Children of the Apostles of Jesus-No news

[cmodrmac]

I am perplexed why in Church history very little is said of the offspring of the original Apostles

-Protestants believe that Jesus had brothers and sisters ( of the flesh)

the Apostles were all thought to be married -yet we hear little of any of their offspring playing a role in the early Church

Eusebius of Caesarea’s Church History talks a bit about this.
He says St. Philip, at least, had 4 daughters and Sts. Peter and perhaps Paul had wives

we know that some of the relatives of Christ were leaders in the early Church ( desposyni) but even little is said about them other than the 2 grandchildren of Jude

do you think that the families of the Apostles did not share the same enthusiasm for the faith and the Apostles did? we would have heard something at least in tradition?

 

[PaulDupre1]

I am perplexed why in Church history very little is said of the offspring of the original Apostles

-Protestants believe that Jesus had brothers and sisters ( of the flesh)

the Apostles were all thought to be married -yet we hear little of any of their offspring playing a role in the early Church

Eusebius of Caesarea’s Church History talks a bit about this.
He says St. Philip, at least, had 4 daughters and Sts. Peter and perhaps Paul had wives

we know that some of the relatives of Christ were leaders in the early Church ( desposyni) but even little is said about them other than the 2 grandchildren of Jude

do you think that the families of the Apostles did not share the same enthusiasm for the faith and the Apostles did? we would have heard something at least in tradition?

The children are not mentioned, probably because they were not important to the gospel narrative. The church is not dynastic. Perhaps the sacred authors feared that including the offspring of the apostles in the NT would give people the idea that they were somehow special in the eyes of God simply because of the family they born into.

But Jesus taught:

And pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

Matt 12:49-50

Doing the Father’s will, and not blood lines, is what determines who is in the family of God and who is not.

Paul (formerly LDS, now happily Catholic)

 

[Sonny89]

Peace and all Good!

I am perplexed why in Church history very little is said of the offspring of the original Apostles

-Protestants believe that Jesus had brothers and sisters ( of the flesh)

the Apostles were all thought to be married -yet we hear little of any of their offspring playing a role in the early Church

Eusebius of Caesarea’s Church History talks a bit about this.
He says St. Philip, at least, had 4 daughters and Sts. Peter and perhaps Paul had wives

we know that some of the relatives of Christ were leaders in the early Church ( desposyni) but even little is said about them other than the 2 grandchildren of Jude

do you think that the families of the Apostles did not share the same enthusiasm for the faith and the Apostles did? we would have heard something at least in tradition?

It could be that they did not all become Christians, maybe they did but if they had been “major characters” in the Early Church (by which I mean, had they been leaders or known for miracles or the strength of their Faith etc) then I’m sure they would have been mentioned more.

As Paul Dupre1 said, it could also have given rise to inordinate focus on fleshly descent & not spiritual things