The references in the New Testament to the brothers James, Joses, Jude and Simon and sisters (names unknown), of Jesus, have led to much discussion. Some who wished to believe in the perpetual virginity of Mary, his mother, sought to get out of their difficulties by suggesting that the terms “brother” or “brethren” could denote near relationship such as cousin-ship. We are, however, advised that the Greek originals translated brothers and sisters are not ambiguous and that they bear the meanings normally associated with them. There is no necessity to believe that the “brothers and sisters” were later children of Joseph and Mary. In fact the available evidence suggests that it was not so. In the first place it seems almost certain that Joseph died when Jesus was between the age of twelve and thirty. He is mentioned as being alive when the Lord was the former age, but when Jesus began his preaching there is no mention of Joseph only of his mother and brothers and sisters. This suggests that Joseph was much older than Mary, though, of course, it is not conclusive. Apocryphal tradition, in the Protovangelion or Book of James, in describing the birth of Jesus, states that Mary rode on a donkey to Bethlehem accompanied by Joseph and his sons, the boys being old enough to watch over her while Joseph went in quest of a midwife. The story again may be nothing more than a legend, but, as Guy Schofield points out, it assumes that an earlier marriage of Joseph was something so well understood in those days (A.D. 150) as to need no explanation. However, as we shall see, the records which exist relating to the last days and death of James suggest that he was a much-respected “figure in the Church”, by which time he had become known as “the Just One”, a name probably won by years of devoted service. It might not be too far wide of the mark to suggest that James was born about 20 B.C.
Of the earlier life of James and his brothers or their association with Jesus during his early years we know little. It is possible James was married. More than one of the brothers certainly were, for the Apostle Paul writes: “Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord and Cephas” (1 Cor. 9:5). It is practically certain that Jude was married, for there is a record that his two grandsons were taken before the Roman authorities in the reign of the Emperor Domitian, a hundred years later. The Romans had issued a decree after the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 designed to prevent any revival of the Jews under Davidic leadership, and under it the two young men, who were smallholders, were charged with being members of the royal house of David. They pleaded guilty but were so poor and obviously had no ambitions to raise a revolt that they were acquitted.
During the early part of the mission of Jesus, his brothers were unsympathetic towards him. John says: “Neither did his brethren believe on him.” They wondered whether he was mad, and once suggested to him sarcastically that he ought to leave Galilee for Jerusalem that the crowds there might see him and realize his importance. They must have found it difficult to understand him. When his mother and his brothers came to the house where he was and sent a message asking to see him, he replied: “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers ?” To understand a statement of that nature required a far deeper realization of the nature of his mission than they could possibly have had, and it certainly could not have improved the relations between them. It seems likely that James and Jude and the others were strictly orthodox Jews, attached to the synagogue and proud of their descent from David. Possibly their ideas were derived from the Pharisees. On one occasion they and the Virgin spent a few days in Capernaum with Jesus while Mary met the disciples at the marriage in Cana.
The rift between them grew wider as time went on, and when Jesus was crucified only his mother was there, and to John the Lord committed the task of looking after her.
It seems likely, however, that unconsciously the righteousness of Jesus and his general demeanor had had its effect upon James, who, however narrow his views were, was a just man. In any case, a blinding revelation was about to be vouchsafed to him. He was one of the first to meet the risen Lord. “After that, he was seen of James”, says the apostle Paul, and this manifestation seems to have had almost as much effect as that granted to Paul himself. Both were turned from opponents into friends and James joined the believers. His probity and straightforward qualities quickly marked him out, and he made great progress in the Jerusalem Church. Soon he was its head.
When Peter was released from prison by the angelic visitor and went to the house of Mary, those who were praying within for his freedom could not accept Rhoda’s statement that their prayers had been answered. When at last they were persuaded that he was really free, he told them what had happened, and, before leaving, asked them to repeat what he had said to James and to the brethren. Clearly, even by this time James had become leader of the Jerusalem Church.
When the Apostle Paul became a Christian he went to Arabia to prepare himself for the work. After three years he came to Jerusalem on his return (A. D. 37 or 38) ). Here he spent fifteen days with Peter, but the only other apostle he saw was “James the Lord’s brother”. This meeting emphasizes the importance of James in the Jerusalem Church. There was another reason why they wished to see each other. Both had at one time been antagonistic to Jesus or his followers. Both had been privileged to meet the risen Lord and were now his supporters. They therefore had much in common. Later Paul went to Antioch, where the name “Christian” for the followers of the Lord was first used. About A.D. 40 Agabus prophesied a famine, which came to pass in the reign of Claudius Caesar, who ascended the throne in January A.D. 41. The brethren in Antioch made a collection for the Judean brethren and chose Paul and Barnabas to take the outcome to them. On this occasion it seems that Paul met James and Peter and John, who all three now realized his bona-fides, and gave him the right hand of fellowship. The James here referred to was not James the brother of John, but James the Lord’s brother, and the occurrence of his name before that of the other two emphasizes his pre-eminent position in Jerusalem.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One