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Grace Bible Church

4000 E. Collins Rd.   P.O. Box #3762   Gillette, WY  82717   (307) 686-1516

 

- Preaching the Living WORD through the Written WORD - 2 Tim 4;:2 -

 

 

 

 

THE REPLACEMENT OF JUDAS

Acts 1:20b-26 (5/2513)

Grace Bible Church, Gillette, Wyoming

Pastor Daryl Hilbert

 

I.     SCRIPTURAL DIRECTION ON THE NEW APOSTLE (20b)

 

A.    Peter applied Ps 69:25 to Judas’ end and now applies Ps 109:8 to the replacement of Judas. Psalm 109 is another imprecatory Psalm of David against God’s enemies, namely, those who cursed Him and His anointed king (David). We can see the prophetic reference revealed to Peter by the Holy Spirit concerning the fact that Judas betrayed and cursed God and His anointed King (Christ).

B.    As Peter begins to organize the new church and ministry, he began with its leadership and replacement of Judas. He does this on the basis of Scripture.

 

II.    QUALIFICATIONS OF THE NEW APOSTLE (21-22)

 

A.    As Peter follows Scripture, it becomes “necessary” (dei - binding or compulsory) to add one man to the eleven apostles (21).

1.     First Qualification - Peter saw it necessary that the newly elected apostle had “accompanied” (sunelthontōn - assembled and traveled with) them with the Lord Jesus the entire time (“all the time” - en panti chronō - lit. in all the time).

2.     This qualification would identify this particular one as a faithful disciple who embraced Christ, His teaching, as well as participated in ministry (2Ti 2:2).

B.    The meaning of the “entire time” is qualified in vs. 22; “beginning” (aorist participle - archō - being or start) with the time when Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist and was confirmed by the Father and the Spirit (Mt 3:13-17 cf. Jn 1:32-34). It would conclude at Jesus’ ascension. The disciples understood that when Jesus was taken up “from” (apo) them, it was the end of His earthy ministry.

1.     Second Qualification - The second and main qualification of this new apostle or any of the apostles was that they must have witnessed the resurrected Christ. The word for “witness” is the Greek word martus, which carries the main idea of one who is able to give deliberation or testimony regarding something.

2.     In the case of the apostles, they were to testify to the fact of Christ’s death and resurrection. They were His particular “eye-witnesses” of the resurrection (Ac 1:8; 2:32; 3:15; 10:39-41) and were to proclaim the death and resurrection of Christ (Ac 2:24; 5:30; 13:30-37).

3.     Obviously, these candidates witnessed Christ’s resurrection if they were with Christ and the apostles (“with us) until His ascension. This probably took place at Galilee (Mt 28:10, 16-20 cf. Mt 26:32 cf. Ac 13:31) when Christ appeared to more than 500 brethren (1Co 15:6).

 

III.  CANDIDATES FOR THE OFFICE OF APOSTLE (23)

 

A.    There were at least two among them who fit these qualifications. So they were “put forward” (aorist - histēmi - lit. to stand, but also place or appoint) as possible candidates.

B.    The first was Joseph, whom they called “Barsabbas” (probably “son of Sabbas”). This was not “Barabbas,” the thief who was released instead of Jesus (Mt 27:16-17). Joseph was also called Justus.

C.    The second was Matthias. Eusebias suggests that both men were part of the seventy disciples that Jesus sent out in Lk 10:1, 17.

 

IV.  CHOOSING OF THE NEW APOSTLE (24-26)

 

A.    Prayer - It has already been observed that the early church was a praying church (Ac 1:14). But here we observe that their prayers were practical in every facet of life, including important decisions for the church (24).

1.     The decision between these two good candidates was handed over in prayer to the Lord, who “knows the hearts” of all men. Kardiognōstēs is an interesting Greek word which is made up of the word kardia for “heart” and gnōstēs for “one who knows.” Together they show that the Lord is the “Knower of men’s hearts,” an attribute observed in Jesus (Jn 2:25; 21:17 cf. Lk 16:15).

2.     They desired that God would show which of the two He had chosen (eklegō - select or choose from among). This is the same divine choice demonstrated in the initial choosing by Jesus of the twelve original disciples (Jn 15:16, 19; also cf. Ep 1:4), including Judas (Jn 6:70; 17:12).

B.    Purpose - The purpose for choosing one of these men was for the office and ministry of an apostle. The outcome of this decision was extremely important not simply to replace Judas, but to affect the ministry of the apostles (25).

