My Lord and my God

[Jesus.defender]

John 20:28 ‘Thomas answered and said unto him, “My Lord and my God”.’
Thomas addresses Jesus as ‘My Lord and my God’, thus recognizing Jesus as Jehovah God
the Son. Jesus commended Thomas on his belated acknowledgement of Jesus as God.
Watchtower Teaching: JWs dismiss this verse as a simple record of Thomas’ shock and
surprise at seeing the risen Christ. A modern parallel might be ‘Oh, my God!’

Perhaps Thomas was making an emotional exclamation that was directed to Jehovah God, though spoken to Jesus. (Should you Believe in Trinity, p.29).

Bible Teaching:

a) If Thomas said, ‘My Lord and my God’ as expressing shock or surprise, then he would have been guilty of blasphemy, and of taking God’s name in vain.

First century Jews regarded any careless use of God’s name as blasphemy.

b) If Thomas had taken God’s Name in vain, Jesus clearly would have rebuked him for it.

c) Instead, Jesus commended Thomas for believing that Jesus was both Lord and God. (‘Thomas, because thou hast seen me thou hast believed’ v.29).

If Jesus was only a man or a god, He should have corrected Thomas’ wrong opinion, but Jesus reinforced Thomas’ view here.

d) Thomas wasn’t calling Jesus ‘a god’; he was calling Jesus his Lord and his God. If Jesus was not Almighty God, He would have corrected Thomas by saying something like, ‘No, I am just a god, a lesser god. Jehovah is the only true God. You must not put me in Jehovah’s place. Only Jehovah may be called my Lord and my God.’ But Jesus said no such nonsense. He commended Thomas for recognizing Him as the true God.

If Thomas said ‘My Lord and my God’ as an emotional exclamation of astonishment, as JWs think, then Thomas would be talking to himself.

But v.28 states he was talking to Jesus by using the word ‘him’.
Questions:
1) If Thomas was just expressing surprise, wouldn’t this be taking God’s Name in vain?
2) If Thomas took God’s Name in vain, don’t you think Jesus would have rebuked him?
3) Why do you think that Jesus commended Thomas, instead of rebuking him?
4) What did Thomas believe in John 20:28,29? (Answer: That Jesus was Lord and God).
e) Thomas here quotes Psalm 35:23 which is used of Jehovah: ‘O LORD (Jehovah) . . . my God and my Lord.’
f) When a Hebrew says ‘my God’, he means Jehovah. (Aid to Bible Understanding, p.133,134)
g) The JW KIT on John 20:28 is translated as: ‘The Lord of me and the God of me.’

The JW KIT (1985) calls Jesus in John 20:28 ‘the God (􀂆 􀂉􀁌􀂆􀀽) of me’, a title that JWs reserve only for God.(Theos preceded by the definite article ‘o’).