The Calling of the Apostles - Thomas

 

And he [Jesus] went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons. He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. (Mark 3:13–19 ESV).

 

Thomas the Apostle, also known as Didymus or "the twin," was one of the Twelve Apostles chosen by Jesus Christ. He is best known for his initial skepticism regarding Jesus' resurrection, which earned him the nickname "Doubting Thomas." His name comes from the Aramaic and Greek words meaning "twin”. In the Gospel of John, he bravely urges the disciples to travel to Judea with Jesus, saying, "Let us also go, that we may die with him."

 

He most know because after the resurrection, Thomas refused to believe until he physically saw and touched Jesus’ crucifixion wounds. Upon seeing Jesus, he made the famous declaration of faith: "My Lord and my God!" He is thought to be one of the twelve who that Thomas traveled outside the Roman Empire to evangelize, establishing seven churches along the Malabar Coast of southern India. The ancient St. Thomas Christians trace their lineage directly to his ministry. He likely was martyred around 72 AD near Chennai, India, where tradition states he was pierced with a spear.

 

We can learn several powerful lessons from Thomas the Apostle. It is always good to value honest doubt. Thomas demonstrates that questioning is a natural part of faith. It can lead to deeper certainty. He was not satisfied with secondhand accounts and sought a direct, personal experience with Jesus. And, once convinced, his doubt turned into total devotion. He went on to evangelize as far away as India.

 

It is also worth noting there is an non-canonical writing which some have attributed to Thomas, The Gospel According to Thomas. Whether the Gospel of Thomas is "legitimate" depends on if you mean historically authentic or religiously canonical. While it is a real, surviving historical document, the vast majority of scholars agree it was not written by the apostle Thomas and was rightly excluded from the Bible. It was likely written in the 2^nd or 3^rd Century A.D, which does make it very abcient. However, unlike the four canonical gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) which tell a narrative story about Jesus's life, death, and resurrection, Thomas is solely a list of 114 secret sayings and parables attributed to Jesus. It is interesting to read, but should be regarded as primarily fiction.

 

This in no way should detract from the apostle’s legacy. He had an inquisitive mind that led him t understand as much of Jesus and the gospel as possible. That is always a good thing. Never fear the truth of Jesus! It stands the test always!