Each book of the New Testament presents its own theology—that is, in a sublime, supernatural sense, a sacred teaching about God. On Antipascha, the Church, the Community of Believers—and thus we—celebrate one of the key events of the theology of the Gospel of John, whom the Orthodox Church uniquely designates as a theologian. For John, sanctification and enlightenment, embrace, partaking, touch, the Body and Blood of the Savior, the Wounds and Side of God, Darkness and Illumination, the Mysticism of light and fire... are of fundamental importance.
SUNDAY OF THOMAS
Dr. Augustin Sokolovski
In the Orthodox Church, the first Sunday after Easter is dedicated to the commemoration of Thomas’s doubting. This is not a calendar-based celebration of the Apostle’s memory, but a commemoration of one of the most significant appearances of the Risen Savior to His disciples, as described in the Gospel text. This is a chronological celebration, since Jesus did indeed appear to the disciples and to Thomas on the eighth day after the Resurrection and the first appearances of the Risen One.
Therefore, those preachers who, on this day, focus on Thomas, his personal qualities, and his life story are not entirely correct. For the main theme of this Sunday is Faith and Unbelief. Furthermore, this day has a second thematic focus. Thus, during Matins, a solemn hymn is sung glorifying Christ, who descended into hell for our sake. In this way, a striking parallel is drawn between hell and unbelief, between Thomas’s assurance and Christ’s preaching to those who awaited—or did not await—Him in the underworld.
The belief that, after His death on the Cross, Jesus descended in spirit into hell is proclaimed in the Apostles’ Creed. There is a difference between the Western and Eastern Church Fathers in their interpretation of this dogma. The Eastern Fathers, especially the most ancient ones, believed that Jesus brought all people out of hell, even those who had no knowledge of His Coming. The Western Fathers, led by St. Augustine (354–430), taught that Jesus brought out of hell the Old Testament righteous and those who awaited Him for salvation.
Theology allows us to draw a cautious analogy between the fate of people in those days, before Jesus’ coming into the world, and the fate of our contemporaries who do not have faith. We hope that Jesus, in ways beyond our understanding, will be able to lead them to salvation. However, to devise any specific mechanism for this and, as it were, to “place” it in God’s hands in our minds would be heresy. Faith is an absolute, unaccountable gift from God. It is born of contact with the Body of the Lord, which is the Eucharist and His Church.
"Unless I put my hand into His side, I will not believe," said Thomas on the Day of the Resurrection (John 20:25). This is not merely, nor even primarily, an admission of unbelief, but the very first Apostolic Creed, a confession of the life-giving power of the Body of Christ, and of the necessity of touching Him in the Life of the Church and in Holy Communion.