Pertanyaan: 206. Siapa saudara-saudara Yesus?
Saudara-saudara Yesus disebutkan dalam Perjanjian Baru sebagai Yakobus, Yusuf, Simon, dan Yudas. Dalam Matius 12:46; Matius 13:55; Yohanes 2:12, dan Kisah Para Rasul 1:14, mereka umumnya dianggap sebagai saudara sejati, semuanya disebutkan bersama-sama dengan ibu Yesus, dan hal yang sama disimpulkan dari Yohanes 7:5. Namun, beberapa penulis gereja awal berpendapat bahwa mereka hanya kerabat atau sepupu (anak-anak Maria saudara ibu Yesus), karena umumnya kebiasaan untuk menyebut semua kerabat dekat, keponakan, sepupu, dan saudara tiri, dengan sebutan umum saudara atau saudara-saudara. Selain itu, para bapa gereja awal berpendapat bahwa Maria, ibu Yesus, tidak memiliki anak lain. Pertanyaan ini masih terbuka apakah mereka bukanlah anak-anak Yusuf dari pernikahan sebelumnya, dan oleh karena itu saudara tiri Yesus. Di sisi lain, Matius 1:25 dan Lukas 2:7 mendukung pandangan bahwa mereka adalah saudara dan bahwa Yesus adalah anak sulung. Saudari-saudari Yesus juga disebutkan dalam Matius 13:56 dan Markus 6:3, tetapi nama mereka tidak disebutkan. Banyak yang telah ditulis tentang subjek ini tanpa penentuan yang pasti, meskipun sebagian besar komentator modern berpendapat bahwa saudara-saudara yang dimaksud adalah anak-anak Yusuf dan Maria, dan bahwa saudara ibu Maria memiliki dua anak laki-laki, yang bernama Yakobus dan Yusuf.
Question: 206. Who Were the Brothers of Jesus?
The brethren of Jesus are named in the New Testament as James, Joses, Simon and Judas. In Matt 12:46; Matt 13:55; John 2:12, and Acts 1:14 they are generally understood to be proper brothers, all being named together conjointly with the mother of Jesus, and the same is inferred from John 7:5. Some of the early church writers, however, held that they were merely relatives or cousins (sons of Mary the sister of Jesus' mother), it being a common custom to call all immediate relatives, nephews, cousins and half-brothers, by the general designation of "brothers" or "brethren." Further, the early fathers of the church held that Mary, the mother of Jesus, had no other children. The question still remains open whether they were not the sons of Joseph by a former marriage, and therefore half-brothers to Jesus. On the other hand Matt. 1:25 and Luke 2:7 favor the view that they were brothers and that Jesus was the "first-born." Sisters of Jesus are also mentioned in Matt 13:56 and Mark 6:3, but their names are not given. Much has been written on the subject without positive determination, although most modern commentators hold to the opinion that the "brethren" in question were the sons of Joseph and Mary, and that Mary's mother's sister had two sons, named James and Joses.
