The gospel of thomas does not belong to the Syrian christians in India, even though they were from Syria also (where this gospel was in use). India's immigrant Syrian christians are of the Nestorian branch of christianity, which is also of Syrian origin. They are Nestorian christians.
They were only called thomas christians in the 16th century or so (will find the proper date) - in any case, much later on.
The gospel of thomas was created by the gnostic christian community. This was one of the christian communities in Syria in those early centuries of christianity. Will try and post some links about these things later.
The thing is that there were many mutually-hating branches of christianity all over the Roman empire and especially in Syria. They did not generally share gospels. The Syrian christians in India do not appear to believe any of the things that the gnostic christians who used the gospel of thomas believed in. (A world of difference between that and the beliefs of the more orthodox early christianity that would later split into sects like nestorianism, roman catholicism, and the like.) For instance, the gnostic christians didn't know of a resurrected jeebus. Their jeebus brought salvation through wisdom. Unless the syrian christians in India are willing to renounce the resurrection, they won't have anything to do with the gospel of thomas or try to trace their line to its authors.
<b>EDIT:</b>
http://hamsa.org/20.htm
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Bishop Giovanni dei Marignolli, the Franciscan papal legate who built a Roman Catholic church in Quilon, in 1348, is the first person to use the appellation "St. Thomas" Christians. He did this to distinguish Syrian converts from low-caste Hindu converts in his congregation. This allowed the former Nestorians to retain their caste status as Roman Catholics. The appellation "St. Thomas" Christian is thus of Roman Catholic origin and indicates a social division within the Roman Catholic Church. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
They were only called thomas christians in the 16th century or so (will find the proper date) - in any case, much later on.
The gospel of thomas was created by the gnostic christian community. This was one of the christian communities in Syria in those early centuries of christianity. Will try and post some links about these things later.
The thing is that there were many mutually-hating branches of christianity all over the Roman empire and especially in Syria. They did not generally share gospels. The Syrian christians in India do not appear to believe any of the things that the gnostic christians who used the gospel of thomas believed in. (A world of difference between that and the beliefs of the more orthodox early christianity that would later split into sects like nestorianism, roman catholicism, and the like.) For instance, the gnostic christians didn't know of a resurrected jeebus. Their jeebus brought salvation through wisdom. Unless the syrian christians in India are willing to renounce the resurrection, they won't have anything to do with the gospel of thomas or try to trace their line to its authors.
<b>EDIT:</b>
http://hamsa.org/20.htm
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Bishop Giovanni dei Marignolli, the Franciscan papal legate who built a Roman Catholic church in Quilon, in 1348, is the first person to use the appellation "St. Thomas" Christians. He did this to distinguish Syrian converts from low-caste Hindu converts in his congregation. This allowed the former Nestorians to retain their caste status as Roman Catholics. The appellation "St. Thomas" Christian is thus of Roman Catholic origin and indicates a social division within the Roman Catholic Church. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->