Was Paul Supposed To Replace Judas
Some Christians believe Matthias never shouldve been appointed as one of the Twelve, and that since Jesus personally called Paul, he was clearly meant to be the twelfth apostle who would complete the group.
The main counterargument is that the apostles specifically prayed for God to reveal his choice:
Lord, you know everyones heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs. Acts 1:24
The process of casting lots was always intended to learn what God had already decided, not to provide a means for humans to make a choice. It was like the classic trope of letting fate decide, but throughout Israels history, God used the process of casting lots to reveal hidden knowledge .
Pastor Thomas Martin argues in Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary that whatever casting lots meant here, the point was that God, not the apostles, chose Matthias:
In any event the story makes it clear that God selected Matthias to fill Judas vacancy. This causes speculations that Paul was meant to be the twelfth apostle and that Peter and the early community overstepped their authority in appointing Matthias to appear polemical.
Assuming God had intended for Paul to replace Judas, giving us a group of 12 who were all personally called by Jesus, Peter left no room for God to do that without some miraculous intervention.
Why Didnt The Disciples Choose Paul To Replace Judas
Many have argued that Paul played a greater role in the New Testament and shouldve replaced Judas Iscariot as the twelfth apostle.
After all, Matthias seems to disappear from the New Testament after the passage in Acts listed above. Paul, instead, wrote a huge portion of the New Testament, embarked on multiple missionary journeys, and brought a great many to Christ. Was Paul truly the person to replace Judas Iscariot? Had the disciples made a mistake by casting lots instead of asking the Holy Spirit?
Many will assert that the disciples had exercised fallacious human reasoning instead of trusting in God, but they forget the disciples had also prayed that God would reveal the person to replace Judas .
Not to mention, Paul didnt fit the criteria, explains Brook Potter. Although he did encounter Jesus on the road to Damascus , he didnt follow Jesus throughout his public ministry on earth.
But Ive Always Wondered What Happened To Justus
We never hear about him again, yet he did all the right things, saw all the right stuff, knew who Jesus was, and was a faithful guy.
The thing is, Justus sounds a lot to me like just us. Gods plans are full of just-us kind of people. I would say probably the majority of us are just-us people, folks who dont get capes or stained-glass windows. We just get the opportunity to do what God wants us to do without a lot of fanfare.
Even though he lost paper, rock, scissors, I bet Justus was one of those secretly incredible guys who kept on being incredible. We get the same shot. Getting passed by can feel like a great injury. But its not. Its people like us who can be secretly incredible and get the most done. Thats the way Jesus reverse economy works. God loves the humble ones, and the humble ones often dont make it as first-round draft picks for the jobs with big titles or positions. But they always seem to be the first-round picks for God when Hes looking for someone to use in a big way. Jesus message is a simple one. We all get a change to be awesome if we want to be. Not surprisingly, the way to do it best is by being secretly incredible.
Bob Goff, Love Does
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What Do We Know About Matthias
We dont know a whole lot about the person of Matthias. From the text, we can assume he was one of the 120 disciples who waited for the Holy Spirit to descend upon them at Pentecost , explains Got Questions.
Hed also followed Jesus during the whole of his ministry. Many, after hearing difficult teachings, deserted Jesus . But just how many people followed Jesus during his ministry?
We dont have a clear number. In the passage above, we see at least 120 waiting on the Holy Spirit, and in Luke 10:1, Jesus commissions 72 followers for ministry.
No matter the number, the apostles needed someone who had witnessed as much of Jesus ministry from when Jesus called the original 12 in the beginning. Many of the 72-120+ might have joined Jesus ministry later on.
Besides the information above, we only have traditional extra-biblical sources to rely on the life of Matthias. Some, as explained by researchers at Encyclopedia Britannica, have conjectured that he ministered to foreign lands, now modern-day Turkey. Others, writes Ryan Nelson, have suggested he went as far as modern-day Ethiopia to preach the Gospels. Like the other apostles, he was likely martyred, but traditions vary. Some say he was crucified, others that he was stoned or beheaded.
Because of his obscurity, we dont have a clear picture of what happened during his life or death. We also know the early church confused Matthias with the author of the book of Matthew, as their names are similar.
