1 Corinthians 9:5

The right of Paul and Barnabas, as apostles of the Lord, is demonstrated down to 1 Corinthians 9:14 by a series of arguments, the first of which, 1 Corinthians 9:5-6, is taken from the example of the other apostles and of the Lord's brothers. Not only were these personally maintained by the Churches they visited, but each of them had his wife with him, who shared in this advantage. The Greek text signifies: “a sister as wife.” The Vulgate translates: “a wife as sister;” it is obvious in what interest. “Clement of Alexandria, at the end of the second century, makes no difficulty about recognising the fact that all the apostles were married (Strom. iii. p. 448); Ambrosiaster (probably the Roman deacon Hilary in the fourth century) declares (2 Corinthians 11:2) that all the apostles, except John and Paul, had wives” (see Heinrici, p. 240).

The term περιάγειν, to lead about, can apply only to habitual missionary journeys. This little word dissipates to some extent the obscurity in which the book of Acts leaves the career of most of the Twelve. It reveals to us also what an important part the brothers of Jesus played in the early propagation of Christianity. They must have occupied the first rank among the evangelists, who came immediately after the apostles (Ephesians 4:11). These brothers of Jesus were, according to the Gospels, four in number: James, Joses, Simon, and Jude (Matthew 13:55 and parallels). An ancient tradition makes them elder brothers of Jesus, the issue of a first marriage of Joseph. Later it was sought to identify two or even three of them with the apostles of the same name; they were held to be cousins of Jesus, sons of a brother of Joseph, called Alphaeus. After his death, Joseph and Mary took them into their house to bring them up with Jesus; this is what led to their being called His brothers. The eldest, James, was the Apostle James, son of Alphaeus (Matthew 10:3); Simon, the last but one, was the Apostle Simon Zelotes (Matthew 10:4; Luke 6:15); and the youngest, Jude, was the Apostle Jude Lebbaeus, or Thaddaeus (Matthew 10:3; Luke 6:16). This ingenious combination falls to pieces before the two sayings, John 7:5, where, some months before the Passion, it is said of the brothers of Jesus, “that they did not believe in Him,” they were not therefore of the number of the Twelve, and Acts 1:13-14, where, even after the Ascension, they are still placed outside the circle of the apostles. Our passage, too, has been relied on to identify them with the Twelve. For, it is said, since Peter is mentioned along with the apostles, though he was one of them, it may well be so with the brothers of Jesus. But it is not necessary to give to the two καί, and, in our verse an identical meaning. We may explain it: “the other apostles, as well as (first καί) the brothers of Jesus, and specially (second καί) Cephas.” As to the brothers of Jesus, therefore, there are only two suppositions possible: either that they were, according to a tradition already quoted, brothers of Jesus by the father, or that they were his later-born brothers. It is well known what an ascendancy in the Church was given to the eldest of them, James, by the fact of his being the Lord's brother; comp. Galatians 1:19; Galatians 2:1-10; Acts 15.

The Gospels positively inform us that Peter was married (Matthew 8:14). Tradition calls his wife sometimes Concordia, sometimes Perpetua. Peter is expressly mentioned, because he occupied the first rank among the apostles and evangelists; his was the example par excellence.