Mark 6:3 Did Jesus have brothers and sisters?

[GreekOrthodox]

There are a number of articles and historical documents that present that Mary remained ever-virgin. Basically, this comes down to a couple of texts and Jewish beliefs:

1 - The Proto-Evangel of James is a non-canonical book that presents a more detailed account of Mary & Joseph. In short, Joseph was a elderly widower who marries her after the death of her parents. Jesus' half-brothers and sisters are from an earlier marriage of Joseph.

2 - Jewish beliefs come into play as well. Joseph is warned by the angel that she is carrying the Son of God. Now I will admit, if an angel told me that my wife was carrying the Son of God, I certainly wouldnt be thinking about her in sexual terms anymore. If it was sinful for an unauthorized person to touch the Ark of the Covenant, that a Uzzah died trying to keep the Ark from falling (see 2 Sam 6), I would be more than hesitant to touch my wife (and I'd be MORE than frustrated! ).

3 - IMHO the clearest Scriptural inference that Jesus is the only child of Mary is at the Crucifixion. Jesus gives the care of Mary into John's hands. If Jesus had younger siblings, they would have been the ones to take care of Mary.

Brian

 

[HisHomeMaker]

That's good stuff, Greek Brian. I am not the OP, but thank you.

 

[Woldeyesus]

There are a number of articles and historical documents that present that Mary remained ever-virgin. Basically, this comes down to a couple of texts and Jewish beliefs:

1 - The Proto-Evangel of James is a non-canonical book that presents a more detailed account of Mary & Joseph. In short, Joseph was a elderly widower who marries her after the death of her parents. Jesus' half-brothers and sisters are from an earlier marriage of Joseph.

2 - Jewish beliefs come into play as well. Joseph is warned by the angel that she is carrying the Son of God. Now I will admit, if an angel told me that my wife was carrying the Son of God, I certainly wouldnt be thinking about her in sexual terms anymore. If it was sinful for an unauthorized person to touch the Ark of the Covenant, that a Uzzah died trying to keep the Ark from falling (see 2 Sam 6), I would be more than hesitant to touch my wife (and I'd be MORE than frustrated! ).

3 - IMHO the clearest Scriptural inference that Jesus is the only child of Mary is at the Crucifixion. Jesus gives the care of Mary into John's hands. If Jesus had younger siblings, they would have been the ones to take care of Mary.

Brian

IMHO, any Christian's need to preserve the doctrine of perpetual virginity of Mary completely fades in view of the mandatory requirement of the Holy Spirit (no exception for Mary) without which "no one can confess 'Jesus is Lord!'" (John 3: 3, 5; 1 Cor. 12:3).

[For a more relevant application of exactly the same requirement, we should devote more time and prayer in the given authentication of Christ's divine identity and absolute authority, which "not even death will ever be able to overcome" (Matt. 16:18)].

 

[GreekOrthodox]

I was responding to the topic is "Mark 6:3 Did Jesus have brothers and sisters?". What topic were you responding to?

 

[LST 1154]

When I pick up a newspaper and read an obit that says Mrs. So and So had five children, I don't automatically wonder if they were her cousins or children she plucked off the street and raised as her own, the normal sense of her children is they were her children.

Why is it so important that Mary remained a virgin? Are virgins to be held in higher esteem than a woman who has children? Are you saying that married women who have had sexual intercourse with their husbands are "ladies of the evening" or something? Even the implication that sex within marriage is somehow seemly or wrong or something that is less desirable is foolishness. In Gen 1:28 God commanded Adam and Eve (and us) to "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth." So for them to NOT fulfill this command would be a sin. So what about the NT? Can Mary refuse to have sexual relations with Joseph because she bore Jesus as her first born? Not according to 1 Cor 7:5 "Do not deprive one another [of sex] except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again [for sex] so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control."

LST

 

[Timothew]

Acts 1:14 (NASB)
These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

 

[GreekOrthodox]

Theologically speaking, Mary as ever-virgin doesn't have an impact on soteriology. I can only quote what the Orthodox Church and the church fathers state on theologically terms.

