Session 4 Judas's End, the Psalms, and Matthias Numbered with the Eleven

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Before You Read

Big idea: Acts 1:18-26 completes the matter Peter began in Acts 1:15-17. Judas's betrayal brought public shame, Scripture called for another to take his office, and Matthias was numbered with the eleven before Pentecost.

How to use this guide: Read each KJV verse first. Then mark what the verse says before deciding what it means doctrinally.

Three words to keep watching

Blood - Judas's betrayal money and disgrace become tied to a field known in Jerusalem.
Bishoprick - An older English word for office or oversight, here referring to Judas's apostolic place.
Witness - The replacement apostle must be an official witness of the resurrection with the eleven.

A simple right-division reminder: Acts 1 is still before Pentecost, before Saul's conversion, and before Paul's later revelation of the mystery. Matthias belongs to the twelve-apostle, kingdom-witness setting; Paul will be called later in a different way.

Acts 1:18

Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.

What does the passage say?

Judas is connected with a field purchased with the reward of iniquity.
His end is described in graphic terms.
The verse records shame, judgment, and public disgrace connected to his betrayal.

Words to notice

Purchased a field - Judas is associated with the field bought with the betrayal money.
Reward of iniquity - The wages of his sinful betrayal.
Falling headlong - A violent fall.
Burst asunder - A graphic description of his body breaking open.

Cross-references worth marking

Matthew 26:14-16 - Judas agrees to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.
Matthew 27:3-10 - The chief priests use the returned money to buy the potter's field.
Zechariah 11:12-13 - Thirty pieces of silver and the potter are prophetically connected.

Do not miss

Acts 1 and Matthew 27 are not enemies. Matthew emphasizes Judas returning the money and the priests buying the field; Acts connects Judas with the field because it was bought with the reward of his iniquity.

Acts 1:19

And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood.

What does the passage say?

Judas's end and the field became known in Jerusalem.
The field received the name Aceldama.
Luke explains the meaning: "The field of blood."

Words to notice

All the dwellers at Jerusalem - This was publicly known locally.
Proper tongue - The local language of the Jerusalem people.
Aceldama - The field's name.
Field of blood - A name tied to Judas's betrayal and death.

Cross-references worth marking

Matthew 27:8 - The field was called "The field of blood."
Acts 1:12 - The company is still in the Jerusalem setting.
Acts 2:5 - Jerusalem is full of Jews from many nations at Pentecost.

Do not miss

Luke keeps the reader in Jerusalem. The setting is local, Jewish, and public before the Pentecost witness begins.

Acts 1:20

For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take.

What does the passage say?

Peter quotes the book of Psalms.
One Psalm speaks of a desolate habitation.
Another Psalm speaks of another taking the office.
Peter sees both Judas's judgment and Judas's replacement in Scripture.

Words to notice

It is written - Peter appeals to written Scripture as authority.
Habitation - Dwelling place.
Desolate - Empty, abandoned, without inhabitant.
Bishoprick - Office, oversight, or charge.

Cross-references worth marking

Psalm 69:25 - "Let their habitation be desolate."
Psalm 109:8 - "Let another take his office."
Luke 24:44-45 - The risen Lord opened the apostles' understanding of the Psalms.
Acts 13:33-35 - Paul later also reasons from the Psalms concerning Christ.

Do not miss

Peter is not inventing a replacement plan by human preference. He argues from Scripture, especially the Psalms, which Christ had recently opened to the apostles' understanding.

Acts 1:21

Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,

What does the passage say?

Peter gives the necessary qualification for Judas's replacement.
The man must have accompanied the apostolic company.
He must have been present during the Lord Jesus's earthly ministry among them.

Words to notice

Wherefore - Because Scripture says another must take the office.
These men - The candidate must come from among the qualified men present.
Companied with us - He must have shared the Lord's ministry path with the apostles.
Went in and out among us - A phrase for the Lord's public movement and ministry among them.

Cross-references worth marking

John 15:27 - The apostles could bear witness because they had been with Christ from the beginning.
Luke 8:1-3 - Others traveled with the Lord and the twelve during His ministry.
Acts 10:37-41 - Peter later describes the witness beginning from John's baptism and ending with the resurrection appearances.

Do not miss

This qualification cannot be applied to Paul. Paul's apostleship is real, but it is not this kind of apostleship. Paul is later called by the risen, ascended Christ from heaven.

Acts 1:22

Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.

What does the passage say?

The candidate's experience must reach from John's baptism to the ascension.
One man must be appointed.
The purpose is that he become a witness with the apostles of Christ's resurrection.

Words to notice

Beginning from the baptism of John - The required witness period begins with Israel's kingdom-preparation ministry.
Taken up from us - The ascension of Acts 1:9.
Must - Necessity tied to the Scripture in verse 20.
Witness with us - The replacement joins the apostolic witness company.

Cross-references worth marking

Matthew 3:1-6 - John's baptism ministry in Israel.
Acts 1:8 - The apostles are commissioned as witnesses.
Acts 2:32 - Peter says, "whereof we all are witnesses."
1 Corinthians 15:8 - Paul distinguishes his later appearance of Christ as "one born out of due time."

