Did Jesus have siblings? Jesus' brothers and their names in the Bible
Did Jesus have siblings? This question has intrigued scholars and Christians who want to know more about Jesus’ life. While some of Jesus' siblings have been mentioned in the New Testament, many have wondered how they relate to Jesus. Are they his biological siblings, step-siblings, half-siblings, or cousins?
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Jesus had a vast influence during his time, and it is hard to imagine him growing up with siblings like most people. Believers, theologians, and scholars have all wondered who His siblings were and their role in His mission on earth. The New Testament offers insights into Jesus’ family, but it has only fueled more discussions as many want to know the exact nature of their relationship. Did Jesus have siblings?
Did Jesus have siblings?
The New Testament contains multiple references to Jesus’ siblings. The verses suggesting that Jesus had siblings are found in the books of Mark, John, Luke, and Matthew. The verses suggest that He had at least four known siblings and others whose names are not mentioned. Here are the Bible verses showing evidence that Jesus was not an only child to His parents.
- Mark 3:31-32 – Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.”
- Matthew 13:53-56 – When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?”
- John 2:12 – After this, he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There, they stayed for a few days.
- Acts 1:14 – They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary, the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
- 1 Corinthians 9:5 – Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas?
Did Jesus have biological siblings?
The New Testament reveals that Jesus had brothers and sisters. However, whether His siblings were biological or not remains a hot point of debate. It is a theological contention that has generated different interpretations. Here are various viewpoints on whether He had biological siblings.
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Jesus has biological siblings
Since Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, His brothers and sisters are His half-siblings. Children born from Mary and Joseph’s relationship are His biological siblings but not His full siblings as they only share the same mother and not father.
Cousins or relatives
In some Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Church traditions, the term brothers is sometimes used to refer to close relatives and cousins. Therefore, in this view, Jesus did not have biological siblings but close relatives who were perceived as His brothers and sisters. This view maintains the doctrine of the perpetual purity of Mary.
Step-siblings
This view suggests that Joseph had children from a previous relationship. Since Joseph did not have biological kids with Mary because the Holy Spirit conceived Jesus, Joseph’s children from his past relationship are Jesus’ step-brothers and sisters.
How many half-siblings did Jesus have?
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From the scriptures, Jesus had at least four brothers and an unknown number of sisters. Whether they are biological siblings remains a mystery because of the different interpretations of the Bible verses referring to His siblings. Moreover, the scriptures do not mention the names and number of His exact number of half-siblings.
Since the Bible says that Jesus had sisters, it means that He had at least two sisters. His brothers are mentioned in the Bible as four. Therefore, it is reasonable to say Jesus had at least six siblings, but the exact total number of siblings is unknown.
Names of Jesus’ brothers
According to the scriptures, Jesus had several siblings, but only four are mentioned by name: James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon. Each of His brothers played a significant role in the spread of early Christian traditions and the gospel.
- James: He is also referred to as James the Just and is regarded as the eldest among Jesus’ siblings because he is mentioned first in most lists. He was reportedly the first leader of the Jerusalem Church of the Apostolic Age. James is believed to be the author of the Epistle of James. He died in AD 62 or 69 by being stoned by the Pharisees on the order of High Priest Ananus ben Ananus.
- Joseph: He is also called Jose and is among the mentioned brothers of Jesus. Little is known about him and his contributions to early Christian traditions and the gospel, as he is only mentioned a few times in the New Testament.
- Simon: Like his brother Joseph, Simon does not play a prominent role in the New Testament. He is sometimes identified as Simon of Jerusalem, as he reportedly took over the leadership of the Jerusalem Church after James.
- Judas: He is also called Jude and is not to be confused with Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus. He was the author of the Epistle of Jude, which talks about faith and warns against false teachings.
Did Jesus have six siblings?
Jesus had at least six siblings. He had four brothers and an unknown number of sisters, usually considered to be at least two. Therefore, His brothers and sisters were at least six.
What happened to Jesus’ brothers and sisters?
His brothers James and Jude were leaders of the Jerusalem Church and even wrote two books of the New Testament. Not much is known about His brothers Simon and Joseph, and it is also unknown what happened to His sisters, who are not mentioned in the Bible.
Who are Jesus’ sisters in the Bible?
While several instances indicate that Jesus had sisters, none of them is mentioned by name, and it is also not known how many sisters He had.
Is James the biological brother of Jesus?
The Bible mentions James as one of Jesus' brothers. However, due to conflicting views, it is unknown whether he is Jesus’ biological sibling. While some publications argue that he was Jesus’ half-sibling, others suggest that he was his close cousin or step-sibling.
Which verses in the Bible mention Jesus’ siblings?
The Bible verses mentioning Jesus’ siblings are Matthew 13:55-56, John 7:3-5, Galatians 1:19, and Mark 6:3. His brothers were James, Joseph, Simon and Judas.
Did Jesus have siblings? The New Testament confirms that Jesus had siblings, namely James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas. However, the nature of their relationship remains contentious, as there are different views on whether they are His biological siblings or not. He also had sisters who are not mentioned by name in the Bible.
Legit.ng recently published the shortest Bible book. The Bible has several books, but few people know the shortest. Since the Bible has been translated into different languages, the lengths of books may vary from one language to another.
Would you like to know which book in the Bible is the shortest? Read this article to discover the Old and New Testaments' shortest books. Also, find out about the shortest chapters and verses.
Source: Legit.ng
