April 11, 2025
Matthew and Thomas
We continue with our series on several of the more notable Apostles, as described in paper 139 of the Urantia Book.
We learn about the diverse backgrounda and personality of Matthew Levi, and his fellow Apostle Thomas Dydimus; what made these men tick, what was their family life like, and how did Jesus appeal to them?
Many readers relate to one or more of the Apostles, perhaps there are qualities in these two men that will touch your heart.
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Well, it's another day at
Urantia Radio, and I sure am
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glad that you decided to check
it out.
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And as you know, in the
preceding episodes, we've been
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taking a look at the Apostles 2
by 2.
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I don't know if we'll go through
all of them.
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I'm wanting more just to convey
the message that for a lot of
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people who were introduced to
the Urantia book, a really good
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place to start, especially if
you have any kind of Christian
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upbringing, are the papers
depicting the 12 apostles.
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And that would be in Part 4,
paper 139.
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And it is a great read and it's
inspiring and you learn a lot
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and you walk around in your head
thinking about these guys and
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then what their relationship was
with Jesus as he walked the
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earth.
And the character descriptions
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of each of these apostles is
very much in depth.
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And, and it's it's, it's a great
read.
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It's just an inspiring read.
So we're going to continue with
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Matthew and Thomas in this
edition.
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And then also I want to share a
very interesting and ennobling
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letter that was submitted to the
Mini Messenger.
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If you subscribe to the Mini
Messenger over at the
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association, I think it is and I
want to share with you and it
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has to do with Marancha Mota and
just an interesting take by the
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author.
So we'll get to that, all of
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that coming up.
And then also the Urantia Book
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School is just around the
corner.
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So once again, it is time to go
back to school.
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And of course, the Ranchi
Foundation offers free online
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courses from UBIS and it starts
on April 21st to kind of an
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appropriate day, huh?
That's when they start
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registering.
So you can go online and you can
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register for class and you have
all these different courses that
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you could take.
And other people from around the
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world are also participating.
And it's a reading and it's a
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writing exercise.
And they have a moderator who
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guides everyone along.
And it's a very nice, nice thing
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to do for yourself.
And again, it's, it's, it's a
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way of studying the book in a
social setting and at a very
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good pace, which is very
important because we're all very
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busy in these days.
And again, registration opens
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after Monday, April 21st.
And then of course, the
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scientific symposium, there's
only a few more days left.
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I think Tuesday is the cutoff if
you want to make a presentation.
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And the symposium is going to be
in Chicago.
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And they do this annually and
that'll be on November 6th.
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And those are the two big events
coming up in the Urancha world.
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So let's get to Matthew Levi and
Thomas in just a second here.
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We'll take a quick break for the
sponsors and then we'll be
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talking about the apostles and,
and their story.
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Matthew Levi.
It's funny, we have a, a shelter
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in town and they, they get a lot
of publicity because they do a
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lot to feed the children and
clothe young people, people that
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are in poverty, impoverished
families.
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And I, and after reading Matthew
Levi recently and I made the
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connection of how house it's a
place of charity.
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And when you read about Matthew,
you'll better understand that.
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So we'll take a quick break and
continue on the Rancho Radio
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podcast.
Matthew, the 7th apostle was
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chosen by Andrew.
Matthew belonged to a family of
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tax gatherers or Republicans,
but was himself a customs
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collector in Capernaum, where he
lived.
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He was 31 years old and married
and had four children.
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He was a man of moderate wealth,
the only one of any means
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belonging to the Apostolic Core.
He was a good businessman, a
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good social mixer, and was
gifted with the ability to make
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friends and to get along
smoothly with a great variety of
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people.
Andrew appointed Matthew the
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financial representative of the
Apostles.
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In a way, he was the fiscal
agent and publicity spokesman
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for the Apostolic organization.
He was a keen judge of human
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nature and a very efficient
propagandist.
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His is a personality difficult
to visualize, but he was a very
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earnest disciple and an
increasing believer in the
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mission of Jesus and in the
certainty of the Kingdom.
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Jesus never gave Levi a
nickname, but his fellow
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apostles commonly referred to
him as the money getter.
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Levi's strong point was his
wholehearted devotion to the
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cause.
That he, a publican, had been
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taken in by Jesus and his
apostles was a cause for
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overwhelming gratitude on the
part of the former revenue
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director.
However, it required some little
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time for the rest of the
apostles, especially Simon
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Zealots and Judas Iscariot, to
become reconciled to the
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publicans presence in their
midst.
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Matthew's weakness was his short
sighted and materialistic
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viewpoint of life, but in all of
these matters he made great
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progress.
As the months went by.
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He of course had to be absent
from many of the most precious
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seasons of instruction as it was
his duty to keep the treasury
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replenished.
It was the masters forgiving
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disposition which Matthew most
appreciated.
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He would never cease to recount
that faith only was necessary
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for the business of finding God.
He always liked to speak of the
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Kingdom as this business of
finding God.
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Though Matthew was a man with a
past, he gave an excellent
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account of himself, and as time
went on, his associates became
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proud of the publican's
performances.
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He was one of the apostles who
made extensive notes on the
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sayings of Jesus, and these
notes were used as the basis of
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Izidor's subsequent narrative of
the sayings and doings of Jesus,
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which has become known as the
Gospel according to Matthew.
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The great and useful life of
Matthew, the businessman and
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customs collector of Capernaum,
had been the means of leading
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thousands upon other
businessmen, public officials
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and politicians down through the
subsequent ages.
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Also to heed the engaging voice
of the Master saying, Follow me.
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Matthew really was a shrewd
politician, but he was intensely
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loyal to Jesus and supremely
devoted to the task of seeing
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that the messages of the coming
Kingdom were adequately
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financed.
The presence of Matthew among
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the 12 was the means of keeping
the doors of the Kingdom wide
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open to hosts of downhearted and
outcast souls who had regarded
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themselves as long since without
the bounds of religious
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consolation.
Outcast and despairing men and
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women flock to hear Jesus, and
he never turned 1 away.
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You know, there is sort of A and
especially in today's modern
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world, many people that are part
of the world of industry and
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they're busy and they're working
their, you know, tails off to
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make ends meet and succeed.
And sometimes when you are so
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focused on that you forget
about, you know, the, the
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spiritual aspects and the, and
the long term meaning of what
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you do and what you achieve.
And I think in drawing this
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Matthew, he drew one from that
kind of mindset.
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People who are just always
obsessed with working and
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making, making it go.
And I, I think, you know,
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tradesmen, financiers, bankers,
people in high real estate and,
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and here is a case where one of
them was attracted to the
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teachings of Jesus.
And, and, and Matthew's legacy
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is that he sort of made that an
agreeable thing for people to be
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religious and be successful at
the same time in their material
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life.
And that's what Matthew has
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brought to the table.
Continuing on, Matthew received
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freely tendered offerings from
believing disciples and the
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immediate auditors of the
Master's teachings, but he never
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openly solicited funds from the
multitudes.
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He did all of his financial work
in a quiet and personal way, and
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raised most of the money among
the more abundant of the more
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substantial class of interested
believers.
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He gave practically the whole of
his modest fortune to the work
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of the Master and his apostles,
but they never knew of his
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generosity, save Jesus, who knew
all about it.
