Acts 1:12-26 - Matthias Chosen To Replace Judas

¹² Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the place called "Mount of Olives," which was about three-fourths of a mile from Jerusalem. ¹³ Upon arriving at the house where they were staying, they went upstairs. [Those present were]: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James, the son of Alpheus, Simon the Zealous [one] and Judas, the son of James. [Note: Judas Iscariot, the twelfth apostle, had already committed suicide].

¹⁴ These men continued in united prayer [for the kingdom to come? See 1:6; Matt. 6:10] along with [certain] women, Mary the mother of Jesus and His [half-] brothers.

¹⁵ And during this time Peter stood up to speak to a gathering of about one hundred twenty persons. ¹⁶ [He said], "Brothers, it was necessary that the Scriptures be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke through King David about Judas, who guided the soldiers who came to arrest Jesus. ¹⁷ For he was one of our number and shared with us [in the responsibility of] this ministry." ¹⁸ (Now this man [Judas] paid for [in a sense] a [burial] field with the reward money he had received for his sinful act [of betraying Jesus, See Matt. 27:3-10]. [Then, some time after Judas hanged himself, See Matt. 27:5] he fell down headlong, [his swollen body] bursting so that his intestines gushed out. ¹⁹ This incident became known to everyone who lived in Jerusalem so that the [burial] field purchased with the reward money became known as "Akeldama" [an Aramaic word] which means "Field of Blood.") ²⁰ "For it was written [about Judas] in the book of Psalms [69:25]: 'Let the place where he lives become deserted, with no one living there' and [Psa. 109:8] 'Let someone else fill his ministry.'

²¹ The person [to replace Judas] would have to be one of those who accompanied us [disciples] during the time the Lord traveled around with us, ²² from His immersion by John [the Immerser] until He was received up from us [in a cloud]. Of these people [we must choose] someone to become a witness with us [i.e., to tell people] of Jesus' resurrection [from the dead]."

²³ And so they presented two men [for consideration]: Joseph, called Barsabbas (and also called Justus) and Matthias. ²⁴ Then they prayed, "Lord, you know the inner thoughts of all men, so show us which one of these two men should be selected ²⁵ to replace Judas in this ministry and this group of apostles, from which he fell away to go to where he belonged" [i.e., to the place of punishment for unrepentant sinners]. ²⁶ So, they drew lots [i.e., devices used for making random choices] and the lot [i.e., the choice] favored Matthias, so he was added to the other eleven apostles.