Question from an atheist.

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Question from an atheist.

First of all, i'm not one of those atheist who are going to spam this site with pointless arguments and so on. I respect your belife, and eventhough i do not share it, i still find it interesting to learn what people belive and all that.
Second. I'm from Norway, so my English isn't all that great, but i will do my best:)

As far as i have been thought, Jesus did not have any brothers or sisters, eventhough he lived in a time when it was usual to have 5-7 kids.
Joseph and Maria lived together for atleast 12 years- as far as i have understood it, it may be more but from what i have heard, Joseph is nowhere to be found in the bible after the story about Jesus telling him that he is in he's fathers house- the story where Joseph is looking for Jesus and finds him in a church or temple.

So my question is: Wouldnt it be odd for a family living together some 2000 years ago to only have one child? Is there some good explonation to this?

Thanks to enyone who replyes:)
 
You are probably getting this information from someone in the Roman Catholic Church.

I'm glad you took the time to address this question because I am bothered when I hear from people like yourself, who are not willing to accept the Word of God as absolute truth because they have been told things that make the scriptures appear to contradict themselves or make no sense at all.

First, you are correct, it would be "odd" to the extreme that Mary and Joseph had no other children. The RCC decided long ago that Jesus was so special that He could not have had siblings, (I can't help you if that makes no sense, as it makes no sense to most people.) and therefore refuse to accept the notion of Jesus siblings into their doctrinal understanding of the bible.

There are very specific doctrinal areas where the RCC and the reformed churches differ greatly and this is certainly one of them.

But please don't take my word for it, See for yourself...

Acts 1:14
Galatians 1:19
Matthew 12:46
John 2:12

The fact is that Jesus had at least four brothers and at least two sisters. His brothers names were, James, Joses, Simon and Judas, and one of His sister's names was Salome.
Mark 15:40 40Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome.
Mark 16:1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body.

Good for you! For taking the time to look up the truth. And praise be to God for guiding you to it.

Think about it my friend, If you truly do not believe in God, then why would you care about something that happened so long ago? :)

I hope this information in some way filled an empty space in your soul, and I do pray that you continue to seek the truth, not by what others tell you, but in the only place where the truth can be found, The Word of God.

Go in peace my friend.
 
Exactly. The Bible says old Joe did not have intimate relations with his wife (Mary) until after Jesus was born. After that she pursued the dream of all the Jewish ladies of her day and raised a good sized family with her husband.
 
You are probably getting this information from someone in the Roman Catholic Church.

I'm glad you took the time to address this question because I am bothered when I hear from people like yourself, who are not willing to accept the Word of God as absolute truth because they have been told things that make the scriptures appear to contradict themselves or make no sense at all.

First, you are correct, it would be "odd" to the extreme that Mary and Joseph had no other children. The RCC decided long ago that Jesus was so special that He could not have had siblings, (I can't help you if that makes no sense, as it makes no sense to most people.) and therefore refuse to accept the notion of Jesus siblings into their doctrinal understanding of the bible.

There are very specific doctrinal areas where the RCC and the reformed churches differ greatly and this is certainly one of them.

But please don't take my word for it, See for yourself...

Acts 1:14
Galatians 1:19
Matthew 12:46
John 2:12

The fact is that Jesus had at least four brothers and at least two sisters. His brothers names were, James, Joses, Simon and Judas, and one of His sister's names was Salome.
Mark 15:40 40Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome.
Mark 16:1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body.

Good for you! For taking the time to look up the truth. And praise be to God for guiding you to it.

Think about it my friend, If you truly do not believe in God, then why would you care about something that happened so long ago? :)

I hope this information in some way filled an empty space in your soul, and I do pray that you continue to seek the truth, not by what others tell you, but in the only place where the truth can be found, The Word of God.

Go in peace my friend.

Thanks for the reply:)

you said "Think about it my friend, If you truly do not believe in God, then why would you care about something that happened so long ago? :)"

I have always been a history geek, and have no problem with beliving that Jesus lived, same with Muhammed, Buddha and so on. I love finding answers to everything, and i am sorry to say that i find "God" a bit short of my taste. But i have never been unvilling to hear what belivers have to say.

