Ioseph 3 was the brother of Theodore the Stoudite (Theodoros 15): Theoph. AM 6301 (καὶ Ἰωσήφ, ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀρχιεπίσκοπος Θεσσαλονίκης), Theoph. AM 6304 (καὶ Ἰωσήφ, ἀρχιεπίσκοπον Θεσσαλονίκης, ἀδελφὸν Θεοδώρου), Zon. XV 17. 8 (ἀλλὰ μὴν καὶ τὸν τούτου ὁμαίμονα Ἰωσὴφ τὸν τῆς Θεσσαλονίκης ἀρχιεπίσκοπον), Vita Nic. Stud. 877A, Vita B Theod. Stud. 244D (ὁ θαυμάσιος Ἰωσὴφ, ὁ καὶ τὴν φύσιν αὐτῷ καὶ τὴν προαίρεσιν προσφυῶς οἰκειούμενος), Vita C Theod. Stud. §12, p. 264 (quoted below), §59, p. 292 (τὸν ἴδιον ἀδελφὸν Ἰωσήφ). Son of Photeinos 21 and Theoktiste 3 (see Theodoros 15). He had also another brother and a sister (Euthymios 14 and Anonyma 74): Vita C Theod. Stud. §8, p. 262 (σὺν ἅμα δυσὶ τοῦ Θεοδώρου ἀδελφοῖς καὶ μικρᾷ ἀδελφῇ).

He accompanied Theodoros 15 and other members of his family to Sakkoudion in c. 787 when they all left Constantinople to pursue the monastic life: Vita C Theod. Stud. §§8-9, p. 262. He was inspired by his brother's example, subsequently becoming archbishop of Thessalonike and also suffering exile and imprisonment: Vita B Theod. Stud. 244C-245A (ἄλλος τις εἶναι Θεόδωρος παρ' αὐτοῖς εἰκάζετο, πολὺς ἀρετῇ καὶ γνώσει γεγονώς : ὃς καὶ θείᾳ ψήφῳ τῆς ἐν Θεσσαλονίκῃ ἁγίας τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἐκκλησίας ἐν καίρῳ ἰδίῳ τοὺς οἴακας ἐγχειρισθεὶς), Vita C Theod. Stud. §12, p. 264 (ὁ θαυμάσιος Ἰωσήφ, ὁ καὶ τὴν φύσιν καὶ τὴν προαίρεσιν ἀδελφός ... ὅς μετὰ ταῦτα καὶ τῆς ἐν Θεσσαλονίκῃ ἐκκλησίας κρατῆσαι, πρόεδρος ταύτης γεγονὼς). He was a monk in the Stoudite monastery at Constantinople, under his brother, and later became archbishop of Thessalonike: Vita Nic. Stud. 877A-B. He was archbishop of Thessalonike in 809 and 811: Theoph. AM 6301 (Ἰωσήφ, ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀρχιεπίσκοπος Θεσσαλονικης), Theoph. AM 6304 (Ἰωσήφ, ἀρχιεπίσκοπον Θεσσαλονίκης, ἀδελφὸν Θεοδώρου), Zon. XV 17. 8 (Ἰωσὴφ τὸν τῆς Θεσσαλονίκης ἀρχιεπίσκοπον).

Ioseph 3, Theodoros 15, Platon 1 and the monks of the monastery of Stoudios refused to communicate with the patriarch Nikephoros 2 over the affair of Ioseph 2 and the "crowning" (i.e. the marriage celebrations) of the emperor Constantine VI (Konstantinos 8) and Theodote 1; they were all expelled from the monastery and sent into exile from Constantinople by a council of bishops and hegoumenoi called by the emperor Nikephoros I (Nikephoros 8) in January 809: Theoph. AM 6301, cf. Vita B Theod. Stud. 269B-D (τὸν τούτου σύμφρονα καὶ Χριστοῦ ἱεράρχην Ἰωσήφ), Vita C Theod. Stud. §30, p. 275 (Theodoros 15, Ioseph 3 and Platon 1 were exiled for opposing the emperor's wishes in this affair - σὺν τῷ ἀδελφῷ Ἰωσὴφ), Theod. Stud., Laudatio Platonis VI 37 (840C). For the successor of Ioseph 3, see Anonymus 670. They were still held in custody when the emperor Michael I (Michael 7) came to the throne in October 811, but under his policy of reconciliation they were reunited with the rest of the Church: Theoph. AM 6304, Zon. XV 17. 8.

Bishop of Thessalonike, in 814 and 815 he was one of the bishops summoned to Constantinople by the patriarch Nikephoros 2 to plead with the emperor Leo V (Leo 15) not to adopt iconoclast policies; after the exile of Nikephoros 2 the others rebuked Leo 15 to his face and were all exiled, each to a different place: Vita S. Theophylacti 12-14. Early in the reign of Michael II (Michael 10), when he and Theodoros 15 were both released from exile, he met Theodoros 15 after a long separation at Pteleai in Bithynia: Vita C Theod. Stud. §59, p. 292 (τὸν ἴδιον ἀδελφὸν Ἰωσήφ τὸν τῆς Θεσσαλονίκης πρόεδρον). The date was probably 821. Archbishop of Thessalonike in 824, when he performed the funeral ceremony for Niketas 43 of Medikion with the archbishop of Ephesos, Theophilos 15: Vita Nicetae Medicii (BHG 1341) 48. His entry in the Synaxarium of Constantinople is dated 15 July: Synax. Eccl. Const. 822, 19-21 (μνήμη τοῦ ὁσίου πατρὸς ἡμῶν Ἰωσὴφ τοῦ ὁμολογητοῦ ἀρχιεπισκόπου Θεσσαλονίκης).

