19 And when it was the evening of that day, which was the first of the week, and the doors were closed where the disciples were gathered for fear of the Jews, he came Jesus stood in the middle and said to them: “Peace be with you!” 20 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side, and the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Then Jesus said to them again: “Peace be with you! “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 Whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven, and whose sins you retain, they are retained.”
24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 Then the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord!” And he said to them, “Unless I see the print of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the print of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
26 And after eight days his disciples were in again, and Thomas was with them. Then Jesus came and the doors were closed, and he stood in the middle and said: “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it in my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28 Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him: “Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed.” Blessed are those who have not seen and believed.”
30 And many other miracles Jesus did in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Explanation of my parish bulletin:

That the Sunday immediately following Easter be dedicated to the incident of the appearance of the Apostle Thomas mentioned at the end of the Gospel of John, and the issue of faith, inspired by the theology of this Gospel. The emphasis is on the fact that the Resurrection is real, and that the One who rose is the same one whom we heard, saw with our eyes, watched, and touched with our hands.

Students of the Gospel of John tend to say that it was written to a Christian group, perhaps in the city of Ephesus, that was facing a crisis in faith in Jesus Christ, and whose members tended to separate from it. Their argument is that they did not see with their own eyes Jesus, nor what he did, nor that he rose from the dead. John the Apostle cites this story in order to show that sight is not necessary for belief in Jesus Christ, but rather it is sufficient to hear the word of those who saw him and touched him with their hands. In this Gospel, Thomas represents the members who are threatened with leaving the group of believers to whom John addresses.

The disciples were gathered “on the eve of that day, which was the first of the week,” meaning Resurrection Sunday evening. They were only ten because Thomas was absent and Judas had hanged himself. The doors are closed for fear of the Jews. The messengers were afraid that the soldiers would come and arrest them and that they would be tried and executed like the teacher. However, John's main motive for mentioning this is to point out the ability of the risen Jesus to express himself, with his body filled with the power of resurrection.

 Suddenly Jesus himself appeared among them and said to them: Peace be upon you. This is not just a greeting. Jesus, risen from the dead, brings peace to his disciples and from them to the whole world. This peace is different from any earthly peace negotiated by humans. It is the peace we hope for when we ask in every prayer for “the peace from above.” It is the peace that Jesus said about in the context of his words about the promise of the Holy Spirit: “Peace I leave with you, and my peace I give to you; not as the world gives I give to you” (John 14:27). Jesus gave his greetings to the disciples whenever he appeared to them and to the two women near the tomb (Matthew 28:9). Peace can only be achieved through Jesus Christ. Since birth, peace has been declared to all the inhabited world: “I have told you all these things so that you may have peace in me” (John 16:33). “Christ is our peace” (Ephesians 2:14). The Apostle Paul knew this peace: “The peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). “By his blood on the cross he achieved peace” (Colossians 1:20).

They were afraid first because they thought they were seeing a ghost. But Jesus spoke to them: “Why are you troubled and why have doubts arisen in your souls? Look at my hands and feet. I am a Mason and they came true. A ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see I have” (Luke 24:39). And he showed them his hands and his side” (John 20:20), the hands that bear the marks of the nails, and his hand the mark of the spear. The disciples were happy when they saw the Lord. Complete joy, without a doubt, the joy of the Resurrection, which we also rejoice in on Easter night when we carry lit candles in the darkness and stand outside the church listening to the Magic Gospel announcing to us the Resurrection, and then we all sing, “Christ rose from the dead and trampled down death through death and gave life to those in the graves.”

Joy, like peace, is one of the fruits of the Spirit and one of the signs of the Kingdom of God. “For the Kingdom of God is not food and drink, but justice and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17). “The disciples in Antioch were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 13:52). In the Gospel of John, chapter 51, after Jesus spoke to them that he is the vine, and whoever abides in him and in his love will be one of the branches of the vine, and before he gave the greatest commandment, meaning love, he said: “I told you this so that my joy may remain in you and your joy may be complete.”

Then Jesus gave his disciples the mission, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” With these words, Jesus commissions his disciples to go into the world and convey the word of God and the news of the Resurrection. They sent him just as he was sent by the Father. Saint John focuses on this throughout his Gospel. “He breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’” Just as Jesus worked by the power of the Spirit (see the words of the Baptist: “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him”), He now gives those whom He sent the power of the same Spirit to preach Him. The phrase “breathed” suggests the beginning of the Book of Genesis, “where the Lord God formed man of dust and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.” John speaks of the commissioning of the apostles, symbolically, as a new creation – a new beginning for a new world. It is worth noting that he begins his Gospel by talking about the first creation (see also the Gospel of John 1: 1-17), and ends it by referring to the new creation that came about through Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection.

“Whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven, and whose sins you retain, they are retained.” One of the functions of the Holy Spirit is to judge the world, either by forgiving sins or condemning those who do not accept or believe in Jesus. The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (see John 1 29:36) gives his disciples the power of the Holy Spirit and the authority to forgive or take away sins. This appears in the Gospel passage immediately after his saying, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you,” which suggests the following: First, the disciples must follow the work of Jesus, that is, taking away the sins of the world. Secondly, this happens through the Holy Spirit and baptism. Third, the sin that Jesus was sent, and now the disciples “take away,” is the sin of not believing in Jesus. This is confirmed by the entire Gospel, especially its saying, “Whoever believes in Jesus will be saved, and whoever does not believe in him will be condemned.” Your judgment, according to the Gospel of John, is based on your attitude towards Jesus. Your sin lies in rejecting Him. Based on this, and that faith is essential in the Gospel of John, it seems that the best explanation for this authority given to the apostles is that it is the authority to allow baptism for those who believe in the Gospel, or to deny it to those who refuse to believe in it. That this authority extends beyond baptism is clear from the background of the Gospel that was referred to at the beginning of this clarification. Apostasy is also a sin and the apostles are able to prevent this. Their words are the standard.

The Evangelist John says that Thomas, who is called “the twin,” one of the twelve, was absent, and when the disciples told him that we had seen the Lord, he did not believe it and stipulated that he should see the traces of the nails and place his finger in the place of the wounds. John uses this account as a concrete example of the doubt shown by some of Jesus’ disciples about his resurrection, and is now being shown by members of his own congregation.” If I do not see the marks of the nails in his hands...” Thomas will not be satisfied with the testimony of others, but rather with the physical inspection that confirms to him that the risen Jesus is the same Jesus crucified. “Then he said to Thomas: ‘Put your finger here and examine my hand.’ There is no evidence that Thomas touched the body of Jesus. Mr. The presence of Jesus was enough to dispel his doubts about the reality of the resurrection. “Thomas answered him: My Lord and my God.” This is the first time we hear one of the disciples calling Jesus “my God.” These words are a translation of the phrase “Jehovah Elohim” (the Lord God) mentioned in the Old Testament. Thomas's testimony is evidence for the resurrection of Jesus, and a rejection of the Gnostics' denial of the reality of this resurrection. It is most likely that John used this narrative to portray to his readers in the tenth decade of the first century the importance of faith in Jesus, whether this faith came by sight or by hearing the word of the Gospel. This is confirmed in the following saying: “Thomas, because you have seen me, have you believed?” Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed. “Faith is that we confess Jesus Christ as Lord and God. All generations after the apostles did not see Jesus and did not see him rise from the dead and believe. Blessed is he who believed when he heard the good news from the apostles. What is required is “that you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and by believing you will have life in his name” (John 13:20). This is the goal of writing the Gospel and the goal of every evangelistic work.

“And many other miracles that Jesus performed before his disciples were not written in this book.” The phrase “other miracles” assumes that the verse of resurrection, the subject of the dialogue with Thomas, should be understood as one of many miracles that Jesus performed. However, it is the greatest sign that leads to faith. The Apostle John says in another place in his Gospel: “And when he rose from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.” The verses mentioned in this book are important, as are the verses not mentioned, but they are not as important as the Resurrection. John's listeners were waiting for signs to make them believe. If they wanted to, he would have told them many of them. However, if they did not believe in the resurrection, they would never believe, even if they saw everything Jesus did. “But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name”: The Greek verb “believe” means in this subject “that you may stand in the faith.” This confirms that the Gospel is directed to people who are on the verge of faith – Jews in the council who believed in Jesus but are afraid to acknowledge him, or Jewish Christians who are in danger of denying it for fear of persecution by the council. Faith in Jesus is life. He is the source of life and the creative word that God sent to you, which, if you accept it, creates you anew and establishes in you a “new and eternal” life.

