▁route ▁and ▁landing ▁at ▁the ▁former ▁fl our ishing ▁port ▁of ▁M uz ir is ▁on ▁an ▁island ▁near ▁C och in ▁( c . ▁AD ▁ 5 1 – 5 2 ). ▁From ▁there ▁he ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁pre ached ▁the ▁g ospel ▁throughout ▁the ▁Mal ab ar ▁coast , ▁though ▁the ▁various ▁churches ▁he ▁founded ▁were ▁located ▁mainly ▁on ▁the ▁Per i yar ▁River ▁and ▁its ▁trib ut aries ▁and ▁along ▁the ▁coast , ▁where ▁there ▁were ▁Jewish ▁colon ies . ▁ ▁He ▁re put edly ▁pre ached ▁to ▁all ▁classes ▁of ▁people ▁and ▁had ▁about ▁sevent een ▁thousand ▁converts , ▁including ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁four ▁principal ▁cast es . ▁Later , ▁stone ▁cross es ▁were ▁ere cted ▁at ▁the ▁places ▁where ▁churches ▁were ▁founded , ▁and ▁they ▁became ▁pil gr image ▁cent res . ▁In ▁accord ance ▁with ▁apost ol ic ▁custom , ▁Thomas ▁ord ained ▁teachers ▁and ▁leaders ▁or ▁el ders , ▁who ▁were ▁reported ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁earliest ▁min istry ▁of ▁the ▁Mal ab ar ▁church . ▁ ▁Content ▁ ▁The ▁text ▁is ▁broken ▁by ▁head ings : ▁▁▁ 1 ▁- ▁when ▁he ▁went ▁into ▁India ▁with ▁Abb anes ▁the ▁merchant . ▁The ▁apost les ▁cast ▁lots ▁to ▁see ▁who ▁will ▁go ▁where ▁as ▁a ▁mission ary . ▁Thomas ▁gets ▁India , ▁but ▁ref uses ▁his ▁mission , ▁even ▁after ▁Jesus ▁speak s ▁to ▁him . ▁Jesus ▁then ▁appears ▁in ▁human ▁form ▁and ▁s ells ▁Thomas ▁to ▁a ▁merchant ▁as ▁a ▁slave , ▁since ▁Thomas ▁is ▁sk