Let me share something on a more personal level. As a married man with 3 kids, Mary presents an incredible mystery to me. If John the Baptist is the last of the OT prophets, Mary is the first of the NT believers. If Jesus is the second Adam, then Mary, is also referred to as the second Eve. After a single question to Gabriel, she simply answers ""Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it unto me according to Thy word." Be it unto me, according to Thy word... How I wish I had her faith!

Finally, Mary is unique among women as she gave birth to God the Son, why Orthodox call her Theotokos, or Bearer of God. Here is the greatest mystery of all. God just didn't simply show up, saying "Here I am". Instead, God chooses to become fully human. Mary gives birth to God the Son, nurses Him, changes God's swaddling clothes. Mary also has to experience the agony of being at God the Son's death and the joy of His resurrection and ascension. Finally, she is taken by John and cared for for the rest of her days. She is the only one who experiences the entire earthly life of the Incarnate God, from conception to death to resurrection to ascension.

Mary is the earthly connection for God to do this. It is through her, that the Almighty God, becomes the Incarnate God and thus we are saved.

We are only told one thing about Mary's thoughts of all of this, and something that I have trouble doing - "But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart" (Luke 2:19)

What does Mary mean for us, 2000 years later?


Fr. George Florovosky states -

Her inner life had to be concentrated on this crucial event of her story. For indeed the mystery of the Incarnation was for her also the mystery of her own personal existence. Her existential situation was unique and peculiar. She had to be adequate to the unprecedented dignity of this situation. This is perhaps the very essence of her particular dignity, which is described as her "Ever-Virginity." She is the Virgin. Now virginity is not simply a bodily status or a physical feature as such. Above all it is a spiritual and inner attitude, and apart from that a bodily status would be altogether meaningless. The title of Ever-Virgin means surely much more than merely a "physiological" statement. It does not refer only to the Virgin Birth. It does not imply only an exclusion of any later marital intercourse (which would be utterly inconceivable if we really believe in the Virgin Birth and in the Divinity of Jesus). It excludes first of all any "erotic" involvement, any sensual and selfish desires or passions, any dissipation of the heart and mind. The bodily integrity or incorruption is but an outward sign of the internal purity. The main point is precisely the purity of the heart, that indispensable condition of "seeing God."

This is the freedom from passions, the true apathia, which has been commonly described as the essence of the spiritual life. Freedom from passions and "desires," epithimia — imperviability to evil thoughts, as St. John of Damascus puts it. Her soul was governed by God only, it was supremely attached to him. All her desire was directed towards things worthy of desire and affection (St. John says: tetammeni, attracted, gravitating). She had no passion, thymon. She ever preserved virginity in mind, and soul, and body It was an undisturbed orientation of the whole personal life towards God, a complete self-dedication. To be truly a "handmaid of the Lord" means precisely to be ever-virgin, and not to have any fleshly preoccupations. Spiritual virginity is sinlessness, but not yet "perfection," and not freedom from temptations.

The Ever-Virgin Mother of God

As we draw closer to the Lenten season, let us too ponder these things in our own hearts.

Theotokos Virgin, rejoice, Mary full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, for you have borne the Saviour of our souls.

 

[LifeInJesus]

I came across this passage recently:

Mark 6:3 (New International Version, ©2010)

3 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?” And they took offense at him.

So obviously these arent Jesus' actual brothers and sisters, but did Mary and Joseph have children together after Jesus?

If Mary had children after Jesus, that would make them half brothers and sisters of Jesus.

 

[caprice09]

Exactly. They are half-brothers and sisters. But how often biblically is that distinction made. Even today, unless directly asked, how often are people introduced as half-brothers or sisters. And how public was the virgin conception of Jesus? If Mary had publically claimed she was "impregnated by God" rather than the more credible explaination that she had cheated on Joseph she would have been stoned to death as an adultress and heritic. This is why Jospeh did not make this public (Matt 1:19), therefore no one else would be aware that they were half-brothers and sisters. The proof that Mary is not "ever-virgin" is stated clearly in text (Matt 1:25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.).

