The St. Thomas Christians: Origins of Christianity in India

[@552rita]

St Thomas spoke Aramaic and Aramaic was the trade language at the time in Kerala due to Jewish influence. Our liturgy was in Aramaic up till 1900s . Father thank you for highlighting our St Thomas forgotten history.

[@LisAbe]

Syrian Malabar Christians use some Aramaic words and rituals in prayers, though most of the sermon, Qurbana, prayers are in Syriac and Malayalam.

[@barbaraamodio8451]

Very misleading, distorted and truncated 'overview' of this most ancient spiritual area. St Thomas Christians are in fact 'deemed indigenous' for good reason. The Mediterranean basin and the giant hole in the Indian Ocean once hosted whole continents, and a continuous culture from India to Egypt along well-known ancient trade and travel routes, by land and sea. This sounds like an upside down inside out rewrite of known Mediterranean, Eurasian, neo-Platonic (and more ancient) back & forth brushtrokes of extremely ancient provenance. Where even to begin? Tamil cultures and those of Sanatana Dharma are each extremely ancient, really Dravidian and Himalayan. Please learn to pronounce 'Tamil ' language. The interpretations of Kali and Shiva Nataraj are superficial, generate more intercultural heat than light, and ignore the spiritual distinctions between a sacred 'icon' and an idol (which like a business icon has NO spiritual grounding.) (Amodio, 2007, etc) The relationships among Jesus, the 'doubting' of Thomas and its relationship to jnana yoga is offensively ignored, as also the cultural integrity of Ignatius Loyola, the entire Malabar Coast formation, much more generates more heat and unnecessary cultural division than spiritual light. Better to present (and pronounce) things accurately, then leave the student, the sincere seekerl (sisya) at choice to make a journey toward Truth. 😢

[@OptimusPrimeStralgorithm]

There are old scriptures in Saint Catherine monastries, south sinai, egypt, which refers to St. Thomas preaching in Malabar. The place is referred as muzuris. So those who have too much doubt can go and check.

[@joythomasvallianeth6013]

If you have access to that document, can you please take a photo of that relevant page where Muziris is mentioned and share the same in this place ? I want to change my opinion after reading that document If it is not true, are you willing to change your idea sir?. The place muziris may have been mentioned in several documents which does not imply St. Thomas visiting Kerala.

[@OptimusPrimeStralgorithm]

​@@joythomasvallianeth6013Those documents are already presented in numerous videos. Go and search if you want to change your truth.

[@ShintoPadinjaredathu]

thomasguild.blogspot.com/2015/09/the-bones-of-saint-thomas.html?m=1

[@ShintoPadinjaredathu]

thomasguild.blogspot.com/2015/09/the-bones-of-saint-thomas.html?m=1

[@ShintoPadinjaredathu]

The largest missionary church is Syro Malabar Church or St Thomas Christians. I belong to an indigenous religious order of Kerala that has three thousand priests who are working in more than thirty countries. Our sister order has about seven thousand nuns. There are a lot of orders for men and women that are power houses of missionaries. So please come and see the beauty of Indian Catholic Churches especially St Thomas Christians

[@devasiamunjely]

The original story told by my father is that Kali took Human Sacrifice, as St Thomas approached a house where there was lamenting as the priests only son was to be sacrificed, He being a celibate offered himself as sacrifice, when he approached the temple the Goddess said through the medium why do you torment me, she went away from the temple, the Brahmins wanted to build a church, St.Thomas went to select a tree when they axed the tree blood started oozing out with wailing, the Goddess had taken shelter in the tree, the Goddess was told not to take Human Sacrifice she went back to the Sanctum sanctorum of the temple which was then sealed and since then only coconuts were offered by the Hindu's to the Goddess, The first Church was built and four Brahmin families who converted were the progenitors of the present Syrian Christians in Kerala, and today there are three million Syrian Christians in Kerala and the diaspora all over the world, they are the most hardworking, affluent, educated business men, big plantation owners and have many universities and are active in politics and administrative posts.

[@Nivi.K]

Wow! Such a believable story. Thankyou for sharing.

[@willisfernandes2366]

Brahmins never existed back then during the time of St.Thomas in kerala.

