Jesus originally chose 12 disciples out of his many followers. But after Judas betrayed Jesus and eventually killed himself, there was a hole in that original number. So, the remaining disciples prayed and cast lots, eventually deciding on Matthias to replace him. But why was this necessary, and why was Matthias chosen?
When Jesus began his public ministry, he chose twelve disciples to follow him for three years (Luke 6:12-16). However, when Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus and thereafter killed himself (Matthew 27:1-10), the disciples needed to find a twelfth man to replace Judas.
They’d narrowed down the candidates to two people: Joseph (also known as Justus) and a man named Matthias (Acts 1:12-26).
Both of these men had followed Jesus during his public ministry – since John the Baptist baptized Jesus and witnessed his resurrection. They just didn’t 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 Do We Know about Matthias?
We don’t 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 (Acts 1:4-8), explains Got Questions.
He’d also followed Jesus during the whole of his ministry. Many, after hearing difficult teachings, deserted Jesus (John 6:60-70). But just how many people followed Jesus during his ministry?
We don’t 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 don’t 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.
Why Didn’t the Disciples Choose Paul to Replace Judas?
Many have argued that Paul played a greater role in the New Testament and should’ve 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 (Acts 1:24).
Not to mention, Paul didn’t fit the criteria, explains Brook Potter. Although he did encounter Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9), he didn’t follow Jesus throughout his public ministry on earth.
Why Did They Cast Lots?
The ancient practice of casting lots involved throwing some sort of labeled material (stones, dice, coins) 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 God’s 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.
What Can We Learn from Matthias?
We can learn a number of things from this disciple.
First, we can learn that our timetable doesn’t always fit God’s. Maybe Matthias was disappointed when Jesus hadn’t chosen him as one of the original twelve. After all, he followed him as soon as Jesus’ public ministry began. Matthias was paired off in the 72 followers who ministered to the Jews and stayed long after Jesus’ resurrection, even after several followers deserted Jesus throughout his time on earth.
He fit all the qualifications. Why did it seem like Jesus had overlooked him?
We may feel the same way. Maybe we were perfect for a role on our church’s worship team or someone else got a position we felt we deserved. After all, Judas Iscariot didn’t seem like a great candidate. At least, not a candidate as good as Matthias.
We must, like Matthias, defer to God’s timing. God may have a surprise in store for us in the future, but we have to trust his decisions.
Second, we learn that labels aren’t everything.
Although Paul didn’t receive the “original twelve” status, he converts a great many to Christ and has provided a huge chunk of material for the New Testament. In the same way, Matthias – although granted a position in the original twelve after Judas Iscariot died – doesn’t appear a lot in the New Testament.
Granted, Matthias may have done a great deal of ministry that archaeological findings have not uncovered, but his label does not mean he has a greater status than Paul.
Why Does This Matter?
Matthias seems to be the forgotten disciple. Why would the disciples need a replacement anyway? Did they just like the number 12?
This matters because the number 12 did have a massive importance in the Jewish world. It represented the 12 tribes of Israel, which the disciples mirrored. Jesus had originally chosen 12 disciples.
They needed to find a replacement because they needed to fill that missing gap in the twelfth person. And Paul, who appears several chapters later, doesn’t fit the bill because he didn’t witness Jesus’ ministry in person.
They knew Jesus had chosen the number 12 intentionally, and they wanted to uphold his choice with the utmost sincerity and gravity.
It also matters because we can see ourselves in Matthias. God often can hold surprises in store for us that we don’t anticipate. Maybe we’re like Matthias, following on the sidelines, and suddenly, God places us in a leadership position.
No matter what Matthias did accomplish here on earth, God thought it important for him to fill the gap in the original 12, to help them carry out his Great Commission to spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
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Hope Bolinger is an acquisitions editor at End Game Press, book editor for hire, and the author of almost 30 books. More than 1500 of her works have been featured in various publications. Check out her books at hopebolinger.com for clean books in most genres, great for adults and kids. Check out her editing profile at Reedsy.com to find out about hiring her for your next book project.