 

[bach90]

Exactly. They are half-brothers and sisters. But how often biblically is that distinction made. Even today, unless directly asked, how often are people introduced as half-brothers or sisters. And how public was the virgin conception of Jesus? If Mary had publically claimed she was "impregnated by God" rather than the more credible explaination that she had cheated on Joseph she would have been stoned to death as an adultress and heritic. This is why Jospeh did not make this public (Matt 1:19), therefore no one else would be aware that they were half-brothers and sisters. The proof that Mary is not "ever-virgin" is stated clearly in text (Matt 1:25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.).

True, but the use of until is used in the Bible in other ways.

Psalm 110:1 The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.

Would we suppose that the Lord would no longer have him at his right hand?

1 Cor 15:25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.

Or would we suppose that Jesus would no longer reign after He has put His enemies underneath His feet?

 

[His_disciple3]

they would be more like what we would call half-brothers and half-sisters, they all had the same mother, Mary. However, Jesus had a seperate Father from the rest of Mary's children.

 

[His_disciple3]

We really don't know. We really don't know all that much. What happened to Joseph? He seems to have just disappeared after the birth narratives.

Jesus, whoever he was, belonged to one of the lowest status groups in 1st century Palestine. He was not even a peasant who had access to land. He was so far down the rung that he had no patron - only just above the status of a slave or bandit.

It is therefore open to speculation just how his family was constructed. We like to think in nice middle class ways but such was not the case in the time of Jesus.

I find it interesting that Jesus very much consciously used the word 'father' to describe God. Could it be that this usage was a cognitive and psychological reaction to overcoming the lack of a 'real' father that he settled on a 'heavenly' father? Was Mary therefore a 'single mum' doing it tough? Did Mary accumulate the other 'lost' children of the village as a sort of 1st century version of a foster parent?

I don't think we can make any definitive statement on the issue.

do Catholics consider themselves as Christians? or do they seperate themselves from Christians, by saying we are Catholics, And sir I found it odd that a Christian being from the New Testament Covenant teachings would make a statement like you just made about Jesus Christ!!

"I find it interesting that Jesus very much consciously used the Word 'Father" to describe God."

Luke 1:30-35
30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
KJV

 

[lesliedellow]

I see no good reason to doubt that the New Testament means what it says when it speaks of Jesus' brothers and sisters.

 

[His_disciple3]

You realise John Calvin thought Mary remained ever-virgin?

so when did God die and John Calvin take over? JOhn Calvin misunderstood election also, The elect was the Jews

 

[precepts]

I came across this passage recently:

Mark 6:3 (New International Version, ©2010)

3 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?” And they took offense at him.

So obviously these arent Jesus' actual brothers and sisters, but did Mary and Joseph have children together after Jesus?

I quess he wan't Mary's son either?

The names missing would be "Thomas", the twin. His twin in name, "Thaddeus", meaning breast. James the less; his brother, Matthew, also known as John the less; Judas Iscariot; Simon the canaanite: all five born to Mary's sister named Mary; married to a greek, Alpheus, whose name is interpreted as Joseph. Two sets of twin named parents, each giving birth to 5 children having the same 5 names.

The only two disciples that wouldn't be related, Philip, and Bartholemew! Go figure!

 

[precepts]

There are a number of articles and historical documents that present that Mary remained ever-virgin. Basically, this comes down to a couple of texts and Jewish beliefs:

All claims, not facts.

1 - The Proto-Evangel of James is a non-canonical book that presents a more detailed account of Mary & Joseph. In short, Joseph was a elderly widower who marries her after the death of her parents. Jesus' half-brothers and sisters are from an earlier marriage of Joseph.

Another fabricated story:
http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Rom&c=1&t=KJV#3

Rom 1:3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;

2 - Jewish beliefs come into play as well. Joseph is warned by the angel that she is carrying the Son of God. Now I will admit, if an angel told me that my wife was carrying the Son of God, I certainly wouldnt be thinking about her in sexual terms anymore. If it was sinful for an unauthorized person to touch the Ark of the Covenant, that a Uzzah died trying to keep the Ark from falling (see 2 Sam 6), I would be more than hesitant to touch my wife (and I'd be MORE than frustrated! ).

Then how could she be your wife? Would God commit adultery?

