In a previous post, I discussed Tim Staples’ abuse of the patristics to support the Immaculate Conception. On the perpetual virginity, we find the following attempted defense:
On the surface, these texts [Matt 12:46-50 and 13:55-56a] do seem troubling for the Catholic position. After all, our Protestant friends insist, would not Jesus' having "brothers" indicate that Mary had other children? Eric Svendsen plainly states: "The New Testament mentions several times that Jesus had biological brothers and sisters" (Evangelical Answers, 137) . . . if Svendsen and those who agree with him were consistent, they would also have to conclude that Joseph was Jesus' "biological" father. This is something no Christian would ever or could ever hold to be true Yet John 6:42 records "the Jews" saying of Jesus: "If not this Jesus, the son of Joseph whose father and mother we know How does he now say, 'I have come down from heaven'?" Luke refers to Joseph as Jesus' "father" in Luke 2:33, and even Mary does, in Luke 2:48, without any clarification . . . [critics of the perpetual virginity of Mary] begs the question by answering that adelphos could not be used for cousin in the first century because adelphos could not be used for cousin in the first century. (Tim Staples, Behold your Mother: A Biblical and Historical Defense of the Marian Doctrines [San Diego: Catholic Answers, 2014], 172, 177)
There are many problems with this and other attempted defenses of the perpetual virginity of Mary in Catholic apologetic works:
Firstly, with respect to John 6:42, this is a quote of the words of the Jewish opponents of Jesus. It is highly unlikely they knew of, let alone accepted, the virginal conception of Jesus, so would have functioned with the assumption that Joseph was the biological father of Jesus.
Secondly, on the issue of Luke 2:33, 48, it is true that the best manuscripts do not read, as the KJV does, "And Joseph and his mother" in v. 33 (instead, the correct reading is "and the child's father and mother [καὶ ἦν ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἡ μήτηρ]). However, the virginal conception of Jesus is explicated by the very same author in Luke 1:35, so readers would know that Luke’s use of πατηρ does not mean a biological father, but adopted father. There is no such qualification with αδελφος and its feminine equivalent, αδελφη.
As for the claim that αδελφος could not mean “cousin” in the first century, this is a proven fact. Eric Svendsen, in ch. 3 of his book, Who is my Mother? The Role and Status of the Mother of Jesus in the New Testament and Roman Catholicism (Amityville, N.Y.: Calvary Press, 2001), a book Staples ignored throughout his book on Mary, goes into great detail. I would recommend those interested in serious discussion of the perpetual virginity and the meaning of αδελφος to check out this volume. There is no use of αδελφος, in a biological context, in the Greek New Testament or any of the contemporary literature, that means anything but “brother.” NONE.
Staples is guilty of further special pleading and question-begging when he writes:
When we get to the Greek of the New Testament, our Protestant friends will turn up the heat in the discussion. Svendsen provides an example:
There are two other words that were in use by the New Testament writers when they wanted to convey the meaning “cousin” or “relative.” One of these words, anepsios, occurs in Col. 4:10 to refer to Mark, the “cousin” of Barnabas. The other, sungenis, occurs in Luke 1:36 and is used to refer to Elizabeth, the “cousin” of Mary . . . That they knew of the distinction between these words and adelphos is evident from Luke 21:16 which uses both adelphos and sungenis, but in reference to different groups (“You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends”). (Svendsen, Evangelical Answers, 138-39) (Ibid., 175)
In response to this cogent argument from Svendsen, Staples responds as follows:
What do we make of these arguments? First of all, Luke 21:16 only proves that adelphos can be used in the context of uterine brothers—an undisputed point. It also proves that sungenis can be used for extended relatives—another undisputed point. But what it doesn’t prove is that adelphos cannot be used with a wider semantic range in other contexts. (Ibid.)
This is nothing short of question-begging, but when it comes to defending the Marian dogmas, Roman Catholic apologists are forced to engage in such special pleading.
