Difference between revisions of "Category:Thomas (subject)"

Thomas (1st century CE) was one of the disciples of Jesus of Nazareth. To him the authorship of the Gospel of Thomas is attributed.

Thomas in ancient sources

In the Gospels of Mark, Matthew and Luke-Acts, Thomas is mentioned only in the lists of the Twelve (Mk 3:18; Mt 10:3; Lk 6:15; Acts 1:13), who were with Jesus and were leaders of the nascent Christian movement after his death.

In the Gospel of Thomas, "Didymos Judas Thomas" is the recipient of a secret revelation from Jesus, "These are the secret sayings that the living Jesus spoke and Didymos Judas Thomas wrote them down" (Introduction). Thomas in particular is introduced as the only one who knows the truth about Jesus' identity. His testimony in contrasted to that of Simon Peter and Matthew: "Jesus said to his disciples: Make a comparison to me, and tell me whom I am like. Simon Peter said to him: Thou art like a righteous angel. Matthew said to him: Thou art like a wise man of understanding. Thomas said to him: Master, my mouth will no wise suffer that I say whom thou art like. Jesus said: I am not thy master, because thou hast drunk, thou hast become drunk from the bubbling spring which I have measured out. And he took him, went aside, and spoke to him three words. Now when Thomas came to his companions, they asked him: What did Jesus say unto thee? Thomas said to them: If I tell you one of the words which he said to me, you will take up stones and throw them me; and a fire will come out of the stones and burn you up" (13). Thomas continued to enjoy great popularity in Gnostic circles, where he would be identified as Jesus' twin brother (Book of Thomas the Contender).

In the Gospel of John (which does not record any list of the Twelve), "Thomas, called the Twin (Didymos)" (Jn 11:16; 20:24; 21:2) is also mentioned as "one of the Twelve (Jo 20:24) and has a role in four narratives:

• In Jn 11:16 Thomas bitterly commented Jesus' decision to go to Judea again at the death of Lazarus, "saying to his fellow disciples: Let us also go, that we may die with him."

• In Jo 14:5 Thomas objects to Jesus, confessing his lack of understanding: "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?"

• When Jesus appeared to his disciples after his death, Thomas, who was not present (Jo 20:24), refused to believe, "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe" (20:25). When "a week later" Jesus appeared again to his disciples, this time Thomas was with them (Jo 20:26). Jesus "said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.“ Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (Jn 20:27-29).

• Thomas was fishing with "Simon Peter, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples" (Jn 21:2) when Jesus appeared to them for "the third time" (21:14) "by the Sea of Galilee" (Jn 21:1). At the beginning "they did not know that it was Jesus". The first to understand was "the disciple whom Jesus loved [who said] to Peter, It is the Lord!" (21:7).

Later Christian narratives talk of the mission of Thomas to evangelize the Parthians, Medes, and Persians. He eventually reached India, where according to these traditions he died as a martyr, speared to death at a place called Calamine. The Malabar coast still boasts a large native population calling themselves "Christians of St. Thomas."

In 232 the reputed relics of Thomas are said to have been brought to Edessa [Turkey]. There they remained until they were briefly translated to Chios [Greece] and then to Ortona [Italy], where they arrived on 6 September 1258, booty taken by captain Leone degli Acciaioli when the island of Chios was sacked. Ever since they have been preserved in Ortona's cathedral.

Gabriele Boccaccini, University of Michigan

Thomas in Scholarship

So little is known about Thomas, that any serious attempt at an historical reconstruction of his life is virtually impossible. Scholarly interest has been devoted to the literature attributed to Thomas (especially, the Gospel of Thomas), and the traditions and legends about Thomas.

Gabriele Boccaccini, University of Michigan

Thomas in Fiction

Although the figure of Thomas has become legendary as that of the skeptical,doubting Thomas, it has not generated wide interest in fiction. There are indeed many works of art depicting Thomas in the act of touching Jesus' wounds or as one of the Twelve, including some masterpieces such as the Incredulity of St. Thomas (1483 Verrocchio), art, the Incredulity of St. Thomas (1602 Caravaggio), art, and the Martyrdom of St. Thomas (1639 Rubens), art. However, as a character Thomas has failed to gain a life of his own besides the traditional image of the Doubter. The only exceptions are given by The Legend of Thomas Didymus (1881 Clarke), novel and Gli amici di Gesù (2001 Mertes), film. Too little to make Thomas a major character in Second Temple Fiction.

Gabriele Boccaccini, University of Michigan

External links

• Wikipedia
• Catholic Encyclopeda