Thomas: when doubt can fuel faith and belief

Thomas is known as the Doubter. Yes, he was a doubter; however, his doubt had a purpose. Many Christians are taught that we should not doubt. That doubt is a lack of faith. However, after studying Thomas and doubters throughout the Bible that is not the case! Thomas wanted to know the truth, so he asked questions and when his questions were answered, he believed! He expressed his doubts fully and had them answered completely. Doubting was his way of responding to new information; but it was not his way of life. Glimpses of Thomas are brief throughout the gospels; however, his character comes through with consistency. He was a man of faith who sought answers to his nagging questions. Thomas is not the first doubter in the Bible. Who was Thomas? Who were other doubters in the Bible? How does God respond to doubters? What lessons can we take from doubt? 

Thomas was an honest and loyal man. He was intense in belief and in doubt. Thomas didn’t idolize his doubt, he gladly believed when he was given reasons to do so. While his occupation is unknown, he was known for courage as well as his doubt. Courage? Yes, courage. In John 11:6, Jesus hears about Lazarus’s illness and to go back to Bethany after Jews tried to stone him (John 10:31) was dangerous for them. While the other disciples tried to talk Jesus out of going back to see Lazarus, Thomas replied, “Let us also go, that we may die with him” (John 11:16). He didn’t hesitate to follow Jesus. However, he struggled to believe despite what he felt. Did he doubt because he so wanted to believe but felt it was impossible? The gospels do not tell us why Thomas was absent when Jesus first appeared to the disciples after the resurrection; however, he was reluctant to believe their witness accounts. A week passed before Jesus appeared to Thomas, but he encouraged him to touch his wounds and believe (John 20:26-27). Jesus used Thomas’s doubt to show us that God does not reject honest doubt. 

The Bible is filled with doubters from Abraham and Sarah to Moses to the prophet Habakkuk and even John the Baptist. I would like to discuss three specific doubters. First, Gideon went from fearful farmer to mighty warrior. He was hiding from the Midianities as he was filled with fear about his own abilities and God’s presence. He would make excuse after excuse (Judges 11:15) and asked God to prove himself with sign after sign (Judges 11:17) and God gave him his sign (Judges 11:20-22) and other miracles (Judges 6:36-40). Second, Elijah went from faithful prophet to bold witness. Elijah is remembered as a great prophet; however, he still experienced moments of deep doubt and despair. In 1 Kings 19:3-4, Elijah flees for his life and begs God to end his life. God instead gave him rest and strength. He sent food and water and after a period of rest and with a renewed sense of purpose, Elijah became the prophet we all know (1 Kings 19:5-18). Lastly, the father of the demon possessed boy in Mark 9:14-29 asks Jesus “if he can” help his son. When Jesus questions the man’s if statement, the father proclaims “I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief.” His faith was imperfect but he was trying and for that Jesus honored his prayer and healed his son (Childers, 2018). 

There are four lessons we can take from doubt. First, doubt is a common human experience. Tim Keller wrote that faith without doubt is like the human body without antibodies (Keller, 2008). Just as antibodies help the body’s immune system, doubt can help fuel faith. We can have doubts without living a life of doubt. Doubt can be used to pose questions, to get an answer and come to a decision. Doubt; however, becomes a problem when it is out of stubbornness and that stubbornness becomes a lifestyle that can harm faith and belief. Second, God can work through doubt with patience and understanding. God deals with honest doubters and will meet us right where we are at (Childers, 2018). When we have doubts, we can bring our questions to God. Third, doubt can lead to deeper faith. Lastly, seeking answers and evidence is not wrong. We can ask for evidence to back up our faith. Thomas’s doubt was rational and intellectual and Jesus answered his intellectual doubt with evidence (Childers, 2018). John the Baptist experienced the most painful type of doubt. A doubt when you stand to lose everything if your suspicion is correct. He needed reconfirmation and Jesus provided it (Matthew 11:1-6, Luke 7:18-23). 

In conclusion, Thomas deserves to be respected for his faith and not ignored for his doubt. Doubt is not a character flaw. It is a natural experience to have questions and uncertainty. We can take encouragement from Thomas, We can take our doubts and allow Jesus to lead us to belief. Gideon would eventually embrace his calling and his journey from doubt to faith demonstrates the patience God has for us as he guides and strengthens our faith.Elijah’s transformation serves as a reminder that God meets us in our weakest moments, offering comfort and encouragement to continue our journey of faith. Faith is an attitude of trust and confidence (Hebrews 11:1) and we do not obtain faith without help as it is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8). Growing in faith is a constant process of daily renewing our trust in Jesus. It is better to doubt out loud than to disbelieve in silence. 

