A Re-Imagination of the "Doubting" Apostle Based on the Strength Demonstrated in His Process for Coming to Faith
I’ve always been irritated about the “Doubting Thomas” label, in reference to this great apostle. In fact I once challenged a nun, as a child in catechism, that it just didn’t seem fair. And as a result of this unfair identity, Thomas is often viewed as a sort of failure of the Faith.
To give an example of how poorly this disciple has historically been caricatured, look no further than the preposterous assessment of John Calvin, who described Thomas as “downright obstinate,” “proud and insulting toward Christ,” and one who possessed stupidity that was both “astonishing and monstrous.”
Such a description seems to hardly fit the portrait of Thomas we see in John 11, however. In that passage, Jesus wanted to go to Bethany after hearing his friend Lazarus was ill. Remembering how the Jews in the area tried to stone their Master on a recent visit, his disciples were just fine letting Jesus go it alone. They were concerned about their own well-being. But it was Thomas who charged, “If he goes, WE GO. And if he dies, let us DIE WITH HIM.”
The tag “Doubting Thomas” stems from the scene narrated later in John 20. The Apostles were an the upper room, door bolted shut, in great fear that those who killed Jesus were pursuing them. Thomas was not among these disciples. It is reasonable to think he was the one who drew the short straw for gathering supplies, food, maybe even intel on what the authorities were up to. Yet, in light of the prior passage, one wonders if he was the only one courageous enough to step out.
And that is precisely when Christ first appeared to the Apostles—each of them, BUT Thomas.
So then, Thomas was not afforded the revelation the rest were privileged with. Thus, is it any wonder to us why he was unable to embrace their stunning report?
For certain, there would have been ongoing dialogue between them all over the matter, which would have included his questions and suspicions, along with their testimonies and attempts to persuade him that, “we really did see the Lord.”
At some point, Thomas stated, “Enough you guys! Unless I see the nail marks in his hands, put my finger where they were, and put my hand into his side, I’m not buying it.”
Many see only doubt in that declaration and miss the genuine hurt expressed by it.
It is so easy to forget, Thomas was in mourning. He was scared. Probably deprived of sleep, under immense anxiety, and with deep sorrow. Thomas’ grief would have been measurably confounded by the seemingly out-of-left-field peace his peers had suddenly come to enjoy. His loneliness and pain would have only been amplified by their sudden, confusing, jubilee. In a way, Thomas must have felt such isolation along with his grief that it almost seems cruel.
As such, the man's doubt was well-warranted.
Yet, beyond this, we see Thomas had a process for believing. He didn’t just jump on in. How could he?
His faith was not going to be fashioned merely by what others said. How could it?
As the author of Hebrews would later define it, Thomas’ faith was based on “substance” and “evidence,” not groupthink. As much as he probably wanted all of it to be true, he didn’t let his wanting define reality.
So before we get too harsh on Thomas, let none of us forget that he was NOT doubting Jesus. Not at all. He was doubting what he was being told, and he was doing so based on the healthy criteria for foundational faith.
When Thomas is at last confronted by the risen Lord, Christ says to him, “Stop doubting and believe.” While those who presuppose his weakness read this as a rebuke, a more proper rendering (according to DA Carson) is, “Do not be unbelieving ... but believing.”
In other words, it's as if Jesus, assuring his friend, said, “Thomas, do not remain in unbelief, it is safe now to believe.”
And without a moment's hesitation, Thomas leapt all in. He responded to Jesus with a historical declaration, “My Lord and my God!” (v. 28).
Did you know that you know this was the first proclamation of anyone in history to acknowledge Jesus as God?
That was one bold statement.
The point with Thomas is that the process of his coming to belief examples for us just how much greater one’s faith is made through the fires of very natural doubts and the questions they make us confront.
Thomas’ path to belief shows us that revelation is often sweeter when it’s not built upon a blind sort of faith.
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