment could have been sold and the money given to the poor (12:4-8). John also mentions her as present with Martha at the death and raising of Lazarus (11:19, 20, 28-32). Others follow her when she goes out to Jesus (11:31), and her grief moves him deeply (11:33).
Mary ['e']	Mother of John Mark	[Acts 12:12]: "When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary ['e'] the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying."
http://www.bibletexts.com/glossary/Mary.htm "Mary of Jerusalem, whose home was used as a meeting place for Jesus’ followers after his death. Many were praying there when Peter arrived after his escape from prison to leave a message for James and the brothers and sisters (Acts 12:11-17). That no husband is mentioned may mean that she is the widowed head of the household and so perhaps leader of one of the house-churches mentioned in Acts 2:46. Rhoda, the ‘maid’ or ‘little girl’ who went to the door (v. 13), could be a slave member of the household, pointing to it as substantial. Mary’s son John, also known as Mark, accompanied her nephew Barnabas (Col. 4:10) and also Paul on some of their missionary travels (Acts 12:25; 13:5, 13; 15:37-39)."
Mary ['f']	Helper of Paul	[Ro 16:6]: "Greet Mary ['f'] , who worked very hard for you."
http://www.bibletexts.com/glossary/Mary.htm "Mary, one among many greeted by Paul in Rom. 16:1-16 and described as having ‘worked hard among you’ (16:6), perhaps as a teacher or administrator (see 1 Cor. 12:28)."
OBJECTORS INSIST THAT JAMES AND JOSEPH, THE BROTHERS OF JESUS ENUMERATED IN MT 13:55-56 & MK 6:3, ARE THE CHILDREN OF MARY, THE WIFE OF CLOPAS NOT MARY THE MOTHER OF JESUS
JAMES
James ['a'] = Apostle	Son of Zebedee and Salome, Brother of Apostle John	[Mt 10:2-3]: "These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James ['a'] son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James ['b'] son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus {Judas ['a']}; 4 Simon ['a'] the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. [Acts 12:1-2]: "It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. 2 He had James ['a'], the brother of John, put to death with the sword."

http://www.bibletexts.com/glossary/James.htm "James the son of Zebedee. One of Jesus' twelve disciples, a brother of John and a fisherman with Peter and Andrew. Matt. 4:21-22; Mark 9:2-10; 14:33; Luke 5:10; Acts 12:1-3. James, the English equivalent of the Greek Jacobus, apparently a common name in the first century. 1 James, the son of Zebedee (Matt. 4:21; 10:2; Mark 1:19; 3:17) and brother of John (Matt. 17:1; Mark 3:17; 5:37; Acts 12:2), with whom he was called by Jesus to be one of the Twelve (Matt. 4:21; Mark 1:19-20; Luke 5:10-11). Jesus nicknamed James and John ‘Boanerges,’ meaning ‘sons of thunder’ (Mark 3:17). The two are prominent in the various lists of the Twelve (Matt. 10:2-4; Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6:14-16; Acts 1:13). With Peter, they were present when Jesus raised Jairus’s daughter (Mark 5:37; Luke 8:51), at the transfiguration (Matt. 17:1; Mark 9:2; Luke 9:28), and in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matt. 26:37; Mark 14:33). The brothers (or their mother) request special places beside Jesus at the time of the messianic kingdom (Matt. 20:20-23; Mark 10:35-40). They are clearly very close associates of Jesus. Acts 12:2 reports James’s martyrdom by decapitation at the command of Herod Agrippa I.'
James ['b'] the Younger	Son of Alphaeus, Apostle - one of the 12 disciples	[Acts 1:13]: "When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James ['a'] and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James ['b'] son of Alphaeus and Simon ['a'] the Zealot, and Judas ['a'] son of James ['d']." [Mt 10:2-3]: "These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James ['a'] son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James ['b'] son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus (Judas ['a']); 4 Simon ['a'] the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him."