References

Childers, Alisa (February 2, 2018). 4 Lessons We Can Learn From Doubters in the Bible. Blog. https://www.alisachildersblog.com/blog/4-lessons-we-can-learn-from-doubters-in-the-bible. Retrieved August 10, 2025. 

Keller, Timothy (2008-02-14). The Reason for God . Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition, location 192. Retrieved August 10, 2025. 

John: the beloved disciple, a man changed by love

John, fisherman, son of Zebedee and brother of James, friends to Peter and Andrew, has the distinction of being called the disciple whom Jesus loved (John 13:23). It is hard to believe that this beloved disciple was, at first, ambitious, judgmental and yet becomes the one who writes about the transforming power of Christ’s love and how it is available to all. He would write one of the four gospels and three letters with the central theme of God’s love. The word “love” would appear fifty-seven times in the gospel of John and forty-six times in 1 John. He would also write Revelation with the central theme of God’s justice. Who was John? What is the purpose of his gospel? How should we love as Christians? 

John was called by Jesus, with his brother, and they both immediately left their fishing nets and followed. As mentioned with Peter and James, John was chosen to be among the inner circle and saw the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-13, Mark 9:2-13, Luke 9:28-36). Along with James, John had a tendency for outbursts of selfishness and anger. One instance, John calls Jesus’s attention to someone else using Jesus’s name to drive out demons, expecting Jesus to stop this man because he wasn’t one of the twelve disciples (Mark 9:38, Luke 9:49-50). He was with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-37, Mark 14:32-42). At his crucifixion, Jesus asks John to care for his mother, Mary, and Mary to take John as her son (John 19:25-25). John was with Peter as he healed a man at the gate called Beautiful (Acts 3:1-10). Along with Peter, John would stand firm before the Sanhedrin (Acts 4:1-22). John would later be exiled to the island of Patmos where he would receive the vision and write the book of Revelation. 

While Matthew and Luke included genealogies in their gospels for certain purposes, to establish Jesus as from the House of David both biologically from his mother, Mary, and legally from his earthly father, Joseph. However, John started with Jesus as the preexistent, eternal Word. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning (John 1:1-2). Jesus is the agent of Creation as God, the Father, spoke and Jesus, the son, made it happen. This is further illustrated by the seven “I Am” statements: Bread of Life (John 6:35), the Light of the world (John 8:12), the Gate (John 10:7-9), the Good Shepherd (John 11:11-14), the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25), the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6), and the True Vine (John 15:1.5). John describes a situation in which Jesus states he is eternal when He said, “I will tell you the truth before Abraham, I am!” (John 8:58). “I am” is a statement that would have had a huge significant impact on the Jews as it was a statement God made to Moses (Exodus 4:14). 

John began his journey with Jesus as a selfish man, looking out for himself, only to become a man of compassion and love. How? From the transforming love of Jesus Christ. Loving one another is the most basic, simplest part of Christianity. However, our ability to love is often shaped by our experience of love. Being loved is the most powerful motivation. God’s love is a great motivation for change and there is nothing that can remove God’s love from us (Isaiah 54:10). We are to love one another. Not just love with words but with actions and in truth (1 John 3:18). We say “I love you,” they are empty words until there is an action behind it. Jesus said “I love you” and he died on the cross. Jesus commands that we love each other (Matthew 22:39). He also said that there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for his friends (John 15:13). Sacrificial love isn’t just dying, it is helping, giving, and meeting needs of another before our own puts love into practice.

In conclusion, after all he had seen and experienced with Jesus, he would leave behind ambition and embrace affection. John became the beloved disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. John would write his gospel to show that Jesus is the pre existent Word becoming flesh (John 1:14) and brought the world his message of love. Love is more than words, it is an action, a sacrifice of putting others before ourselves. Sadly, there are Christians who talk the talk but don’t walk the walk. I know I sometimes struggle loving someone the way God would want me to, especially after I’ve been hurt or wronged. It is a constant prayer that He will change my heart and help me adjust my attitude. If His love can change John, I know He can change me.