:See the [http://biblehub.com/interlinear/mark/3-21.htm interlinear Greek text of Mark 3:21]<br>ΤΟ ΚΑΤΑ ΜΑΡΚΟΝ 3.21 <br> καὶ ἀκούσαντες , οἱ παρ’ αὐτοῦ <br> ''kai akousantes , hoi par’ autou'' <br> "And having heard [of it] , those belonging to Him"
:The Greek '''οἱ παρ’''' ''hoi par’'' (''para'') KJV "friends", Strong's numbers ''3588'' '''ό''' ''ho'', '''ή''' ''he'', '''τό''' ''to'' (an article, "the", "this", etc.), ''3844'' '''παρα''' ''para'' "''near, from beside, at'' (or ''in'') the ''vicinity'' of, ''proximity'' to, ''proximity'' with, a word suggesting "friends, acquaintances, neighbors". The word for "family" '''πατριά''' ''patria'', blood relatives, parents, siblings, is not in this text—[http://biblehub.com/greek/3965.htm Strong's number ''3965'' '''πατριά''' ''patria''] (see [http://biblehub.com/multi/ephesians/3-15.htm Ephesians 3:15]). Also, likewise, the word for "his '''own''' people" '''ἴδια''' ''idia'' "own" is not found in Mark 3:21—[http://biblehub.com/greek/2398.htm Strong's number ''2398'' '''ἴδιος''' ''idios'' "own"]—one's own, distinct, belonging to one, private, personal; one's own people, one's own family, home, property.
:Compare [http://biblehub.com/multi/mark/3-21.htm multiple versions of Mark 3:21]. Those who see the meaning of "family" in this text of Mark 3:21 read it as certain and unequivocal evidence that Mary as the most intimate family member sinned by ceasing to believe in her son, by joining together with those of his relatives who said, "He is beside himself" (KJV, RSVCE), "He has gone out of his mind" (NRSV), "He is out of his mind" (REB, NAB, NJB). However, the word for "family, relatives" ''patria'' is not found in any extant text of Mark 3:20-21. The fact that ''para'' and ''patria'' are not [[synonym]]s makes the interpretive reading of "family, relatives" in Mark 3:21 a [[falsehood]]. The KJV, the Douay-Rheims, and RSVCE versions say, "friends". Compare a further, more inclusive [http://biblehub.com/mark/3-21.htm listing of multiple parallel readings of Mark 3:21].
:Those who see instead the more literal meanings of "friends, neighbors-close-to-him, acquaintances, hometown associates" do not read here any evidence that Mary was among the group that came to "take charge of him", since the word "family" is not [[synonym]]ous with "friends, acquaintances, neighbors", and they see no evidence in this text that Mary sinned. Even in English, "friends, neighbors" has not the same meaning as the blood relatives and members of the "family". On the basis of Greek vocabulary and grammar, and the Reformation principle of ''[[sola scriptura]]'' (the biblical text), and the high opinion of Mary presented by Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Ulrich Zwingli, taking all of this together, the interpretive reading of Mark 3:21 as "family" is an [[Eisegesis|eisegetical]] reading and a distortion of the text unjustifiably adduced in support of a [[polemic]]al argument against the Catholic and Orthodox doctrine of the sinlessness of Mary the mother of Jesus. The fact that the text of Mark 3:20-21 does not explicitly include Mary or actually say "family" is significant. Those other passages, often read by many as parallel in meaning, Mark 3:31-35, Matthew 12:46-50, Luke 8:19-21, say nothing of the saying, "He is out of his mind, He is beside himself"!