Similarly, by using other scriptures, we can figure out that James was not a uterine-brother of Jesus.
- James, the Lord’s “brother”, is an apostle.
agreed…Paul was also an apostle and so was Barnabas. We don’t have a list of all apostles of the NT period, but we do have a list of the twelve disciples. Although every one of the 12 (save Judas I)was an apostle, not every apostle was one of the 12. All three of the synoptic gospel writers mention the 12 and mention the brothers of the Lord as separate sets of people.
here is Matthew:
Matt 12: While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”
48 He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
Matt 13: 54 And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?
55 Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?
56 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?
Matt 10 lists the names of the 12, they are disciples and believers. Matt 12 relates part of the story where his brothers, who think that Jesus isn’t right in the head, come with Mary to take custody of Jesus. These brothers are not with the disciples. Matt 13 provides the names of four of the brothers…and just one chapter earlier he distinguished the brothers (outside the house) from the disciples(inside the house).
Here is Mark:
Mark 3: 13 Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve[a] that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15 and to have authority to drive out demons. 16 These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter), 17 James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”), 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him….
…Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. 21 When his family** heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”
Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. 32 A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.”
33 “Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked.
34 Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”
Mark 6: 2 And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?
3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.
4 But Jesus, said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.
as you can see, Mark does the same thing as Matt, though Mark emphasizes that the brothers were not believers. So again, the 12 are identified, they are believers and are with Jesus when the unbelieving brothers come to take custody of Jesus. Shortly after having distinguished between the believing 12 and the unbelieving brothers, Mark provides the names of 4 brothers……having already made a very dramatic distinction between the two groups (in chapter 3), Mark would not (in chapter 6) negate that distinction and list members of the believing 12 as belonging to the other group (of brothers) which have been clearly identified as unbelievers.
Moving on to Luke,… at chapter 6 Luke identifies the 12, and then at chapter 8 relates the story where the brothers are outside and Jesus and his disciples are inside…it is the same story from Matt and Mark that I have provided above and so I won’t repeat it, but you should note that the same distinction exists between the two groups. In addition Luke wrote:
Acts 1: When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
Here is another distinction being made between the 12 (now 11) and Jesus’ brethren**
) say that it is a literary device. Does that mean that it didn’t actually happen? I find that stance untenable. Your attempt at trying to prove your attack on during birth her virginity remained intact is laughable. Either the birth of Jesus(before, during and after) was miraculous or it was not. BTW I was inquiring into your beliefs not what the Church believes.
