Are you confusing the words “brothers” or “sisters” with the word in use at that time: “brethren”, which was used for all relatives?
They were extended family or friends.
Many minister use the phrase “Brothers and sisters”, but they are really talking to their congregation.
No confusion on our part. They are grouping this Mans family. Specifically His father, mother and siblings.
They were extended family or friends.
It certainly was not and they are not...
Brothers
ἀδελφός
adelphos
ad-el-fos'
From G1 (as a connective particle) and δελφύς delphus (the womb); a brother (literally or figuratively) near or remote (much like [H1]): - brother.
Adelphos means a male blood relative from the same, immediate family...Either literally or figuratively...
Many minister use the phrase “Brothers and sisters”, but they are really talking to their congregation.
Do you have any idea why??? No??? It's because we have all been born again...From Above...From the same father...We are blood brothers spiritually and figuratively...
And sisters???
ἀδελφή
adelphē
ad-el-fay'
Feminine of G80; a sister (natural or ecclesiastical): - sister.
This makes it so simple you couldn't miss it with the Hubble telescope...
Adelphe is a natural (real blood) sister or an ecclesiastical, born again sister, born from God, the same as 'brothers'...
Those words have never meant cousin, nephew, kin, aunt, uncle or kinsmen...
And since these words are used to describe Jesus' immediate family, we know that Jesus had brothers and sisters...And the only way they could be natural brothers and sisters is if they all had the same father, or mother...
http://biblehub.com/greek/80.htm
adelphos: a brother
Original Word: ἀδελφός, οῦ, ὁ
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: adelphos
Phonetic Spelling: (ad-el-fos')
Short Definition: a brother
Definition: a brother, member of the same religious community, especially a fellow-Christian.
Here is a link to the occurrences of the Greek word *adelphos*.
http://biblehub.com/greek/80.htm
The word *sister* (adelphe) in the Greek is the same.
http://biblehub.com/greek/79.htm
The word used is *brother* not *cousin*.
It can't mean a member of the same religious community in the context in which they occur, because then that would mean every man in Israel could be identified as Jesus' brother. So that would not identify Jesus as anyone in particular's brother.
It's not going to mean *brother in Christ* as that concept was not yet in place and the Jews, who knew Jesus as a Jew and knew His brothers as Jews, would not even begin to understand the new birth and what being in Christ meant.
They didn't even understand who JESUS was, much less being a *brother in Christ*.
The only definition left then, is to mean physical brother.
And it would not be *cousin*.
The word for *relative* that is used for Elizabeth is *suggenes*, not *adelphe*.
http://biblehub.com/greek/4773.htm
Strong's Concordance
suggenes: akin, a relative
Original Word: συγγενής, ές
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: suggenes
Phonetic Spelling: (soong-ghen-ace')
Short Definition: akin, a relative
Definition: akin to, related; subst: fellow countryman, kinsman.