links open new window St. Thomas and St. Matthew Altarpiece... Bernard Orley 24x18 Giclee Print

Thomas Thom'as. (a twin). One of the apostles. According to Eusebius, his real name was Judas. This may have been a mere confusion with Thaddeus, who is mentioned in the extract. But it may also be that; Thomas was a surname. Out of this name has grown the tradition that he had a twin sister, Lydia, or that he was a twin brother of our Lord; which last, again, would confirm his identification with Judas. Compare Mat_13:55. He is said to have been born at Antioch. In the catalogue of the apostles, he is coupled with Matthew in Mat_10:3; Mar_3:18; Luk_6:15, and with Philip in Act_1:13. All that we know of him is derived from the Gospel of St. John; and this amounts to three traits, which, however, so exactly agree together that, slight as they are, they place his character before us, with a precision which belongs to no other of the twelve apostles, except Peter, John and Judas Iscariot. This character is that of a man slow to believe, seeing all the difficulties of a case, subject to despondency, viewing things on the darker side, yet full of ardent love of his Master. The latter trait was shown in his speech when our Lord determined to face the dangers that awaited him in Judea on his journey to Bethany. Thomas said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him." Joh_11:16.