Jesus elevated his brothers to positions of power

The argument

In Mark 10:35-45, Jesus and his followers had reached the city of Jerusalem. Two of his disciples, who were also brothers, asked Jesus if they could sit on each side of Christ once he began his rule of his kingdom. The two brothers, James and John, were also mentioned again in Matthew 20:20-28. This account of the request to have James and John sit next to Christ also mentions their mother. Their mother is also reported to have made the same request, wanting her sons to have important roles in God's kingdom. While the Bible speculates who exactly James and John's mother was, John 19:25 hints that this woman might be Jesus's aunt, meaning that James and John were most likely Jesus's cousins. The Bible also makes reference to figures who are identified as Christ's brothers. Mark 6:3 names Christ's brothers as James, Joses, Judas, and Simon. James and Joses appear again in Mark 15:40. This verse references James and Joses as the sons of Mary, who was one of the women present for Christ's crucifixion. Versus in both Luke and Matthew, specifically Matthew 13:55, mention all four men by name. The goal of versus such as Matthew 13:55, Matthew 1:25, and Luke 2:7 was to show that these four men were the younger half-brothers of Christ. While Christ was the son of God, James, Joses, Judas, and Simon are the natural sons of Mary and Joseph born after the birth of Christ. The roles that Jesus's siblings took as significant leaders are also mentioned numerous times in the Bible. All four of Jesus's brothers and his unamed sister are named in John 2:12 as accompanying Jesus and Mary to Capernaum after the marriage at Cana. Jesus's brothers are then referenced as seeking an audience with Jesus in versus of Matthew, Luke, and Mark. The Bible also references James as the leader of the church in Jerusalem. One of the other brothers, though not named, is also hinted at as being the author of the epistle of Jude.

Context

In arguing the historical existence of Christ, a 17th century book of translations identifies one of Christ's brothers who was executed by a high priest in 62 C.E. This book of translations contains pages from the "Jewish Antiquities", in which its author, Josephus, refers to a man named James as Christ's brother, specifically identifying Christ himself as the messiah and James as the brother to the Messiah.

Premises

Counter-arguments

It is difficult to prove if Jesus had sibilings because it is difficult to determine if we are meant to see these siblings as blood sibilings or as sibilings in a spiritual sense. The Bible does reference other figures as being brothers of Christ, however we are meant to see these other figures as spiritual sibilings as opposed to being biological children of Mary. There is also the fact that James, Joses, Judas, and Simon are never explicitly referenced in the Bible as being the children of Mary; there are, however, Bible scriptures that do reference Jesus as the son of Mary. It is also important to note that at Christ's crucifixion, it is difficult to prove which Mary is being referenced as having witnessed Christ's crucifixion alongside James and Joses. There were many women who were present at the crucifixion and while James and Joses were sons of a woman named Mary, there is little evidence to suggest that this Mary is also the mother of Jesus.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P1] Whether these figures were Jesus's biological brothers is the oldest disputed point in the passage rather than a settled reading. The Greek term used covers brothers, half-brothers and kinsmen more broadly, and as the counter-argument notes, none of the four is explicitly called a son of Mary the mother of Jesus. The argument presents one interpretation as the text's plain meaning. [Rejecting P2] This premise undercuts itself. James and John are the sons of Zebedee, and by the argument's own reasoning they are cousins, not the brothers named in the previous premise — so the episode is not about those brothers at all. In the passage cited, Jesus refuses the request and rebukes the disciples for seeking greatness, which is the opposite of elevating anyone. [Rejecting P3] James's leadership of the Jerusalem church is attested, but it is described as emerging after the crucifixion rather than conferred by Jesus, and the Gospels report his brothers as sceptical during his ministry. The authorship of Jude is a traditional attribution rather than something the text states. None of this establishes a pattern of family advancement, which is what the "family man" position needs.