The Lord Jesus had brothers and sisters. His brothers were James, Joseph, Jude, and Simon (Matthew 13:55-56; Mark 6:3). Yet, there are different views held by Protestant, Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox about their role. Someone might ask: why is this an important subject for practical living? The conclusion will show that major doctrines have developed which impact entire systems of belief and actions. 

Before getting into the controversy, let’s consider some history about James and Jude. 

JAMES

He eventually became known as “James the Just”, the author of The Epistle of James. This was possibly the earliest epistle of the New Testament. 

Prior to the resurrection, Jesus’ brothers did not believe that He was the Messiah and spoke sarcastically to Him (John 7:3-5). This would have included James. He, like other Jews of that time, probably looked for a Messiah that would rise up militarily to oppose the Roman occupation of Palestine, not truly understanding the role of Christ. We do not know how James responded to the many miracles of Christ. 

After Jesus’ resurrection, James had a personal meeting with Jesus (1st Corinthians 15:7). This private meeting was possibly quite humbling yet revelatory for James. All of Jesus’ brothers were with the apostles in the upper room and present on the day of Pentecost (Acts 1:14). So they must have become believers after the resurrection. 

Two of Jesus’ original disciples were named James. Then there was James His brother, making things a bit confusing. James, His brother, eventually became the bishop and leader of the Church in Jerusalem. His elevation into a leadership role probably happened soon after the martyrdom of another James, who was known as James the elder, the brother of John (Acts 12:1). Peter acknowledged the new leadership role of James, the brother of Jesus, in Acts 12:17 just prior to his own departure from Jerusalem. 

One ancient writing that may or may not be true says that it was James who instructed Peter to go confront Simon the Magician in Caesarea (1). Paul refers to James as an apostle in Galatians 1:19. This confirms Peter’s recognition of James ascent in leadership. Galatians was probably Paul’s earliest epistle, written prior to the council of Jerusalem in c 49. James presided over that council directing the decisions (Acts 15:13, 19).

Regarding his marital status, 1st Corinthians 9:5 says the brothers of Jesus had wives that they took on their missionary journeys . So he was probably married. According to Josephus the historian, James was stoned to death in 63 AD by the order of the high priest, Ananus, of the sect of Sadducees (2). Hegesippus (170 AD) wrote that James had been thrown from a pinnacle and then stoned in 69. Just prior to dying he said, “God, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (3).

JUDE

We know relatively little about Jude’s life. He wrote the Epistle of Jude. As with James, he converted after Jesus’ resurrection. Also, he was married and traveled as a missionary (1st Corinthians 9:5). His epistle could have been written as early as 50 AD but probably later. His later acts are obscure as he is often confused with the apostle Jude Thaddaeus. 

THE CONTROVERSY

The characterization of their identities has caused controversy among the various Christian traditions. Three different theories have been promoted based upon doctrinal view point. They are: The brother theory; the half-brother theory; and the cousin theory. The first is held primarily by Protestants, the second by Eastern Orthodox, and the third by Roman Catholics. Below, I have portrayed the brother-theory as the most likely with an explanation following (4).

The explanation is somewhat complex but can be simplified into the following: The brother theory holds that Jesus was blood brothers with James, Jude, and the others through their mother Mary. The half-brother theory states that Joseph was their father but Mary was not their biological mother; it says that Joseph brought his sons and daughters from a former marriage into his marriage with Mary. In the cousin theory, the siblings of Jesus are actually distant relatives. Their mother is also called Mary, wife of Alphaeus and is sister to Mary, the mother of Jesus. This makes Jesus a cousin to them. 

The brother theory is held by Protestants. It is exegetically and biblically the most natural and sound. The biblical Greek word brother means brother, not cousin. The father of Latin theology, Tertullian (c. 150-220, held this view. The first century historian Josephus said James was Jesus’ brother. Also, the children were often with Mary (Matthew 12:46; 13:55; John 2:12). Why would they be with Mary if they were older than Jesus and had a different Mother? 

The only real objections to the brother theory are two: First, Mary would not be a perpetual virgin. The doctrine of Perpetual Virginity (she never had sex) is a foundational doctrine of both the Roman and Eastern Church (649 AD). Upon it rest the Catholic doctrines of the Immaculate Conception (1854) and the Bodily Assumption (1950). 

