The Twelfth Apostle

Choosing Another Apostle

Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection. Acts 1:21-22

After He rose from the dead, Jesus Christ appeared to His apostles for forty days and gave many convincing proofs that He was alive (Acts 1:3). He walked with them and ate with them. He gave instructions as to their next step: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised. … You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (vv. 4, 8). Then He ascended “and a cloud hid him from their sight” (v. 9).

The apostles returned to the upstairs room in Jerusalem where they were staying. “Those present were Peter, John, James, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James” (v.13). They prayed constantly, joined by a group of about a hundred and twenty believers, including Jesus’s mother, Mary, and his brothers (vv. 14-15).

Peter told them the fate of Judas who had betrayed Jesus. With the payment he received for his wickedness, Judas bought a field where he fell headlong, his body burst open, and all his intestines spilled out (vv. 16-19). This fulfilled the Scriptures that said a close friend would betray Jesus, his dwelling would be deserted, and another would take his place of leadership (Psalm 41:9, 69:25 and 109:8).

Peter gave the requirements for the one who would take Judas’s place, and those gathered nominated two men. Praying God would reveal which one he wanted, they cast lots. The lot fell to Matthias who became the twelfth apostle (vv. 24-26). They then prayed and waited for the promised gift of the Holy Spirit, who would empower them to go to the ends of the earth with the message of the risen Jesus Christ.

Are you an apostle? If you’ve believed this message, you too are called to tell others.

DIG DEEPER:

Did you, like me, think Paul was the twelfth apostle? Why didn’t he qualify according to the requirements Peter gave in Acts 1:21-22?

Why did Paul call himself an apostle? See 1 Corinthians 1:1, 9:1, 12:27-28 and Romans 1:1-6, 11:13-14.

Read Revelation 21:9-12. How has God chosen to honor the twelve apostles?

For an explanation of apostleship, see Apostle.

Nancy J. Baker

This devotion is the first in a series on the Book of Acts.

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