Table of Contents
Did Mary and Joseph Have Other Children?
- Yes, Mary and Joseph had other children- at least four other sons.
- The Lord Jesus of course does not have an earthly father. His Father is God.
- The Lord Jesus does however have an earthly mother, who at the time of His birth, was the virgin, Mary.
- But The Lord Jesus was not an only child.
- Catholic, Assyrian, and Eastern Orthodox traditions teach that Jesus' brothers and sisters were not biological children of Mary and Joseph but that's a lie! Scripture does not teach this at all.
- The Bible very clearly says that Mary and Joseph had other sons and daughters after Jesus was born.
- Mat 12:46, Mat 13:55, John 7:5, Acts 1:14, 1Cor 9:5, and Gal 1:19 all talk about The Lord Jesus' brothers.
- Mary And Joseph's children include: James, Joseph, Simon, Jude, and unnamed sisters according to the Gospels of Mark and Matthew 13:55-56.How Tall Was Jesus - Get The Answer
The Lord Jesus' brothers did not believe in Him at first.
3 His brothers therefore said to Him, “Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing.
4 For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.”
5 For even His brothers did not believe in Him.
Did Jesus Have Interactions with Brothers in John 7?
After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the [a]Jews sought to kill Him.
2 Now the Jews’ Feast of Tabernacles was at hand.
3 His brothers therefore said to Him, “Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing.
4 For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.”
5 For even His brothers did not believe in Him.
6 Then Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready.
7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil.
8 You go up to this feast. I am not [b]yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come.”
9 When He had said these things to them, He remained in Galilee.
Theologians on Mary and Joseph having other children.
| Pastor/Theologian | Paraphrased Statement with Source | Scriptural Reference |
|---|---|---|
| John Calvin (1509–1564) | Argued that Mary had other children after Jesus; James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon were her natural sons. (Calvin, Commentaries on Matthew, 1555) | Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3 |
| Martin Luther (1483–1546) | Initially honored Mary as blessed but rejected the idea that she remained a virgin after Jesus’ birth. (Luther, Table Talk, 1566) | Matthew 1:25; Luke 2:7 |
| Huldrych Zwingli (1484–1531) | Rejected perpetual virginity, stating Mary had normal marital relations with Joseph after Jesus’ birth. (Zwingli, Commentary on Matthew, 1525) | Matthew 1:25 |
| Philip Melanchthon (1497–1560) | Supported the view that Mary had other children besides Jesus. (Melanchthon, Loci Communes, 1521) | Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3 |
| John Knox (1514–1572) | Denied that Mary remained a virgin, emphasizing Scripture’s mention of Jesus’ brothers and sisters. (Knox, The First Blast of the Trumpet, 1558) | Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3 |
| Andreas Osiander (1498–1552) | Argued Mary did not remain virgin, interpreting biblical “brothers and sisters” literally. (Osiander, Commentarius in Evangelium Matthaei, 1531) | Matthew 1:25; Luke 2:7 |
| Thomas Cranmer (1489–1556) | Claimed Mary was not perpetually virgin, seeing her marriage to Joseph as a normal marital relationship. (Cranmer, Book of Common Prayer Preface, 1549) | Matthew 1:25 |
| John Wesley (1703–1791) | Rejected the perpetual virginity doctrine, noting Scripture’s mention of Jesus’ siblings. (Wesley, Explanatory Notes on the Bible, 1755) | Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3 |
| Jonathan Edwards (1703–1758) | Affirmed Mary’s role as mother of Jesus but acknowledged she later had other children. (Edwards, Miscellanies, 1739) | Matthew 13:55 |
| John Gill (1697–1771) | Explicitly argued that Mary did not remain a virgin after giving birth to Jesus. (Gill, Exposition of the Old and New Testament, 1746) | Matthew 1:25 |
| Isaac Watts (1674–1748) | Considered Mary a virtuous mother but not a perpetual virgin. (Watts, The Improvement of the Mind, 1741) | Matthew 1:25 |
| Richard Baxter (1615–1691) | Stated Mary had marital relations with Joseph after Jesus’ birth. (Baxter, Paraphrase on Matthew, 1692) | Matthew 1:25 |
| John Owen (1616–1683) | Did not support perpetual virginity, taking “brothers and sisters” as literal siblings. (Owen, Exposition of Hebrews, 1656) | Mark 6:3 |
| William Perkins (1558–1602) | Maintained Mary’s virginity ended with Jesus’ birth. (Perkins, A Golden Chain, 1600) | Matthew 1:25 |
| John Foxe (1516–1587) | Noted Scripture mentions Jesus’ siblings, implying Mary had other children. (Foxe, Acts and Monuments, 1563) | Matthew 13:55 |
| Richard Hooker (1554–1600) | Rejected lifelong virginity for Mary, seeing her as a normal mother after Jesus. (Hooker, Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity, 1594) | Matthew 1:25 |
| Matthew Poole (1624–1679) | Commented that Mary had other children naturally after Jesus. (Poole, Synopsis Criticorum, 1683) | Matthew 13:55 |
| Henry Bullinger (1504–1571) | Argued against the perpetual virginity tradition. (Bullinger, Decades, 1575) | Matthew 1:25; Mark 6:3 |
| Johann Gerhard (1582–1637) | Interpreted “brothers of Jesus” literally, denying Mary remained virgin. (Gerhard, Loci Theologici, 1637) | Matthew 13:55 |
| Samuel Clarke (1675–1729) | Claimed Mary’s virginity was temporary, ending with Jesus’ birth. (Clarke, Scripture-Propounded Faith, 1702) | Matthew 1:25 |
What Next? Read our Bible Verses About Friendship and Brotherhood
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