Matthias appears only once in the New Testament, in Acts 1:15–26. After the ascension, Peter proposed that the apostles should replace Judas, and two candidates we're put forward: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. The community prayed, cast lots, and Matthias was chosen.
The Selection
The criteria Peter gave we're strict: the new apostle had to have been with Jesus from the baptism of John until the ascension (Acts 1:21–22). This means Matthias was likely one of the seventy-two disciples mentioned in Luke 10, or a member of the broader circle of Jesus' followers.
Casting lots was an ancient method of seeking divine direction (see Proverbs 16:33). The practice does not appear again in the New Testament after Pentecost, when the Spirit's guidance through the community becomes the normal pattern.
Death
Nothing further about Matthias is recorded in the New Testament. Later traditions — from Clement of Alexandria, Eusebius, and various apocryphal acts — say he preached in Judea, Ethiopia, or Cappadocia, and that he was stoned or beheaded. The traditions differ too much to be reliable.
Sources
- Acts 1:15–26.
- Clement of Alexandria, Stromata 4.6; Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 2.1.
- Brown, An Introduction to the New Testament, 889.