James, the step brother of the Lord

HTacianas said:

Why does the bible refer to James as the brother of the Lord and not the step brother of the Lord? Why not half brother of the Lord?

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All Christians are true family. All Christians are brothers and sisters.?

Does the Bible refer to ANYBODY as a step brother or half brother even if they really were?

Because he had the same mother.

HTacianas said:

Why does the bible refer to James as the brother of the Lord and not the step brother of the Lord? Why not half brother of the Lord?

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Those were terms that were invented centuries after the NT was written.

HTacianas said:

Why does the bible refer to James as the brother of the Lord and not the step brother of the Lord? Why not half brother of the Lord?

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James was technically the half-brother of Jesus. They had different fathers but the same mother.

Ttalkkugjil said:

James was technically the half-brother of Jesus. They had different fathers but the same mother.

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Some people believe just the opposite -- same father but different mothers -- that James was Joseph's son from an earlier marriage.

People who believe in perpetual virginity of Mary see it this way.

ADELPHOI in Koine Greek can mean 'close relative' and is not limited to actual brother.

HTacianas said:

Why does the bible refer to James as the brother of the Lord and not the step brother of the Lord? Why not half brother of the Lord?

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Because they had the same mother and father, if Mary remarried after Joseph died any children he had would have been step brothers and sisters.

Ttalkkugjil said:

James was technically the half-brother of Jesus. They had different fathers but the same mother.

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The virgin birth did not make Joseph any less his father. Isaac's birth was miraculous and he was none the less the son of Abraham. That's why the genealogy of Joseph is the genealogy of Jesus.

HTacianas said:

Why does the bible refer to James as the brother of the Lord and not the step brother of the Lord? Why not half brother of the Lord?

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Some people believe in the protoevangelium of James which states that Joseph was formerly married and had children before he married Mary. Personally I choose to remain neutral on the subject. The proto of James is claimed to be written by James but is also believed to be written around 140-150AD making James well over 120 years old which God had decreed before the flood that no man would live more than 120 years. So I’m skeptical of the authenticity of this gospel.

myst33 said:

Because he had the same mother.

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Could you please show Scripture passage that states that Mary.... the mother of Jesus, was also the mother of James? And would you also agree the bible makes reference to more than one Mary?

Have a Blessed day

Anto9us said:

Some people believe just the opposite -- same father but different mothers -- that James was Joseph's son from an earlier marriage.

People who believe in perpetual virginity of Mary see it this way.

ADELPHOI in Koine Greek can mean 'close relative' and is not limited to actual brother.

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Yes, people see things in diferent ways. What else is new.

mark kennedy said:

The virgin birth did not make Joseph any less his father. Isaac's birth was miraculous and he was none the less the son of Abraham. That's why the genealogy of Joseph is the genealogy of Jesus.

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Joseph was not the bio dad of Jesus.

Because brother didn't refer solely to blood relatives, but also (we might say usually) to Israelites of the same tribe as oneself.

Fidelibus said:

Could you please show Scripture passage that states that Mary.... the mother of Jesus, was also the mother of James? And would you also agree the bible makes reference to more than one Mary?

Have a Blessed day

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"Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary, and aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?"
Mt 13:55

"Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?"
Mk 6:3

"I saw none of the other apostles--only James, the Lord's brother."
Gal 1:19

Ttalkkugjil said:

Joseph was not the bio dad of Jesus.

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Not in the sense that he sired Jesus but Joseph raised him as his son, that's why the genealogy of Joseph is presented as the genealogy of Jesus. Like I said, Isaac was born as the result of a miracle and yet was the son of Abraham. The incarnation is a unique miracle, Jesus was effectively the son of God in a lot the same way Adam was, since his not the product of normal procreation. But Jesus submitted to his earthly parents like any Jewish boy normally would. I imagine Joseph took him into the shop and showed him how the tools were used, took him out to the job site to build walls, are window frames or whatever work came their way.