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Matthew hesitated openly to
contribute to the Apostolic fund
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for fear that Jesus and his
associates might regard his
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money as being tainted.
So he gave much in the name of
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others or other believers.
During the earlier months, when
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Matthew knew his presence among
them was more or less a trial,
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he was strongly tempted to let
them know that his funds often
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supplied them with their daily
bread, but he did not yield.
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When evidence of the disdain of
the publican would become
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manifest, Levi would would burn
to reveal to them his
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generosity, but always he
managed to keep still.
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That says a lot about his his
self-discipline.
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He could brag and tell him,
well, look, I'm the one that
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made all of this possible.
But he didn't yield to that
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temptation.
That's a man of strong
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character.
When the funds for the week were
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short of the estimated
requirements, Levi would often
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draw heavily upon his own
personal resources.
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Also, sometimes when he became
greatly interested in Jesus's
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teachings, he preferred to
remain and hear the instruction,
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even though he knew he must
personally make up for his
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failure to solicit the necessary
funds.
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But Levi did so wish that Jesus
might know that much of the
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money came from his pocket.
He little realized that the
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Master knew all along about it.
The apostles all died without
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knowing that Matthew was their
benefactor, to such an extent
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that when he went forth to
proclaim the Gospel of the
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Kingdom after the beginning of
the persecutions, he was
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practically penniless.
When these persecutions caused
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the believers to forsake
Jerusalem, Matthew journeyed N
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preaching the Gospel, the
Kingdom, and baptizing
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believers.
He was lost to the knowledge of
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his former Apostolic
associations, but on he went,
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preaching and baptizing through
Syria, Cappadocia, Galatia,
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Bithynia, and Thrace.
And it was in Thrace at
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Lysimachia that certain
unbelieving Jews conspired with
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the Roman soldiers to encompass
his death and this regenerated
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public, and died triumphant in
the faith of salvation.
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He had so surely learned from
the teachings of the Master
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during his recent sojourn on
earth.
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Thomas was the 8th apostle, and
he was chosen by Philip.
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In later times he had become
known as Doubting Thomas, but
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his fellow apostles hardly
looked upon him as a chronic
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doubter.
True, he was a logical,
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skeptical kind of mine, but he
had a form of courageous loyalty
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which forbade those who knew him
intimately to regard him as a
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trifling skeptic.
When Thomas joined the apostles,
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he was 29 years old, was
married, and had four children.
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Formerly he had been a Carpenter
in stonemason, but latterly he
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had become a fisherman and
resided at Terekia, situate on
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the West Bank of the Jordan,
where it flows out to the Sea of
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Galilee, and he was regarded as
the leading citizen of this
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little village.
He had little education, but he
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possessed a keen reasoning mind,
and was the son of excellent
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parents who lived in Tiberius.
Thomas had the one truly
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analytical mind of the 12.
He was the real scientist of the
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Apostolic group.
The early home of life Thomas
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had been unfortunate.
His parents were not altogether
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happy in their married life, and
this was reflected in Thomas's
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adult experience.
He grew up having a very
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disagreeable and quarrelsome
disposition.
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Even his wife was glad to see
him join the apostles.
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She was relieved by the thought
that her pessimistic husband
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would be away from home most of
the time.
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Thomas also had a streak of
suspicion which made it very
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difficult to get along peaceably
with him.
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Peter was very much upset by
Thomas at first, complaining to
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his brother Andrew that Thomas
was mean, ugly and always
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suspicious.
But the better his associates
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knew Thomas, the more they liked
him.
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They found he was superbly
honest and unflinchingly loyal.
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He was perfectly sincere and
unquestionably truthful.
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But he was a natural born fault
Finder and had grown up to
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become a real pessimist.
His analytical mind had become
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cursed with suspicion.
He was rapidly losing faith in
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his fellow mortal men when he
became associated with the 12
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and thus came in contact with
the noble character of Jesus.
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This association with the Master
began at once to transform
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Thomas's whole disposition and
to affect great changes in his
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mental reactions to his fellow
men.
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Thomas's great strength was his
superb analytical mind, coupled
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with his unflinching courage
when he had once made-up his
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mind.
His great weakness was his
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suspicious doubting, which he
never fully overcame throughout
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00:13:56,320 --> 00:14:00,000
his whole lifetime in the flesh.
In the organization of the 12,
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Thomas was assigned to arrange
and manage the itinerary, and he
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00:14:04,240 --> 00:14:08,120
was an able director of the work
and movements of the Apostolic
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00:14:08,120 --> 00:14:10,520
Group.
He was a good executive and
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excellent businessman.
He was handicapped by his many
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moods.
He was one man one day and
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another man the next.
He was inclined toward
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00:14:19,160 --> 00:14:23,320
melancholic brooding when he
joined the apostles, but contact
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00:14:23,320 --> 00:14:27,280
with Jesus and the apostles
largely cured him of this morbid
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00:14:27,280 --> 00:14:31,320
introspection.
Jesus enjoyed Thomas very much
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and had many long personal talks
with him.
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His presence among the apostles
was a great comfort to all
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00:14:37,760 --> 00:14:41,480
honest doubters and encouraged
many troubled minds to come into
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00:14:41,480 --> 00:14:45,520
the Kingdom, even if they could
not wholly understand everything
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00:14:45,520 --> 00:14:48,400
about the spiritual and
philosophic phases of the
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teachings of Jesus.
Thomas's membership in the 12
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00:14:52,360 --> 00:14:56,560
was a standing declaration that
Jesus loved even honest
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00:14:56,560 --> 00:15:00,480
doubters.
The other apostles held Jesus in
243
00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:04,480
reverence because of some
special and outstanding trait of
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his replete personality, but
Thomas revered his master
245
00:15:08,040 --> 00:15:10,480
because of his superbly balanced
character.
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00:15:10,960 --> 00:15:15,840
Increasingly Thomas admired and
honored one who was so lovingly
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00:15:15,840 --> 00:15:19,080
merciful, yet so inflexibly,
just and fair.
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00:15:19,600 --> 00:15:24,360
So firm but never obstinate, so
calm but never indifferent, so
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00:15:24,360 --> 00:15:29,040
helpful and so sympathetic, but
never meddlesome or dictatorial.
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00:15:29,520 --> 00:15:34,080
So strong but at the same time
so gentle, so positive, but
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never rough or rude, so tender
but never vacillating.
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00:15:38,360 --> 00:15:42,600
So pure and innocent, but at the
same time so virile, aggressive
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00:15:42,600 --> 00:15:46,160
and forceful.
So truly courageous, but never
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00:15:46,160 --> 00:15:49,920
rash or foolhardy.
Such a lover of nature, but so
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00:15:49,920 --> 00:15:52,880
free from all tendency to Revere
nature.
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00:15:53,520 --> 00:15:57,360
So humorous and so playful, but
so free from levity and
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00:15:57,360 --> 00:16:00,720
frivolity.
It was this matchless symmetry
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00:16:00,720 --> 00:16:03,520
of personality that so charmed
Thomas.
