ACC ~ John 20 v24

A TWIN IN WORD

ORIGEN: “Thomas” is called Didymus, which means “Twin,” because he was a kind of twin in word, writing the divine things in two ways and copying Christ, who spoke to those outside of his circle in parables, but to his own disciples he spoke privately about everything. And it is not improper to say that Christ’s genuine disciples achieve this double equipment in word that Thomas perhaps had already but even more so afterward. But it may be said that the interpretation of this alone has been recorded because the Evangelist was concerned that Greeks coming into contact with the gospel should notice the peculiarity of the interpretation of the only name specially interpreted, so as to find the cause of his name being set forth also in Greek. FRAGMENT 106 ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN. [1]

[1] AEG 6:140; GCS 10(4):561-62.

DOES JOHN CONTRADICT LUKE?

BEDE: But why does John say that Thomas was not with them, when Luke writes that two disciples, one of whom was Cleopas, on their return to Jerusalem [from Emmaus] found the Eleven assembled and those who were with them? [1] We must understand that Thomas had gone out and that in the interval of his absence, Jesus came and stood in the midst. EXPOSITION ON THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 6.24.36. [2]

[1] See Lk 24:33.

[2] CCL 120:417.

THOMAS ABSENT FOR US

GREGORY THE GREAT: It was not an accident that that particular disciple was not present. The divine mercy ordained that a doubting disciple should, by feeling in his Master the wounds of the flesh, heal in us the wounds of unbelief. The unbelief of Thomas is more profitable to our faith than the belief of the other disciples. For the touch by which he is brought to believe confirms our minds in belief, beyond all question. FORTY GOSPEL HOMILIES 26. [1]

[1] CS 123:206-7**.

DID ABSENT THOMAS RECEIVE THE SPIRIT?

CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: How, then, someone may not unreasonably inquire, if Thomas was absent, was he in fact made partaker in the Holy Spirit when the Savior appeared to the disciples and breathed on them, saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit”? We reply that the power of the Spirit pervaded every person who received grace and fulfilled the aim of the Lord who gave him to them. And Christ gave the Spirit not to some only but to all the disciples. Therefore, if any were absent, they also received him, the munificence of the giver not being confined to those only who were present but extending to the entire company of the holy apostles. And that this interpretation is not strained, or our idea extravagant, we may convince you from holy Scripture itself, bringing forward as a proof a passage in the books of Moses. The Lord God commanded the all-wise Moses to select seventy elders from the assembly of the Jews and plainly declared, “I will take of the Spirit that is on you and will put it on them.” [1] Moses, as he was asked, brought them together and fulfilled the divine decree. Only it happened that two of the men who were included in the number of the seventy elders were left behind and remained in the assembly, that is, Eldad and Medad. Then when God put on them all the divine Spirit, as he had promised, those whom Moses had collected together immediately received grace and prophesied. But none the less also the two who were in the assembly prophesied, and, in fact, the grace from above came on them first. COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 12.1. [2]

[1] Num 11:17.

[2] LF 48:678-79**.