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BROTHERS OF THE LORD

The four Gospels refer to “brothers” (Gk. adelphoí) of Jesus. While John (2:12; 7:3-10) never names them, Mark 6:3 ( = Matt. 13:54-56) identifies them as “James and Joses (Joseph) and Judas and Simon” and indicates that Jesus had more than one sister. The Gospels also agree that none of his brothers believed in him during his lifetime (Mark 3:31-35 = Matt. 12:46-50 = Luke 8:19-20; John 7:3-10). Luke-Acts, however, adds that Jesus’ brothers were present in the upper room after his ascension (Acts 1:14, 16), and Paul passes on the tradition that Jesus personally appeared to his brother James (1 Cor. 15:7), who quickly became a leader in the early Church (Acts 12:17; 15:13; 21:18; Gal. 1:19; 2:9). The books of James and Jude can be attributed to Jesus’ brothers. Later tradition reports that after James was martyred (ca. 61 a.d.), Simon took over as leader of the Jerusalem church.

Jerome suggested that the Greek term be interpreted in the above contexts as “relatives,” and he suggested that these men are cousins of Jesus, sons of Mary, wife of Clopas (Jesus’ aunt; John 19:25), who is identified with “Mary the mother of James (and Joseph)” (Mark 16:1 = Matt. 27:56 = Luke 24:10). This interpretation would preserve the perpetual virginity of Mary the mother of Jesus. Before this view arose, however, and since the Reformation, scholars argued that the most natural meaning of the Greek term is “brothers,” which makes the best sense of Mark 6:3; Acts 1:14. According to this understanding, after the birth of Jesus Mary had other children by Joseph.

Bibliography. R. Bauckham, Jude and the Relatives of Jesus in the Early Church (Edinburgh, 1990).

Peter H. Davids

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

BROTHERS OF THE LORD

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)