Thomas, the Holy Apostle of Christ, Tormented with Red Hot Plates, in the Year 70

Thomas, surnamed Didymus, that is, twin, was a native of Galilee, and his occupation, as it appears, that of a fisherman. John 11, verse 16. Concerning his parents and the time of his conversion, we find no account in the Evangelists, who mention only his call to the apostleship. Matthew 10, verse 3.

His love and ardent affection for Christ appears from the fact that he exhorted his brothers to go up to Jerusalem, so that they might die with Christ. John 11, verse 16. But since he had not yet resisted to the point of bloodshed, and labored also under a certain misapprehension concerning the death of Christ, he, with the others, forsook the Lord in the time of need. John 14, verse 5; Matthew 26, verse 31.

Afterwards, when the Lord had arisen, and appeared to the other apostles, in the absence of Thomas, he could not believe it, as he said, unless he should put his fingers into the prints of the nails with which He had been crucified, and thrust his hand into the Lord's side, which a soldier had opened with a spear. But when the Lord came again, and appeared also to him, saying, "Reach here your finger, and behold my hands; and reach here your hand, and thrust it into my side," and so on, then he, being convinced, began to address Christ with divine titles of honor, saying, "My Lord and my God." John 20, verses 24 to 28.

After this, he, together with the other apostles, received the commandment to preach the Gospel in the whole world, and to baptize the believers; to which end, ten days after, namely, on the day of Pentecost, he, with all his fellow ministers, received the Holy Ghost in full abundance. Matthew 28, verses 19 and 20; Mark 16, verses 15 and 16.

According to history, he sent Thaddeus to King Abgarus, shortly after Christ's resurrection. Euseb. Hist. Eccl., book 1, chapter 13. [n117-1]

As Parthia, India, Ethiopia, and many other countries had been assigned him as his portion, he traveled through them; he dreaded, however, as it appears, to go to the moors and the savage nations of India. Nevertheless, God having strengthened him, he there converted many to God. Euseb. Hist. Eccl., book 3, chapter 1. [n117-2]

Concerning the end of Thomas, the most probable account found by the ancients is this, namely, that at Calamina, a city in the East Indies, he put a stop to the abominable idolatry of the heathen, who worshiped there an image of the sun; so that through the power of God he compelled the Evil One to destroy the image. Thereupon the idolatrous priest accused him before their king, who sentenced him first to be tormented with red hot plates, and then to be cast into a glowing furnace and burned. But when the idolatrous priests, who stood before the furnace, saw that the fire did not hurt him, they pierced his side, as he lay in the furnace, with spears and javelins; so he conformed in steadfastness to his Lord Jesus Christ, whom he confessed even to death. Jerome states that his body, which, it seems, was taken out of the fire, was buried in the same place where he died. Joh. Gysii Hist. Mart., folio 11, column 4. Konst tooneel van veertig, in the life of Thomas. [n117-3]