[@yasminbiju231]

Brahmins not yet arrived in Kerala. iThey aren't indigenous to Kerala. They came only around 800AD

[@drshajigeorge8815]

What about Kaladi Adi Sankara who Lived sometime AD 700 - 750?

[@davidlugun6168]

I am from india from Kolkata. I fully agree with his information. that is why northern india has less christian influence than the southern part of India.

[@jamesstephen1516]

This is because of Muslim oppressive rules in the north india .. while in the south and northeastern india the hindu rulers sheltered the Christian converts and migrants from the central Asian regions

[@georgejacob5729]

As in Mathew Chapter 10 verses 5 & 6, St. Thomas spoke to his own people (Jews) in his own language (Aramaic) while he was in Malabar/Malankara. So there is no urgent need to learn a new Indian language. That said, St. Thomas may have learned the local language eventually to communicate with non- Jewish natives who converted to Christianity in limited numbers. Please note that St. Thomas Christians (Nasranis) of Malabar/Malankara celebrate Pesaha (Passover) before Good Friday. Hope this clarifies.

[@ericdavid3801]

Pesaha was Christ, He died, now you don't have to.

[@georgejacob5729]

@ericdavid3801 It looks like you missed the "he arose" part. 😀 Pesaha is for Jews and Christians of Jewish lineage. Conversion to Christianity don't change anything.

[@Thomasyouareclearandbeau-td4ox]

Thanks father for bringing the st Thomas live again

[@jamesstephen1516]

I m a Syrian Christian from kerala, our reading and songs have Aramic, syriac languages apart from malayalam, hindi, english regional languages, i could say in the past that the Europeans colonists had looted the Indian christians burned our manuscript and many holy books and post independence.. of india, now various missionaries in india are doing more harm today, especially in the tribal areas.. the present govt is doing some corrective measures .. and there are majority who still believe that all Christians are missionaries and converts who buy people to convet..this is not true.. please let people love and respect each other and do not demean other beliefs and faiths.. please leave Indian who believe in one world and one tribe . In india the Christian and Muslim , n some minority jains , budhist, sikhs, parsis,have special rites on their institutions and same is not available to majority Hindus.. many misuse these rited many time.. see it is only in india all religion and faiths have prospered and propogated.. why miss use these rights and this video of this clergy should not moke other faiths.. the hindu ruler of the past have helped n sheltered the Christian n jews, parsies from persian .. thank you🙏

[@ci6516]

I’m very sorry about misgrevings Christian’s have brought , but I will say, a Christian society is a prosperous one friend .

[@christendomempire5657]

1:10:3 It's unfortunate that the practice of facing the people is causing division in India. The idea that the priest faced the congregation was based on an inaccurate understanding of the early liturgy. The Practice of Ad Orientem was the universal practice.

[@LuzianJ]

Interesting thing is a recent gene study found Goan Catholics (further up north to Kerela) have cryptic jewish admixture from around 600BC, so far it is the only community to have the admixture. The same research team has also expressed interest in studying the syrio malabar Christians. Also Pahlavi cross has been found in Goa as well, this suggests there were several ancient ports on the west coast of India and active trading going on after and before the time of Christ. Several traders have said to settle down in these coastal areas.

[@arokiasamystephen3417]

Thank you Fr., Praise the LORD.. form Malaysia...

[@thomaskoshy3874]

Catholic church emerged in Kerala only in the year 1599 AD. The early Christians were known as Nasranis or St. Thomas Christians owing allegiance to the Patriarch of Assyrian church. They were forcefully converted to Latin Catholic church in Diamper synod. Old church documents were turned down by the Colonial powers.

[@jperez7893]

the st. Thomas christians should search every possible location where ancient Hebrew manuscripts can be found. India would have recensions and copies of the New Testament independent of the greek. hopefully you can also go to taxila in Pakistan to look for more canonical christian manuscripts

[@rudranilghosh2187]

Hey I am a Hindu. I want to become a Christian.

[@jperez7893]

@@rudranilghosh2187 God bless you. Read the gospels, the nicene creed , and the Athanasian creed. Then go to a priest to prepare for the rite of baptism. Then spread the goodness of the Lord by living a good life toward yourself and others as an example of what Jesus Christ taught and asks us to do.

