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.
Mary's belief
61-0121 §12
So Joseph said, "Well, my dear, would you go in and get one of the scrolls." She just by chance reached in to get the scroll and brought it out. She said, "Well, dear, today it seems like we read from the book of Isaiah." So he pulled open the scroll, and Joseph began to read, and his mind ... his eyes fell upon this portion: "A virgin shall conceive, and shall bring forth a son ... They shall call his name Counsellor, mighty God, Prince of Peace, everlasting Father." And when he got down to the end, the little vir...
Be not afraid, it is I
62-0629 §26
Wife was with me at this meeting, and little Joseph. That's been about three years ago. And all of you know the story, or perhaps have read about Joseph. I was taking the life of Joseph... And the doctor had told us we could have no more children after Rebekah was born because she was a Caesarean, and the wife could not have another child. And I went into a little closet at Minneapolis, and was weeping there before the Lord. And a vision come down and said, "You will have a son, and you shall call his name Joseph."...
Let us see God
59-1129 §7
Many of you has heard of Joseph, haven't you? The African people recently sent him a little coat of several colors. I saw him six years before he came, when the doctor said we'd never have another baby, we could not have. Our children had to be cesarean. My mother, my wife's people is that way, their babies are all cesarean. And the Lord told me I was going to have this baby, when the doctor said it could not be done, said it just could not be done. I said, "It'll be, anyhow." And we waited four years, after a visi...
What think ye of Christ?
51-0930A §7
He said, "Well, now, looky here," he said, "don't you believe that was a little slip-up, like Joseph was really the father and that just..." I said, "No, sir! I believe that was God's Son, and Joseph had no more to do with it than I have." That's right. I said, "I believe it was the Son of God." And he... It was the Son of God. And he said, "Well, looky here," he said, "I tell you," said, "it--it is, I believe it was a little slip-up." I said, "Let me tell you something. Do you believe He had a, actually, a earthly...
Believest thou this?
50-0115 §24
And now, during this time, before the birth of Jesus, why Mary, the mother, the little virgin lived in Nazareth, brought up there. And even before that, John had to come as a forerunner. We look at John the Baptist, what a great man he was. Jesus, at this time of our message, was going down to see John the Baptist. He drawn all the regions around Judea and Jordan, down to Jordan to hear him. What a great man he was. He also was foreordained. And when he was borned, Zacharias... Before he was borned, his father was...