1.     Their ministry was to be authoritative witnesses of the resurrection of Christ (Ac 1:8), which declared Christ as the Son of God (Ro 1:4), providing evidence for the truth of Christianity.

2.     Apostleship had three prerequisites: 1) witnessed the resurrected Christ (Act 1:21-22; [Paul - 1Co 9:1]), 2) commissioned by the resurrected Christ (Luk 6:13; [Paul - Act 9:6, 15]), 3) and empowered by the resurrected Christ (2Co 12:12, [Paul - Act 28:8-9]).

3.     Judas himself “turned aside” (parabainō - step aside or transgress with relation to wrongdoing) from this apostleship. He did this, not simply in terms of resigning, but by betraying and handing over Jesus to His enemies, proving Judas’ unbelief.

4.     Because of Judas’ unbelief and atrocity, he has gone to “his own place.” What is meant by this term is that Judas has gone to his proper place, namely eternal punishment (Mt 26:24 cf. Mt 25:41, 46). God must punish unbelievers in their unrighteousness, but it is due, like Judas, to their “own” volition.

C.    Predetermination - Though the drawing of lots may seem puzzling at first glance, it demonstrated the apostle’s belief in God’s predetermination of the new apostle (26).

1.     The OT contains not only examples of the practice of “casting (or drawing) lots,” but also God’s approval and instruction of this means of revelation (Le 16:8; Pr 16:33).

a)    Before the complete compilation of God’s written revelation (His Word), God revealed Himself through other means of Special Revelation. Some of these were the Urim and Thummim (Ex 28:30; Deut 33:8), dreams (Gen 20:3, 6, 40), visions (Isa 1:1; Ezek 1:1; Acts 10:10), including lots. These were means, along with His written Word, by which God would show His will and predetermination. Once the church possessed the complete written revelation of God’s Word (through the writing of the apostles), these other means were no longer necessary.

b)    The apostles were in between the OT and NT and in between partial and full revelation of God’s Word. In addition, the Holy Spirit had not yet come in His permanent ministry to the church. Therefore, the drawing of lots was still an acceptable means of God’s revelation and predetermination.

2.     That being the case, the lots fell upon Matthias and he was “counted” (sugkatapsēphizomai - vote or number along with) with the eleven apostles. The apostles received Matthias on the basis of the predetermination and commission of God.

a)    As for Matthias, very little is known about him. This is only reference to him in the Scriptures (Ac 1:23, 26).

b)    There is also very little written about him in tradition. One testimony states that Matthias first preached the Gospel in Judea and then preached to barbarians and cannibals in northeastern Asia Minor.

c)     That same source stated that Matthias was later crucified. Fox’s Book of Martyrs states, “of whom less is known than of most of the other disciples, was elected to fill the vacant place of Judas. He was stoned at Jerusalem and then beheaded.”

d)    Some, on the basis of silence and the appointment of Paul as an apostle, suggest that Paul, not Matthias, was God’s appointed twelfth apostle.

e)     First, an argument on silence is merely a silent argument. Secondly, the Scriptures say nothing to suggest the apostles were wrong in their appointment of Matthias. Finally, in light of the fact that God prophesied the replacement of Judas and that He did reveal His will through the casting of lots to the apostles, we may conclude that Matthias was indeed predetermined and commissioned by God.

 

V.    OBSERVATIONS AND APPLICATIONS

 

A.    Model for Direction from the Scriptures - The apostles, solely having the OT Scriptures at that point, become a model for all churches to be characterized as bible churches, not necessarily in name, but in submitting to the authority of the Scriptures for doctrine, living, and direction in all practical matters of the church (2Ti 3:16-17).

B.    Model for Organization and Leadership - Jesus had chosen twelve apostles and the eleven were compelled to follow suit in adding another. It was exercised with the guidelines of qualifications, and Paul reveals further qualifications for elders in the church (Tit 1:5ff cf. 1Ti 3:1ff). These were godly men, who would take the living church upon their shoulders by their teaching, example, prayers,and  biblical direction. They would position themselves on the front lines in the face of opposition from the world.

C.    Model for Ministry - The ministry outlined by the apostles is fundamental to all ministries. Our ministry is testify of the death and resurrection of Christ, on the basis of the authoritative apostles and the divine Scriptures, proclaiming this message to all people in all endeavors of the church and its missions (Ac 1:8).