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NASB | Matthew 12:47 Someone said to Him, "Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside seeking to speak to You." |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 12:47 Someone said to Him, "Look! Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside asking to speak to You." |
Subject: Did Mary remain a virgin? |
Bible Note: Hi, Krisjen! The Catholic Church teaches that Mary was a perpetual virgen... Scripture is viewed in light of the reasoning on your post... I find it interesting that some adamantly interprete the Bible according to only one particular view, the one that supports their particular belief system, even when facts, as you have stated, prove that, if anything, there could be more than one interpretation to "brothers/sisters..." My personal take is this: When Jesus was twelve, disappeared from Mary's and Joseph's side, where were those brothers and sisters? There's not a single mention of the parents frantically rushing with their other children to and fro searching for Jesus... neither is there any mention that they required the assistance of their relatives or close friends to care for the younger children as they set off to search for Jesus (remember, during His time there was no rapid transit system, poor people walked all the way, no telephones, telegraphs... and it all happened during a massive movement where hundreds if not thousands would be traveling throughout that region); neither was there a mention of a younger brother or sister tagging along with Jesus! I am not a linguist, have you read a Bible version that has correctly translated (or is it transliterated) the equivalent of "cousin," "uncle" or "aunt?" As far as I know, the extended family is always referred to as brother/sister, son/daughter of, father/mother of... It could we be argued, from a Biblical perspective, that most people did not even have grandparents--I can't recall the mention of any! One more point... no matter how poor Jesus' brothers and sisters were, if they were blood relatives of Mary, didn't the responsiblity of caring for Mary at Jesus' death fall upon the surviving offspring? Did Jesus not circumvent the Law by denying His brothers and sisters their right and obligation to care for Mary? True, Joseph was human, as Mary, but how many Christians engaged to be married would take on their spoused wife with a foreign pregnancy? Yet, Joseph was a humble servant of the Lord, and did not question the angel's revelation... would it be beyond this man to live with Mary, as her husband, without desiring a sexual relationship? What about Paul, was he misleading people? Did he state that he wished that all would serve the Lord as he did only out of pretense? If not, what would make Paul a stronger (or is it weaker) human being than Joseph, since he spoke of living a celibate life? I know I said "one more point," but I just remembered one more argument: Did Joseph, a man who was close to God, humbly obeying His Command, one day decided not to be loyal to Him? I mean, did you ever hear of Joseph following Christ in his missions, at His detention, at His death? Clearly, by this particular time in Christ's life Joseph, his earthly "father" was no longer living! So would it not be within the realm of possibilities that Jesus did have brothers and sisters, as far as the people of Nazareth and its vicinity were concerned, because Joseph could have been widowed when spoused to Mary, and that he had children from a previous marriage? ...after all, no other person but Jesus Himself is referred to in Scripture as Mary's offspring! God Bless! Angel |