The Immaculate Conception is the doctrine that Mary was born without sin; some take it further to say she too was born to a virgin (5).  In the doctrine of Bodily Assumption Mary rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. Today, some even believe that she is the Co-Redeemer with Jesus. 

Ideas have consequences! These faulty doctrines have impacted the belief system and actions of millions of people in the history of Christianity. Second, why did Jesus ask John to care for Mary rather than His own family (John 19:25)? 

The simple answers to this are 1) John was His closest disciple: 2) He emphasized a spiritual relationship over a natural one (Matthew 12:48-50); and 3) His brothers were not yet believers (John 7:5). The half-brother and cousin theories were adopted by certain early Church fathers in the zealous age that leaned towards celibacy. Jerome promoted the cousin theory early in his career (383) “to save the virginity of both Mary and Joseph, and to reduce their marriage relationship to a merely nominal and barren connection” (6). Yet, later in his life he was not so sure about this theory. Today, the half-brother theory is held by Eastern Orthodox and the cousin theory by the Catholic Church. 

The cousin theory causes the most confusion. It is the one which proposes that Jesus’ brothers were actually three of the apostles: James is James the Younger, son of Alphaeus, Jude is Jude Thaddaeus, and Simon is Simon the Canaanite or Zealot. You can see how this confuses things for the modern student of early Church history! 

Yet, the cousin theory is not practical for many reasons. Here are some: 

The words “brother” and “cousin” are both found in the New Testament. James and the others are called Jesus’ brothers, not cousins by Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Paul. The authors knew the difference. 

Mary would have had a sister named Mary; this is not likely. 

No where does the Bible say that Joseph had children or that he was married prior to Mary. 

John 7:3-5 says Jesus’ “brothers” were not believers before the resurrection; thus they were neither apostles nor disciples. John 7:3 clearly distinguishes between Jesus’ brothers and the disciples, just as 1st Corinthians 9:5 distinguishes between the brothers and the apostles. 

In Matthew 12:46-50, Jesus, Him- self, distinguishes between His brothers and His disciples. 

Since Jesus only had four brothers according to Matthew and Mark, and the cousin theory states that three of them (James, Jude, and Simon) were apostles / disciples, then there would only be one other brother - Joseph. Yet, the Bible continually refers to Jesus “brothers” (plural) as being outside of the apostles. For instance, Acts 1:13 lists the eleven apostles (Judas had killed himself) waiting in the upper room, but the next verse adds to this group the mother and brothers of Jesus. Joseph would have been the only brother not yet mentioned, but the verse says “brothers”. Thus, the brothers were not listed among the twelve. This is clearly a contradiction in the cousin theory. 

Finally, it is only natural that Joseph would have had sex with his wife, Mary. An unconsummated marriage would be unlikely. 

CONCLUSION

At the heart of the debate is the status of the perpetual virginity of Mary, the mother of Jesus. To the Protestants, Mary was a virgin when she gave miraculous birth to Jesus. Afterwards, Mary and Joseph “knew” one another (Matthew 1:25). This same concept is used in Genesis 4:1 in which Adam “knew” Eve in an intimate, physical, conjugal sense, and she gave birth to Cain and then Abel. Thus Mary gave birth to the brothers and sisters of Jesus. 

Mary is to be honored but not worshipped, and to be fair, many Catholics agree with this. They worship Jesus and not Mary. Nowhere in Scripture does it say that we are to pray to Mary. She was not born with- out sin, nor to a virgin, nor did she rise from the dead and ascend into heaven. 

Final thought: if and when the Eastern Orthodox and especially the Catholic leaders accept the simple truth that the brothers of Jesus were indeed his blood brothers, it will have profound impact upon their entire belief system. It would free them from the bondage of traditionalism and put their focus upon the life-giving power of the Lord Jesus Christ! Let’s pray that they receive this revelation! 

1) Recognitions of Clement 1, 72, in Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 8 (Peabody, MS: Hendrickson Publishers, 2004), 96.

2) Josephus, Antiquity of the Jews, 20, 9, 1.

3) Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, Volume 1 (Peabody, MS: Hendrickson Publishers, 2002), 268. 

4) See Schaff, pages 272—277 for more information.

5) “The Immaculate Virgin Conception of the Virgin Mary”, www.catholicplanet.com [accessed 9/26/08]

6) Schaff, 274.