The Acts of Thomas Overview

THE ACTS OF THOMAS

• Date: 200-300

• Claimed Author: Judas Thomas (the twin of Jesus)

• Sect: Encratite, Manichaean

• Provence: Edessa

• Original Language: Syriac

• References: Epiphanius, Augustine of Hippo, Turribius of Astorga, The Stichometry of Nicephorus

• This is the only Apocryphal Acts text that has survived in its entirety

pgs. 447-511 & https://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/actsthomas.html

THE FIRST ACT

1-3. All the 11 disciples portioned out the regions and cast lots to see which region each one would go to: Judas Thomas, called Didymus, got India. However, Thomas “was not able to travel on account of the weakness of his body”. The next night, Jesus appears to him and tells him not to fear but go preach the gospel in India. Thomas says he will go anywhere else except for India. A merchant named Abban arrives next, coming from India as sent by King Gundaphorus to buy a carpenter. Jesus sells Judas to him as a carpenter without Judas’ knowledge and then sends him off. The next morning, Thomas prays that he will do Jesus’ will and goes to Abban without anything except his price. They sail to India.

4-8. When Thomas arrives, he asks about a festival happening. Abban explains that it is for the gods because the king’s only daughter is going to get married. The king had sent heralds to proclaim that all people of all classes and groups must come to the wedding or answer to the king. They go to the wedding, and the people look at Thomas weirdly because he is foreign. They wonder why he doesn’t eat or drink, and he explains that he is filled by doing the will of God. Some cupbearer slaps Thomas, and Thomas forgives him, but tells him that that same hand will be dragged by dogs. A Hebrew flute girl comes behind him and plays the flute. Thomas then sings a Hebrew song that only the flute girl understands (since she’s the only other Hebrew) about some beautiful daughter having 12 groomsmen and getting married and rejoicing in the Father. The cupbearer goes to get water, and a lion comes out and tears him apart, and a dog takes his hand and brings him to the place where they are eating.

9-11. The flute girl breaks her flute and throws it away to sit at the apostles’ feet and says he must be God’s apostle or God, and explains the prophecy he made about the man in Hebrew to the others. The king then takes Thomas to the bridal chamber to pray for his only daughter, who is about to get married. He prays that God does what is most profitable for the couple and leaves. The bridegroom lifts the curtain of the bridal chamber to bring the bride to himself, but sees Jesus walking with the bride (but Jesus looks like Thomas). The bridegroom asks how Thomas is still there, but Jesus says, “I am not Judas Thomas, I am his brother.” In contrast to the canonical gospels, Jesus says he is Thomas’ brother.

12-14. Jesus tells the couple that they will be pure temples if they refrain from intercourse, but will be evil if they go on with it and create children. The couple chooses to “refrain… from filthy lust” and stay there. Jesus then leaves. In the morning, the king and queen come to sit with the bride and bridegroom and see that the bride has her face uncovered. The queen asks how she could do that without shame, and the father says it must be her love for her husband. The bride says,

“I have set at nought this husband and this marriage that passeth away from before mine eyes, it is because I am joined in another marriage; and that I have had no intercourse with a husband that is temporal, whereof the end is with lasciviousness and bitterness of soul, it is because I am yoked unto a true husband.”

This is clear Encratite propaganda against marriage, sex within marriage, and even procreation.

15. The bridegroom prays as the bride had spoken earlier, but the king rends his garments and calls for people to search everywhere to find the “sorcerer” who tricked his children into madness. He searches the inn where he had stayed and sees the flute girl weeping because Thomas wouldn’t let her go with him. The king asks about him, telling her about the bride and bridegroom, and she rejoices and goes to live with them. Thomas, however, had gone off to other cities in India.

