That's why Thomas became known as Doubting Thomas. //christianbookshelf.org/unknown/the gospel of thomas/, Thomas and Jesus THOMAS AND JESUS. In the Bible, Thomas was also called Didymus ( John 11:16; 20:24 ), which is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew name Thomas, both meaning "twin." Scripture does not give us the name of Thomas's twin. In John 14, at the Last Supper, Jesus spoke of his eventual departure from this earth to prepare a place for his followers. Mark 3:18 Andrew; Philip; Bartholomew; Matthew; Thomas; James, the son of Alphaeus; Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot; (WEB BBE NAS NIV). Two fields are mentioned by apocryphal literature as the scene of Thomas' missionary labors. From the circumstance that in the lists of the apostles he is always mentioned along with Matthew, who was the son of Alphaeus ( Mark 3:18 ), and that these two are always followed by James, who was also the son of Alphaeus, it has been supposed that these three, Matthew, Thomas, and James, were brothers. "When therefore retained. Thomas the Apostle in the Bible - Summary and Bible Verses 2. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. These include Thomas asking Jesus how to find where Jesus was ascending to if the. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.'". Most of what we learn about him comes from the Gospel of Johnthe only book of the New Testament that gives him any specific role. Another legend makes Lysia the twin sister of Thomas. Alexander Walker, Esq. Thomas was one of Jesus' twelve disciples. And while throughout church history people have been happy to fill in the details of his life, few of those details are reliable. There is no record of the beginning of the friendship of Jesus and Thomas. But while the Bible tells us little about him, Thomas cautious approach to believing in the resurrection laid the foundation for evidence-based faith and for the Protestant teaching of sola fide, or faith alone. His world was shattered in a matter of hours. And even though he lived 2,000 years ago, Thomas also serves as a foil for Christians todaythose who have not seen and yet have believed. Comp. Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way? (John 14:5). Thomas Paine: Quotes, Summary & Common Sense - HISTORY | Watch Full Upon seeing Jesus in the flesh with his own eyes (and possibly touching the wounds), Thomas proclaimed, My Lord and my God! (John 20:28). (John 20:25) On the eighth day he was with them st their gathering, perhaps in expectation of a recurrence of the visit of the previous week; and Jesus stood among them. . How did Jesus help Thomas overcome his doubt? When Lazarus became ill, Jesus expressed his intention of returning to Judea. THOMAS' TEST. CHAPTER VIII. Joseph & his coat. Jesus has just been teaching His disciples about His imminent departure to heaven, promising that after He has prepared a place for them, He will return to take them to their heavenly home. He is typical of that nature-a nature by no means rare-which contains within it certain conflicting elements exceedingly difficult of reconciliation. The first-named trait was seen after the resurrection. 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.A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. He was absent --possibly by accident, perhaps characteristically --from the first assembly when Jesus had appeared. He was born the latter part of the twelfth century. such as the nature of the Trinity and the character of Christ's . But that would probably just cause more confusion for us today, since there are already multiple Judases in the Bible, and one of them did a pretty bad thing. Not only that, the disciples would become Jesus closest friends. Thomas: Name Meaning, Origin, Popularity - Verywell Family For Thomas desired to test all truth by the evidence of his senses, and in this, coupled with a mind tenacious both of its beliefs and disbeliefs, lay the real source of his religious difficulties. Jesus may have challenged Thomass doubt, but he also didnt condemn him for his lack of faith or pessimism. /d/didymus.htm - 7k, Alpheus (5 Occurrences) Matthew 10:3 Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alpheus, and Lebbeus, whose surname was Thaddeus; (WBS YLT). Our website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. We can still call him Thomas. Just like any one of us, theres more to Thomas than one perspective or quality. Stop doubting and believe.. In three of the times Thomas is mentioned, the Bible notes that he was called didymos, a Greek word meaning twin, which was often used as a name. Everyone literally just refers to him as the twin. Interestingly, tom is just a description in Aramaicit doesnt appear to be used as a namebut didymos was used as both a description and a name. The later traditions carry him farther east, His martyrdom whether in Persia or India, is said to have been occasioned by a lance, and is commemorated by the Latin Church on December 21 the Greek Church on October 6, and by the Indians on July 1. tom'-as (Thomas; ta'om, "a twin" (in plural only): One of the Twelve Apostles. After Jesus appears to the disciples, Peter gets antsy and decides to go fishing, and some of the other disciples tag along: Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. 