# John 20.25-27

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-05-06 | updated: 2026-05-06 -->

**Book:** [John](/codex/john-the-apostle/) · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> 23. <span class="rl-speech">whose soever sins ye forgive, they are forgiven unto them; whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.</span> 24. But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
>
> **25. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe. 26. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them. Jesus cometh, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, <span class="rl-speech">Peace be unto you.</span> 27. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and see my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and put it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.**
>
> 28. Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. 29. Jesus saith unto him, <span class="rl-speech">Because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.</span> (John 20:23-29, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> 23. <span class="rl-speech">If you forgive anyone’s sins, they have been forgiven them. If you retain anyone’s sins, they have been retained.”</span> 24. But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, wasn’t with them when Jesus came.
>
> **25. The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” 26. After eight days again his disciples were inside, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, the doors being locked, and stood in the middle, and said, <span class="rl-speech">“Peace be to you.”</span> 27. Then he said to Thomas, <span class="rl-speech">“Reach here your finger, and see my hands. Reach here your hand, and put it into my side. Don’t be unbelieving, but believing.”</span>**
>
> 28. Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29. Jesus said to him, <span class="rl-speech">“Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen, and have believed.”</span> (John 20:23-29, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> 23. <span class="rl-speech">Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.</span> 24. But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
>
> **25. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. 26. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, <span class="rl-speech">Peace be unto you.</span> 27. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.**
>
> 28. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. 29. Jesus saith unto him, <span class="rl-speech">Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.</span> (John 20:23-29, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> 23. <span class="rl-speech">if of any ye may loose the sins, they are loosed to them; if of any ye may retain, they have been retained.'</span> 24. And Thomas, one of the twelve, who is called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came;
>
> **25. the other disciples, therefore, said to him, 'We have seen the Lord;' and he said to them, 'If I may not see in his hands the mark of the nails, and may put my finger to the mark of the nails, and may put my hand to his side, I will not believe.' 26. And after eight days, again were his disciples within, and Thomas with them; Jesus cometh, the doors having been shut, and he stood in the midst, and said, <span class="rl-speech">'Peace to you!'</span> 27. then he saith to Thomas, <span class="rl-speech">'Bring thy finger hither, and see my hands, and bring thy hand, and put [it] to my side, and become not unbelieving, but believing.'</span>**
>
> 28. And Thomas answered and said to him, 'My Lord and my God;' 29. Jesus saith to him, <span class="rl-speech">'Because thou hast seen me, Thomas, thou hast believed; happy those not having seen, and having believed.'</span> (John 20:23-29, YLT)

## Setting

- **Speaker:** John the Apostle (traditionally) / narrator + Jesus's direct teaching
- **Audience:** later Christian audience (high-Christological emphasis; against early gnosticism)
- **Location:** first-century Palestine (events); possibly Ephesus (composition)
- **Time period:** events c. 26-33 AD (3-Passover chronology); composed c. AD 85-95

## Theological reading

## Key words

- [G1096 - ginomai](/codex/g1096-ginomai/), *ginomai* (Strong's G1096). Also appears in: [Matthew 1](/codex/matthew-1/), [Matthew 5.17-18](/codex/matthew-5-17-18/), [Matthew 8.16](/codex/matthew-8-16/).
- [G2424 - Iesous](/codex/g2424-iesous/), *Iesous* (Strong's G2424). Also appears in: [Matthew 1.1](/codex/matthew-1-1/), [Matthew 1.16](/codex/matthew-1-16/), [Matthew 1.18](/codex/matthew-1-18/).
- [G2962 - kyrios](/codex/g2962-kyrios/), *kyrios* (Strong's G2962). Also appears in: [Matthew 1.20](/codex/matthew-1-20/), [Matthew 1](/codex/matthew-1/), [Matthew 6.24](/codex/matthew-6-24/).
- [G4100 - pisteuo](/codex/g4100-pisteuo/), *pisteuo* (Strong's G4100). Also appears in: [Matthew 18.6](/codex/matthew-18-6/), [Mark 15](/codex/mark-15/), [Mark 16.16-18](/codex/mark-16-16-18/).

## Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

- **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.

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## Quoted in

**Arguments and defeaters:**

- [Argument from the Hospitality-Stranger Convergence](/codex/argument-from-the-hospitality-stranger-convergence/), via [John 20.19-29](/codex/john-20-19-29/)
- [Argument from the Narrative-Identity Convergence](/codex/argument-from-the-narrative-identity-convergence/)
- [Argument from the Resurrection](/codex/argument-from-the-resurrection/), via [John 20.27](/codex/john-20-27/)
- [Argument from the Universal Burial Convergence](/codex/argument-from-the-universal-burial-convergence/), via [John 20.27](/codex/john-20-27/)
- [Causal Adequacy Argument](/codex/argument-from-the-proportionate-causality-convergence/), via [John 20.24-29](/codex/john-20-24-29/), [John 20.27](/codex/john-20-27/)
- [Faith is Belief Without Evidence Objection Defeater](/codex/faith-is-belief-without-evidence-objection-defeater/), via [John 20.24-31](/codex/john-20-24-31/)
- [Jesus's Sacrifice Was Not Real Because He Rose Objection Defeater](/codex/jesuss-sacrifice-was-not-real-because-he-rose-objection-defeater/), via [John 20.27](/codex/john-20-27/)
- [Stolen Body Hypothesis Defeater](/codex/stolen-body-hypothesis-defeater/), via [John 20.26](/codex/john-20-26/)

**Concepts:**

- [Christianity](/codex/christianity/), via [John 20.27-28](/codex/john-20-27-28/)
- [Crucifixion Forensics](/codex/crucifixion-forensics/), via [John 20.25-29](/codex/john-20-25-29/)
- [Crucifixion Remains of Yehohanan](/codex/crucifixion-remains-of-yehohanan/), via [John 20.25](/codex/john-20-25/)
- [Doubt and Fear](/codex/doubt-and-fear/), via [John 20.24-28](/codex/john-20-24-28/), [John 20.27](/codex/john-20-27/)
- [Faith](/codex/h0530-emunah/), via [John 20.24-29](/codex/john-20-24-29/)
- [Faith is Belief Without Evidence Objection](/codex/faith-is-belief-without-evidence-objection/), via [John 20.24-31](/codex/john-20-24-31/), [John 20.27](/codex/john-20-27/)
- [Jesus Said](/codex/jesus-said/), via [John 20](/codex/john-20/)
- [Messianic Prophecy](/codex/messianic-prophecy/)
- [New Heavens and New Earth](/codex/new-heavens-and-new-earth/), via [John 20.27](/codex/john-20-27/)
- [Resurrection](/codex/g0386-anastasis/), via [John 20.27](/codex/john-20-27/)
- [Resurrection of Jesus](/codex/resurrection-of-jesus/), via [John 20.27](/codex/john-20-27/)
- [Resurrection of Jesus - Minimal Facts Case](/codex/resurrection-of-jesus-minimal-facts-case/), via [John 20.24-29](/codex/john-20-24-29/)

**People:**

- [Thomas the Apostle](/codex/thomas-the-apostle/), via [John 20.24-29](/codex/john-20-24-29/)

**Lexicon:**

- [G0386 - anastasis](/codex/g0386-anastasis/), via [John 20.27](/codex/john-20-27/)
- [G4100 - pisteuo](/codex/g4100-pisteuo/), via [John 20.27](/codex/john-20-27/)
- [G4983 - soma](/codex/g4983-soma/), via [John 20.27](/codex/john-20-27/)
- [H7965 - shalom](/codex/h7965-shalom/), via [John 20.26](/codex/john-20-26/)

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