THE SECOND ACT

17-20. Thomas is brought by Abban to build a palace for King Gundaphorus. Gundaphorus tells Thomas to begin right away, but Thomas says he can only do it starting in November and finishing in April. Since Gundaphorus says people only build during the summer, he tells him he must show him how he plans on building in the winter. Thomas measures everything and tells him the plan, and the king approves and goes off. The king gives Thomas silver for working on the project, but Thomas gives it all to those in need. Thomas tells him the palace is done and only needs a roof, so the king tells him to just put a roof on it and gives him gold (which Thomas likewise gives away). The king returns to ask about the palace that had been built for him, but the people tell him Thomas had only been healing people, casting out demons, giving money, and teaching about God. They also talk about how he fasts continually, praying, eating only bread with salt, and drinking only water while wearing one coat no matter the weather. Thomas is portrayed as the ultimate ascetic Encratite who gives everything to the poor and only eats lightly seasoned bread and drinks only water.

21-22. The king asks Thomas when he can see the palace he had built, and Thomas says he can’t see it now, but only when he leaves this life. The king is enraged, sends Thomas to prison, and goes to find the merchant and destroy them both. As the king thinks about how to destroy them, his brother suddenly becomes ill and tells him to destroy “the magician”. The king is sorrowful over his brother as he dies and plans his funeral. Meanwhile, an angel carries his soul up to heaven and shows him the mansions there, asking him where he should dwell. He then sees what Thomas built for the king and asks to dwell there, but the angel refuses, saying Thomas had built it for his brother. He then asks to go back to his brother and ask him to sell it to him.

23-24. The angels let Gad, Gundaphorus’ brother, go back down as they are putting a burial robe on him, and he asks to talk to him. He comes and is stupefied.

And his brother said, “I know and am persuaded, my brother, that if any man had asked of thee the half of thy kingdom, thou wouldest have given it him for my sake; therefore I beg of thee to grant me one favour which I ask of thee, that thou wouldest sell me that which I ask of thee.” And the king answered and said, “And what is it which thou askest me to sell thee?” And he said: “Convince me by an oath that thou wilt grant it me.” And the king swore unto him, “One of my possessions, whatsoever thou shalt ask, I will give thee.” And he saith to him, “Sell me that palace which thou hast in the heavens.” And the king said, “Whence should I have a palace in the heavens?” And he said, “Even that which that Christian built for thee, which is now in the prison, whom the merchant brought unto thee, having purchased him of one Jesus: I mean that Hebrew slave whom thou desiredst to punish as having suffered deceit at his hand: whereat I was grieved and died, and am now revived.”

Then the king considering the matter, understood it of those eternal benefits which should come to him and which concerned him, and said, “That palace I cannot sell thee, but I pray to enter into it and dwell therein and to be accounted worthy of the inhabiters of it, but if thou indeed desirest to buy such a palace, lo, the man liveth and shall build thee one better than it.” And forthwith he sent and brought out of prison the apostle and the merchant that was shut up with him, saying, “I entreat thee, as a man that entreateth the minister of God, that thou wouldest pray for me and beseech him whose minister thou art to forgive me and overlook that which I have done unto thee or thought to do, and that I may become a worthy inhabiter of that dwelling for the which I took no pains, but thou hast builded it for me, labouring alone, the grace of thy God working with thee, and that I also may become a servant and serve this God whom thou preachest.” And his brother also fell down before the apostle and said, “I entreat and supplicate thee before thy God that I may become worthy of his ministry and service, and that it may fall to me to be worthy of the things that were shown unto me by his angels.”

25-27. Thomas rejoices that the men want to follow God. The men follow him and never leave him, and give to the poor. They then ask Thomas for “the seal”, and Thomas gets oil to anoint and chrism them. Then a young man appears, burning like a lamp that makes all the other lamps they had burning look like nothing. They say that they cannot bear his light. The morning comes, and they partake in the eucharist.

28-29. Thomas continues to preach to everyone against “the three hindrances”: fornication, greed, and gluttony. He then has a vision where Jesus tells him to break bread and pray with the people, and then travel two miles down an eastern road so he can show himself and the nature of the enemy. Thomas wakes up, tells the others, and takes eucharist with them.

