IN DEFENCE OF DOUBTING THOMAS
While it is true that the disciple Thomas has become famous for his initial hesitation to accept that Jesus had somehow been resurrected, it is unfortunate that he goes down in many Christian histories first and foremost as “doubting Thomas”.
Yes, it is true we can see why gospel writer John is anxious to stress that the now scattered followers of Jesus should set their personal doubts aside. Remember John is writing well after the Thomas encounter at the time when Jesus was no longer present in the flesh. We should therefore understand that John the gospel writer, would have thought it necessary to encourage future followers of this new faith we would now call Christianity to accept reality in the resurrection regardless of the lack of their own experience of meeting Jesus in person. John’s comment that Jesus himself had told Thomas that those who believed without that personal meeting would be especially blessed, would no doubt help future followers to set aside at least some of their doubts.
Rather too many of those hawking their competing versions of Christianity seem reluctant to accept that any path other than their own might be worth considering. Don’t forget that in Church history that along with those now regarded as true saints, those assuming God’s support for their version of faith have included those who have indulged in very unloving behaviours. For those trying to understand why so many making the same claims of religious faith exhibit radically different conclusions and behaviour patterns perhaps we might at the very least start by checking that our thinking and behaviour fits the basic teaching of the one we seek to follow. Given that we can never be certain of the motivation what the representative of faith is thinking, we can at least make a reasonable judgment of their claims based on their actions, or if you like the fruits of their belief, and use this as a guide.
However, continuing to portray Thomas as “the doubter” is neither true to what the gospels claim in other places, nor true to Thomas’ apparent subsequent history. In any event I would have thought there is still a place for an initial sceptical approach to unusual religious claims. I am guessing most of us have noted some of the recent strange variety of expressions of Christianity. I suspect we should treat the typical insistence that sect followers should accept some of the more bizarre claims of the leaders’ sects without question with caution. I would go further and say that perhaps a healthy initial scepticism for more extreme claims of self-appointed leaders might even be encouraged.
Now to return to Thomas…. There, are several features of Thomas that should at least encourage us to see his strengths as well as his weaknesses.
Perhaps it is worth reminding ourselves that, like most of the disciples, we only find fragmentary mentions of Thomas in the New Testament. The first time we encounter Thomas in action is as a risk taker. Check out the Gospel of John Chapter 11 where Jesus decides it is time to return to Judea, despite his earlier encounter when the Judeans had taken up stones to deal with his unwelcome challenge. The other disciples appear to be trying to dissuade Jesus from risking such a danger whereas Thomas supported Jesus despite the risk.
Secondly, we need to notice from subsequent contemporary history that although Thomas may have been reluctant to believe Jesus had returned after his crucifixion, once he had encountered Jesus for himself, he was not simply won over to a firmer belief. He was won over to a life of innovative discipleship.
For example, Thomas was one of a small group of followers who decided to write their own version of a Gospel. While it is true Thomas didn’t have his gospel eventually chosen for the final choice of New Testament books, modern Bible scholars tell us we can see evidence that Mark borrowed some of Thomas’s writings and even added a bit to his record of what Thomas records Jesus saying. And don’t forget Thomas also picked up on some things from Jesus that were quite different from those selected by John.
(Perhaps it is a step too far to agree with some scholars’ suggestion that John appeared to stress Thomas’s doubting as a deficiency to imply that John’s was the more reliable gospel).
In reality it is not so much what a person says, but what they are in thoughts and actions that are the real evidence of their faith. Remember that this same so-called doubting Thomas was now sufficiently confident in his faith to go on to start the Church in South India where he was eventually martyred.
What would convince you about someone’s true faith?
It may even be that evidence of true Christian faith may be measured in how the follower’s demonstrated actions measure against Jesus’ teaching. In some instances it is not so much claimed beliefs but actions which tell what really matters for an aspiring Christian… and not just for others – but for ourselves.
For me it is not the size and splendour of the latest great new Church, nor the ostentatious wealth of the Church leaders in their opulent mansions with their fancy cars and private jets and helicopters. What speaks loudest to me is when I encounter those who appear to be genuine caring followers of Jesus’ teachings.
In the course of daily life in our community, from time to time I encounter those who are the quiet benefactors. One of my granddaughters is currently completing her medical qualifications and her intended overseas posting in a Malawi hospital includes organising a health project in some Malawi schools. She raised the funding for this project in two months through the generosity of a few individuals and I believe, three Rotary clubs in Auckland. I am uncertain how many of these would call themselves Christian yet funding those who need help must surely be a Christian action. We will all have met similar servants of the gospel. They may not be famous Christian thinkers, and nor can we be sure that their theology would qualify them at theological college as having doubt-free correct thinking. Kindness somehow seems to bring authenticity to their faith.
Reflect for a moment on the hugely popular Bible thumping television evangelists in the United States of America. While it is undoubtedly true that they have enormous numbers of followers and there is plenty of evidence that their extended audience are keen to give as requested it is not so much the apparent doubts as their apparent evidential symbols of private jets and luxury cars that we should, and indeed must, ask the question about how this fits with Jesus’ message of humility, of servant-hood and showing love to the least of our brethren.
Harry Williams in his book The True Wilderness is quoted as saying: “I resolved that I would not preach about any aspect of Christian belief unless it had become part of my own lifeblood. For I realized that the Christian truth I tried to proclaim would speak to those who listened only to the degree to which it was an expression of my own identity.”
This to me speaks of the same integrity that Thomas lived. Not for Thomas a credulous acceptance of others’ claims without first checking the claims out for himself. But more importantly, not for him either the life of vacuous words once he was sufficiently convinced. Thomas showed that beliefs are to be lived.
The early Christians appear to have understood the realities of how faith is meant to impact on life. They had a special word for it. They called it “pistis”. Pistis is not properly exactly translated as meaning faith. Rather it is more like: trusting, abandoning or even venturing. To have Pistis in Christ didn’t merely mean that Christ was there in some mysterious way. Rather it meant the slender hope that the reality Jesus represented might also have value and truth for the ones who trusted him enough to follow.
For Christians, the arguments about whether-or-not we might think God exists have little meaning away from what Jesus showed this God to mean. Because these days our first-hand experience of witness comes via other people it is worth remembering that from the days of the early Church obtaining inspiration is not only based on what can be learned from studying Christ, but also via those in each generation who have been prepared to follow Jesus. And yes, what gives the inspiration is the attraction of lives lived with integrity.
No doubt the disciples each took a different path to their eventual pistis. And in an age where there is much of value in different forms of Christianity as well as much to generate caution, it might even be that we have need of the Thomases of our day to insist that we not be led astray by transparent fraud as well as needing those prepared to trust and follow without question or evidence. Yet no matter the path, and no matter the initial degree of doubt, the real test of lives lived in the spirit is whether or not we are truthful both to ourselves and others.
Thomas, we read, is eventually persuaded by the evidence of his eyes, yet we must remember that for Thomas this was a persuasion not so much to a creed as to an awakened life. Just as Thomas was able by his encounter to discover a strength within to witness and lead in an eventual journey of adventure, our individual doubts need not stop us from the journey.
It is true that there is a sophisticated form of cynicism that claims that Christianity is merely a subjective theory to fill psychological needs. What ultimately confounds that theory is encountering the transformed lives. No mere theory can ultimately stand against an individual prepared to work wholeheartedly for his or her part in the transformation of the world. Thomas who doubted grew into someone who could make a difference.
If that can happen for doubting Thomas, perhaps it might happen for you or me.
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