Where was Joseph?

[stevehut]

So, if you're suggesting "they" would have changed the copies, that in my mind suggests you don't trust them.  If that's the case we go right back to the Holy Spirit thing.

Nope. You misunderstand me.

Someone here was asking why the heretics didn't just change the Bible, if they wanted to introduce foreign teachings.

My answer was they'd never get away with it. Because of the way that the Bible manuscripts were copied, and the large number of copies out there, it would be impossible for anyone to get away with changing the message. You'd never be able to get ahold of all the copies to change them all.

[stevehut]

have you ever studied it with an open mind?

You mean the possibility that someone besides Jesus might be my redeemer?

NOPE. NEVER HAVE. AND I NEVER WILL.

[stevehut]

and the Scriptures also CLEARLY STATE that 'unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and Drink His Blood, you have NO LIFE in you...

Yup.

The Son. Not the mother.

[Guest wareguy]

I agree with Mike as far the answer can be found in the geneology as far as to the question of Joseph having other children prior to birth of Jesus.

The children(brothers) is mentioned at least twice in the nt. The "prior" part, is simply an opinion.

Matthew 13:55

"Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary, and aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?

He's the one who authored the book of James in the New Testament. (Recall that James the brother of John was the first of the 12 Apostles to be martyred.)

Judas is the author of the book Jude.

[stevehut]

Judas is the author of the book Jude.

Not the same as Judas Iscariot the traitor.

[serotta]

I can't believe how often and how heatedly this subject gets debated here, and I haven't been here that long.

Let's focus on the one fact here and that is that whether Jesus had true brothers and/or sisters is not relevant to our salvation. And another fact is that scripture does not spell out the answer to this definitively. So whether Mary and Joseph had other children IS left up to our interpretation.

From the mentions of brothers and sisters, and the fact that they were husband and wife, it is quite possible that Mary had other children, and certainly possible that Mary and Joseph actually had sexual relations (gasp).

From Jesus leaving Mary in John's charge, the lack of definitive statements in scripture, and the fact that their first child was the Son of God, and the Savior of the world, it is quite possible that Mary and Joseph did not have any other children, and quite possibly never had sexual relations.

Both arguments can be made convincingly, so neither should be taken factually. This question is not going to be on our "final exam", so I suggest we focus all this energy on something more important.

[Guest wareguy]

Judas is the author of the book Jude.

Not the same as Judas the traitor.

That is undetermined.

Edited August 9, 2004 by wareguy

[serotta]

There are 3 James of note in the new testament. 2 were apostles: James the brother of John, one of the "sons of thunder", and James the lesser, aka "camel knees". The third is the author of the book of James, and Gal 1:19 calls him "the Lord's brother". The Greek word used for brother is adephos, which would certainly seem to be literally the blood-brother.

[serotta]

Judas is the author of the book Jude.

Not the same as Judas the traitor.

That is undetermined.

I have seen no source that would attribute the book of Jude to Judas Iscariot, so I would say that it has been determined. This is almost certainly the brother of the author of the book of James, the Judas mentioned in Mat 13:55.

[stevehut]

Judas is the author of the book Jude.

Not the same as Judas the traitor.

That is undetermined.

Oh, it is definitely determined.

None of the books of the NT were written until years after the death of Christ. And Judas Iscariot died before him.

There were two apostles named Judas, but the author does not claim to be an apostle.