Actually, the word “some” is not found in the Greek. A more literal reading of the passage is the disciples doubted.
(NABRE) When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted.
It’s OK to doubt. We’re talking about the 11 disciples here. We’re talking about Jesus standing right in front of them after the resurrection. And they still doubted!
We’re not the 11 apostles and we don’t have Jesus appearing in front of us. Can we be honest with ourselves and say we have no doubt?
Yet, the disciples still worshiped him. They still obeyed him and fulfilled the Great Commission.
What does it mean to doubt?
It means to have a level of uncertainty within us. We don’t know something 100% for sure. But, that’s OK. We don’t know anything 100% for sure. We don’t even know 100% for sure that we aren’t just a character in a universe simulation program.
The Greek word used for doubt is distazō. It’s used only twice in the NT.
Literally, it means “two positions”. It’s vacillating between two things. It’s having one foot on one position and the other foot on another position. On one hand you believe this and on the other hand you believe something else.
We often vacillate between believing things about God. God is real, God is not there. I want to follow God, I don’t want to follow God. I want to do right, I want to do what I wish to do. I want to go to the Bible study, I want to go party.
The other place the word is used is when Peter was walking on water.
[Mat 14:31 KJV] 31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth [his] hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt (distazō)?On one hand, Peter saw Jesus and believed. On the other hand, he saw the waves, his foot on the water, and logic took over. Yet, he was the only disciple that got to walk on the water.
Even though we can waiver in our belief, we can also still take action. Peter walked on the water. The disciples fulfilled the Great Commission.
It’s OK to have doubt. Jesus never disowned Peter or the disciples for having doubt. But, he did encourage them to have faith. He will be there and extend his hand when we are starting to drown. He will always be with us, even until the very end.
[Mat 28:18-20 KJV] 18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, [even] unto the end of the world. Amen.