Christ was also referred to having sisters as well as brothers. Tell me there’s no aramaic words for sister.
To call Mary and Joseph faithful and pious but not have them consummate their marriage the way faithful and pious Jews would have - after Jesus’ birth - is absurd. There was no command she was never to have relations with her husband even after Christ was born. No command to remain a virgin forever. Nowhere.
**For example, when the “brothers of Jesus” are referred to in Scripture, it’s important to know that they are cousins, not children of Mary. We know this because Aramaic has no word for “cousin” and Semitic cultures usually consider all male relatives as “brother” or “uncle.”**
Logical fallacy. We do not know they are cousins just because the word for brother is used for cousins. The exact same fallacy could be used to claim that we know they were the Lord’s brothers, because the word is used for brother.
By the use of this word, we know that they were either his brothers or his cousins, or possibly some of each. But we do not know that they were his cousins and not his brothers.
Do the Catholics pretend that Mary remained a virgin? This little bit of word twisting above to “prove” it is a dishonest attempt....because, of course, there are many women who never bore children who were nevertheless not virgins...the same faulty, disingenuous logic.
For example, when the “brothers of Jesus” are referred to in Scripture, it’s important to know that they are cousins, not children of Mary. We know this because Aramaic has no word for “cousin” and Semitic cultures usually consider all male relatives as “brother” or “uncle.” In fact, not to refer to a male relative as “brother” or “father” or “uncle” is a way of distancing oneself from them. If we try to go with the English word, or even the Greek one, then we run the risk of drawing the wrong conclusion from the word “brother” or “rock,” and that weakens our personal understanding of the faith.
>Christ was also referred to having sisters as well as brothers.<
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I know a Christian Sri Lankan who lives in the Dallas area who, even today, refers to his cousins, nephews and nieces as his brothers and sisters.
It’s a common practice since ancient times in the East, he says.
Christ was also referred to having sisters as well as brothers. Tell me there’s no aramaic words for sister.
Supposing that Mary was a perpetual virgin is an assumption.
And supposing she had other children is also an assumption.
I assume that the assumption that Mary only had one child is probably true because Jesus gave John the care of his mother.
Also if Mary had other children he no doubt would have been a hero to at least one of them.
In the one conversation I am familiar with that was recorded between them they do not appear to talk to Jesus as an older brother but as one would talk to a younger brother, John 7:3-5
Mathew 13
Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?
Why is it that the brothers are known so well? could it be because they were older? and even the sisters were known.
I think it would not be likely that the younger would be better known than the older.
We all have our assumptions but assumptions is all they are.