Mary of the Bible certainly did have other children...
Matthew 12:46-47—
“While He was still speaking to the multitudes, behold, His mother “and brothers” were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him. And someone said to Him, “Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside seeking to speak to You.”
Matthew 13:55—
“Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary, and ‘His brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?”
Mark 6:2-3—
“And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue; and the many listeners were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things, and what is this wisdom given to Him, and such miracles as these performed by His hands?... “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and ‘brother of James, and Joses, and Judas, and Simon? Are not ‘His sisters’ here with us?”
John 2:12—
“After this He went down to Capernaum, He and His mother, and ‘His brothers’, and His disciples; and there they stayed a few days.”
Acts 1:14—
“These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, ‘and with His brothers’.”
1 Cor. 9:4-5—
“Do we not have a right to eat and drink? Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles, ‘and’ the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?”
Gal. 1:19—
But I did not see any other of the apostles except James, ‘the Lord’s brother’..
You are my brother in Christ, correct?
Such was the connotation used in Biblical times.
In act, Paul uses “Brothers and sisters” quite often.
Christ was Mary’s only child.
Are you aware that they lives in little communities with neighbors? May four or six houses that shared a well and a cooking fire?
These were hteir brothers and sisters.
Another thing — the word for cousin isn’t used that much. The words brothers and sisters are substituted for it.
Can you post the context with each of those? It makes a difference.
Thanks for those verses.
It’s pretty clear that Jesus was not an only child.
Nothing like a little sibling rivalry to test one’s character.
After all, He was tempted in every way just as we are and yet was without sin.
That precludes a perfect mother and no siblings.
I can see it now. Mary says to one of the other kids....”Why can’t you be more like Jesus?”
Can you imagine how many times they must have set Him up to fall, trying to trap Him into doing something He shouldn’t?