Founding of Christendom,--St. Thomas First Mission to India-- post 5

St. Thomas.



St. Thomas, is famous for his "doubting."  But he was a realist. He knew how things work and wanted proof.

It is ironic he was sent to India, whose land was dominated by a religion that denied objective reality-Hinduism claims that reality is an illusion.


Many of the Apostles went beyond the borders of the Roman Empire. So it appears that the Apostles took Christ at his word and went to all the world they were capable of going to.

Though the evidence for all this speculation is murky, we can reconstruct evidence to get a picture.

Particularly St. Judus-Thaddaeus (also known as, St. Jude, not to be confused, with Judas the traitor) and St. Thomas are the best documented, after St. Paul, St. Peter, and St. John.

Let's piece together first, the travels of St. Thomas.


Thomas met a merchant from India, possibly a Christian, named Habban, who told him that King Gundofarr of Taxila, in India, needed a carpenter. It appears that St. Thomas had some skill as a carpenter, like our Lord.

Thomas most likely traveled by land there, because there is a strong tradition that he founded Churches in the Mesopotamia region.

Iran, claims he preached and founded their Church, on his way to India.

India was a trading partner with the Roman Empire at this time. Taxila had strong connections with the Persion Empire too, so they probably spoke Aramaic, the official language of Persia.

So St. Thomas  could communicate since he spoke Judean Aramaic, which is closely related.

More than likely India had a Jewish community where he could preach, and give him time to learn some of the local Indian language, and prepare to go to the Gentiles of India.

King Gundofarr was not Indian; he was Parthian, that is Iranian, and seemed open to allowing the preaching of the Gospel. St. Thomas managed some converts and a small community.

He left  it to the care of a man named Gaurasva. Unfortunately, the kingdom of Gundofarr was wiped out. Kushan barbarians attacked and completely destroyed it, including the small Christian community.

Thomas traveled back to Israel, for the council of Jerusalem, but he would return. Thomas, was not finished in India.

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