We have a subject known as "KRL" in norway- Kristendom, religion og livssyn- Christianety, Religion and Belife and i have always been eger to read the books, check up on the information and so on, and who knows, one day i may hear the voice of God, and that day i will be a beliver, i promise you that. But for now, i find pleasure in what can be proven:)
 
We have a subject known as "KRL" in norway- Kristendom, religion og livssyn- Christianety, Religion and Belife and i have always been eger to read the books, check up on the information and so on, and who knows, one day i may hear the voice of God, and that day i will be a beliver, i promise you that. But for now, i find pleasure in what can be proven
smile.gif

Would you do me a favor please?
If on that day, you remember this conversation, please try to let me know. Because I am praying for you to hear that voice. :)
 
First of all, i'm not one of those atheist who are going to spam this site with pointless arguments and so on. I respect your belife, and eventhough i do not share it, i still find it interesting to learn what people belive and all that.
Second. I'm from Norway, so my English isn't all that great, but i will do my best:)

As far as i have been thought, Jesus did not have any brothers or sisters, eventhough he lived in a time when it was usual to have 5-7 kids.
Joseph and Maria lived together for atleast 12 years- as far as i have understood it, it may be more but from what i have heard, Joseph is nowhere to be found in the bible after the story about Jesus telling him that he is in he's fathers house- the story where Joseph is looking for Jesus and finds him in a church or temple.

So my question is: Wouldnt it be odd for a family living together some 2000 years ago to only have one child? Is there some good explonation to this?

Thanks to enyone who replyes:)
Jesus had 4 named brother, and a unnamed amount of sisters.
 
Hi,

I am glad, that I read your post. You are the first atheist I've met, who is interested in our believes.

Though your question is already answerd I'd like to add something to it. You have to make a difference between Catholics and us, Catholics changed so much things for their own. We beliefe in the Bible.

I'd like to ask you a little question about your opinion and some Bible facts, too.
I hope I haven't missed you and you'll have a look again at this post.

So my question is:
How do you think can it be that in the Old Testament, long before it was proven by Kopernikus, is said that the earth is a sphere and that it hoovers in space without visible hold. Actually, in (Job 26:7) the Bible says "He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing" evoking an earth in space, as the sun and moon. And in Isaiah 40:22 according to Gesenius's Lexicon, the original Hebrew word "chuwg" which means literally something with "roundness," a "sphere" of the earth.
Isn't that an astounding point of view for the time period this book was written?
 
What Is the Bible’s View?

Did Jesus Have Brothers and Sisters?

AMONG the truths that are plainly stated in the Christian Greek Scriptures is that Jesus Christ, when on earth, was the Son of God. In so many words he himself confessed to that fact to his opposers. (John 10:36) He also fully concurred with Peter’s confession: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”—Matt. 16:16, 17.

Further, those Scriptures clearly testify that Jesus was born of a virgin, Mary. Thus the apostle Matthew tells that before Joseph and Mary were united in marriage “she was found with child through the power of the Holy Spirit.” Matthew comments that this was in fulfillment of the prophecy that “the virgin shall be with child and give birth to a son.” To the same import is Luke’s testimony that the angel Gabriel appeared to the virgin Mary and told her that she would conceive and give birth to a son by power of the holy spirit.—Matt. 1:18-23; Luke 1:30-35, New American Bible.

There was compelling reason for Jesus to be born of a virgin. Had his mother been married and had she had intercourse with Joseph before she conceived by holy spirit, the question might well have been raised as to whose son Jesus was—God’s or Joseph’s. Besides, even as the high priest in Israel could marry only a virgin, so it was fitting that God use a virgin to bring forth his Son.

But was it necessary for Mary to remain a virgin after she gave birth to Jesus, and did she? In other words, was Jesus her only son or did she additionally have children by Joseph? Did Jesus have brothers and sisters—strictly speaking, half brothers and half sisters? The Scriptures give no reason why Mary should have remained a virgin. Having other children would have had no effect on Jesus. But did she or did she not bear other children?

No, say Roman Catholic theologians. A footnote on Mark 6:1-6 (NA) states: “The question about the brothers of Jesus and his sisters (v 3) cannot easily be decided on linguistic grounds. .*.*. The question of meaning here would not have arisen but for the faith of the church in Mary’s perpetual virginity.”—Italics added.

However, it is very difficult to find any basis in the Scriptures to support Mary’s “perpetual virginity.” For example, Matthew tells that Joseph “had no relations with her at any time before she bore a son, whom he named Jesus.” While not explicitly stating that she did have relations with Joseph after she bore Jesus, certainly that is implied by Matthew’s words. And the same can be said about Luke’s words that Mary “gave birth to her first-born son.”—Matt. 1:25; Luke 2:7, NA.

That she had other children besides Jesus is clear from the questions asked by Jesus’ townfolk who were well acquainted with his family: “Where did he get all this? What kind of wisdom is he endowed with? .*.*. Is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary, a brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not his sisters our neighbors here?”—Mark 6:2, 3, NA.

That Jesus had natural (half) brothers is also indicated by the fact that on one occasion he was told that “your mother and your brothers are standing out there and they wish to speak to you.” We further read that “not even his brothers had much confidence in him.”—Matt. 12:47; John 7:5, NA.

