The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-03-13
Brethren ofSJe:s!s,t:,,;s.,
q III. Z kfA,A, a.11Int,nl ~, ~

s5s Brethren 5ot stis.i "a ls
Editor of Tile 11mes. Dispatch. l 48
sir,--plehse8 inform mo whit the blble
means syhensbit spcals,8 as lit does. i II
several places 81 tho y Bret hrell.'s y {,
SJests. DO \ these possas yes 8t.nteiss ac.,
StOtl blood Sre1ht ives b Dur ksav lotir.
al sSS t3 ] !, IT'D II III Eli.
II, nnswerS to tho foregoing. i y;e liropro-;
sduce the Following prepared for Ills
Query ard Ia ,lswerl Column sevaral years
ngo. sgss i N ia 4sS
This question has been much disputed;
s5trle9 New Testament spen ky Of sters'I''
$ofs Jesus, and gives tho. names Of four
5of Ills .fbrstllren' james 81 Joseph or
3D., r. "; Mark VIZ 3)--%ho appear IN,
company Wit hi Mary CNtatthew kills 1880
Mark Ill, dies 4: Luke ~ III 1921 &, moved
to- Capefna,iin with her and Jeails and
the latter's disciples ut tho beginning y &
Ills Sminittry (John IL, 12), but nre said
rot to have believed inlJ esls even ward
the close or Ills life (John& 81. a f.
ter the ton however, hey nr r
found united with the disciples n "a cts.
~ 14) and are afterwards mentioned as!
Christian workers a.. Corinthians In
d. Ona$go them, james Galatians H.
f1g) !, becnn1e a distinguished leaderso OF tho
fJerusalem Church " Acts Kill, II; xy,,i5 y.
Galatians l. % and was the author of3
tic5epistle which goes BY his name. he
question si Is In what sense were they
SChrlsts bretllren7 u "a II jn
9I,hc Catholic Churcisutterly rc1ects4tho;
idea that any child other than Jesus va, s.
born to Mary. The persons IA mentioned
$ns JesHs's brethren, hey hold 81 proba
Shy. iwero His Scotisins.ait being n custom,
ut that timci they believed, for cousins
to be included In tie esignat Ion s l't
rethrcr.,..5 5fSi ~
y Outside, 81 n the Catholic Church there
arc other theories MS to the degree of
tho relationship III question, We givss
tile View from the nom Catholic stand
point, as fol1pws:R }i \, .3ss
4. THAT they were the children . q 1o.-S5
sseph by 4 Sforme raInurrlngc. The objec-
stion 10 this view Is that Matthew &. reps
{resents tJesus ar Joaeph's8 N egnI heir
which he would not have been lad there
been sons by a. former mnrrlag e. ON
g82. That hey were the children OF Mary.
the wife off, lphtus, the supposed sis
ter OF the yirgln u Mary. and hence that
they were Chrlgts cousins, and among
tho apostles. The sob1ections % this view
sareB numerous and strong: DIT does
violence to the natural and @Isua mean
Ing Of he word f"brotilcr" while he New
Testament has a special IL term 5s for
"consins, E; olossians W. 70: 1llk Ike ii, 2G.s
$ta) ut assumes that two $slsters had tho
same name. Mary. and that only three
women are mentioned \ In Joh3 XIX %.
sfs1 - tlfails to explain how these brethren;
could also sbe apos Ties while we are told
tint they did not believe In esus before
the resurrection. The apostles are dis
4tingnished from his brethren. ~ It Is,
probable tina T. Snlomc, aud not Mary, was
the sister % e. o,lr Lords mother. John
XIX a, q
3. Tint they we're the&chlldrcn OF jos
seph and Mary. born after Jesus. This
is the. simplest ind most natural view.
That Mary had other children is implied
In Matthew T.. rs; Kill. SIS: q Luke IL, Is
This view explains tho constant nssocla-t
tIon8of5the brethren with Mary.