An Invitation

[Jaime]

[quote]No. Les' theory (and common sense) concludes that, while not every time, but the majority of the many cases when the the four evangelists, Paul, Acts, and even Josephus refere to Jesus' brothers (as "adolphos"), "brother," not cousin and not an affectionate expression, but actual brother is meant.
[/quote]

Hmmm well let's see... If Les (and his version of common sense) are true, then it would apply to other words in New Testament as well.

Ok Let's try this Les!!

Jesus uses the word sheep over 40 times. In Matthew 25 he talks about how on Judgement Day, the sheep will be separated from the goats. He tells Peter to feed his sheep.

So Literalless, applying "common sense" what are your conclusions about Christ's love for sheep?

[LittleLes]

And moving along with "Who do you say that I am?" according to Mark's gospel, we might do an interim summary. Please note that thus far there has been no claim of the divinity of Christ. He is called the messiah and the "Son of God," but son of God is a fairly common expression in Jewish writing and usually implies God's favor, not divinity. See, for example, the second Psalm of David, where God referes to him as His son.

(1) Jesus' rejection by the people of Nazareth (Mk6:3 "Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas, and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us"?) Jerome claims that these are actually cousins .

(2) The mission of the Twelve and Herod's belief that Jesus was the reincarnation of John. (Thus John was dead at this point).

(3) But then the account of the death of John the Baptist is given.

(4) Miracles of feeding the five thousand and walking on water.

(5) The Healing at Gennesaret.

(6) Teaching on tradition esp the association of unclean food and uncleanliness (or worthiness). Note the parenthetical insertion of the claim in Mark 7:19 that Jesus had declared all foods clean. But this is not what Jesus is referring to.

(7) The Syrophoeician woman's faith and the healing of a deaf man.

[LittleLes]

Hi hot stuff,

Yes. Jesus probably loved sheep. But he never called James, Jose, Judas, or Simon sheep. Only his brothers, the sons of Mary, and the members of his household.

You have to recognize that claims of the perpetual virginity of Mary (and brothers and sisters being really cousins) originated in the fourth century (In the third century Tertullian denied that this was so). By then the New Testament was pretty well written and circulated, so it was impossible to revise the text changing the words for brothers and sisters into cousins.

LittleLes