3 - IMHO the clearest Scriptural inference that Jesus is the only child of Mary is at the Crucifixion. Jesus gives the care of Mary into John's hands. If Jesus had younger siblings, they would have been the ones to take care of Mary.

It's amazing how some can conclude from that passage, the "beloved" disciple was John, and not James.
http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Jhn&c=21&t=KJV#comm/20

Jhn 21:20Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee?

Why would John write about himself in that way if he was that disciple? I dont' think any of the 4 gospels' authors, included themselves, in their writings. They never wrote about themselves!

 

[precepts]

If we are to completely ignore tradition and draw our conclusions solely from the text, yes, Mary and Joseph seem to have had other children with Jesus being the firstborn.

Ditto!

 

[rjlaforteza]

Of the Quran's 114 chapters, she is among the eight people who have a chapter named after them. The nineteenth chapter of the Quran is named after her, Mariam. Mariam means Mary in Arabic. The third chapter in the Quran is named after her father, Imran. Chapters Mariam and Imran are among the most beautiful chapters in the Quran. Mary (peace be upon her) is the only woman specifically named in the Quran. An authentic Haddith states that the Prophet said, "The superiority of 'Aisha to other ladies is like the superiority of Tharid (i.e. meat and bread dish) to other meals. Many men reached the level of perfection, but no woman reached such a level except Mary, the daughter of Imran and Asia, the wife of Pharaoh." (Bukhari 4.643).

In the Qur’an and Hadith

When Hannah, Imran’s wife and Jesus’ grandmother gave birth to Mary she prayed, “I commend her and her offspring to You for protection from Satan eternally rejected (from God’s Mercy)” (Al Imran 3:36). There have been some who claim that there is a possibility of Jesus having brothers or sisters because the word “offspring” (dhurriyya) refers to a plurality, but a majority of the interpreters of the Qur’an have understood the words “her and her offspring” as referring in particular to “Mary and Jesus.” Most scholars refer to the following hadith as a reason for their interpretations:

“It was reported by Abu Huraira that the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said, ‘There is no newborn except that (at the moment of birth) Satan disturbs him, so he begins to cry from Satan’s disturbance, with the exception of the son of Mary and his mother,” and the scholars say that this was the result of Hannah’s prayer (Bukhari, Muslim).

The word used for “offspring” (dhurriyya) in the Qur’an has a wide range of meaning in the Arabic language; it is used to refer to the children and lineage of a person, a generation of humans and jinns, a household made up of a father, mother and child, and also sometimes used solely for women or fathers and grandfathers. Though most scholars say that the Arabic word for “offspring” has a singular referent, there are some who argue the word to be plural. Raghib al-Isfahani argues that this is a word used in both the plural and the singular sense, but in this case it refers to plurality and Said ibn Mansur states that the word for “offspring” can refer to both the male and female sexes. Other interpreters of the Qur’an like Al-Baghawi and Qurtubi also state that this word can be used for males and females and at the same time singular and plural. The Arabic word for “offspring” is mentioned in various verses of the Qur’an mostly in the singular (e.g. Baqara, 2:124, 128, 266; Al-Imran, 3:34, 36, 38; Nisa, 4:9; An’am, 6:84, 133) sense but with a plural meaning in a few of the verses (An’am, 6:87; Ra’d, 13:23; Furqan, 25:74) and in one verse it is used to describe a group of people (Yunus, 10:83). If we accept the word in the plural sense and agree that this word means at least “three persons from a person’s lineage” it is still impossible to say that the Qur’an’s revelations in any way prove that Mary gave birth to a child other than Jesus. When Mary’s mother made the supplication to her Lord there was no indication of plurality or of the number of Mary’s children, or for that matter if she was to have children at all, for it goes without saying that Mary herself was just a newborn baby at the time. If we take a brief look at the supplication itself, we see that it refers to the likelihood of her having children; so the use of the word “offspring” does not provide foundation for a possibility that Jesus may have had brothers or sisters. We also see in the Qur’an that the whole incident was a miraculous event, that the pregnancy and birth were on the Divine command, a miracle of the Almighty. A hadith of the noble Prophet refers to Mary as “Al-Batul” and “‘Al-Adhra,” both meaning “virgin” or untouched and in the hadith it gives clearer explanations of these words saying, “She was untouched by man,” and goes on, “She bore no child other than Jesus.” The term al-adhra means a virgin woman while al-batul has a more extensive meaning—“the virgin, the woman who withdraws from worldly pleasures, one who devotes herself to worship.”

