John 20 25

John 20:25 kjv

The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the LORD. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.

John 20:25 nkjv

The other disciples therefore said to him, "We have seen the Lord." So he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe."

John 20:25 niv

So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe."

John 20:25 esv

So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe."

John 20:25 nlt

They told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he replied, "I won't believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side."

John 20 verses

John 20 25 Meaning

John 20:25 records the adamant declaration of Thomas, one of Jesus' twelve disciples, concerning his absolute refusal to believe the collective testimony of the other disciples about seeing the resurrected Lord. He demands tangible, empirical proof: to physically see and touch the specific crucifixion wounds—the marks of the nails in Jesus' hands and the spear wound in His side—stating unequivocally that only this direct, physical interaction with the risen Christ will lead him to believe. This verse sets the stage for Jesus' subsequent appearance to Thomas and His profound statement on the nature of faith.

John 20 25 Context

John chapter 20 describes the events of the first Easter Sunday and the subsequent days. Prior to verse 25, Mary Magdalene has encountered the risen Christ, Peter and John have seen the empty tomb, and Jesus has appeared to the gathered disciples in the upper room. Crucially, Thomas was not present during this first appearance (Jn 20:19-20). The other disciples, having witnessed the Lord, enthusiastically convey their joyful news to Thomas. This immediate context highlights the contrast between their experienced faith and Thomas's initial lack of it, setting the scene for his famous declaration of disbelief and the conditions he set for belief. Historically, first-century audiences would be familiar with the finality of crucifixion and the physical reality of death. The concept of bodily resurrection, though prophesied, was revolutionary and met with skepticism, especially among those who anticipated a spiritual, rather than a physical, redemption or held Gnostic-like views where matter was inherently evil. Thomas's demand directly confronts such potential spiritualizations of the resurrection, insisting on its material truth, which was a vital polemic against any docetic tendencies (the belief that Jesus only seemed to have a physical body and did not suffer) prevalent or emerging in the early Christian world.

John 20 25 Word analysis

• So the other disciples: (Greek: Hoi oun mathētai hoi alloi, Οἱ οὖν μαθηταὶ οἱ ἄλλοι). This phrase emphasizes that Thomas's unbelief is set against the collective, shared experience and confident testimony of his peers. It highlights the credible human witness already present.
• told him: The act of telling implies an oral transmission of an extraordinary eyewitness account. Thomas receives this powerful personal testimony from a united group.
• “We have seen the Lord.”: (Greek: Heōrakamen ton Kyrion, Ἑωράκαμεν τὸν Κύριον). An emphatic declaration. The perfect tense "have seen" signifies a completed action with lasting results, denoting their certain knowledge from direct encounter. "The Lord" (Kyrion) is a divine title, acknowledging Jesus' full authority and resurrected status.
• But he said to them: Introduces a strong counter-response, demonstrating Thomas's independent and unwavering stance of disbelief.
• “Unless I see”: (Greek: ean mē idō, ἐὰν μὴ ἴδω). This introduces a strong conditional clause, demanding personal visual evidence. Thomas requires direct, empirical verification, rejecting secondhand accounts.
• “in his hands”: Specifies the location of the crucifixion wounds. Hands, or often more accurately the wrists, were pierced during crucifixion.
• “the mark of the nails”: (Greek: ton typon tōn hēlōn, τὸν τῦπον τῶν ἥλων). Typon refers to an impression, a stamp, a mark, or a scar. It means the distinct, identifiable imprint left by the nails. The plural "nails" (hēlōn) indicates more than one nail was used, consistent with multiple nail usage in crucifixion or possibly implying two hands.
• “and place my finger into the mark of the nails”: Thomas escalates his demand from mere visual confirmation to physical, tactile investigation. This requires not just seeing the scars but probing them, an act of intense, intrusive verification.
• “and place my hand into his side”: (Greek: balō mou tēn cheira eis tēn pleuran, βάλω μου τὴν χεῖρα εἰς τὴν πλευρὰν). This refers to the specific spear wound inflicted upon Jesus after His death (Jn 19:34). It demands an even more invasive physical examination, affirming the true humanity and the reality of His suffering and death, not merely an apparition.
• “I will never believe.”: (Greek: ou mē pisteusō, οὐ μὴ πιστεύσω). This is the strongest form of negation in the Greek language, an emphatic double negative. It conveys absolute refusal. Thomas is declaring an unshakable resolve not to believe without this specific, direct, tangible, and personal proof. The term "believe" (pisteuō) is central to John's Gospel, often meaning trust, commit, and have faith. Here, it implies an absolute rejection of the others' testimony leading to conviction.

John 20 25 Bonus section

The story of Thomas, often labeled "Doubting Thomas" due to this verse, paradoxically emphasizes the strong foundation of the Christian faith. His demanding nature ensures that the subsequent encounter provides an undeniable and verifiable account of the physical resurrection. Early Church traditions, not explicitly stated in the Bible but widely accepted, suggest that Thomas later became a bold missionary, even traveling to India, possibly reflecting a transformation from extreme doubt to extreme conviction. This incident underscores that Jesus is patient with and compassionate towards genuine human skepticism, meeting individuals where they are and providing the evidence they need, not always in the way they expect, but sufficiently. It serves as an encouragement that doubt, when honest and seeking truth, can be a pathway to deeper faith and not necessarily an obstacle. The lingering wounds in Jesus' glorified body serve as perpetual reminders of His atoning sacrifice, demonstrating that even in victory, He bore the marks of His love for humanity.

John 20 25 Commentary

John 20:25 stands as a profound testament to the human struggle with doubt, particularly in the face of the miraculous. Thomas's unyielding demand for physical proof of the resurrection, specifically by interacting with Jesus' crucifixion wounds, reveals his deeply skeptical yet honest nature. This detailed requirement of "seeing the mark of the nails" and "placing his hand into his side" signifies a desire to confirm that the person who rose was indeed the very same Christ who suffered and died. His emphatic refusal to believe otherwise highlights the radical nature of the resurrection claim—it defied all natural expectation and precedent. Yet, the inclusion of Thomas's doubt serves a crucial theological purpose in John's Gospel. It validates the physicality of Jesus' resurrected body, pushing back against early heresies that might have argued for a spiritual-only or phantom-like resurrection. By presenting Jesus willing to accommodate Thomas's exact demands in the subsequent verses, the narrative powerfully affirms the tangible reality of the risen Christ. This episode ensures that the resurrection is understood as a bodily one, where the same person, though glorified, retains the evidence of His atoning suffering, making the sacrifice undeniably real and its triumph truly transformative. This moment teaches that while faith is ultimately "things not seen," God, in His mercy, sometimes meets honest doubt with tangible grace, leading to a deeper, more personal conviction.