Sin Salvation And The Incarnation
When Eastern Orthodox Christians refer to fallen nature they are not saying that human nature has become evil in itself. Human nature is still formed in the image of God humans are still God’s creation, and God has never created anything evil, but fallen nature remains open to evil intents and actions. It is sometimes said among Orthodox that humans are “inclined to sin” that is, people find some sinful things attractive. It is the nature of temptation to make sinful things seem the more attractive, and it is the fallen nature of humans that seeks or succumbs to the attraction. Orthodox Christians reject the that the descendants of Adam and Eve are actually guilty of the original sin of their ancestors.
Since the fall of man, then, it has been mankind’s dilemma that no human can restore his nature to union with God’s grace it was necessary for God to effect another change in human nature. Orthodox Christians believe that Christ Jesus was both God and Man absolutely and completely, having two natures indivisibly: eternally begotten of the Father in his divinity, he was born in his humanity of a woman, Mary, by her consent, through descent of the Holy Spirit. He lived on earth, in time and history, as a man. As a man he also died, and went to the place of the dead, which is . But being God, neither death nor Hades could contain him, and he rose to life again, in his humanity, by the power of the Holy Spirit, thus destroying the power of Hades and of death itself.
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Latin And Eastern Churches
In the first thousand years of Catholic history, different varieties of Christianity developed in the Western and areas of Europe. Though most Eastern-tradition churches are no longer in communion with the Catholic Church after the of 1054, autonomous of both traditions currently participate, also known as “churches ” . The largest and most well known is the Latin Church, the only Western-tradition church, with more than 1 billion members worldwide. Relatively small in terms of adherents compared to the Latin Church, are the 23 self-governing Eastern Catholic Churches with a combined membership of 17.3 million as of 2010.
The Latin Church is governed by the pope and diocesan bishops directly appointed by him. The pope exercises a direct role over the Latin Church, which is considered to form the original and still major part of , a heritage of certain beliefs and customs originating in Europe and northwestern Africa, some of which are inherited by many that trace their origins to the Protestant Reformation.
The Eastern Catholic Churches follow the traditions and spirituality of and are churches that have always remained in full communion with the Catholic Church or who have chosen to re-enter full communion in the centuries following the and earlier divisions. These churches are communities of Catholic Christians whose forms of worship reflect distinct historical and cultural influences rather than differences in doctrine.
The Coming Of The Spirit
Nothing is said of Matthias after this in the Bible. But it is clear that he was there at Pentecost as the Apostles and other disciples heard the rushing sound of a wind and a frightful display of “tongues of fire” over their heads. As Jews from all over the known world had gathered for the festivities,t he story of Jesus rising from the dead was the talk of the town, with over 500 hundred witnesses spreading the news. Perhaps drawn to the roar or the light in the upper room, crowds looked on as the group began to mingle, speaking in languages they didn’t recognize. The apostles seemed to be spouting gibberish, but people in the crowd found the one speaking their preferred language–not Greek or Hebrew–and heard that the stories were true.
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Why Was Matthias Chosen To Replace Judas
When Jesus began his public ministry, he chose twelve disciples to follow him for three years . However, when Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus and thereafter killed himself , the disciples needed to find a twelfth man to replace Judas.
Theyd narrowed down the candidates to two people: Joseph and a man named Matthias .
Both of these men had followed Jesus during his public ministry since John the Baptist baptized Jesus and witnessed his resurrection. They just didnt have the title of the original twelve.
After praying and doing a practice known as casting lots, the lots landed on Matthias. He was chosen to replace Judas Iscariot.
What Is Saint Matthias Known For
Saint Matthias, (flourished 1st century ad, Judaea d. Acts reveals that Matthias accompanied Jesus and the Apostles from the time of the Lords Baptism to his Ascension and that, when it became time to replace Judas, the Apostles cast lots between Matthias and another candidate, St. Joseph Barsabbas.
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The Gospel Of Matthias
The Gospel of Matthias is a lost text which claims to be written by Matthias. The early church had mixed opinions on its authenticity, and we only know about it from the writings of others.
Clement of Alexandria quotes it while describing a heretical sect of Christianity known as the Nicolaitaneswhose teachings John the Revelator claims Jesus hated telling us it says, we must combat our flesh, set no value upon it, and concede to it nothing that can flatter it, but rather increase the growth of our soul by faith and knowledge.
Eusebius claimed it was written by heretics as well. But without the text itself, its impossible to say what value it may have had.
Why Did They Cast Lots
The ancient practice of casting lots involved throwing some sort of labeled material into a small area to make a decision. However the lots landed would determine the outcome. We see this dozens of times in the Old Testament, and a handful of times in the New Testament.
