The bible tells us that it was “supposed” that Jesus was the son of Joseph (Luk 3:23). It was supposed by all the people that Jesus was the son of Joseph, because he WAS exactly that: the biological son of Joseph. However, the author of Luke (Opinion: who never knew Jesus personally. More likely it was some scribe who added this in) tells us that contrary to popular opinion Jesus was not actually the son of Joseph, but of the “holy ghost”.
The Church would like us all to believe that the genealogy in Luke is actually of Mary. The reason for this is that for Jesus to qualify as the Messiah, he needs to be a biological descendant of king David and the genealogy in Luke can be followed up to David (However, so can the genealogy in Matthew — but this would make it necessary for Joseph to be his biological father). Therefore, they teach that Jesus’ true genealogy is the one in Luke, which is only conjecture.
They say that Eli was actually Mary’s father, but church historical tradition shows us that Mary’s father was Joachim, so they say that Eli was just another name for Joachim. However, messianic prophecy says that King Solomon had to be in the messianic lineage and that lineage is the one in Matthew which ends with Joseph.
Therefore, Joseph would have to be Jesus’ biological father. This creates a problem since the virgin birth doctrine says that Mary was impregnated by the “Holy Ghost”. (“Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when at first we practice to deceive.”)
Luke also tells us that Joseph’s father was Eli. However, Matthew tells us that Jacob was Joseph’s father. This seems like a contradiction. What makes things complicated is that the theory that the church fathers passed down to us was that Eli was Mary’s father, since he (they would like us to think) was of royal descendant. This is because Jesus had to descend from king David in order to qualify as the Messiah.
And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli, (Luk 3:23)
(the phrase “(as was supposed)” (KJV) is in parenthesis due to the fact it was added in later — by possibly a scribe)
And Jacob begat Joseph the husband* of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. (Mat 1:16)
*(Notice that it calls Joseph the husband instead of the father or Jesus begotten of Joseph)
To make things even more complicated yet, Jesus’ relatives tell us that Eli died childless. So neither Joseph nor Mary could be begotten of Eli. So that eliminates Jesus qualifying as Messiah through the lineage on the side of Eli.
Also, that shoots down the theory that the genealogy in Luke is of Mary. Therefore, the only other way that Jesus could qualify as the Messiah is if Joseph was his flesh and blood, biological father.
Eli died childless
Eli having died childless… (Eusebius of Caesarea, Historia Ecclesiae, 1:7:11, 1:7:13-14) (Church History)
Mary was a Levite, not of the tribe of Judah
The bible tells us that Mary’s cousin, Elisabeth, was a Levite. James, the brother of Jesus, Joachim, who was a priest, and Ana were the parents of Mary.
Priests could only be Levites, and Mary’s father was a priest. So that makes Mary a Levite.
Therefore, Jesus could not qualify as the Messiah through Mary’s side of the family anyway, and that also refutes the theory that Mary’s father was Eli.
Besides, to complicate matters, if they were both children of Eli, they would be brother and sister. Moreover, tribal affiliation was through the father only anyway, and never through the mother.
There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. (Luk 1:5)
Mary herself was not of the tribe of Judah but of the tribe of Levi; her father being a priest of the name of Joachim. (https://www.orthodox.cn/patristics/apostolicfathers/mary.htm)
(Note to the reader: if you look up this quote, you won’t find it — it has been removed and changed. But this quote was there 12 years ago when I first wrote this article)
The truth is that Joseph was the biological father of Jesus
The only explanation for Joseph appearing as the descendant in both genealogies, of Matthew and Luke, is that he was the physical son of Jacob and the “step-son” (as it were) of Eli. This is because Jacob and Eli were brothers. When Eli died and left no physical heir, according to custom, Jacob being the brother of Eli, married his widow and she bore Joseph — this is known as a levirate marriage.
Eli and Jacob were thus uterine brothers. Eli having died childless, Jacob raised up seed to him, begetting Joseph, his own son by nature, but by law the son of Eli. Thus Joseph was the son of both. (Eusebius of Caesarea, Historia Ecclesiae, 1:7:11, 1:7:13-14)
Joseph had two fathers (as it were), Jacob and Eli, his mother being the widow of Eli. Joseph was of the tribe of Judah. Mary’s parents were Joachim and Ana, the tribe of Levi. Jesus’ biological father was Joseph and his mother was Mary. Jesus’ grandfather was Jacob who was a direct descendant of Solomon and King David.
Joseph was the Biological Father of Jesus
Joseph, now awake, did as the angel directed him, and went in to Mary his espoused bride. In her womb she conceived the Holy One. (2:12)
And Yeshua was beginning his thirtieth year, being by physical body indeed the Son of Joseph and Mary (8:8)
“We have found Him, of whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets did write. He is Yeshua of Nazareth the son of Joseph and Mary. (10:8) (Gospel of the Nazarenes)
Takeaways:
- Joseph was the biological father of Jesus.
- The genealogy in Luke is not Mary’s, nor Joseph’s.
- Eli died childless — Mary couldn’t have been his daughter.
- Eli was Joseph’s post humus step-father (as it were).
- Mary was of the tribe of Levi.
- Mary’s parents were Joachim and Anna.
- Mary’s father was a priest: tribe of Levi.
- Jacob, Joseph’s father, and Eli were brothers.
- Eli’s widow was Joseph’s mother.
- Mary was not impregnated by the “Holy Ghost”.
- Joseph had sexual relations with Mary before Jesus was born — Mary was not a virgin.
Next: Jesus’ Childhood | Mary of Levite family