Catholic Herald

A major misunderstanding, or at least a limited understanding, about the Catholic faith is the church's teaching about Mary, the mother of Jesus. Many have accused the Catholic Church of esteeming Mary too highly and have expended considerable effort in downplaying Mary's role in Jesus' work of salvation.

Protestants debase the Mother of God as just another common Jewish girl who married and had children. Protestants are keen to point to a number of Scriptural passages that point to the "brothers" of Jesus. But who are all these so-called brothers?

A commonly taught error among Protestants about Mary is that she had children other than Jesus. The Catholic Church teaches that Mary was a virgin her whole life and that Jesus did NOT have any siblings. This page will explain the correct Catholic position.

BIBLICAL CONTEXT OF 'BROTHER'

BRETHREN: This is a plural word for ‘brother’ and appears over 530 times in the Bible.

BROTHER: The Hebrew word 'ACH', is ordinarily translated 'brother' and appears over 350 times in the bible. Since Hebrew, and Aramaic, in which the Gospel of Matthew was written, had fewer words than our English, the Jews at that time, used it in a broader sense to express kinship. 'Brother' not only meant the sons of the same father, but also all the male members of the same clan or tribe. In Greek, in which the Gospel of Mark was written, 'brother' is "Phratry", from the Greek Phrater, meaning a fellow member of a clan. Even today, the word is used in a larger meaning, so that friends, allies, fellow believers, and fellow citizens can be included in the same brotherhood. It was no different in the time of Christ.

SISTER / SISTERS: Used in the same context as brother, appears over 100 times in the bible.

There are four classes of meanings of the word ‘brother’. Brother by NATURE, KINSHIP, RACE and LOVE

The first class is BROTHER BY NATURE (sons of the same parents)
[Genesis 4:1-2] "Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, "I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD." And again, she bore his brother Abel."

The second class is BROTHER BY KINSHIP
[Genesis 13:8] "Then Abram said to Lot, "Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen; for we are brothers""
(i.e. related, as uncle and nephew)

The third class is BROTHER BY RACE
[Genesis 19:6-7] "Lot went out of the door to the men, shut the door after him, and said, "I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly.""

The fourth class is BROTHER BY LOVE
[2 Sam 1:26] "I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; very pleasant have you been to me; your love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women."
(David of his friend Jonathan)

[Rom 12:10] "love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in showing honor."

[Rom 14:10] "Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother"
(Paul speaking of Christians)

Additional bible verses: Num 8:26, 1 Sam 30:23, 2 Sam 1:26, 1 King 9:13, 2 Chron 29:34.

Now, using the Bible, we can correct the myth that Christ had other brothers.

'BROTHERS' ASSOCIATED WITH JESUS

In Gen 29:15, we read:
"And Laban said to Jacob, because thou art my brother..."At first you would think Jacob and Laban are blood brothers, but compare Gen 29:5,
"..know ye Laban, the son of Nahor..."to Gen 25:21-26,
"Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant...he was named Jacob."
Jacob was the son of Isaac and Rebekah. Laban was the son of Nahor. Therefore Jacob and Laban were not blood brothers but fellow citizens.

In 1 Cor 15:6, Jesus appeared to five hundred 'brothers' at one time. Could all of these be blood brothers? Hardly. Then there is Peter speaking before one hundred and twenty brothers in Acts 1:15-16. Paul speaks of one 'called a brother', in 1 Cor 5:11...
"But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people."
The Bible has many more similar verses. See: Num 8:26, 1 Sam 30:23, 1 King 9:13, 2 Chron 29:34.

Let us begin with the 'brothers’ specifically mentioned in Mk 6:3.

Mk 6:3 (and Mt 13:55-56) reads:
"Is not this the carpenter, the Son of Mary, the brother of JAMES, and JO'SES (JOSEPH), and of JUDE and SIMON? And are not His sisters here with us?"

