The brothers of Jesus

Regarding those who believe Jesus had brothers, as in “of the same womb”, and that they were Joseph, Simon, James, and Judas (Matt. 13:55/Mk. 6:3), I have reasons to say they believe in error. If you’re someone who presently holds the belief in question, I encourage you to reevaluate it.

Key points to consider:

  • Mary is called the mother of only Jesus. (Matt. 13:55)

  • Only Jesus is called the son of Mary. (Mk. 6:3)

  • The Koine Greek word "ἀδελφός’ (adelphos), translated “brother” in English, has the following definitions: “of the same womb”, “near kinsman/kinswoman, or relative”, e.g., cousin, nephew, niece, uncle, aunt, etc., “a fellow countryman”, “a fellow member of the Christian community”, “one of the same nation or nature”, “one of equal rank and dignity”, and “an associate”.

    1. In Matt. 13:55/Mk. 6:3, Joseph, Simon, James, and Judas are called Jesus’s “ἀδελφοί” (adelphoi/brothers). The context shows that its applicable definition is “near kinsman/kinswoman, or relative”.

    2. In Gal. 1:19, Paul referred to one of the two Jameses of the twelve apostles, and called him Jesus’s “ἀδελφός” (adelphos/brother), and the context shows that its applicable definition is “near kinsman/kinswoman, or relative” as well.

    Therefore, we can deduce that James in Matt. 13:55/Mk. 6:3, and James, one of the Twelve, in Gal. 1:19, were the same person, and that he was the apostle James of Alphaeus, brother of apostle Judas (Thaddeus) of Alphaeus.


Keeping in mind the above, now compare the following scriptural verses and early Church Father writings to learn how the apostles James and Judas (Thaddeus) of Alphaeus were two of Jesus’s kin:

  • “When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome (the mother of the sons of Zebedee), bought spices, that they might come and anoint him.” (Mk. 16:1)

  • Now they were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James. The other women with them told these things to the apostles." (Lk. 24:1;10)

  • “Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James (the Less) and Joseph (Mary of Clopas or Cleophas), and the mother of the sons of Zebedee (Salome)” (Matt. 27:56)

  • “Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and Joseph (Mary of Clopas or Cleophas), and Salome (the mother of the sons of Zebedee)” (Mk. 15:40)

  • “His Mother (Mary of Joseph), His Mother’s sister Mary, the wife of Clopas or Cleophas (the mother of James the Less and Joseph), and Mary Magdalene” (Jn. 19:25)


I. “Mary the wife of Cleophas or Alphaeus (Clopas), who was the mother of James the bishop and apostle, and of Simon and Thaddeus (Judas), and of one Joseph.” (Papias of Hierapolis [c. 60–130 AD], Fragments of Papias, Frag. X, cf. Jn. 19:25)

II. “[…] James, who is called the brother of the Lord […] as appears to me, the son of Mary sister of the mother of our Lord […] after ordained by the apostles bishop of Jerusalem, wrote a single epistle, which is reckoned among the seven Catholic epistles” (cf. Jud. 1:1) and “[…] Mary who is described as the mother of James the Less was the wife of Alphaeus and sister of Mary the Lord’s mother.” (Jerome of Stridon [c. 347–420 CE], De Viris Illustribus, De Perpetua Uirginitate Beatae Mariae, cf. Jn. 19:25)

III. Eusebius of Caesarea [c. 260–340 AD] relates the following in his Historia Ecclesiastica:

James, the brother of the Lord, was “[…] the author of the first of the so-called catholic epistles” and that while it is disputed, “as is the case likewise with the epistle that bears the name of Jude, which is also one of the seven so-called catholic epistles,” it is known they have been “[…] read publicly in very many churches.” (Bk. I, ch. XXIII, cf. Jud. 1:1)

James […] surnamed the Just […] bishop of the church of Jerusalem. This James was called the brother of the Lord” and “Paul also makes mention of the same James the Just, where he writes, 'Other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s brother.'” (Bk. II, ch. I)

“[…] those of the apostles and disciples of the Lord […] with those that were related to the Lord according to the flesh … pronounced Symeon (Simon), the son of Clopas […] to be worthy of the episcopal throne of that parish. He was a cousin, as they say, of the Saviour. For Hegesippus records that Clopas was a brother of Joseph.” (Bk. III, ch. XI)

“Josephus, at least, has not hesitated to testify this in his writings, where he says, ‘These things happened to the Jews to avenge James the Just, who was a brother of Jesus, that is called the Christ.’” (Bk. II, ch. XXIII)