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00:16:04,200 --> 00:16:07,600
He probably enjoyed the highest
intellectual understanding and
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00:16:07,600 --> 00:16:12,480
personality appreciation of
Jesus of any of the 12 in the
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00:16:12,480 --> 00:16:15,400
councils of the 12.
Thomas was always cautious,
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00:16:15,760 --> 00:16:18,320
advocating a policy of safety
first.
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00:16:18,720 --> 00:16:23,320
But if his conservatism was
voted down or overruled, he was
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00:16:23,320 --> 00:16:26,840
always the first fearlessly to
move out in execution of the
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00:16:26,840 --> 00:16:30,760
program decided upon.
Again and again he would stand
266
00:16:30,760 --> 00:16:33,800
out against some project as
being foolhardy and
267
00:16:33,800 --> 00:16:37,440
presumptuous, but he would
debate to the bitter end.
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00:16:37,640 --> 00:16:41,440
But when Andrew would put the
proposition to a vote, and after
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00:16:41,440 --> 00:16:45,280
the 12 would elect to do that
which he had so strenuously
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00:16:45,280 --> 00:16:48,880
opposed, Thomas was the first to
say, let's go.
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00:16:49,720 --> 00:16:53,080
He was a good loser.
He did not hold grudges nor
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00:16:53,080 --> 00:16:57,400
nurse wounded feelings.
Time and again did he oppose
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00:16:57,400 --> 00:16:59,640
letting Jesus expose himself to
danger.
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00:17:00,040 --> 00:17:03,520
But when the Master would decide
to take such risks, always was
275
00:17:03,520 --> 00:17:06,800
it Thomas who rallied the
apostles with his courageous
276
00:17:06,800 --> 00:17:09,599
words.
Come on, comrades, let's go and
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00:17:09,599 --> 00:17:13,000
die with him.
Thomas was in some respect like
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00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:15,760
Philip.
He also wanted to be shown.
279
00:17:16,119 --> 00:17:19,640
But his outward expressions of
doubt were based on entirely
280
00:17:19,640 --> 00:17:21,520
different intellectual
operations.
281
00:17:21,960 --> 00:17:25,119
Thomas was analytical, not
merely skeptical.
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00:17:25,680 --> 00:17:29,240
As far as personal physical,
physical courage was concerned,
283
00:17:29,560 --> 00:17:31,720
he was one of the bravest among
the 12.
284
00:17:32,800 --> 00:17:35,240
Thomas also had some very bad
days.
285
00:17:35,640 --> 00:17:37,760
He was blue and downcast at
times.
286
00:17:38,120 --> 00:17:41,320
The loss of his twin sister when
he was nine years old had
287
00:17:41,320 --> 00:17:45,400
occasioned him much youthful
sorrow and had added to his
288
00:17:45,400 --> 00:17:49,680
temperamental problems of later
life when Thomas would become
289
00:17:49,680 --> 00:17:52,640
despondent.
Sometimes it was Nathaniel who
290
00:17:52,640 --> 00:17:56,320
helped him to recover, sometimes
Peter and not hit, frequently
291
00:17:56,320 --> 00:17:59,800
one of the Alpheus twins when he
was most depressed.
292
00:17:59,800 --> 00:18:02,840
Unfortunately, he always tried
to avoid coming in direct
293
00:18:02,840 --> 00:18:07,080
contact with Jesus, but the
Master knew all about this and
294
00:18:07,080 --> 00:18:11,560
had an understanding sympathy
for his apostle when he was thus
295
00:18:11,560 --> 00:18:14,800
afflicted with depression and
harassed by doubts.
296
00:18:15,480 --> 00:18:19,320
Sometimes Thomas would go get
permission from Andrew to go off
297
00:18:19,320 --> 00:18:22,800
by himself for a day or two, but
he soon learned that such a
298
00:18:22,800 --> 00:18:26,040
course was not wise.
He early found that it was best
299
00:18:26,040 --> 00:18:29,920
when he was downhearted to stick
close to his work and to remain
300
00:18:29,920 --> 00:18:33,080
near his associates.
But no matter what happened in
301
00:18:33,080 --> 00:18:36,360
his emotional life, he kept
right on being an apostle.
302
00:18:36,760 --> 00:18:40,440
When the time actually came to
move forward, it was always
303
00:18:40,440 --> 00:18:44,680
Thomas who said, let's go.
Thomas is the great example of a
304
00:18:44,680 --> 00:18:48,080
human being who has doubts,
faces them, and wins.
305
00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:51,120
He had a great mind.
He was no carping critic.
306
00:18:52,080 --> 00:18:55,720
He was a logical thinker.
He was the acid test of Jesus
307
00:18:55,720 --> 00:19:00,160
and his fellow apostles.
If Jesus and his work had not
308
00:19:00,160 --> 00:19:04,040
been genuine, it could not have
held a man like Thomas from the
309
00:19:04,040 --> 00:19:07,880
start to the finish.
He had a keen and sure sense of
310
00:19:07,880 --> 00:19:10,640
fact.
At the first appearance of fraud
311
00:19:10,640 --> 00:19:13,880
or deception, Thomas would have
forsaken them all.
312
00:19:15,120 --> 00:19:18,600
Scientists may not fully
understand all about Jesus and
313
00:19:18,600 --> 00:19:21,920
his work on earth, but there
lived and worked with the Master
314
00:19:21,920 --> 00:19:25,960
and his human associates.
A man whose mind was that of a
315
00:19:25,960 --> 00:19:30,320
true scientist, Thomas Didymus,
and he believed in Jesus
316
00:19:30,320 --> 00:19:38,080
Nazareth.
Thomas had a trying time during
317
00:19:38,080 --> 00:19:40,160
the days of the trial and
crucifixion.
318
00:19:40,640 --> 00:19:43,760
He was for a season in the
depths of despair, but he
319
00:19:43,760 --> 00:19:47,600
rallied his courage, stuck to
the apostles, and was present
320
00:19:47,960 --> 00:19:51,120
with them to welcome Jesus on
the Sea of Galilee.
321
00:19:51,960 --> 00:19:55,320
For a while he succumbed to his
doubting depression, but
322
00:19:55,320 --> 00:19:57,800
eventually rallied his faith and
courage.
323
00:19:58,440 --> 00:20:02,640
He gave wise counsel to the
apostles after Pentecost, and
324
00:20:02,640 --> 00:20:06,960
when persecution scattered, the
believers went to Cyprus, Crete,
325
00:20:07,280 --> 00:20:10,280
the North African coast and
Sicily, preaching the glad
326
00:20:10,280 --> 00:20:13,440
tidings of the Kingdom and
baptizing believers.
327
00:20:14,040 --> 00:20:17,560
And Thomas continued preaching
and baptizing until he was
328
00:20:17,560 --> 00:20:21,240
apprehended by the agents of the
Roman government and was put to
329
00:20:21,240 --> 00:20:24,480
death in Malta.
Just a few weeks before his
330
00:20:24,480 --> 00:20:28,320
death he had begun the writings
of the life and teachings of
331
00:20:28,320 --> 00:20:44,120
Jesus.
And so there you have two
332
00:20:44,120 --> 00:20:48,600
stories of two men who had their
lives completely changed by
333
00:20:49,200 --> 00:20:51,840
their meeting and getting to
know the Son of Man.
