Mary's Other Children

[Suzanne Sutton]

[:"blue"]Mary's Other Children

Br. H. says that Mary, the mother of Jesus did not have other children. He claims those mentioned in the Bible as Jesus' brothers were Joseph's sons. I have always believed that she indeed had more children after Jesus. Can someone clear this up?

Suzanne [/]

[Nan]

I do not think there is a Biblical answer to this question - there is nothing to distinguish whether those mentioned as Jesus's siblings had Mary for their biological mother or just Joseph as their biological father.

[Kevin H]

Many scholars feel that Mary at least did not have any other male children after Jesus. Some of the pieced of evidence is the little mention in scripure they treat Jesus as a younger brother, in ways that they would not treat an older brother.

Second is that at the cross Jesus named John to care for Mary. Had Mary had other sons they would have been responsible, but if they had another mother, then they did not have that responsibility and Jesus would have found another.

[Suzanne Sutton]

[:"blue"]Brethren, here are some Bible text that should shed more light on the subject:

Matthew 13:55, 56 - "Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?"

Matthew 27:56 - "Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's children.

Mark 6:3 - "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.

Mark 15:40 - "There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome;

Mark 16:1 - "And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the Mother of James, and Salome, had brought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint Him."

Galatians 1:19 - "But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother."

See a complete explanation at this web site:

http://www.mountainretreatorg.net/faq/sisters.html

Comment: We also know that Joseph, Jesus' stepfather, had sons who were older than Jesus. The Desire of Ages, p. 87, says"...His brothers. Being older than Jesus, they felt that He should be under their dictation...." However, the Bible text mentioned above refers to the offspring of Mary and Joseph.

Suzanne

[Gus Foster]

Suzanne--It is great that you prove your point with Scripture---

Quote:

---

Matthew 13:55, 56 - "Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?"

Matthew 27:56 - "Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's children.

Mark 6:3 - "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.

Mark 15:40 - "There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome;

Mark 16:1 - "And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the Mother of James, and Salome, had brought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint Him."

---

If all of us would follow your example their would be far less squabballing and far more conversions. In these final days, as the Holy Spirit is being removed from the earth, and as the angels on the four corners of the earth are releasing the whirlwinds, and as final eternal decisions are being made, we must quote and teach Scripture, and let our human conversations be less: "He must increase, and we must decrease". Thank you!

I was taking with one the other day and he was becrying that some were teaching that the 'immaculate Mary, etrnal virgin' was being shamed by claiming she had other children. He was upset that Scripture said otherwise. We are making our decisions.

[Nan]

I still do not think these texts prove that Mary the mother of Jesus was the mother of the mentioned siblings of Jesus. They could have been the children of Joseph from a prior marriage. Traditionally, Joseph was older than Mary.

Please note, I have absolutely no desire to prove that Mary was a perpetual virgin. In fact I think that Matthew 1:25 indicates quite the opposite. But I cannot read into the above texts that the mother of these people was indisputably Mary, the mother of Jesus.