On p. 182, Staples appeals to Hegesippus as a witness of the perpetual virginity:
The second-century historical Hegesippus report reported that Clopas was actually the brother of Joseph and that his son was Simon, the brother of the Lord, adding enormous weight to the contention that the brothers of the Lord were relatives or cousins.
This is just evidence of a very selective reading of the patristic literature:
The notion that the brothers of Jesus were in fact something other than true siblings developed over time in the post-apostolic church . . . The second-century writer, Hegesippus [mentioned] James “the brother [αδελφος] of the Lord,” (Ecclesiastical History, 2.23) and Jude “who is said to have been the Lord’s brother [αδελφος] according to the flesh,”(Ibid., 3.22) as well as Simeon the son of Clopas whom Hegesippus calls “the cousin [ανεψιος] of the Lord.”(Ibid., 4.22) The fact that Hegesippus knows a distinction between these two relationships indicates that when he uses αδελφος he does with biological siblings in mind. (Eric D. Svendsen, Who is My Mother? The Role and Status of the Mother of Jesus in the New Testament and Roman Catholicism [Amityville, N.Y.: Calvary Press, 2001], 99)
This is just further evidence of the abuse of the Bible, patristics, and basic logic Staples engages in to defend the Mariology of Roman Catholicism.
Here is the entries of αδελφος and αδελφη from BDAG; notice how, according to these experts in lexiography, the “brothers”and “sisters” of Jesus were uterine siblings of Jesus.
110 ἀδελφός
• ἀδελφός, οῦ, ὁ (Hom. [ἀδελφεός]+; accord. to B-D-F §13; Schwyzer I 555; Mlt-H. II 58; PKatz, TLZ 83, ’58, 315f vocative ἄδελφε should be accented on the antepenult in Ac 9:17; 21:20 contrary to the practice of the editions; also GPt 2:5.)
1. a male from the same womb as the reference pers., brother, Mt 1:2, 11; 4:18, 21 al.; τὸν ἀ. τ. ἴδιον J 1:41 (s. Jos., Ant. 11, 300). Of Jesus’ brothers (passages like Gen 13:8; 14:14; 24:48; 29:12; Lev 10:4; 1 Ch 9:6 do not establish the mng. ‘cousin’ for ἀ.; they only show that in rendering the Hebr. אָח ἀ. is used loosely in isolated cases to designate masc. relatives of various degrees. The case of ἀδελφή [q.v. 1] is similar Gen 24:59f; Tob 8:4, 7 [cp. 7:15]; Jos., Ant. 1, 211 [ἀδελφή = ἀδελφοῦ παῖς]. Sim. M. Ant., who [1, 14, 1] uses ἀ. for his brother-in-law Severus; the same use is found occas. in the pap: JCollins, TS 5, ’44, 484-94; s. VTscherikover HTR ’42, 25-44) Mt 12:46f; 13:55; Mk 3:31f; J 2:12; 7:3, 5; Ac 1:14; 1 Cor 9:5. James ὁ ἀδελφὸς τοῦ κυρίου Gal 1:19. The pl. can also mean brothers and sisters (Eur., El. 536; Andoc. 1, 47 ἡ μήτηρ ἡ ἐκείνου κ. ὁ πατὴρ ὁ ἐμὸς ἀδελφοί; Anton. Diog. 3 [Erot. Gr. I 233, 23; 26 Hercher]; POxy 713, 21f [97 AD] ἀδελφοῖς μου Διοδώρῳ κ. Θαΐδι; schol. on Nicander, Ther. 11 [p. 5, 9] δύο ἐγένοντο ἀδελφοί, Φάλαγξ μὲν ἄρσην, θήλεια δὲ Ἀράχνη τοὔνομα. The θεοὶ Ἀδελφοί, a married couple consisting of brother and sister on the throne of the Ptolemies: OGI 50, 2 [III BC] and pap [Mitt-Wilck. I/1, 99; I/2, 103-7, III BC]). In all these cases only one brother and one sister are involved. Yet there are also passages in which ἀδελφοί means brothers and sisters, and in whatever sequence the writer chooses (Polyb. 10, 18, 15 ποιήσεσθαι πρόνοιαν ὡς ἰδίων ἀδελφῶν καὶ τέκνων; Epict. 1, 12, 20 ἀδ. beside γονεῖς, τέκνα, γείτονες; 1, 22, 10; 4, 1, 111; Artem. 3, 31; Ptolem., Apotel. 3, 6; Diog. L. 7, 108; 120; 10, 18. In PMich 214, 12 [296 AD] οἱ ἀδελφοί σου seems to be even more general=‘your relatives’). Hence there is no doubt that in Lk 21:16 ἀδελφοί=brothers and sisters, but there is some room for uncertainty in the case of the ἀδελφοί of Jesus in Mt 12:46f; Mk 3:31; J 2:12; 7:3, 5; Ac 1:14.