THE THIRD ACT

30-32. Thomas goes out on the road and sees a beautiful youth lying at the second milestone. He prays, “Lord of all and Father—Father not of the souls that are still in bodies, but of those who have left them, because you are Lord and judge of the souls still in the bodies—come in this hour in which I call upon you, and show your glory to him who is lying here.” He then tells his companions that the enemy did this. Then a serpent comes up and explains that he killed the man after seeing him kiss, have intercourse, and do other shameful things with a beautiful woman that he fell in love with. Thomas asks what race and seed the serpent is of, and the serpent explains he is of the serpent that tricked Adam and Eve after hearing from “his father”, and who also tricked Cain, Pharaoh, Herod, and Caiaphas. He says he held the abyss of Tartarus, “but the Son of God has wronged me.” He knows that he cannot stand up to Thomas since he is Jesus’ twin brother. This passage connects the serpent from Genesis 3 to all the main villains of the Bible. However, the serpent in Genesis 3 is not the Devil himself, but listens to what the Devil told him. Also, Thomas’ surname ‘Didymus’ (meaning “twin”) is interpreted as meaning that Thomas was Jesus’ twin.

33. Thomas commands the serpent to suck the poison out of the man that he had put into him in the first place. The serpent says his time of destruction had not yet come. Thomas demands that he show the nature of his father, so the serpent sucks the poison out of the young man. The young man goes from purple to normal and rises, while the serpent swells and then blows up with his poison and gall, going everywhere to create a chasm. Thomas tells the king to have workmen fill the chasm, lay foundations, and build houses for strangers to live in there.

34-38. The young man asks Thomas who he is and how he has two forms. He explains how he saw someone like him say that he will be raised and explains how he chose light over darkness. He asks to see “him who is now hidden…for it is not the nature of this bodily organ.” Thomas commends him not to seek riches or comfort that bring judgment, but the invisible things that are truly beautiful. Thomas then tells all the others with him to seek Christ more than their bodies, which will decompose. They repent.

THE FOURTH ACT

39-41. As Thomas is speaking to the people, a colt comes to him and addresses him as the twin brother of Jesus, whom Jesus taught hidden, secret things to. Thomas asks who the colt is, and the colt replies that he is from the family of the colt that responded to Balaam and that Jesus rode on into Jerusalem. The colt pleads with Thomas to fulfill it by getting on it to ride to his destination. Thomas gets on and rides to the city. When Thomas gets off, the colt immediately dies at his feet. Thomas’ missionary journey is contrasted with Balaam’s journey against God’s will and is compared to Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, where he will be killed.

THE FIFTH ACT

42-46. When Thomas enters the city, a lady cries out to him to have him cast a demon out: she explains how she was bathing when a young man asked to sleep with her. She said she wouldn’t marry the one she was betrothed to because she didn’t want to have intercourse, so why would she have intercourse and adultery with him? She finds out that this man appeared older to someone else. Later that night, that “man” takes her by force and sleeps with her, and she had him as a demon oppressing her since then. Thomas reprimands it, and it asks why Thomas does violence against it, and leaves with fire and smoke behind it. The demon enters the lady through intercourse to make intercourse a bigger sin.

47-49. Thomas gives a quick message and blesses the people. The lady asks for a seal so that the demon can’t come back to her, so Thomas gives her and others a seal with the trinitarian formula. Then, after Thomas prays and makes the sign of the cross on the bread, breaks it, and has it distributed, saying, “This shall be to you for remission of sins and everlasting transgressions.” This provides an image for how ancient Christians may have celebrated eucharist: making the sign of the cross over the bread (as more high church denominations do today) and seeing it as something that gives forgiveness of sins.

THE SIXTH ACT

51. Some young man partook of the eucharist, but both his hands withered, and he couldn’t bring them up to his mouth. The people tell Thomas, and Thomas tells the man that the eucharist that “brings healing, especially to those who come in faith and love” had convicted him. The man explains that he loved a woman, but heard that Thomas preached that “whoever shall indulge in impure intercourse, especially in adultery, shall not have life with the God whom I preach.” He tries to get this woman to live with him chastely, but she refuses. The man confesses to killing her so that he wouldn’t have to see her commit adultery with another man.

52-54. Thomas gets water and prays over it. He tells the man to wash his hands in the water and asks if he believes in Jesus. The man says he does. He then asks to be led to the woman and teaches the young man to pray to have her resurrected. Once resurrected, the woman instantly falls at Thomas’ feet, asking who he is. She explains that she had seen the Lord tell Thomas to take her so that she should be perfect. Thomas instructs a man to pray for someone to be resuscitated. This woman might also assume Christian perfectionism to be a thing.

