But other of the apostles saw I none, except James the Lord's brother.
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Cornelius a Lapide
AD 1637
But other of the apostles saw I none save James the Lord"s brother. I.e, a cousin or relation of Christ"s, for the Hebrews call cousins brothers. S. Jerome adds that S. James was called the Lord"s brother before all the Apostles, even those related to Christ, on account of his lofty character, his incomparable faith and Wisdom of Solomon , which made him seem like a brother to Christ. For the same reason he was surnamed the Just. Secondly, S. Jerome says that Christ, when going to His Father, commended to James , as to a brother, the eldest children of His mother, i.e, those in Judæa who believed on Him; for this James , the son of Alphæus, the son of Mary, wife of Cleophas, one of the twelve Apostles, was the first Bishop of Jerusalem. This is why, in the First Council of Jerusalem, he was the first after Peter to pronounce judgment ( Acts 15:13). A Canonical Epistle of his is extant.
S. Jerome hints both here and in his book on Ecclesiastical Writers, when writing of James , that th...
That some were called apostles apart from the twelve is a consequence of the fact that all who had seen the Lord and subsequently preached him were called apostles. .
See what great friends he was with Peter especially; on his account he left his home, and with him he tarried. This I frequently repeat, and desire you to remember, that no one, when he hears what this Apostle seems to have spoken against Peter, may conceive a suspicion of him. He premises this, that when he says, I resisted Peter, no one may suppose that these words imply enmity and contention; for he honored and loved his person more than all and took this journey for his sake only, not for any of the others. But other of the Apostles saw I none, save James. I saw him merely, I did not learn from him, he means. But observe how honorably he mentions him, he says not James merely, but adds this illustrious title, so free is he from all envy. Had he only wished to point out whom he meant, he might have shown this by another appellation, and called him the son of Cleophas, as the Evangelist does. But as he considered that he had a share in the august titles of the Apostles, he exalts him...
“And I saw no other but James the brother of the Lord.” See how much greater is his friendship for Peter, for he stayed on his account…. [He says of James] “I saw,” not “I was taught.” But see with what honor he named this man also. For he says not simply James but adds the solemn title. So free of jealousy was he. For had he wished only to indicate whom he meant he could have identified him by another name and called him the son of Clopas, as the Evangelist does.
Let us pray for every episcopacy which is under the whole heaven, of those that rightly divide the word of Thy truth. And let us pray for our bishop James,
