text: If the New Testament is to be believed, many of the twelve apostles were Jesus' immediate family or relatives.  The list of apostles includes Jesus' brothers: James, Joses, Judas[not Iscariot] and Simon.  Salome is thought to be the sister of Jesus, and some believe her to be the mother of the sons of Zebedee, the apostles James (not Jesus' brother) and John - making them Jesus' cousins.  Thomas [the Twin] was a twin to whom? (Maybe Jesus' relative look-alike?)  Of course, how do we explain the relationship of the "beloved apostle" Mary Magdalene to Jesus?  Just friends?  
  
  Maybe Jesus really was more about the establishment of a real hereditary leadership for his epic "Kingdom of God" as King, Prophet and Priest?  Paul's high Christology that we are familiar with probably came much later.  Jesus wasn't setting up a church - that we have to blame on the orthodox hierarchs who were willingly co-opted by the Emperor Constantine [in the 4th century].