The circumstances of the birth of Jesus Christ were these. After his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they were united in marriage, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.
So they entered the house; and when they saw the babe with His mother Mary, they prostrated themselves and did Him homage, and opening their treasure-chests offered gifts to Him–gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
No one mends an old garment with a piece of unshrunk cloth. Otherwise, the patch put on would tear away from it– the new from the old– and a worse hole would be made.
Is not this the carpenter, Mary's son, the brother of James and Joses, Jude and Simon? And do not his sisters live here among us?« So they turned angrily away.
»To you,« He replied, »it is granted to know the secrets of the Kingdom of God; but all others are taught by parables, in order that they may see and yet not see, and may hear and yet not understand.
So His brothers said to Him, »Leave these parts and go into Judaea, that not only we but your disciples also may witness the miracles which you perform.
Have we not a right to take with us on our journeys a Christian sister as our wife, as the rest of the Apostles do–and the Lord's brothers and Peter?