http://www.fisheaters.com/mary.html
Matthew 27: 55-56 tells us of three women at the Cross: “And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him: Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedees children.”
Mark 15:40 tells us of the three women there, “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.”
John 19:25 is the most inclusive, telling us of four women’s presence, “Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.” (Note here the reference to Mary’s “sister” who’s named Mary!)
Putting all these together, we can cross off Joses and James the Less as being Jesus’ blood brothers because their mother is the wife of Cleophas.
We can cross Simon off the list because Mark 3:18 tells us he is a Canaanite, “And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite...”
Jude, we are told in Jude 1:1, is the “servant of Jesus Christ and the brother of James.”
Crossing just one name off the list is enough to prove the point that the Hebrew word “brother” means many things (just as the word does in English today, my “brother or sister in Christ!”) and to prove that this is so even in the very particular context of Mark 6:3.
St. Papias, writing in the first and early second centuries and called by St. Irenaeus a “hearer of John,” refers clearly to all the above Marys in his letter, a fragment of which survives to this day. He writes:
Mary the mother of the Lord; Mary the wife of Cleophas or Alphaeus, who was the mother of James the bishop and apostle, and of Simon and Thaddeus, and of one Joseph; Mary Salome, wife of Zebedee, mother of John the evangelist and James; Mary Magdalene. These four are found in the Gospel. James and Judas and Joseph were sons of an aunt of the Lord’s. James also and John were sons of another aunt of the Lord’s. Mary, mother of James the Less and Joseph, wife of Alphaeus was the sister of Mary the mother of the Lord, whom John names of Cleophas, either from her father or from the family of the clan, or for some other reason. Mary Salome is called Salome either from her husband or her village. Some affirm that she is the same as Mary of Cleophas, because she had two husbands. [read the complete letter fragment here: http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0125.htm.
And perhaps I missed this in the Bible. Where is Jesus called one of the sons of Mary or a son of Mary? He is always called the son. (Singular)
**we can cross off Joses and James.....We can cross Simon off.... Crossing just one name off the list is enough to prove the point..**
Common names make your position rather weak. After all, there are four Marys mentioned in the gospels. In the lineage recorded in Luke, there are four Josephs. That’s just one family tree that liked that name.
Back in the 80’s I worked at place with about 11 mechanics, 7 named ‘Jim’. One day, at breaktime, a fellow walked in asking if the place was hiring. One of the guys spoke up: “It would improve your chances if your name is Jim.” The fellow promptly replied, “It CAN be!”, to which everyone laughed. (he ended up getting hired, even though his name was Mark)
**St. Papias, writing in the first and early second centuries and called by St. Irenaeus a “hearer of John,” refers clearly to all the above Marys in his letter, a fragment of which survives to this day.**
People had to make a living back then, just like today. If writing a book about history pays the bills, then write it. It doen’t have to accurate, if a payday is the main goal. I find it amazing that, just because a document is really old, it is regarded as accurate, even if the scriptures seem to prove otherwise.
**Where is Jesus called one of the sons of Mary or a son of Mary? He is always called the son. (Singular)**
Because, in your obsession in elevating Mary to almost-God status, you overlook that the primary subject of the discussion in Mark 6:3 is not Mary, but Jesus. Mary is referred to as his mother, as a sidenote to the fact that the hearers were astonished at the wisdom and miracles of “this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.”
They were offended that this whippersnapper, that grew up in a normal family with siblings (though they knew not of his virgin birth), was suddenly teaching in the synagogue. This carpenter, teaching in the synagogue with authority, without going to seminary? (so to speak)
Since the RCC stance is that those others in Mark 6:3 are not sons of the same Mary, then maybe Andrew and Simon Peter weren’t really full brothers either. Maybe I should write a book about that. heh