You are absolutely right...it came later. But it was ministered via many of the apostles. Again, I will point out that the Acts of the Apostles was written by Luke, who accompanied Paul after his (Luke's) conversion. That happened when Paul visited Troas. In an earlier post (don't have time right now to dig it out), I showed where the narrative in the Acts changed from the third person (he/they) to the first person (I/we).
That is not to try to take anything away from St Luke or the Acts, but it is simply a fact. None of the acts of the other apostles were recorded in a similar narrative. Just because their acts were not chronicled doesn't mean that they did nothing...For example Peter identifies himself as in "Babylon" (Rome) and John indicated that he was at Patmos.
One notable example that is widely accepted through tradition (small "t"), though not recorded in scripture, is the example of St. Thomas. Tradition states (and I see no reason to discount it) that he travelled east and spread the gospel to the Chaldeans and ended up in the Malabar province of India.
So those are three examples of where the 12 went out among the gentiles. There are others...but I just truly don't have time to devote right now.
And, of course....neither Paul nor Luke was one of the original twelve.
For example Peter identifies himself as in "Babylon" (Rome) and John indicated that he was at Patmos.
Well....as I have pointed out a number of times on this thread, I believe that the Babylon Peter was writing from was Babylon, not Rome. When he addresses the tribes along the shores of the Black sea he addresses them as strangers (Greek=parepidemos meaning "a resident foreigner") [1 Peter 1:1] and these folks had a "Foreknowledge of God" unlike their Gentile neighbors. They were Israelites....not Jews or Gentiles. That was to whom Peter had been sent [Matthew 10:6]
I believe John was a prisoner at Patmos....he may not have been there voluntarily.
One notable example that is widely accepted through tradition (small "t"), though not recorded in scripture, is the example of St. Thomas. Tradition states (and I see no reason to discount it) that he travelled east and spread the gospel to the Chaldeans and ended up in the Malabar province of India.
How are you so sure that these folks in India were not transplanted Israelites? When they were carried away to captivity in 721 B.C. they were a great multitude. I would imagine by 700 years later they would have increased quite a bit in population. The starting point for most of the post Assyrian captivity was the "Parthinian Empire"....same time and same geographical area. Some folks have even conjectured that this "WAS" most of the ten tribes. I don't know. But, their location....beyond the Euphrates and of an immense multitude that cannot be estimated by numbers (according to Josephus) sure allows for migrations of great populations in all directions, including east to India.