JOHN 20:28

“Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ ”

—John 20:28, RSVCE

St. Thomas' proclamation baffles anti-Trinitarians, such as the Iglesia Ni Cristo. Their argument ranges from an expression of surprise to Thomas' unbelief. They argue that Thomas was in a state of error or unbelief when he proclaimed this. This is expressed by their apologist's statement:

“Take note of what the Lord Jesus Christ said to Thomas before he made the statement recorded in John 20:28. Jesus said to him, ‘Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. DO NOT BE UNBELIEVING, but believing.’… Remember that when Thomas made the statement recorded in John 20:28 he was not in the act of preaching and he was from a state of unbelief, thus it is not surprising if he committed mistake.”

(http://theiglesianicristo.blogspot.com/2013/12/john-2028-my-lord-and-my-god.html?m=1)

1.) DOUBTING THOMAS 

The Iglesia Ni Cristo argues that St. Thomas' statement must not be taken as a proclamation due to the preceding verses (Jn. 20:27). They contend that this was a expression given by an unbelieving apostle. However, the contrary is given by Jesus. Indeed Thomas was in a state of doubt prior to his encounter with the Resurrected Lord. However, St. Thomas did not continue in his disbelief. If we read the following verse, we come to understand that what St. Thomas expressed in verse 28 was a result of belief. 

“Jesus said to him, ‘You have believed because you have seen me. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.’”

—John 20:29, RSVCE

It is very clear that what Thomas said was in the state of belief. Christ affirmed what Thomas said by saying, "You have believed." It is very clear that it was not out of doubt that Thomas said such thing, but out of belief. And this Christ blessed. 

2.) MY LORD AND MY GOD

καὶ ἀπεκρίθη Θωμᾶς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Ὁ Κύριός μου καὶ ὁ Θεός μου.

(kai apekrithē thōmas kai eipen autō o kurios mou kai o theos mou)

—ΚΑΤΑ ΙΩΑΝΝΗΝ 20:28, Greek Orthodox Church 1904

Thomas' statement from Greek is “Ὁ Κύριός μου καὶ ὁ Θεός μου” (o kurios mou kai o theos mou). What is interesting that the text, if translated literally, gives a much more powerful effect on St. Thomas' statement. St. Thomas' statement given in Greek is, “The Lord of me and the God of me."

3.) TO MY GOD AND YOUR GOD

“Jesus said to her, ‘Do not hold me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

—John 20:17, RSVCE

The INC apologist argues, “THOMAS’ STATEMENT CONTRADICTED JESUS’ STATEMENT… Take note that the Gospel that wrote that Thomas stated 'My Lord and my God' was also the Gospel that wrote that the Lord Jesus Christ explicitly stated, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God,' also 'My Father is greater than I,' and 'Father…this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God…' Obviously, Thomas failed to remember these words of his Master. Thus, Thomas statement in John 20:28 contradicted what His Master has taught Him.” They argue that Christ's statement in John 20:17 contradicts Thomas' statement in verse 28. Making Thomas in a state of ignorance and error in his statement. 

Such statement shows complete ignorance of who Christ is. Christ was not only Divine, but also fully human. Part of being human is to acknowledge God and to worship Him. Christ, in His human nature, here recognized the Father and praises Him. What is interesting is that Christ did not say "our Father" and "our God", rather He said "my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” What Christ implies is that God's Fatherhood towards the apostles and the disciples is not the same as Christ's relationship with the Father. In our sense we are the Father's adopted children (Romans 8:15), children of God by grace (John 1:12). Jesus is the Son of God by nature (John 1:18). Jesus clearly put a distinction between Mary Magdalene and the apostles. This suggests that there is a different sense between the relationship of the Father and Son and ours with the  Father. It also suggests that there is a different sense of how God is related to Christ and us.