The conclusion of the examination of both the Qur’an and hadith shows that there is no evidence supporting the claim that Jesus had brothers or sisters, and Ibn Hajar specifically stresses that Mary only gave birth to Jesus and she had no other children.

 

[rjlaforteza]

The Virgin Mary and the Quran (Proof)
By Brother John M. Samaha, S.M -

Contemporary interest in Islam and the Quran, its sacred book, runs high. Quran means literally a book, a reading, a recitation, and is sometimes less accurately transliterated from Arabic to English as Koran.

Among the queries raised concerning the Quran is the place Mary the Mother of Jesus occupies in Islam. For the past two millennia people have given many faces to Mary. Some of the most impressive images of her are found in the Quran. And ample evidence exists to indicate that the sources of the Marian references in the Quran are found in early Judaic and Christian traditions.

Muslims believe the Quran has a mysterious origin. It is the word of God that brings deliverance to those who believe in it. It enlightens the soul. It is the "guarded tablet" that no one can imitate. It is the new Revelation "in the Arabic language" that came to "confirm" previous revelations contained in the Torah and the Gospel. This is the reason Jews and Christians are called "People of the Book."


In the Hebrew Scripture (Old Testament) the prophets are considered bearers and interpreters of God's word, God's instruments. They transmit the divine message by human means. Christians, in contrast, regard Jesus as the Eternal Word who did not come "with a book," and remains a living and active person.

The central idea of the Quran is that everything comes from God (Allah in Arabic), the universal Creator, and everything returns to God. God is the Creator of the universe, angels and demons, and of all persons. Through the prophets God spoke to the people and taught them the laws of human conduct and of worship. For reward or for retribution in the life to come, he will raise them up for judgment. The Quran explains that God wishes to reveal himself to people.


The Qu'an mentions the Torah and the Psalms, recognized as books of early revelation, and the Gospels. In the Muslim view the Quran was given to complete and confirm the truths of these earlier books. It states that the prophets preached the One Only God, and that two of the prophets, Adam and Jesus, were born by direct intervention of the Creator. The Quran also records other humanly impossible conceptions that were announced by angles: those of Abraham and Sara, of Zachariah and Elizabeth and Mary the Mother of Jesus.

Mary and her son Jesus the prophet hold a privileged place in the Quran. Mary is the only female whose name is cited. While other females are not named at all, Mary's name is repeated frequently. The expression "Jesus son of Mary" appears 13 times; and "Jesus, the Messiah, son of Mary" is found three times. About 45 times we find Mary's name or references to it.

According to the Quran God made Mary and Jesus a sign, a witness to faith: "And We made the son of Mary and his mother a portent" (S. 23:50; S. 21:91).

Three suras (chapters) in the Quran bear titles recalling various aspects of Christian tradition: Sura 3, The Family of 'Imran; Sura 5, The Holy Table, concerning imagery recalling Jesus' miracles; and Sura 19, Mary, giving prominence to Mary and Zachariah.

In general the Quran focuses on two particular events in the life of Mary: her birth and her time in the Temple. "The angels said: O Mary! Allah has chosen thee and made thee pure and has preferred thee above all women of creation" (S. 3:42).

The same God who has chosen Adam, Noah, and the families of Abraham and 'Imran also chose Mary. The texts indicate clearly three points: Mary is favored; she is pure; she is chosen over all women of the world. In comparing Marian texts of the Quran with Christian sources we find some close similarities with the Protoevangelium of James and other apocryphal writings.
God chose Mary and prepared her for an important mission, "to adore and pay homage" (S. 3:43). Mary was chosen to be a messenger of God and to bear a child through the Word of God rather than normal intercourse.