	Called James the younger, Son of Mary ['b'] of Clopas and brother of Joseph	[Mt 27:56]: "Among them were Mary ['c'] Magdalene, Mary ['b] the mother of James ['b'] and Joseph, and the mother [Salome] of Zebedee's son." [Mk 15:40]: "Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary ['c'] Magdalene, Mary ['b'] the mother of James ['b'] the *younger* and of Joseph, and Salome."

http://www.bibletexts.com/glossary/James.htm "James the son of Alphaeus. One of the twelve disciples of Jesus. It is possible that Mary the mother of James, in Mark 15:40 and 16:1, was the mother of this disciple. Matt. 10:3. 2 James, the son of Alphaeus. Identified in the apostolic lists as one of the Twelve (Matt. 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13), little else is known about him. He is sometimes identified with the ‘James the younger’ of Mark 15:40."
James ['c']	Son of Mary ['a'] = Miriam	[Mt 13:55-56]: "Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary ['a'], and aren't his brothers James ['c'], Joseph, Simon ['b'] and Judas ['e']? 56 Aren't all his sisters with us?" [Mk 6:3]: "Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James ['c'], Joseph, Judas ['e'] and Simon ['b']? Aren't his sisters here with us?"
	Brother of Jesus	[Gal 1:19]:"I saw none of the other apostles--only James, the Lord's brother."

	James ['c'] of Jerusalem, author of Epistle of James	[Acts 12:1-2]: "It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. 2 He had James ['a'], the brother of John, put to death with the sword."
EXTRA BIBLICAL HISTORICAL ACCOUNT INDICATES THAT JAMES WAS JESUS' BLOOD BROTHER Josephus apparently refers to Jesus in passing later in the "Antiquities", where we find this passage: "so he [Ananus, son of Ananus the high priest] assembled the sanhedrin of judges, and brought before him the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James, and some others (or some of his companions) and when he had formed an accusation against them, he delivered them to be stoned." (Antiquities 20.9.1) After the martyrdom of James ['b'] the son of Zebedee under Herod Agrippa I (c. A.D. 44; cr. Acts 12:2), the only James ['c'] who is well enough known in the early church that the unspecified use of his name would be generally recognizable was James of Jerusalem. http://www.bibletexts.com/glossary/James.htm "James. The brother of Jesus. The brothers of Jesus did not support him during his lifetime, but they are listed among the believers after the resurrection. Mark 6:3; John 7:5; Acts 1:14. James held an important position in the church at Jerusalem, probably as head of the elders. Acts 12:17; 21:18; Gal. 1:19; 2:9,12. "James, the brother of Jesus. The relationship of Jesus to ‘the brothers of the Lord’ (1 Cor. 9:5; cf. Matt. 13:55; Mark 6:3; Acts 1:14; Gal. 1:19) is much debated. Possibilities include literal brothers (or half-brothers or stepbrothers) of Jesus, more distant relations of Jesus (e.g., cousins), or close friends and associates of Jesus. Though apparently not followers during Jesus’ ministry (Matt. 12:46-50; Mark 3:31-35; Luke 8:19-21; John 7:3-5), the brothers are reportedly with the Twelve and others after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension (Acts 1:14), and James is identified as one to whom Jesus appeared (1 Cor. 15:7). Eventually, James emerges as the recognized successor (along with the elders) to the leadership role originally exercised by Peter and the apostles (Acts 15 and following). Paul acknowledges James’s role of leadership (Gal. 2:1-12), and Acts 15 reports his persuasive defense of the Gentile mission. Both the Jewish historian Josephus and the Christian Hegesippus (according to the fourth century church historian Eusebius) report that James was put to death by the priestly authorities in Jerusalem a few years before the destruction of the Temple in a.d. 70."
