DID THOMAS CLAIM THAT JESUS IS GOD?
by Ivan Maddox
West End Bible Fellowship
Atlanta, GA
When an assassin’s bullet struck Mahatma Gandhi, he cried out, "Rama!" or "Oh, God!" before he died. Now if someone were to take this statement of Gandhi, wrest it from its historical context, and use it to teach, say, that Gandhi believed that the man who shot him was God, would you take him seriously? Would you regard this as an accurate portrayal of this historical event, or as an honest assessment of what Gandhi believed about God? Or would you insist on looking at other things, such as Gandhi’s previous statements about God, or the context in which he uttered those words, in order to get an accurate understanding of what he believed, and what his words meant?
Yet a very similar, and equally ludicrous argument, is used to assert that Thomas proclaimed that Jesus is God. The text used to argue this is found in John 20:28.
John 20:28.
28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
There is no question about whether or not Thomas spoke those words to Jesus. He did. The only question is whether in saying these words, Thomas was making a statement concerning what he believed about who God is.
The Context of the Passage
If we want to understand whether or not Thomas was making a statement of doctrinal belief here, we need to look at the context in which this verse is set.
John 20:19-29.
19 Then the same day at evening, being the first [day] of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace [be] unto you.
20 And when he had so said, he shewed unto them [his] hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.
21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace [be] unto you: as [my] Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
22 And when he had said this, he breathed on [them], and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; [and] whose soever [sins] ye retain, they are retained.
24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
25 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 finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: [then] came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace [be] unto you.
27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust [it] into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed [are] they that have not seen, and [yet] have believed.
This passage concerns the resurrection of Jesus Christ. When Jesus first appeared to his disciples after his resurrection, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples believed that he was risen because of what they had seen. Thomas, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus appeared to them. He refused to believe that they had seen Jesus. He made it clear that he would not believe unless he was able to see for himself and handle the wounds in Jesus’ hands and side.
This is the first thing we need to note about this passage. What Thomas refused to believe was that Jesus was risen from the dead. The proof he requested was the same that had been given to the other disciples by Jesus.
Eight days later, Jesus appeared to his disciples again. This time, Thomas was with them. Jesus showed Thomas the holes in his hands and his side, and challenged him to believe. Thomas made his statement; then Jesus blessed him for believing after he had seen, but blessed even more those who would one day believe without seeing.
What was it that Thomas saw and believed? The other disciples saw Jesus’ wounds, realized that it was indeed Jesus that they were seeing, and believed that he was alive from the dead. Thomas did not believe because he had not seen Jesus’ wounds. When Jesus appeared to his disciples again, he showed his wounds to Thomas, and he believed: what? The same thing that the other disciples believed: that Jesus was risen from the dead.
When verse 28 is interpreted in light of its context, it is clear that Thomas’ exclamation indicated that he believed that the person standing before him was indeed Jesus Christ.
Thomas' Actions Don't Agree With His Alleged Confession
It is important to note that the interpretation of Thomas’ words as a confession of his doctrinal beliefs about the Godhood of Christ depend entirely on our interpretation of the words Thomas said. No corroberating evidence is given in the context for this interpretation; and if this interpretation is correct, this omission is very strange indeed.
Think for a moment: How does a normal human being respond when he finds out that the human being he thought he was in the presence of is in reality his God? What does he do? Does he pray? Does he utter words of praise? Does he offer sacrifice to his God? Perhaps in our own sacreligious and apathetic day, a simple verbal response, such as that allegedly offered by Thomas, would be judged sufficient; but would this have been the case in the first century?
The scripture gives us an example of men who thought they were in the presence of gods. In this instance, we don’t have to guess from their words what they believed; we are told by the spirit of God.
Acts 14:8-18.
8 And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked:
9 The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed,
10 Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.
11 And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.
12 And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker.
13 Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people.
14 [Which] when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard [of], they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out,
15 And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:
16 Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.
17 Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.
18 And with these sayings scarce restrained they the people, that they had not done sacrifice unto them.
These people could hardly be restrained from offering sacrifice to those who they wrongly thought were gods. Next to their ardent zeal, the response of Thomas seems strangely underwhelming. Supposedly in the presence of the Almighty God, he is not moved enough even to bow down. He is not afraid, and, other than saying, "My Lord and my God," he utters no words of worship. He does absolutely nothing which confirms the conclusion that he believes that Jesus is God.
