Sound Doctrine, the Bible above all. by E.G - HTML preview
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THE BROTHERS OF JESUS
Matthew 13:55-56 |
"55 Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother's name Mary, and his brothers, James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? 56 Aren't all your sisters with us? Whence then does this man have all these things?" (James, leader of the church in Jerusalem) |
Matthew 12:46-50 (Mark 3:31-35; Luke 8:19-21) |
"46 While Jesus was speaking to the crowd, his mother and brothers appeared. They stayed outside, and wanted to talk to him. 47 Someone said to him, "Your mother and siblings are outside and want to talk to you." 48 "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" Jesus replied. 49 Pointing to his disciples, he added, "Here are my mother and my brothers. 50 For my brother, my sister, and my mother are the ones who do the will of my Father who is in heaven." |
Mark 6:3 |
"Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon? Are not your sisters also here with us? And they were scandalized by him." |
The Bible shows us the entire family of Jesus, who come to seek Him and at the same time Jesus declares that all those who are His disciples (verse 49) are part of the family of God.
Jesus' language in this passage may have shocked the audience. Family relationships were extremely important in first-century Palestinian society. But Jesus was not impolite, but wanted to emphasize two related themes, first his brothers had come to apprehend him (Mark 3:21 "21 When his own men heard him, they came to arrest him; for they said, He is beside himself.") Since His brothers did not believe in Him (John 7:2-5).
And he distanced himself from the obligations of honoring the family in favor of his highest calling. Second, he praised those who made a similar decision. (Matthew 19:27). With the utmost emphasis, he exalted the pursuit of God's will above all else. In time, his relatives became his followers: Acts 1:14 "All these continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and with Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers."
Galatians 1:18-19 |
"18 After three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and stayed with him fifteen days; 19 But I saw no other of the apostles except James the brother of the Lord." |
Jude 1 |
"Judas, the servant of Jesus Christ, and the brother of James, to those who are called, sanctified in God the Father, and kept in Jesus Christ:" |
Acts 12:17 |
"But he made a sign to them with his hand to be silent, and told them how the Lord had brought him out of prison. And he said, "Make this known to James and to the brothers." And he went out, and went to another place." |
Judas is also identified as the "brother of James" (Jude v1) the only brothers in the New Testament who are named Judas and James are the half-brothers of Jesus (Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3). One of the reasons why Jude mentioned James, may be the importance of his brother as a leader of the church in Jerusalem, would serve to clarify his own identity and authority.
This is how God's Word describes it:
Mark 6:3 "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon? Are not your sisters also here with us? And they were scandalized by him." |
James, leader of the church in Jerusalem, writes in his epistle to his scattered sheep. Half-brother of Jesus and leader of the church in Jerusalem, he is generally regarded as the author of the epistle that bears his name. His speech at the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15:13-21), as well as other descriptions of him elsewhere in the New Testament. (Acts 12:17; 21:18; Galatians 1:19; 2:9,12; 1 Corinthians 15:7).
Galatians 2:9,12 |
9 "And though I knew the grace that had been given to me, James, Cephas, and John, who were counted as pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand as a sign of fellowship, that we might go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcision." 12 "For before any came from James, he ate with the Gentiles; but after they came, he withdrew and withdrew, because he was afraid of those of the circumcision." |
Acts 21:18 |
"The next day Paul went in with us to see James, and all the elders were assembled;" |
1Corinthians 15:7 |
"Then he appeared to James, and afterwards to all the apostles." |
James, the brother of Jesus, had not followed the Lord during his ministry (John 7:5, "For even his brethren did not believe in him"). But he was converted after his resurrection (Acts 1:14); 1 Corinthians 15:7 "And he appeared unto James; then all the apostles," and later emerged as a leader in the church in Jerusalem Acts 21:18 "And the next day Paul went in with us to see James, and all the elders were gathered together."
Acts 15:13-21 (Council in Jerusalem, speech of James, Jesus' half-brother in Jerusalem) |
"13 And when they were silent, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hear me. 14 Simon has told how God first visited the Gentiles, to take people from them for his name. 15 And with this the words of the prophets agree, as it is written, 16 After this I will return And I will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which is fallen; And I will repair its ruins, And I'll pick it up again 17 That the rest of men may seek the Lord, And all the Gentiles, on whom my name is called, 18 Says the Lord, who has made all these things known from ancient times. 19 Therefore I judge that the Gentiles who turn to God should not be troubled, 20 but let it be written to them to turn away from the defilements of idols, of fornication, of the choke, and of blood. 21 For Moses has of old in every city someone to preach it in the synagogues, where it is read every Sabbath." |
John 7:2-9 |
"2 The feast of the Jews, the feast of tabernacles, was at hand; 3 His brothers said to him, "Get out of here and go to Judea, so that your disciples also may see the works you are doing." 4 For no one who seeks to make himself known does anything in secret. If you do these things, manifest yourself to the world. 5 For even his brothers did not believe in him. 6 Then Jesus said to them, "My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready." 7 The world cannot hate you; but he hates me, because I testify of him, that his deeds are evil. 8 Go up to the feast; I am not yet going up to that party, because my time has not yet been fulfilled. 9 And when he had told them this, he stayed in Galilee." |
John 2:12 |
"After this he and his mother and his brothers and his disciples went down to Capernaum; and they were there not many days." |
- MARY AND JESUS' BROTHERS PARTICIPATED IN THE EARLY CHURCH.
Acts 1:14 |
All these persevered with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and with Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. |