Jesus is clearly presented as Joseph's son, with one special qualification, the incarnation was a miraculous birth. There is no indication that James was his half brother or Joseph was his legitimate father. On the contrary, the New Testament affirms that Joseph was his father with regards to lineage even though his entry into the world was by divine fiat, not normal procreation.

Grace and peace,
Mark

TuxAme said:

Because brother didn't refer solely to blood relatives, but also (we might say usually) to Israelites of the same tribe as oneself.

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When you think about it, we really have no idea why God choose the virgin birth, we do know it was prophesied:


I think it's safe to say it was related to the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, I doubt we will get any real arguments to the contrary. I see nothing in the New Testament witness that would consider Jesus adopted or his brother James to be some kind of a half brother. Jesus was as much a descendant of David as either of his earthly parents, the miracle of his birth does not change that. If we call James his half brother does that make Christ only partly the Son of David, as he is so often refereed to in the New Testament. James is referred to as James the brother of Jesus (Galatians 1:19), nowhere in the New Testament witness would he be regarded as the half brother of Jesus.

James is one of four "brothers" of Jesus listed in New Testament.
One reason I do not think they were Mary's sons is the account of Jesus on the cross commending His Mother to John's care. If Mary had four other sons of her own that could have taken care of her, it is strange to commend her care to John of Zebedee.

To me, the Protoevangelium of James is an apocryphal work not to be fully trusted; although I do agree with the basic message of "brothers and sisters of Jesus" coming from an earlier marriage of Joseph.

The Proto of James says the Magi came to Jesus as an infant (like our nativity scenes erroneously put Magi at the manger) when the Bible indicates the Magi came later to toddler Jesus when He was "in a house".

I feel James and Jude were indeed "half-brothers", as are the other two who left no epistle. I have no dog in the fight of "the perpetual virginity of Mary"; as I am neither Catholic nor Orthodox; but it is possible -- as I feel the brothers and sisters were from an earlier marriage of Joseph, but even if they were, that does not prove that Mary and Joseph had no normal marital relations after Jesus was born.

The Bible just says they had no relations until after Jesus was born.

One might say "nobody got into the Guacamole Dip until Anto9us and Mark Kennedy arrived at the party". The logical inference is that after Anto9us and Mark Kennedy arrived, people dug into the Guacamole Dip, right? I am sorry to compare perpetual virginity of Mary to Guacamole Dip, I mean no disrespect to RCC and Orthos who hold this doctrine, I am just trying to make a point.

Mat 1:24
Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
Mat 1:25
And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

To me, the logical inference of the wording indicates that after the birth of Jesus, Joseph "knew" Mary and they had normal relations, but as I say, I feel the brothers and sisters of the Lord were already present from an earlier marriage of Joseph.

Here I sit, can see it no other way.

Anto9us said:

ADELPHOI in Koine Greek can mean 'close relative' and is not limited to actual brother.

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This. , not rolling eyes, eyes looking up to you statement.
Especially in the East one sees that cousins are often called brothers and sisters. So I don't think we can make any real solid determination about who James actually was.

Nowhere in the Bible does it state that Mary bore any other Children than Jesus.

'Brother' 'Sister' were used not just for direct blood relatives.

Many threads have been made about this subject.

myst33 said:

"Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary, and aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?"
Mt 13:55

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Thank you for your response, but could you show in this passage you posted where it specifically say's that "Mary" the mother of Jesus is also the biological mother of James?

"Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?"
Mk 6:3

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Again, please take notice. Would you agree that there is only one reference to "the son of Mary," that being Jesus? And would you also agree that the others are not called the sons of Mary but rather the brothers of Jesus? So....wouldn't it make sence if they would have been the biological brothers of Jesus, they too would have been referred to as the sons of Mary?

"I saw none of the other apostles--only James, the Lord's brother."
Gal 1:19

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Again.... I fail to see in this passage where it specifically say's that "Mary" the mother of Jesus is also the biological mother of James? If I am missing it, could you please hilite it for me?

Also in closing, I noticed you didn't address my last question on my post # 10.

would you also agree the bible makes reference to more than one Mary?

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Would you care to agree or disagree on it now?

Thank you and God Bless.