Lesson Three: Matthias Chosen

Acts 1:13-26

Key Verse

"And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen, that he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell."

— Acts 1:24-25

Lesson Questions

Read Acts 1:13-26 carefully before answering these questions.

1. Review: Background material (Page 1)

2. What did the apostles do? 1:13-14

3. Who stood up to speak? How many were present? 1:15

4. Who had spoken? Concerning what man had he spoken? 1:16

5. What two things are said in 1:17? About whom were they said?

6. What did he purchase? With what did he purchase it? 1:18

7. What was the field called? What does that mean? 1:19

8. What was written? Where was it written? 1:20

9. Who were appointed? List their qualifications. 1:21-23

10. How did they address the Lord? What did they request? 1:24

11. From what had Judas fallen? How had he fallen? 1:25

12. Who was selected? How? With whom was he numbered? 1:26

Thought Questions

A. Note: There are four things to be remembered from Acts 1:1-26: (1) Jesus instructed the apostles during the forty days, (2) the promise of Holy Spirit baptism on the apostles, (3) ascension of Christ, and (4) selection of Matthias.

B. List the names of the twelve apostles.

C. Where were the apostles? Who was also there? What were they doing?

D. Who led the group? He is the main character in Acts 1:1-12:25.

E. Of what must one have been a witness in order to be an apostle?

Supplementary Materials

The Upper Room

After the ascension, the apostles returned to Jerusalem and gathered in an "upper room" (1:13). Such rooms were common in Jerusalem homes — a second-story chamber often used for gatherings, prayer, and special occasions. This may have been the same room where Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper (Luke 22:12). Here the eleven apostles, along with certain women (including Mary the mother of Jesus), His brothers, and others — about 120 in all — continued steadfastly in prayer as they awaited the promised Holy Spirit.

The Twelve Apostles

Acts 1:13 lists eleven apostles. With Matthias's selection, the twelve were restored: The Eleven (Acts 1:13) Other Names / Notes 1. Peter Also called Simon, Cephas 2. James Son of Zebedee; martyred Acts 12:2 3. John Son of Zebedee; brother of James 4. Andrew Brother of Peter 5. Philip From Bethsaida (John 1:44) 6. Thomas Also called Didymus ("twin") 7. Bartholomew Possibly Nathanael (John 1:45-49) 8. Matthew Also called Levi; former tax collector 9. James Son of Alphaeus 10. Simon Called Zelotes (the Zealot) 11. Judas Son of James; also called Thaddaeus 12. Matthias Chosen to replace Judas Iscariot

Qualifications of an Apostle Peter set forth specific qualifications for the one who would replace Judas (1:21-22):

Must have accompanied the apostles: "all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us"
From the beginning: "Beginning from the baptism of John"
Until the ascension: "unto that same day that he was taken up from us"
A witness of the resurrection: "must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection"

These qualifications explain why there can be no apostles today in the same sense as the original twelve — no one living today witnessed the ministry and resurrection of Christ.

The Fall of Judas This passage provides a solemn warning about apostasy — falling away from the faith: Judas was numbered among the twelve: He "was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry" (1:17). He was a true apostle, chosen by Christ Himself.

Judas fell by transgression: "from which Judas by transgression fell" (1:25). His fall was not predestined — it was the result of his own choices and sins. His place became vacant: David prophesied, "let his habitation be desolate" and "his bishoprick let another take" (1:20; cf. Psalm 69:25; 109:8).

Key Cross-References

Reference	Acts Verse	Connection
Luke 22:12	Acts 1:13	The upper room
Matt. 10:2-4	Acts 1:13	List of the twelve apostles
Matt. 27:3-10	Acts 1:18-19	The death of Judas and the field of blood
Psalm 69:25	Acts 1:20a	"Let his habitation be desolate"
Psalm 109:8	Acts 1:20b	"His bishoprick let another take"
2 Pet. 1:21	Acts 1:16	The Holy Spirit spoke through David

Four Key Events of Acts Chapter 1 As noted in Thought Question A, Acts 1 contains four significant events:

Jesus instructed the apostles during the forty days following His resurrection (1:3)
The promise of Holy Spirit baptism was given to the apostles (1:4-5, 8)
The ascension of Christ from the Mount of Olives (1:9-11)
The selection of Matthias to replace Judas (1:15-26) These events set the stage for Pentecost in Acts 2, when the Holy Spirit would come and the church would be established.