[@yakovmatityahu]

i am a Christian from India, from a Syrian Saint Thomas Tradition, a small request to you to not use words like "Conquer India" etc, it sends a very wrong message to people...just a small request...The information given is quite accurate tho...

[@Goat-e3g]

Catholics only know to destroy

[@rudranilghosh2187]

I want to become a Christian

[@yakovmatityahu]

@@rudranilghosh2187 please mail me we will connect

[@bjornkristjansson7191]

What word do you prefer. India was conquered by muslims one thousand years ago and then again by the brits. Hindus have been under military rule of foreign forces for thousand years.

[@rjfpac]

I am grateful for this, embarrassed by the atrocities from Rome over the centuries and become increasingly compassionate toward those who are in many ways rightfully critical of RC which sometimes seems to only be truly practiced by the cloistered or poor in the Church

[@reeferfranklin]

I'm a reluctant-Protestant quickly becoming Catholic, I'm very much drawn to the Personal Ordinariate & the TLM-centered Orders & parishes, but not having one local to me, and being weary of some of the current politics playing out, I've been highly intrigued by the Eastern Catholics, partially because I have a great respect for the Orthodox branches of Christendom, but also be the most reverent & most local parishes to me are Syro-Malabar, and I've long since thought Saint Thomas would be my Patron Saint, so many things lined-up, I discovered all of this the day of the Feast of Saint Thomas, I've been on the fence between Catholicism & Eastern Orthodoxy & had many confirmations that the Eastern Catholic Church, specifically of the Saint Thomas Christians variety was the proper path for myself & my daughter.

[@reeferfranklin]

Christ is King! ✝️🟰👑 #ChristIsKing 🙏🏽🌹📿

[@renjithjoseph7135]

All four accounts of Thomas in the fourth gospel show his courage. So his absence from the Upper Room must be attributed to that too. In a city where the Jews had just killed their Master, the Apostles were hiding in the Cenacle out of fear. But Thomas, being willing to die for Christ even before the Passion and Crucifixion, was brave enough to go and get supplies for the infant Church.

[@bjornkristjansson7191]

When Thomas is supposed to have talked to Jesus about India, he is said to have said to Jesus, please do not send me to India, "the people are ignorant". This does not make much sense as India was considered in the west at this time as source of much knowledge and wisdom. I would like to know the reference of this statement.

[@Nivi.K]

That's for the western people in Europe not for Israel which had trade relations with India especially Kerala for centuries so they knew that place wasn't great to go and preach.

[@NassauOngalewuPukapuka-hg4zt]

Thanks for sharing 🙏 Amen ♥️

[@beingfrank40]

This was such a good talk-teaching,thank you and God bless you.🙏

[@Philipp-dt2zy]

It would be very interesting to examine the bones of St. Thomas with the radiocarbon dating method.

[@jamespack49]

Yea Apostle Thomas NEVER proclaimed to be catholic none of the Apostles did , Catholicism simply man made

[@BijoyP-h2l]

Yes , no doubt that today’s world is the gift of Catholic Church.Before the Ranasa revolution,Catholic Church included science in seminaries to study.

[@keralanaturelover196]

Thanks for information

[@ShintoPadinjaredathu]

Malabar means place of hills. Kerala is a place that has a lot of hills and valleys 1:03:33

[@TruthMan-hi2nw]

As a st thomas christian we 😂 don't pray to saints we respect them ❤. That is sin We go to straight🗿🗿🗿🗿🗿

[@theguyver4934]

Just like biblical and historical evidence proves that jesus and his apostles were vegatarians biblical and historical evidence also proves that the trinity, atonement, original sin and hell are very late misinterpretations and are not supported by the early creed hence its not a part of Christianity I pray that Allah swt revives Christianity both inside and out preserves and protects it and makes its massage be witnessed by all people but at the right moment, place and time The secred text of the Bible says ye shall know them by their fruits So too that I say to my christian brothers and sisters be fruitful and multiply Best regards from a Muslim ( line of ismail )

[@josephjacob3274]

The story of the girdle/belt of mother mary should be proof of st thomas being in india. St thomas received it from the mother of god and it was in india. It was later transferred to the east in Turkey and it has bene under the syriac orthodox church since.

