Acts Bible Study: Day 2
Today’s passage: Acts 1:9–26
Focus verse: So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. (Acts 1:23)
After Jesus tells his followers to wait for the Holy Spirit, he rises into heaven. Though Jesus tells them to wait, he doesn’t say to do nothing.
They spend their time in constant prayer. This could mean nonstop, around-the-clock prayer or just that they prayed a lot. Regardless, I suspect they prayed much more than we ever do.
Their numbers grow, reaching 120. Peter speaks. He reviews what happened, ties in Old Testament prophecy, and quotes Psalm 109:8. He recommends they pick a replacement for Judas.
Peter gives one requirement: it must be someone who followed Jesus the whole time, from his baptism to his ascension, a person who can confirm Jesus’s resurrection. Peter gives no other credentials.
A connection with Jesus stands as the only requirement. Education, social status, and reputation aren’t a consideration. Power, money, and influence don’t matter. We might want to consider this as we pick our church leaders.
In most churches today, we would nominate and then vote. This democratic solution is what most modern thinkers hold up as the ideal approach. Yet the Bible does nothing to promote democratic rule.
Yes, if we search God’s Word looking to support democracy, we can find hints of it. However, looking through different lenses we could also conclude the Bible points toward socialism, communism, or even dictatorships.
Yet the early church often relies on consensus. But theocracy, under God’s Holy Spirit authority, might be the ideal biblical conclusion for government.
Following Peter’s advice to pick someone who walked with Jesus, the group nominates two men: Barsabbas and Matthias. Then the brothers and sisters pray.
They acknowledge that God knows everyone’s heart, including the two nominees. The church affirms God has already chosen Judas’s replacement, and they simply ask God to reveal his decision.
Then they cast lots. They do so, confident that God will let the results fall to the person he wants in this role. The church accepts the outcome in complete faith.
While we may equate this to drawing names from a hat, a better understanding is akin to throwing dice. This seems most undignified, even a bit pagan.
Yet picking the next disciple resembles a game of chance, albeit with a God-orchestrated outcome. The lot falls to Matthias. He replaces Judas to become the twelfth disciple and an apostolic minister.
Though the church casts lots in this instance to select a leader, we must note that Luke merely describes their process. It’s not a command. We may follow this model or not.
In all this I feel sorry for Barsabbas. It isn’t that he loses a human election. Instead God decides, and he dismisses Barsabbas. If he wallows in self-pity, he could conclude that God rejected him.
Barsabbas could stomp off in anger and leave the church, embarrassed over the Almighty not picking him. As a testament to his character, he doesn’t leave in a huff.
He sticks around and becomes an esteemed leader. Later the church taps him for an important assignment with Paul, Barnabas, and Silas.
Interestingly, we never hear of Matthias again in the Bible.
Questions:
- While Barsabbas rose above his disappointment, could it be that Matthias squandered his God-given opportunity?
- What can we learn from their examples?
[Discover more about casting lots in Joshua 18:10, Judges 20:9, Nehemiah 10:34, and Jonah 1:7, as well as Luke 23:34.]
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Read more about the book of Acts in Acts Bible Study: Discover How the Early Church Can Inform What We Do Today, available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.
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Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront a status quo faith and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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