Body: | Mary had many other children in addition to Jesus
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Because these verses so clearly contradict Catholic doctrine, Catholic interpreters will insist these are cousins, kinsmen, or from a supposed earlier marriage of Joseph. Of course, the Bible proves all these things wrong. The Catechism gives this ridiculous and incorrect explanation:
"The Church has always understood these passages as not referring to other children of the Virgin Mary. In fact James and Joseph, 'brothers of Jesus,' are the sons of another Mary, a disciple of Christ..." Pg. 126 #500).
Matthew 13:55-56 & Mark 6:3
Cannot simply be cousins because Colossians 4:10 uses a separate Greek
word. John 1:41 uses the same term of Peter and his brother.
The Catholic Catechism says of these verses: "The Church has always
understood these passages as not referring to other children of the Virgin
Mary. In fact James and Joseph, 'brothers of Jesus,' are the sons of
another Mary, a disciple of Christ..." Pg. 126 #500).
The Catholic church teaches that the Mary in these passages is the mother
of Jesus, but Jesus brothers and sisters are children of another woman also
named Mary. The children are so clearly the offspring of the "Mary" of this
passage, that the Pope has come to the conclusion is must be a different
Mary! Incredible!
Now read it for yourself from the scripture and see if you agree with the
Catholic church that the Mary of these passages is both the mother of Jesus
and the mother of James and Joseph and Simon and Judas.
Matthew 13:55-56 "Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not His mother
called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56
"And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man get all
these things?" 57 And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, "A
prophet is not without honor except in his home town, and in his own
household."
Mark 6:3 "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of
James, and Joses, and Judas, and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?"
And they took offense at Him. 4 And Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not
without honor except in his home town and among his own relatives and in
his own household."
Are you still Roman Catholic after reading that?
Matthew 12:46 & Mk 3:31 & Lk 8:19
Jesus is distinguishing between blood brothers versus brothers of faith.
Remember it was someone else who called them "mother and brothers" not
Jesus. If the brothers are not literal, then neither is the mother. Cannot
simply be cousins because Colossians 4:10 uses a separate Greek word. John
1:41 uses the same term of Peter and his brother.
Mt 12:46 While He was still speaking to the multitudes, behold, His
mother and brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him. 47 And
someone said to Him, "Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are standing
outside seeking to speak to You." 48 But He answered the one who was
telling Him and said, "Who is My mother and who are My brothers?" 49 And
stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, "Behold, My mother
and My brothers! 50 "For whoever does the will of My Father who is in
heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother."
Mk 3:31 And His mother and His brothers *arrived, and standing
outside they sent word to Him, and called Him. 32 And a multitude was
sitting around Him, and they *said to Him, "Behold, Your mother and Your
brothers are outside looking for You." 33 And answering them, He *said,
"Who are My mother and My brothers?" 34 And looking about on those who were
sitting around Him, He *said, "Behold, My mother and My brothers! 35 "For
whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother."
Lk 8:19 And His mother and brothers came to Him, and they were
unable to get to Him because of the crowd. 20 And it was reported to Him,
"Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wishing to see You."
21 But He answered and said to them, "My mother and My brothers are these
who hear the word of God and do it."
Matthew 1:23-25
As clear as if it said, "kept a virgin until wedding day."
24 And Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord
commanded him, and took her as his wife, 25 and kept her a virgin until she
gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.
Mt 1:18
Can only refer to sex because "before they had sex she became pregnant"
reinforces the virgin birth. But "before they began living together does
not support the virgin birth". It was not normal to live together or have
sex when betrothed, giving powerful evidence that the reference is to sex,
not co-habitation. What value is there in mentioning that it was merely
before they started living together when the real point is that they were
not only living separately, but had not had sex yet!
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows. When His mother Mary
had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be
with child by the Holy Spirit.
John 2:12 & John 7:1 & Acts 1:14 & Galatians 1:19 & 1 Corinthians 9:5
These verses prove beyond any question that Jesus had literal blood
brothers through Mary. Notice that brother cannot refer to "brethren in the
church" kind of usage because other "brethren in the church" are listed
beside "Jesus brothers". Of the 20+ times "Jesus brothers" are referred to.
NEVER are they called cousins or relatives. How could the Holy Spirit say
it to make the fact any clearer?
John 2:12 After this He went down to Capernaum, He and His mother,
and His brothers, and His disciples; and there they stayed a few days.
John 7:1 And after these things Jesus was walking in Galilee; for He
was unwilling to walk in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill Him.
2 Now the feast of the Jews, the Feast of Booths, was at hand. 3 His
brothers therefore said to Him, "Depart from here, and go into Judea, that
Your disciples also may behold Your works which You are doing. 4 "For no
one does anything in secret, when he himself seeks to be known publicly. If
You do these things, show Yourself to the world." 5 For not even His
brothers were believing in Him. 6 Jesus therefore *said to them, "My time
is not yet at hand, but your time is always opportune. 7 "The world cannot
hate you; but it hates Me because I testify of it, that its deeds are evil.
8 "Go up to the feast yourselves; I do not go up to this feast because My
time has not yet fully come." 9 And having said these things to them, He
stayed in Galilee. 10 But when His brothers had gone up to the feast, then
He Himself also went up, not publicly, but as it were, in secret.
Acts 1:14 And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room,
where they were staying; that is, Peter and John and James and Andrew,
Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and
Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. 14 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.
Galatians 1:18 Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to
become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days. 19 But I
did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lord's brother.
1 Corinthians 9:4 Do we not have a right to eat and drink? 5 Do we
not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of the
apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?
Colossians 4:10
Cannot simply be cousins because Colossians 4:10 uses a separate Greek
word.
Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends you his greetings; and also
Barnabas' cousin Mark (about whom you received instructions: if he comes to
you, welcome him);
The bible never uses these two Greek words anepsios or sungenis in
reference to Jesus brothers. For Catholic doctrine to be true,
Greek Dictionary: cousin/Relative:
anepsios (ajneyiov" , (431)), in Col. 4:10 denotes a cousin rather
than a nephew (A.V., "sister's son"). "Cousin" is its meaning in various
periods of Greek writers.¶ In this sense it is used in the Sept., in Numb.
36:11.¶ In later writings it denotes a nephew; hence the A.V. rendering.
As Lightfoot says, there is no reason to suppose that the Apostle would
have used it in any other than its proper sense. We are to understand,
therefore, that Mark was the cousin of Barnabas.
sungenis (suggeniv" , (4773)) in Luke 1:36 (so in the most authentic
mss.) and sungeneµs in ver. 58 (plural), A.V., "cousin" and "cousins,"
respectively signify "kinswoman" and "kinsfolk," (R.V.); so the R.V. and
A.V. in 2:44 and 21:16. The word lit. signifies 'born with,' i.e., of the
same stock, or descent; hence kinsman, kindred. See Kin, Kinsfolk,
Kinswoman.
Note: In Col. 4:10, A.V., anepsios (cp. Lat., nepos, whence Eng.,
nephew), a cousin (so, R.V.), is translated "sister's son." See Cousin.¶
John 1:41
the term brother is never used in the New Testament to denote a cousin or
relative or anything other than a literal BROTHER.
John 1:41 He *found first his own brother Simon, and *said to him,
"We have found the Messiah"
By Steve Rudd
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