[Church_of_Christ] Thomas and Ray
Your brother George K. Howsepian to our dear brother Ray and the saints,
Ray, the believer: I'm telling you my dear brother Tommy, our Lord Jesus has risen from the dead. He appeared to all His chosen except for you while you were out.
Thomas, the doubter: No way! I won't believe it until I see Him for myself and poke my finger into the holes in His hands and feet and my hand into the huge hole in His side.
Ray, the believer: No, you won't! You won't believe it even if you did see Him and poke into Him. Your lack of Faith can't be helped by the presentation of evidence. You're a doubter and that's that. He told us He would rise from the dead and you didn't believe Him so nothing is going to change your mind. You don't believe what He said and that's all there is to it. Nothing you see will prove to you otherwise.
Thomas, the doubter: What are you talking about? If He appeared to the others and they believe He has risen since they have seen Him risen, why wouldn't I believe if I were to also see Him risen for myself? Do I have any less faith in His words than the others? Did they all believe, not having seen Him for themselves? Is that why our dear brother Peter ran to the His tomb when our dear sister Mary reported having seen Him alive? You know he thought she was crazy and now, I think you're crazy.
Jesus: What are you two guys arguing about?
Ray, the believer: Look, I told you! It's Him!
Thomas, the doubter: That's not Him. We're seeing a ghost or some kind of an illusion like a mirage or something. We've gone mad just like our dear sister Mary who thought she saw Him and He spoke to her when actually, it was only the gardener. We've all gone mad from fear.
Jesus: Tommy, can you see me? Go ahead and feel Me while I'm here. Poke your finger into these holes. Stick your hand into My side. You're not seeing a ghost or an illusion. It's really ME!
Thomas: My Lord and my God, it is really you.
Jesus: See children, our dear brother Tommy didn't believe until he saw for himself. Blessed will be those who have not seen but yet, still believe. However, can you see now, how the saying, "Seeing is believing" can be true? If your dear brother wants to see someone who has a supernatural gift and have him demonstrate how he uses it so he can judge for himself whether the gift is real or bogus, he may change his mind about how long he believes the supernatural gifts must endure, if at all past the time that's coming soon when I will fulfill the promise I made to you that not one stone will be left upon another of Herod's temple. You want the Scriptures to teach that these gifts will endure forever, don't you? Well, they plainly teach that they will not endure forever. So, you and our dear brother have a difference of opinion as to how long these gifts will actually endure. Maybe he's wrong. Maybe you are. May God have mercy on both of you.
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