Jesus' Blessing of Thomas
Jesus’ words blessing Thomas indicate that Thomas believed because of what he saw. Thomas could see that Jesus, who he knew had died, was now standing before him alive. He could not see that the man standing before him was God. That is not something our senses are capable of discerning. The fact that Jesus blessed Thomas for believing because of what he saw, then, is an indication that Jesus did not understand Thomas’ words as a confession that Jesus is God. Jesus blessed Thomas for believing something that he could determine by using his eyes. He blessed him for believing what he had refused to believe at first: that Jesus was alive from the dead.
Some have suggested that Jesus' blessing of Thomas somehow confirms Thomas' alleged confession. However, this assertion ignores what Jesus actually said to Thomas.
John 20:29.
29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed [are] they that have not seen, and [yet] have believed.
Notice that it is not Thomas' "confession" that Jesus blesses, but the fact that Thomas believes. Since Jesus makes no explicit mention of what it is that Thomas believes, that must be determined, not just by the words that Thomas spoke, but by the subject being addressed by the passage as a whole, which is the refusal of all of the disciples -- including Thomas -- to believe that Jesus was risen from the dead without first seeing him for themselves. Since Thomas is the last to see and the last to believe, Jesus addresses him specifically. He commends Thomas' belief in his resurrection, which is based on what Thomas saw; but he commends even more those who would believe without first seeing the risen Christ for themselves.
Jesus' Blessing and Other Scriptures Regarding Salvation.
Jesus, in verse 29, blessed not only Thomas, but all those who believed without seeing. Believed what? If the traditional explanation of this verse is to be believed, three things are required of those who would believe in Christ:
·
Belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ;·
Belief in the Lordship of Jesus Christ; and·
Belief in the Godhood of Jesus Christ.If the traditional interpretation of Thomas’ words is valid, we should see these three elements in the New Testament teachings regarding salvation, both in Acts and in the Epistles. But is this what we see?
In Acts 2 we have the first sermon preached after the giving of the spirit of God on the day of Pentecost. Two of these three elements play a prominent role in this sermon.
Acts 2:32-33, 36.
32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.
36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
What is missing from this sermon? The Godhood of Jesus Christ! It is never once mentioned!
And in Acts 10, when salvation is first preached to the Gentiles, which of these elements are present?
Acts 10:38-43.
38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
39 And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree:
40 Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;
41 Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, [even] to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.
42 And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God [to be] the Judge of quick and dead.
43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
Here the resurrection of Jesus Christ is plainly taught; and while Jesus is not explicitly called Lord in this sermon, we can see a reference to his Lordship in verse 42, where he is called "the Judge of the quick [or living] and dead." But his Godhood is never once mentioned. Worse yet, Jesus is carefully distinguished from God throughout this whole sermon! One could certainly be forgiven for concluding, on the basis of this sermon by Peter, that there is only one God, and that He is someone other than Jesus Christ!
In Acts 17, when Paul preached on Mars Hill, which of these elements did he include in his sermon?
Acts 17:22-31.
22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, [Ye] men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.
23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.
24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.
30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by [that] man whom he hath ordained; [whereof] he hath given assurance unto all [men], in that he hath raised him from the dead.
Again, the resurrection of Christ is here, and Christ as the judge of the world is here; but what about Christ as God? That’s not here at all! In fact, the God that Paul spends most of his time talking to them about is clearly the Father of Jesus Christ.
And what about Romans 10? In this passage, what are we told is necessary for salvation?
Romans 10:9-10.
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Once again, the resurrection of Christ is here, and the Lordship of Christ is clearly evident. But where is the Godhood of Jesus Christ? Once again, it is conspicuous by its absence!
What must we conclude from this? Either we have misuderstood what Jesus and Thomas were talking about, or the Apostles erred in their preaching of the gospel message, so much so that those to whom they preached did not believe enough to warrant the blessing promised by their Saviour.
Did Thomas Have Authority to Make Such a Confession?
Thomas' words, when interpreted in the traditional sense, amount to a declaration that the identity of God is far different from what is revealed in the Hebrew scriptures. It is not only fair, but vital that we ask ourselves, what is the authority behind a doctrinal change of this magnitude.
When Peter made his confession that Jesus is the Christ -- a confession that pales into insignificance in light of the confession Thomas is alleged to have made -- Jesus left no doubt as to the authority behind those words.
Matthew 16:16-17.
