Was Thomas a believer before seeing the resurrected Jesus?
score:7
Was Thomas a believer before seeing the resurrected Jesus?
Yes and No.
Faith is not a binary option - it comes in degrees, has differing objects in view, and requires testing to discern it's genuine worth.
Thomas was a believer in the sense of trusting in Jesus as his master and teacher and forsaking all to follow him - this was akin to the faith of the Old Testament saints. He may even have agreed at one point with Peter's assertion that Jesus was 'the Christ, the Son of the living God'. However, prior to 'receiving the Holy Spirit' (post resurrection) he did not fully understand what this meant (even though Jesus had forewarned his disciples on multiple occasions) - that the Christ would have to suffer and die for the sake of the sins of His people and would be later raised to life as Lord over all creation.
Thomas was yet to receive what most Evangelical Christians think of as 'saving faith' through the work of the Holy Spirit in Regeneration which did happen sometime in the period between his first post-resurrection encounter and the outpouring at Pentecost. There are some differences of opinion amongst Christians (even amongst Evangelicals) as to exactly when this happened, the main options being:
a. Through Revelation by the Holy Spirit of the risen Christ as Lord (immediately prior to Thomas's declaration of 'my Lord and God'.
b. When Jesus breathed on his disciples to receive the Holy Spirit.
c. When the disciples received the outpoured Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.
Scripture References: John 20:19-29, Luke 24:36-53, Acts 1:1-14, Acts 2:1-4
Upvote:2
Your Question is a good one, but difficult to answer since there is little evidence either way in the Bible. It is safe to say that until Jesus was physically resurrected, none of them expected to see him alive again in his physical body. That is evidenced by:
Matthew 28:1 through 6 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. 2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: 4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. 5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. 6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
This true even of Peter who had said:
Matthew 16:14 through 16 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
And even though Jesus had told them on at least two occasions that he would rise again.
Matthew 17:9 And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.
Matthew 26:32 But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.
And it is quite evident that the Sanhedrin was concerned about Jesus rising from the dead:
Matthew 27:62 through 64 Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, 63 Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. 64 Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.
The surprise shown at his resurrection, at least shows that they were expecting some other miracle of Jesus to release them from the bondage under the Romans, and not the release from bondage under sin.
Hope this helps.
More post
- 📝 Are the Gospels considered anonymous by historians only or by the Catholic Church also?
- 📝 Do Trinitarian denominations believe that the Holy Spirit is omniscient, and do any believe denying it is worthy of expulsion of members?
- 📝 Is there a list of all the verses to "Were you there?"
- 📝 Romans 6:5 and "Where's Wolfius?"
- 📝 Huxley? Agnoticism and Christianity. Both at the same time?
- 📝 Is there any historical evidence of Early Church Christians denying the divinity of Jesus during the 1st and 2nd centuries AD?
- 📝 What privileges and powers does the Prophet of the LDS Church have in his office as Seer?
- 📝 Does Irenaeus indicate that people were raised from the dead in the 2nd century?
- 📝 Is the choice of a new Pope inspired by the Holy Spirit?
- 📝 Protoevangelium (Genesis 3:15) translational differences
- 📝 Do Catholics refer to all martyrs as Saints?
- 📝 Did Mary desire to be the Mother of the prophesied Messiah?
- 📝 According to believers in post-mortal consciousness, do animals also remain conscious after death?
- 📝 How was Pelagianism originally formally defined?
- 📝 Does the Orthodox church ever condone violence on an individual level?
- 📝 Who did God talk to in Scripture?
- 📝 What is the biblical basis for NOT expecting miracles (from God at least) after the apostolic age?
- 📝 Why was Solomon chosen as King instead of one of his brothers?
- 📝 What happens to unborn, unbaptized babies who die?
- 📝 How many books of the bible agreed on any Christian denomination?
- 📝 What do Christian Pacifists believe is necessary for a killing to be justified?
- 📝 Difference between contraception and abortion?
- 📝 Why has God created us?
- 📝 Why and how do Creationists agree with microevolution but disagree with the idea of macroevolution
- 📝 Limited Atonement and Perseverance of the Saints in Light of 1 Corinthians 8:11 (Calvinism)
- 📝 Why does the bible say that David kept all the commands of the Lord when he so clearly didn't?
- 📝 Statements about the doctrine or the future made by current LDS Prophet, and the church view on those
- 📝 How do the proponents of the doctrine that salvation can't be lost usually explain Matthew 7:21-23?
- 📝 Why did Philip the evangelist have a house?
- 📝 How do believers in modern-day miracles interpret John 20:29 & 2 Corinthians 5:7 (faith without sight)?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 Was Thomas a believer before seeing the resurrected Jesus?
- 📝 How similar was the resurrected body of Jesus to his physical human body?
- 📝 Where was Jesus before the events of the New Testament?
- 📝 Is this true that before the Quinisext Council it was not allowed to draw Jesus on icons in the form of a man?
- 📝 Why was John the Baptist not excited at seeing Jesus at Jordan?
- 📝 What common apologetic arguments support the view that it is more likely that Jesus was resurrected than his body was stolen?
- 📝 What were people called who believed in the "Christ" before Jesus was born?
- 📝 From an Evangelical perspective, why didn't the resurrected Jesus appear to those who doubted that He was the promised Messiah?
- 📝 Was Mary given a glorified or "spiritual body" like the resurrected body of Jesus while on earth?
- 📝 How long was Jesus in the tomb?
- 📝 What was it about the death of Jesus that allows God to forgive us?
- 📝 How could Jesus be born during the reign of Herod, and when Quirinius was governor of Syria, if those periods were not contemporary?
- 📝 What is the significance of Jesus seeing Nathanael under the fig tree?
- 📝 What does it mean that Jesus was the "second Adam"?
- 📝 What is the support for saying Jesus believed Genesis was a literal account of creation?
- 📝 What was the specific trap being set for Jesus by the Pharisees in John 8?
- 📝 Where was Jesus during the period from His death to resurruction?
- 📝 Who resurrected Jesus - the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit?
- 📝 Did God still dwell in the temple while Jesus was on Earth?
- 📝 How could Jesus be descended from the royal line of David if he was born of the Virgin Birth?
- 📝 Was Jesus recorded on the census?
- 📝 Was Jesus was sent to speak to the Jews only?
- 📝 From where do Jehovah's Witnesses derive the doctrine that Jesus was and now is Michael the Archangel?
- 📝 Was Jesus' resurrected body the same as his glorified body that he now has in heaven?
- 📝 Was anyone making a theological point by changing the ending of Jesus Christ Superstar?
- 📝 What is significant about the swaddling clothes with which Jesus was wrapped as a baby?
- 📝 Was there a reason Jesus came at the time he did?
- 📝 Why was Jesus afraid/agonizing in the Garden of Gethsemane if the Spirit of God isn't one of fear but of power?
- 📝 Was the virgin conception of Jesus known to the people at the time?
- 📝 What is the basis of the view that Jesus was separated from the Father and Holy Spirit upon death?