“[…] the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James” (Flavius Josephus [c. 37-100 CE], Antiquitates Iudaicae, Bk. XX, ch. IX)

“[…] James the Just bishop of Jerusalem” and “[…] but there were two Jameses: one called the Just […] thrown from the pinnacle of the temple […] and beaten to death with a club by a fuller, and another who was beheaded.” (Bk. II, ch. I) (Clement of Alexandria [c. 150–215 AD], Hypotyposes, Bk. VII, cf. Ac. 12:1-2)

“[…] James the brother of the Lord, succeeded to the government of the Church […] called the Just […]” (Bk. II, ch. 23) and “after James the Just had suffered martyrdom […] Symeon (Simon), the son of the Lord’s uncle, Clopas, was appointed the next bishop […] because he was a cousin of the Lord.” (Bk. III, ch. XXII) (Hegesippus [c. 110-180 AD], Hypomnemata)


Summary

The scriptural verses and early Church Father writings above collectively show the following:​

  • Jesus’s brothers (kinsmen/relatives) Joseph, Simon, James, and Judas (Jude/Thaddeus) were the sons of His Mother’s Spouse’s brother, Alphaeus (Clopas, or Cleophas), and his wife Mary, the sister-in-law of Mary of Joseph, and thus His cousins.

  • Jesus’s cousins James and Judas (Jude/Thaddeus) and the apostles James and Judas (Jude/Thaddeus) of Alphaeus (Clopas/Cleophas) of the Twelve were the same people.

  • Jesus’s cousin-apostle James of the Twelve, “James the Less”, “James the brother of the Lord”, “James the Just”, “James the first bishop of Jerusalem”, and the author of the Epistle of James were the same person.

  • Jesus’s cousin-apostle Judas (Jude/Thaddeus) of the Twelve authored the Epistle of Jude.

1 Like

Below I address other scriptural verses falsely believed to support Joseph and Mary having had other children.

Matt. 1:25

In the preceding verses 20-24, Matthew speaks about the ways in which the long-awaited messianic prophecy has come to fruition, such as Joseph accepting as his Spouse the Virgin Who will conceive and give birth to a Son. In verse 25, he reiterates and reinforces this by referring to a specific period: pre-birth of the Messiah, a period of known chastity between Joseph and Mary that would dispel any belief that He was not begotten by the Holy Spirit, nor born of the virgin.

Jn. 2:12

In this scene, Jesus’s brothers were two of His four cousins, James and Judas (Jude/Thaddeus) of Alphaeus, and they, Peter and Andrew, accompanied Him and His Mother to Capernaum. (The Poem of the Man-God: Vol. 1)

Matt. 12:46, Mk. 3:31-32, Lk. 8:19-20

In this scene, Jesus’s brothers who arrived with His Mother to speak with Him at Capernaum were His cousins, Joseph and Simon of Alphaeus. Joseph and Simon heard that Jesus had recently done carpentry work in Korazim for a widow whose husband had died, and they were angry at Him for earning money for her and her children, but not His own Mother, and were there to confront Him about it. (The Poem of the Man-God: Vol. 2)

Jn. 7:3-5;10

In this scene, Jesus’s brothers were His cousins, Joseph and Simon of Alphaeus, who didn’t believe that He was the Messiah, though they later came to believe this. (The Poem of the Man-God: Vol. 4)

Ac. 1:14

In this scene, Jesus’s brothers were disciples, some of whom were the shepherds that visited Him the night of His birth. (The Poem of the Man-God: Vol. 5)

Gal. 1:18-19

Paul mentioned that in Jerusalem he had seen Peter, one of the twelve apostles, but that he didn’t see another one of the [twelve] apostles, except James the Lord’s brother. The title “the Lord’s brother” indicates that James was Jesus’s kinsman/relative, and the overall context of these two verses indicates that he was also one of the Twelve. This means that he would have had to have either been apostle James of Zebedee or apostle James of Alphaeus, and neither of them were a son of Joseph and Mary, yet still a kinsman/relative of Jesus. Refer back to the opening post to find out which of these apostles was Jesus’s kinsman/relative.

1 Cor. 9:5

In this scene, Jesus’s brothers were His cousin-apostles James and Judas of Alphaeus. [Note: It’s not a problem that they were mentioned separately from the rest of the twelve apostles, because in the same verse, Cephas (Peter) was also mentioned separately from the rest of the Twelve, though he was still one of them.]