Wednesday, January 4, 2012

What's a doubting Thomas?


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Why: In The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides:
"Mitchell," Phyllida continued, "with your interest in religious studies, I'd think India would be a perfect fit. They've got everything. Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Zoroastrians, Jains, Buddhists. It's like Baskin Robbins! I've always been fascinated by religion. Unlike my doubting-Thomas husband.
Answer: Someone who needs proof! It comes from the Apostle Thomas, aka Didymus Thomas or "Thomas the Twin," who required physical proof of Jesus' Resurrection before he would believe it.
When Jesus reappeared and had Thomas touch his wounds, Thomas became the first person to explicitly acknowledge Jesus' divinity, saying "My Lord and my God."
Source: Phrases, Cliches, Expressions & Sayings, AnandTech

The More You Know: Due to his name, some people think Thomas was Jesus' twin.
  • Greek Didymus: In the Gospel of John [11:16] [20:24] Thomas is more specifically identified as "Thomas, also called the Twin (Didymus)."
  • Aramaic Tau'ma: The name "Thomas" comes from the Aramaic T'oma, "twin" (תאומא).
Or maybe he was the twin of Judas. Who knows.

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