[blue-duncan]

I appreciate what you have said but that doesn't explain the listing of the names of the brothers. It also does not explain the double use of adelphos for brothers and sisters. If they were talking about cousins, one word would have sufficed for male and female, especially when we have a word for cousin in Luke.

All of the other uses of the word in the New Testament are for members in a believing community, Israel or the church.

[Kolokotronis]

"I appreciate what you have said but that doesn't explain the listing of the names of the brothers. It also does not explain the double use of adelphos for brothers and sisters. If they were talking about cousins, one word would have sufficed for male and female, especially when we have a word for cousin in Luke." You've lost me. What would listing the names have to do with it? And as for using the masculine αδελφος for brothers and sisters, well, we all say Τον δι'ημας τους ανθρωπους (Who for us men) in the Creed but we mean all humans.

[annalex]

that doesn't explain the listing of the names of the brothers

I stand by Kolokotronis' 681. You go by vernacular meaning and studiously avoid the original usage.

The listing of the name is the broad context that you miss. Mark gives a part of that list as children of Mary Cleopas.

The fact that "adelphos" was used to indicate spiritual kinship in absence of blood relation is alone a good reason not not replace it with the specific designation like xanadelphos or syggenos when applied to disciples who are also blood relatives.

And, where is your literalism when it comes to James 2?