4. /z/zealot.htm - 12k, Named (428 Occurrences) NAS RSV NIV). The Bible doesnt explicitly say Thomas is a fisherman, but in the Gospel of John, he does go fishing with fishermen. Have you ever thought about a Sacred Haven in your home or garden with a statue of Saint Thomas? What characteristics of Thomas made him different from other apostles But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. B, V), a Gnostic work dating from the 2nd century, tells how when the world was partitioned out as a mission field among the disciples, India fell to "Judas Thomas, also called Didymus," and narrates his adventures on the way, his trials, missionary success, and death at the hands of Misdai, king of India (compare Budge, II, 404; Hennecke, Neutestamentliche Apokryphen, 473-544; Pick, The Apocryphal Acts, 224). Thomas is a perennial favorite in the U.S., ranking among the top 50 boy names in America throughout the 20th century. What was the character of Thomas in the Bible? The words in which he expressed his belief contain a far higher assertion of his Master's divine nature than is contained in any other expression used by apostolic lips--"My Lord and my God." Don't be unbelieving, but believing. Yup. Yup. Thomas backed his statement with action. 1225-1274). And in John 20, the disciples told Thomas of Jesus resurrection. Im going out to fish, Simon Peter told them, and they said, Well go with you. So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. John 21:23. His election to the Twelve is recorded in Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13. //christianbookshelf.org/nutter/hymn writers of the church/thomas of celano.htm, Thomas Chubb. First, when Thomas saw what he ought to do, nothing kept him back. The rest of the Twelve often failed to grasp the bigger picture of Jesuss ministry and were similarly prone to fear, narrow-mindedness, and doubt. . In Johns gospel, Thomas is also referred to as Didymus, a Greek name that means, the Twin (John 11:16). The name has dipped in popularity in recent decades, reaching a low point of No. Doubting God - how can I overcome doubt in my relationship with God . Wendy Wisner is a lactation consultant and writer covering maternal/child health, parenting, general health and wellness, and mental health. There, having received the proofs for which he sought, he made the confession, "My Lord and my God" (John 20:28), and was reproved by Jesus for his previous unbelief: "Because thou hast seen me thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed" (John 20:29). Again, this aligns with the emotional response we saw from Thomas in John 11. Faithful Thomas! - Church of the Great God He was a bewildered man. And then Thomas boldly speaks up: Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him. John 11:16. Introduction to the Catholic Religion . M. Kerr, 1324. Jonah & Fish. An optimist would have believed in the best and trusted that everything would turn out okay so long as Jesus was by their side. Thomas is recorded in each of the lists of Jesus' disciples ( Matthew 10:2-4; Mark 3:14-19; Luke 6:13-16; Acts 1:13 . Some Christians use this passage to read into Thomas character, but thats probably not the point. The Bible doesnt tell us whether or not Thomas physically touches Jesus wounds. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions. Multitudes of Christians have been grateful that the Scripture has turned a spotlight upon Thomas and his doubts. //christianbookshelf.org/neale/hymns of the eastern church/s thomass sunday.htm, Letter Xl to Thomas, Prior of Beverley LETTER XL To Thomas, Prior of Beverley. There //expositions of holy scripture st john chaps xv to xxi/thomas and jesus.htm, Thomas of Celano Thomas of Celano. For some unknown reason, Thomas wasnt with the disciples when Jesus appeared to them the first time, and Thomas refuses to believe his friends, so Jesus declares a do-over.Heres the entire passage: Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. When the resurrected Christ appeared to him eight days later, Thomas immediate reaction was wonderful: And Thomas answered and said to Him. When the disciples return to the Upper Room to await instructions following the ascension of Jesus (Acts 1:6-12, Luke 24:50-53, Mark 16:19-20). In the catalogue of the apostles he is coupled with Matthew in (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15) and with Philip in (Acts 1:13) All that we know of him is derived from the Gospel of St. John; and this amounts