Brilliant post from Zwinglius Redivivus. Kudos to Michael Barber for pointing this out. It seems that one could give a propter quid account for this, explaining why absence from “the assembly” leads to doubt, but not with a Zwinglian ecclesiology…

Zwinglius Redivivus

The day of Jesus resurrection the disciples (except for Thomas, and Judas of course) were gathered in the same location in which they had eaten the ‘Last Supper’ just a few days before.  Suddenly the risen Jesus appeared and conversed with them.

When Thomas next appears he is told what happened and he doesn’t believe it.  ‘Unless I see the prints in his hands and push my finger in his side, I won’t believe’.

The next week the disciples are again gathered in assembly and this time Thomas is present.  Jesus chides him for disbelieving the testimony of his compatriots and then challenges him to shove his finger in Jesus’ side.  He refuses, and then confesses ‘My Lord and my God’.

Two simple observations may be worth making:

1- Thomas doesn’t assemble with the others and from that decision springs his disbelief.

And

2- When Thomas gathers with the others…

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