James ['d']	Father of Apostle Judas (not Iscariot)	[Lk 6:13-16]: "When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: 14 Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, 15 Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon ['a'] who was called the Zealot, 16 Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor."
http://www.bibletexts.com/glossary/James.htm "4 James, the father (kjv: ‘brother’) of Judas (one of the Twelve; Luke 6:16), otherwise apparently not mentioned in the nt."
NEITHER JAMES ['b'] THE YOUNGER NOR ANY OF THE OTHER JAMESES IS THE SAME AS JAMES ['c'] 'BROTHER OF JESUS' [GAL 1:19] A detailed study of these four Jameses throughout the New Testament verifies beyond any doubt that Mary ['a'], Mariam, the mother of Jesus had a son named James as did Mary ['b'] wife of Clopas. They are not the same James. The son of Mary ['b'] is *James the Younger, and the son of Mary ['a'] = Mariam and brother of Jesus* is always identified as such. For example: [Gal 1:19]: "I saw none of the other apostles--only James, the Lord's brother." It is this James, the brother of Jesus, who more than likely wrote the Book of James, the first book of the New Testament. Incidently, this verse would become absurd if 'spiritual brother' were the intended meaning for 'brother'. Why would Paul refer to James as an apostle and then also as a 'spiritual' brother of Jesus unless he meant a biological brother? Can we not assume that if someone was an apostle that he was also a brother of Jesus in the faith? In fact, the reason that Paul said that James was Jesus' brother was to distinguish him from James the Younger and James the son of Zebedee. When these latter two Jameses are referred to, Paul and the writers of the gospels are careful to refer to them as 'the Younger' or the 'son of Zebedee' in order to distinguish them from the James the brother of Jesus. But if we assume that the term brother or brothers in this verse and others like it are not in reference to biological brothers, but in reference to brothers in the faith, then there is no distinction between these three Jameses, because they are all Jesus' brothers in the persuasion. This point is made very clear, however in the following passage from Mark (and its parallels): [Mk 3:31-35]: "Then Jesus' mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. 32 A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, 'Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.' 33 'Who are my mother and my brothers?' he asked. 34 Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, 'Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother.' It is absurd to argue here that the phrase 'your mother and your brothers' is in reference to anything but our Lord's biological mother and brothers. In fact, the point of the teaching would be lost if the reader did not understand that these were the biological brothers and mother of Jesus."
JOSEPH
Joseph ['a']	Husband of Mary ['a']	Lk 3:23 Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli, 24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melki, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,
	Father of Jesus	Lk 4:22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. "Isn't this Joseph's son?" they asked.
http://www.bibletexts.com/glossary/joseph.htm "The son of Jacob (Matt. 1:16) or Heli (Luke 3:23), the husband of Mary (Matt. 1:16), and, in the eyes of his compatriots, the father of Jesus (Luke 4:22; John 1:45; 6:42). A descendant of David (Matt. 1:20), his unwillingness publicly to set aside his pregnant betrothed showed him to be a just man (Matt. 1:19). The notion that he was an older man when he married Mary has no basis in the Gospel accounts—this tradition probably arose to account for Joseph’s absence in the Gospel narratives about the mature Jesus."

Joseph ['b']	Joseph ['b'] of Arimathea
http://www.bibletexts.com/glossary/joseph.htm "A high-ranking (Luke 23:50), rich (Matt. 27:57), and honorable (Mark 15:34) Jew who wrapped the body of the crucified Jesus in a linen shroud and buried him in a tomb newly cut from rock (Luke 23:53), perhaps the tomb he had had prepared for himself (Matt. 27:60). That he was a disciple of Jesus (Matt. 27:57; John 19:38) is not mentioned by either Luke or Mark."
Josephs ['c']['d']['e']	Three ancestors of Joseph, husband of Mary
http://www.bibletexts.com/glossary/joseph.htm "The name of three ancestors of Joseph, the husband of Mary (Luke 3:26, 30, 34)."