55-57. Thomas asks where the woman was. The woman explains that an ugly, fully black man took her to a place with lots of chasms, a terrible stench, blazing fire, and fiery wheels with souls hung on them, and being dashed against each other. People were crying out. The man explained that “these are they who perverted the intercourse of man and wife.” She sees infants heaped on top of each other. It is explained that these are placed in a pile “for a testimony against them.” She is then led to another chasm with worms and mud everywhere, and awful sulphur, where those who commit adultery are. In another chasm, she sees those who slandered and spoke disgraceful words hung by their tongues; those who were not ashamed to walk about with uncovered heads were hung by their hair; those who stole and didn’t give to the poor were hung by their hands; those who walked in wicked ways and didn’t help those in need were hung by their feet. In even another chasm where people try to peep up for air, but aren’t allowed. It's explained that this is where some go for prison after the punishments she had seen, although some are fully consumed first. Then Jesus, who she says looks like Thomas, says to take her back. Even intercourse for married couples is looked down upon, and the children of such relationships are thrown into Hell to be a testimony against their parents. Also, while everyone is punished according to their sins in Hell, some are eventually annihilated.

58-59. Thomas responds to the lad and tells her that she must leave her old way of life and follow God and become a new person if she doesn’t want to return to that place that she had seen. Many repent and give money to the widows. Many bring sick people for him to heal, and he doesn’t stop going around preaching about Jesus fulfilling the Scriptures, dying, and rising after three days.

THE SEVENTH ACT

62-64. Some Indian captain comes to Thomas after having heard about him. He explains how he has only done good but has received the opposite as reward: he has been faithful to only sleep with his wife and has a daughter he loves; nevertheless, he was invited to a wedding and so sent his wife and daughter. His wife and daughter were mugged by demons, thrown to the ground, and stripped naked. When he hears his slaves tell him this, he goes to ask them, and they explain it again. However, the demons take them again and continue to mug them, throw them to the ground, strip them, and keep them in different rooms. This might be a story depicting how even intercourse between husband and wife brings evil.

65-66. Thomas asks the captain if he believes in Jesus. He says he does, but wants to see him. Thomas tells him, “He appears not to these bodily eyes, but is only found with the eyes of the mind.” He then prays for Jesus to help his little faith and heal his family. Thomas then has the deacon Xenophon call everyone together so he can give them a final exhortation, telling them he is leaving them with Xenophon and might not see them in his body again. He prays for them.

THE EIGHT ACT

68-70. The brethren follow Thomas on his way out, weeping, but the captain asks that he may follow Thomas and sit at his feet. After two miles, the beasts pulling the wagon become tired, and the driver becomes annoyed and thinks of going to get new animals. Thomas tells him to believe in Jesus. Just then, they see a herd of wild donkeys nearby, and Thomas tells the driver to tell them that he needs four of them. The driver goes to them to tell them Thomas needs four of them. All the donkeys come and kneel before Thomas, who says he needs four of them to replace the beasts that couldn’t move anymore. The four strongest take their place, and the rest follow Thomas until he dismisses them.

71-73. The four wild donkeys arrive at the captain’s house, and all the people of the city spread a rumor about the miracle of the four wild donkeys. Thomas prays for the people in the city who don’t know Jesus to come to know him, and they all come to see what will happen. Thomas then tells the donkeys to go to the mother and child and tell them to come out, “[f]or for your sakes and against your race I have been sent to destroy you and to persecute you to your place, till the time of consummation comes and you go down into your depth of darkness.”

74-75. The donkeys go in to reprimand the demons, and the woman and daughter come out as if dead. Thomas commands the demons to leave, and they do, leaving them without breath or life. They complain that Thomas mocks them again, and Thomas realizes that these are the same demons that had taken some lady by force (see 42-46).

