Acts of Thomas
Date of composition
- Perhaps the late 100s, but definitely the 200s.
- Parts of it are mentioned in the Manichean Psalm-book of the late 200s. To have reached this level of popularity, parts of the Acts of Thomas could have been written much earlier, and the book compiled in the 200s.
- [Manichean Psalm-book: A Manichaean book written in Coptic and compiled in the late 200s/early 300s. Manichaeism was a religion founded by Mani (d. 274). He accepted Jesus as a prophet and not the Son of God, and some Christian books circulated amongst the Manicheans. That is how some of the NT Apocrypha found their way into the Manichean Psalm-book. None of the 27 NT books are in the Manichean Psalm-book.]
Type of Apocrypha (heretical or in error (made up))
- Error and no heretical ideas.
Length
- 99 double-spaced pages. What we have is comprised from a variety of sources.
- The length is due to the many long speeches.
Summary
- It has a fascinating beginning: the eleven Apostles decided to divide the world among themselves and evangelize in separate directions. Thomas received India, but he refused to go. In a dream, Jesus told Thomas to go to India, but Thomas refused. A short time later, Abban, a merchant from one of the kings of India, was in the marketplace searching for a slave to buy who was a carpenter. Jesus approached him, pointed out Thomas as a carpenter and slave, and sold him to Abban, who then took Thomas to India. After Thomas traveled to India, he witnessed to many people, many people became Christian, and he performed many miracles and cast out many demons. He was also beaten and jailed. Once, a king ordered that iron plates be heated and placed on Thomas' feet to torture him, but as the metal plates were placed on his feet, water gushed from the ground and cooled off the plates. Eventually, Thomas is imprisoned and then put to death by being speared by four soldiers.
Noteworthy from the book
- Thomas is referred to as "Judas Thomas" or "Judas the Twin."
- A woman brought back from death described hell. Her description is close to that found in the Revelation of Peter.
- Thomas is referred to as the twin brother of Jesus.
- Satan, in the form of a serpent, appeared to Thomas. Thomas "tricked" the serpent into drinking poison, and it died.