Note that 'the carpenter', Jesus, is called 'THE Son of Mary', not 'A Son of Mary'. Some people refer to this verse as 'proof' that Mary had other children. (See also: Mt 12:46, Mk 3:31, Lk 8:19, Jn 7:5)
Using the Bible, we can correct the myth that Christ had other brothers.

[Mk 15:40] "There were also women looking on afar off: among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of JAMES the less, and of JO'SES, and Salome."
(Here we learn that James and Jo'ses mother is named Mary.)

[Jn 19:25] "Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother (Mary) and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene."
(Here we find three women named Mary. Jesus' mother Mary, Mary Magdalene and Mary the wife of Cleophas.)

[Acts 1:13] "...JAMES, the son of Alphaeus, and SIMON Zelo'tes, and JUDE the brother of JAMES."
[Mt 10:2-3] "...'JAMES' the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddeus."
(Alphaeus is an alternate translation of Cleophas and so he is the same person mentioned in Mk 15:40.)

Reading these passages together, we learn that there is another woman named Mary who is NOT the mother of Jesus, and is the wife of a man named Cleophas (Alphaeus). This 'Mary' is the biological mother of JAMES, JO'SES and JUDE in Mk 6:3.

To keep Mk 6:3 in harmony, since these three brothers are not children of Mary, the mother of Jesus, then SIMON is not either. SIMON is called 'the Canaanite' and Mk 3:18 also calls him the 'Zealot' (Zelo'tes) (see also Mt 10:4, Lk 6:15, Acts 1:13). He is named last as a 'brother' in Mk 6:3, and since we have proven that James, Jo'ses and Jude are not Jesus' siblings, we can conclude that Simon is not either. Jn 19:26-27 provides more information..."

[Jn 19:26-27] "When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple standing by, whom He loved...Then He said to the disciple, BEHOLD THY MOTHER."
(The disciple was John, the author of the Gospel of John. Was John a child of Mary and blood brother of Jesus? Read the following verses to see.)

[Mk 1:19] "...He saw JAMES, the son of Zebedee, and 'JOHN', his brother..."
[Mk 3:17] "And JAMES the son of Zebedee, and 'JOHN' the brother of James."

In Mk 1:19 and 3:17, Jesus is calling James and John to be disciples. In neither of these passages is it said that Jesus saw a blood brother or even recognized them as men that He knew. Further, both passages state that JAMES and JOHN are son's of a man named Zebedee. Now that we have this information, we can identify who their mother is by reading Mt 27:56...

[Mt 27:56, 20:20] "Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, (the less) and Jo'ses, and the mother of Zebedee's children."

know that James and John are children of Zebedee, in Jn 19:26-27 above, John, at the foot of the cross to whom Jesus gave His mother, was not a child of Mary, the mother of Jesus, but of Zebedee, his mother must them be Salome, for we read in Mt 27:56...

We have further information about this family by reading Mt 27:56 . If John was a blood brother, there would not have been any reason for Jesus to mention the association of Mary and John as Mother and Son.

In this passage we see that the wife of Zebedee, and the mother of his children, James and John, was at the crucifixion along with the women named Mary. In Mk 15:40 above, her name is given as Salome.
JOHN, at the foot of the cross to whom Jesus gave His mother, was not a child of Mary, the mother of Jesus, but of Zebedee and Salome and his brother is James.

GENEALOGY

Zebedee + Salome > begat James and John

Cleophas (Alphaeus) + Mary (the other "Mary", Mt 27:56, 61, 28:1, Jn 19:25) > begat James (the less), Jo'ses, and Jude

THE HOLY SPIRIT + Blessed Virgin Mary > begat JESUS THE CHRIST

This 'Genealogy' shows who the real parents of the 'brothers' in Mark 6:3, and Matthew 13:55, are, and makes the word 'brother' a non-argument.

In Mt 12:50 and Mk 3:35, Jesus says,
"For whosoever shall do the will of My Father which is in Heaven, the same is my 'BROTHER', and 'SISTER', and MOTHER."