Joseph ['f']	Follower of Jesus surnamed Barsabbas
http://www.bibletexts.com/glossary/joseph.htm "A follower of Jesus, also called Barsabbas, surnamed Justus, who was not chosen to replace Judas as one of the twelve disciples when he, along with Matthias, was put forward for that position (Acts 1:23)."
Joseph ['g']	surnamed Barnabas
http://www.bibletexts.com/glossary/joseph.htm "An early Christian, surnamed Barnabas (Acts 4:36), who along with Saul (Paul) was sent on a missionary journey by the church in Antioch (Acts 13:2). A later dispute over a traveling companion led them to go their separate ways (Acts 15:36-39"
Joseph ['h']	Son of Mary ['b'] of Clopas, brother of James ['b']	[Jn 19:25]: "Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother [Mary ['a'], his mother's sister, Mary ['b'] the wife of Clopas, and Mary ['c'] Magdalene." [Mt 27:56]: "Among them were Mary ['c'] Magdalene, Mary ['b] the mother of James ['b'] and Joseph ['h'], and the mother [Salome] of Zebedee's son." [Mk 15:40]: "Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary ['c'] Magdalene, Mary ['b'] the mother of James ['b'] the younger and of Joseph ['h'], and Salome."
Joseph ['i']	Son of Miriam = Mary ['a']	[Mt 13:55-56]: "Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary ['a'], and aren't his brothers James ['c'], Joseph ['i'], Simon ['b'] and Judas ['e']? 56 Aren't all his sisters with us?"

JUDAS
Judas ['a'] (not Iscariot)	Judas ['a'] = Lebbaeus surnamed Thaddaeus, the Apostle	[Mt 10:2-3]: "These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James ['a'] son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James ['b'] son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus [Judas ['a']]['kai Lebbaios ho epiklethEis' = 'and *Lebbaeus* who was surnamed Thaddaeus]; 4 Simon ['a'] the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him."

	The Apostle, the son of James not the brother of James ['d']	[Lk 6:13-16]:"When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: 14 Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James['a'], John, Philip, Bartholomew, 15 Matthew, Thomas, James ['b'] son of Alphaeus, Simon ['a'] who was called the Zealot, 16 *Judas* ['a'] son of James ['d'], and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor."
http://www.biblebb.com/files/MAC/sg2122.htm "This Apostle is also known as Lebbaeus [surnamed] Thaddeus (Mt. 10:3). He is identified as 'the brother of James' ['d'] in Luke 6:16 and Acts 1:13 in the King James Version. Therefore, some people think that he is the one who wrote the Epistle of Jude. The problem with that conclusion is that the word for brother does not appear in those two verses in the Greek manuscripts. The Greek is best rendered, "the son of James" (literally, "Judas of James" ["ioudan iakObou", "ioudas iakObou" resp.]). If you have a New American Standard or any other new version, that problem has been corrected. The Apostle Judas was not the brother of James. Rather, he was the son of another man named James ['d']."
Judas ['b'] Barsabbas	'	[Acts 15:22]:"Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas ['b'] (called Barsabbas) and Silas, two men who were leaders among the brothers."
Judas ['c'] Iscariot	The apostate of all apostates	[Mt 26:14]: Then one of the Twelve--the one called Judas Iscariot--went to the chief priests 15 and asked, "What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you?" So they counted out for him thirty silver coins. 16 From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand Him over.
Judas ['d'] of Damascus	'	[Acts 9:10-11]: "In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. 11 The Lord called to him in a vision, "Ananias!" "Yes, Lord," he answered. The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying."
Judas ['e']	son of Miriam = Mary ['c'], brother of Jesus	[Mt 13:55-56]: "Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary ['a'], and aren't his brothers James ['c'], Joseph, Simon ['b'] and Judas ['e']? 56 Aren't all his sisters with us?"
