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Why is Thomas forever known as doubting Thomas?
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Because someone, some where, at some time gave him that negative title and it stuck...as do most negative titles. The Lord did not call him that though.
Despite the label put on him, Thomas was not lacking in courage or loyalty. When the other disciples tried to keep Jesus from going to Bethany to raise Lazarus from the dead because of the danger from those in the area who had just earlier tried to stone Him (John 11:8), Thomas said to them, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him." (John 11:16 RSV)
Thomas got the "doubting Thomas" label because he was not present with the disciples when Jesus first appeared to them after Jesus rose from the dead. When the other disciples relayed to Thomas what had happened he said, " Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in His side, I will not believe." Eight days later when Jesus appeared again this time Thomas was present. Jesus invited Thomas to "Put your finger here, and see My hands; and put out your hand, and place it in My side; do not be faithless, but believing." Then Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen Me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe." (John 20:24-29 RSV)
I don't think that Jesus is telling us to just believe everything we are told by those around us. However, Jesus HAD told them this all would happen. Luke 9:22 "And he said, ""The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life."" Thomas was aware that the body of Jesus was not in the tomb. He should have been able to put two and two together. Thomas' doubt (in my opinion) of the account from his brethren was more a reflection of his doubt that Jesus was who he said he was and that the words Jesus had spoken to them were truth. Thomas got the "doubting Thomas" label because he was not present with the disciples when Jesus first appeared to them after Jesus rose from the dead. When the other disciples relayed to Thomas what had happened he said, " Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in His side, I will not believe." Eight days later when Jesus appeared again this time Thomas was present. Jesus invited Thomas to "Put your finger here, and see My hands; and put out your hand, and place it in My side; do not be faithless, but believing." Then Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen Me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe." (John 20:24-29 RSV)
FAITH: The substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things NOT seen.
Abrahams faith was accounted to him as righteousness (Gal 3:6-9)
The bottom line: It's better to believe God without HIM having to demonstrate it for our senses. However, need be (this can depend on the spiritual maturity level of the person. I know there came a time when He began to not demonstrate so that I would be forced to put faith in action), HE will demonstrate it
I know I've probably given you way more than you asked
Oh well.
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Yitzchak
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God chose to use Thomas as an example by recording in scripture The struggle that Thomas had with unbelief. It was written for our example , so that we could believe without seeing. That one incident does not define everything that Thomas did , but since the scripture is silent about Thomas outside of a few brief details , and since it was highlighted by God as one of the things recorded in scripture about Thomas , it seems reasonable that he is thought of in those terms.
We could ask the same question about Judas or about Benedict Arnold.
Was Patrick Henry always brave and patriotic ? He is remembered for saying give me liberty or give me death. How come he is not known for his opposition to the United States Constitution ? Or how come he is not known for being a slave owner ?
We could ask the same question about Judas or about Benedict Arnold.
Was Patrick Henry always brave and patriotic ? He is remembered for saying give me liberty or give me death. How come he is not known for his opposition to the United States Constitution ? Or how come he is not known for being a slave owner ?
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" Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in His side, I will not believe." Eight days later when Jesus appeared again this time Thomas was present. Jesus invited Thomas to "Put your finger here, and see My hands; and put out your hand, and place it in My side; do not be faithless, but believing."
Unless I see and feel, I will not believe. That's the two underlined parts.
How many people do you know say the the EXACT same when it comes to the things of God.
Unless I see and feel, I will not believe.
Jesus called them faithless.
Unless I see and feel, I will not believe. That's the two underlined parts.
How many people do you know say the the EXACT same when it comes to the things of God.
Unless I see and feel, I will not believe.
Jesus called them faithless.
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JimB
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Hmmm. I guess its all in how you read the passage. Yes, Thomas had a lapse of faithwe all do at various timesbut the mercy and grace of God always bears with us (thank God!), just as Jesus bore with Thomas in this instance. In the passage you quoted I do not hear Jesus scolding Thomas, but rather giving him a gentle reproof with an encouragement to trust more. Thomas did not need a scornful tone at this critical time and probably, as I may have done, would not have received it if a reproof had been offered in a scathing way. A gentle encouragement would have done a lot more good. Brothers, if a man is found guilty of some fault, you, who are spiritually minded, ought to show a spirit of gentleness in correcting him (Galatians 6.1).
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JimB
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Heres how I see faith working in Thomas (with a little help from Mrs. Lettie Cowman), and in us, often in ways we do not consciously detect at the time.
The Bible tells us, "All things are possible to him that believes" (Mark 9.23). The "all things" do not always come simply for the asking, for the reason that God is ever seeking to teach us the way of faith, and in our training in the faith life there must be room for the trial of faith, the discipline of faith, the patience of faith, the courage of faith, and often many stages are passed before we really realize what is the end of faith, namely, the victory of faith.
