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Brothers and Sisters?
OSV.com ^ | 05-01-17 | Msgr. Charles Pope

Posted on 05/13/2017 6:28:38 AM PDT by Salvation

Brothers and Sisters?

Q. I know that the Church believes in Mary’s perpetual virginity, but what are we to make of the passages in the Gospel that refer to Jesus’ brothers and sisters?

Rose, via email

A. There are a number of places in the New Testament (see Mk 3:31-34; 6:3; Mt 12:46; 13:55; Lk 8:19-20; Jn 2:12; 7:3-10; Acts 1:14; and 1 Cor 9:5) where Jesus’ kinsfolk are mentioned using terms such as “brother” (adelphos), “sister” (adelphe) or “brethren” (adelphoi). But “brother” has a wider meaning both in the Scriptures and at the time they were written. It is not restricted to our literal meaning of a full brother or half-brother in the sense of sibling.

Even in the Old Testament “brother” had a wide range of meaning. In the Book of Genesis, for example, Lot is called Abraham’s brother (see 14:14), but his father was Haran — Abraham’s brother (Gn 11:26-28). So, Lot was actually a nephew of Abraham.

The term “brother” could also refer widely to friends or mere political allies (see 2 Sm 1:26; Am 1:9). Thus, in family relationships, “brother” could refer to any male relative from whom you are not descended. We use words like kinsmen and cousins today, but the ancient Jews did not.

In fact, neither Hebrew nor Aramaic had a word meaning “cousin.” They used terms such as “brother,” “sister” or, more rarely, “kin” or “kinsfolk” (syngenis) — sometimes translated as “relative” in English.

James, for example, whom St. Paul called the “brother of the Lord” (Gal 1:19), is identified by Paul as an apostle and is usually understood to be James the Younger. But James the Younger is elsewhere identified as the son of Alphaeus (also called Clopas) and his wife, Mary (see Mt 10:3; Jn 19:25). Even if James the Greater were meant by St. Paul, it is clear that he is from the Zebedee family, and not a son of Mary or a brother of Jesus (in the strict modern sense) at all.

The early Church was aware of the references to Jesus’ brethren, but was not troubled by them, teaching and handing on the doctrine of Mary’s perpetual virginity. This is because the terms referring to Jesus’ brethren were understood in the wider, more ancient sense. Widespread confusion about this began to occur after the 16th century with the rise of Protestantism and the loss of understanding the semantic nuances of ancient family terminology.


TOPICS: Apologetics; Catholic; History; Theology
KEYWORDS: catholic; consummatemarriage; godsblessing; holymatrimony; husbandandwife; marriage; virginbirthfulfilled; vows
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To: Arthur McGowan
Since you persist in repeating the slander that Catholics believe Mary is other than a human being, nothing you say interests me.

Since you persist in posting non-biblical 'information' that shows that Catholics believe Mary is MUCH MORE than a NORMAL human being, EVERYTHING you say interests me.

I hope you do not get tired of seeing so much SCRIPTURE used to refute Rome's vain imaginations.

461 posted on 05/20/2017 2:31:52 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Arthur McGowan

I don’t understand how you can stand
wallowing around with these jabbering, spittle-flecked demons.



462 posted on 05/20/2017 2:39:45 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: af_vet_1981
There is no scriptural mention that any of Jesus' brethren were younger than him.


There is no scriptural mention that any of Jesus' cousins were older than him.

463 posted on 05/20/2017 2:40:50 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: af_vet_1981
Indeed, if one uses the scriptural example of Joseph delivering his brethren who rejected him, one notices that the brethren who initially did not honor Joseph were all older brethren.

I have to admit that I've failed to notice it.

Could you show it to me from and older; MUCH MORE reliable translation?

464 posted on 05/20/2017 2:43:07 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: af_vet_1981
Luke 2:41-52   Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA)

41 And his parents went every year to Jerusalem, at the solemn day of the pasch,

42 And when he was twelve years old, they going up into Jerusalem, according to the custom of the feast,

43 And having fulfilled the days, when they returned, the child Jesus remained in Jerusalem; and his parents knew it not.

44 And thinking that he was in the company, they came a day's journey, and sought him among their kinsfolks and acquaintance.

45 And not finding him, they returned into Jerusalem, seeking him.

46 And it came to pass, that, after three days, they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, hearing them, and asking them questions.

47 And all that heard him were astonished at his wisdom and his answers.

48 And seeing him, they wondered. And his mother said to him: Son, why hast thou done so to us? behold thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.

49 And he said to them: How is it that you sought me? did you not know, that I must be about my father's business?

50 And they understood not the word that he spoke unto them.

51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them. And his mother kept all these words in her heart.