John MacArthur states, http://www.biblebb.com/files/MAC/sg2122.htm Judas, the Lord's Brother (Mt. 13:55) 1) The Evidence The Lord Jesus had brothers in spite of the fact that many people get very upset when you admit that. In Matthew 13:55 we meet four of them: "Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And His brethren, James, and Joseph, and Simon, and Judas?" Those four were half brothers of Jesus, because our Lord was virgin born. They were the children of Joseph and Mary. Although we don't know anything more about Joseph and Simon, we know a lot more about James. He became the head of the Jerusalem church and wrote the epistle bearing his name. We know a little about Judas, the brother of James and half brother of the Lord Jesus. He is best understood as the one who wrote the book of Jude because of his identification with James, the Lord's half brother, who would have been the only James (besides the previously martyred Apostle James) that Jude's readers would have easily recognized. In Mark 6:3, we even find that Jesus had sisters as well: "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joseph, and of Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?..." 2) The Explanation a) The Servant of Jesus Some people have wondered why Jude, if he was the brother of Jesus, didn't say so in his epistle. Why did he identify himself as the "servant of Jesus"? The answer is simple. The death and resurrection of Christ had the effect of changing all the people who were related to Jesus Christ in a drastic way. All family relationships were set aside. Christ became to them a spiritual Savior, not a physically related individual. In Mark 3, Jesus gave a preview of that spiritual relationship. He was teaching in a particular house that was crowded with people. When His mother and brothers arrived and called for Him outside, Jesus made a startling statement: "Who is My mother, or My brethren? And He looked round about on those who sat about Him, and said, Behold My mother and My brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is My brother, and my sister, and mother." (vv. 33-35). Jesus was saying, "It's fine for a while to think of Me in a family relationship, but all of that has to change." Eventually Jesus' own mother and half brothers and half sisters had to see Him not as their brother anymore, but as their Redeemer. Furthermore, I think Jude was a humble man. For him to announce that he was the brother of Jesus may have sounded like bragging, so he restrained himself from doing that. Jesus was not only Jude's brother; He was his Savior and Lord. Jude was therefore Jesus' slave (Gk. doulos). In his new relationship with Christ, the natural ties diminished. b) The Brother of James James, the brother of Jude and the half brother of Jesus, was the leader of the Jerusalem church. When Jude identified himself as the "brother of James", he immediately acquired a lot of credibility, because James was a well-known man and an outstanding leader. That would help people listen to what he had to say. I think it is an interesting footnote that when James wrote his epistle, he humbly said that he was "a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ..." (v. 1). He too, was the half brother of Jesus, but he didn't draw any attention to that fact. Like Jude, he recognized that the family relationship didn't matter anymore. The brothers of Jesus didn't consider themselves servants of Jesus until they had experienced a major change in their lives. Apparently, the brothers had grown up resenting Jesus. John 7:5 says, "For neither did His brethren believe in Him." Jesus' brothers mocked Him in verses 2-4, not really believing that He was the Messiah. Yet, their lives were transformed at some point, for both James and Jude changed from those who resented Jesus to those who were willing to be His servants. Somewhere along the line, they were converted. I believe it probably happened after the resurrection. Jesus appeared to James after He rose from the dead according to 1 Corinthians 15. That appearance must have finally convinced the two brothers, who then saw themselves as servants of Jesus Christ."
SIMON
Simon ['a']	the Apostle, the Zealot, the Canaanite '	[Mk 3:16-19]: 16 "These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); 17 James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder); Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus {Judas ['a']}, Simon ['a'] the Canaanite 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him." [Lk 6:13-16]: "When morning came, He called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom He also designated apostles: 14 Simon (whom He named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, 15 Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, *Simon ['a'] who was called the Zealot*, 16 Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor." '

Simon ['b']	son of Mary ['a'], brother of Jesus	[Mt 13:55-56]: "Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary ['a'], and aren't his brothers James ['c'], Joseph, Simon ['b'] and Judas ['e']? 56 Aren't all his sisters with us?"