Doubting Thomas: A Research Model / Outline for Study

Doubting Thomas:

An Unwarranted Moniker Given to a Courageous and Believing Man of God

Research Methodology

            In order to learn about the life and work of Thomas the Apostle and put forth a biographical study that reflects accurate information regarding his NT role and other historical facts and assumptions, the author utilized Liberty University’s Online Library databases. These databases include but are not limited to: Summon: Google like search feature utilizing a single search to find credible content both online and physical, Gale Virtual Resource Library, and Google Scholar. Descriptors used included but were not limited to: Thomas the Apostle, the Apostle Thomas, Doubting Thomas, Gospel of Thomas, Acts of Thomas, Life of Thomas the Apostle, Life and Work of Thomas the Apostle, Lessons learned from the Apostle Thomas, and Life lessons from Doubting Thomas. Also, source suggestions were requested of the LUO Librarian. The New International Version Bible was used as a primary source; commentaries associated with the NIV were used in conjunction with the primary source. The author sought to answer the questions: Was Thomas truly a doubter? What were his contributions to the faith? And, are the apocryphal literature, such as the Gospel of Thomas and the Acts of Thomas valid sources of information for contemporary Christians to use as a means to learn about Christ?     

Outline

I.                   Introduction

Doubting Thomas is the moniker thrust upon a man of God, a true disciple of Jesus Christ, because he wanted to see and touch his master whom he could not accept was resurrected after having suffered a most terrible and humiliating death. Thomas loved Jesus with all his heart; he had left everything he knew and followed the Christ for nearly three years. And yet, when confronted by the other disciples, men he also walked with for almost three years, claiming they had seen the risen Christ, it was not enough.

Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe”[1]

Was Thomas wrong in his actions? Did he truly doubt that Jesus was come back to life from death? Jesus did say, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days” (John 2:19).

The moniker, “Doubting Thomas” is no where found in the biblical text. He was referred to as Thomas, called Didymus (John 20:24). Didymus in the Greek means The Twin. He was Thomas the twin. This paper will show that the moniker given Thomas in the Western Christian tradition is unwarranted. Thomas had no more doubt than any of the other disciples; in fact, Eastern tradition demanded that a claim of a person rising from death to life be proven by sight and touch. Karl Barth writes, “Much injustice has been done to the latter through wrong exegesis. The fact that he wanted to touch Jesus before he came to believe shows only that he had no more doubts than the other disciples had according to the accounts.”[2] Sadly, the Apostle Thomas’ name is synonymous with uncertainty and unbelief, even someone not to imitate. This is absolutely a wrong assessment of a great, believing, and courageous man of God.

II.                Thomas, the man

A.                 Background

B.                 Apocryphal Literature

III.             Was Thomas a doubter?

A.                 Doubt defined

1.                  Touching Jesus, why was it necessary for Thomas?

2.                  Thomas was not the only one to doubt

IV.             Thomas’ NT Importance

A.                 Lessons for today’s Christian

1.                  Believe for one’s self

2.                  Always ask questions

V.                Conclusion

[1] John 20:24-25, NIV.

[2] Karl Barth, “Man in His Time,” Church Dogmatics vol. III, no 2, (1960): 448, http://solomon.dkbl.alexanderstreet.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/cgi-bin/asp/philo/dkbl/details_toc.pl?&philodocid=885&showfullrecord=ON&church=ON, accessed August 30, 2014.

Bibliography

Barth, Karl. “Man in His Time.” Church Dogmatics, Vol. III, No. 2. (1960). http://solomon.dkbl.alexanderstreet.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/cgi-bin/asp/philo/dkbl/details_toc.pl?&philodocid=885&showfullrecord=ON&church=ON. Accessed August 28, 2014.

Klijn, Albertus Frederik Johannes. The Acts of Thomas: Introduction, Text, and Commentary.

            Leiden: Brill, 2003. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost), EBSCOhost (accessed July 8, 2014).

Most, Glen W. “Doubting Thomas.” Rev. Joyce E. Meyer. The Catholic Historical Review, Vol. 92, No. 1 (Jan., 2006): 95-96. http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/stable/10.2307/25027014?origin=api. Accessed August 27, 2014.

Pokorny, Petr. Commentary on the Gospel of Thomas: From Interpretations to the Interpreted.

New York, T&t Clark Ltd, 2009. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost), EBSCOhost (accessed July 8, 2014).

Strain, Janna Y., "“This I say not as one doubting”: Traditions of the Apostle Thomas from the Beginning of the Common Era through 800 CE" (2013). Honors Projects.

http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/religion_honproj/22. Accessed August 27, 2014.

“Thomas, St." In The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, edited by Cross, F. L., and E. A. Livingstone. : Oxford University Press, 2005. http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780192802903.001.0001/acref-9780192802903-e-6830.

Thurston, Herbert. "St. Thomas the Apostle." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 14. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 27 Jul. 2014. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14658b.htm. Accessed July 27, 2014.