Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
(From: ACTS #2 - 1:15-26)
II. 1:15-26 JUDAS: HOLY SPIRIT LEADS IN CHOOSING HIS SUCCESSOR
a. 1:15-16 JUDAS' BETRAYAL AND PETER'S PROPOSAL
Kai en tais heMErais TAUtais a-naSTAS PEtros en MEsoton a-delPHON,
And in these :days Peter stood up in themidst of the brethren,
EIpen (en te OCHlos [3793]o-noMAton [3686]ePI to auTO, hos he-kaTON EIko-si),
and said (and there was a crowd of names in the same place, about a hundred and twenty),
[ANdres] A-delPHOI, Edei ple-roTHEnai [4137]ten graPHEN [1124],
16[Men] Brethren, it was needful that the Scripture should be fulfilled,
hen proEIpe [4277]to PNEUma to HAgi-on diA STOma-tos [4750]DauID peRI IOUda,
which the Holy :Spirit foretold through David's mouth concerning Judas,
tou ge-noMEnou [1096]ho-deGOU [3595]tois sul-laBOUsin [4815]IeSOUN.
who became guide to them that took Jesus.
b. 1:17 Because he was numbered among us, and received his lot in this :ministry.
HOti ka-te-rith-meMEnos [2674]en en huMIN, kai Ela-chen [2975]ton KLEron [2819]tes di-a-koNIas TAUtes.
c. 1:18 JUDAS' SUICIDE: LOWERED HIS INHERITANCE
(HOUtos men oun ekTEsa-to [2932]choRIon [5564]ek misTHOU [3408]tes a-diKIas [93];
(Now this man obtained a field with the reward of his :iniquity;
kai preNES geNOme-nos [1096], eLAke-sen [2997]MEson, kai e-xeCHUthePANta ta SPLAGCHna auTOU.
and falling headlong, he burst asunder themidst, and all his :bowels gushed out.
d. 1:19 JUDAS' MONUMENT: FIELD OF BLOOD
kai gnosTON eGEne-to PAsi tois ka-toiKOUsin [2730]Ie-rou-saLEM;
And it became known to all the dwellers at Jerusalem;
HOSte kleTHEnai [2563]to choRI-on [5564]eKEIno te diaLEKto[1258]auTON Ha-kel-daMACH [184],
so that in their language that :field was called Hacheldamach,
tout' EStin, ChoRIon HAIma-tos [129].)
that is, Field of blood.)
e. 1:20 JUDAS: HIS REPLACEMENT FORETOLD
GEgrap-tai gar en BIBlo[976]PsalMON [5568], Ge-neTHEto[1096]he Epau-lis [1886]AUtou Ere-mos [2048],
For it is written in thebook of Psalms, Let his :habitation become desolate,
kai meESto ho ka-toiKON en auTE: kai, Ten e-pi-skoPEN [1984]auTOU laBEtoHEte-ros.
And let no one dwell in it: and, His :overseership let another take.
f. 1:21-22 QUALIFICATIONS FOR JUDAS' REPLACEMENT
dei oun ton su-nelTHONton [4905]heMIN anDRON en panTI CHROno[5550]
Of the men therefore that have companied with us all the time
hoeiSELthen kai eXELthen eph' heMAS ho KUri-os IeSOUS,
that the Lord Jesus went in and went out among us,
arXAme-nos [756]aPO tou bapTISma-tos [908]IoAnou,
22beginning from the baptism of John,
HEos tes heMEras hes a-neLEMPHthe[353]aph' heMON,
unto the day that he was received up from us,
MARtu-ra [3144]tes a-naSTAse-os [386]auTOU sun heMIN geNESthai HEna TOUton.
of these must one become a witness with us of his :resurrection.
g. 1:23 And they put forwardtwo, Joseph called :Barsabbas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.
kai ESte-san [2476]DUo, IoSEPH ton kaLOUme-non Bar-sabBAN, hos e-peKLEtheIOUstos, kai MathTHIan.
h. 1:24-25 THE CHOICE LEFT TO GOD
kai pro-seuXAme-noi [4336], EIpan, Su, KUri-e, kar-di-oGNOSta [2589]PANton,
And they prayed, and said, You, Lord, who knows thehearts of all men,
aNAdei-xon [322] hon e-xeLExo [1586]ek TOUton ton DUo HEna,
show of these :two the one whom you have chosen,
laBEIN ton TOpon [5117] tes di-a-koNIas [1248]tauTES kai a-po-stoLES [651]
25 to take the place in this :ministry and apostleship
aph' hes paREbe [3845]IOUdas, po-reuTHEnai eis ton TOpon ton Idi-on.
from which Judas fell away, to go to his:own :place.
i. 1:26 MATTHIAS: GOD'S CHOICE
kai EdoKEN [1325]KLErous [2819]auTOIS; kai Epe-sen ho KLEros ePI MathTHIan;
And they gave them lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias;
kai sun-ka-te-psePHISthe[4785]meTA ton ENde-ka a-poSTOlon [652] .
and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
NOTE: - 1:15-26 - The above is a “section” or “chapter equivalent”, containing no paragraphs or subdivisions, just 9 sentences. Bible Numerics is able to give accurate contexts for all 27 books of the New Testament. So, not only are the problems for Textual Criticism solved, but also this most important challenge of arriving at a correct context. In the light of this, it is possible to see the Wisdom in God reserving Mr. Panin's discoveries in Bible Numerics for the days immediately preceding the Return of His Son, when attacks on God and His Bible have multiplied in intensity.
Judas is the key theme for this section - his traitorous fall, and the prophetic planning for his replacement. Note the key conditions for his replacement: a disciple of the three year ministry of Jesus; and a witness of His Resurrection!
Note how Peter takes the lead among the 11 to give God pre-eminence in making the choice between the two set forward. See also how Peter clearly saw the necessity of seeing the Scriptures fulfilled. He reviews the betrayal of Jesus by Judas, and the fearful judgment of God that fell upon him. It was necessary that the 12 chosen disciples by Jesus to become apostles, needed to have their number maintained. For Jesus prophesied that the twelve would in the Kingdom Manifested, sit on 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel. This choice couldn't be Paul, because he did not meet the 2 conditions set forth by Peter.
This parallels the insight Israel had to renew Benjamin in the latter chapters of the Book of Judges. He had been reduced to 600 young men only because of his sin, and the judgment of God upon him by the 11 tribes. But did these rejoice over the judgment victory? Not at all! Israel knew that apart from 12 tribes moving in unity, God's purposes through Israel could not be accomplished. Therefore wives were provided for these 600 young men, else we would not have had Paul, a Benjamite, to write half the books of the New Testament!
In 1:24-26, the 10 received the challenge of the Spirit through Peter, and reserved for the Lord the right to make the final choice. Jesus through the lot chose Matthias. Following the Spirit coming “upon” them in the next chapter - there is no more need to rely on the “lot”. George Muller sought to use this several times as a new convert - but soon learned that the Spirit working upon the Word of God is always sufficient!
Until this matter was settled, the work of God was held in abeyance. Once it was settled, then the Lord through His Spirit was free to fulfill the Day of Pentecost, which swiftly followed this timely preparation. J.A.W.