There Is History That Joseph Was a Widower with Four Children. Can You Prove That the Children Attributed to Mary Were Not Indeed Inherited?
1) Direct Answer
Yes. The “widower with four children” story is not Scripture. The Bible presents Jesus’ brothers and sisters as Mary’s own children born after the virgin birth.
2) Scriptural Explanation
- Psalm 69:8 says of the Messiah, “I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother’s children.” John 2:17 and Romans 15:3 apply Psalm 69 directly to Jesus. Now notice, it says “my mother’s children,” not “my father’s children.” That fits the virgin birth and shows Mary had other children.
- Matthew 1:25 says Joseph “knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son.” “Till” shows normal marital union followed the birth of Jesus, and “firstborn” points to more children afterward.
- Matthew 13:55-56 and Mark 6:3 name His brothers—James, Joses, Simon, Judas—and mention His sisters as present among them. The people said, “Is not this the son of Mary… and his brethren… and his sisters…?” That is natural, household language.
- John 2:12; Matthew 12:46; John 7:5 show “his mother and his brethren” moving and standing together as one family.
- Galatians 1:19 and 1 Corinthians 9:5 speak plainly of “the Lord’s brother.”
3) Simple Clarifying Logic
- The Bible never says Joseph had previous children. That’s a later story, not the Word.
- The Messianic Psalm settles whose children they are—“my mother’s children.”
- “Till” and “firstborn” align with Mary and Joseph entering normal married life after Jesus’ birth.
- Jesus giving Mary to John at the cross doesn’t deny other sons; at that time His brothers did not believe (John 7:5). He entrusted her to a believing disciple present.
4) Reinforcing Statement
We don’t build doctrine on tradition. We stay with the Scripture: Jesus had brothers and sisters, Mary’s own children, born after His virgin birth.
Existing Follow-Up Answers
- Every "thing" God Ever "borrowed" Was Paid Back with Interest. Would It Not Be Inconsistent of God's Character to Borrow Mary's Womb and Not Repay?
1) Direct Answer No inconsistency at all. God did not "borrow" Mary's womb; God created a body by His Word and overshadowed a virgin. Then He hon
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What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
God's gifts always find their places
63-1222 §21
Joseph couldn't understand it, it was too unusual. He was a good man, nothing wrong with him. He was a good man, a just man, but it was so unusual. See, Joseph probably forty years old or forty-five, something like that, they claim, when he and Mary was engaged. But here we find something that never had happened: a woman espoused to this man and yet be found to be mother! And it was so unusual Joseph was minded to put her away. But right at that crucial moment, God sent His angel, and appeared to him in a dream and...
From that time
60-0331 §21
...Elisabeth say, "Oh, Mary, I've never seen you look so pretty. Your eyes are so sparkling and your face is so pretty. You made such a darling woman. I suppose maybe you and Joseph are still going together." "Yes, we are still together." And she said, "You know, Mary, that I am to be a mother." "Yes, I know it. I know it, and I'm to be mother, too," said Mary." And she said, "Oh, I see, you and Joseph is already married." "No, Joseph and I are not married." And such an astonishing look must have come on Elisabeth's...
We have seen His star and have come to worship Him
63-1216 §34
Now, we find out that the forecast foretells future events before they happen. Strange as it seems, that almighty God foretold, and took the welfare of the baby, Jesus, and revealed it by a dream, what to do. Now that God, in this secondarily way, to His own Son, revealed it to Joseph by a dream. The Bible said He did. Yes, sir. Now, Joseph was a good man, he was the son of David, and he was espoused to Mary. I'd like to pass this on, before we go further. Espousing, in the East, was the same as marriage, is betrot...
Being led of the Holy Spirit
56-0219 §48
I imagine Elisabeth said, "You know, maybe Mary and Joseph really got married." But you know how she had to tell Joseph? She was engaged to him, you know. And Joseph was a carpenter and he was building a house. And oh, he could build good houses. And so then, he was building one special, because he was going to live in it with his little sweetheart Mary. And one day little Mary walks up to the door and said, "Joseph, I guess we will have to break our engagement, because I'm going to have a baby." And walked away. C...
The Identified Christ of all ages
64-0409 §45
...you who take Mary for a goddess, or a intercessor, looky here. She had give a testimony---watch her condemn her own testimony. She said, "Your father and I have sought you with tears." Look what she did. She condemned her own testimony. She was calling Joseph his father. But watch. Just a kid, just a little boy (but the Word always corrects the error), said, "Know you not that I must be about my Father's business?" The Word spontaneously, see, corrected the error. She said, "Your father and I..." (Joseph), right b...