Doubting? Thomas..

[duxrow]

BAD RAP ??

99.44% of Christians do a put-down of the Apostle Thomas for his "lack of faith", but I don't see it that way. The others had already eyeballed the evidence (seen the scars), but Thomas hadn't been there at the time. So, when they told him Jesus had risen from the dead in Jn20:25, he stated: "Except I see for myself, I will not believe".

Like me, he wasn't taking the word of these guys for anything as important as eternal life or a way of life. I had to see it for myself (eyes of my understanding, Eph1:18). Once we saw, we said:thumb: "My Lord and my God".

At the other end of the spectrum is Nathanael (not an apostle) who saw Jesus and asked "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" Jn1:46. For some reason Jesus wasn't letting anyone know he'd been born in Bethlehem, but he identified Nathanael as "an Israelite in whom is no guile" (no deceit, no treachery). Then, based on the flimsiest evidence, it seems to me, Nathanael declared Jesus was the Son of God and King of Israel (essentially the same reaction as from Thomas).


Agree? Disagree?

..

[Richard Amiel McGough]

BAD RAP ??

99.44% of Christians do a put-down of the Apostle Thomas for his "lack of faith", but I don't see it that way. The others had already eyeballed the evidence (seen the scars), but Thomas hadn't been there at the time. So, when they told him Jesus had risen from the dead in Jn20:25, he stated: "Except I see for myself, I will not believe".

Like me, he wasn't taking the word of these guys for anything as important as eternal life or a way of life. I had to see it for myself (eyes of my understanding, Eph1:18). Once we saw, we said:thumb: "My Lord and my God".

At the other end of the spectrum is Nathanael (not an apostle) who saw Jesus and asked "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" Jn1:46. For some reason Jesus wasn't letting anyone know he'd been born in Bethlehem, but he identified Nathanael as "an Israelite in whom is no guile" (no deceit, no treachery). Then, based on the flimsiest evidence, it seems to me, Nathanael declared Jesus was the Son of God and King of Israel (essentially the same reaction as from Thomas).


Agree? Disagree?

..
I always kinda identified with Thomas ... but I see the logic of the 99.44% since Christ said "blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." I never liked that logic because any cult could say the same thing. But if Christianity is true, and people believe because of direct revelation from God (like Peter in Matt 16:17), then the statement would be justified but I still don't like it because there is no way for anyone to know if "God" revealed something or if they just made it up or believed a cult leader.

As for Nathaniel, I always assumed that he was probably in deep prayer under the fig tree and had a special encounter with God, so when Christ said "I saw you under the fig tree" Nathaniel understood that it was a sign from God. Or something like that.