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NASB | John 11:16 Therefore Thomas, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, so that we may die with Him." |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | John 11:16 Then Thomas, who was called Didymus (the twin), said to his fellow disciples, "Let us go too, that we may die with Him." |
Subject: Thomas being sarcastic or serious? |
Bible Note: A post from this morning’s fare (5/17/04) makes reference to this one and revives the interest in it. To underline the point already made, it is true that we are often much too quick to be critical. We can learn much from each other if we stop and think, and I think we can learn from the Apostle Thomas to be humble and above all, sincere. Doubting does not indicate lack of sincerity. Contrariwise, it may be evidence of sincerity. We remember Thomas as the one who expressed his doubts. But we should probably be thankful that he expressed them. In John 14:5 Thomas says to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going. How can we know the way?" It is because of his statement here we have the response of the Lord Jesus Christ: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me”. In John 20 we have him expressing his doubts: "Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe." But it is because of this that we have the words of Jesus in response: "Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen, and have believed." I think that most believers prize these particular statements from the Lord. But we must say, humanly speaking, that they would not have been available to us had it not been for Thomas’ doubts and his willingness to express them. And there is additional evidence of Thomas’ sincerity in Mark 14. He had said he would die with Christ rather than to deny him (See Mark 14:31). Now (in John 11:16) he is saying to his fellow-apostles, “Let us do what we said we would do”. This might be taken as further evidence of the man’s sincerity. |