Additional notes

'till' / 'until': Some incorrectly assume in Matthew 1:25, "And he knew her not till she brought forth her firstborn son..." as meaning that Joseph and Mary had relations after Jesus was born. The old meaning of the word 'till' or 'until', meant an action did not occur up to a certain point. It does NOT imply the action occurred later. Here are two examples to illustrate this:
"He sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, 'until' the waters were dried up off the earth." [Gen 8:7]
"...the daughter of Saul had no child 'until' the day of her death." [2 Sam 6:23] Did she have a child after she died?
"Then said Mary unto the Angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?" [Lk 1:34] This shows Mary had no relations with a man before and was virgin.

"And she brought forth her 'firstborn' Son and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes..." [Lk 2:7], Firstborn means 'the child that opened the womb'. See Ex 13:2 and Num 3:12. Firstborn does not imply that Mary had other children, as an ONLY son, IS a 'FIRSTBORN SON'.

All of the above, when studied together, proves the Catholic position correct that Mary was a virgin her whole life and that Jesus is her only child and he had no siblings. Nowhere in the bible does it say that Mary, the mother of Jesus, had other children.

Bible References

Gen 8:7, Gen 25:21-26, Gen 29:5,15, Ex 13:2, Num 3:12, Num 8:26, Deut 23:7, 1 Sam 30:23, 2 Sam 1:26,6:23, 1 King 9:13, 2 King 10:13-14, 2 Chron 29:34, Mt 1:25, Mt 4:21, Mt 10:2-4, Mt 12:46, Mt 12:50, Mt 13:55-56, Mt 20:20, Mt 26:26, Mt 27:56,61, Mt 28:1, Mk 1:19, Mk 2:14, Mk 3:17-21, 31, 35, Mk 6:3, Mk 15:40,47, Lk 1:34, Lk 2:7 Lk 2:41-51, Lk 5:10, Lk 6:16, Lk 8:19, Lk 24:10, Jn 7:2-7, Jn 19:25-27, Acts 1:13-16, Rom 8:29, 1 Cor 5:11, 1 Cor 9:5, 1 Cor 15:6, Gal 1:19, 1 Pet 5:12, Jude 1:1

Why Does This Matter?

A reasonable question, though, is why any of this matters. Ultimately, it would seem that Mary's virginity or not is unrelated to anything that would have to do with our salvation, and while that might be technically correct, per se, the danger comes from the disobedience that such a belief causes.

If we can deny the Church's teaching on this, pretending even to use the Bible to do it, then this leads to doubts elsewhere. If we can be led to believe that the Church is wrong about this, what else might she be wrong about? Bit by bit, brick by brick, our faith is eroded, until one day we decide the Church is wrong about everything, and leave. From there, we have spoken Satan's mantra "I will not serve," which is exactly what he wants for us to say and do.

The Church has made it infallibly clear that Mary was ever-virgin, and the Bible clearly indicates that she bore no other children. Unfortunately, we have only closed one argument that Satan uses to lead souls out of the Church. He will simply find other means to do so now. Our hope is that someone will read this article and ask instead, "Hmm...what else is the Church RIGHT about?" and come to know and love the very church that Christ established on earth, so that salvation can be theirs.

Enclosed are a couple postings regarding Scriptures commonly cited by those who take the wrong position that our Lord had siblings. You will probably not convince your friend with such arguments but if he is open to the truth, the Lord may plant a seed.

In the culture and languages of the Jews, the words for "brother" and "sister" are much more broadly used than in English. Here are some examples from Sacred Scripture:

BROTHER BY NATURE (siblings)

4:1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, "I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD." 4:2 And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a tiller of the ground.

