Twelfth apostle

“So they put forward two men, Joseph called Barsabbas (who was also called Justus), and Matthias.” (1) The first candidate was “Joseph called Barsabbas (who was also called Justus).” His name was Joseph, but he had two nicknames. (a) Barsabbas was his Hebrew name (meaning “son of the Sabbath”). (b) Justus was His Roman name. (2) The second candidate was Matthias. There is no information about him beyond this mention. According to tradition, he evangelized in Ethiopia and was martyred there. “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all people, show which one of these two You have chosen to occupy this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” (1) What is the basis for this prayer? (a) There are two candidates who meet the criteria for apostleship, but it is unclear which one should be chosen. (b) However, God has already made His choice. (c) Therefore, they asked for God’s choice to be revealed. (2) The method they used was “casting lots.” This method is consistent with Old Testament teachings and is not mistaken (Levi. 16:8, Josh. 14:2, Neh. 10:34, 11:1, Prov. 16:33). (3) Stones with each of the candidates’ names were shaken in a solid container, and the first stone to fall out is the chosen one. The lot fell to Matthias. (4) After the descent of the Holy Spirit, there was no longer a need to cast lots, meaning that the Old Testament practice has ended. (5) Matthias’ name does not appear again after this event. However, he faithfully served as one of the twelve apostles (Acts 2:14, 6:2). (4) While some may question the selection of Matthias, there is no Biblical passage that criticizes this method. Some argue that Paul was supposed to be the twelfth apostle, but Paul did not qualify as he had not lived with Jesus during His public ministry. Acts 6:2 states, “So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said,” indicating that Matthias was counted among the twelve and served with authority. The primary apostles are limited to the twelve. They form the foundation of the Church (Eph. 2:20) and, in the Messianic Kingdom, will judge the twelve tribes of Israel (Matt. 19:28). For this, the replacement of an apostle is significant. There is no concept of apostolic succession or restoration in the Bible. When James died (Acts 12:2), there was no replacement for his apostolic role. What is important for us is to faithfully obey the teachings of the apostles.