Does that mean Christians should cast lots to make major decisions? No, because we have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit directs and guides our decisions. We can rely on him, and not lots, to guide us in making proper choices. The disciples, and those in the Old Testament, used lots as a way to determine Gods will.
So did the disciples make a mistake in doing so?
Again, no. We have to keep in mind, they cast lots for Matthias before the Holy Spirit indwells the disciples at Pentecost in Acts 2. They deferred to the decision-making process used in the Old Testament, until they had the Holy Spirit inside them. Using prayer and this practice, they trusted God would have a hand in how the lots fell in this decision.
Think about it this way sometimes, before unbelievers have read Scripture or heard the Gospel, they will see dreams of Jesus, explains Darren Carlson for The Gospel Coalition. These dreams will serve to draw them closer to Christ, until they have a chance to encounter the Gospel.
Lots worked the same way.
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The First Church Of Jerusalem
For a while after Pentecost the church grew from 500 witnesses to over 8000. Then, Jewish believers began to open their homes for meeting places, competing with priests at the temple and synagogues in the villages near the city. The practice arose in the meetings to serve big meals and incorporate the Lord’s Supper with it. Another practice was to collect funds for the widows and other poor. Such work was drawing away from the apostles’ job. It was especially bad when the Greek speaking Jews began to complain that the local Jews were treating their poor differently. Matthias joined with the other apostles in proposing that men be chosen to serve the needs of the poor.
The selection process this time was not for one slot, but for as many as were needed. It turned out to be seven men, all fully qualified, and suitably Greek, were chosen. One of those, a young man named Stephen, turned out to be very talented preacher.
Holy Tradition And The Patristic Consensus
“That faith which has been believed everywhere, always, and by all”, the faith taught by Jesus to the apostles, given life by the at , and passed down to future generations without additions and without subtractions, is known as . Holy tradition does not change in the Eastern Orthodox Church because it encompasses those things that do not change: the nature of the one God in Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the history of God’s interactions with his peoples, the Law as given to the Israelites, all Christ’s teaching as given to the disciples and Jews and recorded in scripture, including the parables, the prophecies, the miracles, and his own example to humanity in his extreme humility. It encompasses also the worship of the church, which grew out of the worship of the synagogue and temple and was extended by Christ at the last supper, and the relationship between God and his people which that worship expresses, which is also evidenced between Christ and his disciples. It includes the authority that Christ bestowed on his disciples when he made them apostles.
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Protestant Reformation And Counter
In 1415, was burned at the stake for heresy, but his reform efforts encouraged , an monk in modern-day Germany, who his to several bishops in 1517. His theses protested key points of Catholic as well as the sale of , and along with the this led to his in 1521. In , , and other further criticised Catholic teachings. These challenges developed into the Reformation, which gave birth to the great majority of and also within the Catholic Church. Meanwhile, petitioned the pope for a concerning his marriage to . When this was denied, he had the passed to make him head of the , spurring the and the eventual development of .
The Reformation contributed to clashes between the Protestant and the Catholic Emperor and his allies. The first nine-year war ended in 1555 with the but continued tensions produced a far graver conflictthe which broke out in 1618. In France, a series of conflicts termed the was fought from 1562 to 1598 between the and the forces of the , which were backed and funded by a series of popes. This ended under , who hesitantly accepted King 1598 granting civil and to French Protestants.
Is It Not Possible That The Holy Spirit Has Recorded This Because Of The Valuable Lesson It Contains Regarding Church Administration
Notice three lessons in particular, and all who are engaged in the Lords work would do well to take note of them:
This emphasises the supreme importance of the prayer-life of the Church – no prayer, no blessing little prayer, little blessing more prayer, more blessing much prayer, much blessing.
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Why Did The Apostles Need To Replace Judas Iscariot
After Judas of Iscariot betrayed Jesus with a kiss, Judas was ashamed for leading the soldiers to Jesus. That kiss was a sign. The man he kissed on the cheek would show those trying to arrest Jesus that it was truly Him. After that betrayal of Jesus, life would never be the same for Judas. He had betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver . When Judas realized what he had done, he was remorseful. Scripture tells that he threw the money he received into the temple, went away and hanged himself .
Eleven apostles were left. The group knew they needed to choose another person to replace Judas. Choosing that person was important and key to completing their group.