IMO, real moral fiber is developed through disciplines of faith. When the answer to you prayer does not come, what are you to do? The answer is, Keep believing in the faithfulness of God; never be moved away from your trust in him by what you see or feel, and thus as you remain steadfast, enlarged power greater person strength is being developed in you. Often God delays purposely, and the delay is just as much an answer to your prayer as is the fulfillment when it comes.
The Bible tells us, "All things are possible to him that believes" (Mark 9.23). The "all things" do not always come simply for the asking, for the reason that God is ever seeking to teach us the way of faith, and in our training in the faith life there must be room for the trial of faith, the discipline of faith, the patience of faith, the courage of faith, and often many stages are passed before we really realize what is the end of faith, namely, the victory of faith.
IMO, real moral fiber is developed through disciplines of faith. When the answer to you prayer does not come, what are you to do? The answer is, Keep believing in the faithfulness of God; never be moved away from your trust in him by what you see or feel, and thus as you remain steadfast, enlarged power greater person strength is being developed in you. Often God delays purposely, and the delay is just as much an answer to your prayer as is the fulfillment when it comes.
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I always considered he was called Doubting Thomas because he was on record with these words doubting the resurrection.
It's a unfortunate title, not that it's inaccurate, because it's not. Rather, it's a title that should have been shared by all, the Doubting Disciples, because none of the other remaining 10 believed either at first.
Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.
Luke 24:10-11
Luke 24:10-11
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"What is unseen is eternal"
As asides, the church in India looks to the Apostle Thomas as its founder. There are--go figure--two Thomas tombs in India. Eusebius places him in Parthia, Jerome in Persia, all points east of Jerusalem.
And a non-canonical Gospel bears his name, the Gospel of Thomas. This short and choppy work has many parallels to the canonical Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), but also some odd additions especially at the beginning, at least one of which may have placed it in the so-called Nag Hammadi library, which set of ancient documents (in Egypt) stems from a syncretistic religion (partly borrowing from Christianity, partly from other religions) called Gnosticism--also condemned by church father Ireneaus. The Gospel of Thomas contains no record of Jesus' death and resurrection.
In this life, we may never know quite how the text of the Gospel of Thomas we have came about (possibly in Syria), but I am partial to the notion that Thomas himself evangelized India (in apparently non-Gnostic fashion) in keeping with Jesus' Great Commission of Matthew 28 (cf. Acts 1:8). God Has His believers in places "to the ends of the earth."
And a non-canonical Gospel bears his name, the Gospel of Thomas. This short and choppy work has many parallels to the canonical Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), but also some odd additions especially at the beginning, at least one of which may have placed it in the so-called Nag Hammadi library, which set of ancient documents (in Egypt) stems from a syncretistic religion (partly borrowing from Christianity, partly from other religions) called Gnosticism--also condemned by church father Ireneaus. The Gospel of Thomas contains no record of Jesus' death and resurrection.
In this life, we may never know quite how the text of the Gospel of Thomas we have came about (possibly in Syria), but I am partial to the notion that Thomas himself evangelized India (in apparently non-Gnostic fashion) in keeping with Jesus' Great Commission of Matthew 28 (cf. Acts 1:8). God Has His believers in places "to the ends of the earth."
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Yitzchak
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I find it encouraging that doubting Thomas ended up becoming believing Thomas and finished well. That should give hope to the rest of us. God allows us to repent and choose faith no matter what our mistakes.
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lismore
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I believe Jesus chose Thomas because he was the type of person who would not believe easily. People who are hard to convince are hard to un-convince once they have made their minds up. Thomas appears elsewhere in the gospels and a clearer picture of him emerges.
Compare him with Peter who was a very vocal man but always on a rollercoaster ride, veering from one extreme to the other.
Compare him with Peter who was a very vocal man but always on a rollercoaster ride, veering from one extreme to the other.
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Messy
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The other apostles didn't believe it when the women told them that Jesus was resurrected, but they got convinced when they saw him. Thomas just wasn't there and needed also to feel it. He was indeed not doubting, in Dutch he's called ongelovige Thomas, which means unbelieving Thomas, just like blind Bartimeus, stupid, doesn't matter if he was healed, he's still called blind Bartimeus.
I don't think God judges people for wanting evidence, it always makes me think of the man who's son was ill. Unless you see signs and wonders, you won't believe and He healed his son.
I don't think God judges people for wanting evidence, it always makes me think of the man who's son was ill. Unless you see signs and wonders, you won't believe and He healed his son.
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