Poor old Thomas. He gets a bum rap. He has been broad-brushed as your chronic skeptic, eternal pessimist, and habitual doubter. I'm not so sure. I think he was just his own man. He's the kind of man who refuses to be influenced by those around him. He's an independent thinker. I admire Thomas for that.
I've been blessed to have had several Thomases in my classes over the years. They're not unduly influenced by what others say or believe. They think for themselves. They speak for themselves. That's a good way to be. That's an admirable trait. Thomas said, in effect, "I refuse to act like I understand when I don't." The Thomases in my classes always seem to be asking questions. Good questions. I love that about them. You've got a question? Ask it. You've got a reservation about something I said? Say so. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that and everything right with that. What's wrong is going along to get along.
When I was a student, I wasn't always as quick as I should have been to question the status quo or the scholarly "consensus." Then I met men like William Leonard and William Farmer and Bernard Orchard and Harry Sturz. They didn't buy into the consensus just because their New Testament buddies were saying it. William Leonard was one of the first modern scholars to challenge in writing the almost universal rejection of the Pauline authorship of Hebrews. William Farmer and Bernard Orchard mounted a formidable challenge to Markan Priority. Harry Sturz put forth convincing reasons to reject both Alexandrian Priority and Byzantine Exclusivism. I loved them for that.
I'm never going to tell my students to believe something just because I believe it. On the contrary. You've got to be sure in your own mind that it is so. As a matter of fact, if there was ever a moment for Thomases, it's today. Students who are not overly influenced by the majority of scholars are always welcome in my classes. I want you to stay at it. Be your own person. Continue to think independently. Never be ashamed of how you process information. Don't accept something and believe it just because everyone around you does.
Today we need more "Doubting" Thomases, not fewer.