DID THOMAS TOUCH JESUS?
The 1611 Fellowship discusses events surrounding the resurrection and ascension of Jesus. Of particular interest is the account of what is known as "doubting Thomas." Did he actually put his fingers into Jesus scars on his hands and side?
Comments (8)
Another important study. And I am going to make the case that Thomas has been unduly maligned throughout history. I believe this study supports my view. Thomas' failure was the same as all of the Apostles, i.e. he did not understand/believe in the resurrection until he saw Jesus resurrected. At the end of the day, he did not require to put his hands in the wounds to believe. As Reg points out, Jesus' followers were being accused of stealing the body and spreading rumors that Jesus had risen from the dead. Thomas was not present at the first appearance of the resurrected Jesus. He likely was wary that the other 11 had been duped in some sort of plot to get them arrested. To me, this is a valid interpretation of why he said what he said. Perhaps Thomas suffered from slightly less faith than the others, but not materially so based on the circumstances. None of them completely understood or expected the resurrection until they saw Jesus. As the study concludes .. when Thomas saw Jesus, he did NOT need to touch him to believe. He was just like the others. But Jesus gently chided him based on his prior words. Just as he did Peter when he told Peter three times to feed his sheep. Jesus used Thomas to bless future generations of believers . . so I think we should all be thankful for Thomas, a beloved apostle, rather than group him in with "doubters" as has been done for centuries.
Something else just occurred to me. An additional witness to the resurrection. The Apostles were never arrested for stealing the body of Jesus or later accused after the Ascension. Why? Because Jesus appeared to hundreds in the 40 days before the Ascension (see 1 Corinthians 15:6). Because saints of prior generations left their graves and went into the Holy City. (Matthew 27:52-53). The physical evidence was clear that Jesus had risen . . thus the Apostles could not be arrested as the body was not stolen..
Like Adolph Hitler said - if you repeat a lie often enough (and loud enough) not only is it believed but it's no longer questioned!
There were so many issues that could be explored in this conversation that it’s hard to know where to start. But what I focused on or seemed important to my faith journey was how Jesus Christ challenges us to accept the truth, and that we can only rely on God for the truth, because He is Truth. Sometimes I think of all the ways in which criminals, sometimes in very high places, inflict the most unbelievable evil upon others, but it is some dark but hopeful consolation to me that the Bible says Jesus Christ suffered more than any man. He knows what it’s like to be diseased and beaten beyond recognition and become the enemy of his own extended family. And he did it to prove the truth of his word and the reliability of his promises. This is especially meaningful to me when it comes to the treatment of Job, as God allows so much evil to befall one of the greatest of saints. I see how both Job and Jesus Christ had to prophesy what they did because, as one crude way to understand it would be, God and righteousness would be like a reward and punishment system. But God is love, and God doesn’t seem to just want to reward us for doing things in order to be rewarded, but as Jesus says, we are to love God with all our heart, seemingly just because it is true and right. Could anyone see any love in the world if we were just rewarded and punished without anything else? Love is the hardest thing in the world, and we are challenged by the way of Christ, who promises everything to those who love or have faith in him.
Hi Thomas (I am going to defend your namesake the Apostle Thomas in another post here after just listening to the study) Fear of physical death is illogical because death is 100% certain. Disbelief in God is illogical because the heavens declare His handiwork, i.e. someone created it and it wasn't us. Sin is illogical because it destroys the sinner. We can all see that doing evil doesn't make sense, and that the wages of sin is death (. . but God allows that innocent people suffer and suffering for Jesus Christ in this life draws more to Him and increases eternal rewards for the afflicted in the life everlasting. Again, logical.) God does not want us to be born into sin in this world without hope. This is a logical position for a father to take. Because he made us and loves us, he saves us . . or at least allows us to choose to accept the gift of grace and be saved. This is a very logical order of things. Jesus came to invite us to everlasting life in a Kingdom that is eternal. The fact of this spiritual kingdom is the only logical conclusion based on the reality and limits of our earthly existence. Why would He create us just to destroy us? Elsewhere, it has been called the inescapable logic of faith. Jesus walked among us to show us these things. He suffered a gruesome death and rose to show us not to fear the first death because it is temporary and he has all power over it. He walked among us resurrected to show us the eternal life that awaits. These are all logical concepts. As Job said centuries before Jesus came, "I know my redeemer liveth". Although he suffered great loss in his mortal life, Job believed in Jesus Christ and knew God would save him because Job understood the temporality of life, his own sin, and God's eternal righteousness and love. Likewise, everything we experience points to Jesus Christ as our savior and redeemer unto eternal life. Our decision to follow him then is the only logical one. The miracle of faith is understanding the temporary reality of our physical lives, and realizing we need God/Jesus, whose existence and power is obvious, to save us from sin/death. And its logic is inescapable.
I have yet to listen to this one, but I will write something first while it’s on my mind. I often feel like a backslider and prone to all kinds of distractions, but I found something that provided me extra hope today. In Psalm 131 it makes it so clear that God is the one who keeps our faith and that he works tirelessly to do so. If anyone has doubts about their place before God or in life, it’s a great chapter to find how powerful God is to tend to his flock and not forsake them. A Song of degrees. 1 I will lift vp mine eyes vnto the hilles: from whence commeth my helpe. 2 My helpe commeth from the Lord: which made heauen and earth. 3 He will not suffer thy foote to bee moued: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. 4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel: shall neither slumber nor sleepe. 5 The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade vpon thy right hand. 6 The sunne shall not smite thee by day: nor the moone by night. 7 The Lord shall preserue thee from all euill: hee shall preserue thy soule. 8 The Lord shall preserue thy going out, and thy comming in: from this time foorth and euen for euermore.
I absolutely loved this study! Churches (especially IFBs) are not teaching from the depths of The Holy Bible 1611.
Me too. I enjoyed going over it during editing.