Thomas, commonly referred to as, "Doubting Thomas". Although this nickname has a negative implication, Thomas himself is a man like many of us in our, "got-to-see-to-believe" society. He instead went on to be an effective missionary as he zealously spread the gospel throughout the world. However, a lot of mystery clouds this famous disciple as to who exactly he is. Many have speculated that Thomas is the twin brother of our Lord Jesus. I personally don't believe this. But there is room for debate on this issue. According to Eusebius, his real name is Judas (not Judas Iscariot), and Thomas is only his surname. The name Thomas is Aramaic for the word, "twin". Out of this, tradition has claimed that he is the twin brother of Jesus. If, as Eusebius has indicated, his real name is in fact Judas, then this could quite possibly be the Judas mentioned in Matthew 13:55 as a brother of Jesus. Thomas is said to have been born at Antioch. If this is so, then we know that Thomas could not in fact be the twin brother of Jesus since twins are typically delivered from the mother simultaneously within a few minutes of each other, with the exception of rare circumstances. And, if Jesus was born in Bethlehem, and Thomas at Antioch, then they could not possibly be twins. Other speculative ideas have suggested that he is simply the twin brother of a woman named Lydia. In the gospel of John only, Thomas is used in the Greek rendering and is referred to as Didymus.

Everything else that we know of Thomas can be found in the book of John. In John 11:16, Thomas told the rest of the disciples as they were all on their way to Bethany with Jesus that they all might go with him so that they too can die with him. And again at the Last Supper, Thomas questioned Jesus as to where He will be going after his resurrection (John 14:5). But perhaps the most profound thing Thomas is associated with, as mentioned earlier, is his doubting of Jesus' resurrection. It was only later when Christ showed up at the house of the disciples and showed himself to Thomas that he then believed. However, despite the negativity associated with Thomas' statements, he has probably made the most profound statement of all the other apostles regarding Christ Jesus' divine nature, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28) Perhaps it was this particular event that spurred his fire and zeal to go on to preach the gospel to the ends of the earth.

Although Thomas did not write any of the books contained in the canon of Scripture, he is attributed with writing several apochryphal books including the gnostic gospel of Thomas and the Acts of Thomas. It is in this latter book where he is associated as being the twin brother of Jesus. Concerning his last years, the earliest traditions as believed in the fourth century, represent him as preaching in Parthia and Persia and finally died and buried in Edessa. However, later traditions place him preaching much further east as far as India. It is while in India that he died a martyr and was killed by a lance. Some have claimed that it was Thomas who established many of the oldest churches throughout India. There were in fact established Christian communities living in India around the 4th century A.D. The Latin Church commemorates Thomas every December 21st. The Greek Church on October 6th, and the Indian churches on July 1st.

Thomas, the doubter, but no less a man on fire for the Lord evidenced by his willingness to spread the gospel to the far east and to die as a martyr for Christ.