BROTHER BY KINSHIP

13:8 Then Abram said to Lot, "Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen; for we are brothers (i.e. related, as uncle and nephew)

BROTHER BY RACE

19:4 But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house; 19:5 and they called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may know them." 19:6 Lot went out of the door to the men, shut the door after him, 19:7 and said, "I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly.

BROTHER BY LOVE

1:26 I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; very pleasant have you been to me; your love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women. (David of his friend Jonathan)

Rom 12:10 love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in showing Rom 14:10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise (Paul speaking of Christians)

In light of these examples from Scripture, we see that it is unreasonable to insist that references to "brothers and sisters" of Jesus MUST mean siblings. It is most likely that such references were to kinfolk of some sort. And while there is a specific word for "cousin" in the Greek, as seen elsewhere in the NT, it may be that the "brothers" of our Lord included not only cousins but other sorts of relatives and friends as well; hence, it was appropriate to use "brothers" and "sisters" in a generic sense, rather than something more specific.

But beyond what Tradition reveals, I suggest that the Gospels themselves give us reason to understand that Jesus had no siblings, which is very much related to the perpetual virginity of His Mother. Two things I note in this regard:

1. It would make no sense for Jesus to have given His Mother into the care of the Beloved Disciples (which tradition identifies as John, son of Zebedee), if Jesus had brothers and sisters, that is, siblings (Gospel of John)

2. At least one pair of those described as “brothers” of the Lord appear to be sons of a woman named Mary who was not the blessed Mother, but stood by the Cross with other women. These two are James and Joses, described by St. Mark as “brothers” of Jesus and yet appear to be the same pair said to be sons of this other Mary.

Interestingly, many commentators who refuse to consider alternatives to the sibling theory do not comment upon these two points, which certainly bear upon the matter.

The perpetual virginity of Mary is something that we know with certitude from Tradition. While the Scriptures make absolutely clear that Mary conceived without having relations with a man and therefore Mary was a virgin up to the point that Jesus was born, one would be hard pressed to prove from Scripture alone the perpetual virginity of Mary. This is why it is so important to recognize that Divine Revelation comes to us through Scripture and Tradition.

Now, as to why so many doubt what we hold by Tradition, apart from the rejection of Tradition itself, many would argue-incorrectly-that Scripture teaches us that Mary did have relations. In fact, this is a limited and incorrect understanding of the Scriptural passages at issue. Typically, these are offered by as “proofs”:

1. The mention of the “brothers” and “sisters” of Jesus. No, the Greek (and presumed Aramaic) behind these words are not so specific that they always mean siblings. There are several OT uses of these words which we render simply as “brother” and “sister” to mean cousins, kinfolk, people who are close, and even spouses. The original Hebrew and Aramaic commonly used the expression brother or sister for any sort of relative. So such references in the NT, of themselves, prove nothing.

2. Matthew writes that “he (Joseph) did not have relations with her (Mary) until she gave birth to a son; and he named him Jesus.” (1:25). Some people incorrectly assume that the word “until” implies that after the birth, they had relations. Not so! The word “until”, whether in the original Greek or English equivalent, in this context clearly means, “up to the point until.” Matthew is only concerned with demonstrating that this was truly a virginal conception and birth, as they did not have relations up to and including the moment of birth. He says or implies nothing subsequent to the birth.

3. Luke refers to Jesus as “firstborn.” This designation was significant in Judaism, for the first born male was to be offered to the Lord. The firstborn male was so designated, whether there were other children subsequent or not. We tend to think of it only in terms of a succession including several – not necessarily.

Yes, without Tradition to help us interpret and even limit the range of possible interpretations of Scripture, one can be misled. And think how foolish the early Church would have been to have maintained a belief in the perpetual virginity of Mary, if these Scriptures so conclusively contradicted such a belief. But then, they do not contradict.

The “Catechism of the Catholic Church” has an excellent treatment of the virginity of Mary, including what is said by Scripture, early commentators, and Tradition. It is found in paragraphs 496-507 –a “must read” for all Catholics and others who seek the truth!