Penmetsa Subbaraju a Rationalist, a few days ago asked a question on his Facebook related to the sisters and brothers of Jesus. In his briefing, he claims that Jesus had elder sister(s), which would question the Virgin birth of Jesus as well as the Deity of Jesus. To which I posted my reply in number of comments. Because I cannot post the same, I summarised my comments and made it a prose/composition, for easy reading. My comments goes like this.
Brother, the verse may seem like a game changer to people like Penmetsa Subbaraju and Co, to denigrate and disparage the Deity of Jesus. But before going ahead with such sources, he must have made a more attentive study on the subject he was referring to.
In Mark 6:3, the words "adelphē" and "adelphós", the sisters and brothers of Jesus in greek, meant that, they are not the conjoined sisters and brothers, but are cousin sisters and brothers from a (?)distant relatives (extended family). The verse taken (Mark 6:3), does carry the meaning of a "kinswoman or a cousin."
See John 7:3,5,10, which clearly states that the brothers of Jesus are not conjoined. Though the greek word "adelphós" for brothers may carry the general meaning, we can still deal with it in a different manner.
Why/How I can still debate on John 7:3,5,10 as not own brothers of Jesus, but may be (?)Cousins.
In the following verses we can see Brothers of Jesus, James, Joses, Simon and Judas and the Mother of Jesus, Mary, mentioned in the same consecutive verses.
Matt 12:46,47
Matt 13:55
Mark 3:31,32
Mark 6:3
Luke 8:19,20
John 2:12 and also
Acts 1:14, (though not related to the point of discussion).
(1) All the above verses have as said, mentioned Mary and Brothers of Jesus in the same consecutive verses and not in John 7:3,5,10, though Jesus brethren(?) were mentioned, Mary, the mother of Jesus was not mentioned. Thus, making the possibility that either (a) the incident was not happening in Nazareth or in Capernaum, because as we saw all the other verses mentioned, Mary, the mother of Jesus and the brothers of Jesus in the same consecutive verses, drawing the meaning that, they all came as a family/collectively searching/in want of Jesus, and, (b) it clearly states that, the incident is happening some where in the region of Galilee and definitely not either in Nazaret nor in Capernaum, because the starting verse (John 7:1), clarifies that Jesus was not in Nazareth nor in Capernaum but definitely was in the region of Galilee, where the whereabouts of the incidence is unknown.
(2) The above mentioned verses clearly states that, this is all happening either in Nazareth or in Capernaum (except Acts 1:14 in Jerusalem), which are the hometowns of Jesus. And the incident that mentioned in John 7:3,5,10 is happening at Galilee, a much broader view of the area, where other cities/villages are also included other than Jesus' hometowns, Nazareth and Capernaum. Where there may be his distant relatives like his cousins who might be living in(?) which is unignorable. Isn't that?
Matthew 2:22,23, Matthew 4:13, and Mark 4:3 mentions about Jesus' hometowns, Nazareth and later Capernaum.
So, to conclude, both of the above points makes it clear that the residence of Jesus' family and his brothers and sisters are and the place of occurrence, are not one and the same but different. As well as the derivation of meanings of greek words, "adelphē" and "adelphós" are not one and the same at every instance. This absolutely prove that you did a grave mistake against the beliefs and sentiments of Christendom. Hope you rectify it. Thank you.
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