Ancient Christian writings prevalent among those found within the literary corpus of the Orthodox Church, and which are classified as “Holy Tradition” tell us that St. Thomas (one of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ) went on to fulfill the great commission of spreading the Gospel to the ends of the earth, by traveling all the way unto the subcontinent of India. On top of preaching Christ to the peoples of India it is also believed that the Apostle Thomas died there in this far away land by martyrdom. However, before his execution this doubting disciple managed to plant many spiritual seeds in the country and as a result of St. Thomas’s selfless spiritual labor, an Oriental form of Christianity has settled and survived in India for nearly 2,000 years. Though the Church in India which traces it’s origins to Thomas is called Orthodox, it is not however in communion with other Orthodox Churches such as the Greek and Antiochian Orthodox Churches. Instead it shares similarities in theology with that of the Coptic Church of Egypt, which along with the Indian Church are classified as Oriental Orthodox. Now that we have briefly acquainted ourselves with the Apostle Thomas and his mission in India, let us eagerly peer into this fascinating story in greater detail.
Now before we cover his mission in India, I do believe that it is proper to present Thomas’s back story as found within the Biblical narrative. For the Gospel testifies, that immediately following His resurrection from the dead, the Lord Jesus Christ began to appear unto His disciples. But in the twentieth chapter of the Gospel according to St. John we see that when Jesus first appeared to his disciples Thomas was not with them when Jesus came. When the other disciples told Thomas how they had seen the risen Lord, Thomas famously said, “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.” Now after eight days had past Jesus appeared to His disciples again and this time Thomas was with them. Upon seeing the wounds of Jesus, Thomas not only believed in the resurrection, but also confessed Jesus Christ as his Lord and his God (John 20:28). However, even though Thomas believed in the resurrection of Christ by seeing Him, the Lord explained to Thomas that even more blessed are those who believe in the risen Jesus who have not seen Him. Thus with these doubting thoughts which St. Thomas demonstrated, do we derive the saying of someone who is lacking in faith or in confidence as a “Doubting Thomas.”
The most ancient written account of Thomas’s travels in India comes from an early Christian document titled: The Acts of Thomas, which was originally compiled around the year 200 AD. The story begins in Jerusalem shortly after the ascension of Jesus Christ, where we see the Apostles casting lots to determine which part of the world each would travel to in order evangelize all nations. Thomas’s lot assigned him to India, but in good old doubting fashion, Thomas initially refuses. However, through a vision and the efforts of the risen Jesus, Thomas comes around and agrees on his mission to India. According to Indian tradition, St. Thomas traveled to India by sea, initially setting foot in Cranganore on the Kerala coast, around the year 52 AD. Shortly thereafter, Thomas managed to convert many high cast Hindu families to Christianity and went on to establish seven church communities in Kerala.
Later Thomas traveled to southern India, preaching and performing miracles, until he was imprisoned by king Misdaeus. As it would happen (during his incarceration) Thomas ultimately suffered a martyrdom by the king’s guards, who pierced him with spears. Thus Thomas experienced a form of karma, for this doubting disciple went on to share with Jesus a spear wound in his side. Just as the spear wound of Jesus made a believer out of Thomas, so too did his own spear wound make a martyr and saint out of Thomas.
Though it is not exactly clear how St. Thomas was able to successfully convert the Hindus of India to the faith in Jesus of Nazareth, I would propose the theory that Thomas used the identity of the Hindu holy man or sadhu to better express the holiness found in the person of Jesus Christ. For the Hindu sadhu is a religious ascetic who renounces a worldly lifestyle, and who also detaches himself from material possessions in order to lead a more spiritual life instead. These religious beliefs and spiritual disciplines of the sadhu strikingly mirrors that of the way Jesus lived His life while here on earth. It also reflects the teachings of Jesus which He gave to all those who would strive to follow Him. Emphasizing the point of how the sadhus renounce money and possessions is voiced by Christ Himself when He said, “…a man’s life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possesses” (Luke 12:15). So if Thomas saw these similarities between Hindu and Christian spirituality, he may have discovered the key which opened the hearts of the people of India to the love found in Jesus Christ.
Now during the time Thomas spent in India, did the mother of Jesus die back in the Holy Land in the Garden of Gethsemane. All of Christ’s Apostles were caught up on the clouds of heaven, translating them from the various lands where they were preaching in order to be present at the Dormition or burial of the Mother of God. However, Thomas was not initially included with the other Apostles who witnessed the burial of the Lord’s mother. Yet three days after the burial of the Blessed Virgin, the clouds of heaven did indeed bring St. Thomas all the way from India to Gethsemane, transporting him to a place in the air directly above the Virgin’s tomb. As we shall see this delay in Thomas’s arrival at the Blessed One’s funeral was by divine provenance. For from where he was positioned in the heavens, did Thomas witness the translation of the Virgin Mary’s body into heaven. Upon seeing this oracle Thomas cried out to her, “Where are you going O’ all-holy one?” And removing her belt, Mary gave it to Thomas, saying, “Receive this, my friend.” And then she ascended up to heaven, and Thomas descended down to earth. And that belt which the Virgin Mary gave to St. Thomas has been preserved to this very day, housed in the holy monastery of Vatopedi on Mount Athos, where it is safely kept in a silver reliquary.
From all the stories that have come down to us concerning the life of St. Thomas and of his evangelical journeys in India, are we presented with a script which would be sure to produce the next Bollywood blockbuster! For without a doubt, the life of St. Thomas is indeed legendary. From the parallels between Christ and the sadhus, to the martyrdom of Thomas which corresponded to the death of Jesus, are we left with a saga that testifies to the weakness of man and the almighty power of God. For even though Thomas had doubting thoughts the Lord was able to help His disciple’s unbelief, and transformed a man lacking in faith into an Apostle of God, who went on to instill faith in the hearts of others. Thomas may have doubted, but he was not disobedient. A trait that those of faith can learn from. So, may the story of the Apostle Thomas serve as a springboard for all of us who would dare to take a leap of faith!
References:
Catholic Encyclopedia, by Herbert Thurston; For All The Saints, by Katherine Rabenstein
Holy Apostles Convent. The Life of the Virgin Mary, The Theotokos. (Buena Vista, CO: Holy Apostles Convent, 2000).
Kurikilamkatt, J. First Voyage of the Apostle Thomas to India. (Bangalore, India: Asian Trading Corporation, 2005).
Thomas, Christine. The Acts of Peter, Gospel Literature, and the Ancient Novel: Rewriting the Past. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2003).