Whenever a person was in error in the Scripture, they are reprimanded right away. For example, when Paul and Barnabas were in Lystra they showed them that they were not the gods Zeus and Hermes, but only humans and commanded them to worship the true God who made Heaven and Earth (Acts 14:14-15). In Revelation 19:10, the angel rebuked John's show of worship. In Acts 12:22-23 we read that Herod Agrippa received the praises of the crowds as a god and not give it to God, "he was eaten by worms and died" (Acts 12:23). Yet Jesus did not correct Thomas. It suggests then that Thomas was not in error as the Iglesia Ni Cristo insists. Rather, Thomas was accurate in his statement. 

1 TIMOTHY 4:3, Meat or Food?

Bro. Ventilacion and the Iglesia Ni Cristo shows their ignorance in their knowledge of Old English. In Old English, "meat" was synonymous to "food." Bibles written in old English shows this, e.g. Douai-Rheims and King James Version. 

“And he shall take of it his handful, of the flour of the meat offering, and of the oil thereof, and all the frankincense which is upon the meat offering, and shall burn it upon the altar for a sweet savour, even the memorial of it, unto the LORD.”

—Leviticus 6:15, King James Version

“Then said he unto me, This is the place where the priests shall boil the trespass offering and the sin offering, where they shall bake the meat offering; that they bear them not out into the utter court, to sanctify the people.”

—Ezekiel 46:20, King James Version

Modern translations uses "fine flour of the cereal offering” for Leviticus 6:15 and “bake the cereal offering” for Ezekiel 46:20. We clearly can see that "meat" in Old English was used in reference to all kinds of food, animal flesh and agricultural products. 

As we can see, in old Elizabethan English the word "meat" was synonymous with the word "food." In an online Elizabethan English dictionary, the word "meat" is defined as “Definitions meat (n.) 1 food, nourishment, meat (n.) 2 edible part, meat (n.) 3 foodstuff, fodder, scraps” (http://www.shakespeareswords.com/Search.aspx). The word "meat" came from an Old English word "mete". “The word meat comes from the Old English word mete, which referred to food in general.” (http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meat). It did not only describe animal flesh, but all types of food. The Iglesia Ni Cristo bases it's doctrine in a complete ignorance of this fact, believing that in 1 Timothy 4:3 the correct understanding is "meat" of an animal. If we examine it closely, the Greek word used is “brōmatōn” (βρωμάτων). This word is a plural form of "bróma" (βρῶμα). Bible dictionary defines "bróma" as “food of any kind.” (Strong's Concordance 1033). The Greek word for "meat" is not "bróma", but "krea." "Kreas" (κρέας) is defined as “flesh; plur: pieces of flesh, kinds of flesh.” (Strong's Concordance 2907). 

“It is better not to eat meat (krea, κρέα) or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall.”

—Romans 14:21, New International Version

THE EUCHARISTIC EFFECT

The Eucharist is very important to the Church. The Church defines the Eucharist as “the source and summit of the Christian life” (Catechism 1324). It is what gives us life because we receive Him who is life (John 1:4, 5:26, 11:25, 14:6). “So Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you  eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you;’” (John 6:53). Without the reception of the Eucharist, St. Paul says, we “are weak and ill, and some have died” (1 Corinthians 11:30). That is the reason why the Church calls the Eucharist the source of Her life. It is also here that we receive grace that enables us to do God's will (2 Corinthians 9:8, 12:9; Ephesians 3:20; Philippians 4:13). It is what energizes us to walk with God “and put on the new nature, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24). Apart from receiving, we return the results of the grace received. The works of the Church are offered to the Father together with Christ's once and for all sacrifice on Calvary. We unite with Christ the results of our love of Him (John 14:15). The love we show to Him and to others is sacrificial in its essence. We sacrifice time helping the poor and needy. We sacrifice our self in missionary works. We sacrifice personal leisure helping our neighbor and visiting the sick and in prison. We sacrifice resources to feed the hungry. All of the corporal works of mercy requires a sacrifice from us. We give up something to share the love we first received from Him. Along with Christ's sacrifice we offer ourselves as “a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1). The Church tells us what this living sacrifice we offer to God is, “For all their works, prayers and apostolic endeavors, their ordinary married and family life, their daily occupations, their physical and mental relaxation, if carried out in the Spirit, and even the hardships of life, if patiently borne—all these become "spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ".(cf. 1 Peter 2:5) Together with the offering of the Lord's body, they are most fittingly offered in the celebration of the Eucharist. Thus, as those everywhere who adore in holy activity, the laity consecrate the world itself to God” (DOGMATIC CONSTITUTION ON THE CHURCH, LUMEN GENTIUM, no. 34).

