'Brothers' in the Bible

Abraham fathered Isaac,Isaac fathered Jacob,Jacob fathered Judah and his brothers,

and Josiah fathered Jechoniah and his brothersat the time of the exile to Babylon.

As He was walking along the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, since they were fishermen.

Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and He called them.

And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing out of the ordinary? Don’t even the Gentiles do the same?

He was still speaking to the crowds when suddenly His mother and brothers were standing outside wanting to speak to Him.

Someone told Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to You.”

But He replied to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?”

And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Here are My mother and My brothers!

Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t His mother called Mary, and His brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?

And everyone who has left houses, brothers or sisters, father or mother, children, or fields because of My name will receive 100 times more and will inherit eternal life.

When the 10 disciples heard this, they became indignant with the two brothers.

Now there were seven brothers among us. The first got married and died. Having no offspring, he left his wife to his brother.

“But as for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi,’ because you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers.

“And the King will answer them, ‘I assure you: Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’

Then Jesus told them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see Me there.”

Then His mother and His brothers came, and standing outside, they sent word to Him and called Him.

A crowd was sitting around Him and told Him, “Look, Your mother, Your brothers, and Your sisters are outside asking for You.”

He replied to them, “Who are My mother and My brothers?”

And looking about at those who were sitting in a circle around Him, He said, “Here are My mother and My brothers!

“I assure you,” Jesus said, “there is no one who has left house, brothers or sisters, mother or father, children, or fields because of Me and the gospel,

who will not receive 100 times more, now at this time—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and eternal life in the age to come.

There were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and dying, left no offspring.

Then His mother and brothers came to Him, but they could not meet with Him because of the crowd.

He was told, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see You.”

But He replied to them, “My mother and My brothers are those who hear and do the word of God.”

He also said to the one who had invited Him, “When you give a lunch or a dinner, don’t invite your friends, your brothers, your relatives, or your rich neighbors, because they might invite you back, and you would be repaid.

“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, and even his own life—he cannot be My disciple.

because I have five brothers—to warn them, so they won’t also come to this place of torment.’

So He said to them, “I assure you: There is no one who has left a house, wife or brothers, parents or children because of the kingdom of God,

Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife and died without children.

You will even be betrayed by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends. They will kill some of you.

But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And you, when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

After this, He went down to Capernaum, together with His mother, His brothers, and His disciples, and they stayed there only a few days.

so His brothers said to Him, “Leave here and go to Judea so Your disciples can see Your works that You are doing.

(For not even His brothers believed in Him.)

After His brothers had gone up to the festival, then He also went up, not openly but secretly.

“Don’t cling to Me,” Jesus told her, “for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to My brothers and tell them that I am ascending to My Father and your Father—to My God and your God.”

So this report spread to the brothers that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not tell him that he would not die, but, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?”

All these were continually united in prayer, along with the women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and His brothers.

During these days Peter stood up among the brothers—the number of people who were together was about 120—and said:

“Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled that the Holy Spirit through the mouth of David spoke in advance about Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.

“Brothers, I can confidently speak to you about the patriarch David: He is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.

When they heard this, they came under deep conviction and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles: “Brothers, what must we do?”

“And now, brothers, I know that you did it in ignorance, just as your leaders also did.

Moses said:The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to Him in everything He will say to you.

Therefore, brothers, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty.

“Brothers and fathers,” he said, “listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he settled in Haran,

The second time, Joseph was revealed to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to Pharaoh.

“As he was approaching the age of 40, he decided to visit his brothers, the Israelites.

He assumed his brothers would understand that God would give them deliverance through him, but they did not understand.

The next day he showed up while they were fighting and tried to reconcile them peacefully, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers. Why are you mistreating each other?’

“This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your brothers.

When the brothers found out, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.

Peter then invited them in and gave them lodging.The next day he got up and set out with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa went with him.

The apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles had welcomed God’s message also.

Then the Spirit told me to accompany them with no doubts at all. These six brothers accompanied me, and we went into the man’s house.

