Jesus and caring of women

Christian Alexander

I am looking at the women in the Gospels, particularly Jesus' sisters. In Luke’s Gospel, women are often compared with men in the narratives. Could it be that, depending on when Joseph died, Jesus was responsible for caring for his sisters until they married? I think he was the eldest male. This question came from a sermon on Luke 10:38–42.  Mary was sitting with the other disciples at the foot of Jesus. Aida Spencer, Beyond the Curse, p. 61, points out that Mary was not off to the side or in the back of the room but “was fact [sic] to face (pros is the preposition used in v. 39) with Jesus.” What is a good source on this topic?

Aida Besançon Spencer, Beyond the Curse: Women Called to Ministry (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1985).

MJ. Smith

Could it be that, depending on when Joseph died, Jesus was responsible for caring for his sisters until they married?

A hypothetical, speculative question with no actual historical records to speculate on; I won't touch this.

I think he was the eldest male.

If this is your hypothetical assumption, reconcile it to the frequent suggestion that Mary was Joseph's second wife. Or with Jesus entrusting John with the care of Mary. (Why weren't the brothers assumed to take responsibility? one likely explanation is that they were half-brothers.) I refuse to take a stand on an unknowable issue.

What is a good source on this topic?

What topic? Jesus' sisters?

The information about Jesus' sisters in the Bible is scant and open to interpretation. Here's a breakdown:

What the Bible Says:

• The Gospels of Mark (6:3) and Matthew (13:55-56) mention Jesus having brothers (Greek: adelphoi), but don't specify sisters (adelphai).
• Some interpretations consider "brothers" to include sisters in that era's language use.

Possible Names:

• Non-canonical sources, like the 3rd-century Gospel of Philip, mention a sister named Mary.
• The late 2nd-century Gospel of James mentions Salome, who might be another sister.
• The reliability of these sources is debated.

Unresolved Issues:

• The number of sisters remains unknown.
• Whether "brothers" in the Gospels refer to biological siblings or close relatives is debated.

Sources of Information:

• The primary source is the canonical Gospels (Mark, Matthew, Luke, John).
• Secondary sources include non-canonical texts like the Gospel of Philip and Gospel of James, but their historical accuracy is questionable.

Theological Significance:

• The concept of Jesus' siblings doesn't hold major theological weight in most Christian traditions.
• Some denominations that emphasize perpetual virginity of Mary differ in interpretation.

In Summary:

While the Bible mentions Jesus' brothers, information about sisters is limited and comes from unreliable sources. The concept has little theological impact for most Christians.

You need to evaluate the possibility of success in researching an issue before wasting time on it. Gemini did a good job indicating that any research on "Jesus' sisters" unless as a sidebar in apocryphal gospels is unproductive ... until a new stash of manuscripts opens the field up again.

As for "women in the gospels" - an all search or book search on that search terms yields many resources in my library. Again a Logos search or an ai-bot should get you started.

Christian Alexander

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1289853#Comment_1289853

I have never tried to evaluate the possibility of success in a research process. How does one do that? I did a Logos search but did not find anything prospective. It might be that it is just a illogical process. 

MJ. Smith

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1289982#Comment_1289982

I have never tried to evaluate the possibility of success in a research process. How does one do that?

I use something like these questions:

1. Is the topic self-contained enough to be covered in the amount of time I have available. Is it a topic that can be answered based on facts or is it answered from implicit information through speculation? Given my personal interests, I often word this in terms of the type of logic used to reach a conclusion.
2. What is the available primary source material for the research, including languages which I do not read? Are these sources implicit or explicit on the subject? If they are explicit your need less material than if it is implicit. If they are sparse, the probability of success goes down rapidly.
3. What is the available secondary source material for the research? Have scholars already studied it to death in which case what I should do is read and evaluate the work already done? Have scholars agreed to disagree in which case I should change my goal to be understanding the various sides of the issue and at most selecting the most probable one? Have only a handful of scholars studied it in which case I should check if special skills or access to materials are required and determine if I have them?
4. What background knowledge is required to successfully research the topic? If I don't have that knowledge, how can I gain it and how long will it take?

In early grades, students are taught the beginnings of this skill in the form of KWL graphic organizers. KWL table - Wikipedia I extend this to include a column for (1) factual vs. inferred and (2) likely sources. I highlight the core elements but not the items that are simply "nice to know" so that my research has appropriate priorities.

Note that in my ancient education, I was taught this skill in the move from papers with assigned topics to papers on a topic of my choice.

It might be that it is just a illogical process.

In nearly 80 years, I have never met something that cannot be analyzed ... even if the analysis results in "it is beyond current human understanding." But I use a broad definition of logic.

MJ. Smith

I think he was the eldest male.

I suggest a structured approach, again using a graphic organizer, for deciding what to think.

Absolutely! Here's a graphic organizer concept to help students pick the best answer during research:

Title: Become a Detective: Choosing the Best Answer

Sections:

1. Question Stem (Top)

   • Write the question you're trying to answer here. This will be the central focus for evaluating the answer choices.

2. Answer Choices (Columns)

   • List each answer choice in its own column.

3. Evaluation Criteria (Rows)

   • Create these rows to represent the key qualities of a strong answer based on the question type:
     • Accuracy: Does the answer align with facts and evidence?
     • Credibility: Who is the source and are they reliable?
     • Completeness: Does it answer all parts of the question?
     • Relevance: Does it directly address the question?
     • Objectivity: Is it neutral or biased? (For some questions)

4. Evaluation (Fill in the table)

   • For each answer choice, evaluate it based on the criteria in each row. Use a checkmark (✓) for meets criteria and an "X" for doesn't meet criteria. Briefly note down why in the evaluation cell.

This organizer helps students systematically analyze each answer against the question and key criteria.

Additional Tips:

• Discuss Source Reliability: Before using the organizer, have a class discussion on how to evaluate the credibility of sources (author expertise, website reputation, publication date).
• Adapt for Different Question Types: Modify the criteria rows to best suit the specific question type (e.g., finding the main idea vs. comparing and contrasting).
• Collaborative Activity: This organizer can be used individually or collaboratively, allowing students to share their evaluations and learn from each other.

This answer offers more options but no detail:

Yes, there are several graphic organizers and structured methods that can be used to teach students how to select the best answer when doing research. Some examples include:

1. T-Chart: A simple organizer where students list the pros and cons of each answer option to help them weigh their choices.

2. Decision Matrix: This tool helps students evaluate multiple criteria for each answer option and assign weights to those criteria to determine the best choice.

3. P-M-I (Plus, Minus, Interesting): Students list the positive aspects, negative aspects, and interesting points about each answer option to help them make a balanced decision.

4. Flowchart: A visual representation of the steps involved in selecting the best answer, guiding students through a series of questions or criteria to consider.

5. Criteria-Based Evaluation: Students identify specific criteria or factors that are important in selecting the best answer, then rate each answer option based on how well it meets those criteria.

6. Rubric: A structured scoring guide that outlines the criteria for evaluating answer options and assigns a score or rating to each option based on how well it meets those criteria.

These tools can be adapted and customized based on the specific needs and preferences of the students and the research task at hand.

Especially with ADHD it is critical that you use structured methods to keep your focus and to not lose information when your attention wanders. Graphic organizers or Lists of the steps to take are two ways to do this. Once you have the steps drilled into your brain, you can find ways that work for you even if they break "all the rules" ... my own practices are very different from what I teach because I work best in short periods of hyper-focused attention mixed with periods of unstructured letting it percolate in my mind. But it took me many years of disciplined thinking to find my own pattern. But I still use many T-charts, M-comparison charts, and truth tables.