Comentario sa Exodo 20:4-5

Exodus 20:4-6

Ang pinagbawal sa Exodo 20:4-5 ay hindi ang pag-gawa ng mga imagen, pero sa pagsamba sa mga ito. Ang mga versicolong nakapalibot nito ay nagpapatunay sa ganitong pag-unawa, sila ay nagtutukoy sa pagbigay ng pagsamba sa Dios lamang. Sa versicolo 3 mababasa natin na bawal magkaroon ng ibang dios, "Huwag kang magkaroon ng ibang mga Dios sa harap ko" at sa versicolo 5 mababasa natin na ang Dios ay mapanibughuin. Ang Dios ay nagbigay ng dahilan kung bakit sya "mapanibughuin" dahil sa pagbigay ng pagsamba sa mga ginawang bagay, “Huwag mong yuyukuran sila, o paglingkuran man sila; sapagka't akong Panginoon mong Dios, ay Dios na mapanibughuin” (Exodo 20:5). Sa Exodo 32:8 mababasa natin na ang gumawa ng guyang binubo at ito ay sinamba nila. Sa Levitico 19:14 mababasa matin na ang paggawang pagka-dios ng isang bagay ang ang pinagbawal. Ang pagsamba sa isang imagen ang pinagbawal sa Levitico 26:1 at sa Deuteronimio 5:8-9. Ang tunay na pinagbawal sa Ikaunang Utus ay ang pagsamba sa imagen, ito ay napakalinaw'ng basahin sa 2 Mga Hari 17:12.

Ang dahilan kung bakit kasali sa versicolo ang utus na "Huwag kang gagawa para sa iyo ng larawang inanyuan" ay ang mga Judeo ay madaling mahulog sa pagsamba ng mga dios-diosan, bilang parte sa isang mundo na sumasamba sa mariming mga dios. Sila ay madaling ihalintulad ang Dios na hindi nakikita sa mga bagay na nakikita, katulad ng mga hayop (Makikita natin sa pag-gawa ng guyang binubo, Ex. 32:8) at ng mga tao (Awit 135:15-17; Deuteronomio 4:28). Dahil hindi pa nila nakikita ang Dios, hindi rin nila kayang ilarawan ang Dios na hindi nila nakikita (Deuteronomio 4:15-16). Ito ay binago sa pagkatao ni Cristo, dahil ang Dios ay nagpakatao (Juan 1:1, 14; Felipos 2:6-8; Colossas 1:15; Hebreo 1:3).

Ngunit, mali ang pagunawa sa Exodo 20:4 kung ang pinagbawal ay ang pag-gawa ng mga imagen, ito ay gumagawa ng pagkakasalungatan, kung ganito ang pagunawa natin sa versicolo. Merong mga versicolong mababasa kung saan ang Dios ay umutus na gumawa ng imagen at siya ay tumangap ng handog na imagen (Exodo 18:25-22; Mga Bilang 21:4-9; 1 Samuel 4:4; 6:5; 11, 17-18; 1Mga Hari 6:23-36, 7:27-39; 2 Mga Cronica 3:5, 7, 3:10-14, 3:16, 4:2-5, 13, 15, 5:7-8). Kung basahin natin ang Exodo 20:4-5 sa contexto na ganap na pinagbawal ang mga imagen, ito ay iminungkahi na ang Dios ay sumalungat. At ito ay impossible na gawin ng Dios, “Hindi niya maipagkakaila ang kaniyang sarili.” (2 Kay Timoteo 2:13, SND).

Sa madaling salita, ang pinagbawal ay ang paggawa ng imagen upang sambahin. Ang pag-gawa nitong bilang isang dios. Ang pinagbawal ay ang pagsamba sa imagen, hindi sa pag-gawa nito.