Press X to Doubt

Most of us have heard the term “Doubting Thomas” thrown around. If you’re ever called a Doubting Thomas, you’ve been accused of not having faith or belief in something or someone. However, while many may not be aware of the origin of this phrase, even fewer may have realized that this may be a gross misrepresentation of the man it’s based on.

The original Thomas may have had more confidence and more faith than his story implies.

First, let’s take a look at where the term comes from. Doubting Thomas refers to one of Jesus’s twelve disciples (Peter, James, John, all those guys). Three days after Jesus died, He rose from the dead and appeared to His followers, who were hiding in the upper rooms. Thomas was not present for that visit, and when his friends told him that Jesus was alive, he didn’t believe them.

“I’ll believe it when I can touch the scars in His wrists and the wound in His side,” he told them.

Some days later, the disciples were in the upper room again. This time, Thomas was with them. Jesus appeared before them again. After giving His greeting, He turned right to Thomas and said, “Here, touch the scars on my wrists. Here, put your hand in my side.”

As we used to say in my younger years, he got moded.

Because of that one instance, Thomas was labeled a doubter. Jesus told him that although he believed after seeing proof, those who believed without seeing would be considered blessed. 

This case should have sealed the deal on his doubter status, yes? Keep in mind that God has a habit of enlisting those we think are unqualified or don’t deserve their positions simply because of what they’ve done (see Paul the Persecutor). Thomas was no different. To understand what his character was truly like, we need to rewind to the time before Jesus’s death.

Jesus had garnered a lot of hate from Israel’s religious leaders over the course of His ministry. He performed many miracles, gathered hundreds people through His teachings, and denounced the leaders’ hypocrisy in public. In the political climate of those days, if they could not disprove or defame an opponent, the religious leaders would often try to find a way to arrest or assassinate their opposition.

In John chapter 11, we are presented a scene of Lazarus, one of Jesus’s friends, dying from illness. Jesus received word that he was sick, but doesn’t go right away. When He announces that He’s finally going to go to Judea to visit the family, His disciples tried to convince Him to reconsider. “Only a few days ago the people in Judea were trying to stone you. Are you going there again?” Despite their protests, Jesus still chooses to go.

Then, we get this little tidbit in verse 16:

Thomas, nicknamed the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let’s go, too—and die with Jesus.”

That’s a very bold statement from someone considered a faithless doubter. He understood the dangers of heading back into enemy territory, that there would be people actively seeking Jesus’s demise in that area. But because his teacher was going, he was going, too. It takes guts to make that kind of statement.

To be fair, when Jesus eventually did get arrested in Jerusalem, all of the disciples, including Thomas, fled. Both he and Peter made bold claims about sticking with Jesus, even if it meant dying, but neither of them was able to follow through. We’ll come back to this point in a little bit.

For now, let’s jump ahead to John chapter 20. Jesus had just resurrected and appeared to Mary Magdalene, who told the disciples what she had seen. In verse 19, it says, “That Sunday evening, the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders.” This makes sense. Jesus, their teacher, had just been put to death by the Jewish leaders. It stands to reason that His followers and associates would be their next potential targets.

In verse 24, it says, “One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came.” That’s odd, isn’t it? Why wasn’t Thomas there with the others?

Zero in on verse 19. The disciples were locked in the room because they were afraid. If they were in the room due to fear, why wasn’t Thomas with them?

Perhaps “Doubting Thomas” was far braver than his story lets on.

Unlike the other disciples, who cowered in fear because of their association with Jesus, Thomas still walked the streets. It’s almost as if he was not concerned about the heat he could receive from Jesus’s critics. We can infer that, despite the potential persecution, he would not shy away on account of his association with Jesus. Perhaps he had more faith in what Jesus said prior to the crucifixion than we first assumed.

I mentioned earlier that there were two people who claimed they would follow Jesus until the end: Thomas and Peter. Both of them were unable to keep their word, yet Peter never got a moniker like “Cowardly Peter” or “Peter the Wimp.” Why do we look at Peter with favor, but not Thomas?

This probably stems from the fact that, narratively speaking, Peter received a more prominent restoration than Thomas did. Peter had that heartfelt encounter with Jesus on the shore, while Thomas had more of a “You got told, Son!” kind of moment. We also get more time with Peter later on in the Bible’s narrative.

However, this may not have been a moment of shame for Thomas, but of restoration, just like Peter. This was a heartfelt reunion between teacher and disciple. What appears to be a chastisement from Jesus could really be a gentle reminder. Perhaps his exclamation of “My Lord and my God!” in verse 28 wasn’t out of shock and disbelief, but of joy and satisfaction.

As mentioned before, God has a habit of enlisting those we believe are underqualified. David committed murder and adultery, yet he’s still considered “a man after God’s own heart.” Peter denied Jesus three times, but he still went on to found the early church. Even though he doubted and failed in that one particular moment, Thomas could still be used. Same can be said of us: we may doubt, and we may fail, but God can still use us.