Was Mary sinless?
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There could have been other men named James who qualify as "apostles" -- including some who never laid eyes on Jesus. The Greek word apostolos means “delegate,” “ambassador,” “one who is sent.” In this sense Paul calls himself an apostle, e.g., Gal. 1:1. In this sense Paul calls James the brother of the Lord an apostle, Gal. 1:19, as well as Andronicus and Junias, Rom. 16:7, and likely Apollos (1Cor. 4:6, 9), as well as Silvanus and Timothy (1Thess. 1:1, 2:6). In this sense Luke calls both Paul and Barnabas apostles, Acts 14:14.
However, again, in Gal. 1:18-19, Paul indicates that James is one of the twelve apostles.
Augustin56
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Here's some disturbing news for you (at least from your perspective). It was the Catholic Church (usually monks) who copied the Scriptures throughout the years until the printing press was invented. Many errors in copying were made, and it was the Catholic Church who decided which was correct and which was not. There was a methodology that they used to come up with what we have now. For example, they may have 10 hand-copied versions of the Gospel of John. A particular passage has a passage that says X in 7 of the copies and Y in 3 of the copies. Usually, they went with X.
Additionally, there are always errors in some parts of translations into other languages because of the differences in how languages are used. There are some words that just don't translate well and an approximation was given.
None of this lends to personal interpretation of Scripture out of the context of the Church that gave us the Bible. A Bible-reading, self-interpreting approach would have been highly impractical, anyway, given that the vast majority of humanity was illiterate until the last 100 years in history. Jesus didn't write a book to spread His truths. He founded a (ONE) Church, the Catholic Church, that has been here from the beginning. The Bible is a tool of the Church. It is the Church that has God's authority to authoritatively interpret Scripture.
In Gal. 1:18-19, Paul mentions that after he had seen the apostle Peter, one of the Twelve, in Jerusalem, he continues to say that he didn't see another one of the apostles, except James the Lord’s brother. The context indicates that James was one of the Twelve, and it's the title "the Lord's brother" which follows his first name that indicates he was also Jesus's kinsman/relative.
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I'm not disputing the "family member" conclusion. But I don't read Gal. 1:18-19 to call James one of the Twelve.
I know.
Again, in Gal. 1:18-19, Paul mentions that after he had seen the apostle Peter, one of the Twelve, in Jerusalem, he continues to say that he didn't see another one of the apostles, except James the Lord’s brother. The context indicates that James was one of the Twelve.
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Disagree. The "other apostles" Paul was referring to need not have been only the original Twelve just because Peter was one of those Twelve.
"Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas (one of the Twelve), and stayed with him for fifteen days. But I did not see another one of the apostles except James, the Lord’s brother." (Gal. 1:19). Paul is referring to the twelve apostles by saying he saw and spent time with Peter, but none of the other Twelve, except James. Therefore, that "James" would've either been apostle James of Alphaeus or apostle James of Zebedee, a kinsman/relative of Jesus.
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Disagree. Just because Peter is one of the Twelve original apostles doesn't mean all "other apostles" were as well in Paul's view. We know he was not of that view, given all of the other men he calls apostles elsewhere.
I didn't say Paul considered all other apostles one of the original twelve. Again, I'm showing how he's specifically referring to the original twelve: "Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas (one of the Twelve), and stayed with him for fifteen days. But I did not see another one of the apostles except James, the Lord’s brother." (Gal. 1:19). Therefore, that "James" would've either been apostle James of Alphaeus or apostle James of Zebedee of the twelve, a kinsman/relative of Jesus.
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Let's look at 1 Cor. 15:3-7:
"For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles."
Look at the order of appearance. First, Peter. Next, the Twelve. Next, 500+ "brethren." Next, James. Obviously Paul would not have mentioned a separate appearance to James if he had already been appeared to as one of the Twelve.
If Paul in First Corinthians could deem "James" as someone not in the original twelve, so could he in Galatians.
"For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles."
Look at the order of appearance. First, Peter. Next, the Twelve. Next, 500+ "brethren." Next, James. Obviously Paul would not have mentioned a separate appearance to James if he had already been appeared to as one of the Twelve.
If Paul in First Corinthians could deem "James" as someone not in the original twelve, so could he in Galatians.
Are you someone who needs to read the words "the twelve apostles" in order to recognize when the original twelve are being referred to? Or, do you understand that there's more than one way to say something?
"Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas (one of the Twelve), and stayed with him for fifteen days. But I did not see another one of the apostles except James, the Lord’s brother." (Gal. 1:19). The underlined/italicized parts are how we know Paul is specifically referring to Peter and James of the Twelve.
"He appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve..." (1 Cor. 15:5)
"After that He appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters (disciples) at one time..." (1 Cor. 15:6)
"then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also." (1 Cor. 15:7)
In 1 Cor. 15:5, Jesus appeared to the apostle Peter (one of the Twelve), then to the Twelve, and thus seen by Peter twice. Regarding 1 Cor. 15:7, if "all the apostles" referred to "all other apostles," then Paul, an "other apostle,” would've been included with them, but He was seen and mentioned separately from them and lastly. Therefore, Jesus appeared to one of the James of the Twelve, then to the Twelve, and thus seen by James twice.
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46 While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.
47 Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.
Was Jesus speaking of another group of disciples or his immediate family?
Boink!
In this scene, Jesus's brothers who arrived with His Mother to speak with Him at Capernaum were two of His four cousins, Joseph and Simon of Alphaeus. Joseph and Simon had heard that Jesus had recently done carpentry work in Korazim for a widow whose husband had died, and they, particularly Joseph, was the most visually and vocally angry at Him for making money for her and her children, but not His own Mother, etc., and they were there to confront Him about it, but Jesus set them straight. I know some of those details not from any of the accounts of the Four Evangelists, as they are incomplete, but rather from The Gospel as Revealed to Me, or The Poem of the Man-God, an expansion of the four Gospels of Christ by Jesus through His spokesperson, Maria Valtorta.
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