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"Is not this the carpenter's son?," the Jews asked, "is not his mother called Mary? And his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are thy not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?" (Matt. 13: 55, 56).
Thats 4 and if you count the sisters....but still you will not accept this because it would kill the doctrine of the perpetual virginity of Mary. I understand your problem Dave, you're in a no win situation here.
When you have studied both sides and shaved away (Occam's razor) everything the plain truth screams thru.
BigMack

[55] Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?
[56] And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all this?"

Oh Mack you just don't get it. The four brothers/brethren were all the men there. All the sisters weren't identified but we are fortunate that the entire group of men (brothers/brethren) were identified.

Get it now?

By the same token Mark 3:32 And a crowd was sitting about him; and they said to him, "Your mother and your brothers are outside, asking for you." The "crowd" sitting about him didn't include any "brothers", they were all outside with his mother.

Now do you get it?

[55] Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?
[56] And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all this?"

Oh Mack you just don't get it. The four brothers/brethren were all the men there. All the sisters weren't identified but we are fortunate that the entire group of men (brothers/brethren) were identified.
Get it now?

By the same token Mark 3:32 And a crowd was sitting about him; and they said to him, "Your mother and your brothers are outside, asking for you." The "crowd" sitting about him didn't include any "brothers", they were all outside with his mother.

Now do you get it?

If this was supposed to make any sense, you failed on this end. Who said anything about the people listed being inclusive or exclusive or all there or all not there or whatever? This is confused.

SD