2. a pers. viewed as a brother in terms of a close affinity, brother, fellow member, member, associate fig. ext. of 1.
a. one who shares beliefs (for an associated duality, s. Did., Gen. 127, 6 ἀ. ἐστι τοῦ φαινομένου ἔξω ἀνθρώπου ὁ κρυπτὸς καὶ ἐν διανοίᾳ ἄνθρωπος=brother to the man as he appears from without is the man who is hidden in thought): Jesus calls everyone who is devoted to him brother Mt 12:50; Mk 3:35, esp. his disciples Mt 28:10; J 20:17. Hence gener. for those in such spiritual communion Mt 25:40; Hb 2:12 (Ps 21:23), 17 al. Of a relationship w. a woman other than that of husband Hs 9, 11, 3 al.; 2 Cl 12:5.—Of the members of a relig. community (PParis 20 [II BC] al. of the hermits at the Serapeum in Memphis; UPZ 162 I, 20 [117 BC] ἀδελφοὶ οἱ τὰς λειτουργίας ἐν ταῖς νεκρίαις παρεχόμενοι; IG XIV, 956 B, 11f. ἀ.=member of the ἱερὰ ξυστικὴ σύνοδος; IPontEux II, 449f εἰσποιητοὶ ἀ. σεβόμενοι θεὸν Ὕψιστον [Ltzm. ZWT 55, 1913, 121]. Mystery pap [III AD]: APF 13, ’39, 212. Essenes in Jos., Bell. 2, 122. Vett. Val. 172, 31; Cleopatra ln. 94. See GMilligan 1908 on 1 Th 1:4; Ltzm. Hdb. on Ro 1:13 [lit.]; Dssm. B 82f, 140 [BS 87f, 142]; Nägeli 38; Cumont3 276). Hence used by Christians in their relations w. each other Ro 8:29, 1 Cor 5:11; Eph 6:23; 1 Ti 6:2; Ac 6:3; 9:30; 10:23; Rv 1:9; 12:10; IEph 10:3; ISm 12:1 al. So esp. w. proper names (for ἀδ. in a figurative sense used with a name, cp. the address of a letter PMich 162 verso [II AD] ἀπὸ Ἀπλωναρίου ἀδελφοῦ) to indicate membership in the Christian community Ro 16:23; 1 Cor 1:1; 16:12; 2 Cor 1:1; Phil 2:25; Col 1:1; 4:7, 9; 1 Th 3:2; Phlm 1; 1 Pt 5:12; 2 Pt 3:15; AcPl Ha 1, 30 al. Completely ἀδελφὸς ἐν κυρίῳ Phil 1:14. Oft. in direct address 1 Cl 1:1 (cod. A); 4:7; 13:1; 33:1; 2 Cl 20:2 al.; B 2:10; 3:6 al.; IRo 6:2; Hv 2, 4, 1; 3, 1, 1; 4; AcPl Ha 7, 4; 8, 21; AcPlCor 1:16. ἀδελφοί μου B 4:14; 5:5; 6:15; IEph 16:1; ἄνδρες ἀ. Ac 1:16 (rabb. par. in EStauffer, TLZ 77, ’52, 202); 15:7, 13; 1 Cl 14:1; 37:1; 43:4; 62:1. To interpret ἀ. in Ac 15:23 as ‘colleague’ (e.g. PGaechter, Petrus u. seine Zeit, ’58, 141f) is speculative; and the interpretation of ἀ. in 3J 5 and 10 as itinerant preachers (AKragerud, D. Lieblingsjünger im Johannesevangelium, ’59, 105) is based entirely on the context.