76-77. The demon asks to be sent where Thomas wants, so it won’t have to fear the Almighty. It explains how it does the will of its father just as Thomas does the will of his Father; it receives destruction just as Thomas receives eternal life as a reward; Thomas preaches to see prepared vessels saved, while the demon seeks selected vessels so he can destroy them. Thomas commands them to go away from humanity, and they disappear.

78-79. Then the wild donkey that had told the demons to go out to Thomas asks Thomas why he waits to do the Lord’s will so that others would believe and the women would be raised. It then turns to the people and preaches to them about how they ought to believe in Jesus and repent.

80-81. The people then give glory to Jesus in a prayer that is surprisingly orthodox and aware of who Jesus is and what he did for people who hadn’t heard any of it. Thomas then prays for the mother and daughter to come back, and they do. Thomas tells the last four donkeys to depart and sees them go off safely.

THE NINTH ACT

82-86. Some relative of the king, Misdeaus, and the wife of some Charisius, Mygdonia, hears of the new apostle and tries to have her slaves carry her to Thomas. They cannot pass because of the crowds, so she sends for more servants to push and beat the people to make a way for her to get to Thomas. Thomas asks why they try to get near when they are far off and says that Jesus had said “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” and “Come to me all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” He then says the men carrying this woman are treated like beasts having to be burdened by carrying her, but that the Lord’s work is the commandment to not do to another what is displeasing to us. He then preaches against adultery and theft and on the “three main parts the Messiah is portrayed in”: holiness, temperance, and meekness. Thomas interprets Jesus’ light burden as the great commandment. As Thomas rewords the Golden Rule, he also puts it closer to the way Hillel’s rule and the earlier Jewish notations of the rule had said it: as a negative instead of a positive commandment.

87-88. The crowd draws near to Thomas after he preaches, but Mygdonia throws herself off her palanquin to the ground at Thomas’ feet, pleading with him to care and pray for her. Thomas responds:

“Rise up from the ground and remove your adornments. For this ornament which you have on will not help the authority which surrounds you nor the power of this world nor this filthy intercourse with your husband will be of use to you if you are deprived of the trite intercourse. For the exhibition of jewellery is destroyed, and the body ages and changes, and garments wear out, and power and dominion pass away… And the communion of begetting children also passes away, since it is an object of contempt. Jesus alone remains forever and they who hope in him.”

She falls down and worships Thomas and then goes home. Here, Thomas once again explains that intercourse and adornment are filthy. However, interestingly enough, Mygdonia is not reprimanded by Thomas for worshipping him, as people are in the canonical New Testament.

89-92. Charisius asks why Mygdonia doesn’t sleep with him anymore, and she explains that she’s unwell. She continues to refuse to sleep with him. After sleeping on a couch, he gets up and tells her about a dream he had where an eagle took two partridges that were before him and the king at a banquet and put them safely in a nest. When the eagle came again to take a dove and pigeon, the king shoots an arrow that passes through it without hurting it, and it goes to its nest unscathed. He says that he is afraid because he tasted the partridge but can’t bring it to his mouth anymore. When he awakes, he puts his left shoe on his right foot. He then asks Mygdonia what the dream and act means and she says it is “very good” because “from a bad thing comes the better.”

93-94. Mygdonia goes to talk with Thomas and the captain. Thomas asks about her, and the captain explains that her husband, Charisius, is severe, but the king respects and listens to everything that he says. Thomas’ teachings are foreign to her, and they will not allow her to live by them. Thomas says that if “the Lord has truly…risen in her soul”, her husband will not be able to harm her. Mygdonia says she truly has received the Lord, and Thomas preaches his own beatitudes.

95-98. Charisius comes home before Mygdonia and is angry when he hears it's because she is with this “stranger” (Thomas). He waits until she comes home that night and asks where she was. She says she was with a physician. When he asks if the stranger is a physician, she says, “Yes, a physician of souls. Most physicians heal bodies, which decay; but he heals souls, which do not perish.” Charisius is angered by this. When Mygdonia will neither eat dinner with him nor sleep with him, he goes up to her to tell her how he heard of this “stranger” and starts disrespecting him and his teachings. He later comes back to make her sleep with him, but she prays to Jesus and runs away naked with her hands on her face. She steals her chamber’s curtain and covers herself with it as she goes to her nurse to sleep where she is. Charisius’ insults against Thomas are great examples of the tension Christian (and Encratite) teachings would have had with most ancient cultures.

