DISCIPLES OF LORD JESUS CHRIST WHO PREACHED IN INDIA

Many people are misinformed that Christianity in India is a European contribution. However, in fact, Christianity in India is as old as Christianity itself, and it was brought to India by two of the very own disciples of Christ himself:-

1.Thomas the Apostle

Thomas the Apostle, also called Doubting Thomas or Didymus (meaning "Twin") was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He is best known for disbelieving Jesus' resurrection when first told of it, then proclaiming "My Lord and my God" on seeing Jesus in John 20:28. He was perhaps the only Apostle who went outside the Roman Empire to preach the Gospel. He is also believed to have crossed the largest area, which includes the Parthian Empire and India.

Hippolytus records that Thomas was an active missionary, and that he met his fate in India, Thomas preached to the Parthians, Medes, Persians, Hyrcanians, Bactrians, and Margians, and was thrust through in the four members of his body with a pine spear at , Mylapore, the city of India, and was buried there.

2.Bartholomew the Apostle

Bartholomew the Apostle:Two ancient testimonies exist about the mission of Saint Bartholomew in India. These are of Eusebius of Caesarea (early 4th century) and of Saint Jerome (late 4th century). Both these refer to this tradition while speaking of the reported visit of Pantaenus to India in the 2nd century.

The studies of Perumalil and Moraes hold that the Bombay region on the Konkan coast, a region which may have been known as the ancient town Kalyan, was the field of Saint Bartholomew's missionary activities.

• According to Hippolytus, Bartholomew preached in India:
  Bartholomew, again, preached to the Indians, to whom he also gave the Gospel according to Matthew, and was crucified with his head downward, and was buried in Allanum, a town of the great Armenia [modern day southern Georgia].
• Eusebius, in his Church History, confirms the ministry of Bartholomew in India, and adds an eye witness account:
  About that time, Pantaenus, a man highly distinguished for his learning, had charge of the school of the faithful in Alexandria... Pantaenus...is said to have gone to India. It is reported that among persons there who knew of Christ, he found the Gospel according to Matthew, which had anticipated his own arrival. For Bartholomew, one of the apostles, had preached to them, and left with them the writing of Matthew in the Hebrew language, which they had preserved till that time. ---- (Book 5, Chapter 10)
  
  

Why did  Jesus disciples died cruel deaths for preaching the gospel

• People do not die for a lie - these disciples must have seen something that made them choose their cruel death over denouncing their faith.
• Remember that these disciples are Jews - and the ultimate promise of God to the Jews was the coming of a Messiah....
• Maybe, just maybe, they were convinced of having seen and touched the Messiah ? The ressurection of the death may have given them the necessary push that made them overcome their doubt ?
• Human nature is such that no sane man would give up his own life to a belief that he knows is untrue.
• If anyone knew for sure whether Jesus did or did not resurrect from His death, it would be His disciples.

•  They willingly went out to tell about Jesus' resurrection while putting their life on the line.
• The historical FACT that many of these disciples decided to give up their own life to tell the world about that "Jesus has resurrected" is a very STRONG evidence that what they died for is the truth !
• The reason that many of these disciples were executed is this:

They refused to renounce their Lord Jesus, the Christ... That is the truth they were willing to die for...