What are the reflections on John chapter 20 verses 19 to 23?

Answer 1

The bodily appearance of Christ when the disciples were hiding together for fear of the Jewish authorities is significant because in the account He demonstrated to them that He had arisen bodily. and that it was the same body that had been crucified, died, and entombed. Because it was such an amazing event outside of normality that Thomas who was absent, remained unbelieving - just as the other disciples had been previously - until he too saw Christ and touched his wounds just over a week later.

Answer 2

John 20:19-23 is a reasonably faithful copy of Luke 24:36-40, except that in John's Gospel, the disciples receive the Holy Ghost from Jesus. Luke's Gospel does not have this elaboration but instead Acts of the Apostles, by the same author, has the disciples receive the Holy Ghost as tongues of flame, after forty days. It can be assumed that, although the author of John knew Luke's Gospel, he is unlikely to have been familiar with Acts.

A further elaboration in John's version is that Thomas is not present (verse 24) and therefore does not receive the Holy Ghost. Elaine Pagels says that there is an anti-Thomas theme throughout John's Gospel, the intent being to refute the beliefs of Christians who considered themselves followers of Thomas. John's Gospel adds another, parallel scene in the same room, with Thomas present on this occasion. This provides John the opportunity to present Thomas as the famous "doubting Thomas".