We read the news of Jesus’ appearance to the disciples from the Gospel of John and from the Gospel of Luke, and each evangelist has his own way and style, but they converge in focusing on 4 points of the essence of faith:

• Jesus gives peace
• Jesus appeared in the flesh bearing traces of suffering
• Jesus sent the disciples
• Jesus promised the Holy Spirit

Jesus also appeared several times after the Resurrection, and the Church reads the news of these appearances in the morning prayer on Sundays in 11 passages called the Euthena Gospel. The word Euthena is Greek and means early morning or dawn. A passage is read every Sunday and repeated after 11 Sundays. We read it on Sunday because every Sunday is a feast for the Resurrection and the confirmation that Christ rose and that he sent the apostles to preach the good news after the Holy Spirit descended upon them. Every Sunday, we hear hymns in magic on the subject of the Gospel of Euthena, called the hymns of the mission.

Qiyamat - His Excellency Bishop George Khader, the Most Respected

……

Today we have two appearances of the Lord in one reading. In the second part, the Lord appears to the eleven and Thomas with them, and that is why this day is called Thomas Sunday. The public says it is the new Sunday because it is the first after Easter.

The Lord entered upon them on the Day of Resurrection with the doors closed. This indicates that the form that the Master took in his victory over death was the form of a glorified body that is not subject to the law of material density. It is the same body that was crucified, and this is essential in our faith, because Jesus does not take on a new body. Easter brought into the body of the Lord the attribute of glory that made it luminous and free from the limitations of matter. What indicates the continuity of this body is that he showed them his hands and side.

The second thing in this first appearance is that he made his apostles a fearless group, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and with his power, each apostle draws from Christ’s power to forgive, as he said to them: “Whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven, and whose sins you retain, they are retained.” This is the way in which John the Evangelist says that the Church’s creation and sending will be completed by the Holy Spirit descending upon it.

Thomas was not with them at this first meeting, and when they told him, he said: “Unless I see the print of the nails in his hands and put my finger in the print of the nails and put my hand in his side, I will not believe.” This student had the right to say this in the first place, as his colleagues believed after the Master showed them his hands and side. The following week, on Sunday, the Lord appeared to them and Thomas was with them. The Lord condescended to his doubt, saying: Bring your finger, etc. In fact, Thomas’ request was a legitimate request. But he had to believe the messengers. He was suspicious of his companions in the service.

The Bible does not say that Thomas touched the Master's side to be sure. He was convinced by Jesus’ words and said to him: “My Lord and my God.” This is the most powerful word in the entire Gospel about the divinity of Jesus because it was stated in the form of absolute definition, meaning you are Lord (and not just Lord) and you are God. In light of this recognition of Jesus’ complete lordship and complete divinity, there is no room left for Jehovah’s Witnesses to say that the word Lord, if applied by the Bible to Jesus, does not mean complete lordship, but rather it means some sovereignty. Whoever knows the original language in which the Gospel was written understands that these two words mean the divinity of the One and Only God.

If we come to the conclusion of this recitation and read: “But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God,” we will have no doubt, as among Jehovah’s Witnesses, that the phrase “Son of God” indicates the complete divinity of Jesus, because this book, one line before it, calls Jesus Lord and God.

Although Thomas went through doubt, he reached certainty beyond which there is no certainty. If there is a difference between the witnesses in the world of justice, then Thomas’ testimony comes out strong and full of force.

Sunday, April 21, 1996 / Issue 16
Sunday, April 25, 1993 / Issue 17
Sunday, April 22, 2001 / Issue 16

Explanation of the Fountain of Life Monastery:

Dear brothers beloved by the Lord, the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead is conclusive proof and a conclusive argument stronger than any other proof that He is the Son of God and the Savior of the entire world. It is no secret that the Jews, who are the sworn enemies of Christ, distort the prophecies that were received from him, mistaking some of them out of ignorance and deceit, against Joshua ibn Nun, some against Solomon, and some against other people. As for the amazing miracles that were performed since Christ was conceived, died, was buried, and rose, they claim that they are nothing but similar to the miracles performed by Moses, Elijah, and Elisha. As for the resurrection of Christ from the dead, since they did not find an argument to refute it or an example to compare it to, they resorted to denial, claiming through their excessive stupidity that they could hide it. Accordingly, they paid a large amount of money to the soldiers who were guarding his grave in order to falsely and slanderously spread that his disciples had stolen him. For this reason, when the Lord of the entire universe and its most wise Master wanted to achieve his resurrection from the dead, he gave many proofs for it, divine and human, the most famous of which is contained in the honorable Gospel chapter that was recited today. So listen to it, my beloved brothers, with listening and piety, so that you may be completely certain of the facts you have learned, and thus become worthy of blessedness, because you did not witness the resurrection of the Lord, but rather you heard about it and believed.

