رسولان مسیح-توما

تومای حواری، که گاهی تومای شکاک ویا دوقلو^[۱] نیز شناخته می‌شد. یکی از حواریون مسیح است که بیشتر به علت شکاکی در مورد زنده‌شدن مسیح معروف است و تا خود دست در زخم‌های مسیح نبرد باور نکرد که مسیح زنده شده‌است.

توماس معمولاً به عنوان «توماس شک دار» شناخته می شود، زیرا او در ابتدا در مورد رستاخیز عیسی مسیح شک داشت

بر اساس روایت‌های سنتی مسیحیان سنت توماس کرالای امروزی در هند، توماس برای موعظه انجیل به خارج از امپراتوری روم سفر کرد و تا منطقه تامیلاکم که در جنوب هند است، سفر کرد. 7] و در سال 52 پس از میلاد به Muziris Tamilakam (پاراورور شمالی و Kodungalloor امروزی در ایالت کرالا، هند) رسید.[8][9][1] در سال 1258، برخی از آثار به اورتونا، در آبروزو، ایتالیا آورده شد، جایی که آنها در کلیسای سنت توماس رسول نگهداری می شدند.[10] او به عنوان قدیس حامی هند در میان پیروان مسیحی آن در نظر گرفته می شود، [11][12] و جشن سنت توماس در 3 ژوئیه به عنوان روز مسیحیان هند جشن گرفته می شود.[13][14] نام توماس در میان مسیحیان سنت توماس شبه قاره هند بسیار محبوب است.

Thomas first speaks in the Gospel of John. In John 11:16,[15] when Lazarus has recently died, and the apostles do not wish to go back to Judea, Thomas says: "Let us also go, that we may die with him."[a]

Thomas speaks again in John 14:5. There, Jesus had just explained that he was going away to prepare a heavenly home for his followers, and that one day they would join him there. Thomas reacted by saying, "Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?"[16]

John 20:24-29[17] tells how doubting Thomas was skeptical at first when he heard that Jesus had risen from the dead and appeared to the other apostles, saying, "Except I shall see on his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe."[18] But when Jesus appeared later and invited Thomas to touch his wounds and behold him, Thomas showed his belief by saying, "My Lord and my God".[19] Jesus then said, "Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed [are] they that have not seen, and [yet] have believed."[20]

The Nag Hammadi copy of the Gospel of Thomas begins: "These are the secret sayings that the living Jesus spoke and Didymos, Judas Thomas, recorded." Early Syrian traditions also relate the apostle's full name as Judas Thomas.[b] Some have seen in the Acts of Thomas (written in east Syria in the early 3rd century, or perhaps as early as the first half of the 2nd century) an identification of Thomas with the apostle Judas, Son of James, better known in English as Jude. However, the first sentence of the Acts follows the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles in distinguishing the apostle Thomas and the apostle Judas son of James. Others, such as James Tabor, identify him as Jude, brother of Jesus mentioned by Mark. In the Book of Thomas the Contender, part of the Nag Hammadi library, he is alleged to be a twin to Jesus: "Now, since it has been said that you are my twin and true companion, examine yourself…"[21]

A "Doubting Thomas" is a skeptic who refuses to believe without direct personal experience — a reference to the Gospel of John's depiction of the Apostle Thomas, who, in John's account, refused to believe the resurrected Jesus had appeared to the ten other apostles until he could see and feel Jesus' crucifixion wounds.

According to Syrian Christian tradition, Thomas was killed with a spear at St. Thomas Mount in Chennai on 3 July in AD 72, and his body was interred in Mylapore.[43] Ephrem the Syrian states that the Apostle was killed in India, and that his relics were taken then to Edessa. This is the earliest known record of his death