From a historical and biblical point of view, the conversion of the brothers and sisters of Jesus is a particularly interesting subject, because the Gospels show that they were not among the first disciples during his public ministry.
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The brothers of Jesus were at first unbelievers
The Gospels clearly state that during the ministry of Jesus, his brothers did not believe in him:
“For even his brothers did not believe in him” (John 7.5).
They even seem to have viewed his activity with a certain reserve. On one occasion, his family tried to bring him back to them, some thinking that he had lost his mind (Mark 3.20-21). Later, his brothers urged him to go up publicly to Jerusalem, not in a spirit of faith, but with a certain irony (John 7.2-5).
The Gospels mention four brothers of Jesus:
- James;
- Joseph (or Joses);
- Simon;
- Jude (Matthew 13.55 ; Mark 6.3).
They also mention the existence of several sisters, without specifying their number or their names (Matthew 13.56).
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A radical change after the resurrection
After the resurrection, the situation changes completely. Paul mentions a special appearance of the risen Christ to James:
“Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles” (1 Corinthians 15.7).
This appearance probably played a decisive role in the conversion of James and, through him, of the rest of the family.
When Luke describes the community gathered in the upper room before Pentecost, he expressly notes:
“All these with one accord devoted themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers” (Acts 1.14).
This mention shows that barely a few weeks after the crucifixion, the brothers of Jesus had become convinced believers and were part of the group of disciples.
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James becomes one of the main leaders of the Church
The case of James is particularly remarkable.
- He is called “the Lord's brother” (Galatians 1.19).
- He becomes one of the pillars of the Church in Jerusalem (Galatians 2.9).
- Peter himself has news passed on to him after his miraculous release (Acts 12.17).
- It is he who, in a way, presides over the debates at the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15.13-21).
- He is probably the author of the epistle of James.
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Jude is probably the author of the epistle that bears his name
The author of the epistle of Jude introduces himself simply as:
“Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James” (Jude 1).
It is remarkable that he never claims his physical kinship with Jesus, but prefers to introduce himself as his servant. This probably reflects the humility acquired after his conversion.
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The brothers of the Lord carried on missionary activity
Around AD 55, Paul mentions that the brothers of the Lord traveled with their Christian wives:
“Do we not have the right to take along a sister as a wife, as do the other apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?” (1 Corinthians 9.5).
This remark shows that they had become recognized missionaries in the early Christian communities.
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What about the sisters of Jesus?
Scripture is much more discreet about them. The Gospels simply mention their existence:
“And are not all his sisters with us?” (Matthew 13.56).
No name is given, and they then disappear completely from the biblical narrative.
However, several clues suggest that they probably came to share the Christian faith:
- The conversion of the brothers is attested (Acts 1.14).
- Mary, their mother, is among the disciples (Acts 1.14).
- Luke mentions the presence of many women in the early community (Acts 1.14).
- In Jewish culture, women were often included in collective expressions and less frequently named individually.
Thus the absence of their names is not proof of their absence. It is quite possible that they shared the faith of their brothers, but the New Testament provides no explicit information that would allow us to affirm it with certainty.
Conclusion
The New Testament presents a remarkable development: those who had at first shown unbelief toward Jesus later became convinced witnesses of his resurrection. The conversion of his brothers, and more particularly that of James, is moreover one of the historical arguments often put forward in favor of the reality of the appearances of the risen Christ. As for the sisters of Jesus, their silence in the texts allows us neither to demonstrate their conversion nor to rule it out; their presence among the believers remains a reasonable hypothesis, but one that cannot be established with certainty from the biblical data alone.