Thomas Aquinas Commentary John 20:24-25

"But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe." — John 20:24-25 (ASV)

1. After describing our Savior’s appearance, the Evangelist now mentions the doubt of one of the disciples.

   • First, we see that this disciple was absent.
   • Second, he is told about our Lord’s appearance: The other disciples therefore said to him, "We have seen the Lord."
   • Third, we see his stubborn doubt: But he said to them, "Unless I see..."

2. The disciple who was absent is first identified by his name, Thomas, which means “twin” or “abyss.” An abyss has both depth and darkness, and Thomas was an abyss because of the darkness of his disbelief, which he himself caused.

   Yet there is another abyss: the depth of Christ’s compassion for Thomas. We read, Abyss calls to abyss (Psalms 42:7). This means that the depth of Christ’s compassion calls to the depth of darkness in Thomas. In turn, when Thomas professes the faith, his own abyss of unwillingness calls out to the depths of Christ.

   Second, the disciple’s dignity is mentioned, for he was one of the twelve. There were not actually twelve at that time, since Judas had died (Matthew 25:5). He was called one of the twelve because he had been called to that elevated rank which our Lord had established as twelve in number: He called his disciples, and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles (Luke 6:13). God wanted this number to always remain unchanged.

   Third, he is described by the meaning of his name, Thomas... who is called Didymus. Thomas is a Syrian or Hebrew name with two meanings: “twin” and “abyss.” The Greek word for “twin” is “didymus.” Because John wrote his Gospel in Greek, he used the word Didymus. Perhaps Thomas was called the Twin because he was from the tribe of Benjamin, where some or all were called twins. Alternatively, this name could be derived from his doubting, for someone who is certain holds firmly to one side, while someone who doubts accepts one opinion but fears another might be true.

3. Thomas... was not with them—the disciples—when Jesus came. He returned later than the others who had scattered during the day, and so he missed the comfort of seeing the Lord, the bestowal of peace, and the breath that gave the Holy Spirit. This teaches us not to separate ourselves from our companions, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some (Hebrews 10:25). As Gregory says, it was not by accident that this chosen disciple was missing, but by God’s will. It was part of God's merciful plan that the doubting disciple, by feeling the wounds in his Teacher's flesh, should heal the wounds of disbelief in us.

   Here we have the strongest signs of God’s profound mercy. He loves the human race so much that He sometimes allows tribulations to afflict His elect so that some good can come to all humanity. This was the reason He allowed the apostles, the prophets, and the holy martyrs to be afflicted: Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth (Hosea 6:5); If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer (2 Corinthians 1:6).

   Even more remarkable is that God allows a saint to fall into sin in order to teach us. Why did God allow saints and holy men to sin gravely (as David did with adultery and murder) if not to teach us to be more careful and humble? It is so that one who thinks he is standing firm will take care not to fall, and so that one who has fallen will make the effort to rise. Thus, Ambrose said to the Emperor Theodosius, “The one you followed in sinning, try now to follow in repenting.” And Gregory says that the disbelief of Thomas was of more benefit to our faith than the faith of the disciples who did believe.

4. Consequently, when the Evangelist says, the other disciples therefore said to him, "We have seen the Lord," he gives the announcement. Thomas is told about our Lord’s appearance. Because he had not been with the others, the other disciples therefore said to him, "We have seen the Lord."

   This was by divine plan, which is that what one receives from God should be shared with others: as each has received a gift, employ it for one another (1 Peter 4:10); that which I have heard of the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, I have declared unto you (Isaiah 21:10); I have seen the Lord, and I have been saved (Genesis 32:30).

5. When Thomas said, "Unless I see the print of the nails," we see how stubborn he was in his doubt. It would have been justifiable if he had not immediately believed, for we read, One who trusts others too quickly is light-minded . But to overdo one’s search, especially concerning the secrets of God, shows a coarseness of mind: As it is not good to eat much honey, so one who searches into majesty is overwhelmed by its glory (Proverbs 25:27); Seek not what is too difficult for you, nor investigate what is beyond your power. Reflect upon what has been assigned to you, for you do not need what is hidden .

6. Thomas was difficult to convince and unreasonable in his demands. He was difficult because he refused to believe without sensory evidence—not just from one sense but from two. For sight, he demanded, "Unless I see the print of the nails in his hands," and for touch, "and put my hand into his side."

   He was unreasonable because he insisted on seeing the wounds before believing, even though he would be seeing something far greater: the entire person, risen and restored.

   Although Thomas said these things because of his own doubts, this was arranged by God for our benefit and progress. It is certain that Christ, who arose as a complete person, could have healed the marks of His wounds, but He kept them for our benefit.