On the evening of that day, on one of the Sabbaths, while the doors were closed where the disciples were gathered for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the middle and said to them, “Peace be with you” (John 20:19).

The Jews applied the word “Sabbath” or “Sabbath” to the entire week, naming it its holiest day. Accordingly, the Pharisee said, “I fast twice on the Sabbath,” meaning the week (Luke 18:12), so when the Evangelist says, “On one of the Sabbaths,” he means on the first day of the week, that is, Sunday. On that Sunday, the day of the Resurrection of Christ, when it was the evening, that is, early in the night, the Lord Jesus came and entered the house in which the disciples were gathered and its doors were closed because of their fear of the Jews who were persecuting them. Upon closer consideration of this section of the Gospel chapter, four questions arise before us that must be answered. First, why did the Lord Jesus come early in the night? Then why did he enter when the doors were closed? Third, why did he stand in the middle? Fourth, why did he say peace to you? It came in the early night because the messengers, out of fear of the Jews, were gathering in their house in the evening. Then the Master came to them in the evening to find them all gathered. The Lord planned his coming in this way for another secret reason. His statement is that all human nature, before the Savior’s resurrection, was languishing in the darkness of sin and sitting in the shadow of death. David prophesied for its illumination, saying, “A light has shone in the darkness for the upright” (Psalm 112:4). Likewise, the prophet Isaiah said, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light” (Isaiah 9:2) and also, “And then your light will shine in the darkness” (Isaiah 58:10). ). As for Zechariah, the father of John the Forerunner, he said, “By which we have visited the east from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death” (Luke 1:78). Accordingly, Christ rose at night and came to his disciples early in the night following the night of his resurrection in order to fulfill these prophecies that were received for him, indicating that he only appeared to those who were in the darkness of sin and enlightened those who were sleeping in the night of ignorance.

As for the second question, we answer that he entered with the doors closed first, so that he would not knock on the doors and cause the disciples to be disturbed and frightened. Secondly, so that when his disciples saw that miracle, they would believe in his resurrection from the dead. Thirdly, to teach us that he came to those people who carefully close the doors of the house of their souls, that is, the feelings of their bodies, so that sin does not enter them. And if he accepts, how did the Master pass through those closed doors while wearing a human body? The answer to that is that he did this just as he had entered the repository of his most holy virgin mother without depriving her of her virginity. Just as he walked on the sea and did not sink into the depth. And he created amazing wonders that cannot be enumerated. I mean by the powers of His divinity that are capable of everything, and He stood in the middle so that all those present could see Him without hindrance and see His hands and side. In order to show that he loves everyone equally, cares for everyone, and wants everyone to be saved. He said to them, “Peace be to you,” because he came into the world to accomplish the work of peace. He broke down the middle wall of enclosure, gathered together the scattered things, and reconciled man with God, as the Apostle Paul stated, saying, “For he is our peace, who made the two one, and broke down the middle wall of the fence” (Ephesians 2:14). Accordingly, just as when he was born into the world, the angels chanted, “Glory to God in Above, and on earth peace, good will towards men” (Luke 2:15). Thus, when He was about to depart from the world, He said, “Peace I leave with you” (John 14:27). Likewise, when He rose from the dead, He said to His disciples, “Peace be with you.”

When he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord (John 20:20)

God Almighty showed them His hands so that they could see the marks of the nails. He showed them his side so that they would recognize the spear wound and thus verify that this person standing in their midst and watching from them is the same one who suffered and was maddened on the cross and was pierced by a spear. For this reason, there is another spiritual reason, which is that he showed them his hands because they are the instrument of creativity, and he showed them his side because he is the source of salvation. It was as if he said to them in plain language: Look, O disciples, these hands covered with nails. These are the ones who created man. And look at this wounded side, for it is from it that flowed blood and water, the salvific remedies for the human body. Adam's hands were extended to eat the fruit that was forbidden. These two hands were spread out on the cross. The woman who was created from Adam's side was deceived by the serpent and wounded by the nobility of sin. This side that was pierced by a spear healed it from the wounds of sin. Moreover, when the disciples saw the Lord and knew Him, their hearts overflowed with joy, as Jesus had previously said to them at the time of His saving suffering, “But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you” (John 16:22).

Then Jesus said to them again, “Peace be to you. Just as the Father has sent me, so I send you” (John 20:21).

