1 innocent tweet on St Thomas in a big thread triggered self-styled fellas to do a Zoo Bear dog whistle and unleash an online fringe ideological mob on our wall claiming
St Thomas was a Portuguese fabrication post 1498.
This thread will explain why we disagree.
St Thomas was a Portuguese fabrication post 1498.
This thread will explain why we disagree.
In historical matters nuance gets distorted.
E.g. it's not possible to actually prove that Ravan had 10 heads by a fossil dig.
But you can definitely prove that there was a powerful king in Lanka. It's the spirit behind the idea that needs verification not the exaggerations
E.g. it's not possible to actually prove that Ravan had 10 heads by a fossil dig.
But you can definitely prove that there was a powerful king in Lanka. It's the spirit behind the idea that needs verification not the exaggerations
Hence In this case we are NOT arguing about whether Thomas performed "miracles" or was killed by 'Brahmins". We are merely verifying
a) Was there a 1st century Aramaic Jew that preached gospel in India?
b) Was it possible for a person from Judea to reach India?
a) Was there a 1st century Aramaic Jew that preached gospel in India?
b) Was it possible for a person from Judea to reach India?
If we are able to prove yes to both points above then we have effectively refuted the dogmatic position of the online mob and their bosses.
So let us examine primary sources with formal reference links on whether there is evidence of such a person in text from before 1498
So let us examine primary sources with formal reference links on whether there is evidence of such a person in text from before 1498
Book called "India and the Apostle Thomas" by Medlyclott. It references the account of poet, St. Ephrem of Syria, recorded in his hymns and poetry about Thomas and his time in India. You can access the full book here and easily check it yourself - archive.org
The oldest available document is a book written in second century called "Act of Judas Thoma". According to this book Gondaforus, a King met Thomas. Many considered it a myth till coins of Gondophorus, was discovered from North West India around 1830. en.wikipedia.org
St Pantaenus the head of the Catechetical School of Alexandria visited India in around 180-190 CE. He found Christian communities there in possession of the Gospel of Mathew in Hebrew letters. Read about him here - en.wikipedia.org
David, Metropolitan Bishop of Basra undertook missionary work in Malabar India in 295 AD. Please read "Chronicle of "Seert" here and type "India" in the pdf doc and you'll find all references for "Thomas Christians" - library.oapen.org
Theophilus the Indian, presumably a Byzantine or Arian Bishop born either in Maldives or Socotra, visited Malabar, India in 354AD and found Christian Communities that read the Gospel sitting down. You can read about him here - en.wikipedia.org
In 594 AD, the French priest St Gregory met a wandering Greek monk named Theodore who reported that, in southern India, he had met Christians who had told him about St Thomas and who had shown him the tomb of the apostle. Read about this here - en.wikipedia.org
Sources antagonistic to Christians such as Gnostic philosopher Bardaisan (c.180 AD) write about the presence of Christian communities in India as early as the 2nd Century AD. Why would antagnoists do so? Read this link - gnosis.org
The ninth century English poem of Cynewulf entitled “The fates of the Apostles” explicitly links Thomas apostle with India. You can read the book here - yorku.ca
Marco Polo who visited South India in 1292 refers to the Christians of Koulam (Quilon) & the Christians of St. Thomas in Maábar( Malabar) . He also speaks of the tomb of St. Thomas in Mylapore. John Masefield, Read the book here - archive.org
References of Papal emissaries. Friar Jordanus, who visited Quilon in 1330s : “There is a scattered people, who call themselves Christians, but are not so, nor have they baptism, nor do they know anything else. Nay, they believe St. Thomas". Read here - en.wikipedia.org
John Marignoli who visited Quilon in 1546 clearly talks in his works on how local Christians tell him about the story of St Thomas. Read about this guy her - en.wikipedia.org
Thus it was very much possible for someone living in the Roman province of Judea to travel to South India in the 1st Century AD. There was a thriving community of Romans & Jews living at the port of Muziris in Kerala.
Vasco Da Dama reached India in 1498 AD. There was no automatic brotherhood between the Catholics and the Christians already present in India. As Catholics never liked Nestorians or Eastern Christians of India. Worse as St Thomas Kerala Christians also refused virginity of Mary.
St Thomas is disliked by Catholics as he used to doubt Jesus & resurrection. Now you see why "Pope" made that statement in 2006? Folks who otherwise hate the "Pope" are eager to lap up that half statement. Ignoring the other half where he said Thomas was in North West India.
So are you telling us that then someone went back 2000 years to fabricate this alleged "lie" diligently wrote in Syriac, Greek, Latin, Coptic, Armenian, English, French, Portuguese & Malayalam to ensure that lie endured till the 21st century? Wow - amazing!
The details like # of churches, Namboodari Brahmins and martyrdom might have been added for evangelism but too many evidences spread across 2000 years and plain logic tell us that the baseline fact of an Aramaic Jew spreading Gospel in 1stcentury Kerala is most likely true
Conspiracy theorists say is New Testament only started in 4thcentury so how could anyone preach it in 1st century. Sadly incorrect. 1st century is recognized as an apostle age and though a formal New Testament had not been compiled there was preaching going on
Another logical fallacy of the conspiracy theorists is that how could anyone land in Kerala because "Vasco Da Gama" discovered the sea route to India. That’s bunkum. There has been well documented trade & people exchange between India-Middle East-Rome since at least 2500 years
Lastly feel free to have polite rebuttals and counters as response but for rants, abuses and STSJ type zombie behavior is not acceptable. Anyone indulging in that will unfortunately have to be blocked. Hate speech as no space on our wall. Thank you
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