“Doubting Thomas”: Or "One" who must see to believe...

BIBLE PASSAGES:

• JOHN 11: 7-8 & 16:

⁷ and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”

⁸ “But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?”

¹⁶ Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

• JOHN 14: 3, 5-6 & 8:

³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. ⁴ You know the way to the place where I am going.”

⁵ Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

⁶ Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷ If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

⁸ Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”

• JOHN 20: 19 & 24-29:

¹⁹ On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”

 ²⁴ Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came.

²⁵ So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

 ²⁶ A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”

²⁷ Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

 ²⁸ Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

 ²⁹ Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

• JOHN 21: 1-5:

¹ Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way:

² Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together.

³ “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

 ⁴ Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.

 ⁵ He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”

• ACTS 1: 12-14:

¹² Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city.

¹³ When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.

¹⁴ They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

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Little is recorded of St. Thomas the Apostle; nevertheless thanks to the fourth Gospel his personality is clearer to us than that of some others of the Twelve. His name occurs in all the lists of the Synoptists (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6, cf. Acts 1:13), but in St. John he plays a distinctive part. First, when Jesus announced His intention of returning to Judea to visit Lazarus, "Thomas," said to his fellow disciples: "Let us also go, that we may die with him" (John 11:16). Again it was St. Thomas who during the discourse before the Last Supper raised an objection: "Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" (John 14:5). But more especially St. Thomas is remembered for his incredulity (disbelief) when the other Apostles announced Christ's Resurrection to him: "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe" (John 20:25); but eight days later he made his act of faith, drawing down the rebuke of Jesus: "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" (John 20:29).

Thomas, one of the twelve disciples is believed to be the twin brother of Matthew. He was first called Jude the son of James and grandson of Alpheus. Some texts have stated that Thomas is the twin of James not Matthew, so little is truly known about Thomas. Didymus in the Greek means twin. Thomas was given the nickname “doubting Thomas” because he was continually looking at the worst in all things. No matter what it was Thomas was able to find something wrong. After the death of Lazarus Jesus said He was going to Bethany. Since Bethany was so very close to Jerusalem it was thought that the religious leaders might find Him and kill Him. Thomas shows a very rare character for him by standing to the aide of Jesus and saying that the others should go with Jesus and be by His side.

Although Thomas was truly a doubter once he was given the facts and shown what it was he was asked to do his loyalty and dedication was unsurpassed by any. Once Thomas believed in something you could not persuade him differently. Thomas felt they would all die by following Jesus to Bethany but he insisted they all go to stand by the side of the one they loved and followed. It is believed that Thomas preached in Persia, Parthia and also in India. Thomas was the one that helped build a palace in India and credited with the founding of Christianity in that country. Thomas is believed to be buried at Edessa and to have been killed with a spear. The spear and a builder’s square are the symbols of Thomas.

As to the works of Thomas it seems his only writing was the Gospel of Thomas. This is a Gnostic Gospel and is not considered to be inspired by the majority of theological leaders. This book of the Gospel is said to be entirely made up of the sayings of Jesus from a very early age onward. The words of Christ as a child, teen, and into young adulthood are said to be in this book and told as Thomas remembers them.

On a personal note: Do we have “doubting Thomases” in our churches today? Discuss.

OOW

2011