Matthias replaces Judas

Acts 1:12-26, May-June AD32 or AD33.

The eleven remaining Apostles chose Matthias to replace Judas as one of the twelve Apostles. Judas had just killed himself after betraying his friend Jesus.

However, Matthias is never mentioned again — even though he had been with Jesus from the beginning. God had already chosen Paul because of his Roman birth and Jewish training.

Notice Peter was already coming into his role as Jesus predicted as a leader and spokesman for the small but growing group of believers.

Background Reading:

A New Apostle Takes the Place of Judas – Matthias replaces Judas

1:12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. 13 When they came into the city, these men went to the upstairs room where they had been staying: Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. 14 With one mind, all of them kept devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women (including Mary the mother of Jesus) and his brothers.

15 At that time, Peter got up among the brothers (there were about 120 people present) and said, 16 “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through the voice of David about Judas, who was the guide for those who arrested Jesus, 17 because he was one of our number and was appointed to share in this ministry.” 18 (Now this man bought a field with the money he got for his crime. Falling on his face, he burst open in the middle, and all his intestines gushed out. 19 This became known to all the residents of Jerusalem, so that this field is called in their language Hakeldama, that is, “The Field of Blood”.) 20 “For in the Book of Psalms it is written, ‘Let his estate be desolate, and let no one live on it,’ and, ‘Let someone else take over his office,’ 21 who was one of the men associated with us all the time the Lord Jesus came and went among us, 22 beginning when he was baptized by John until the day he was taken up from us. Therefore, someone like this must become a witness with us to his resurrection.”

23 So they nominated two men—Joseph called Barsabbas, who also was called Justus, and Matthias. 24 Then they prayed, “Lord, you know the hearts of all people. Show us which one of these two men you have chosen 25 to serve in this office of apostle, from which Judas left to go to his own place.”

26 So they drew lots for them, and when the lot fell on Matthias, he was enrolled with the eleven apostles.
Acts 1:12–26


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