99-102. Charisius sleeps alone in sadness, beating himself that night, as he doesn’t know where his wife went to sleep. He thinks that she acted in craziness because of Thomas’ sorcery and plans to have the king kill Thomas. When he awakes, he puts on cheap clothes and appears sad to the king. The king asks what’s wrong, and he says that the captain brought a Hebrew magician who has a new God and new laws and who teaches that those who want eternal life ought to give up their wife or husband. He says that his wife left him to run to this stranger last night and demands that the captain Siphor and the sorcerer die. The king promises to avenge him and asks for Siphor, the captain, to be brought before him.

103. Thomas asks Mygdonia what happened that made her husband prepare to attack them. She explains last night, but says she doesn’t know what he did. Thomas says God will protect them and destroy Charisius’ wrath and passion.

104-106. The king asks Siphor about Thomas, and he shares about how he brought back his wife and daughter, and doesn’t receive anything, lives on bread with salt and water, and constantly prays. He then talks about his teachings. The king then sends Charisius to go get Mygdonia and Thomas, but by the time he had arrived, Mygdonia had already been sent home by Thomas to protect her. He has his people put a handkerchief around Thomas’ neck and drag him to the king. The king asks by what power he does what he does, but Thomas holds his peace. The king has him scourged with 128 lashes and thrown into prison.

107-108. In prison, Thomas thanks Jesus for allowing him to be persecuted for him while also protecting him. The prisoners see him pray and ask him to pray for them. After this, he utters a long psalm (now known as “THE HYMN OF THE PEARL”):

“THE HYMN OF THE PEARL”
108-112. In this psalm, a man from the East is sent to Egypt to go get some special pearl near some devouring serpent and find some beautiful garments with it so that he can be a herald for their kingdom along with his brother. He goes past Babylon to Egypt and tries to clothe himself and act as an Egyptian to blend in, but the Egyptians find out and make them serve his king. They also trick him into eating their food, and he falls into a deep sleep. He forgets that he works for the king and about his mission, until his family finds out and has all the kings come together to write a letter to him telling him to wake up and remember that he is the son of a king caught in slavery—he still has a mission to obtain that pearl. He then arises from his sleep, subdues the serpent with his father’s name, and goes off with his garment back past Babylon to his place. He finally sees in a mirror how great his garment was. He bows before his father and enjoys being back with everyone, singing songs.

113-117. Charisius thinks his wife will love him again, and so he goes home happy. However, she has cut her hair and laments, refusing to speak to him. He mentions how he chose her for her virginity because she is the most beautiful, and he only wants to be with her. He has lots of wealth and honor that Thomas doesn’t have, and says that she is his honor. However, the gods must have been punishing him for something. Mygdonia finally responds by saying that the one she loves is much better than his possessions. He will die, and his possessions will be destroyed, and he will be left in his transgressions. He says he will allow her the night to think things through as he sleeps and that he will even let Thomas go off to some other place if she chooses to be with him again.

118. After Charisius falls asleep, Mygdonia sneaks off, paying the guards off to go see Thomas. On the way, she sees Thomas with a light before him. She thinks it’s some prince, gets scared, and runs away, sad that she didn’t even receive “the holy seal”.

THE TENTH ACT

119-121. Thomas goes to Mygdonia and explains how he was freed from prison by Jesus’ power. Mygdonia asks to be baptized and has her nurse undress her and put on only a linen dress. She then refuses the wine offered by her nurse but has her bring a little bread and water so that they can take communion. Mygdonia is baptized in the Trinitarian formula after which Thomas declares her baptized, and a voice from heaven says “Amen.” Mygdonia’s nurse becomes fearful after hearing the voice and decides to be baptized too. Then they take communion. This story reflects the ancient practice of unclothing during baptism and baptizing in the Trinitarian formula. As in Jesus’ baptism, a voice from heaven confirms Mygdonia after her baptism.

