Clarke's Bible Commentary - John 20:24
Verse 24. Thomas-called Didymus] See this name explained, chap. xi. 16. Was not with them] And, by absenting himself from the company of the disciples, he lost this precious opportunity of seeing and hearing Christ; and of receiving (at this time) the inestimable blessing of the Holy Ghost.
Where two or three are assembled in the name of Christ, he is in the midst of them. Christ had said this before: Thomas should have remembered it, and not have forsaken the company of the disciples. What is the consequence?-His unbelief becomes 1st. Utterly unreasonable. Ten of his brethren witnessed that they had seen Christ, ver. 25; but he rejected their testimony. 2dly. His unbelief became obstinate: he was determined not to believe on any evidence that it might please God to give him: he would believe according to his own prejudices, or not at all. 3dly. His unbelief became presumptuous and insolent: a view of the person of Christ will not suffice: he will not believe that it is he, unless he can put his finger into the holes made by the nails in his Lord's hand, and thrust has hand into the wound made by the spear in his side.
Thomas had lost much good, and gained much evil, and yet was insensible of his state. Behold the consequences of forsaking the assemblies of God's people! Jesus comes to the meeting-a disciple is found out of his place, who might have been there; and he is not only not blessed, but his heart becomes hardened and darkened through the deceitfulness of sin. It was through God's mere mercy that ever Thomas had another opportunity of being convinced of his error. Reader! take warning.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 24. But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus , etc.] The person here spoken of, is described by his Hebrew name Thomas, and his Greek one Didymus, which both signify a twin; and perhaps he was one. It was common with the Jews to have two names, a Jewish and a Gentile one; by the one they went in the land of Israel, and by the other when without the land f791 ; nay, they often went by one name in Judea, and by another in Galilee f792 ; where Thomas might go by the name of Didymus with the Greeks, that might live with the Jews in some of those parts: he is also said to be “one of the twelve” apostles, which was their number at first, though Judas now was gone off from them, and therefore are sometimes only called the “eleven”; but this having been their complement, it is still retained; but what is observed of him to his disadvantage and discredit is, that he was not with them when Jesus came : Beza’s ancient copy reads, “he was not there with them”; and so read the Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions; he either had not returned to the rest after their scattering one from another upon the apprehending of Christ; or did not choose to assemble with the rest, for fear of the Jews; or was taken up with some business and affair of life; however, he was not with the rest of the disciples, when they were assembled together, and Jesus appeared among them: as it is of good consequence to attend the assemblies of Christ’s disciples and followers, so it is of bad consequence to neglect or forsake them: it is frequently to good purpose that persons attend them; here God comes and blesses his people, Jesus grants his presence, the graces of the Spirit are increased, and drawn forth into exercise; souls that have lost sight of Christ find him, disconsolate ones are comforted, weak ones strengthened, and hungry ones fed: on the other hand, not to attend is of bad consequence; neglect of assembling together exposes to many snares and temptations; brings on a spiritual leanness; leads to an indifference and lukewarmness: issues in a low degree of grace, and a non-exercise of it, and in a loss of Christ’s presence.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 19-25 - This was the first day of the week, and this day is afterwards ofte mentioned by the sacred writers; for it was evidently set apart as the Christian sabbath, in remembrance of Christ's resurrection. The disciples had shut the doors for fear of the Jews; and when they had n such expectation, Jesus himself came and stood in the midst of them having miraculously, though silently, opened the doors. It is a comfor to Christ's disciples, when their assemblies can only be held i private, that no doors can shut out Christ's presence. When He manifests his love to believers by the comforts of his Spirit, he assures them that because he lives, they shall live also. A sight of Christ will gladden the heart of a disciple at any time; and the mor we see of Jesus, the more we shall rejoice. He said, Receive ye the Holy Ghost, thus showing that their spiritual life, as well as all their ability for their work, would be derived from him, and depende upon him. Every word of Christ which is received in the heart by faith comes accompanied by this Divine breathing; and without this there is neither light nor life. Nothing is seen, known, discerned, or felt of God, but through this. After this, Christ directed the apostles to declare the only method by which sin would be forgiven. This power di not exist at all in the apostles as a power to give judgment, but onl as a power to declare the character of those whom God would accept of reject in the day of judgment. They have clearly laid down the mark whereby a child of God may be discerned and be distinguished from false professor; and according to what they have declared shall ever case be decided in the day of judgment. When we assemble in Christ' name, especially on his holy day, he will meet with us, and speak peac to us. The disciples of Christ should endeavour to build up one anothe in their most holy faith, both by repeating what they have heard to those that were absent, and by making known what they have experienced Thomas limited the Holy One of Israel, when he would be convinced by his own method or not at all. He might justly have been left in his unbelief, after rejecting such abundant proofs. The fears and sorrow of the disciples are often lengthened, to punish their negligence.
Greek Textus Receptus
θωμας 2381 N-NSM δε 1161 CONJ εις 1520 A-NSM εκ 1537 PREP των 3588 T-GPM δωδεκα 1427 A-NUI ο 3588 T-NSM λεγομενος 3004 5746 V-PPP-NSM διδυμος 1324 N-NSM ουκ 3756 PRT-N ην 2258 5713 V-IXI-3S μετ 3326 PREP αυτων 846 P-GPM οτε 3753 ADV ηλθεν 2064 5627 V-2AAI-3S ο 3588 T-NSM ιησους 2424 N-NSM
