It is not in the Bible !

“Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?
Matthew 13:55

Now Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.”
Luke 8:19‭-‬20



Sent from my Motorola Droid Turbo.

 

Lutherans and Reformed affirm that Mary was "ever virgin":


Book of Concord, Lutheran Church Missouri Synod

"The Book of Concord refers to Mary as 'blessed' (AC III 1), 'pure, holy, and ever-virgin' (SA-I 4)"



Second Helvetic Confession, Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals

"the Blessed Virgin....the Virgin Mary....the ever virgin Mary"

 

Early Church Fathers believed these were children of a deceased wife of Joseph. No where does it say these brothers and sisters of Jesus were 'born of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Anglicans and other Protestants are free to make up their own minds about this and it is not seen as a teaching necessary to the holding orthodox faith, however, As a Catholic, I personally believe in the eternal virginity of Holy Mother Mary. I believe Ez. ch 44 speaks of it "the gate that will remain closed. It will not be opened,because the Lord, the God of Israel, has entered through it. Therefore it will remain closed". In the ancient tradition of the Church this has been seen as pointing to the birth of Jesus and to Mother Mary as the eternal virgin. The traditions of the ancient church has held this belief since the earliest times.We are supposed to "stand firm and hold to the traditions"(2Thes.2:15) Anglicanism prides itself on "Scripture, Tradition, and Reason". Again, though they do not believe it is necessary to believe in Mary's perpetual virginity for salvation, I believe Church history to be overwhelmingly in favor of this viewpoint.

 

Have you read the thread title? "It's not in the Bible !"

Except it is in the Bible. The only thing not in the Bible is the "tradition" that these were stepkids.