Home Builders Community Group: Thomas and James the Less

Thomas

John 11:16 and a few other verses from John use the phrase, “Thomas, called Didymus”

One obvious inference is that Thomas had a twin brother.
Some scholars believed he was called The Twin because he looked so much like Jesus

Thomas is listed as on of the seven apostles who fished with Peter after the resurrection so he probably was a fisherman by trade
In the lists of apostles, Thomas is usually listed with Matthew perhaps indicating they traveled together in their ministry.
Thomas appears in two famous accounts in the Bible

John 20:19-20, Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.
John 20:24-25, But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
John 20:26-28, And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

The other disciples didn’t believe the women but they did believe when Jesus appeared to them and showed them His hands and side.
Thomas may have voiced his skepticism more than the others, but when Jesus appeared to him, he was all in.
Notice what he said to Jesus, My Lord and my God. Did the other apostles acknowledge Jesus as God?
The miracles Jesus did were a testimony so His disciples would believe in Him. They were written down so they are also a testimony to us so that we might believe in Him.

John 20:29-31, Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

The Resurrection of Lazarus
In John 10:30-33, “I and my Father are one. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.”
In the next chapter, Jesus learns that Lazarus is dying

vv. 6-8, When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was. Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again. His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?
vv. 11-16, These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him. Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.

Thomas said this to the other disciples
He seemed to be saying, Look, guys, Jesus is going to do this. We need to go with Him even though it will cost us our lives!
Just like seeing Jesus alive again, once Thomas was convinced of something, he was all in.

Church tradition holds that Thomas preached in India where he was stabbed to death with spears. He died in the city of Mylapore, India on July 3, 72 AD

James the Less

The synoptic gospels tell us almost nothing about James except to say he is the son of Alphaeus (Matthew 10:3, Mark 3:18, Luke 6:15)

Matthew is also identified as the son of Alphaeus (Mark 2:14)
I, and many others, have speculated that James and Matthews could have been brothers

Jesus recruited other brothers (James & John, Andrew & Simon) so it would not be unusual.
If they were brothers, perhaps they had become estranged when Matthew became a tax collector.

Most people agree Mary’s husband, Joseph, probably died when Jesus was young. He is not mentioned again after Jesus was at the Temple when He was 12 years old.
Some people claim Mary remarried a man named Alphaeus and had other children. One of them was James.
We do know that Jesus had brothers and sisters. James is listed by name as His brother in Mark 6:3, Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.
Galatians 1:18-19, Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother.

So if Joseph was still alive when Jesus was 12, and if Jesus began His ministry at age 30, James would have been very young - between 13-18 years old.

It appears he spent most of his ministry, actively preaching in the church at Jerusalem though some traditions hold he also preached in Egypt
It is believed he was pushed from the pinnacle of the Temple (when the devil had taken Jesus) where he had been preaching. He survived the fall but was beaten with a fuller’s club then stoned to death.

Home Builders Community Group