He is frequently recorded in the Lives of his brother Theodoros 15 (and cf. above, where some references are cited). He was the brother of Theodoros 15: Vita B Theod. Stud. 244D (cited above), 304D (τοῦ ἰδίου ἀδελφοῦ - of Theodoros), 328A (ἅμα Ἰωσὴφ τῷ ἀρχιεπισκόπῳ Θεσσαλονίκης καὶ ἰδίῳ αὐτοῦ ἀδελφῷ), Vita C Theod. Stud. §12, p. 264, §30, p. 275, §59, p. 292 (all three quoted above), §81, p. 304 (Ἰωσὴφ τοῦ παμμάκαρος), Vita A Theod. Stud. 121A (ἀδελφοὺς, Ἰωσὴφ καὶ Εὐθύμιον), 128B (Ἰωσὴφ ὁ καλὸς, ὁ καὶ φύσιν καὶ τὴν προαίρεσιν ἀδελφὸς, ὃς διὰ τὴν ἀρετὴν καὶ τῆς ἐν Θεσσαλονίκῃ Ἐκκλησίας προέστη ἆθλον εὐσεβείας τὸν θρόνον εὑράμενος), 208B (τὸν ἴδιον ἀδελφὸν, Ἰωσήφ φημι), 232B (Ἰωσὴφ τοῦ παμμάκαρος). Also brother of Euthymios 14: Vita A Theod. Stud. 121A (cited above). With Theodoros 15 and other members of the family he became a monk at Sakkoudion under their uncle Platon 1: Vita B Theod. Stud. 241A, Vita C Theod. Stud. §8, p. 262 (quoted above), Vita A Theod. Stud. 121A. He found inspiration in his brother's example: Vita B Theod. Stud. 244D-245A (ὁ θαυμάσιος Ἰωσὴφ ... ἐμορφοῦτο τὴν ψυχὴν τῷ ἐκείνου κάλλει, τοιουτοσθενῆ προθυμίαν τῇ τῶν πρακτέων ἐνδεικνύμενος ἐξομοιώσει - see also citation above), Vita C Theod. Stud. §12, p. 264 (quoted above), Vita A Theod. Stud. 128B (cited above). He subsequently became archbishop of Thessalonike: Vita B Theod. Stud. 245A (cited above), 328A (ἅμα Ἰωσὴφ τῷ ἀρχιεπισκόπῳ Θεσσαλονίκης καὶ ἰδίου αὐτοῦ ἀδελφοῦ), Vita C Theod. Stud. §12, p. 264, §59, p. 292 (both quoted above), Vita A Theod. Stud. 128B (cited above), 208B (τὸν ἴδιον ἀδελφὸν, Ἰωσήφ φημι, τὸν τῆς Θεσσαλονίκης ἀνειλημμένον τοὺς οἵακας), Theod. Stud., Ep. 43 (a. 809). He suffered exile and imprisonment in the Moechian controversy when he refused to accept the restoration of the monk Ioseph 2 (in 809): Vita B Theod. Stud. 269B (cited above), Vita C Theod. Stud. §30, p. 275 (quoted above), Vita A Theod. Stud. 160B (τὰ αὐτὰ καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἀδελφὸν Ἰωσὴφ δράσας). During the iconoclast persecution under Leo 15 he suffered persecution and exile: Vita B Theod. Stud. 245A, Vita C Theod. Stud. §12, p. 264. He was detained in a fort called Elpizon: Vita B Theod. Stud. 304D (τοῦ πανσόφου Ἰωσὴφ καὶ στερροτάτου ὁπλίτου τῆς ἀληθείας). He was freed from exile at the beginning of the reign of Michael 10 and met his brother Theodoros 15 at Pteleai: Vita B Theod. Stud. 304D, Vita C Theod. Stud. §59, p. 292, Vita A Theod. Stud. 208B. He was buried with his uncle Platon 1 in the monastery of Stoudios, where later the body of Theodoros 15 was subsequently transferred also after the Triumph of Orthodoxy: Vita B Theod. Stud. 328A, Vita C Theod. Stud. §81, p. 304, Vita A Theod. Stud. 232B.

He was the addressee of several letters from his brother, Theodoros 15: Theod. Stud., Epp. 37, 43, 65, 72, 73, 111, 195, 222, 265, 333, 355 (all addressed Ἰωσὴφ ἀρχιεπισκόπῳ Θεσσαλονίκης or Ἰωσὴφ ἀδελφῷ καὶ ἀρχιεπισκόπῳ or similar). He is referred to but unnamed many times in other letters of Theodoros 15.

He was apparently older than Theodoros 15: cf. e.g. Theod. Stud., Ep. 37 (Theodoros addressed him as ἀδελφοπάτορ), Ep. 43 (he is styled τῆς ἀδελφικῆς καὶ πατρικῆς σου ἁγιωσύνης).

Author of verses attacking the iconoclasts: Theod. Stud., Ep. 222 (c. 816).

He is included among the metropolitans acclaimed for their support of icons in the Synodikon of Orthodoxy: Gouillard, "Synodikon", p. 53, line 123. Named in a list of archbishops of Thessalonike in the Synodikon of Orthodoxy: Gouillard, "Synodikon", p. 114, IX, line 5.

On his literary activities, see Beck, Kirche, pp. 505-6. For further references, see Theod. Stud., Laudatio Matris ch. 6, 889C, ch. 7, 892B; Methodios, Vita Euthym. Sard., p. 39, lines 243, 246f., 248f; p. 41, lines 270-274. See also Rochow, Theophanes, p. 289 and PmbZ 2667.

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