Were The Siblings Really Cousins ​​Of Jesus?

How Many Siblings Did Jesus Have

The Gospels of Matthew and Mark tell us that Jesus’ brothers were James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas (Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3). Jesus also had sisters, but the Bible does not identify them (Mark 6:3). (How Many Siblings Did Jesus Have)

The fact that Jesus entrusted his mother to the care of John suggests that his brothers (and sisters) were not actually Mary’s own children (John 19:26, 27).

What Does The Bible Say About The Siblings Of Jesus?

The brothers of Jesus are mentioned in many Bible verses. Matthew 12:46, Luke 8:19, and Mark 3:31 say that Jesus’ brothers and his mother came to visit him. 

The Bible tells that Jesus had four brothers. The Bible also says that Jesus had sisters, but their names are neither given nor numbered.

In John 7:1-10, his brothers go ahead to celebrate the festival, and he stays behind. In Acts 1:14, his brothers are described praying with the disciples. 

Galatians 1:19 mentions that James was the brother of Jesus. The most natural conclusion to these passages is to interpret that Jesus’ immediate relatives were actually step-relatives.

Were The Siblings Really Cousins ​​Of Jesus?

Some Roman Catholic churches claim that these “brothers” were actually cousins ​​of Jesus. However, in each instance, the special Greek for “brother” is used. 

While the term can also be cited for other relatives, its literal and general meaning is that of a brother born of the same mother. A separate Greek word for “cousin” is found and is not used. 

Furthermore, if they were cousins ​​of Jesus, why are they described as being with Mary, the mother of Jesus? There is nothing in this context to suggest that his brother and mother’s visit even suggests that they were anything other than his literal, relative, half-brother. (How Many Siblings Did Jesus Have)

Did Jesus Have Siblings From Joseph’s First Marriage?

The second argument of the Roman Catholic Church is that Jesus’ brothers and sisters were the children of Joseph from his first marriage. 

The entire story, notably Joseph being older than Mary, had previously been married, had many children, had been widowed before Mary was married, has been invented without biblical basis. The problem with this story is that the Bible gives little indication that Joseph had ever married and had children before he married Mary. 

If Joseph had six children before he married Mary, then they are described in Bethlehem (Luke 2:4-7) or Egypt (Matthew 2:13-15) or back to Nazareth (Matthew 2:20-23). Why isn’t it found in the account of Joseph and Mary’s journey?

Bible Evidence About Jesus’ Brothers And Sisters

There is no biblical reason to believe that these children were anything other than the actual children of Joseph and Mary. They oppose this idea of ​​Jesus being half-brothers and half-sisters. 

They do so because they are reading it not from Scripture, but from their own preconception notion of Mary being permanently virgin, who herself You are clearly not biblical: “And she (Joseph) did not go to her until she (Mary) had a son: and she named him Jesus” (Matthew 1:25). 

Jesus had half-relatives, half-brothers, and half-sisters who were the children of Joseph and Mary. This is the teaching of God’s Word clearly and without any ambiguity.

Siblings Before Jesus’ Death

The attitude and relationship of these brothers to Jesus shows that they were older than only the older brothers would have done in those days. 

Because they tried to control him, “When his relatives heard this, they went out to catch him; For they used to say that his mind is not in place” (Mark 3:21).

At the same time, Jesus’ brothers tried to illustrate his footsteps by saying, “So his brothers said to him, “Get out of here and go to Judea, that your disciples may also see what you are doing. 

For there will be no one who wants to be famous, and works in secret: if you do this work, then make yourself known to the world” (John 7:3,4).

It is clear that his brothers were discouraged by the reports they had heard of his work. They realized that he was not wise in his activities, and they tried to persuade him to follow his ideas on how he should act. 

No doubt, they were also concerned about the growing tension between him and the Jewish rabbis. Therefore, they separated from him (John 7:5) and were not mentioned with those gathered around the cross (John 19:25–27).

Siblings After Jesus’ Death

But the final chapters of Christ’s earthly life brought about his transformation. Although his “brothers” did not believe him at first (John 7:3–5), they later accepted him and were counted among believers. 

The apostle Luke referred to the fact when he wrote, “All of them were in one mind in prayer with the many women and Mary the mother of Jesus and her brothers” (Acts 1:14).

There is no further mention of the brothers Simon and Joses. But James became a leader in the early church (Acts 12:17; Acts 15:13; 1 Cor 15:7; Galatians 1:19) and is believed to be the author of the Epistle of James. 

He was probably the eldest of Jesus’ four brothers, as he is mentioned earlier (Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3).

Paul mentioned Jacob, as the leader of the church, in Galatians 2:9. In addition, the story of Josephus tells of the death of the Lord’s brother, Jacob, as a leader in the early church (Josephus Archaeology XX.9.9.1; Volume V, p. 71). 

In addition, from at least the 2nd century, Christian tradition recognizes Jacob as God’s brother to be the leader of the church in Jerusalem (Hegasippus, cited by Eusebius Ecclesiastical History II. 23).

Did Jesus Have A Wife?

According to the beliefs of Christianity, there has been a sensational revelation about Jesus Christ, who is considered the son of God. The British Library, based on a 1500-year-old document, revealed that Jesus had married a prostitute, Mary Magdalene, and had two children.

How Many Children Did Mary The Mother Of Jesus Have?

His five sons are mentioned in the holy book of the Bible. He also had two daughters. He also had two daughters. But there is no evidence about daughters in the Bible.