Thomas (Hastings' Dictionary)

One of the Twelve, always i)laced in the second of the three groups of four in which the names of the apostles are arranged in the NT lists. In the oliiest extant list (Mk 3""-) the names are not distributed in pairs, and he is No. 8, as also in Lk O''"- ; but in the later lists he is coupled with Matthew and assigned the seventh place (Mt 10-'), or given tha sixth place, couideil with Philip (Ac I"'-).

No incident is reconled of him by the Synoptists, but from John we learn that he played a conspicuous part in the anxieties and questionings which fol- lowed the Resurrection, which perhaps accounts for the higher position assigned to him in the lists as soon as the names began to be arranged or classilied ; cf. Jn 21-, where he is placed after Peter anj before the sons of Zebedee. John thrice describes him as Gu/iSs 6 ^eydfj-efos AiSv/ios (11" 20^ 2r'').

ciRB is a ' twin' [only Gn 25;" 3S-'', Ca 4» 7», always in plur.], and of this Qa/ias is a translitera- tion, i StSv/ios being the Gr. translation. This last would be the form of the title most natural among the Greek-speaking Christians of Asia Minor, for whom the Fourth Gospel was written. His per- sonal name is not given in the NT, but he is called 'Judas Thomas' in the apocryphal ^ eta Thomm, in the Syr. Doctrina Apostolorum, and also in the Abgar legend (Ens. HE i.

13), which represents him as sending ThaDD^us to Abgar with Christ's letter. The name ' Judas ' was a common one, and it may well have been his ; at any rate tlie as(ii])tion of it to him led in time to his identi- tic.ition with Judas 'of James,' and Judas the ' brother ' of the Lord (Mk 6'), and so to the wide- spread tradition that the Apostle Thomas was the twin brother of Jesus (Acta Thoma:, S 31).

The identilication of Thadda-us (Mt 10*, Mk 3"') with Luke's Judas 'of James' (Lk 6'", Ac 1") accounts for a later Syrian tradition which makes Thomas and Thaddoeus the same person. Another story makes one Lysia the twin sister of Thomas. The three notices of Thomas in John reveal a personalityof singular charm and interest.

When the other apostles would have dissuaded Jesus from the risk of going to Bethany where Lazarus lay dead, and Jesus had said that lie would never- theless go, Thomas at once declared his intention of sharing the danger : ' Let us also go that we may die with him' (Jn ll""). His eager devotion could not endure the thouglit of separation, and so the announcement at the Last Supper that the M.

aster was about to depart Idled liim with per- 1)lexity : ' We know not whither thou goest ; how enow we the way?' (Jn 14°).

Like the other dis- cijdes, he could not but supjiose that the Cruci- lixion bad put an end to his hopes, although it does not appear from the narratives (as has some- times been assumed) that Thomas had severed his connexion with the other companions of Christ, for 'the eleven' are mentioned as still a coherent body (Lk 24»-»* [Mk] Iti'^), and Thomas is found in their company on ' the first day of the week,' pre- sumably t^or worship and conference, even aft«r ho had expressed his doubts as to the Resurrection (Jn 20-").

When, however, the Christ appeared to the other apostles at Jerusalem, Thomas was not with them, although the reason of his absence is not recorded 'Jn 20"). They were invited to assure themselves by the test of touch that the vision was not hat of a phantom but of the Risen Jesus (Lk 21'') and even this did not convince them until He "did eat before thein ' (Lk '24«- ").

Thomas, on being informed of the vision of the Lord, refused to believe until he too had satisfied 754 THOMEI THREE CHILDREN, SOXG OF himself by siglit and touch that there was no mis- apprehension (Jn 20^) ; but when this test was ottered to (and applied by ?) him, his recognition of his Master was immediate and adoring : ' My Lord and my God' (Jn '20^). No greater confession of faith is recorded in the NT.

These three inci- dental notices of Thomas depend entirely, as has already been pointed out, on the authority of the Fourth Gospel ; but there is nothing in any of tliera which is cither incredible in itself, or incon- sistent with the Synoptic accounts, and the psycho- logical truth and naturalness of the resulting picture of tlie man conhrm belief in the trust- worthiness of the Johannine narratives. The Acta Thorme or HtpioUi BaifAn* is a Gnostic work prob- ably going back to the 2nd cent.

, and written by one Leuciug the author of several apocr>-phal Acts. It begins by telling that, at the division of the field of the world among the apostles, India was allocated to Thom.is ; that he was at first unwiUinff to go there, but was persuaded by a vision of Christ, who sola him as a slave to an Indian merchant. After some adventures by the way (which display the Gnostic tendencies of the writer ; see Salmon, Introd. to XT^ p. 334 f.)

, he arri\ed in India, and there (being a carpenter) was entrusted by his master with the building of a palace, but expended the nioney on the relief of the poor. His missionary efforts were at last crowned with success. The connexion of his name with India, (or which these Acta are the earliest authority, was widely accepted after the 4th cent, in both East and West. The Malabar 'Christians of St. Thomas ' still count him as the first martyr and evangelist of their country.

It is probable, how- ever, that these Christians were evangelized from Edessa, and that the traditional account of their origin is due to a confused memory of one of the pioneer missionaries from that place, who was called Thomas after its patron saint. For there is a quite distinct(and seemingly earlier) account of the missionary activity of the apostlewhich makes Partbia the scene of hislabours(Eu8. UEni. 1 ; see also Clem. Recogn, is. 29, and Socrates, HB i.

19), and Edessa his burial-place (Rufinus, £f£.' ii. 5, and Socrates, HE iv. 18). According to the Roman Martyrolo^y his remains were brought from India to Edessa, and thence, it was said, to Ortona in Italy during the Crusades. The oldest extant tradi- tion as to the manner of his death is that it was from natural causes (Clem. Alex. Strom, iv. 9. 73). J. H. Bernard. THOMEI (B ebixBei. A e6M«, AV Thomoi), 1 Es 5'-' = Temah, Ezr 2^, Neh 7".