Do not miss

The replacement is not chosen because the apostles needed an administrator. He is chosen to be a resurrection witness with the apostolic company.

Acts 1:23

And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.

What does the passage say?

The gathered company appoints two qualified men for consideration.
One is Joseph, also called Barsabas and surnamed Justus.
The other is Matthias.

Words to notice

Appointed two - Two men met the qualifications Peter named.
Joseph called Barsabas - A man known by more than one name.
Justus - A surname, likely a Latin name.
Matthias - The man who will be numbered with the eleven.

Cross-references worth marking

Acts 15:22 - Another Judas called Barsabas appears later, though the text does not say he is the same family.
Colossians 4:11 - "Justus" appears as a surname elsewhere, though not for this same man.
Acts 1:26 - Matthias is chosen by lot.

Do not miss

The text does not criticize Joseph or praise Matthias by personal biography. The issue is qualification and the Lord's choice.

Acts 1:24

And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen,

What does the passage say?

The company prays before the decision is made.
They address the Lord as the One who knows all hearts.
They ask the Lord to show which of the two He has chosen.

Words to notice

They prayed - The choice is made in dependence on God.
Knowest the hearts - God knows what the gathered company cannot see.
Shew - They ask for revelation of the Lord's choice.
Thou hast chosen - They do not ask God to bless their preference; they ask Him to reveal His.

Cross-references worth marking

1 Samuel 16:7 - The Lord looketh on the heart.
Jeremiah 17:10 - The Lord searches the heart.
Luke 6:13 - The Lord chose the original twelve.
Acts 15:8 - God knows the hearts.

Do not miss

The prayer is not careless. The company recognizes that only the Lord can identify the man He has chosen for this apostolic place.

Acts 1:25

That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.

What does the passage say?

The chosen man is to take part in the ministry and apostleship.
Judas fell from that place by transgression.
Judas went to "his own place."

Words to notice

Ministry and apostleship - The apostolic service connected to the twelve.
Transgression - Judas's fall was sin, not mere misfortune.
Fell - He left the place he had been given.
His own place - A sobering phrase pointing to Judas's proper destination after betrayal.

Cross-references worth marking

John 17:12 - Judas is called "the son of perdition."
Acts 1:17 - Judas had obtained part of this ministry.
Romans 1:5 - Paul later speaks of his own apostleship, but in a different calling and setting.

Do not miss

Judas's fall does not make Matthias a temporary placeholder until Paul arrives. The passage says Matthias is chosen to take the vacated part of this ministry and apostleship.

Acts 1:26

And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

What does the passage say?

The company gives forth lots.
The lot falls on Matthias.
Matthias is numbered with the eleven apostles.

Words to notice

Lots - An Old Testament method used to discern a decision under God's providence.
Fell upon Matthias - Matthias is the selected man.
Numbered with the eleven apostles - Matthias is counted with the apostolic company, restoring the number to twelve.

Cross-references worth marking

Proverbs 16:33 - "The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD."
Leviticus 16:8 - Lots are used in Israel's worship.
Joshua 18:10 - Lots are used in Israel's land division.
Matthew 19:28 - The twelve apostles are connected with twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Revelation 21:14 - The wall of New Jerusalem has the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

Do not miss

Luke gives no hint that Matthias was a mistake. He was numbered with the eleven before Pentecost. Paul later becomes an apostle by a different calling, not by replacing Matthias.

Text And Translation Helps

In Acts 1:20, "bishoprick" is older English for an office or oversight. Do not read later church-office systems back into the word before seeing the apostolic vacancy in context.
In Acts 1:25, the KJV says "part of this ministry and apostleship." Some modern translations read more like "place in this ministry and apostleship." Either wording keeps the same main point: Judas's apostolic place is being filled.
No major Textus Receptus vs critical text issue in Acts 1:18-26 changes the doctrine of the passage.

Common Ideas To Test

"The apostles were wrong to choose Matthias."
- Test it by Acts 1:20, 24, and 26: Peter appeals to Scripture, the company prays for the Lord's choice, and Luke says Matthias was numbered with the eleven.
"Paul was supposed to be the true twelfth apostle."
- Test it by Acts 1:21-22: the replacement had to accompany the Lord's earthly ministry from John's baptism to the ascension. Paul did not meet that qualification.
"Casting lots proves the apostles were spiritually immature."
- Test it by Proverbs 16:33 and the pre-Pentecost setting. The lot belonged to Israel's scriptural world, and the company prayed for the Lord's choice.

Session Summary

Judas's betrayal money became tied to a public field of blood in Jerusalem.
Peter used the Psalms to show both Judas's desolation and the need for another to take his office.
The replacement had to have accompanied the Lord from John's baptism to the ascension.
The purpose of the replacement was resurrection witness with the apostolic company.
Matthias was chosen after prayer and numbered with the eleven apostles.

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