Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1886-11-04
THOMAS CONVICTED.
DR.. JOHN HALLS NOTES ON THE
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON.

for bis being so outstanding figure In the
Gospel of John. There are two parts Of the
lesson, but connected together, for we should
not understand the features of the second
interview if we had not the details of the
frst-very important in themselves.
1t was the Jewish Monday, the first Chris
tian Sabbath called the first day, ETC., as in
Acts XXX, q, and evening. The disciples knew
the light in which the Jews regarded them,
and had the doors of the room in which they
met closed, probably as we would say
barred or 'locked." Disciples" may include
others beside the twelve apostles. CSee
Luke xiv, 33)
The words "came Jesus" along with the
account of 'the doors shut" give the impress
sion that there was no opening of the doors
needful The glorifed body of Jesus was not
bound by ordinary natural laws, nor prob
ably will those of saints be. The "iron gate"
of Peters prison opened to the angel and him
of its "own accord" What power we shall
have when we become equal with the angels,
who can tell! We shall see through questions
about matter that battle us now. Jesus
"stood in the midst and gave his salutation,
"Peace be unto you'll" How timely They
were in fear of the Jews" How much
they needed it, How often he has come into
chambers where tinid and perplexed dis
ciples were gathered, and spoken in effect the
same thing! Timid in view of Jewish malice,
but glad over the news of our Lords resur-
rection, they had secretly come together, and
10: he is there, without any need to open the
door. He is all he ever was He is the same
in feeling, as they feel when the words fall
on their ears, Peace be unto you'll
Y. 90 He knows human dullness; he knows
them. How good it is for US that the disci-
piles were not model men, not perfect, but
like ourselvesl If they had been well nigh
perfect we should have desponded- But
their need of help and of repeated lessons
concerning truth encourages US, for our Mas
ter knows us as he knows them. So he shows
them his hands and his side. They have
many infallible proofs (Acts i, 81 of his rising.
He is the same in body. He is not spirit,
as they thought him on the Sea of Galiles.
He has suffered. He is the Lamb slain"
John remembered this - "handled'-in /
John i, 1, long years afterward- How much
all this meant they did not then know or stop
to ask Their hearts oyerdowed with joy.
"Then were the disciples glad" etc. And
when we are cast down and things seem to
go against US, here is the most gladdening
thing in the world-the sight by faith of
Jesus (See Rom. V, 2)
V. 81 Again the peace" is given, and the
truth which they failed to understand before
is repeated: "As my father sent me-not to
do nv will but his-so send you, not to do
your own but mine; and as preached the
gospel, so are you to do in my name"
V. o. This living man breathes-breathes
on them, and with the power of God says,
"Receive ye the Holy Ghost" Hehad prom
ised this gift in John xvi, Z, and elsewhere.
II -ofkI !, -, 81
theirs; but even now they need special help.
He had told them that the Comforter would
bear witness to him. This they need now, as
they are to wait for the Pentecostal power.
He is to them a Spirit of prayer (Acts |, 13,
I4. Then he foreshadows the commission in
V. o. SWhosoever," etc. Whatever pow
er was given Peter is here given to ALL
All stand on the same level The apostles did
not give forgiveness in their name or in vir-
tue of their office; they proclaimed it. See
Jer i, 10, "See, have this day set thee over
the nations and over the kingdoms, to root
out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to
throw down. to build, and to plant Did the
weeping prophet do all that? No; but he
proclaimed the terms, in Gods name, on which
God would do it, and as it was with prophets
so it is with apostles. See the same principle
In Isa vi, 10, in Eek xxxii IS, also in Eek.
xiii, 8, Hosea vi, 5, Rev. xi, s. 1t is impor-
tant to make the pupils understand this.
Words like these are constantly quoted in
favor of a priesthood and of Rome, and the
rising generation of Americans will need to
understand the case What the apostles did
explains the sense and meaning of this COM
mission. They did not hear confessions, pre-
scribe penances and pronounce absolutions.
They preached Christ and remission of sins
in his name.
We now come to the second section, which
gave a name to our lesson. Thomas means
a atwin.n The word resembles "Tom" in He
brew comp. Song vii, 81, and Didymus is
the Septuagint Greek rendering of it
. 1t is usually loss to be absent from
meeting of disciples. 1t was so with Thomas
". pa. Probably it was not an accident, but
his despondent nature that kept him away.
But of course the disciples told him what
they had seen ". 25. Then came the words
which have been taken by some to show a
skeptical, ill-conditioned mind, Except"
etc But they did not To learn their mean
ing we must know what manner of man
Thomas was. When Jesus intimated that he
was leaving his safe retreat from Jewish mall
ice and going to Bethany John xi, z, g. 16),
Thomas, dispirited, taking the gloomiest view
us also go, that we may die with him." i e.,
Jesus He loved him tenderly. But he
thought his a "lost cause" He will be
seized and killed. We may as well go and
die with him. He took the gloomiest view
of things. So when at the last supper Jesus
spoke of going away and of their coming
along, the same spirit breaks out But it is
not bad; it is only sad. Jesus treats it kindly.
"Lord, thou art going, we know not whittier;
how can we go after or with theel We
know nothing of what is meant" He deems
the departure of Jesus the end of all Of them.
He was not an unbeliever, eager to get
reasons for unbelief He was right in aim.
in heart, in affection. But his nature was
slow; his mind was dependent; he was easily
cast down. He took the gloomy view of
things There is a long succession to this
apostle among men from mental nature,
from sad experiences; from physical weak
ness or what is called temperament
Some are over-sanguine, like Peter; some
are too slow to believe and down.
hearted This was the character of Thomas.
Jesus never treats him as a man bent on dis
belief, or willingly binding his eyes to evil
dence, or bad at heart. So when
(V. 26), after eight days, the disciples being
Just as before, door shut and all together,
including IhomaS, Jesus came ana spake
"peace" as before.
" 81 But he did more. Why, he has
heard Thomas wordsl He knows the nature
of his mind. so God knoweth our fame,
Pa CHI, IA He offers him the very evidences
be craved in his depression. That was
enough. There is no hint that Thomas went
through the mechanical process. The Master
is there and knows him well. He shows that
by his word, "be not faithless" edo not become
faithess," it might bel "but believing" He
makes a confession of his faith
". 2s), brief in words, but fuller and
clearer in meaning than any yet made, own
ing Jesus not only as his "Lord," but his
God. be il the Messiah; he is divine in
nature. He is "my" God This, the divine
nature of Jesus, was the point with which
John set out John i, y, and here his book as
COD1 ends for Chaptar NNi iS SlDDlp-