What are facts about Saint Thomas the Apostle?

Answer 1

A:

We know almost nothing about Thomas, except that he is listed as one of the disciples.

John's Gospel, alone among the New Testament gospels, creates the image of a 'doubting Thomas', constantly casting doubt on Jesus' identity. Elaine Pagels believes this portrayal suggests that those early second-century Christians who considered themselves followers of Thomas had become influential, such that the author of John sought to minimise his authority. On Pagel's view, what we read about Thomas in John's Gospel is not historically true.

The name, Thomas, means 'Twin', and the apocryphal Acts of Thomas say that Judas Thomas was the twin brother of Jesus and is sometimes mistaken for Jesus, even deceiving the Devil. By means of this close relationship, the followers claimed authority for the writings attributed to Thomas and claimed primacy over other Christians.

The antiquity of Christian communities in India, along with the origins of Christian institutions, is not easy to identify, trace or understand. Their own traditions have indicated that the Apostle Thomas came by sea from Arabia and landed on the Malabar coast. Alternatively, they have shown that he came overland, down from the north. The oldest literary account of the Apostle's missionary work in India is found in Acts of Thomas, which may have been the original source of the Indian traditions.

There are several tradition about the death of the apostle Thomas, the most popular of which is that he died in India.

Answer 2

Saint Thomas the Apostle, also known as Doubting Thomas, was one of Jesus's twelve apostles. He was known for his questioning nature and his initial skepticism about Jesus's resurrection. He is said to have spread Christianity to India and is believed to have been martyred there.