Seen the Lord. Compare the message of Mary (v. 18).
Except I shall see. God ever provides men with sufficient evidence on which to base faith, and those who are willing to accept it can always find their way to Him. At the same time God does not compel men to believe against their will, for in so doing He would deprive them of the right to make their own choice. Were all men like Thomas, later generations could never come to a saving knowledge of the Saviour. In fact, none but the few hundred who actually saw the risen Lord with their natural eyesight would have believed in Him. But for all who do receive Him by faith and believe on His name (see on ch. 1:12) Heaven reserves a special blessing — “Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed” (ch. 20:29).
I will not believe. This is most emphatically expressed in the Greek.