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>>Dr. John Ankerberg:Let’s return to the Catholic doctrine of the perpetual virginity
of Mary. There is another interesting passage in Scripture about Jesus’ brothers. It’s
in John 7:3 where we read: “Jesus’ brother said to Him, ‘You ought to leave here and
go to Judea so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. No one who wants to become
a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the
world,’” and then the apostle John tells us, “for even His own brothers did not believe
in Him.” [John 7:3-5] Their advice was not sincere since if Jesus had gone to Judea,
He would have been captured and killed. Sometime later the Lord’s brothers apparently
repented and came to faith in Him after Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension. How do
we know this? Because when Jesus’ own disciples returned to the Mount of Olives to pray in
Acts 1:14, Luke records: “They all joined together constantly in prayer along with the
women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.”
Later, the apostle Paul refers to Jesus’ brothers in Galatians 1:18-20. Paul writes
about those he met in Jerusalem after he was converted. He says: “Then after three years
I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter and stayed with him fifteen days. I
saw none of the other apostles, only James, the Lord’s brother. I assure you before
God that what I am writing you is no lie.” So apparently the Lord’s brother, James,
was a leading figure in the Church in Jerusalem and Paul met him.
In 1 Corinthians 9:5 we find another reference to Jesus’ brothers. Paul writes, “Don’t
we have a right to take a believing wife along with us as do the other apostles and the Lord’s
brothers and Cephas?” By the way, Cephas here must be the apostle Peter and apparently
he had a wife. But that’s another program. Let’s return to Jesus’ brothers. If Jesus’
brothers tried to get Him killed during His life because they didn’t believe in Him,
when and why did they repent and start to believe in Him? I think 1 Corinthians 15 gives
us the answer. Here the apostle Paul lists a number of resurrection appearances that
Jesus made after He was crucified, buried and rose again. Among the appearances listed,
Paul makes this startling statement: “Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles
and last of all, he appeared to me also.” [1 Cor. 15:7-8]
Think of Jesus appearing to His unbelieving brother after James had seen Him murdered
on the cross. Don’t you think that would have been the turning point in James’ life?
We don’t know for sure. We only know that later Jesus’ brother James was the leader
in the Jerusalem church but during His life, he and Jesus’ other brothers did not believe
in Jesus.