334
00:20:52,520 --> 00:20:55,760
And they faithfully served their
their role.
335
00:20:55,760 --> 00:21:01,560
They took Jesus's words and, and
his deeds and what they learned
336
00:21:01,560 --> 00:21:03,640
of the man and the relationship
that they had.
337
00:21:04,040 --> 00:21:06,320
And they went out and spread the
gospel of the Kingdom.
338
00:21:06,320 --> 00:21:11,000
And it were not for the unseen
friends that compose the 4th
339
00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:14,080
part of the Urantia book and the
Revelation we would never know
340
00:21:14,640 --> 00:21:18,000
about these very unique men.
I think that's one of the
341
00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:21,680
reasons why having known these
names all of our lives and have
342
00:21:21,680 --> 00:21:25,240
having heard about them or heard
them quoted in Scripture.
343
00:21:25,240 --> 00:21:29,320
But to actually know, for
example, that Thomas had a twin
344
00:21:29,320 --> 00:21:32,160
sister, there's nowhere in
history where that is stated.
345
00:21:32,160 --> 00:21:36,080
But it would explain some of his
downcast moods that we do know
346
00:21:36,080 --> 00:21:39,520
about.
And Matthew having the the bad
347
00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:43,480
reputation of being a publican
and knowing secretly that he was
348
00:21:43,480 --> 00:21:47,280
funding many of the the
activities behind the scenes.
349
00:21:47,280 --> 00:21:48,880
The apostles were not even
aware.
350
00:21:49,280 --> 00:21:53,080
Taking his own money and making
sure to keep the program going
351
00:21:53,440 --> 00:21:56,640
for the the public teaching and
the preaching of Jesus and these
352
00:21:56,640 --> 00:22:00,560
12 men who dedicated their lives
to following this man and
353
00:22:00,560 --> 00:22:02,560
teaching his gospel to the rest
of the world.
354
00:22:03,040 --> 00:22:08,240
So truly a remarkable series and
a great example of the the
355
00:22:08,360 --> 00:22:13,200
craftsmanship and the literary
beauty of the Urantia book and
356
00:22:13,200 --> 00:22:16,280
and the Urantia papers.
So Speaking of which, we're
357
00:22:16,280 --> 00:22:19,520
going to take a quick break and
move on to the next episode.
358
00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:23,680
And it we're going to explore a
wonderful letter that was
359
00:22:23,680 --> 00:22:28,560
submitted to the mini messenger
that you may get in your inbox
360
00:22:28,560 --> 00:22:31,280
from time to time.
And this one has to do with
361
00:22:31,640 --> 00:22:35,080
Marancha Moda.
And if you're not familiar with
362
00:22:35,080 --> 00:22:36,920
it, we'll go over it in the next
segment.
363
00:22:36,920 --> 00:22:40,040
So for for now, thank you.
And if you've got questions or
364
00:22:40,040 --> 00:22:43,560
comments, don't forget you can
always reach out to us a couple
365
00:22:43,560 --> 00:22:45,920
of different ways.
You can e-mail us at your
366
00:22:45,920 --> 00:22:50,400
rancherbookradio@gmail.com or
you can go online to
367
00:22:50,640 --> 00:22:55,360
yourrancherradio.org.
And there is actually a comment
368
00:22:55,360 --> 00:22:57,800
field and you can either write
or you can actually record
369
00:22:57,800 --> 00:23:00,440
something if you want to.
And I'll be sure to get that
370
00:23:00,440 --> 00:23:02,480
message.
And again, thank you for joining
371
00:23:02,480 --> 00:23:05,400
me on this edition of the
Urantia Radio Podcast.
00:00:00,440 --> 00:00:03,360
Well, it's another day at
Urantia Radio, and I sure am
2
00:00:03,360 --> 00:00:05,600
glad that you decided to check
it out.
3
00:00:05,600 --> 00:00:08,840
And as you know, in the
preceding episodes, we've been
4
00:00:08,840 --> 00:00:12,240
taking a look at the Apostles 2
by 2.
5
00:00:12,600 --> 00:00:14,520
I don't know if we'll go through
all of them.
6
00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:18,240
I'm wanting more just to convey
the message that for a lot of
7
00:00:18,240 --> 00:00:20,640
people who were introduced to
the Urantia book, a really good
8
00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:23,600
place to start, especially if
you have any kind of Christian
9
00:00:23,600 --> 00:00:27,120
upbringing, are the papers
depicting the 12 apostles.
10
00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:30,560
And that would be in Part 4,
paper 139.
11
00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:33,840
And it is a great read and it's
inspiring and you learn a lot
12
00:00:33,840 --> 00:00:37,280
and you walk around in your head
thinking about these guys and
13
00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:40,880
then what their relationship was
with Jesus as he walked the
14
00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:44,480
earth.
And the character descriptions
15
00:00:44,480 --> 00:00:47,480
of each of these apostles is
very much in depth.
16
00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:50,560
And, and it's it's, it's a great
read.
17
00:00:50,560 --> 00:00:52,920
It's just an inspiring read.
So we're going to continue with
18
00:00:52,920 --> 00:00:56,240
Matthew and Thomas in this
edition.
19
00:00:56,920 --> 00:01:01,480
And then also I want to share a
very interesting and ennobling
20
00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:04,160
letter that was submitted to the
Mini Messenger.
21
00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:06,640
If you subscribe to the Mini
Messenger over at the
22
00:01:06,640 --> 00:01:09,480
association, I think it is and I
want to share with you and it
23
00:01:09,480 --> 00:01:14,080
has to do with Marancha Mota and
just an interesting take by the
24
00:01:14,080 --> 00:01:15,680
author.
So we'll get to that, all of
25
00:01:15,680 --> 00:01:18,560
that coming up.
And then also the Urantia Book
26
00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:21,000
School is just around the
corner.
27
00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:24,520
So once again, it is time to go
back to school.
28
00:01:24,840 --> 00:01:27,720
And of course, the Ranchi
Foundation offers free online
29
00:01:27,720 --> 00:01:32,840
courses from UBIS and it starts
on April 21st to kind of an
30
00:01:32,840 --> 00:01:35,080
appropriate day, huh?
That's when they start
31
00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:38,000
registering.
So you can go online and you can
32
00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:42,160
register for class and you have
all these different courses that
33
00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:44,800
you could take.
And other people from around the
34
00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:48,440
world are also participating.
And it's a reading and it's a
35
00:01:48,440 --> 00:01:51,520
writing exercise.
And they have a moderator who
36
00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:56,080
guides everyone along.
And it's a very nice, nice thing
37
00:01:56,080 --> 00:01:58,600
to do for yourself.
And again, it's, it's, it's a
38
00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:02,480
way of studying the book in a
social setting and at a very
39
00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:05,320
good pace, which is very
important because we're all very
40
00:02:05,320 --> 00:02:08,120
busy in these days.
And again, registration opens
41
00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:11,560
after Monday, April 21st.
And then of course, the
42
00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:14,840
scientific symposium, there's
only a few more days left.
43
00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:18,640
I think Tuesday is the cutoff if
you want to make a presentation.
44
00:02:18,960 --> 00:02:21,400
And the symposium is going to be
in Chicago.
