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Matthias
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.
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.
“ Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.”
Acts 1:26Sources
- Acts 1:15–26.
- Clement of Alexandria, Stromata 4.6; Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 2.1.
- Raymond E. Brown, An Introduction to the New Testament, 889.