▁away ▁to ▁India ▁and ▁proc laim ▁the ▁Word , ▁for ▁my ▁grace ▁shall ▁be ▁with ▁you .” ▁But ▁the ▁Apost le ▁still ▁dem ur red , ▁so ▁the ▁Lord ▁over ru led ▁the ▁stub born ▁dis ci ple ▁by ▁ordering ▁circumstances ▁so ▁comp elling ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁forced ▁to ▁accomp any ▁an ▁Indian ▁merchant , ▁Abb anes , ▁to ▁his ▁native ▁place ▁in ▁north - west ▁India , ▁where ▁he ▁found ▁himself ▁in ▁the ▁service ▁of ▁the ▁Ind o - Par th ian ▁king ▁G ond oph ares . ▁The ▁apost le ' s ▁min istry ▁resulted ▁in ▁many ▁convers ions ▁throughout ▁the ▁kingdom , ▁including ▁the ▁king ▁and ▁his ▁brother . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁legend , ▁Thomas ▁was ▁a ▁sk illed ▁car p enter ▁and ▁was ▁b idden ▁to ▁build ▁a ▁palace ▁for ▁the ▁king . ▁However , ▁the ▁Apost le ▁decided ▁to ▁teach ▁the ▁king ▁a ▁less on ▁by ▁dev oting ▁the ▁royal ▁grant ▁to ▁acts ▁of ▁char ity ▁and ▁thereby ▁lay ing ▁up ▁tre asure ▁for ▁the ▁heaven ly ▁ab ode . ▁Although ▁little ▁is ▁known ▁of ▁the ▁immediate ▁growth ▁of ▁the ▁church , ▁Bar - D ais an ▁( 1 5 4 – 2 2 3 ) ▁reports ▁that ▁in ▁his ▁time ▁there ▁were ▁Christian ▁tribes ▁in ▁North ▁India ▁which ▁claimed ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁converted ▁by ▁Thomas ▁and ▁to ▁have ▁books ▁and ▁re lic s ▁to ▁prove ▁it . ▁But ▁at ▁least ▁by ▁the ▁year ▁of ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁the ▁Second ▁Pers ian ▁Empire ▁( 2 2 6