45
00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:24,960
And they do this annually and
that'll be on November 6th.
46
00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:28,440
And those are the two big events
coming up in the Urancha world.
47
00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:33,240
So let's get to Matthew Levi and
Thomas in just a second here.
48
00:02:33,240 --> 00:02:36,680
We'll take a quick break for the
sponsors and then we'll be
49
00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:39,160
talking about the apostles and,
and their story.
50
00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:42,720
Matthew Levi.
It's funny, we have a, a shelter
51
00:02:42,720 --> 00:02:47,240
in town and they, they get a lot
of publicity because they do a
52
00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:51,520
lot to feed the children and
clothe young people, people that
53
00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:53,160
are in poverty, impoverished
families.
54
00:02:53,440 --> 00:02:57,800
And I, and after reading Matthew
Levi recently and I made the
55
00:02:57,800 --> 00:03:02,080
connection of how house it's a
place of charity.
56
00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:05,200
And when you read about Matthew,
you'll better understand that.
57
00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:08,520
So we'll take a quick break and
continue on the Rancho Radio
58
00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:26,640
podcast.
Matthew, the 7th apostle was
59
00:03:26,640 --> 00:03:30,000
chosen by Andrew.
Matthew belonged to a family of
60
00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:33,720
tax gatherers or Republicans,
but was himself a customs
61
00:03:33,720 --> 00:03:36,360
collector in Capernaum, where he
lived.
62
00:03:36,720 --> 00:03:39,840
He was 31 years old and married
and had four children.
63
00:03:40,360 --> 00:03:44,280
He was a man of moderate wealth,
the only one of any means
64
00:03:44,280 --> 00:03:48,800
belonging to the Apostolic Core.
He was a good businessman, a
65
00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:52,560
good social mixer, and was
gifted with the ability to make
66
00:03:52,560 --> 00:03:55,720
friends and to get along
smoothly with a great variety of
67
00:03:55,720 --> 00:03:58,880
people.
Andrew appointed Matthew the
68
00:03:58,880 --> 00:04:01,080
financial representative of the
Apostles.
69
00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:05,080
In a way, he was the fiscal
agent and publicity spokesman
70
00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:09,720
for the Apostolic organization.
He was a keen judge of human
71
00:04:09,720 --> 00:04:12,880
nature and a very efficient
propagandist.
72
00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:18,000
His is a personality difficult
to visualize, but he was a very
73
00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:21,360
earnest disciple and an
increasing believer in the
74
00:04:21,360 --> 00:04:24,720
mission of Jesus and in the
certainty of the Kingdom.
75
00:04:25,360 --> 00:04:28,440
Jesus never gave Levi a
nickname, but his fellow
76
00:04:28,440 --> 00:04:31,960
apostles commonly referred to
him as the money getter.
77
00:04:33,240 --> 00:04:37,360
Levi's strong point was his
wholehearted devotion to the
78
00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:40,240
cause.
That he, a publican, had been
79
00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:43,600
taken in by Jesus and his
apostles was a cause for
80
00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:47,000
overwhelming gratitude on the
part of the former revenue
81
00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:49,840
director.
However, it required some little
82
00:04:49,840 --> 00:04:52,720
time for the rest of the
apostles, especially Simon
83
00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:56,200
Zealots and Judas Iscariot, to
become reconciled to the
84
00:04:56,200 --> 00:04:58,600
publicans presence in their
midst.
85
00:04:59,160 --> 00:05:02,760
Matthew's weakness was his short
sighted and materialistic
86
00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:06,040
viewpoint of life, but in all of
these matters he made great
87
00:05:06,040 --> 00:05:08,800
progress.
As the months went by.
88
00:05:09,080 --> 00:05:13,160
He of course had to be absent
from many of the most precious
89
00:05:13,160 --> 00:05:17,240
seasons of instruction as it was
his duty to keep the treasury
90
00:05:17,280 --> 00:05:20,000
replenished.
It was the masters forgiving
91
00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:22,760
disposition which Matthew most
appreciated.
92
00:05:23,160 --> 00:05:26,840
He would never cease to recount
that faith only was necessary
93
00:05:26,840 --> 00:05:30,520
for the business of finding God.
He always liked to speak of the
94
00:05:30,520 --> 00:05:33,600
Kingdom as this business of
finding God.
95
00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:37,080
Though Matthew was a man with a
past, he gave an excellent
96
00:05:37,080 --> 00:05:40,840
account of himself, and as time
went on, his associates became
97
00:05:40,840 --> 00:05:43,680
proud of the publican's
performances.
98
00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:47,600
He was one of the apostles who
made extensive notes on the
99
00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:52,120
sayings of Jesus, and these
notes were used as the basis of
100
00:05:52,120 --> 00:05:55,920
Izidor's subsequent narrative of
the sayings and doings of Jesus,
101
00:05:56,360 --> 00:05:59,920
which has become known as the
Gospel according to Matthew.
102
00:06:00,520 --> 00:06:04,080
The great and useful life of
Matthew, the businessman and
103
00:06:04,080 --> 00:06:08,360
customs collector of Capernaum,
had been the means of leading
104
00:06:08,360 --> 00:06:11,600
thousands upon other
businessmen, public officials
105
00:06:11,920 --> 00:06:15,360
and politicians down through the
subsequent ages.
106
00:06:15,720 --> 00:06:21,120
Also to heed the engaging voice
of the Master saying, Follow me.
107
00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:25,360
Matthew really was a shrewd
politician, but he was intensely
108
00:06:25,360 --> 00:06:29,360
loyal to Jesus and supremely
devoted to the task of seeing
109
00:06:29,600 --> 00:06:32,520
that the messages of the coming
Kingdom were adequately
110
00:06:32,520 --> 00:06:35,960
financed.
The presence of Matthew among
111
00:06:35,960 --> 00:06:40,160
the 12 was the means of keeping
the doors of the Kingdom wide
112
00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:45,280
open to hosts of downhearted and
outcast souls who had regarded
113
00:06:45,280 --> 00:06:49,520
themselves as long since without
the bounds of religious
114
00:06:49,520 --> 00:06:53,280
consolation.
Outcast and despairing men and
115
00:06:53,280 --> 00:06:57,360
women flock to hear Jesus, and
he never turned 1 away.
116
00:06:58,040 --> 00:07:01,680
You know, there is sort of A and
especially in today's modern
117
00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:07,440
world, many people that are part
of the world of industry and
118
00:07:07,440 --> 00:07:10,440
they're busy and they're working
their, you know, tails off to
119
00:07:10,520 --> 00:07:15,120
make ends meet and succeed.
And sometimes when you are so
120
00:07:15,120 --> 00:07:18,240
focused on that you forget
about, you know, the, the
121
00:07:18,240 --> 00:07:22,720
spiritual aspects and the, and
the long term meaning of what
122
00:07:22,720 --> 00:07:27,080
you do and what you achieve.
And I think in drawing this
123
00:07:27,080 --> 00:07:30,960
Matthew, he drew one from that
kind of mindset.
124
00:07:30,960 --> 00:07:33,640
People who are just always
obsessed with working and
125
00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:37,360
making, making it go.