122. Thomas then returns to prison while the doors are open and the keepers are asleep. Thomas then praises God, and the prisoners awake, wondering how the doors were opened. Thomas is freed from prison to go baptize Mygdonia, and then goes back to stay with all the other prisoners, as Paul did in Acts.

123-125. Charisius goes to Mygdonia while she’s praying and asks if he wasn’t more beautiful than Jesus on the first day she met him. Charisius says she had looked at him in a temporal way then, but now loves the everlasting, true bridegroom. Charisius tells the king and asks to try to persuade Mygdonia to change before having Thomas executed.

126-127. The king questions Thomas about why he says that men must be pure for God. Thomas explains that the king doesn’t want his soldiers to have filthy garments, and Jesus’ desire is no different. The king sets him free but wants him to persuade Mygdonia not to separate from Charisius. Thomas says that she will not change her mind, no matter what, if she truly learned from him.

128-130. Thomas goes to Mygdonia to tell her to obey Charisius. Mygdonia asks why he says that when he had taught everything he had taught before. Charisius says that he will not destroy her but chain her up and not allow her to see Thomas. 

131-133. Thomas goes to Siphor the Captain’s house to ask to have a room prepared for him to teach in. Siphor asks his family to be baptized. They bring water in a basin and baptize them in the Trinitarian formula. After being baptized, they are dressed. They then break bread and take Eucharist. Thomas baptizes (naked again), presumably by pouring (since they have water in a basin) with the Trinitarian formula.

THE ELEVENTH ACT

134-136. After dismissing Thomas, King Misdaeus goes home and tells his wife everything that happened and how he feels so bad that Charisius lost his wife to the sorcerer. He explains how Charisius asked to have Thomas spared, even though he was going to destroy him. He tells his wife Tertia to go to Mygdonia and persuade her to turn away from the sorcerer. She goes to her house immediately to see her prostrate on the ground in sackcloth and ashes, praying for forgiveness for her past sins and that God would take her quickly. She then asks her why she has become mad and tells her to live according to her free birth. Mygdonia, however, tells her about how she heard about eternal life and tells her that her temporary life with slaves and riches is nothing, and she will die. Tertia then asks who the stranger that Mygdonia talked with was. She goes to Thomas, and Thomas instantly tells her to take refuge in Jesus. She asks how she can do so, and Thomas says no one unclean can worthily receive his treasures. They must believe.

137-138. Tertia goes home on foot. The king asks why she came home on foot and why she looks more beautiful. Tertia tells him she’s glad he sent her to Mygdonia to be introduced to the new God. She tells him that he gives life to people and his kingdom endures forever. King Misdaeus strikes her and goes to Charisius and argues with him, telling him how he robbed him of his wife. They then go together to Siphor’s house to have Thomas dragged out by force.

THE TWELFTH ACT

139-140. Thomas is brought before the throne, where King Misdaeus would usually judge. His son, Vazan, says that he can spare his life. He asks who his God is and says that if it is of magic or sorcery, and he teaches him sorcery, he’ll set him free. Thomas explains how he serves a greater king. He tells him that he can become the servant of this eternal king by sanctification and other virtues. Vazan is convinced and tries to find out how to help Thomas escape. Misdaeus then comes and asks Thomas how he does what he does. Thomas says, “by the power of Jesus Christ”. King Misdeaus demands the truth “before I destroy you”. He has his soldiers put fire-hot plates on his feet, but water gushes from the ground, swallows up the plates, and knocks back those holding the plates.

141-149. The king then asks Thomas to pray to his God so that he isn’t drowned by the waters. Thomas prays, and the water is absorbed. The king has Thomas thrown into prison until he finds out what to do with him. Vazan, Siphor, and his family go with him. Thomas suspects he is about to die and begins praying and encouraging people to believe in Jesus.

THE THIRTEENTH ACT

150-152. Vazan tells Thomas he’ll persuade the jailer to let him go to his house so that he and his wife—who he says will certainly become Christian if she hears from Thomas—can receive the seal. Thomas agrees. Then, Tertia, Marcia, and Mygdonia pay the jailer and arrive. Thomas asks how they came in, and they are confused, thinking that Thomas opened the prison door and was with them up until they came near the door. Tertia then tells Thomas how Misdaeus thought Thomas enchanted people “by oil, water, and bread”, but that she hadn’t yet been enchanted. He told her he would lock her up, strike her, and destroy Thomas. She asks to have the seal so that she can be saved.

