JUNE 1, 2023
“And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.” (Acts 1:26)
Following the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, the followers of Jesus and His earthly ministry gathered together (about 120 people in total). Among those present are Mary (the mother of Jesus), James and Jude (Jesus’ brothers), and the women who traveled with the disciples of Jesus. Also present are the previously mentioned disciples, who now serve as apostles. Peter says to the collection that the vacancy left by Judas, who betrayed Jesus, must be filled because there were only eleven remaining, and there must be twelve.
He posits that it’s only appropriate that this roster spot should be filled by one of the men who has accompanied them the whole time Jesus was among them. They need someone from that group to serve as a witness of His resurrection, like them. So they put forward two men: Joseph, called Barsabas (also called Justus), and Matthias. After praying about it, they cast lots, and Matthias wins, as our verse says.
Scholars disagree about what exactly is meant by “cast lots” here. It could mean they voted. Or they put each candidate’s name on rocks, put them in a pot, and shook it until one came out, as it meant in the Old Testament. It’s also possible that “cast lots” was simply used here to communicate that the community chose Matthias, and the exact means by which they chose him weren’t important.
In the Old Testament, casting lots was seen as a method of getting answers from God. In I Samuel 14, for example, Saul used lots to ask God who had sinned and discovered that his son Jonathan had led his soldiers to disobey God. So whatever Luke (the writer of Acts) meant by “cast lots,” the process was rooted in Scripture and intended to learn God’s choice, not for the disciples to choose their own, as some foolishly argue.
So, why is this story important for us to know? As one of the Twelve, Matthias was an apostle, which meant he was charged with preaching the Gospel and helping it spread throughout the world. We are the same as Matthias. Like Matthias, we, followers of Christ, are charged with preaching the Gospel and helping it spread. As Matthias was singled out by lot and adopted as an apostle after the fact, we also were selected and set apart by our Lord for discipleship by the precious blood of Christ. Now, strictly speaking, we cannot claim to be apostles. There is one particular qualification for the office of apostle that we cannot possibly meet. We would need to have been eyewitnesses to the risen Christ. However, we do still claim apostolic authority as we preach the Word, which they, as foundational to the Church, were instrumental. (Eph. 2:20) Thanks to the work of the Holy Spirit we can trust that nothing is lacking, thus granting to us the same authority as the twelve apostles. Our authority lies in the Word of God.
Virus-free.www.avast.com
Speak Your Mind