Mary's Virginity

[Jordan_Rizk]

The Catholic Church teaches that Mary was a virgin before, during and after the birth of Jesus. The Church also states that those who are called Jesus’ brother’s and sister’s in the Bible are his cousins. The Church also teaches that calling them a brother or a sister was the only way to describe them as cousins, if this is true then why is Elizabeth called “cousin” in the Bible.

And behold thy cousin Elizabeth, she also hath conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her that is called barren: [Luke 1:36]

 

[Miriam1947]

The Catholic Church teaches that Mary was a virgin before, during and after the birth of Jesus. The Church also states that those who are called Jesus’ brother’s and sister’s in the Bible are his cousins. The Church also teaches that calling them a brother or a sister was the only way to describe them as cousins, if this is true then why is Elizabeth called “cousin” in the Bible.

And behold thy cousin Elizabeth, she also hath conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her that is called barren: [Luke 1:36]

Luke was Greek and they have a word for cousin.

 

[aidanbradypop]

I will take a stab at it!

In the earliest text (Greek) the word that describes Elzabeth and the “brothers and sisters” of Christ is the same. The problem comes up when we use English translations of Sacred Scripture. When I was in college, many people presented this question to the professors. Certain words in Greek and Hebrew do not translate into English correctly if at all. So Many translators of Sacred Scripture throughout history have in a sense put their own “spin” on it. I do not believe they were doing it with an evil intent, but by doing so we kind of get lost in the translation.

It really comes down to a matter of faith as well. If you believe in the Ever Virgin Mother then this question is merely trivial in nature.

Maybe someone else can give a better answer!

Love of Christ with you always!

 

[bzkoss236]

The term “brothers and sisters” or “brethren” were also used to describe someone of close relation (not necessarily biological relation), such as close friends.

Look at David and Jonathan in the OT. They were not brothers by blood, but because of their close relationship, they formed a covenant with each other (essentially a blood brother pact, as it might be referred to today) and became “brothers”.

So, “brothers and sisters” of the Lord can also refer to those who were really close to Jesus. All of the apostles at times were referred to as Jesus’ brothers (if I remember correctly).

Among other speculation, there is another view of the Holy Family (the Evangelum of James) where Joseph is a widower and had children from his previous marriage before he was betrothed to Mary, and that some of the instances of “brethren” or “brothers and sisters” could refer to step-brothers and step-sisters.

But the most commonly held belief is that they were cousins.

More
Brethren of the Lord
Jesus Had Brothers?
Mary: Ever Virgin

 

[NeedImprovement]

Luke was Greek and they have a word for cousin.

I believe the word in question is " adelphos " ( although I think we’ll find the passage(s) in reference to Jesus’ brothers is found in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark - but not Luke).

. . . The Church also teaches that calling them a brother or a sister was the only way to describe them as cousins. . . [Luke 1:36]

Could you please supply a link/quote for the one assertion quoted above which it is claimed the Church teaches - so we could see it in context ?

There’s a plausible explanation of Elizabeth’s relation to our Blessed Mother which includes even a flowchart with its reasoning at this link :

defendingthebride.com/ma2/brothers.html

There is a lot of other material available both here at CAF and elsewhere giving proofs regarding the question of any possible biological siblings of Jesus. They also expound upon the word adelphos and its connotations.

Some such sites ask the logical question that that if Mary had other children biologically then it would’ve been their duty to take her into their care when Christ died ; so and why didn’t they and why weren’t they there at the foot of the Cross ?

I’m having a difficult time understanding the OP’s phrasing . . . . . .

If the ultimate question is

. . . if this is true then why is Elizabeth called “cousin” in the Bible.

. . . then why is the thread entitled Mary’s Virginity ? The fact of whether Elizabeth was a biological cousin of Mary or not has absolutely nothing to do with our Blessed Mother’s virginity.

So the rationale here, as far as I can tell (correct me if I’m wrong) appears to be:

If the Archangel Gabriel , according to the Gospel of Luke ,calls Elizabeth Mary’s cousin ( we note in the same chapter of Luke’s Gospel, describing the same event of the Annunciation that it is also specified twice that Mary was a virgin [Luke 1:27] ) then this is somehow supposed to call into question Mary’s virginity.

Sorry , I can’t really follow the reasoning on this one, but at any rate, here’s another good article to go along with bzkoss236’s links - this one from EWTN, by someone who did the homework on the etymology and which should help clear up the confusion ; wherever it lies : Brothers and Sisters of Jesus
(* Everybody say “ah” )

 

[ahs]

…if this is true then why is Elizabeth called “cousin” in the Bible.

And behold thy cousin Elizabeth, she also hath conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her that is called barren: [Luke 1:36]

It depends on teh translation you are using:

And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth… (RSV)
And now, your relative Elizabeth… (NRSV)
And behold, even your relative Elizabeth… (NAS)
Even Elizabeth your relative…(NIV)

There are many, many “versions” that attempt, in various ways, to communicate the original meaning of the Scriptures to us.

 

[rstrats]

What is there in scripture that makes it necessary to interpret “brother and sister” to mean something other than what it normally means?

 

[Genesis315]

If we interpret them as siblings, Scripture becomes internally contradictory.

St. Jerome dealt with this centuries ago when Helvidius made the same mistake. See below. The discussion on the passages mentioning brethren begins at paragraph 13:

ewtn.com/library/PATRISTC/PII6-11.TXT

Basically, the people called his “brother” are noted elsewhere in Scripture as being the sons of a different mother.

 

[bzkoss236]

What is there in scripture that makes it necessary to interpret “brother and sister” to mean something other than what it normally means?

Because just as we do today, when we call people we are close to our “brothers and sisters”, they also did back then, sometimes to an even greater extent.