153-. Thomas praises “polymorphous Jesus” for appearing like a poor human. They then pray for Jesus’ light and follow Vazan out. Vazan runs into his wife, Mnesara, and asks why she is there at midnight. She explains that a young man raised her up and had her follow him to be healed. She asks if he can’t see the young man with her, but when she turns, not even she sees him. Thomas says Jesus will lead her. Thomas then prays, asks to have them undressed and put aprons on, anoints and baptizes them, and then takes eucharist with them.

Martyrdom of the Holy and Famous Apostle Thomas

159-161. Thomas tells everyone that he will depart to be with Jesus. However, “death is not death, but a setting free from the body.” He then prays for the doors of the house to be sealed and goes to prison again.

162-165. The prison guards see Thomas open the doors and go to warn the king that Thomas had opened the doors and left twice—one time they saw the king’s wife with him—and that he ought to be shut up somewhere else, as he could let out all the prisoners. The king sees the seals still on the doors and says they lied. The king then has Thomas brought to him to ask if he is a slave and who his master is. He then goes with him to a mountain and tells his soldiers to spear him to death. However, some nobles run after Thomas to try to deliver him. One captain holds Thomas while two on either side prepare to spear him. Thomas says:

“O the hidden mysteries which even until our departure are accomplished in us! O riches of his glory, who will not suffer us to be swallowed up in this passion of the body! Four are they that cast me down, for of four am I made; and one is he that draweth me, for of one I am, and unto him I go. And this I now understand, that my Lord and God Jesus Christ being of one was pierced by one, but I, which am of four, am pierced by four.”

166-167. Thomas then exhorts the guards to follow Jesus and not harden their hearts. He then tells Vazan to tell the guards to let him pray. He prays.

144-148. Thomas thanks Jesus for leading him in his life. He prays about how he planted his vine; trade his one mina to make ten; forgive his debtor his mina (and asks that he not ask it from him); he came to the supper he was asked to; he came to the wedding he was asked to come to—and he came in white clothing; he had his bright lamp and was keeping watch all night; he kept his house from robbers all night; he has put his hands to the plough and not looked back; he has kept all the watches; he made the inward outwards and the outward inward. Thomas speaks about how he personally fulfilled Jesus’ parables (and a command from the Gospel of Thomas and Gospel of the Egyptians) and interprets the parts of the parables that refer to the resurrection as referring to his death.

168-169. Thomas tells the soldiers they can now finish their commands. They spear him, and the brethren bury him. Siphor and Vazan sit by his grace all day, but Thomas appears to them and tells them to keep going—he has already gone, and they shall soon join him. Misdaeus and Charisius afflict Mygdonia and Tertia, but they refuse to sleep with them. Thomas appears to them and tells them Jesus will help them soon. Misdaeus and Charisius see that they won’t obey and allow them to keep living as they want. Siphor becomes an elder and Vazan a deacon.

170. One of Misdaeus’ sons is a demoniac that no one can cure. He goes to Thomas’ tomb to find a bone he can hang on his son and have him healed, but Thomas appears to him and says, “You did not believe in a living man, and you will believe in the dead? Yet fear not, for my Lord Jesus Christ has compassion on you and pities you of his goodness.” When he opens his sepulchre, he doesn’t find Thomas because some brother had already taken his bones to Mesopotamia. He then took dust and put it on his son’s neck, professing that he believes in Jesus. The son is healed, and he goes to Siphor the priest to bow to him and be added to the brethren. They pray for him and go on praying together. Much like the man who fell on Elisha’s bones and was healed, so also King Misdaeus tries to find Thomas’ bones and uses them to heal his demoniac son. This story also seems to reflect an old view of relics—especially the bones of saints—that they had sacramental healing power (like Elisha’s bones). Although Siphor was earlier called an elder, he is referred to as a priest here. Priests and elders are seen as synonymous terms.