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Every few years I hear the question, "Did Jesus have brothers?" This is due to an unavoidable translation issue. In Aramaic and Hebrew, the word 'Brother' has about 10 different meanings, so when we see the word 'brother' used in the Bible, it usually does not imply a blood sibling. We have to look at the broader meaning in the context of tradition and Scripture. The word brother can mean Cousin, Uncle, Nephew, Apostle, Disciple, half-brother, step-brother, relative, friend, kinsman, countryman, and sibling Let's look at some of the uses in Scripture... Peter and the Brothers Acts 115 During those days Peter stood up in the midst of the brothers (there was a group of about one hundred and twenty persons in the one place). We can conclude that Peter did not have 120 siblings from one mother, so Luke is writing about the spiritual community as 'brothers'. Abram and his Brother In Genesis, some translations may have 'brother' for Lot since there was no term for nephew in the original Hebrew. To make it more readable, some translations today may use the term 'kinsman' or 'son of my brother'. Genesis 1414 When Abram heard that his kinsman had been captured, he mustered three hundred and eighteen of his retainers, born in his house, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 15 He and his servants deployed against them at night, defeated them, and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus. 16 He recovered all the possessions. He also recovered his kinsman Lot and his possessions, along with the women and the other people. It seems Biblical writers use family terms often. Peter's and Paul's Sons In the New Testament, Peter calls Silvanus 'brother' and Mark 'son' in back to back verses, but He is speaking as a spiritual mentor. 1 Peter 5 12 I write you this briefly through Silvanus, whom I consider a faithful brother, exhorting you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Remain firm in it. 13 The chosen one at Babylon sends you greeting, as does Mark, my son. Paul does the same, referred to Timothy, Titus, and Onesimus as sons... Philemon 1 9 I rather urge you out of love, being as I am, Paul, an old man, and now also a prisoner for Christ Jesus. 10 I urge you on behalf of my child Onesimus, whose father I have become in my imprisonment, 1 Timothy 1 2 to Timothy, my true child in faith: grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. Titus 1 4 to Titus, my true child in our common faith: grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our savior. 1 Corinthians 4 14 I am writing you this not to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. 15 Even if you should have countless guides to Christ, yet you do not have many fathers, for I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 16 Therefore, I urge you, be imitators of me. 17 For this reason I am sending you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord; In Acts, we see Timothy's real parents are mentioned, so Paul is speaking spiritually of his disciples in Christ. Acts 16 1 He reached (also) Derbe and Lystra where there was a disciple named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. 2 The brothers in Lystra and Iconium spoke highly of him, We also see Paul is not married, so he is not speaking of biological sons. 1 Corinthians 7 Indeed, I wish everyone to be as I am, but each has a particular gift from God, one of one kind and one of another. 8 Now to the unmarried and to widows, I say: it is a good thing for them to remain as they are, as I do, Why Not Use a Different Word Then? You may ask, why didn't Scripture writers use a different word other than 'Brother' then? I once asked the same thing. The answer is that is how they talked back then and it doesn't translate perfectly. Word-for-Word Translation For those translators who have chosen Word-For-Word (literal, direct, formal equivalence) translations, each word used in the new language is a one to one match to the word in the original language. This type of translation is good for many reasons, including retaining the ability to translate from copy to copy. However, it does not explain the meaning of every word to the reader. Some words can get lost in translation. The word 'Love' has the opposite problem of 'brother'. In English, the word 'Love' can mean many things, while in the original Greek there are different words to help clarify. When Jesus asks Peter 3 times if he loves him, there are some subtleties lost after translation. Phrase-for-Phrase Translation For those translators who have chosen phrase-for-phrase (dynamic equivalence), the intent is to translate phrases, sentences, and sometimes whole paragraphs into the new language. This can be useful for creating bibles that are easier for some to read in their native language.These translations can be good for casual reading, but not as good for asking about specific words as the translated word may not have even existed in the original. For this reason, it is also not as good translating from copy to copy. When changing many words in a phrase for phrase translation, the opinion of the translator can also start to creep in. One translator could choose brethren, another cousin, another kinsman, another brother. Both translation styles have their purposes. Something is always lost in translation. Mary's Sister Mary 'Sister' also has a variety of meanings in Scripture. John 25' Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary Surely Mary, the mother of Jesus did not have a literal sister sibling with the same name. If we keep on reading, the other Mary's husband is named. John 19 25 Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. The other Mary is married to Clopas. If this Clopas is a brother of Joseph as some theorize, this would make her Mary's sister-in-law. Either way, literal sibling sister does not make sense in this passage while 'sister-in-law', 'relative' or 'fellow disciple' would. Here we see the term 'sister' means 'close relative', but not a sibling. Jesus' 4 Brothers In Matthew 12:46, Mark 3:31, Luke 8:19, Matthew 27:56, and Mark 15:40 we hear similar verses about Jesus with brothers and sisters. You might be saying 'these sounds like actual brothers'. However after seeing 'sister' means 'sister-in-law' and 'brother' has a variety of meanings, these could be cousins, brothers-in-law, half brothers, or nephews and still make sense in the context. We need some more evidence. Mark gives us some actual names. That is something that can help us. Mark 62 When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him? What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands! 3 Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. The four Brothers are 1. James 2. Joses(Joseph) 3. Judas and 4. Simon. If we can find Scriptural evidence that any of these 4 brothers are literal siblings of Jesus then we have a strong case he has siblings. If any of the 4 brothers are proven not to be siblings, then they are more likely relatives of some kind. We find two of them, James and Joses (Joseph) as sons of Mary, the wife of Clopas... Matthew 2755 There were many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. This other Mary is not Jesus's mother Mary. We have several other verses to tell us more about this other Mary. John 19 25 Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. John 2547 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses watched where he was laid. Mark 16:11 When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go and anoint him. Luke 2410 The women were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James; the others who accompanied them also told this to the apostles, Mark 1540 There were also women looking on from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of the younger James and of Joses, and Salome. From this, we can conclude that this Mary is the wife of Clopas, and at least two of the 'brothers of Jesus' were her sons. If there is some family connection between Jesus' Mother and this Mary, then the 'brothers' would be 'cousins' of Jesus and that still makes sense in the passages. Outside of Scripture, there are references to the other brothers 'Judas and Simon' being sons of Clopas of another wife (who perhaps died and he re-married). We don't know this with certainty, but it agrees they are not biological brothers of Jesus. When we look at the Scriptural evidence available, none of it points toward Jesus having biological brothers and sisters from His mother Mary. Spouse of the Holy Spirit? In Luke 1:30-35, the angel Gabriel comes to Mary to reveal that the Lord has chosen her, she accepts, and she conceives by the Holy Spirit. She did not have relations with man, not even Joseph. Luke 130 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, 33 and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” 35 And the angel said to her in reply, “The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.36 And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; 37 for nothing will be impossible for God.” 38 Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her. We can sometimes tend to think only of Jesus' spiritual conception, but it was also physical (in a miraculous way) because Jesus was truly flesh and blood at conception. The words 'will come upon you', and 'overshadow you' are not only spiritual, but lead to a real physical conception. As a result, some may refer to Mary in this context as 'Spouse of the Holy Spirit'. If she is not the 'Spouse of the Holy Spirit', there is an issue answering why God would choose to conceive a child outside of a marriage. When we recognize the relationship between Mary and the Holy Spirit at the Annunciation as spousal, there is no contradiction here. It is a miraculous and unique event. If we use the term 'Spouse of the Holy Spirit' for Mary in this context, it is because of her unique spiritual and physical bond with God in conceiving Jesus.This event was miraculous and unique.This relationship would impact how Joseph treats Mary. What is Joseph to Do? If a good man's friend was married with a wife and child, the good man would be respectful, never thinking of having children with her. If the good man's brother had a wife and a child, the good man would never think of having a child with her. Now how would a good man act toward the woman who God had a child with?This was Joseph's situation.Joseph took a most honorable action.He accepted both Mary and Jesus into his home. As foster father of Jesus, he gives Jesus the legal patriarchal claim to the line of Judah and protects Mary from being ostracized from the community. Joseph was a very good man. It is no coincidence that the early Church, as well as the Church for 1500 years thereafter, including most of the Protestant Reformers, believed that Mary was ever-virgin, and could not find Scriptural evidence to overrule it. 500 Brothers Another use of 'brother' in a spiritual sense... 1 Corinthians 156 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Some Other Early Traditions There are some traditions outside of Scripture that say Joseph was an older widower who had children of his own and Mary had perpetual vows of virginity. While we can not confirm these as fact, they don't contradict Scripture either. Early Protestant Tradition Luther firmly believed in Mary as ever-virgin after Jesus was born. Christ, our Savior, was the real and natural fruit of Mary's virginal womb… This was without the cooperation of a man, and she remained a virgin after that. I am inclined to agree with those who declare that 'brothers' really mean 'cousins' here, for Holy Writ and the Jews always call cousins brothers. When Matthew [1:25] says that Joseph did not know Mary carnally until she had brought forth her son, it does not follow that he knew her subsequently Matthew 125 He had no relations with her until she bore a son, and he named him Jesus. Ulrich Zwingli agrees with Luther... "I firmly believe that Mary, according to the words of the gospel as a pure Virgin brought forth for us the Son of God and in childbirth and after childbirth forever remained a pure, intact Virgin." Calvin agrees with Luther on Mathew 1:25, that in this context Matthew is explaining how Jesus is the Messiah and we cannot infer relations between Mary and Joseph after. It was sometime after Calvin that newer Christians forgot these teachings and looked to the literal 'brother' on the written page. James the Brother of Jesus James 'the brother' of Jesus is a relative or trusted disciple, not a sibling. This James was either the 2nd Apostle named James (James the Less), or a later 3rd James who became Bishop of Jerusalem after Peter left Jerusalem. This James was not the first Apostle James (the Greater), who was the son of Zebedee with his brother John, and killed by Herod in Acts of the Apostles. Scripture mentions that James the less was the son of Alphaeus, so he would not have been a literal brother of Jesus. Conclusion: As far as we can tell, there is no evidence in Scripture or in early traditions showing that Jesus had any brothers or sisters from Mary. This May Interest You: Why Did Jesus Call Mary Woman?Gift Ideas: Wristbands - Visit Our Online StoreTo Read a Quiet Psalm - Click Here Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner. Need a Bible? Recommended Bibles Click Here