What Is the Bible’s View?

Did Jesus Have Brothers and Sisters?

AMONG the truths that are plainly stated in the Christian Greek Scriptures is that Jesus Christ, when on earth, was the Son of God. In so many words he himself confessed to that fact to his opposers. (John 10:36) He also fully concurred with Peter’s confession: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”​—Matt. 16:16, 17.

Further, those Scriptures clearly testify that Jesus was born of a virgin, Mary. Thus the apostle Matthew tells that before Joseph and Mary were united in marriage “she was found with child through the power of the Holy Spirit.” Matthew comments that this was in fulfillment of the prophecy that “the virgin shall be with child and give birth to a son.” To the same import is Luke’s testimony that the angel Gabriel appeared to the virgin Mary and told her that she would conceive and give birth to a son by power of the holy spirit.​—Matt. 1:18-23; Luke 1:30-35, New American Bible.

There was compelling reason for Jesus to be born of a virgin. Had his mother been married and had she had intercourse with Joseph before she conceived by holy spirit, the question might well have been raised as to whose son Jesus was​—God’s or Joseph’s. Besides, even as the high priest in Israel could marry only a virgin, so it was fitting that God use a virgin to bring forth his Son.

But was it necessary for Mary to remain a virgin after she gave birth to Jesus, and did she? In other words, was Jesus her only son or did she additionally have children by Joseph? Did Jesus have brothers and sisters​—strictly speaking, half brothers and half sisters? The Scriptures give no reason why Mary should have remained a virgin. Having other children would have had no effect on Jesus. But did she or did she not bear other children?

No, say Roman Catholic theologians. A footnote on Mark 6:1-6 (NA) states: “The question about the brothers of Jesus and his sisters (v Mr 6:3) cannot easily be decided on linguistic grounds. . . . The question of meaning here would not have arisen but for the faith of the church in Mary’s perpetual virginity.”​—Italics added.

However, it is very difficult to find any basis in the Scriptures to support Mary’s “perpetual virginity.” For example, Matthew tells that Joseph “had no relations with her at any time before she bore a son, whom he named Jesus.” While not explicitly stating that she did have relations with Joseph after she bore Jesus, certainly that is implied by Matthew’s words. And the same can be said about Luke’s words that Mary “gave birth to her first-born son.”​—Matt. 1:25; Luke 2:7, NA.

That she had other children besides Jesus is clear from the questions asked by Jesus’ townfolk who were well acquainted with his family: “Where did he get all this? What kind of wisdom is he endowed with? . . . Is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary, a brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not his sisters our neighbors here?”​—Mark 6:2, 3, NA.

That Jesus had natural (half) brothers is also indicated by the fact that on one occasion he was told that “your mother and your brothers are standing out there and they wish to speak to you.” We further read that “not even his brothers had much confidence in him.”​—Matt. 12:47; John 7:5, NA.

Moreover, after Jesus’ death and resurrection, we read that among those present in the upper room in Jerusalem were, in addition to the eleven apostles, others, including “Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.” It is therefore most likely that they were also present in the upper room when God’s holy spirit was poured out upon the one hundred and twenty disciples. (Acts 1:13-15; 2:1-4, NA) And, years later, the apostle Paul mentions the “Lord’s brothers.”​—1 Cor. 9:5.

That Mary had other children also seems indicated by the incident that occurred when Jesus was twelve years old and Joseph took his family to Jerusalem for the festival. On the way back they had traveled a whole day before Mary noticed that Jesus was not with them. Had Jesus been her only child (and miraculously conceived at that), could we imagine her maternal instincts being so dormant that she would have started out without him and not missed him for a whole day? But if by this time she had six or more children by Joseph, we can imagine her having been so busy that she might not have missed Jesus for a whole day.​—Luke 2:41-50.

True, the question might be asked, If Mary had other children, why did Jesus entrust his mother to his apostle John instead of to her other children? For one thing, his other brothers may not have been at the site of his impalement, they apparently not yet having become believers. Also, of his disciples, John was closest to Jesus, and had a spiritual relationship with him that exceeded any natural relationship.​—John 19:26, 27.

Arguing against all this testimony, Catholic theologians state: “Greek-speaking Semites used the terms adelphos and adelphē, not only in the ordinary sense [as meaning “brothers” and “sisters”], but also for nephew, niece, half-brother, half-sister, and cousin.” This argument was first presented by Jerome, the early Catholic Church “father,” and goes back no earlier than 383 C.E. But he produces neither Scripture nor tradition to support his position. The fact is that in his later writings he expressed misgivings as to the soundness of his theory that, when the Scriptures spoke of the “brothers” of Jesus, “cousins” were meant.​—St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians, Lightfoot.

The fact is that, had others than brothers or sisters been involved, Bible characters and Bible writers would have used the Greek word for “relatives,” namely, syggenon. Thus Jesus said: “A prophet is not unhonored except in his home territory and among his relatives and in his own house.” Clearly, here Jesus makes a distinction between “relatives” and those of one’s own house.​—Mark 6:4.

Jesus made the same distinction when he said: “When you spread a dinner or evening meal, do not call your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors.”​—Luke 14:12; 21:16.

Why has the Catholic Church made the matter of Mary’s being a virgin perpetually a teaching of the Church though it is without any support in tradition or Scripture? No doubt because of the sanctity that virginity is supposed to impart. But, according to the Bible, virginity is only a virtue among single persons. The apostle Paul tells married people not to deprive each other of the marital due, which Mary would have done had she remained a virgin after bearing Jesus.​—1 Cor. 7:3-5.

Yes, we do no dishonor to Mary when we accept that she gave Joseph his marital due as a dutiful wife should and as a result had children besides Jesus. So, both reason and the Scriptures indicate that Jesus did have half brothers and half sisters.