Week 3, Day 4

Today’s Reading:  Acts 3-4

Some thoughts from yesterday’s reading…

There is an interesting passage at the end of Acts chapter 1, which describes the replacement of Judas as one of the apostles.  There were a few conditions that were established to identify (or qualify) those who could be the replacement.  Peter said that they had to choose from among those who had been with Jesus and the apostles the whole time.  The qualified person also had to be a witness of the resurrected Christ.  With these qualifications, they narrowed down the options to two men:  Justus and Matthias.  The apostles then left it up to God to choose the one who would join the number of the apostles.  They cast lots, and the lot fell upon Matthias.

There are several things that are very interesting about this passage.  First, consider that the qualifications identified in this passage would make it impossible for there to be modern “apostles” today.  There were not going to be other men who would continually replace these men as apostles throughout all time.  In fact, after the appointing of the apostle Paul (who was chosen specifically by Christ) there were no more apostles appointed.  When we hear about religions that have apostles, we know that they are outside the confines of the New Testament pattern.  The only apostles that we need are those from the first century.  God delivered the whole gospel message through those men, and there is no further need for living apostles.  God is not giving any further revelation!

The second thing that I find interesting in this passage is the practice of casting lots.  There is not a lot of historical, or archaeological evidence to explain exactly what this practice entailed.  It seems that it was a wide spread practice, which may have varied based on the culture that one lived in.  Under most “normal” circumstances, it was a method of making decisions that was ultimately based upon chance.  However, when God was involved, it was a way for God to communicate His will.  That is the case here.  God revealed, through the casting of lots, which of these men was supposed to be the man to replace Judas.

There is much more in these chapters that is interesting.  How could I, as a preacher, pass up on that first gospel sermon?  What do you find interesting in these chapters?

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