And I, I think, you know,
126
00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:43,120
tradesmen, financiers, bankers,
people in high real estate and,
127
00:07:43,120 --> 00:07:46,040
and here is a case where one of
them was attracted to the
128
00:07:46,040 --> 00:07:49,720
teachings of Jesus.
And, and, and Matthew's legacy
129
00:07:49,720 --> 00:07:54,480
is that he sort of made that an
agreeable thing for people to be
130
00:07:54,480 --> 00:07:58,160
religious and be successful at
the same time in their material
131
00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:00,440
life.
And that's what Matthew has
132
00:08:00,440 --> 00:08:05,160
brought to the table.
Continuing on, Matthew received
133
00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:08,480
freely tendered offerings from
believing disciples and the
134
00:08:08,480 --> 00:08:12,240
immediate auditors of the
Master's teachings, but he never
135
00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:15,360
openly solicited funds from the
multitudes.
136
00:08:15,800 --> 00:08:19,920
He did all of his financial work
in a quiet and personal way, and
137
00:08:19,920 --> 00:08:24,000
raised most of the money among
the more abundant of the more
138
00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:26,320
substantial class of interested
believers.
139
00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:30,920
He gave practically the whole of
his modest fortune to the work
140
00:08:30,920 --> 00:08:34,600
of the Master and his apostles,
but they never knew of his
141
00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:37,840
generosity, save Jesus, who knew
all about it.
142
00:08:38,799 --> 00:08:42,799
Matthew hesitated openly to
contribute to the Apostolic fund
143
00:08:43,039 --> 00:08:46,360
for fear that Jesus and his
associates might regard his
144
00:08:46,360 --> 00:08:50,120
money as being tainted.
So he gave much in the name of
145
00:08:50,120 --> 00:08:54,720
others or other believers.
During the earlier months, when
146
00:08:54,720 --> 00:08:58,560
Matthew knew his presence among
them was more or less a trial,
147
00:08:58,760 --> 00:09:02,800
he was strongly tempted to let
them know that his funds often
148
00:09:02,800 --> 00:09:06,400
supplied them with their daily
bread, but he did not yield.
149
00:09:07,040 --> 00:09:10,600
When evidence of the disdain of
the publican would become
150
00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:15,280
manifest, Levi would would burn
to reveal to them his
151
00:09:15,280 --> 00:09:19,080
generosity, but always he
managed to keep still.
152
00:09:20,120 --> 00:09:23,040
That says a lot about his his
self-discipline.
153
00:09:23,040 --> 00:09:25,800
He could brag and tell him,
well, look, I'm the one that
154
00:09:26,120 --> 00:09:28,240
made all of this possible.
But he didn't yield to that
155
00:09:28,240 --> 00:09:30,520
temptation.
That's a man of strong
156
00:09:30,520 --> 00:09:33,080
character.
When the funds for the week were
157
00:09:33,080 --> 00:09:36,440
short of the estimated
requirements, Levi would often
158
00:09:36,440 --> 00:09:39,560
draw heavily upon his own
personal resources.
159
00:09:39,880 --> 00:09:43,640
Also, sometimes when he became
greatly interested in Jesus's
160
00:09:43,640 --> 00:09:46,920
teachings, he preferred to
remain and hear the instruction,
161
00:09:47,240 --> 00:09:50,200
even though he knew he must
personally make up for his
162
00:09:50,200 --> 00:09:52,600
failure to solicit the necessary
funds.
163
00:09:53,400 --> 00:09:57,640
But Levi did so wish that Jesus
might know that much of the
164
00:09:57,640 --> 00:10:01,360
money came from his pocket.
He little realized that the
165
00:10:01,360 --> 00:10:06,080
Master knew all along about it.
The apostles all died without
166
00:10:06,080 --> 00:10:09,640
knowing that Matthew was their
benefactor, to such an extent
167
00:10:09,960 --> 00:10:12,200
that when he went forth to
proclaim the Gospel of the
168
00:10:12,200 --> 00:10:16,000
Kingdom after the beginning of
the persecutions, he was
169
00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:20,800
practically penniless.
When these persecutions caused
170
00:10:20,800 --> 00:10:24,680
the believers to forsake
Jerusalem, Matthew journeyed N
171
00:10:24,920 --> 00:10:27,960
preaching the Gospel, the
Kingdom, and baptizing
172
00:10:27,960 --> 00:10:30,760
believers.
He was lost to the knowledge of
173
00:10:30,760 --> 00:10:34,600
his former Apostolic
associations, but on he went,
174
00:10:34,600 --> 00:10:40,200
preaching and baptizing through
Syria, Cappadocia, Galatia,
175
00:10:40,520 --> 00:10:44,680
Bithynia, and Thrace.
And it was in Thrace at
176
00:10:45,040 --> 00:10:48,720
Lysimachia that certain
unbelieving Jews conspired with
177
00:10:48,720 --> 00:10:54,160
the Roman soldiers to encompass
his death and this regenerated
178
00:10:54,160 --> 00:10:57,960
public, and died triumphant in
the faith of salvation.
179
00:10:57,960 --> 00:11:01,280
He had so surely learned from
the teachings of the Master
180
00:11:01,280 --> 00:11:03,640
during his recent sojourn on
earth.
181
00:11:07,960 --> 00:11:11,440
Thomas was the 8th apostle, and
he was chosen by Philip.
182
00:11:11,800 --> 00:11:16,760
In later times he had become
known as Doubting Thomas, but
183
00:11:16,760 --> 00:11:20,200
his fellow apostles hardly
looked upon him as a chronic
184
00:11:20,200 --> 00:11:23,560
doubter.
True, he was a logical,
185
00:11:23,560 --> 00:11:28,200
skeptical kind of mine, but he
had a form of courageous loyalty
186
00:11:28,200 --> 00:11:32,680
which forbade those who knew him
intimately to regard him as a
187
00:11:33,160 --> 00:11:37,240
trifling skeptic.
When Thomas joined the apostles,
188
00:11:37,680 --> 00:11:41,400
he was 29 years old, was
married, and had four children.
189
00:11:41,760 --> 00:11:45,840
Formerly he had been a Carpenter
in stonemason, but latterly he
190
00:11:45,840 --> 00:11:49,920
had become a fisherman and
resided at Terekia, situate on
191
00:11:49,920 --> 00:11:53,480
the West Bank of the Jordan,
where it flows out to the Sea of
192
00:11:53,480 --> 00:11:57,520
Galilee, and he was regarded as
the leading citizen of this
193
00:11:57,520 --> 00:12:00,400
little village.
He had little education, but he
194
00:12:00,400 --> 00:12:05,160
possessed a keen reasoning mind,
and was the son of excellent
195
00:12:05,160 --> 00:12:09,640
parents who lived in Tiberius.
Thomas had the one truly
196
00:12:09,640 --> 00:12:14,160
analytical mind of the 12.
He was the real scientist of the
197
00:12:14,160 --> 00:12:18,800
Apostolic group.
The early home of life Thomas
198
00:12:18,800 --> 00:12:21,680
had been unfortunate.
His parents were not altogether
199
00:12:21,680 --> 00:12:25,520
happy in their married life, and
this was reflected in Thomas's
200
00:12:25,520 --> 00:12:28,360
adult experience.
