Person New Testament
James, brother of Jesus
Also known as James the Just, James the Lord's brother
James was a brother of Jesus who did not believe during the ministry, saw the risen Jesus according to Paul, and became a leading figure of the church in Jerusalem. He gave the decisive judgment at the Jerusalem council and is traditionally identified as the author of the letter of James.
Why it matters. The brother who once doubted presides over the council that welcomes the Gentiles, a witness in his own life to the resurrection.
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
Connections
James, brother of Jesus witnesses The resurrection of Jesus
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidencePaul's summary says the risen Jesus appeared to James.
Evidence:James, brother of Jesus participates in Jesus appears to more than five hundred
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceThe text names James in this event at the cited verses.
Evidence:James, brother of Jesus participates in The council at Jerusalem
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceThe text names James in this event at the cited verses.
Evidence:
Family
Family links from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0). Where the dataset marks an identification as uncertain, the mark is kept. Matthew and Luke give different genealogies for Jesus; see the Lineage page, which never merges them.
Appears in Scripture
Named in 11 verses across 7 books. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.