The Lord Jesus gave his greetings to his disciples twice before the Passion, saying, “Peace I leave with you.” My peace I give you” (John 14:27). And twice again after the resurrection, saying, “Peace to you and peace to you.” This is because man has two natures, meaning that he is composed of a soul and a body. There is no doubt that the discomfort and disturbances that affect the body also affect the soul. The Prince of Peace has given peace to both the soul and the body, and there is another reason for this as well, which is that we often live in peace with other people. But we are at war with ourselves. This war is generated by our whims and desires. Our Lord, glory be to Him, has repeatedly given peace so that everyone who believes in Him will be at peace with all people, as well as with himself, his body, and his conscience.

Then, the Almighty, after equipping his disciples with the powerful weapon of peace against all resistance, sent them to preach throughout the world, saying, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”

According to Omar Al Haq, the apostolic office is majestic, glorious, divine and heavenly. Because just as the Father who existed before all ages sent his only Son into the world. Thus, His only Son, the Holy God, sent His disciples to the entire inhabited earth. The Father sent his Son with all authority and power, as the Son himself testified to that, saying, “All things have been given to me by my Father” (Matthew 11:27). Likewise, the apostles who were clothed with God were sent with power and authority. They healed the sick, cast out demons, raised the dead, and performed amazing miracles. By their teaching, they subjugated the entire world. The Lord, to whom be glory, said, “Just as He sent me, so I send you.” What a great talent this is and what a noble and honorable job this is. Our Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, was sent from God, and the holy apostles were also sent from God. The prophet Isaiah explained to us the purposes for which the father sent his son, saying, “To bring good news to the poor, he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom to the captives and the restoration of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed to salvation, to proclaim an acceptable year of the Lord and a day of recompense to comfort all who mourn” (Isaiah 61:1, 2). John the Evangelist also said, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:17). He explained that for this same purpose the messengers were sent. The signs and wonders that they performed supported the fact that they were sent for that purpose, that is, to preach the good news of salvation, restore the world from error, and enable people to be forgiven for sins. Since the power of the All-Holy Spirit alone can undo the bonds of sin, the Evangelist added what was previously mentioned with the following sayings of the Savior:

And when he said this, he blew and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven, and whose sins you retain, they are retained (John 20:22, 23)

By saying “the Holy Spirit,” he means the grace and power of the All-Holy Spirit. This is supported by the Evangelist himself saying in another place, “The words that I speak to you are spirit” (John 6:63). By doing so, he meant that his aforementioned words would have grace and spiritual power. And if it is said: What grace did the apostles receive? I said that they received the power to absolve and bind sins. The Savior first promised Peter this blessing, saying to him, “And I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.” Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven. And whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:9). Then he promised the rest of the disciples as well, saying, “Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven.” And whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 18:18). This promised blessing was given by the Lord after his resurrection to all the disciples alike, by saying to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit, etc.” And through the apostles it was given to each of their true successors, the Orthodox high priests. Paul, the divine speaker, referred to this double authority in his letter to the people of Corinth, saying, “I have judged in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, since you and my spirit have joined together with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, that such a man should be delivered over to Satan for the destruction of the body.” From this verse the authority of binding appears. Then he says after that, “that the soul may be saved on the day of the Lord Jesus,” showing the power of absolving sins (1 Corinthians 5:4,5).

What a greater and more honorable blessing than a heavenly and saving gift that the human race has obtained. The Master breathed first and then gave the blessing. Because by the divine breath man took his breath, as the Book said, “And he breathed into his face the breath of life, and the man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7). Since the human soul died for sin according to the provisions of divine justice. Because God said to our first grandparents, “On any day that you eat from it (that is, from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil), you will certainly die” (Genesis 2:17). The Giver of life breathed into the faces of His disciples to renew the life of the mortal soul of man and make it susceptible to the grace of the All-Holy Spirit. In order to show that He is the same Creator who breathed into the face of man and gave him breath and life. He explains that the One who created man before is himself now recreating the human soul.

As for Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twins, he was not with them when Jesus came (John 20:24).