[@AntiIdoloter]

1:00 what a Mary worship is that!??! Pray to Jesus Christ, praise him instead of Mary

[@Nivi.K]

Thank you so much father for enlightening us about St. Thomas Christians and also describing in detail about how Christianity arrived in Kerala. However, I have a question as to why the St.Thomas Christians believe in praying to saints and mother of God when clearly St. Thomas being a Jew never could have preached that other than Christ. Right now here there is a lot of confusion as many of the Orthodox, Jacobite and even Catholic are coming out of this after reading the Bible and joining completely different denominations with a lot of heartache as they have to leave their much beloved churches, friends and communities to go and join these churches which sometimes are not a fraction good as compared to their old denomination but due to too much idol worship in these churches and feeling really wrong about the theology have no where left to go.

[@TruthMan-hi2nw]

I am stthomas christian we don't pray to saints and dead peoples

[@ShintoPadinjaredathu]

Malabar means place of hills. Kerala is a place that has a lot of hills and valleys

[@rnskfamily7672]

Money poured into kerala to spread Christianity. The founding fathers realized providing money, hospitals and schools alone will convert the masses and make them believe in Jesus and even today that is true. Money has the power. British left important land and buildings for indian Christianity to thrive in the form of hospitals and schools.

[@sisubk6321]

Thomas came to India?! Which Thomas?! If someone had come to India from middle East, how he has reached?! After the death of jesus, Christianity was in hibernation for 200 years as told when i visited Jerusalem decade back. If this is true, does it mean that Christianity came to India first & not to Rome which is very near?! All these look stories. Also, note that India or bharat was a highly civilized & literate subcontinent for more than thousands of years much before Christ.

[@ShintoPadinjaredathu]

Malabar means place of hills.

[@luna9828]

You look like young King of Sweden

[@Truthseeker371]

Thomas was not a catholic. Some encraves of Jewish community were found in the Southern India. Probably due to the Arabic trade and Persian Empire.

[@Judah_889]

Some are But majority are oriental orthodox

[@ericdavid3801]

People have forgotten the Jewish history in India before the 32 a.d. that's been the racism ? Or forgotten ? And were they also responsible for killing Thomas, Jewish people were good at making others do their deeds. They still do.

[@Nivi.K]

Thomas was killed by the locals in Tamil Nadu, India.

[@barbaraamodio8451]

or while praying on Saintome in Chennai?

[@user-lv1wn5wq7n]

go indie Portuguese indie 1961

[@joythomasvallianeth6013]

St. Thomas visit to "Kerala" is a lie. St. Thomas may have visited "India", the north western region, which is presently called as Pakistan after the split with modern India in 1947 AD. The region beyond the river Indus or Sindhu is known as India for the olden day or medieval Persians and King Gondophorus ruled over there in the 1st century AD. Now people are mixing up old grandma stories with history and all these started appearing after the Portugese catholic priests arrival to India and especially to Kerala after the 15th century. Before that there were isolated christian communities set up by the west Asian spice merchants by marrying local women and the foreign travellers have met these communities and have recorded their encounters. There was no migration in 345 AD under thomas of Knana either. It is another lie started by the vested interested people.

[@keralanaturelover196]

No Christians in nortg west Pakistan. Kerala near world busiest sea lane those days. Ignorant landlocked 😂😂😂

[@Goat-e3g]

Evidence to backup your claim?

[@joythomasvallianeth6013]

@@Goat-e3g What evidence you want ? Evidence for the Splitting of India in 1947 and formation of Pakistan ? The existence of river Indus ? Please list the items for which you want evidence !

[@Goat-e3g]

@@joythomasvallianeth6013 what the hell are you telling. I asked the evidence for hoax of St Thomas Arrival in Kerala

[@Goat-e3g]

@@joythomasvallianeth6013 what the hell are you doing? Huh

[@ShintoPadinjaredathu]

Malabar means place of hills. Kerala is a place that has a lot of hills and valleys

[@ShintoPadinjaredathu]

Malabar means place of hills.

[@ShintoPadinjaredathu]

Malabar means place of hills.