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed [it] unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
Jesus makes it clear that Peter did not figure out this great truth by the power of his fleshly intellect; it was revealed to him by Jesus' Father in heaven. The authority that stands behind Peter's confession, then, is that of the Almighty God.
But what of Thomas' "confession"? Did he learn of Jesus' "secret identity" by revelation from God? If so, neither Jesus nor anyone else bears record of this. What is the basis of Thomas' words? Jesus himself tells us:
John 20:29.
29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed [are] they that have not seen, and [yet] have believed.
Thomas' words are based solely on what Thomas saw! Thus they have no authority behind them except the eyes of Thomas.
But what about Jesus? Doesn't he confirm Thomas' assertion that he is God? The truth is, Jesus does not confirm our interpretation of Thomas' words at all. He blesses Thomas for believing and seeing, but does not specify what that is. Without that, we cannot claim his confirmation on our own understanding of Thomas' words, especially when our interpretation is divorced from the context of this passage.
More important, there is no confirmation of Thomas' "confession" by the Father. He puts his weight behind Peter's confession; He puts nothing behind the one attributed to Thomas.
John's Failure To Confirm Thomas' Alleged Confession
It was the apostle John who wrote the words spoken by Thomas. John was personally present on this occasion, and heard Thomas' words with his own ears, and Jesus' response. Surely John agrees with the traditional interpretation of Thomas' remarks! Or does he?
In the verses following Thomas' statement, John gives us his reasons for writing his gospel. Coming right on the heels of Thomas' alleged confession, we would naturally expect that the Godhood of Jesus Christ would be prominent in the reasons John gives. But John makes no mention of this.
John 20:30-31.
30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:
31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
John's reasons seem to have far more to do with the truths confessed by Peter than anything supposedly confessed by Thomas. The absence of any confirmation by John of Thomas' "confession," especially at this critical juncture in his epistle, raises serious questions about the validity of the traditional interpretation of Thomas' words.
Exalting Thomas' Alleged Confession Over Jesus' Confession
But the problems raised by John's failure to confirm the traditional interpretation of Thomas' remarks is as nothing compared to the statement Jesus makes in this very same chapter. For, while speaking to Mary, the risen Christ makes a statement about who his God is, and who his disciples are supposed to be worshipping as God, that is very much at odds with the statement by Thomas that he is supposed to have put his blessing on.
John 20:17.
17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and [to] my God, and your God.
Here, just verses before Thomas' alleged confession, Jesus tells Mary that he is going to ascend to her God, who happens to be the same as his God. This is especially significant, because they indicate that the resurrected Christ still has a God, and they reveal to us who that God is: the Father. What is even more revealing, in light of the Trinity doctrine, is that Jesus give no place to "the Holy Spirit," either as his God, or as the God of Mary. If Jesus' words are to be taken at face value, they confirm to us that there is only one God, the Father, and that Jesus Christ, according to his own testimony, is no part of who God is.
Is there any confirmation of this in scripture? There certainly is. In John 17:3 Jesus reveals, in no uncertain terms, who he believes God is.
John 17:3.
3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
Here Jesus explicitly asserts that the One he is praying to, who is identified as the Father in verse 1 of the same chapter, is "the only true God," omitting both himself and "God the Holy Spirit" from that designation.
What the church seems to have done in championing Thomas' alleged confession is exalt the words of the servant above the words of his Master. We have pretty much ignored what Jesus had to say on this vitally important subject, while trying to fall in line behind Thomas' seemingly contradictory words on the same subject. This is, to say the least, a curious way to show our devotion and allegiance to our Lord.
Jesus' Own Explanation for the Title "God."
The church, in assessing Thomas' words, has acted as if Thomas must either be calling Jesus the Everlasting God, or must be guilty of a blasphemous falsehood. No third possibility is so much as considered.
Yet Jesus himself explained that there is a legitimate way in which the title God can be applied to him, without doing violence to the consistent testimony of the Hebrew scriptures, and without taking anything away from his Father's position as "the only true God."
John 10:31-38.
31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.
32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?
33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.
34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?
37 If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not.
38 But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father [is] in me, and I in him.
Jesus argues here that since those to whom God's word was given can legitimately be called "gods" with no blasphemy being committed, he himself, as the one whom the Father has set apart and sent into the world, is entitled at least to the same consideration. Yet even here, Jesus does not take to himself the title of "God." He is content, instead, to be called "the Son of God."
The God of Thomas?
