ONE OF THE TWELVE

Thomas

“Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands”

Also called Didymus · Judas Thomas (Syriac tradition)

VERSES THAT NAME HIM

12

RECORDS WITH JESUS

NAMED BESIDE HIM

15

SOURCES OUTSIDE SCRIPTURE on how it ends

HIS LIFE IN FOUR PARTS

How much does Scripture tell?

Called Didymus; the apostle who said, “My Lord and my God.” Scripture gives no years for his life, so the ring is divided by how much is recorded: 8 records of what he did or what was said to him, one bead each. The last part is tradition and is drawn dashed. Choose a part to read it.

II · THE GOSPELS, IN THE HARMONY’S ORDER

With Jesus

• Chosen as one of the Twelve Mark 3:13–19
• Sent out with the Twelve; seventh in Matthew’s list Matthew 10:1–5
• “Let us also go, that we may die with him” John 11:7–16
• “Lord, we know not whither thou goest” John 14:5–7
• Absent when Jesus appears: “Except I shall see” John 20:24–25
• Eight days later: “My Lord and my God” John 20:26–29
• Fishing with Peter when the risen Jesus appears by the sea John 21:1–3

CHAPTER BY CHAPTER

Where is he named?

One square for each chapter of the books that name Thomas: 12 verses in 8 chapters. The darker the square, the more verses in it name him. Choose a chapter to read what happens there.

THE GOSPELS AND ACTS

JOHN 20

5 verses name him

¶ But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.

WHAT HAPPENS HERE

• Called Didymus, “twin”
• Absent when Jesus appears: “Except I shall see”
• Eight days later: “My Lord and my God”

CHAPTER I · BEFORE THE CALL

Called Didymus

Home, trade and family · 1 record

SCHOLARS · JOHN 11:16

Called Didymus, “twin”

Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.

John three times adds that Thomas was “called Didymus” (John 11:16; 20:24; 21:2). Thomas in Syriac and Didymus in Greek both mean “twin” (Thurston, 1912). Scripture never says whose twin he was.

NAMED WITH HIM

Peter, Nathanael, Zebedee

WHERE

Bethany

PASSAGE

John 11:16·John 20:24·John 21:2

CHAPTER II · WITH JESUS

“Except I shall see”

The Gospels, in the harmony’s order · 7 records

SCRIPTURE · JOHN 11:7–16

“Let us also go, that we may die with him”

Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.

NAMED WITH HIM

Lazarus

WHERE

Bethany

IN THE HARMONY

§118 · Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead

PASSAGE

John 11:7–16

SCRIPTURE · JOHN 14:5–7

“Lord, we know not whither thou goest”

Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?

IN THE HARMONY

§149 · The farewell discourse to his disciples in the upper room

PASSAGE

John 14:5–7

SCRIPTURE · JOHN 20:26–29

Eight days later: “My Lord and my God”

¶ 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.

IN THE HARMONY

§179 · The appearance to the disciples the next sunday night and the convincing of Thomas

PASSAGE

John 20:26–29

SCRIPTURE · JOHN 21:1–3

Fishing with Peter when the risen Jesus appears by the sea

There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples.

NAMED WITH HIM

Peter, Nathanael, Zebedee

WHERE

Sea of Tiberias (Galilee)

IN THE HARMONY

§180 · The appearance to seven disciples beside the sea of Galilee. The miraculous draught of fishes

PASSAGE

John 21:1–3

CHAPTER III · THE CHURCH IN ACTS

One verse in Acts

Acts and the letters · 1 record

FROM THE TEXT · ACTS 1:13

In the upper room

And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.

He is named sixth among the Eleven in the upper room (Acts 1:13). Acts never names him again.

PASSAGE

Acts 1:13

CHAPTER IV · AFTER SCRIPTURE

After Scripture

Tradition, by who said it and when · 5 sources

SCRIPTURE FIRST

What Scripture says of his end

Scripture says nothing of Thomas after the upper room (Acts 1:13).

From the text Acts 1:13

THEN TRADITION · 5 SOURCES, EARLIEST FIRST

• 3rd c. Origen, as reported by Eusebius (3.1.1) Early church
• 3rd c. The Acts of Thomas (apocryphal), chs. 1–2 Later tradition
• 1912 H. Thurston, Catholic Encyclopedia Scholars
• 3rd c. The Acts of Thomas (apocryphal), chs. 164–170 Later tradition
• 1912 H. Thurston, Catholic Encyclopedia Scholars

Each is labelled with who said it and when; none is blended into Scripture.

THE PEOPLE AROUND HIM

Who was with him?

Every record of Thomas in Scripture, in story order (the Gospels in the order of Robertson's harmony, then Acts and the letters). A person counts as "with him" only where a verse of that record names them both. 15 people in all.

named in the passage from first to last mention Point at a column to see what happens; click it to keep it (click again to let go); choose a name to follow that person.

I · BEFORE THE CALL

Called Didymus, “twin”

Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.

NAMED WITH HIM HERE

• Peter John 21:2
• Nathanael John 21:2
• Zebedee John 21:2

SIDE BY SIDE

One moment, several accounts

2 moments of his story told by more than one book, each in its own words in the King James Version. His names are marked; switch on "only here" to underline the words that just one account has.

SEVENTH

Matthew

Matthew 10:2–4

10:2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;

10:3 Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;

10:4 Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

EIGHTH

Mark

Mark 3:16–19

3:16 And Simon he surnamed Peter;

3:17 And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:

3:18 And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite,

3:19 And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they went into an house.

EIGHTH

Luke

Luke 6:14–16

6:14 Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,

6:15 Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphæus, and Simon called Zelotes,

6:16 And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.

SIXTH

Acts

Acts 1:13

1:13 And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.

NEAR AND FAR

Where was he?

6 places named in his story, with what happened there and how far each lies from Jerusalem. Tradition's places are dashed, with who placed him there and when. Choose a card or a pin.

Scroll to zoom · drag to move · the map stays on his places Land outline: the Atlas (Natural Earth)

Not on the map, because our places data gives no coordinates: Parthia (Origen, as reported by Eusebius: allotted to Thomas “according to tradition”).

OPEN QUESTIONS

What readers still ask

3 questions the reviewed sources leave open for Thomas, with the answers given and who gives them, and 3 things Scripture does not say, in italic. Choose one.

VIEWS, WITH WHO HOLDS THEM · THIS PAGE

Where did Thomas preach: Parthia or India?

Parthia

Origen (first half of the 3rd century), as reported by Eusebius

Parthia was allotted to Thomas “according to tradition”.

Early church Eusebius, 1890

India

The Acts of Thomas (3rd century); later Ephraem, Ambrose, Paulinus and Jerome, as listed by Thurston (1912)

The Acts send him to India, and the names of King Gundaphorus and his kingdom match coins and an inscription from north-west India.

Scholars M. R. James (tr.), 1924·Herbert Thurston, 1912

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