Replies

OK, an exhaustive search of the New Testament for "James" finds no indicator that there is some third magical James, a biolgical child of Joseph and Mary who suddenly becomes a trusted Apostle sometime after the Resurrection of Jesus.

We do find these however:

Matthew 13:55 Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?

Jesus has "brothers" (kin) called James and Joses and Judas. Keep thisin mind.

Mark 15:40 There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome;

A Mary is named as the mother of James (the less, referring to the two Apostles. James son of Zebedee is James the greater) and Joses. Curiously, if this same Apostle James is Jesus's half-brother, Mary, of the virgin birth is not mentioned as Jesus's mother, but only as James and Joses's mother.

Luke 6:16 And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.

James has a brother Judas (not Iscariot). Among Jesus' kin listed in Matt 13:55 is a James with a brother Judas. We've already seen James and Joses linked.

Luke 24:10 It was Mary Magdalene and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles.

Same Mary, mother of James telling the news to the Apostles after the Resurrection. Again, curious that Jesus' mother is not identified as such here, if she is also the mother of James.

Acts 1:13 And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.

11 Apostles (Iscariot missing, of course) right at the beginning of Acts. Waiting for Pentecost and selecting Matthias as a new Apostle. It would seem if some new James was to come into the picture, it would get mentioned at some point.

Jude 1:1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:

Again, Jude is named as a brother of James and not a brother of Jesus Christ, though we know from Matt 13:55 that a Judas is counted among the "brothers" of Jesus and James.

So, there it is. All these references to a James who is the son of Alphaeus. It's a shame none will look at this and truly analyze it, instead you will point to me that Matt 13:55 contains the English word "brother."