There is another very serious problem with Thomas' alleged confession. If the traditional understanding of this passage is true, then Thomas is guilty not only of confessing a God different from the God revealed in the Hebrew scriptures, but of confessing a God different from the one worshipped by Trinitarians as well. For the God Thomas allegedly confesses is not the three in one God of the Trinitarians; neither is He "the God of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 1:17).
If Thomas truly intended for his words to be a confession of what he believed about God, his confession is dangerously deficient; for in reaching out to embrace his new God, Jesus Christ, Thomas seemingly let go of his old God, the God and Father of Jesus Christ. The Father is explicitly omitted from Thomas' confession.
However, Thomas may not have meant to let go of the Father in his confession. There are at least two ways in which Thomas' new confession could be reconciled with his old beliefs concerning who God is:
Either way, his statement is divorced both from the strict unitarianism of the Hebrew scriptures (and of the rest of the Bible) and from traditional Trinitarianism. In place of these, Thomas has become, if proponents of Thomas' words as a confession are to be believed, either a polytheist or a modalist. Both of these teachings are branded today as lies by traditional Trinitarians. The traditional interpretation of this passage, then, implies that Jesus put his blessing on what is today considered a lie, without so much as a qualifying remark or a correction to keep people out of the same trap that Thomas had supposedly fallen into.
It is argued by some that Thomas, when he came face to face with the risen Christ, finally believed what Jesus had been teaching all along about God and about himself. There are two serious problems with this argument. First, Jesus never once called himself God, or taught that he himself was God. Thus, in making this confession, Thomas was going well beyond the teaching and guidance of his master, into uncharted spiritual waters. Second, Jesus was very explicit and consistent in referring to his Father -- and ONLY his Father! -- as God.
A good example of Jesus' teaching on himself and God is his conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well.
John 4:22-26.
22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
24 God [is] a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [him] in spirit and in truth.
25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am [he].
Jesus told this woman that the time would come when "the true worshippers shall worship the Father…" He omitted both himself and "God the Holy Spirit" from the list of who was to be worshipped by "the true worshippers." He did not say that they would worship "God," which today would be considered ambiguous; he specifically limited their worship to "the Father."
What did he teach this woman about himself? When she spoke of her hope concerning the Messiah, Jesus made it clear that he was the Messiah she was waiting for. The woman believed this, and that was enough for Jesus. He made no claims of being God to her. By today's standards, his teaching in this case would be considered dangerously incomplete at best, and dishonest at worst.
But what is even more important for us concerning Jesus' teaching about God is that Jesus never once indicated that God is made up of more than one being. What this means is that if Thomas were truly confessing Jesus as God, he could not have been doing so in a Binitarian (two in one) or Trinitarian sense. He would have to be confessing that Jesus was either a second God alongside the Father, or that Jesus was God in place of God the Father, or that God the Father was appearing on earth in a special guest role as Jesus Christ. All three of these possibilities are considered heretical by Trinitarians today.
The God of Thomas and the God of Jesus
While the alleged confession of Jesus Christ as God by Thomas is often noted, the confession by Jesus Christ of a completely different God -- in the very same passage of scripture! -- is rarely mentioned. Since the Gods confessed by Thomas and Jesus are so radically different, it might be worthwhile to compare the characteristics of the two. So, with sincere apologies to the apostle Thomas (who I firmly believe is completely innocent of the charges levelled against him by sincere and well-meaning Christians), let us compare the God confessed by Thomas with the God confessed by Jesus.
The God of Thomas is Jesus.
The God of Jesus is the Father.
The God of Thomas is the head of every man.
The God of Jesus is the head of Christ.
The God of Thomas died and rose from the dead.
The God of Jesus alone has immortality.
The God of Thomas was in all ways tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
The God of Jesus cannot be tempted with evil.
The God of Thomas gave gifts unto men.
The God of Jesus gave him the gifts that he gave unto men.
The God of Thomas gives revelation to men.
The God of Jesus gives him revelation, which he can then give to men.
The God of Thomas is seated at the right hand of his Father now, and will one day sit on his throne on earth.
The throne of the God of Jesus is heaven.
The God of Thomas once consisted of a single cell in his mother's womb.
The heaven of heavens cannot contain the God of Jesus.
The God of Thomas always does his Father's will.
The God of Jesus does all things after the counsel of His Own will.
The God of Thomas is the Word of God.
The God of Jesus is the Author of the Word of God.
Whose God is the true God: the God of Thomas, or the God of Jesus?
John 17:3.
3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.