Who were the "brothers" of Jesus?

[Miguel2]

The Church believes in only two James: James the lesser and James the greater.

 

[TMC]

Why does the Church keeps translating “adelphos” to “brothers”, when she knows that they are not Jesus’s brothers?

Because the word “adelphos” means “brothers.” Should the Church just change the text?

 

[BartholomewB]

The Church believes in only two James: James the lesser and James the greater.

Yes, I’ve often wondered what induced the Church to adopt that teaching. It may possibly be the historical truth, but on the other hand, it may not.

 

[Uriel1]

whatistrue:

You mean like the Church? Who just coincidentally is the organization who compiled the New Testament and decided which were the true Gospels

Well, for one, the doctrine you are perpetuating doesn’t even come from the Scriptures which the Church compiled into the Bible. Would you agree with me on that? Also, not every document that has originated from the Church was Orthodox. Or have we forgotten about guys like Origin, Arius, etc.? My point here is that the Church recognized the gospels as normative canon because they were true documents of the apostle’s preaching, yet, for reasons unknown, you are rejecting the Apostolic witness for something else.

It was Helvidius (c380) who first raised the idea that those called the brethren of Jesus 1 were His younger siblings, born to Mary from Joseph. St. Jerome rebutted this in a treatise called “On the Perpetual Virginity of the Blessed Mary,” available on-line, which employs both scriptural arguments, and cites early Church Fathers e.g., Ignatius, Polycarp, Irenaeus, and Justin Martyr.
Helvidius’ discredited idea then died for some 1500 years until the Protestant reformation

 

[jack63]

jack63:

but I struggled with this one…i.e. perpetual virginity

It makes sense when you consider that the Holy Spirit overshadowed her and she conceived. This implies a special relationship. Also, there is the tradition that Mary was a virgin consecrated to the Temple since infancy and had made a perpetual vow which God allowed her to keep.

I hear what you are saying, and this is a good point. My struggle came from Jesus’ teaching on marriage in Matthew 19…“one flesh”. However, yes if you look at Mary and her relationship with Joseph as something utterly unique, this is the path to be able to accept it…for me at least.

Also, it comes down to a simple argument. On some level it is really really not my place for me to judge what Mary and Joseph did with their relationship. So I don’t.

 

[EndTimes]

I understand that the “brothers” of Jesus were not really his brothers, but who exactly were they? I tried to search on internet, but I found different answers to this question.

Relatives… Cousins…

 

[Lunam_Meam]

Regarding Joseph’s brother, Alphaeus, he’s also referred to as Clopas.