b. a compatriot (cp. Pla., Menex. 239a ἡμεῖς δὲ καὶ οἱ ἡμέτεροι, μιᾶς μητρὸς πάντες ἀδελφοὶ φύντες; Lev 10:4; Dt 15:3, 12; 17:15 al.; Philo, Spec. Leg. 2, 79f ‘ἀ.’ τὸν ὁμόφυλον εἶπεν he termed a compatriot ‘brother’; Jos., Ant. 10, 201; 7, 371 after 1 Ch 28:2) Ac 2:29; 3:17, 22 (Dt 18:15); 7:2, 23 (Ex 2:11), 25f al.; Ro 9:3.
c. without ref. to a common nationality or faith neighbor (of an intimate friend X., An. 7, 2, 25; 38. Specif. in the sense ‘neighbor’ Gen 9:5; Lev 19:17 al.) Mt 5:22ff; 7:3ff; 18:15, 21, 35; Lk 6:41f; 17:3; B 19:4; Hm 2:2 al.
d. Form of address used by a king to persons in very high position (OGI 138, 3; 168, 26; 36 [both II BC]; Jos., Ant. 13, 45; 126) Herod says ἀδελφὲ Πιλᾶτε GPt 2:5.—JO’Callaghan, El vocativo sing. de ἀδελφός, Biblica 52, ’71, 217-25.—B. 107. DELG. M-M. EDNT. TW. Sv.
108 ἀδελφή
• ἀδελφή, ῆς, ἡ (Aeschyl.+)
1.a female who comes from the same womb as the reference pers., sister lit. Mt 19:29; Mk 10:29f; Lk 10:39f; 14:26; J 11:1, 3, 5, 28, 39; 19:25; Ro 16:15; 1 Ti 5:2. Of Jesus’ sisters (s. on ἀδελφός 1) Mt 13:56; Mk 3:32; 6:3. Paul’s sister Ac 23:16.
2. a pers. or thing viewed as a sister in relation to another entity, sister metaph.
a. of a female who shares beliefs of the reference person or of others in a community of faith, sister. Used by Jesus of a spiritual, rather than a natural relationship Mt 12:50; Mk 3:35. Sim. ἀγαπᾶν ὡς ἀ. Hv 1, 1, 1; ἐντρέπεσθαι ὡς ἀ. v 1, 1, 7. Of relationship in community: sister in the faith )as Hebr. אָחוֹת; sister=countrywoman Num 25:18; s. ἀδελφός 2 and cp. PGM 4, 1135-37 χαίρετε, οἷς τὸ χαίρειν ἐν εὐλογίᾳ δίδοται, ἀδελφοῖς καὶ ἀδελφαῖς, ὁσίοις καὶ ὁσίαις) Ro 16:1; 1 Cor 7:15; 9:5; Phlm 2; Js 2:15; IPol 5:1; 2 Cl 12:5; Hv 2, 2, 3; 2, 3, 1; Ox 3525, 15. In address w. ἀδελφοί 2 Cl 19:1; 20:2.
b. of a close relationship of similar communities (OGI 536, 5) 2J 13 (s. κυρία). Hm 9:9 v.l. (for θυγάτηρ).
c. of a condition or circumstance, grief: ἀδελφή ἐστιν τῆς διψυχίας is a sister of doubt Hm 10, 1, 1f (Alcaeus 142 Diehl [364 L.-P.]: poverty and helplessness as sisters; Paroem. Gr. Append. 3, 12 ἡ μωρία ἀ. πονηρίας; Pla., Rep. 3, 404b; Cebes 16, 2 ἐγκράτεια and καρτερία as ἀδελφαί; Herm. Wr. 9, 1c ἡ νόησις ἀ. τοῦ λόγου).—DELG s.v. ἀδελφός. M-M. TW.