Thomas & Christians of India

Oldest Church in the world-built
by Thomas in 57AD
(remodeled-of course)

Tradition has it, and probably so, that the apostle Thomas spread Christianity to the Malabar coast of India and died a martyr there. According to a source in a monastery in Mt. Sinai, he began by converting Jews who had settled in India. It seems likely. Paul seems to have done a similar thing when going into Greek cities. Seeking out Jews for conversion who had a concept of what he was talking about and could then use them as a base to build upon.

During the reign of emperor Commodus, during the 180's AD, the Christians in India are reported to have been heavily reliant on the Gospel of Matthew. During the 500's AD, a traveler, Cosmas, from near Babylon, made it to the island of Ceylon and claimed to have seen Christians there who were well organized with connections to Christians in Persia. Later, during the travels of Marco Polo, he claimed there were 6 great kings in the heart of India-3 Christian & 3 Muslim.

"The world's oldest existing church structure, which was believed to be built by Thomas the Apostle in 57 AD, called Thiruvithamcode Arappally or Thomaiyar Kovil as named by the then Chera king Udayancheral, is located at Thiruvithancode in Kanyakumari District of Tamil Nadu, India. It is now declared an international St. Thomas pilgrim center." Wikipedia

The martyrdom of Thomas is thought to have happened like this- "Sailing from this port he preached Christianity in China, and returning again to Meliapour, extended the knowledge of the faith so widely as to excite the envy and hatred of the Brahmins. Two of them watching an opportunity, stirred up the people against him; they fell on him and stoned him. One of the Brahmins remarking some signs of life in the holy apostle, pierced him with a lance, and thus completed his martyrdom." SLN

The Christians of India were forced into Catholicism by the Portuguese with an inquisition set up at Goa by the Jesuits in 1560. The problem for the Catholics is that the Christians in India did not want to recognize the Pope in Rome as head of the Church or the successor of Peter. They also were acused by the Jesuits of following being Judaizers becasue of such things as observing the Sabbath and refused to acknowledge purgatory. The inquisition used fire, water & the rack against the Christians in India. During this time of Catholic/Jesuit persecution they refered to it as their "Babylonian Captivity". In 1653, thousands came out to renounce their allegiance to Rome as a result of the burning at the stake of a man sent to them from the patriarch at Babylon. Later, the catholics sent monks into India and ended up splitting the Church eventually.

And Thomas answered and said unto him,

My Lord and my God.

John 20:28