Chapter 2 Acts of Thomas6
Of all the apocryphal writings on Thomas, this is the most relevant
one for us in India. And it is the only document of the early Church
which offers us an assurance of the mission of Thomas in India.
This writing is also of Syrian origin and comes out from the city
of Edessa where Thomas has been specially venerated. The first
version of this work could have been of the 2nd or 3rd century A.D.,
when much of the apocryphal literature came to light. But this
version could have been later expanded to include many more
legends and thus enhance the mission of the apostle. The enlarged
Syrian version belongs possibly to the 5th or 6th century A.D. The
Greek version is of even later origin, possibly of the 10th or 11'h
century A.D.
A careful survey of the contents of this work consisting of 171
small chapters in 13 acts conveys to us the mission of Thomas in
India under various dimensions. This writing no doubt combines
popular legends with useful instructions. And we may certainly
accept that there is a nucleus of reliable history surrounded by a
folklore often bordering on a lighter side of the missionary activities
of the apostle. There is a historical foundation to this book as
accepted by scholars. Names of princes historically attested in the
northern India do find a place in the Acts of Thomas. The main
content of this book is Thomas’ presence in India and his
missionary activities. A long treatise of this type cannot be a total
fabrication of imagination. We shall now venture to see summarily
the major contents of this book.
i. Thomas with King Gundaphar
The first act (chaps. 1-16) begins with the distribution of mission
territories among the apostles in Jerusalem. Thomas is reluctant to
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undertake his assignment to India. Jesus his master sells him to an
Indian merchant, Haban, who has come to Palestine seeking a
skilled craftsman. Thomas submits to God’s will and departs with
his new owner. On the way to India they stop in a city - Sandrok
in Syriac, Andropolis in Greek - where a royal wedding is in
progress. At the banquet Thomas encounters a Hebrew flutist for
whom he sings the Hymn of the Bride (chaps. 6-7). A waiter insults
Thomas but soon meets with a dire fate in accordance with the
apostle’s prediction. The prophecy brings Thomas to the attention
of the king, who requires of him a nuptial blessing for his daughter.
After Thomas prays for the bride and groom, Jesus appears to the
couple and converts them to celibacy, to the dismay of the parents.
Before the king can react, Thomas departs.
In the second act (chaps.17-29), Thomas, now already in India, is
interviewed by King Gundaphar, for whom the apostle undertakes
to construct a palace. With the king’s abundant supplies Thomas
initiates a programme of relief for the poor while preaching the
Gospel. Gundaphar, on an inspection visit, discovers the truth about
Thomas’ activity. He is displeased for wasting his funds on the poor
rather than building the palace. He imprisons the apostle with the
merchant Haban. While they languish in jail awaiting punishment,
the king’s brother, Gad, dies and goes to heaven, where angels
show him various mansions. He requests to dwell in one of them
but is told that it belongs to his brother. Gad obtains permission to
return to earth to purchase the property, whereupon Gundaphar
finally understands the sort of palace Thomas had been
constructing. Both royal brothers are converted and seek initiation.
In the first major liturgical passage, Thomas anoints the two royals,
preaches, and celebrates the Eucharist.
In the third act (chaps. 30-38) Thomas, instructed by a nocturnal
vision, discovers the corpse of a youth. A serpent claims
responsibility and then sings of his diabolical lineage. At Thomas’
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command the serpent sucks his poison from the youth and dies. The
youth then happily comes back to his life. All of this prompts a
series of homilies from Thomas advocating an ascetical life and
promising forgiveness to the youth and other bystanders.
In the fourth act (chaps. 39-41) Thomas is brought to the city riding
on a donkey. The donkey talks and claims its descent from
Balaam’s donkey in the Old Testament Book of Numbers. The
donkey dies after Thomas reaches the city, and he orders that the
donkey be given a proper burial.
In the fifth act (chaps.42-50) Thomas is confronted by a woman
possessed by a demon. Thomas exorcizes the demon, who
complains at length before being expelled. After an elaborate
prayer Thomas baptizes the woman and celebrates the Eucharist.