So each of the disciples, according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brothers who lived in Judea.

Motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he explained to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. “Report these things to James and the brothers,” he said. Then he departed and went to a different place.

After the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any message of encouragement for the people, you can speak.”

“Brothers, sons of Abraham’s race, and those among you who fear God, the message of this salvation has been sent to us.

Therefore, let it be known to you, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is being proclaimed to you,

But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up and poisoned the minds of the Gentiles against the brothers.

Some men came down from Judea and began to teach the brothers: “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom prescribed by Moses, you cannot be saved!”

When they had been sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, explaining in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and they created great joy among all the brothers.

After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them: “Brothers, you are aware that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the gospel message and believe.

After they stopped speaking, James responded: “Brothers, listen to me!

Then the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, decided to select men who were among them and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas: Judas, called Barsabbas, and Silas, both leading men among the brothers.

They wrote this letter to be delivered by them: From the apostles and the elders, your brothers,To the brothers among the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia:Greetings.

Both Judas and Silas, who were also prophets themselves, encouraged the brothers and strengthened them with a long message.

After spending some time there, they were sent back in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them. But Paul and Barnabas, along with many others, remained in Antioch teaching and proclaiming the message of the Lord. After some time had passed, Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s go back and visit the brothers in every town where we have preached the message of the Lord and see how they’re doing.” Barnabas wanted to take along John Mark. But Paul did not think it appropriate to take along this man who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone on with them to the work. There was such a sharp disagreement that they parted company, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed off to Cyprus. Then Paul chose Silas and departed, after being commended to the grace of the Lord by the brothers. He traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

After some time had passed, Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s go back and visit the brothers in every town where we have preached the message of the Lord and see how they’re doing.”

Then Paul chose Silas and departed, after being commended to the grace of the Lord by the brothers.

The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke highly of him.

After leaving the jail, they came to Lydia’s house where they saw and encouraged the brothers, and departed.

When they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city officials, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here too,

As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas off to Berea. On arrival, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.

Then the brothers immediately sent Paul away to go to the sea, but Silas and Timothy stayed on there.

So Paul, having stayed on for many days, said good-bye to the brothers and sailed away to Syria. Priscilla and Aquila were with him. He shaved his head at Cenchreae because he had taken a vow.

When he wanted to cross over to Achaia, the brothers wrote to the disciples urging them to welcome him. After he arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace.

When we completed our voyage from Tyre, we reached Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and stayed with them one day.

When we reached Jerusalem, the brothers welcomed us gladly.

“Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.”

as both the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me. After I received letters from them to the brothers, I traveled to Damascus to bring those who were prisoners there to be punished in Jerusalem.

Paul looked intently at the Sanhedrin and said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience until this day.”

“I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest,” replied Paul. “For it is written, You must not speak evil of a ruler of your people.”

When Paul realized that one part of them were Sadducees and the other part were Pharisees, he cried out in the Sanhedrin, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees! I am being judged because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead!”

After three months we set sail in an Alexandrian ship that had wintered at the island, with the Twin Brothers as its figurehead.

After three days he called together the leaders of the Jews. When they had gathered he said to them: “Brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors, I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.

Then they said to him, “We haven’t received any letters about you from Judea. None of the brothers has come and reported or spoken anything evil about you.

Now I want you to know, brothers, that I often planned to come to you (but was prevented until now) in order that I might have a fruitful ministry among you, just as among the rest of the Gentiles.

Since I am speaking to those who understand law, brothers, are you unaware that the law has authority over someone as long as he lives?

Therefore, my brothers, you also were put to death in relation to the law through the crucified body of the Messiah, so that you may belong to another—to Him who was raised from the dead—that we may bear fruit for God.

So then, brothers, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh,

For those He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.

For I could almost wish to be cursed and cut off from the Messiah for the benefit of my brothers, my own flesh and blood.

Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God concerning them is for their salvation!

So that you will not be conceited, brothers, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery: A partial hardening has come to Israel until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.

Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship.

My brothers, I myself am convinced about you that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another.