Remembering the Apostle Matthias

0
0
0
0
0
0
0share

This post is part 3 of the series:

May 14

Remembrance of the life and ministry of the Apostle Matthias

Matthias was chosen by the early Church to take the place of Judas Iscariot (Acts 1:18-26). Along with the Apostle Paul, Matthias was not one of the original Twelve Disciples chosen by Christ. Matthias (a contraction of Matithiah or Matthew) was among those who followed Jesus during his earthly ministry. Often it is imagined that only the twelve followed Jesus during his ministry, but upon closer examination of Scripture, it becomes evident that there often many more than the twelve. Matthias was chosen by lot over Joseph Barsabas, to be one of the apostles, supplying the vacancy left by Judas Iscariot who had committed suicide (Acts 1:23-26). It is likely, as Eusebius and Epiphanius have suggested, it is likely that he was one of the seventy disciples.Apostle Matthias

Concerning the election of Matthias to the apostolic post, different opinions have arisen. The most natural, however, is the one given in Scripture. After the address of Peter, the whole assembly, of about 120 (Acts 1:15), proceeded to nominate two, namely, Joseph, surnamed Barsabas, and Matthias. These two fulfilled the requirements necessary for inclusion into the apostolic band. Following prayer, they proceeded to choose between the two men by the casting of lots, perhaps by writing the name of one of the candidates on a tablet and casting it into an urn, and then drawing out one of the two names. In this manner, it is likely that the apostles were seeking to follow a practice established by the Levitical law (Leviticus 16:8), referring the decision to God (cf. Proverbs 16:33). Following the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, this method of election was not used again. It would seem that Paul was the divine appointee for the vacancy of Judas.Apostle Matthias

Day of Remembrance

Apart from the information given about him in the first chapter of Acts, little is known of him. One tradition of the Church suggests he preached the Gospel in Ethiopia or Cappadocia, and finally suffered martyrdom. But according to another tradition, Matthias preached in Judea, and was stoned to death by the Jews then beheaded. Early in the life of the Church an apocryphal gospel arose which bore his name. In Western Christendom, the life and ministry of Matthias is remembered on May 14.

Apostolic Symbol

The life and ministry of Matthias is symbolized by a Bible (sometimes open) and a sword or double bladed battle-ax across it, alluding to the tradition which suggests that he was first stoned and then beheaded with an ax because of his fidelity to Christ.

Celebrating Our Christian Heritage!

We are a user supported non-profit organization. Your small gift is tax-deductible and will go a long way to help us meet our operating budget — and it is vital, because
America deserves to know its true heritage.
Please contribute today!

Click to donate

Remembering the Apostle James, Son of Zebedee

Remembering the Apostle James “James” is the name of three important figures of the New Testament: James the son of Alphaeus (also an Apostle of Christ), James the Just (brother of our Lord), and James the brother of John the Apostle and Son of Zebedee, to be consider here.Remembering the Apostle James Biblical Account James, brother of the Apostle John, is often known as “James the Great.” His mother, Salome, was a devoted follower of Jesus (Matthew 26:56; Mark 15:41). He was the older brother of the Apostle John, as is deduced from theRead more...

Remembering the Apostle Thomas

The name Thomas, evidently rendered in its Greek form from the Aramaic, means the twin (John 11:16; 20:24; 21:2), and Didymus was taken from a Greek form. We are unable to say with certainty where Thomas was born, but Church tradition suggests that he was born at Antioch and had a twin-sister named Lysia. It may be that Judas was his real name, and that Thomas was a surname.Remembering the Apostle Thomas Biblical Record Concerning Thomas In the Gospel lists of the apostles, Thomas is associated with Matthew (in Matthew 10:3; Mark 3, 18; LRead more...

Remembering the Apostle John

The life and ministry of the Apostle John, son of Zebedee, is observed annually on December 27 by Christians in the West. St. John was distinguished as a prophet, an apostle, and an evangelist. He is known as the beloved disciple or "the disciple whom Jesus loved," and was the younger brother of James the Great. The two brothers, and sons of Zebedee, were known as the "sons of thunder." John was previously a disciple of John the Baptist, and after becoming a disciple of Jesus was not only one of the Twelve Apostles, but one of the three membersRead more...

Remembering the Apostle James "The Younger"

James (or rather Jacobus, the Greek form of Jacob) son of Alphaeus was chosen one of the twelve apostles (Mark 3:8; Matthew 10:3; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13). James, whose mother’s name was Mary (Matthew 26:56), was known as James the Less or Younger (Mark 15:40), either because he was younger than James, son of Zebedee or because he occupied a less conspicuous place among the twelve (Mark 16:1; Luke 24:10). Significant debate has been raised as to whether this James is the Lord’s brother mentioned by the Apostle Paul (Galatians 1:19), but the titlRead more...

Remembering the Apostle Peter

The original name of the Apostle Peter was Simeon or Simon. He received the name Cephas (Aramaic Kepa—"Rock") from Jesus; the Greek translation of Kepa was Petros, hence the translation Peter. His father's name was John (John 1:42), or Jonah (Matthew 16:17), and though he was born in Bethsaida, he lived at Capernaum following his marriage. With his younger brother Andrew, Peter carried on the trade of fisherman. He was a follower of the ministry of John the Baptist, and through Andrew was introduced to Jesus (John 1:41, 42). His home was a Read more...

Remembering the Apostle Philip

In the Western Church, the lives of the Apostles Philip and James "The Less" are the first to be remembered in the calendar year. The Apostle Philip was born in Bethsaida (John 1:44; 12:21) of Galilee and was instrumental in the call of Nathanael (or Bartholomew) to become a disciple of Jesus. At the time of his call to follow Christ, Philip belonged to a group who had been influenced by the ministry of John the Baptist. Together with Andrew and other fellow-townsmen, Philip had journeyed to Bethany to listen to the teachings of John the BapRead more...