The Lord Jesus Christ appointed twelve apostles (Mark 3:14), but one of them, Judas Iscariot, after handing over his teacher, fell from the apostolic rank. Therefore, when Christ rose from the dead, the number of apostles was only eleven. However, the Evangelist said one of the twelve and did not say one of the eleven. This is because he wanted to mention the original number of apostles, which the apostles returned to its origin by electing Matthias instead of Judas. He said “the one who is called” instead of the one who is interpreted, “because Thomas is a Chaldean name derived from Theum.” In Hebrew, which is interpreted as twin. Indeed, John the Evangelist, the teacher inspired by God, was correct in his interpretation of this word. Because he wanted to tell us that the very name of the Apostle, that is, Thomas, indicates that he was very suspicious and difficult to persuade. And if it is asked: Why was Thomas not a disciple when Jesus came? I said that this was by divine plan in order to further confirm the resurrection of Christ. It is no secret that Al-Bashir did not mention the place where Thomas had been before. But since at the time of the redemptive sufferings, all the disciples fled and were scattered, it is likely that when he separated from the disciples at that time, he remained until the time of his meeting with them, staying in the place where he disappeared. However, the absence of Thomas creates another problem before us, which is how this disciple participated in the grace of the Holy Spirit when he was not with the other disciples when the Lord breathed on them, saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” This problem is eliminated by reviewing the matters mentioned in the Bible. Which was a symbol and symbol of this incident. The book says that Moses chose, by God’s command, seventy sheikhs and wrote their names so that they would receive a blessing from God. All of these elders were waiting for the blessing, standing around the tent, except for two of them, Eldad and Modad, who did not come to the tent, but remained in the camp. So God descended in a cloud to the tent. He gave grace not only to the sixty-eight elders present in the tent, but also to the two who were absent, Eldad and Modad. In this way, the same blessing was received by those present and absent alike. The spirit settled on the sixty-eight who were in the tent and on the two who were in the camp, and each of the two groups began to prophesy. As for the first team, because it was present. As for the other, because it was elected and written. The Divine Book said, “And two men remained in the camp. The name of the one was Eldad and the name of the other was Modad, and the Spirit came upon them. These two were among those who were written and did not come to the tent. He prophesied in the camp” (Numbers 11:26). It is known that the matters of the Old Testament are a representation of the matters of the New Testament, so we say that the grace that was given at that time to the seventy elders was indicative of the spiritual gift that the holy apostles later received as witnesses. Thus the great Moses himself said, “Oh, that all the Lord’s people were prophets, when He puts His Spirit upon them” (Numbers 11:29). Just as there, Eldad and Modad deserved the gift and grace while they were absent, so here too Thomas received the power to loose and bind even though he was absent. Eldad and Modad received the gift because Moses counted them among the seventy elders. Likewise, Thomas was given the grace of the Holy Spirit because Christ counted him among the twelve apostles. Since Thomas was not present when Jesus came

The other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” Then he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in His hands and put my finger in the mark of the nails and put my hand into His side, I do not believe” (John 20:25).

It seems that the disciples had told Thomas what happened, meaning that they had seen the Lord, his hands, his side, and the marks of the nails. So why this lack of belief? Unsurprisingly, the resurrection of the dead is in fact a great and difficult matter to believe. However, Thomas saw the daughter of Jairus, the widow’s son, and Lazarus, who was four days old, rising from the dead with the power of Christ. What is the reason for such a lack of belief? Perhaps the extreme sadness that he experienced for not being worthy of seeing the Lord disturbed his mind so much that it reached this point of disbelief. So his disbelief was born out of his own self-esteem, meaning that he also wanted to see what the other disciples had seen, lest he be thought to be lower than his brothers in apostolic grace and status. Or perhaps his zeal in the evangelical preaching caused his disbelief, as he wanted to see and feel so that his preaching would be completely trustworthy. He testifies and preaches to the world that in addition to having heard Christ, he also saw and felt him after his resurrection. In this way, he confirms what he was about to teach the world about the Savior. As a person who heard, saw and witnessed. This was undoubtedly the intention of the Messenger of Christ. It is no secret that unbelief is not a good thing, and that this question of Thomas had a good goal. Accordingly, our Savior, who loves mankind and searches hearts and minds, when he knew Thomas’s all-holy intention, condescended to pay special attention to him in order to convince him of his resurrection, and with him to convince the entire inhabited world. Accordingly, the Evangelist said:

After eight days, his disciples were also entering, and Thomas was with them. Then Jesus came and the doors were closed, and he stood in the middle and said, “Peace be upon you” (John 20:26).

Why did Christ not appear again immediately, but after eight days, so that the vision before Thomas would be completely consistent with the first vision, which Thomas was not present with? The doors were closed, the disciples were gathered, the same pause in the middle, and the same greeting, “Peace be upon you.” All of these had become complete in the two visions. Since the first vision occurred on Sunday, the second vision also occurred on Sunday, so they resembled each other. Thus, when Thomas witnessed the complete similarity of the two visions, he had no reason left for his lack of faith later on. This vision, which occurred after eight days, also has another, secret meaning, as the number eight indicates the eighth age, the last of all ages. Thomas represents the group of people who did not submit to Christ by faith. In addition, the divine Messenger referred to this by saying, “For now we no longer see everyone subjected to him” (Hebrews 2:8), but until that time all will believe, “and there will be one flock and one shepherd” (John 10:16). Accordingly, the Savior of the world appeared again eight days later and said, “Peace be upon you.”

Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands.” Give me your hand and put it in my side. And do not be an unbeliever, but a believer (John 20:27)

With the limitless love of Jesus Christ for humanity. He answered Thomas to what he had said to the disciples, demonstrating that he, as a God, knows hearts and knows the unseen, knowing everything that happened. Then he called Thomas to feel him, showing that he was ready to endure everything, even for the sake of saving just one soul. And if it was asked, why did the Lord not allow Mary Magdalene to touch him? In this appearance, he invited Thomas to feel him. The answer is that there are a number of sayings in that. But because Magdalene only led her to that intrusion. Or because she had attacked him boldly and without thinking. Or because she was not worthy to touch him because she had not yet been purified by the grace of the Holy Spirit that the believers obtained after the Savior’s ascension to his Father. Therefore, he said to her, “Do not touch me, for I have not yet ascended to my Father” (John 20:17). As for Thomas, since he was asking for the matter of his resurrection from the dead to be fulfilled, and he had previously deserved the grace of the Holy Spirit through the Lord’s voice that said, “Receive the Holy Spirit,” he called him and urged him to feel him. When he said to him, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and place it in my side,” the God who loves mankind first convinced Thomas with the proof he asked for, then he advised him, saying, “Do not be an unbeliever, but a believer.”

Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28)

Thomas, who was slow in believing, was quick to confess. But see the great accuracy and completeness of this confession and its complete resemblance to Peter’s confession. Peter said to Christ, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16), and Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God.” They both preached the humanity and divinity of Christ. They both recognized his nature and the oneness of his hypostasis. As for human nature, Peter acknowledged it by saying, “You are the Christ,” and Thomas by saying, “My Lord.” As for the divinity nature, Peter preached it by saying, “Son of the living God,” and Thomas by saying, “My God.” As for the oneness of the hypostasis, they both acknowledged it by combining the two natures together. As for Peter, he said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” and as for Thomas, he said, “My Lord and my God,” confessing and preaching in agreement that Christ himself is both God and man. Since Christ had shown great care in convincing Thomas, he had compassion to extend the benevolence of his divine providence to all those who had neither seen nor felt, yet believed in his resurrection from the dead. Accordingly, Al-Bashir said:

Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and believed” (John 20:29).

It is as if he was saying to him, “Thomas, you believed because you saw me, for I presented myself before you and showed you my hands and my side.” Thus I have seen and sensed, and I believe. There is no innovation, for those who see and feel are bound by their senses to believe. As for those who do not see or feel, but believe, as soon as they hear the Gospel preached, accepting faith without any obligation, then they are blessed, and even triple blessed. But did not Thomas and the rest of the divine messengers who saw and believed deserve this blessedness? For they saw the Lord entering the house in which they were gathered, and its doors were closed. Because of their fear, they did not believe that they were seeing the Lord risen from the dead. Rather, they thought they were seeing a spirit, as the Evangelist said, “Then they were alarmed and afraid, and thought they were seeing a spirit” (Luke 24:36). They also were summoned by the Lord to see his hands and feet, when He said to them, “Look at my hands and my feet, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have” (Luke 24). :39 and 40) And when he said this, he showed them his hands and feet. For this reason, they are not blessed. God forbid. Because the Lord, when He said, “Blessed are those who have not seen Me and believed,” He did not exclude from the circle of this blessedness those who saw Him and believed, and He did not even say that those are more blessed than these. And since before his resurrection from the dead, he made the apostles among those who were blessed because they saw him and witnessed his wonders, he said, “Blessed are your eyes because they see and your ears because they hear. For truly I say to you, many prophets and righteous people desired to see what you see and did not see it. And if they hear what you hear and have not heard” (Matthew 13:16 and 17), lest we think that only those who have seen Him and believed are blessed, and in order to ensure that all people who later do not see Him and believe are worthy of the same blessedness, He said, “Blessed are those who have not seen and believed.” And if it be said, How did the marks of the nails and the spear appear in the incorruptible body of the Lord? How did Thomas feel the body that was free from wear and tear? We answer that this was due to divine condescension and divine powers. As the Savior wanted to confirm his resurrection from the dead, and just as the angels, when the Lord ascended from the earth, saw his clothes stained with blood, they cried out, saying, “Why are your clothes red, and your clothes like a treadmill in a wine press?” (Isaiah 63:2). Likewise, the apostles saw the marks of the nails and the spear, and Thomas felt the pure side, and perhaps What David the Prophet and King prophesied meant this sense when he said, “I sought God.” And I stretched out my hand before him in the night, and I did not go astray” (Psalm 76:2). Since all these things happened by the power of God Almighty, for this reason, the evangelist counts them with divine inspiration among other signs and wonders, saying:

