Cheryl Schatz

Not picking Matthias during the time that Jesus was explaining the prophetic application of scripture to his disciples, teaching and commanding them on what to do regarding their witness to the world, would not be an argument from silence. The fact is that if Matthias had been picked during the 40 days when Jesus was here to do this “ordaining of the twelfth apostle”, the disciples would have known it and Matthias would have known it. There would have been no need to “cast lots” for a decision. One thing we know for sure – Matthias was not picked by Jesus during the 40 days that he was here in his resurrected body on earth.

If Paul is the twelfth apostle, then Jesus picked him in the same way that he picked every other apostle – by his personal in-person appointment. If Matthias is the twelfth apostle, then this is the only apostle picked as a candidate by men and not directly picked in person by Jesus.

You said:

“God knows everything that we will do, including what the 11 would do. The 11 needed to start execising their authority, it is like learning to walk. And Jesus had given them authority to execise

Jesus did not give the apostles the authority to pick the twelfth apostle. Neither Jesus nor scripture says that this was to be in their power or authority. It is very obvious that they felt it was their obligation to fill the vacancy, but Jesus did not give them this obligation.

The things in their authority were offering forgiveness and reconciliation so that a person would be free from a charge held against them. Stephen, the very first martyr forgave those who were killing him. Stephen loosed the charge of sin against his attackers and what he loosed was also loosed in heaven. The charge was forgiven the men who killed Stephen. Forgiveness for sin against a person was in their authority.

There is not one word in scripture that gives the apostles the authority to pick an apostle of Jesus Christ. That authority belongs to Jesus alone. They cannot exercise an authority that is not theirs.

If it was an important act of quickly picking a replacement for Judas, then Jesus not only had the authority to pick Judas’ replacement, but he had the opportunity and Matthias was there to see the resurrected Christ. The fact that Jesus did not personally appoint Matthias during this time when the vacancy was there is a strong point that Matthias was not the one who would immediately fill the vacancy. If Jesus had spoken to the disciples and told them that it would be in their authority to pick a replacement, then why didn’t they pick Matthias? Why did they cast lots for Matthias instead of exercising their authority? The fact is that they did not have this authority. Scripture is silent on the apostles taking for themselves what has always belonged to Jesus alone.

You said:

There are lots of things Jesus did not talk about at all, or at least was not considered important enough to record. Most scholars say that this is because much was assumed by a 1st century Jew and so does not need to be stated.

You are absolutely right in that scripture does not give all the words of God or of Jesus.  For example scripture does not record the words that God spoke to Eve after he created her, however her testimony stands as a proof that he did speak to her. However there isn’t any testimony from the apostles that Jesus gave them this special authority. They also did not act in authority. They chose two from their human wisdom (they did not pray about who to pick for the two candidates) and only after picking the two, did they pray and cast lots. The end result was neither a personal decision by Jesus or an authority exercised by the apostles. It was an assumption they made in faith believing the bible had to be fulfilled but wrongly assuming that they were responsible for fulfilling prophesy.  Jesus is the fulfillment of prophesy and an apostle of Jesus Christ is there by Jesus Christ’s authority alone.  If it was the apostle’s authority then there are two logical questions that beg to be answered:

1.  Where does scripture say they had this authority?

and

2.  Why did the apostles give up their “right” to this “authority” by casting lots?  This appears to me to be abrogating their authority not exercising it.