Like their Christian counterparts did with the Bible, Muslim commentators embellished the Quran. Muslim stories about Mary are based on the same apocryphal stories believed by Christians in countries where Islam replaced the Gospel.

The important point in Mary's genealogy for Muslim exegetes is that her family is from David's lineage, because Islam places great importance on lineal descent from the prophets.

Mary's Annunciation holds special significance in the Quran, especially in suras 3 and 19.


Sunni, Shi'ite, and Sufi commentators all express profound reverence and deep appreciation for Mary. Although the vocation and mission of Jesus, and Mary's association with him, are not clearly stated in Islam as in the Gospels, particularly Luke's, these beliefs are found in the Quran or indicated in commentaries.

Both the Quran and the entire Islamic tradition consider Mary the most blessed and prominent of women. This belief reaches back to Muhammad as noted in Musnad by Ibn Hanbal. The founder of Islam placed Mary above even his daughter Fatimah, and said Fatimah would have been highest among women were it not for Mary.

The Quran is clear that Mary was born without sin, and that Jesus son of Mary was born of a woman who had no relations with a man, since the common reference to a man in that culture is as son of his father, not of his mother.

Christianity and Islam are both missionary faiths originating among Semitic peoples. They have this in common: belief in one God, who is just, merciful, omnipotent, omniscient and who acts in history. Accepting Jesus as prophet and Messiah, Islam thus elevates his mother, Mary, to a special position and role. Since some Quranic statements about Mary do not exist in the New Testament, scholars look for other sources in existence at the birth of Islam. The influence of canonical Christian Scripture on the Quran and Islam is minimal, but the apocryphal texts seem to have been a considerable influence, especially the Protoevangelium.

Even though Christianity and Islam grew from the same Near Eastern monotheistic tradition, and even though from its inception Islam recognized the common heritage -- acknowledging both the virgin birth and Jesus as prophet -- Muslims reject the divinity of Jesus. The strong aversion of the Quran to Jesus being the Son of God might be attributed to the fact that its sources were removed from the truth of the Gospel. Islamic unfamiliarity with the divinity of Jesus might be attributed to the fact that its sources were removed from the truth of the Gospel. That unfamiliarity with the divinity of Jesus and the Gospel might also contribute to its anti-Christian attitude.

While Islam seems unwilling to delve deeper into Quranic textual sources, the similarity between the Quran and Christian Scripture might serve as the springboard of a fruitful journey of dialogue. And mutual understanding of Mary might be a bridge.

 

[rjlaforteza]

There are a number of articles and historical documents that present that Mary remained ever-virgin. Basically, this comes down to a couple of texts and Jewish beliefs:

1 - The Proto-Evangel of James is a non-canonical book that presents a more detailed account of Mary & Joseph. In short, Joseph was a elderly widower who marries her after the death of her parents. Jesus' half-brothers and sisters are from an earlier marriage of Joseph.

2 - Jewish beliefs come into play as well. Joseph is warned by the angel that she is carrying the Son of God. Now I will admit, if an angel told me that my wife was carrying the Son of God, I certainly wouldnt be thinking about her in sexual terms anymore. If it was sinful for an unauthorized person to touch the Ark of the Covenant, that a Uzzah died trying to keep the Ark from falling (see 2 Sam 6), I would be more than hesitant to touch my wife (and I'd be MORE than frustrated! ).

3 - IMHO the clearest Scriptural inference that Jesus is the only child of Mary is at the Crucifixion. Jesus gives the care of Mary into John's hands. If Jesus had younger siblings, they would have been the ones to take care of Mary.

Speaking from the cross, Jesus entrusted her care to his disciple John (Jn 19:26). Why did he entrusted to his Mother to disciple John why not his brothers and sisters.


When Jesus was found in the Temple at age twelve, the context suggests that he was the only son of Mary and Joseph. There is no hint in this episode of any other children in the family (Luke 2:41–51). Jesus grew up in Nazareth, and the people of Nazareth referred to him as "the son of Mary" (Mark 6:3), not as "a son of Mary." In fact, others in the Gospels are never referred to as Mary’s sons, not even when they are called Jesus’ "brethren." If they were in fact her sons, this would be strange usage.