Bible Study Series: Acts 1:21-26. Matthias was selected to be the twelfth apostle. Yet someone was not selected. How do we relate to not being chosen to be on the team?

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Acts 1

In this post, links are provided in the commentary section for further study.

Let’s begin.

Scripture: Acts 1:21-26

²¹ Therefore from the men who went with us all the time when the Lord Jesus went about with us, ²² beginning with the baptism of John until the day he was taken up from us—it is necessary that one of these be a witness with us of the resurrection.” ²³ And they put forward two men: Joseph, who was called Barsabbas (and also called Justus), and Matthias.

²⁴ They prayed, saying, “You, Lord, the heart-knower of all people, point out the one of the two you have selected ²⁵ to take the position of this apostolic ministry, from which Judas defected and went to his own place.” ²⁶ And they cast the lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias, and he was added to the eleven apostles. (Acts 1:21-26)

Comments:

21-22:

“therefore”: This section of Scripture should be paired with the previous one about Judas’s end.

Some have argued that Paul should have been chosen instead of Matthias, but as noted, it was important for Luke to establish the chain of authority from the very beginning in v. 22 (see Luke 1:1-4). Maybe Joseph-Justus and Matthias even witnessed Jesus’s baptism. No doubt they were part of the seventy-two who were sent out (Luke 10:1-24). Paul could not have filled the requirement.

The beginning of the baptism of John does not means that every disciple / apostle had to be there when John first opened his mouth. Not even Jesus was there at that time. Luke means here, instead, during the early time of John’s ministry, and this is a time period, not a precise moment. The point is that the right candidate cannot have joined the Jesus Movement during the middle of Jesus’ ministry or towards the end, but near the beginning, while John was still alive and baptizing.

“it is necessary”: Here God is leading Peter and the others to choose the best man. The sentence in vv. 21-22 could literally be translated as “Therefore, it is necessary—from the men who went with us in all the time during which the Lord Jesus went about among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the very day he was taken up from us—that he become a witness of his resurrection with us.”

“resurrection”: it is the main point here. See Acts 1:3 for a closer look. You can also go to youtube to find out the evidence for it. Look for Gary Habermas and Mike Licona.

23-26:

“prayed”: see Acts 1:14 for a closer look. We should not see the casting of lots as the Jerusalem believers acting in unbelief. Deciphering the Spirit’s will can be tricky, unless a prophecy is given, and even then we have to weight the prophecy. Prov. 16:33 says, “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD” (ESV). Prov. 18:18 says, “The lot puts an end to quarrels and decides between powerful contenders” (ESV).

The Spirit in the Church and Believers

Yet for discipleship purposes we must not fall into the trap of casting lots to find out the Lord’s will. We can go by the still, small voice and a God-given, growing conviction over time; there is also Scripture for general truths, as we see Peter quoting from verses in the Psalms for guidance in this case.

Peterson is right about their casting lots and us, after Pentecost:

It is important to observe that there are no further examples of such decision making in the NT. As those who were about to enjoy the benefits of the New Covenant, the apostles were using a practice that was sanctioned by God but belonged to the old era. It took place before Pentecost, when the Spirit was poured out in a way that signified a new kind of relationship between God and his people. From Luke’s later emphasis on the Spirit’s role in giving wisdom, guidance, and direction, it would appear that the apostolic example on this occasion is not to be followed by Christians today. Rather, we are to recognize and respond to the mind of the Spirit among the people of God, in ways that will be explored in connection with 5:3, 9; 13:1-2; 15:28; 16:6-10, and other passages. (comment on v. 26)

They cast lots so that democracy and a popularity contest would not take place. It had to be God’s decision.