He grew up having a very
201
00:12:28,360 --> 00:12:31,520
disagreeable and quarrelsome
disposition.
202
00:12:32,080 --> 00:12:35,720
Even his wife was glad to see
him join the apostles.
203
00:12:36,400 --> 00:12:39,600
She was relieved by the thought
that her pessimistic husband
204
00:12:39,600 --> 00:12:41,680
would be away from home most of
the time.
205
00:12:42,280 --> 00:12:46,120
Thomas also had a streak of
suspicion which made it very
206
00:12:46,120 --> 00:12:48,680
difficult to get along peaceably
with him.
207
00:12:49,560 --> 00:12:52,920
Peter was very much upset by
Thomas at first, complaining to
208
00:12:52,920 --> 00:12:57,200
his brother Andrew that Thomas
was mean, ugly and always
209
00:12:57,200 --> 00:12:59,840
suspicious.
But the better his associates
210
00:12:59,840 --> 00:13:01,600
knew Thomas, the more they liked
him.
211
00:13:02,240 --> 00:13:05,840
They found he was superbly
honest and unflinchingly loyal.
212
00:13:07,040 --> 00:13:10,840
He was perfectly sincere and
unquestionably truthful.
213
00:13:11,040 --> 00:13:14,800
But he was a natural born fault
Finder and had grown up to
214
00:13:14,800 --> 00:13:18,960
become a real pessimist.
His analytical mind had become
215
00:13:18,960 --> 00:13:22,560
cursed with suspicion.
He was rapidly losing faith in
216
00:13:22,560 --> 00:13:26,280
his fellow mortal men when he
became associated with the 12
217
00:13:26,640 --> 00:13:29,760
and thus came in contact with
the noble character of Jesus.
218
00:13:30,280 --> 00:13:34,400
This association with the Master
began at once to transform
219
00:13:34,400 --> 00:13:39,640
Thomas's whole disposition and
to affect great changes in his
220
00:13:39,640 --> 00:13:41,760
mental reactions to his fellow
men.
221
00:13:42,280 --> 00:13:46,480
Thomas's great strength was his
superb analytical mind, coupled
222
00:13:46,480 --> 00:13:50,200
with his unflinching courage
when he had once made-up his
223
00:13:50,200 --> 00:13:52,720
mind.
His great weakness was his
224
00:13:52,720 --> 00:13:56,320
suspicious doubting, which he
never fully overcame throughout
225
00:13:56,320 --> 00:14:00,000
his whole lifetime in the flesh.
In the organization of the 12,
226
00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:04,240
Thomas was assigned to arrange
and manage the itinerary, and he
227
00:14:04,240 --> 00:14:08,120
was an able director of the work
and movements of the Apostolic
228
00:14:08,120 --> 00:14:10,520
Group.
He was a good executive and
229
00:14:10,520 --> 00:14:13,680
excellent businessman.
He was handicapped by his many
230
00:14:13,680 --> 00:14:16,280
moods.
He was one man one day and
231
00:14:16,280 --> 00:14:19,160
another man the next.
He was inclined toward
232
00:14:19,160 --> 00:14:23,320
melancholic brooding when he
joined the apostles, but contact
233
00:14:23,320 --> 00:14:27,280
with Jesus and the apostles
largely cured him of this morbid
234
00:14:27,280 --> 00:14:31,320
introspection.
Jesus enjoyed Thomas very much
235
00:14:31,320 --> 00:14:33,600
and had many long personal talks
with him.
236
00:14:34,320 --> 00:14:37,560
His presence among the apostles
was a great comfort to all
237
00:14:37,760 --> 00:14:41,480
honest doubters and encouraged
many troubled minds to come into
238
00:14:41,480 --> 00:14:45,520
the Kingdom, even if they could
not wholly understand everything
239
00:14:45,520 --> 00:14:48,400
about the spiritual and
philosophic phases of the
240
00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:52,080
teachings of Jesus.
Thomas's membership in the 12
241
00:14:52,360 --> 00:14:56,560
was a standing declaration that
Jesus loved even honest
242
00:14:56,560 --> 00:15:00,480
doubters.
The other apostles held Jesus in
243
00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:04,480
reverence because of some
special and outstanding trait of
244
00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:08,040
his replete personality, but
Thomas revered his master
245
00:15:08,040 --> 00:15:10,480
because of his superbly balanced
character.
246
00:15:10,960 --> 00:15:15,840
Increasingly Thomas admired and
honored one who was so lovingly
247
00:15:15,840 --> 00:15:19,080
merciful, yet so inflexibly,
just and fair.
248
00:15:19,600 --> 00:15:24,360
So firm but never obstinate, so
calm but never indifferent, so
249
00:15:24,360 --> 00:15:29,040
helpful and so sympathetic, but
never meddlesome or dictatorial.
250
00:15:29,520 --> 00:15:34,080
So strong but at the same time
so gentle, so positive, but
251
00:15:34,080 --> 00:15:38,360
never rough or rude, so tender
but never vacillating.
252
00:15:38,360 --> 00:15:42,600
So pure and innocent, but at the
same time so virile, aggressive
253
00:15:42,600 --> 00:15:46,160
and forceful.
So truly courageous, but never
254
00:15:46,160 --> 00:15:49,920
rash or foolhardy.
Such a lover of nature, but so
255
00:15:49,920 --> 00:15:52,880
free from all tendency to Revere
nature.
256
00:15:53,520 --> 00:15:57,360
So humorous and so playful, but
so free from levity and
257
00:15:57,360 --> 00:16:00,720
frivolity.
It was this matchless symmetry
258
00:16:00,720 --> 00:16:03,520
of personality that so charmed
Thomas.
259
00:16:04,200 --> 00:16:07,600
He probably enjoyed the highest
intellectual understanding and
260
00:16:07,600 --> 00:16:12,480
personality appreciation of
Jesus of any of the 12 in the
261
00:16:12,480 --> 00:16:15,400
councils of the 12.
Thomas was always cautious,
262
00:16:15,760 --> 00:16:18,320
advocating a policy of safety
first.
263
00:16:18,720 --> 00:16:23,320
But if his conservatism was
voted down or overruled, he was
264
00:16:23,320 --> 00:16:26,840
always the first fearlessly to
move out in execution of the
265
00:16:26,840 --> 00:16:30,760
program decided upon.
Again and again he would stand
266
00:16:30,760 --> 00:16:33,800
out against some project as
being foolhardy and
267
00:16:33,800 --> 00:16:37,440
presumptuous, but he would
debate to the bitter end.
268
00:16:37,640 --> 00:16:41,440
But when Andrew would put the
proposition to a vote, and after
269
00:16:41,440 --> 00:16:45,280
the 12 would elect to do that
which he had so strenuously
270
00:16:45,280 --> 00:16:48,880
opposed, Thomas was the first to
say, let's go.
271
00:16:49,720 --> 00:16:53,080
He was a good loser.
He did not hold grudges nor
272
00:16:53,080 --> 00:16:57,400
nurse wounded feelings.
Time and again did he oppose
273
00:16:57,400 --> 00:16:59,640
letting Jesus expose himself to
danger.
