Ask Catholics What We Believe: Mary did NOT have other Children

It is said by non-Catholics that Mary had other children. No, she did not.

These are the names that Protestants use to say Jesus had blood brothers and sisters. They are "James, Joseph, Simon, Jude, and His sisters. " They are NEVER referred to as "The sons and daughters of Joseph." Nor are they referred to as "The sons and daughters of Joseph and Mary."

In Luke: 4:22 we read:

22: "All gave testimony to him. And they wondered at the words of grace that proceeded from his mouth. And they said, Is this not the son of Joseph?"

In John 6:42 we read:

42: "And they said, is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?"

In Matthew 13:55 we read:

55: "Is this not the carpenters son? Is not his mother called Mary, and his brethren James, and Joseph, and Simon, and Jude?"

And in Mark 6:3 we read:

3: "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joseph, and Jude, and Simon? Are not also his sisters here with us? And they were scandalized in regard of him."

We are going to look at the word "Adelphos."

The Greek word in the New Testament for "brother" is "Adelphos," and it was NOT used only in reference to "blood brothers." It was also used when referring to "kinsman, half-brothers and sisters, step-brothers and sisters, common national ancestry, countrymen, and associates."

The confusion over the use of the word "adelphos" starts with the Hebrew and Aramaic languages. There was no "special" word in these languages for relationships such as brother, kinsman, cousin, and the like. The Greek word "adelphos" was used to represent all of these different relationships without any of the distinctions that we have in the English language.

When both the Old and New Testament were translated into the Greek, the word "adelphos" was used like an "umbrella" to cover all of these relationships in a generic manner without making any distinction between them.

Now, we are going to look at Scripture once again.

In Matthew 4: 21-22 we read:

21: "And going on from there, he saw two other brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John, his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their FATHER, mending their nets: and he called them."

22: "And they forthwith left their nets and FATHER, and followed Him."

John cannot be one of the blood brothers (adelphos) of Jesus because we know his father is Zebedee. Joseph would be considered (adelphos), and James is not the brother (adelphos) because his father is also Zebedee. In fact, James did not even know who Jesus was until He came to them in the boat and called them to be fishers of men.

In Luke 6: 14-16 we read:

14: "Simon, whom He surnamed Peter, and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew."

15: "Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alpheus, and Simon who is called the Zealot."

16: "And Jude the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, who was the traitor."

In these verses we see a "different James" who is the son of Alpheus, and not the son of Zebedee. This other James cannot be the blood brother of Jesus, either.

We also see in these verses the name "Simon." This is a different Simon who cannot be His blood brother. This Simon was a Kananite, and not the son of Mary and Joseph.

In John 19:25 we read:

25: "Now there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalen."

We see in this verse there are "three" different women with the name of Mary. Many people fail to notice this and they confuse the Mother of Jesus with one of the other Mary's and attribute false things to her.

We know these other two "Mary's" are not the "blood sisters" of Jesus who were "waiting outside for Jesus."

All of the names where Jesus "allegedly" had blood brothers and sisters waiting for Him outside have been accounted for.

Roger L.