The Bible’s take on the matter

The Bible does not say anything about whether or not Mary had any more children after Jesus. There is no mention of any other children in the Bible. This does not mean that Mary did not have any more children, but the Bible does not mention it either way.

What the Bible says about Mary

The Bible does not specifically say whether or not Mary had any other children after Jesus. However, there are a few pieces of evidence that suggest she may have had other children.

First, in Matthew 13:55-56, when everyone is marveling at Jesus’ wisdom and asking if he is the son of David, his brothers and sisters are mentioned.
“Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?”
Some people interpret this to mean that Jesus had actual brothers and sisters who were born after him. Others believe that the word “brothers” can also refer to close male relatives or friends, so it could just be referring to cousins.

There is also the fact that in John 19:25-27, when Jesus is on the cross, he entrusts Mary to the care of John, one of his disciples.
“Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene… When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her [Mary], ‘Woman,[a] here is your son,’ and to the disciple [John], ‘Here is your mother.’”
Some people interpret this as meaning that Jesus’ regular disciples were like family to him, but others believe it could be suggesting that John was actually related to or adopted by Mary.

So while the Bible does not say definitively whether or not Mary had any other children after Jesus was born, there are a few pieces of evidence that suggest she may have.

What the Bible says about Jesus’ siblings

The Bible never explicitly says whether or not Mary had any children other than Jesus. However, it is generally assumed that she did. This assumption is based on a few pieces of evidence:

-The fact that Jesus had brothers and sisters is implied in several passages, such as when Jesus is presented in the temple as a baby and Simeon says to Mary, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted” (Luke 2:34). If Jesus was an only child, it would have been unnecessary to mention his brothers and sisters.

-Another passage that implies that Jesus had siblings is when James and Joseph (also called Joses), Judas and Simon are listed as brothers of Jesus (Mark 6:3). It’s worth noting that these are not the same James and Joseph who were disciples of Jesus; they are assumed to be siblings because they are referred to as “the Lord’s brothers.”

-In addition, Paul mentions “the brothers of the Lord” in 1 Corinthians 9:5. Again, these are assumed to be siblings of Jesus because they are referred to as “the Lord’s brothers.”

-The assumption that Mary had other children is also supported by the way first-century Jews viewed virgins who became pregnant. A virgin who became pregnant was viewed as sinful (see Matthew 1:18-25), so if Mary hadn’t given birth to any other children after Jesus, she would have been viewed with suspicion.

It’s possible that Mary did have other children after Jesus was born, but we cannot say for certain based on the evidence we have available.

Historical evidence

It is commonly believed that Mary, the mother of Jesus, had other children after Jesus was born. There is no Biblical evidence to support this claim, but there is some historical evidence that suggests it may be true.

Early Christian writings about Mary

Early Christians wrote many things about Mary, the mother of Jesus. These early writings help us understand what they believed about her and how she was venerated.

The New Testament doesn’t say much about Mary, but there are a few passages that mention her. In Luke 1:26-56, we read about the angel Gabriel telling Mary that she will give birth to the Messiah. In John 19:25-27, we see Mary standing at the foot of the cross with Jesus’ disciples.

Beyond the Bible, there are a few other early Christian writings that mention Mary. The Protoevangelium of James, written aroundAD 150, gives us some of the earliest traditions about Mary’s life. According to this document, Mary was born in Jerusalem and lived in the Temple until she was twelve years old. She was then promised in marriage to Joseph, a carpenter from Nazareth.

The later Gospel of James, written around AD 200, expands on these stories and adds new details. For example, it tells us that when Joseph was chosen to be Mary’s husband, he was eighty years old and she was fourteen. It also says that after Jesus’ crucifixion, Mary died in Jerusalem and was buried there.

later Christian writings about Mary

The later Christian apocryphal writings and the Gnostic texts give us a somewhat different picture of Mary than that found in the New Testament. In these texts, Mary is often portrayed as a secret disciple of Jesus who is favored by him above all other disciples, including the Twelve. She is given special knowledge by Jesus and is even granted the privilege of being present at his crucifixion, which the other disciples are not.

Some of these texts also suggest that Mary had a more intimate relationship with Jesus than just that of student and teacher. The Gnostic Gospel of Philip, for example, describes Mary as Jesus’ “companion” and says that she “always walked with the Lord.” This idea that Mary was more than just a disciple is also found in the apocryphal Acts of John, which describes her as Jesus’ “beloved” and says that he often kissed her on the mouth.

Non-Christian writings about Mary

It is important to remember that none of the non-Christian sources directly mention Mary herself. Instead, they only mention her indirectly in reference to Jesus. Nevertheless, these sources can still give us valuable information about how Mary was perceived by those who did not follow Christianity.

One of the most important non-Christian sources comes from the historian Flavius Josephus. In his book ” Antiquities of the Jews,” written in 93 AD, Josephus mentions Jesus in passing, and he also mentions “the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ.” From this, we can infer that Josephus believed that Mary had at least one other child after Jesus.

Other non-Christian sources include the Jewish Talmud and the Roman historian Tacitus. Both of these sources make indirect references to Mary in connection with Jesus, but neither of them provides any specific information about her.

Theological implications

After Jesus was born, Mary had other children with Joseph. These children were born naturally and were not virgins like Jesus. This means that Mary was not a perpetual virgin as some Christians believe.

If Mary had other children, what does that mean for her role as the mother of God?

The question of whether or not Mary had other children after Jesus is a matter of theological debate. Some Christians believe that she did, while others believe that she did not.

Those who believe that Mary had other children argue that there is no biblical evidence to support the idea that she remained a Virgin after Jesus’ birth. They point to verses like Matthew 1:25, which says that Joseph “knew her not until she had brought forth her firstborn son.” This, they say, implies that Joseph and Mary had normal sexual relations after Jesus was born.

Those who believe that Mary remained a Virgin argue that the Bible does not say definitively one way or the other whether or not she had other children. They point to verses like Luke 1:34-35, in which Mary says to the angel Gabriel, “How shall this be, since I have no husband?” They interpret this to mean that Mary was planning to remain a Virgin throughout her life.

Ultimately, there is no clear answer to the question of whether or not Mary had other children after Jesus. It is a matter of interpretation and personal belief.

What does it mean for Jesus’ role as the only begotten Son of God?

While the Bible does not explicitly state that Mary had any other children after Jesus, it is implied in several passages. In Matthew 12:46-50, Mark 3:31-35, and Luke 8:19-21, we see that Jesus’ family attempts to speak to him while he is teaching. In each of these instances, Jesus responds by saying that his true family are those who do the will of God. This would imply that Mary had other children who were not part of Jesus’ immediate family.

There are also a couple of instances where Jesus refers to his mother and brothers in a way that would imply they are not his only siblings. In Matthew 13:55-56, Jesus says that his mother and brothers are those who hear and obey the word of God. And in Mark 6:3, he says that his mother and brothers are those who do the works of God.

These verses suggest that Mary had other children after Jesus, but there is no definitive statement one way or the other in Scripture. Some theologians believe that Mary remained a virgin throughout her life, while others believe she had other children after Jesus. The important thing to remember is that regardless of whether or not Mary had other children, Jesus is still the only begotten Son of God and our Savior.

How would this affect our understanding of the Incarnation?

The idea that Mary had other children after Jesus would have implications for our understanding of the incarnation. The incarnation is the belief that Jesus Christ is God in human form. If Mary had other children after Jesus, it would mean that Jesus was not the only child of God. This would impact our understanding of the incarnation because it would mean that Jesus is not the only begotten son of God.