And many other miracles that Jesus did in the presence of his disciples were not written in this book (John 20:30)

By signs, al-Bashir means surprising and unnatural deeds, i.e. miracles and wonders. But which verses is the evangelist talking about here? I mean the verses that occurred before the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ or those that occurred after it. It is likely that he means here the verses that occurred after the Resurrection. Because the miracles that were before the resurrection were performed by Christ not only in front of the disciples, but also in front of many other people. What are the verses that were not written in this book, that is, in his Gospel? Perhaps he meant that which he overlooked because other evangelists had mentioned it before him. As for Matthew, he mentioned the great earthquake and the angel shining like lightning who rolled away the stone from the door of the tomb. As for Luke, he mentioned the Master’s accompanying the two disciples going to Emmaus and his conversation with them. While he first kept their eyes from knowing him and then later disappeared from them. He also opened the minds of the messengers to understand and understand the divine books. And he ascended to heaven before their eyes. John the Evangelist remained silent about all of these things. Or by the many other verses he meant those about which not one of the two evangelists wrote. Because the wonders of Christ the Savior are countless, as John the Evangelist himself explained in another place with these sayings: “And many other things that Jesus did, if they were written down one by one. I do not think that the world itself would contain the books that are written.” Then he explained to me why he wrote these verses, saying:

But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. And that by believing you may have life in his name (John 20:31)

He says that these verses were written so that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Consider the limitless goodness of God, for He asks that we believe, not for His own benefit. Or for the profit he makes from it. For He has no need at all of our good things (Psalm 15:2), but rather that when we believe we may gain eternal life with triple bliss. What does Al-Bashir mean when he says “in his name?” The name of Christ is Jesus, and its meaning in the Hebrew language is Savior. So the meaning of “in his name” is that we are saved through him.

Sunday of Saint Thomas the Apostle - Renewals 04/05/2008

Explanation of the Lattakia Archbishopric Bulletin:

Thomas, called the twin, was not with the other apostles when Jesus appeared to them on the eve of Easter Sunday, and so he did not believe the disciples’ saying: “We have seen the Lord.” But after eight days, Jesus came. He came with the doors closed and stood in the midst of the disciples, greeting him. Then he called Thomas to verify the reality of the resurrection.

The incident mentioned in the Gospel passage sheds a brilliant light on the doctrine of Easter, and in general on our belief in Christ.

However, this incident includes teaching related to the same nature of belief. There is a popular idea - an unfair one - that particularly combines the name of Thomas with doubt and ingratitude, even though Thomas was not the only ungrateful one among the apostles. All the apostles - except one - and even Mary Magdalene, did not believe in the resurrection of Jesus before they saw him. All of them, not Thomas alone, were meant by the Master’s sentence: “Do not be an unbeliever, but a believer...”

If Thomas had been present on the eve of Easter with the rest of the apostles and had seen Jesus, he would have certainly believed. But what does Jesus mean by directing these words to Thomas?: “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and believed” (John 20:29). Is belief an arbitrary decision made by the will and a leap in the dark?

The meaning of the Master’s words will become clearly clear to us if we consider the case of John, the only apostle who believed without seeing the Master.

John entered the empty tomb “and he saw and believed” (John 8:20), but what did he see? He did not see Jesus himself, but rather the traces of his burial: “the binding, the shroud, the place, all of which constitute a group of signs arranged that provided Thomas with motives to believe that death did not keep Jesus captive.” As for how these signs created such motives, it is a mystery that we do not claim to have violated.

But these signs were not sufficient in themselves to obtain faith, so grace and the work of the Holy Spirit complemented the lack of signs because his heart was prepared and open to divine intervention. This was not the case with Thomas and the other apostles who were not prepared to understand the signs in the light of God. Blessed are those who are able to recognize its effects and follow its path - without seeing it itself - and believe in their hearts after submitting them to God and preparing them to surrender to the influence of enlightening grace.

Sunday 5/12/2002