Jacob
2008-01-12 20:38:27 UTC
The apostle Thomas was not around when Jesus appeared to the other
disciples after His resurrection. When they told him about it, he was
skeptical, saying that he would first see Jesus before he would
believe it (Jn.20:24,25). Soon afterwards, Jesus appeared again, and
He rebuked Thomas for his unbelief (v.27). This is how Thomas got his
nickname as "Doubting Thomas'.
Why did Jesus rebuke Thomas in this way? To understand this, let us
look at another place in the Bible where an angel rebuked Zacharias
(Lk.1:20). Zacharias and Elizabeth were an old couple who did not have
any children, when the angel Gabriel came to Zacharias and told him
that he was going to get a son. Zacharias found it difficult to
believe it, and got rebuked for his unbelief.
But amazingly, Mary, who became the mother of Jesus, who has similar
doubts about how she could conceive as a virgin was not rebuked at
all! (v.34).
The answer may lie in the differences in the context. Zacharias was an
old and experienced priest of God, and he should not have doubted God
when He sent an angel to speak to him. Mary was, on the contrary, a
very young woman who did not have that kind of experience with God.
She could be excused for having that kind of a question. But Zacharias
shouldn't have reacted like that.
Wasn't it the same with Thomas? Having lived with Jesus for three and
a half years, heard Him, seen Him and even worked with Him, Jesus
expected him to trust Him. Jesus had told the disciples earlier that
He would rise from the dead. Of course they did not understand at that
time what He was saying, but after He had risen and the other
disciples told Thomas about it, he should have believed, shouldn't he?
But to understand this incident as a warning against a questioning
mind is not right. I see some people saying that we must 'just
believe' and not be a Doubting Thomas. One aspect of the image of God
which we are created with is the ability to reason things out. In one
place in the Bible God Himself exhorts us to go to Him and reason
things out (Is.1:18). Isn't there a great importance given in the
Bible for discernment? Will discernment come without the effort of
reasoning things out? (He.5:14)
We have to admit that this is a time when deceptions are increasing,
along with false signs and wonders. False teachers and prophets are
also abounding. Don't we need to be discerning in our mind and heart
in order to protect ourselves from being led astray? Let not a wrong
understanding of "Doubting Thomas" keep us from developing
discernment.
http://www.c-n-c.org
disciples after His resurrection. When they told him about it, he was
skeptical, saying that he would first see Jesus before he would
believe it (Jn.20:24,25). Soon afterwards, Jesus appeared again, and
He rebuked Thomas for his unbelief (v.27). This is how Thomas got his
nickname as "Doubting Thomas'.
Why did Jesus rebuke Thomas in this way? To understand this, let us
look at another place in the Bible where an angel rebuked Zacharias
(Lk.1:20). Zacharias and Elizabeth were an old couple who did not have
any children, when the angel Gabriel came to Zacharias and told him
that he was going to get a son. Zacharias found it difficult to
believe it, and got rebuked for his unbelief.
But amazingly, Mary, who became the mother of Jesus, who has similar
doubts about how she could conceive as a virgin was not rebuked at
all! (v.34).
The answer may lie in the differences in the context. Zacharias was an
old and experienced priest of God, and he should not have doubted God
when He sent an angel to speak to him. Mary was, on the contrary, a
very young woman who did not have that kind of experience with God.
She could be excused for having that kind of a question. But Zacharias
shouldn't have reacted like that.
Wasn't it the same with Thomas? Having lived with Jesus for three and
a half years, heard Him, seen Him and even worked with Him, Jesus
expected him to trust Him. Jesus had told the disciples earlier that
He would rise from the dead. Of course they did not understand at that
time what He was saying, but after He had risen and the other
disciples told Thomas about it, he should have believed, shouldn't he?
But to understand this incident as a warning against a questioning
mind is not right. I see some people saying that we must 'just
believe' and not be a Doubting Thomas. One aspect of the image of God
which we are created with is the ability to reason things out. In one
place in the Bible God Himself exhorts us to go to Him and reason
things out (Is.1:18). Isn't there a great importance given in the
Bible for discernment? Will discernment come without the effort of
reasoning things out? (He.5:14)
We have to admit that this is a time when deceptions are increasing,
along with false signs and wonders. False teachers and prophets are
also abounding. Don't we need to be discerning in our mind and heart
in order to protect ourselves from being led astray? Let not a wrong
understanding of "Doubting Thomas" keep us from developing
discernment.
http://www.c-n-c.org