The Axe Of The Apostles

by Jeff Frazier

“A nd in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said…Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus. For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry…For it is written in the book of Psalms, ‘Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishopric let another take’…And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles” (Acts 1:15-26.)

After Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus and committed suicide, Peter and the other apostles agreed to hold an election to replace him within their group. However, the Lord had instructed them to tarry in Jerusalem and wait for the Holy Spirit to come before doing anything else: “And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence” (Acts 1:4-5). It is likely His disciples assumed only their travel plans were being delayed, so they decided to conduct other business while they waited. The person whom they chose as a replacement for Judas is mentioned only here in Acts. Moreover, the only details recorded about Matthias were his selection and being numbered with the Eleven.

In Acts chapter 9, we read of the man whom God had chosen instead to be the next apostle: Saul of Tarsus. Certainly, the one who had papers to execute Christians would never have been considered by Peter or the other men as a viable candidate. Had it been up to them, he likely would have been “given the axe” by the apostles and suffered the fate of Justus: just another runner-up for the office. Nevertheless, he accepted the call, and God exalted him to a place of historical prominence within the early church. Most of our New

Testament was written by Saul, who later became known as Paul.

Sometimes the people we esteem the least and/ or dislike the most are those whom God may choose to do great things in the Church. Instead, we would rather “give them the axe.” We must never be dismissive of others who fail to meet our own criteria. Often, we not only miss God’s best for our lives, but we involve others by selecting them for jobs for which they were never called to do. Matthias is definitely not a person the average churchgoer probably remembers from Scripture. How much greater of an impact his life might have made had they waited for the guidance of the Holy Spirit! How much greater could ours be if we choose to wait on God?

About The Author Jeff Frazier is a native resident of Cleveland who has been proclaiming the Gospel for 20 years, ordained in 2010. He and his family attend Philadelphia Missionary Baptist Church, where Brother Jeff teaches the adult Sunday school class. He and his wife also minister once a month at Signature Healthcare (since 2007).