BSN: James the son of Joseph, the brother of Jesus and Jude

  • (This James is not James the apostle and son of Zebedee.)
  • This James is the author of the NT book that bears his name, but see below that he and his brothers were initially opposed to Jesus’ ministry.
  • Jesus was the firstborn of Joseph and Mary. Jesus had at least four brothers and two sisters. Among the brothers were this James and Jude – Mt 13:55-56; Mk 6:3
  • Jesus’ family -particularly His brothers – were initially skeptical of His ministry. – Mt 12:46-50; Mk 3:20-21, 31-35; Lk 8:19-21; Jn 7:1-10
  • Jesus appeared to James after His resurrection from the dead. – 1 Cor 15:7
  • By the time of Jesus’ ascension into heaven, His mother and brothers had become dedicated disciples. – Acts 1:12-14
  • James became a leader of the church in Jerusalem – Acts 15:13-21; 12:17; 21:18
  • James was regarded as on a par with the apostles, even with Peter and John – Gal 2:1-14 (We can only say this with confidence about James and Jude because the New Testament does not tell us about how the other brothers turned out.)

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