In the sixth act (chaps. 51-61) Thomas is told of a youth crippled
at the reception of the Eucharist. An inquiry reveals that the youth
had tried to convince a beloved prostitute to embrace celibacy. Her
refusal provoked him to kill her. Thomas prepares holy water to
cleanse him but he remains in despair. The apostle brings him to the
victim’s corpse, where, prompted by Thomas, the youth prays and
revives the woman, who gives a graphic account of hell and the
punishments in store for the wicked (chaps. 55-57). Inspired by this
vision, Thomas preaches repentance and conversion to Jesus, the
fulfillment of Scripture. Prayers of praise and requests for divine
aid close the section.
ii. Thomas with King Misdai
In the seventh act (chaps. 62-68) Thomas encounters a character
prominent in the rest of the work who will finally (chap.169) be
ordained a presbyter. He is a military commander, later identified as
Siphor, who serves King Misdai. He seeks assistance for his wife
and daughter possessed by demons. The apostle departs with him,
after praying for his flock and appointing a deacon in his place.
In the eighth act (chaps.68-81) Thomas and Siphor travel together
until the animals drawing their cart drop from exhaustion. Thomas
sends Siphor to request assistance from a herd of wild asses who
readily comply. One of these animals is endowed with speech like
the donkey in the fourth act. Thomas prays and sends this donkey
to exorcise the demons who possess Siphor’s wife and daughter.
The donkey does so, rendering the women unconscious. The
demons try to strike a bargain with Thomas, but he rejects their
offer. The asses then preach, urging the crowds to listen to the
apostle. Thomas offers a lengthy doxology to Christ, restores the
women to consciousness, and dismisses the helpful beasts.
In the long ninth act (chaps. 82-118) the romantic dramas become
more prominent. A noble woman, Mygdonia, wife of a high royal
counselor, Carish, comes to hear Thomas preach. After a sermon
on chastity, humility, and related virtues, she asks to be baptized,
and Thomas admonishes her to forsake the world. That night she
refuses to eat or sleep with her husband, who has a symbolic dream
?bout an eagle who snatches a partridge from him. Mygdonia hints
at the interpretation of the eagle as Thomas and the partridge as
herself. With a tense farewell, Carish goes to attend on the king,
while Mygdonia seeks out Thomas. Later Carish confronts
Mygdonia and piteously entreats her to return to his bed and board.
But she prays to be delivered from him and flees. After a bitter
soliloquy Carish complains to King Misdai, who summons Siphor.
While Thomas questions Mygdonia about her husband, the king
questions the commander, who explains how Thomas healed his
wife and daughter. The king authorizes Carish to arrest Thomas,
who is interrogated, scourged, and imprisoned. The apostle offers
a prayer of thanksgiving that echoes numerous gospel texts. He
then launches into a poetic reflection, the Hymn of the Pearl
(chaps. 108-113). Carish returns home to find Mygdonia unkempt
and in squalid attire. After emotional appeals to give up her religious
folly, he finally tries to bargain Thomas’ life for Mygdonia’s love.
She remains adamant. Still unbaptized, she yearns to see Thomas,
takes money for bribes, and hides from her husband.
In the tenth act (chaps. 119-133) the conflict intensifies. While
Mygdonia is in hiding with Marcia her nurse, Thomas comes to her.
Marcia provides bread, water, and oil. Thomas blesses the oil,
baptizes the two women, and celebrates the Eucharist before
returning tc prison. Dawn finds Carish in a dramatic confrontation
with Mygdonia while King Misdai again interrogates Thomas. The
king advises and Carish implores Thomas to convince Mygdonia to
return to her husband. Thomas accompanies Carish to his home
and advises Mygdonia to obey her husband, but she refuses.
Thomas returns to Siphor, who requests baptism. The apostle
preaches, baptizes, then celebrates the Eucharist with Siphor and
his family.
In the eleventh act (chaps. 134-138) Thomas gets into deeper
trouble. Misdai tells the story of Mygdonia to his own wife, Tertia,
whom he urges to visit Mygdonia. Tertia complies, but Mygdonia
preaches Thomas’ Gospel. Tertia, enthralled, visits Thomas, then
tries to evangelize the king. An exasperated Misdai finds Carish and
together they seek to arrest Thomas.
