John Chapter 20, Verse 28

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Book of John Chapter 20

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ἀπεκρίθη Θωμᾶς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ, Ὁ κύριός μου καὶ ὁ θεός μου. [WHNU]

Thomas answered [lit. and said to] him, “My Lord and my God.”

• εἶπεν is a pleionastic construction; it is redundant. (‘answered...saying’)
• In the light of this passage’s, and the whole book’s, emphasis on faith and believing in Christ, the implication has often been drawn that Thomas is here portrayed as a doubter compared to the other apostles. Is this really the case? A more thorough examination is merited. First, consider the use of the repetition between Jn 20:19 and Jn 20:26: τῶν θυρῶν κεκλεισμένων, εἰς τὸ μέσον and Εἰρήνη ὑμῖν emphasise that Thomas received precisely the same stimulus as the other disciples. Note also that the disciples did not immediately recognise the presence of Jesus; we see in Jn 20:20 that he first showed them his hands and his side, and then they rejoiced. Here we have a contrast with Thomas, who is asked to place his finger in Jesus’ wounds, but, herein vers e 28, has no further need to do so: he immediately confesses ‘my lord and my God’ — a high Christological statement far beyond the understanding of the other disciples.

My Lord and my God. In this passage the name God is expressly given to Christ, in his own presence and by one of his own apostles.

• "My Lord and my God." Ps 118²⁸ Jn 5:23 1 Tim 3:16

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