to three traits, which, however, so exactly agree together that, slight as they are they place his character before us with a precision which belongs to no other of the twelve apostles except Peter, John and Judas Iscariot. Later, Christ appeared in his presence at least twice. Structure and Characteristics of the Bible - watv.org Although baby names are often separated by gender, Verywell Family believes that sex need not play any role in your name selection process. Christian Truth. However, it has rebounded somewhat, and 2020 statistics rank Thomas as the No. So are any of us really that different from Thomas on our worst day? A Gnostic "Gospel of Thomas" (see APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS, III, 2, (a)) was known to Irenaeus (compare Irenaeus, Adv. However, after he saw Christ himself, Thomas believed and said to him, "My Lord and my God" (John 20:28). This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. The disciples insist that they have seen the very scars that the nails made on Jesus body at His crucifixion. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. He is sometimes also referred to by his Greek name, Didymus. Thomas said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him." An attempt at reconciliation has been made by supposing that the relics of Thomas were transported from India to Edessa, but this is based on inaccurate historical information (compare Hennecke, op. Who was Thomas in the Bible? You can find a list of the 12 Disciples in three books of the bible, Matthew (Matthew 10), Mark and Luke. 1. . The disciples, therefore, did everything they could to try and talk Jesus out of this side trip. 01 of 12 Peter Detail of "The Charge to Peter" by James Tissot. We have already dwelt on the story of the raising of Lazarus from the dead. Thomas said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him." Everyone literally just refers to him as "the twin." Interestingly, tom is just a description in Aramaicit doesn't appear to be used as a namebut didymos was used as both a description and a name. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. And all of it is divinely purposeful in Gods great story. '"John 20:26. Thomas moment of skepticism earned him the nickname Doubting Thomas, which evolved into a term for anyone who needs proof before they believe something. We should not overlook that characteristic of Thomas. He was also called Didymus ( John 11:16 ; 20:24 ), which is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew name. Most Bible scholars believe he and the disciple Bartholomew were one and the same. But even if Thomas was the only apostle who doubted the resurrection, theres little reason for Christians to wield doubt as some sort of insult. He was one of the disciples to whom Jesus manifested Himself during the fishing expedition at the Sea of Tiberias (John 21:1-11). All rights reserved. But, in the way of spiritual example, there is much more to Thomas. In John 14, Thomas questioned Jesus comments about his eventual departure, asking, Lord, we dont know where you are going, so how can we know the way? (John 14:5) This was in response to Jesus stating, My Fathers house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? Who were the 12 disciples? | Bibleinfo.com Thomas question reveals him to be a seeker of truth and understanding. Most traditions point to Thomas traveling to modern day India with the Gospel. Unfortunately, while Thomas was. This sets up one of Jesus more famous quotes, which only appears in the Gospel of John: I am the way and the truth and the life. . There, having received the proofs for which he sought, he made the confession, "My Lord and my God" (John 20:28), and was reproved by Jesus for his previous unbelief: "Because thou hast seen me thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed" (John 20:29). For Thomas desired to test all truth by the evidence of his senses, and in this, coupled with a mind tenacious both of its beliefs and disbeliefs, lay the real source of his religious difficulties. Wait There Were How Many Herods?! He was also called Didymus ( John 11:16 ; 20:24 ), which is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew name. Although little is recorded of Thomas in the Gospels, he is yet one of the most fascinating of the apostles. Third, when Thomas saw what he had to believe, he urgently wanted to prove it, and when he did, he had no doubts. Check out these related baby name lists for even more options: Social Security Administration. Comp. So its no wonder Thomasand Jesus other followersdoubted the resurrection until they saw the evidence for themselves. This book offers a thorough and lively introduction to the Hebrew Bible's two primary literary modes, narrative and poetry, foregrounding the nuances of plot, character, metaphor, structure and design, and intertextual allusions.Provides a short, . We //miller/personal friendships of jesus/chapter viii jesus and thomas.htm, Brief Memoir of Thomas Watson Brief Memoir Of Thomas Watson. Thomas said to him, 'My Lord and my God!'". He was one of the disciples to whom Jesus manifested Himself during the fishing expedition at the Sea of Tiberias (John 21:1-11).2. Still, we return to this passage today to focus on the thoughts that were going on in Thomas heart as Jesus contemplated returning to Jerusalem. But Eusebius indicates it was Thaddaeus and not Thomas who preached there (see THADDAEUS). In contrast, Simon Peters boast lacked commitment when he said. Apostle Thomas was believed to be a doubter yet possessed certain characteristics that are worthy of emulation. Thomas was famous for doubting the resurrection of Jesus and for demanding physical evidence of the wounds of Christ's crucifixion. Even though Jesus repeatedly revealed his plans to the disciples, they never understood the cross and resurrection until after the fact. But he did not reject what he heard; he simply wanted to test or prove all things (I Thessalonians 5:21). You know the way to the place where I am going. (John 14:2-4). Here Thomas almost takes on a Peter-like quality and, perhaps ironically, appears to have more faith in Jesus than the other apostles. But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. What did Thomas say to Jesus? He was a man who could not believe until he had seen. Discover lessons from the men who helped ignite the light of truth that still dwells within hearts today and calls people to come and follow Christ . Thomas Aquinas (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) Humans are emotionally complex Jesus cares about our sincere questions Community matters-a lot Jesus is God Jesus has a message for us Paying attention to the details Thomas, however, gets remembered as the doubter of the group because of his reaction to news of the resurrection, and his tendency to be more of a pessimist and brooder than the rest. To this, Thomas asked where he was going and how his friends would get there, not wanting to be separated from his Lord. This likely suggests that Thomas was a twin to either a sister or brother. viii. Although the name Thomas is typically used as a masculine name, it can certainly be used however you see fit, as sex doesn't have to be a part of your name selection process. No one comes to the Father except through me. It is in harmony with the desponding character that looks upon the visit to Jerusalem as necessarily leading to death, that he now is as one who has . At his death, Thomas was most likely run through with a spear, an ironic death for someone who needed to feel the pierced hands and spear mark on Jesuss own body to believe in his resurrection and power. Apart from these, all other references to Thomas are as a member of the Twelve, functioning as a single body of apostolic leadership in the early church. Hes not a major Bible character by any meanshes only mentioned eight times in the entire New Testament, and four of those times are just lists of the twelve apostles. ( John 14:5 ) It was the prosaic, incredulous doubt as to moving a step in the unseen future, and yet an eager inquiry as to how this step was to be taken. "(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV), John 20:28Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God! Yet, he was a man of courage. What Bible Debates Inspired Martin Luther's 95 Theses? //some letters of saint bernard abbot of clairvaux/letter xl to thomas prior.htm, Thaddaeus (2 Occurrences) Abgar, king of Syria, and Christ, states in its Syriac form, as translated by Eusebius (Historia Ecclesiastica, I, xiii, 6-22) (compare THOMAS), that "after /t/thaddaeus.htm - 11k, Didymus (3 Occurrences) (Gr. The latter trait was shown in his speech when our Lord determined to face the dangers that awaited him in Judea on his journey to Bethany. THOMAS CHUBB. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: Didumos Phonetic Spelling: (did'-oo-mos) Short Definition: the Twin, Didymus, Thomas Definition: the Twin //strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1324.htm - 6k, 4102. pistis -- faith, faithfulness "Faith always pre-supposes revelation" (WH Griffith Thomas, 55). The latter trait was shown in his speech when our Lord determined to face the dangers that awaited him in Judea on his journey to Bethany. //various/the hymnal of the protestant episcopal church in the usa/st thomas.htm, Jesus and Thomas. And thats . Second, when Thomas saw what he ought to do, he urgently wanted to know how to do it. His naturally cautious temperament did not close his mind to further knowledge. John 11:16 "Let us go also," Thomas, the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "that we may die with him." In the incident of Christ's departure for Bethany, his devotion to his Master proved stronger than his fear of death.