Expert: Mrs. Priscilla Lyons - 3/13/2007

Question
Was Joseph married two times?  Who was his first wife and did they have any children? When he married Mary she had Jesus.

Answer
Dear Mary Margaret,
   Thanks for writing.  The Bible doesn't give any indication that Joseph was married twice unless a person wants to deify Mary by keeping her a virgin after she had Jesus.   Matthew 12:46 (Jesus' "mother and His brethren") would be considered speaking of Mary's stepsons, with that thinking, but they wouldn't be related to Jesus if they were not Mary's sons, since Joseph was not Jesus' father.
   Matthew 1:25 seems to indicate that Joseph waited till after Jesus was born, but then had a sexual relation with Mary as a husband should.  "And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son"  Jesus being her firstborn son seems to indicate that Mary had other sons.  Paul calls James the Lord's brother, in Galatians 1:19.
   In Luke 1:47 Mary calls God her Savior, so she recognized she needed a Savior from her sins.  She is highly honored to be the physical mother of Jesus, but she was only human, unlike Jesus who was human as well as divine.  It does not denigrate Mary for her to not continue being a virgin after she had Jesus.  
   I hope this helps to explain why some people may consider Joseph to have been married twice, although I don't agree.
   Sincerely,
   Priscilla