Thomas the Apostle

== Names and etymologies ==
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The name ''Thomas'' ([[Greek language|Greek]]: Θωμᾶς) given for the apostle in the New Testament is derived from the [[Aramaic]] תְּאוֹמָא ''Tʾōmā''<ref>{{Cite book |last=Buxtorf |first=Johann |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lXdpAAAAcAAJ&dq=%22%D7%AA%D6%B0%D7%90%D7%95%D6%B9%D7%9E%D6%B8%D7%90%22&pg=PA614 |title=Lexicon Chaldaicum et Syriacum;: quo voces omnes tam primitivæ quàm derivativae, quotquot in sacrorum Vet. Testamenti librorum Targumim seu paraphrasibus Chaldaicis, Onkeli in Mosen, Jonathanis in Prophetas, & aliorum authorum in hagiographa: item in Targum Hierosolymitano, Jonathane altero in legem, & Targum secundo in librum Esther: denique in Novi Testamenti translatione Syriaca reperiuntur, accuratè et methodicè dispositae, & fideliter explicatae, copiosè absoluteq́[ue] describuntur |date=1622 |publisher=Ex officina Ludovici Regis. |language=la}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=על-פי יוחנן כ |url=https://holylanguage.com/peshitta/John/John20.html |access-date=2022-05-06 |website=holylanguage.com }}{{Dead link|date=December 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> ([[Syriac alphabet|Syriac]] ܬܐܘܿܡܵܐ/ܬ݁ܳܐܘܡܰܐ ''Tʾōmā''/''Tāʾwma''), meaning "the twin" and cognate to [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] תְּאוֹם ''tʾóm''. The equivalent term for twin in Greek, which is also used in the New Testament, is Δίδυμος ''Didymos''.

=== Other names ===
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The [[Nag Hammadi library|Nag Hammadi]] copy of the ''[[Gospel of Thomas]]'' begins: "These are the secret sayings that the living Jesus spoke and Didymus, Judas Thomas, recorded." Early Syrian traditions also relate the apostle's full name as Judas Thomas.{{efn|"... Judas Thomas, as he is called [in the ''Acta Thomae''] and elsewhere in Syriac tradition ...". {{harvnb|Thurston|1913}} }} Some have seen in the ''[[Acts of Thomas]]'' (written in east Syria in the early 3rd century, or perhaps as early as the first half of the 2nd century) an identification of Thomas with the apostle [[Jude the Apostle|Judas, Son of James]]. However, the first sentence of the Acts follows the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles in distinguishing the apostle Thomas and the apostle Judas son of James. Others, such as [[James Tabor]], identify him as [[Jude, brother of Jesus]] mentioned by Mark. In the [[Book of Thomas the Contender]], part of the [[Nag Hammadi library]], he is alleged to be a twin to Jesus: "Now, since it has been said that you are my twin and true companion, examine yourself…"{{sfn |Thomas the Apostle|n.d.}}

A "[[Doubting Thomas]]" is a skeptic who refuses to believe without direct personal experience—a reference to the [[Gospel of John]]'s depiction of the Apostle Thomas, who, in John's account, refused to believe the resurrected [[Jesus]] had appeared to the ten other apostles until he could see and feel Jesus' [[Five Holy Wounds|crucifixion wounds]].

=== Feast days ===
When the feast of Saint Thomas was inserted in the Roman calendar in the 9th century, it was assigned to 21 December. The ''Martyrology of St. Jerome'' mentioned the apostle on 3 July, the date to which the Roman celebration was transferred in 1969, so that it would no longer interfere with the major ferial days of [[Advent]].{{sfn|Catholic Church|1969|p=96}} Traditionalist Roman Catholics (who follow the [[General Roman Calendar of 1960]] or earlier), the [[Lutheran Church]], and many [[Anglicans]] (including members of the [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopal Church]] as well as members of the [[Church of England]] who worship according to the 1662 edition of the [[Book of Common Prayer]]),<ref name="commonprayer.org" /> still celebrate his feast day on 21 December. However, most modern liturgical calendars (including the [[Common Worship]] calendar of the Church of England) prefer 3 July, Thomas is [[Calendar of saints (Church of England)|remembered]] in the [[Church of England]] with a [[Festival (Anglicanism)|Festival]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Calendar|url=https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/worship-texts-and-resources/common-worship/churchs-year/calendar|access-date=2021-03-27|website=The Church of England|language=en|archive-date=9 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309204842/https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/worship-texts-and-resources/common-worship/churchs-year/calendar|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Eastern Orthodox venerates Thomas on the following days:

* June 20 – Commemoration of the Translation of the Relics of the Apostles Andrew, Thomas, and Luke; the Prophet Elisha; and the Martyr Lazarus.<ref>{{Cite web |title=June 20, 2017. + Orthodox Calendar |url=https://orthochristian.com/calendar/20170620.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180317231958/http://orthochristian.com/calendar/20170620.html |archive-date=March 17, 2018 |access-date=2023-04-29 |website=orthochristian.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Αποστολική Διακονία της Εκκλησίας της Ελλάδος |url=https://apostoliki-diakonia.gr/gr_main/eortologio/eortologio.asp?file=jun/20.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180317102719/http://www.apostoliki-diakonia.gr/gr_main/eortologio/eortologio.asp?file=jun/20.htm |archive-date=March 17, 2018 |access-date=2023-04-29 |website=apostoliki-diakonia.gr}}</ref>
* June 30 – The Twelve Apostles.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Synaxis of the Holy, Glorious and All-Praised Twelve Apostles |url=https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2021/06/30/101711-synaxis-of-the-holy-glorious-and-all-praised-twelve-apostles |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230418222037/https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2021/06/30/101711-synaxis-of-the-holy-glorious-and-all-praised-twelve-apostles |archive-date=18 April 2023 |access-date=2023-04-29 |website=www.oca.org }}</ref>
* October 6 – Primary feast day.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Holy, Glorious Apostle Thomas |url=https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2021/10/06/102885-holy-glorious-apostle-thomas |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309163942/https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2021/10/06/102885-holy-glorious-apostle-thomas |archive-date=9 March 2021 |access-date=2023-04-29 |website=www.oca.org }}</ref>
* The First Sunday after Easter – The Sunday of Thomas, which commemorate when Thomas' doubts regarding the risen Christ was removed by his touching of Christ's side.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Antipascha: Saint Thomas Sunday |url=https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2022/05/01/34-antipascha-saint-thomas-sunday |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230429220839/https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2022/05/01/34-antipascha-saint-thomas-sunday |archive-date=April 29, 2023 |access-date=2023-04-29 |website=www.oca.org}}</ref>

Thomas is also associated with the "Arabian" (or "Arapet") [[icon]] of the [[Theotokos]] (Mother of God), which is commemorated on 6 September.<ref name="ocafs.oca.org2" />

The Malankara Orthodox Church celebrates his feast on three days, 3 July (in memory of the relic translation to [[Edessa]], modern [[Urfa|Şanlıurfa]]), 18 December (the Day he was lanced), and 21 December (when he died).<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church|url=https://malankaraorthodoxchurch.in/|access-date=2022-10-23|language=en|archive-date=30 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160630183554/http://www.malankaraorthodoxchurch.in/|url-status=live}}</ref>