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Choosing a New Apostle — Acts 1:21-26 Daily Word
Choosing a New Apostle — Acts 1:21-26 Daily Word
ecounts the events following Jesus’ ascension. The apostles returned from the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem and gathered in the upper room, joined by women, Mary the mother of Jesus, and His brothers — about 120 believers in total. United in prayer, they sought God’s guidance. Peter stood up and explained that Judas’ betrayal and death fulfilled Scripture, quoting Psalms to show the need for his office to be replaced. He emphasized that the new apostle must have been with Jesus throughout His ministry and a witness to His resurrection. Two men were proposed: Joseph called Barsabbas and Matthias. After prayer, the disciples cast lots, and Matthias was chosen, restoring the Twelve.
[Scripture]
[12] Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. [13] And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and 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] All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. [15] In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, [16] “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. (Acts 1:12-16, ESV)
[17] For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.” [18] (Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. [19] And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) [20] “For it is written in the Book of Psalms, “‘May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it’; and “‘Let another take his office.’ (Acts 1:17-20, ESV)
[21] So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, [22] beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” [23] And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. [24] And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen [25] to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” [26] And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles. (Acts 1:21-26, ESV)
[Daily Word]
After Jesus ascended into heaven, the disciples returned to Jerusalem. Luke 24:50 describes the ascension as taking place near Bethany, while Acts records that it occurred on a mountain called the Mount of Olives — indicating that the Lord’s ascension took place at a location close to Jerusalem. The text notes that it was a Sabbath day’s journey away, suggesting that the ascension happened on the Sabbath. In particular, the distance from Jerusalem to the summit of the Mount of Olives was approximately 1,120 meters (2,000 cubits), so it was not far at all.
The upper room where the disciples were staying is rendered in the original language as “the upper room” — with the definite article. This tells us that it was a room already well known to the apostles, referring to “the upper room” where Jesus had held the Last Supper. (Luke 22:12) Gathered in the upper room were the eleven apostles, the women who had witnessed the resurrection of Jesus (Luke 24:1), Jesus’ mother Mary, and Jesus’ brothers — James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas — totaling 120 people. The reason the number 120 is emphasized is that, according to Jewish law, a local council of a synagogue required 120 men to be constituted. However, because women were also included among the 120, what Luke emphasizes is that the legitimacy of God’s community rests not on human standards but on the order established by God.
These 120 believers gathered together in the very upper room where the Last Supper had been held, and, as verse 14 tells us, they were with one accord devoting themselves to prayer. What is notable in this passage is that the phrase “with one accord” is an expression used exclusively by Luke. The reason Luke employs this phrase is to convey that the disciples of the early church were united as one through prayer, bound together by their spiritual fellowship.
After offering this prayer filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter stood up as the representative and preached. Peter’s sermon addressed two matters. First, he emphasized that the Old Testament prophecies concerning Judas Iscariot had been fulfilled. Notably, both Matthew (Matt 27:3–10) and Luke (Acts 1:18–19) recorded the death of Judas Iscariot, and both accounts describe his miserable end and note that the land purchased with the money paid for betraying Jesus came to be known as the “Field of Blood.”
In this sense, Peter quotes from the Psalms to explain the judgment foretold concerning Judas. [25] May their camp be a desolation; let no one dwell in their tents. (Ps 69:25, ESV) He interpreted this passage — a righteous person’s plea for judgment upon the wicked — as a prophecy of the judgment upon Judas Iscariot. Then from [8] May his days be few; may another take his office! (Ps 109:8, ESV) he draws the basis for choosing someone to replace Judas Iscariot.
Moving into the second part of Peter’s address, Peter argues that a new person must now be chosen to fill the vacancy among the apostles and restore their number. The reason the apostles insist on the number twelve is its connection to the twelve tribes of Israel. That is, the Twelve Apostles symbolize the people of God newly born beyond the twelve tribes of Israel.
Therefore, the qualifications for the one who would replace Judas were of great importance. The standard required that the candidate be someone who had been closely associated with the apostles throughout the public ministry of Jesus Christ — because an apostle must bear witness to Jesus’ teaching, death, resurrection, and ascension.
With this in mind, two men were put forward as candidates to replace Judas: Joseph and Matthias. Lots were cast between the two, and Matthias was ultimately chosen as the twelfth apostle. The fact that Matthias was selected from among twelve carries its own significance. Though he was nominated by people, what matters most is that he was ultimately chosen by God.
In fact, when we look at how Peter describes Judas Iscariot in verse 25 — “Judas turned aside from this ministry and went to his own place” — he is speaking of betrayal. Yet Peter himself had likewise denied the Lord three times and had abandoned his calling by returning to his life as a fisherman. Seen in this light, no one stands before God as truly qualified on their own merit. It is simply by God’s grace that we have been chosen as apostles. In other words, being chosen as God’s person is entirely an act of God’s will.
God, who knows the hearts of all people, uses us according to His will. Therefore, this passage teaches that the church, the family, and the individual should no longer live by human desire or self-will, but only within the will of God. Remember that living within the Lord’s will is the safest and most wholesome way to live — and may we lay all of today’s decisions before the Lord and follow His will. Let us pray together.
Originally published in Korean at bible2u.com
