Thomas the Apostle
The Apostle Thomas (* date and place unknown; † according to tradition, in Mailapur, a district of the Indian city of Madras by 72 ) is one of the twelve apostles and disciples who Jesus for three years attended as students and friends ( cf. Jn 15, 15 EU). The name Thomas is derived from the Aramaic: ta'am what paired or twin means. That is why Thomas is called in the Bible " Didymus " (Greek didymos, δίδυμος ). In the Syriac tradition, he appears as Judas Thomas, because Thomas is there understood as epithet.
In the Catholic, Orthodox and Anglican Church of St. Thomas the Apostle is venerated as a saint and martyr; the Protestant churches remember him.
- 4.1 General Roman Calendar
- 4.2 Orthodox liturgical calendar
- 4.3 Protestant liturgy calendar
- 4.4 Anglican liturgy calendar
Occurrence in the Bible
Thomas is mentioned in all four put together in the New Testament lists of the apostles. In the first three Gospels, he is standing next to Matthew the tax collector ( Matthew 10:3, Mk 3:18, Lk 6:15). In Acts, he is next to Philip to find (Acts 1.1 3 ). Especially the fourth gospel provides some information, trace the features of his personality.
Thomas as a doubter
First, to Thomas, illustrated on the basis of his personal relationship with Jesus, the way to professing faith in the Son of God. In John's Gospel it is written ( Jn. 20.19 to 29 EU):
"On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples the doors were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them: Peace be with you! Having said this, he showed them his hands and his side. As the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again: Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, so I send you. After he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them: Receive the Holy Spirit! If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.
Thomas, called Didymus ( twin ), one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. He said to them, Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and if I do not put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I do not think so. Eight days later, his disciples were gathered together again and Thomas was with them. The doors were locked. Then Jesus came and stood in their midst and said, Peace be with you! Then he said to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger - here are my hands! Reach out your hand and put it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing! Thomas answered him, 'My Lord and my God! Jesus said to him: Because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed. "
In this pericope the term pejoratively used " doubting Thomas " goes back, because this initially doubted the resurrection of Jesus until he saw the wounds of the Risen One.
" The Way, the Truth and the Life"
Another manifestation of Thomas is in the report of the Last Supper (Jn 14:4). Here Jesus says after the announcement of his impending death that he was going to prepare a place for the disciples, they also may be where he is; and he says to them: " And wherever I go - the way there knows her." Since Thomas intervenes and says, "Lord, we do not know where you're going. How can we know the way? " (Jn 14:5). His question caused Jesus to utter the famous words: " I am the way and the truth and the life. "
"Walking with Jesus to die "
A third time occurs on Thomas before the raising of Lazarus. When Jesus decided at a critical moment of his life, to go to Bethany to resurrect Lazarus, he went in danger, as he thus approached Jerusalem ( Mk 10:32). Then Thomas said to his fellow disciples, " Let us also go with him to die with him" ( Jn 11:16).
Thomas doubts the Assumption
According to legend, Thomas was the only apostle who was not present at the Assumption of Mary. He doubted the event as already in Christ's resurrection. Therefore Mary appeared to the doubters and handed him her girdle, as evidence of the bodily assumption into heaven. In the Baroque period, the belt donation or Mary was with the sacred girdle a popular motif in Christian art.
Traditions to his apostolic work
The Didache or Teaching Apostle, an early Christian writing which originated around the year 100, contains the oldest written reference to the missionary activity of Thomas in India. It says there that he had established in India and surrounding areas, the church.
It was not until a hundred years later, the so-called Acts of Thomas, who report the same of the facts here, however, often embellish it fantastically and are obviously influenced by Gnosticism arose.
Origen reported that Thomas has announced the people of Iraq and Iran for the first time the gospel. He was reportedly came to Southern India and killed in the 70s of the first century in Mailapur result of his missionary activity.
From the following times have more written testimonials about the work of St.. Thomas received in India. Written evidence exists of St. Jerome ( 347-420 ) and his contemporaries St. Gaudentius of Brescia and St. Paulinus of Nola ( 354-431 ).
The hl. Gregory of Tours ( 538-594 ) not only come down to us that the Apostle Thomas worked in India and died, but also that he was buried there a long time, his relics were transferred to Edessa, but will continue to revere its original burial place in India. Similar tells us of St.. Isidore of Seville ( 560-636 ) with and also reports on manner of his martyrdom in India.
Irrespective of this, in South India the constant, arising from the apostolic age tradition of the local missionary activity of the Apostle, the establishment of the first seven churches on the Malabar Coast, and of his martyrdom in Mailapur on the opposite Coromandel Coast. The local tradition of the Thomas Christians of India approved a transfer of most of the relics to Edessa, where a few remnants are left in the grave there that can actually auffand in later excavations.
Ibas of Edessa had for his relics there a church built, the alleged head of the apostle is preserved in the Sioni Cathedral in Tbilisi ( Georgia) and revered by the Georgian Orthodox Church of the Apostles as a relic. The main part of Thomas relics came by the Crusaders in 1258 from Edessa to Ortona in Italy and they are now kept there in a shrine in the crypt of the cathedral. The original grave in India is a highly frequented pilgrimage site
In addition to the St. Thomas Basilica in the place of the Apostles tomb in Mylapore (district of Chennai) in South India, there are numerous pilgrimage sites relating to the hl. Thomas and his mission work thereat relate. The most famous are:
In some traditions, which are mainly used in Gnosticism and Manichaeism expressed, Thomas is considered as twin brother of Jesus.
Thomas is the only apostle who has a far-reaching extra-canonical tradition with its own author profile. However, the Gospel of Thomas and the Acts of the Apostle Thomas are pseudepigraphic writings.
Patronage and observances
In Europe he is considered among others as the patron saint of the construction and carpenters, as well as theologians. With the St. Thomas on December 21, many folk customs are linked.
Roman General Calendar
The Apostle is celebrated on July 3, since the liturgical reform in 1970. This date is considered the date of the transfer of the remains of the apostle of his death and burial Kalamina ( geographically unclear ) to Edessa in the 3rd century. - Before the liturgical reform was the anniversary of the December 21.
Orthodox liturgical calendar
The Orthodox Church celebrates the Apostle Thomas on October 6.
Protestant liturgy calendar
The Lutheran liturgy and the lectionary of 1978 hold 21 December firmly as St. Thomas. Gospel of the Day: Jn 20.19-31 Lut ( in part ), liturgical feast of color: red.
Anglican liturgy calendar
Day of the Apostle Thomas, December 21; Liturgical Color: red. Also, the Book of Common Prayer - The Book of Common Prayer - has this saint's day.