274
00:17:00,040 --> 00:17:03,520
But when the Master would decide
to take such risks, always was
275
00:17:03,520 --> 00:17:06,800
it Thomas who rallied the
apostles with his courageous
276
00:17:06,800 --> 00:17:09,599
words.
Come on, comrades, let's go and
277
00:17:09,599 --> 00:17:13,000
die with him.
Thomas was in some respect like
278
00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:15,760
Philip.
He also wanted to be shown.
279
00:17:16,119 --> 00:17:19,640
But his outward expressions of
doubt were based on entirely
280
00:17:19,640 --> 00:17:21,520
different intellectual
operations.
281
00:17:21,960 --> 00:17:25,119
Thomas was analytical, not
merely skeptical.
282
00:17:25,680 --> 00:17:29,240
As far as personal physical,
physical courage was concerned,
283
00:17:29,560 --> 00:17:31,720
he was one of the bravest among
the 12.
284
00:17:32,800 --> 00:17:35,240
Thomas also had some very bad
days.
285
00:17:35,640 --> 00:17:37,760
He was blue and downcast at
times.
286
00:17:38,120 --> 00:17:41,320
The loss of his twin sister when
he was nine years old had
287
00:17:41,320 --> 00:17:45,400
occasioned him much youthful
sorrow and had added to his
288
00:17:45,400 --> 00:17:49,680
temperamental problems of later
life when Thomas would become
289
00:17:49,680 --> 00:17:52,640
despondent.
Sometimes it was Nathaniel who
290
00:17:52,640 --> 00:17:56,320
helped him to recover, sometimes
Peter and not hit, frequently
291
00:17:56,320 --> 00:17:59,800
one of the Alpheus twins when he
was most depressed.
292
00:17:59,800 --> 00:18:02,840
Unfortunately, he always tried
to avoid coming in direct
293
00:18:02,840 --> 00:18:07,080
contact with Jesus, but the
Master knew all about this and
294
00:18:07,080 --> 00:18:11,560
had an understanding sympathy
for his apostle when he was thus
295
00:18:11,560 --> 00:18:14,800
afflicted with depression and
harassed by doubts.
296
00:18:15,480 --> 00:18:19,320
Sometimes Thomas would go get
permission from Andrew to go off
297
00:18:19,320 --> 00:18:22,800
by himself for a day or two, but
he soon learned that such a
298
00:18:22,800 --> 00:18:26,040
course was not wise.
He early found that it was best
299
00:18:26,040 --> 00:18:29,920
when he was downhearted to stick
close to his work and to remain
300
00:18:29,920 --> 00:18:33,080
near his associates.
But no matter what happened in
301
00:18:33,080 --> 00:18:36,360
his emotional life, he kept
right on being an apostle.
302
00:18:36,760 --> 00:18:40,440
When the time actually came to
move forward, it was always
303
00:18:40,440 --> 00:18:44,680
Thomas who said, let's go.
Thomas is the great example of a
304
00:18:44,680 --> 00:18:48,080
human being who has doubts,
faces them, and wins.
305
00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:51,120
He had a great mind.
He was no carping critic.
306
00:18:52,080 --> 00:18:55,720
He was a logical thinker.
He was the acid test of Jesus
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and his fellow apostles.
If Jesus and his work had not
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been genuine, it could not have
held a man like Thomas from the
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start to the finish.
He had a keen and sure sense of
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fact.
At the first appearance of fraud
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or deception, Thomas would have
forsaken them all.
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Scientists may not fully
understand all about Jesus and
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his work on earth, but there
lived and worked with the Master
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and his human associates.
A man whose mind was that of a
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true scientist, Thomas Didymus,
and he believed in Jesus
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Nazareth.
Thomas had a trying time during
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the days of the trial and
crucifixion.
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He was for a season in the
depths of despair, but he
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rallied his courage, stuck to
the apostles, and was present
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with them to welcome Jesus on
the Sea of Galilee.
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For a while he succumbed to his
doubting depression, but
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eventually rallied his faith and
courage.
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He gave wise counsel to the
apostles after Pentecost, and
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when persecution scattered, the
believers went to Cyprus, Crete,
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the North African coast and
Sicily, preaching the glad
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tidings of the Kingdom and
baptizing believers.
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And Thomas continued preaching
and baptizing until he was
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apprehended by the agents of the
Roman government and was put to
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death in Malta.
Just a few weeks before his
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death he had begun the writings
of the life and teachings of
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Jesus.
And so there you have two
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stories of two men who had their
lives completely changed by
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00:20:49,200 --> 00:20:51,840
their meeting and getting to
know the Son of Man.
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And they faithfully served their
their role.
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They took Jesus's words and, and
his deeds and what they learned
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of the man and the relationship
that they had.
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And they went out and spread the
gospel of the Kingdom.
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And it were not for the unseen
friends that compose the 4th
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part of the Urantia book and the
Revelation we would never know
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00:21:14,640 --> 00:21:18,000
about these very unique men.
I think that's one of the
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reasons why having known these
names all of our lives and have
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00:21:21,680 --> 00:21:25,240
having heard about them or heard
them quoted in Scripture.
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But to actually know, for
example, that Thomas had a twin
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sister, there's nowhere in
history where that is stated.
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00:21:32,160 --> 00:21:36,080
But it would explain some of his
downcast moods that we do know
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00:21:36,080 --> 00:21:39,520
about.
And Matthew having the the bad
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00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:43,480
reputation of being a publican
and knowing secretly that he was
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funding many of the the
activities behind the scenes.
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The apostles were not even
aware.
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Taking his own money and making
sure to keep the program going
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00:21:53,440 --> 00:21:56,640
for the the public teaching and
the preaching of Jesus and these
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00:21:56,640 --> 00:22:00,560
12 men who dedicated their lives
to following this man and
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teaching his gospel to the rest
of the world.
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So truly a remarkable series and
a great example of the the
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00:22:08,360 --> 00:22:13,200
craftsmanship and the literary
beauty of the Urantia book and
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00:22:13,200 --> 00:22:16,280
and the Urantia papers.
So Speaking of which, we're
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going to take a quick break and
move on to the next episode.
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00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:23,680
And it we're going to explore a
wonderful letter that was
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00:22:23,680 --> 00:22:28,560
submitted to the mini messenger
that you may get in your inbox
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00:22:28,560 --> 00:22:31,280
from time to time.
And this one has to do with
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00:22:31,640 --> 00:22:35,080
Marancha Moda.
And if you're not familiar with
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it, we'll go over it in the next
segment.
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00:22:36,920 --> 00:22:40,040
So for for now, thank you.
And if you've got questions or
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comments, don't forget you can
always reach out to us a couple
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00:22:43,560 --> 00:22:45,920
of different ways.
You can e-mail us at your
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00:22:45,920 --> 00:22:50,400
rancherbookradio@gmail.com or
you can go online to
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00:22:50,640 --> 00:22:55,360
yourrancherradio.org.
And there is actually a comment
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00:22:55,360 --> 00:22:57,800
field and you can either write
or you can actually record
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00:22:57,800 --> 00:23:00,440
something if you want to.
And I'll be sure to get that
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00:23:00,440 --> 00:23:02,480
message.
And again, thank you for joining
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me on this edition of the
Urantia Radio Podcast.