In the twelfth act (chaps. 139-149) Thomas continues to make
important converts. Vizan, the king’s son, assumes command of the
soldiers guarding Thomas and the apostle preaches to him. Misdai
tries to interrogate Thomas under torture, but the instrument of
torture, a set of hot slabs, is miraculously neutralized by a sudden
flood, which threatens to submerge the area until stopped by
Thomas’ prayer. Thomas then bids his followers farewell and
prays.
In the thirteenth and final act (chaps. 150-171) Vizan asks Thomas
to visit his ailing wife. Mygdonia, Marcia, and Tertia, miraculously
freed from imprisonment, come and, like the friends of Socrates,
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seek to take Thomas into exile. Tertia explains how they came to
the prison, guided by a divine visitation. Thomas leads his visitors
in prayer and song. Vizan, sent to bring necessities, meets his wife,
Mnesara, miraculously healed and guided to the prison. All
assemble at Vizan’s house, where Mnesara recognizes Thomas as
her healer. Thomas prays, blesses the oil, then anoints and baptizes
Vizan. Mygdonia baptizes Mnesara and Tertia. Thomas celebrates
the Eucharist, then returns to prison for a final farewell. After the
guards report to Misdai the strange comings and goings of the night,
there follows another dramatic encounter between Misdai and
Thomas, reminiscent of that between Pilate and Jesus. The king
orders Thomas to be removed and killed by piercing him with a
spear. Thomas compares his fate to that of Jesus, bids final
farewell to his friends, and prays before being slain. After his death
he appears to several of his followers. Later Misdai searches for
Thomas’ bones, with which to heal an ailing son. They have been
taken West, but the king uses dust from the tomb area to good
effect. After Thomas appears to him he is brought to Siphor, now
a presbyter, and requests prayers. The work ends on this happy
note, with the persecutor brought to the threshold of conversion.
iii. Jesus and Thomas parallels in the Acts of Thomas:
1. Thomas, who was a fisherman, is represented as being a
carpenter, so that he may have the same occupation as Jesus.
2. He is also represented as preparing mansions in heaven, like
Jesus.
3. He is sold for twenty pieces of silver, as our Lord was sold
for thirty pieces.
4. He heals sick persons, paralytics, lunatics.
5. He casts out devils.
6. He raises the dead.
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7. After restoring two women, who seemed to be dead, he bade
their servants give them some food.
8. The people crowd around him so that they tread on one
another.
9. He rides on donkey just as Jesus did.
10. As he is dragged away to be tried by King Misdai a courtier
says, “Let us see if Jesus will deliver him from my hands”.
11. When examined by Misdai, he gives him no answer as Jesus
before Pilate.
12. At a later point, he says to Misdai, “Thou hast not power over
me as thou thinkest”.
13. He is scourged.
14. As Jesus was handed over to the soldiers and a centurion for
crucifixion, so in the Greek text, Thomas is handed over to
four soldiers and an officer. In the Syriac text the number is
indefinite.
15. He is pierced with spears and dies.
16. His body is wrapped in linen.
17. He is buried in the tomb of the former kings, as Jesus was
buried in the rock-hewn tomb of Joseph of Arimathea.
18. After his martyrdom, Thomas appeared to his followers, just
as Jesus appeared to his disciples on several occasions.
Before we venture upon the issues that are relevant for the mission
of Thomas here in India, we may note two important factors which
even a casual reader would not fail to note in the Acts of Thomas.
The first factor is that the author is quite interested to present the
story of Thomas in a way that parallels with the life of Jesus Christ
himself. We can understand the preoccupation of the author who
wishes to project his hero Thomas the Apostle who comes closest
to his master and mentor Jesus Christ. The second is the Indian
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factor. The author may not be familiar with India, its geography or
its political history. But he is sure of his hero having done a
wonderful apostolate in that far away land. He would like to
present him as a missionary par excellence following the ways of
Jesus himself.