Polhill adds the right assessment on their casting lots for selecting the twelfth apostle:

Some have wanted to see Matthias selected by vote of the church, but the text points more to the ancient procedure of lot-casting. One should not be put off by the “chance” element. In the Old Testament the outcome was always seen to be determined by God. That was probably the consideration in this case. Before Pentecost, before the presence of the Spirit to lead it, the church sought the direction of God and used the Old Testament procedure of securing divine decision. After Pentecost the church in Acts made its own decisions under the direction of the Spirit. In this particular instance it was all the more important that the decision be the Lord’s, not theirs. Like his first selection of the Twelve, its constituency was his to determine. (comment on v. 26)

Keener says that lots were typically done by placing names or letters on small stones or pottery fragments into an urn or other container, then letting one fall out or having rivals blindly picking one (p. 120).

Judas went to “his own place” may indicate the field (land) or hell (Schnabel, comment on v. 25). Peterson: “The last expression is a euphemism for his final destiny, most likely death and judgment of God beyond that. Without being specific about the details, Luke offers an implied warning to apostates (cf. Heb. 6:4-8; 10:26-31)” comment on v. 25).

And Matthias’s selection brings us to Joseph-Justus, who was not chosen. We don’t know how he felt about not being selected, but at least he could not blame the eleven for not voting for him. Maybe that is why Peter decided on casting lots—no blame on them, but on the Lord. (And this method of receiving guidance should not be done today, since the circumstance was unique. This was the last recorded instance of its being done in the entire Bible.)

In any case, the eleven and Joseph-Justus and Matthias (thirteen) knew each other very well, after all, since all of them followed Jesus from the very beginning, starting with John’s baptism. Maybe some of the eleven at some time before the total unity in the upper room knew either Joseph-Justus or Matthias better than the other. Maybe each of the eleven had either candidate in mind. Maybe strife would have ensued, if a vote were taken. However, Peter put the decision in the Heart-Knower’s hands.

“Heart-Knower”: it appears only here and in Acts 15:8 in the NT. It combines the Greek words kardia (heart) and gno– (know, and yes, we get our word know from this Greek word). In both verses Peter’s uses it, so this indicates the speeches reflect the individual speaker’s preferred word choices. It teaches omniscience or all-knowing.

When Joseph-Justus lost the lot, did he say, “Best two out of three!”? Did he ask what was it about his heart that the Heart-Knower saw that did not qualify him to be chosen? Did he get bitter? Or was it a relief? We don’t know, but the whole atmosphere in the upper room was electric with unity and prayer. No doubt he continued with the group because he had a close and deep relationship with Jesus. When the foundation with him is secure and unshakable, then disappointments don’t last long. Joseph-Justus likely ministered with authority and through firsthand knowledge of the resurrection. Even John the Baptist said of himself that he must decrease, while Jesus must increase (John 1:30; 3:25-30). Joseph-Justus may have felt the same. He might have believed that it did not matter whether he was part of the twelve; he was still called.

“apostolic ministry”: “ministry” comes from the noun diakonia (pronounced dee-ah-koh-nee-ah), where we get our word deacon, but let’s not impose our modern meaning on the old Greek word. It meant those who did practical service, but this does not limit their service away from the Word, as we shall observe with Philip and Stephen. But it gradually came to mean those people in the church who did practical service or deacons (1 Tim. 3:10, 13). Here it is designed to re-establish the twelve apostles.

“added to the eleven”: establishing the number twelve was important because they would sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes (Matt. 19:28), and they could not know it at this time, but there are twelve foundation stones of the New Jerusalem bearing their names (See Rev. 21:12, 14). Clearly, then, the number twelve is governmental and foundational.

To conclude ….

Joseph-Justus was not selected. I wonder how he felt? As the saying goes, “Disappointment is his appointment.” Trust God when you are not chosen for a mission. God has something else for you to do, tailor made just for you.

Grow App for Acts 1:15-26

A.. Have you ever not been chosen for a team or a job or even for a mission? How did you respond to this closed door?

RELATED

The Historical Reliability of the Book of Acts

Book of Acts and Paul’s Epistles: Match Made in Heaven?

SOURCES

For the bibliography, please click on this link and scroll down to the very bottom:

Acts 1