One ancient Syriac document of the early third century The Doctrine of the Apostles’ is considered to be an authentic teaching of the apostles. This book deals with the customs and practices of the ancient Church, especially of the church in the Syriac world. We get a good deal of knowledge regarding India and Persia and the apostolic work of St. Thomas in India and of Addai and Mari in some regions of Persia. This work is akin to the Didascalia ton Apostolon and the Constitutiones Apostolicae in Latin and the Apostolic Ordinances in Coptic, Ethiopic and Arabic. These documents incorporate the Didache (Διδαχε), which can be called the primitive Manual or Catechism of the Church, but cover more extensive ground. The Doctrine of Apostles in Syriac is earlier than others of this class. These writings contain a collection of ancient ecclesiastical ordinances which obtained later the force of Church canons. Though the Syriac, Greek and others are similar, each has its characteristic traits. The Syriac text is a compilation of Synodal canons by Ebed-Jesu of Nisibis, the Nestorian patriarch, which bars the title Epitome Canonum Apostolicorum.
In the Doctrine of the Apostles we read: After the death of the apostles there were guides and rulers in the churches, and whatsoever the apostles had committed to them, and they had received from them, they taught to the multitudes all the time of their lives. They again at their deaths also committed and delivered to their disciples after them everything which they had received from the Apostles; also what James had written from Jerusalem, and Simon from the city of Rome, and John from Ephesus, and Mark from the great Alexandria and Andrew from Phrygia and Luke from Macedonia and Judas Thomas from India; that the epistles of an Apostle might be received and read in the churches, in every place, like those triumphs of their acts which Luke wrote, are read. The Doctrine of the Apostles mentions the practice of reading in the churches letters written by the apostles: “what James had written from Jerusalem, and Simon from the city of Rome, and John from Ephesus, and Mark from the great Alexandria and Andrew from Phrygia and Luke from Macedonia and Judas Thomas from India”. The letters of James, Peter and John may be those included in the N.T., but other letters, namely those of Mark, Andrew, Luke and Thomas do not form part of the N.T. This does not mean that they had not written letters and were not sent to the churches for reading. Not even all the letters of Paul have been survived, as we find in I Cor. 5:9 and Col. 4:16. Therefore, the letter written by Thomas has not survived the time.
In another place of the same book we find: “India and all its own countries and those bordering on it, even to the farthest sea, received the apostle’s hand of priesthood and from Judas Thomas, who was Guide and Ruler in the church which he built and ministered there”. Here there is very explicit reference to the point that St. Thomas preached Gospel in India. The word ‘India’, not ‘Parthia’ is used here. Again the expression ‘farthest sea’ or the regions of the farthest sea is a clear reference to India, according to many writers. That time there were many countries such as Medes, Bactria, Parthia etc. in the later called Persian Empire and different apostles (means the direct disciples of the apostles) preached in these different areas. St. Thomas the apostle, Addeus (Addai), Mares (Mari), Aggeus (Aggai) are considered to have preached in these places. St. Mares, the disciple of St. Addeus later became the bishop of Ctesiphon.
Rev. Dr. James Puliurumpil