Moreover, after Jesus’ death and resurrection, we read that among those present in the upper room in Jerusalem were, in addition to the eleven apostles, others, including “Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.” It is therefore most likely that they were also present in the upper room when God’s holy spirit was poured out upon the one hundred and twenty disciples. (Acts 1:13-15; 2:1-4, NA) And, years later, the apostle Paul mentions the “Lord’s brothers.”—1*Cor. 9:5.

That Mary had other children also seems indicated by the incident that occurred when Jesus was twelve years old and Joseph took his family to Jerusalem for the festival. On the way back they had traveled a whole day before Mary noticed that Jesus was not with them. Had Jesus been her only child (and miraculously conceived at that), could we imagine her maternal instincts being so dormant that she would have started out without him and not missed him for a whole day? But if by this time she had six or more children by Joseph, we can imagine her having been so busy that she might not have missed Jesus for a whole day.—Luke 2:41-50.

True, the question might be asked, If Mary had other children, why did Jesus entrust his mother to his apostle John instead of to her other children? For one thing, his other brothers may not have been at the site of his impalement, they apparently not yet having become believers. Also, of his disciples, John was closest to Jesus, and had a spiritual relationship with him that exceeded any natural relationship.—John 19:26, 27.

Arguing against all this testimony, Catholic theologians state: “Greek-speaking Semites used the terms adelphos and adelphē, not only in the ordinary sense [as meaning “brothers” and “sisters”], but also for nephew, niece, half-brother, half-sister, and cousin.” This argument was first presented by Jerome, the early Catholic Church “father,” and goes back no earlier than 383*C.E. But he produces neither Scripture nor tradition to support his position. The fact is that in his later writings he expressed misgivings as to the soundness of his theory that, when the Scriptures spoke of the “brothers” of Jesus, “cousins” were meant.—St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians, Lightfoot.

The fact is that, had others than brothers or sisters been involved, Bible characters and Bible writers would have used the Greek word for “relatives,” namely, syggenon. Thus Jesus said: “A prophet is not unhonored except in his home territory and among his relatives and in his own house.” Clearly, here Jesus makes a distinction between “relatives” and those of one’s own house.—Mark 6:4.

Jesus made the same distinction when he said: “When you spread a dinner or evening meal, do not call your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors.”—Luke 14:12; 21:16.

Why has the Catholic Church made the matter of Mary’s being a virgin perpetually a teaching of the Church though it is without any support in tradition or Scripture? No doubt because of the sanctity that virginity is supposed to impart. But, according to the Bible, virginity is only a virtue among single persons. The apostle Paul tells married people not to deprive each other of the marital due, which Mary would have done had she remained a virgin after bearing Jesus.—1*Cor. 7:3-5.

Yes, we do no dishonor to Mary when we accept that she gave Joseph his marital due as a dutiful wife should and as a result had children besides Jesus. So, both reason and the Scriptures indicate that Jesus did have half brothers and half sisters.
 
I just wanted to say that My Savior was the only God to rise again.

He was seen by 500 hundred people in His time...

He was prophesied in the O.T. exactly as how He came into the world.

I encourage you to read John 12 through 21.

I will, also, pray that you will hear the Lord's calling....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Father, I come to You tonight asking You to touch this person in a very special way.

Lord, I pray You reveal Yourself to this person.

Let them feel Your sweet holy presence.

Save them...

In Jesus' name,
Amen



No other god did what Jesus did...
 
I pray that you will continue to seek and inquire and question. That you will understand the love that God showed in allowing His only begotten Son to come and die for your sins in order to redeem you.

Yes, Jesus was born of an earthly mother, Mary, but God is the father of Jeus. No there were no other FULL brothers in that God was not the father of any other earthly "sons" conceived in any woman. Jesus did have half-brothers - born of Mary and Joseph - as others have written in this forum.

Continue to inquire but do it with an open mind and an open heart.
 
I think others here have done a wonderful job answering your question. I pray along with others here that you will come to believe in God and receive his wonderful Salvation. Keep asking these good questions and seeking answers.
 
First of all, i'm not one of those atheist who are going to spam this site with pointless arguments and so on. I respect your belife, and eventhough i do not share it, i still find it interesting to learn what people belive and all that.
Second. I'm from Norway, so my English isn't all that great, but i will do my best:)

As far as i have been thought, Jesus did not have any brothers or sisters, eventhough he lived in a time when it was usual to have 5-7 kids.
Joseph and Maria lived together for atleast 12 years- as far as i have understood it, it may be more but from what i have heard, Joseph is nowhere to be found in the bible after the story about Jesus telling him that he is in he's fathers house- the story where Joseph is looking for Jesus and finds him in a church or temple.

So my question is: Wouldnt it be odd for a family living together some 2000 years ago to only have one child? Is there some good explonation to this?

Thanks to enyone who replyes:)

What I find to be more odd is that some people believe a virgin can have a baby.
 
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