These arguments were dealt with by Jerome 1600 years ago.
Source. Translated by W.H. Fremantle, G. Lewis and W.G. Martley. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 6. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1893.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3007.htm>.
13. The last proposition of Helvidius was this, and it is what he wished to show when he treated of the
first-born, that brethren of the Lord are mentioned in the
Gospels. For example,
Matthew 12:46 Behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, seeking to speak to him. And elsewhere,
John 2:12 After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren. And again,
John 7:3-4 His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judæa, that your
disciples also may behold the works which you do. For no man does anything in secret, and himself seeks to be
known openly. If you do these things, manifest yourself to the world. And John adds,
John 7:5 For even his brethren did not
believe in him. Mark also and Matthew, And coming into his own country he taught them in their
synagogues, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence has this man this wisdom, and mighty works? Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And his brethren James, and Joseph, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us? Luke also in the Acts of the Apostles relates,
Acts 1:14 These all with one accord continued steadfastly in
prayer, with the
women and Mary the mother of
Jesus, and with his brethren.
Paul the Apostle also is at one with them, and witnesses to their historical accuracy, And I went up by revelation, but other of the
apostles saw I none, save Peter and James the Lord's brother. And again in another place,
1 Corinthians 9:4-5 Have we no right to eat and drink? Have we no right to lead about wives even as the rest of the Apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? And for
fear any one should not allow the evidence of the
Jews, since it was they from whose mouth we hear the name of His brothers, but should maintain that His countrymen were deceived by the same
error in respect of the brothers into which they fell in their belief about the father, Helvidius utters a sharp note of warning and cries, The same names are repeated by the Evangelists in another place, and the same
persons are there brethren of the Lord and sons of Mary. Matthew says, And many
women were there (doubtless at the Lord's cross) beholding from afar, which had followed Jesus from
Galilee, ministering unto him: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. Mark also, And there were also
women beholding from afar, among whom were both Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of
James the Less and of Joses, and Salome; and in the same place shortly after, And many other
women which came up with him unto Jerusalem. Luke too,
Luke 24:10 Now there were Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and the other
women with them.
14. My reason for repeating the same thing again and again is to prevent him from raising a false issue and crying out that I have withheld such passages as make for him, and that his view has been torn to shreds not by evidence of Scripture, but by evasive arguments. Observe, he says, James and Joses are sons of
Mary, and the same
persons who were called brethren by the
Jews. Observe, Mary is the mother of
James the Less and of Joses. And James is called the less to distinguish him from James the greater, who was the son of Zebedee, as Mark elsewhere states, And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was laid. And when the
sabbath was past, they bought spices, that they might come and anoint him. And, as might be expected, he says: What a poor and impious view we take of
Mary, if we hold that when other
women were concerned about the burial of
Jesus, she His mother was absent; or if we invent some kind of a second Mary; and all the more because the
Gospel of S. John testifies that she was there present, when the Lord upon the cross commended her, as His mother and now a
widow, to the care of John. Or must we suppose that the Evangelists were so far mistaken and so far mislead us as to call Mary the mother of those who were
known to the
Jews as brethren of Jesus?
15. What darkness, what raging
madness rushing to its own destruction! You say that the mother of the Lord was present at the
cross, you say that she was entrusted to the
disciple John on account of her widowhood and solitary condition: as if upon your own showing, she had not four sons, and numerous daughters, with whose solace she might comfort herself? You also apply to her the name of
widow which is not found in Scripture. And although you quote all instances in the
Gospels, the words of John alone displease you. You say in passing that she was present at the
cross, that you may not appear to have omitted it on purpose, and yet not a word about the
women who were with her. I could pardon you if you were
ignorant, but I see you have a reason for your silence. Let me point out then what John says,
John 19:25 But there were standing by the cross of
Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. No one doubts that there were two
apostles called by the name James, James the son of Zebedee, and James the son of Alphæus. Do you intend the comparatively unknown
James the Less, who is called in Scripture the son of
Mary, not however of Mary the mother of our Lord, to be an
apostle, or not? If he is an
apostle, he must be the son of Alphæus and a believer in Jesus, For neither did his brethren
believe in him. If he is not an
apostle, but a third James (who he can be I cannot tell), how can he be regarded as the Lord's brother, and how, being a third, can he be called
less to distinguish him from
greater, when
greater and
less are used to denote the relations existing, not between three, but between two? Notice, moreover, that the Lord's brother is an
apostle, since
Paul says,
Galatians 1:18-19 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas, and tarried with him fifteen days. But other of the Apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother. And in the same Epistle,
Galatians 2:9 And when they perceived the
grace that was given unto me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, etc. And that you may not suppose this James to be the son of Zebedee, you have only to read the Acts of the Apostles, and you will find that the latter had already been slain by
Herod. The only conclusion is that the Mary who is described as the mother of
James the Less was the wife of Alphæus and sister of Mary the Lord's mother, the one who is called by John the Evangelist Mary of Clopas, whether after her father, or kindred, or for some other reason. But if you think they are two
persons because elsewhere we read, Mary the mother of
James the Less, and here, Mary of Clopas, you have still to learn that it is customary in Scripture for the same individual to bear different names. Raguel,
Moses' father-in-law, is also called Jethro. Gedeon, without any apparent reason for the change, all at once becomes Jerubbaal. Ozias, king of Judah, has an alternative, Azarias.
Mount Tabor is called Itabyrium. Again Hermon is called by the Phenicians Sanior, and by the Amorites Sanir. The same tract of country is
known by three names, Negebh, Teman, and Darom in Ezekiel. Peter is also called Simon and Cephas. Judas the zealot in another
Gospel is called Thaddaeus. And there are numerous other examples which the reader will be able to collect for himself from every part of Scripture.