52 And Jesus advanced in wisdom, and age, and grace with God and men.

 


It seems a LOT of folks understand not when Jesus speaks!

 

 

 

465 posted on 05/20/2017 2:47:16 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: af_vet_1981
It is hard to rely on a modern interpretation to cast off twenty centuries of uninterrupted tradition in the one holy catholic apostolic church.

Indeed it is!

466 posted on 05/20/2017 2:48:47 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: af_vet_1981
Considering the FACT that twenty centuries of uninterrupted tradition cannot be shown!
467 posted on 05/20/2017 2:49:34 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: af_vet_1981
5. Appeal to Tradition - Trying to get someone to accept something because it has been done or believed for a long time.

Example: This is the way we've always done it. Therefore, it is the right way.
Example: The Catholic church's tradition demonstrates that this doctrine is true.


That I can tell you in one word:


468 posted on 05/20/2017 2:53:59 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Arthur McGowan
All you know about me is that I am a Catholic...

Oh?

Your OWN WORDS seem to belie this 'fact'.


This account has been banned or suspended.

469 posted on 05/20/2017 2:56:43 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: af_vet_1981
It was only modernists who rejected this ancient and universally accepted traditional teaching about the perpetual virginity of Mary.

And yet the One True Church is quite interested in any NEW findings of OLD scripture in remote and obscure places.

470 posted on 05/20/2017 2:59:05 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: af_vet_1981
...universally accepted... by those who seemed to shrink back from the possibilities of being boiled in oil or rendered into pieces by the One True Church.
471 posted on 05/20/2017 3:00:31 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: af_vet_1981
Indeed, the underlying premise, and disqualifying flaw, of the thousands of disparate religious communities which insist that all those who came before them were in error.

History PROVES that the disqualifying flaw; of the One True Church; is in it's insistance that all those who came AFTER them are in error.


"One indeed is the universal Church of the faithful, outside which no one at all is saved, in which the priest himself is the sacrifice, Jesus Christ, whose body and blood are truly contained in the sacrament of the altar under the species of bread and wine; the bread (changed) into His body by the divine power of transubstantiation, and the wine into the blood, so that to accomplish the mystery of unity we ourselves receive from His (nature) what He Himself received from ours."

--Pope Innocent III and Lateran Council IV (A.D. 1215)

 

472 posted on 05/20/2017 3:04:55 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: boatbums
To disagree with Marian dogmas is not dishonoring her.

It is enough; however; to send a Call to Arms! to an awaiting mass of Crusaders just slathering to rend any naysayers into tiny bits.

473 posted on 05/20/2017 3:07:40 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: boatbums
To disagree with Marian dogmas is not dishonoring her.

Heck; even ROME states this!!

But that doesn't cut it much with MOST Catholics who still suckle the breast like Romulus and Remus!

474 posted on 05/20/2017 3:10:00 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: boatbums
...that doesn't cut it much with MOST Catholics who ...

Memo?

WHAT 'memo'???


According to the doctrine of the Catholic Church, the era of public revelation ended with the death of the last living Apostle.
 
A Marian apparition, if deemed genuine by Church authority, is treated as private revelation that may emphasize some facet of the received public revelation for a specific purpose,
but it can never add anything new to the deposit of faith.
 
The Church will confirm an apparition as worthy of belief, but belief is never required by divine faith.  
 
http://www.catholic.org/mary/appear.php

475 posted on 05/20/2017 3:18:18 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: boatbums
I remain unconvinced of the Catholic Mariology arguments - NOT because I don't like Mary or disrespect her, but because I think we should have Divine revelation through God's word for the doctrines we hold to be of the Christian faith.

Rome had it's chance to place ALL of it's 'early tradtions' into the BOOK that it assembled.

It failed to do the job; and now it wants to complain that folks won't toe the line.

Deal with it!


476 posted on 05/20/2017 3:22:01 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: 21twelve
I think the whole idea of Limbo is in limbo right now.

The question was answered; so long ago...


How LOW can you GO?


477 posted on 05/20/2017 3:23:27 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Elsie
Deal with it!

Here is a non sequiter to that. What happened to Limbo? 😀

478 posted on 05/20/2017 3:27:35 AM PDT by Mark17 (Genesis chapter 1 verse 1. In the beginning GOD....And the rest, as they say, is history)
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To: Mark17

What has happened to Limbo?
Has it vanished like Disco?
Is there a slight chance
to resurrect an old dance?
On the case we’ll, must get Columbo!


479 posted on 05/20/2017 3:31:41 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Elsie
How LOW can you GO?

Limbo the place, not Limbo the stick.

480 posted on 05/20/2017 3:33:41 AM PDT by Mark17 (Genesis chapter 1 verse 1. In the beginning GOD....And the rest, as they say, is history)
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