The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-10-30
THOMAS.

Thomas was not present when JESUS ap-
peared to the assembly of the disciples. Be-
ing of melancholy disposition he may have
resorted to solitude for solace in his grief
and disappointment at the death of his Mas
ter. All we know of him besides the fast of
his being one of the Apostles is derived from
this Gospel. But the few glimpses we get of
him here reveal a well-marked character: af-
fectionate and generous, slow to believe and
ready to die. He is called Didymus, the
Greek word (Didumas) for twin, and equiv
alent to the Hebrew Thomas (Th'm).
All we know of him is derived from the
Gospel of st. John; and this amounts TO
three traits, which, however, SO exactly agree
together, that slight as they are, they place
his character before us with precision which
belongs to no other of the twelve apostles,
except Peter, John and Judas Iscariot This
character is that Of man slow to believe,
seeing all the difficulties of case; subject to
dependency, viewing things OF the darker
Req. A. p. Stanley, d. d., Smiths Bible Die
tionary.
When Thomas was told by the other disci-
pies that they had seen the Master, he de-
clared that he would not believe that unless
he saw his bodily presence as he had last seen
it, should see his hands, and put his finger
into the print of the nails, and thrust his
hand into the pierced side. He would not
believe on testimony, he must see for him
self. On the following Sunday the disciples
again assembled, Thomas being with them.
For what purpose, or under what circum-
stances is not revealed, except that the meet
ing was secret one, ''the doors being shut"
as upon the former occasion, week previ-
Gus. The Feast of the Passover being over,
they may have assembled to consider their
return to Galilee, which was begun on the
next day. May not this meeting of the dis
ciples ON the same day of the week that
JESUS rose,
"The day that saw the LORD arise"
and the first one after his resurrection, have
been the beginning of the institution of the
Christian Sabbath Lords Day.? That we
have the blessed day is fact; that it COM
memorates the LoRD's rising, and is of apos-
tolic origin, is evident from the Scriptures,
On this Sunday evening, as on the preceding,
JESUS came into the disciples company and
said, "Peace to you" And turning at once
to Thomas, he called upon him to believe,
upon the evidence of his senses; he condo
scepded to give him the testimony that ne
demanded.
The effect upon Thomas's mind was start
ling. He does not seem even to have applied
the test which he himself had suggested. He
did not reach out his finger and his hand
but exclaimed, "My Master and my Godr'
The language is an expression of astonish-
ment and recognition. Thomas had nc
thought of declaring JESUS to be every COP, -
when he gave expressitn to his strong emo
ton in this exclamation. JESUS is not COP
but the manifestation of COP; is Divine, but
not Deity. He came to reveal GoD, to show
US the Father. Nothing is palmer than the
testimony of his own teaching upon the mat
ter of his relation to, and dependence upor
GoD,-hs GoD and our COP, his Father ant
our Father. He called the Father of man
kind his Father; the COP of all people hi
GoD (John Xxx. IL. He clearly discriminate
the being of GoD from his own being, nota
bly, when he prayed to Him. His prayer
were confessions of inferiority and depend
ence. If the term "God" was at all appli
cable to him it must have been in sens
consistent with the Divine supremacy of tn
Father. He claimed TO be the Son of Con
and the watchful malice of the Jews charge,
that thus he made himself COP. If JEsU
held this to be just implication from hi
words, or a just charge against himself, it i
inconceivable that he would have defende'
himself in the carefully chosen words report
ed to US: SIS it not written 10 your law, ~
are gods?' See The passage in JESUS minr
FPS. lxxxii. g.: II said, Ye are gods; and al
of you sons OF the Most High ~ ''If he calle
them gods unto whom the word of Co
came, . say ye Of him whom the Fathe
hath sanctifed and sent into the world