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NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Act_1:15-26
15At this time Peter stood up in the midst of the brethren (a gathering of about one hundred and twenty persons was there together), and said, 16"Brethren, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17"For he was counted among us and received his share in this ministry." 18(Now this man acquired a field with the price of his wickedness, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his intestines gushed out. 19And it became known to all who were living in Jerusalem; so that in their own language that field was called Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20"For it is written in the book of Psalms, 'Let his homestead be made desolate, And let no one dwell in it'; and, 'Let another man take his office.' 21"Therefore it is necessary that of the men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us— 22beginning with the baptism of John until the day that He was taken up from us—one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection." 23So they put forward two men, Joseph called Barsabbas (who was also called Justus), and Matthias. 24And they prayed and said, "You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two You have chosen 25to occupy this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place." 26And they drew lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.
Act_1:15 "at this time" This is literally "in these days" (en tais hçmerais) This phrase is used often in the opening chapters of Acts (cf. Act_1:15; Act_2:18; Act_5:37; Act_6:1; Act_7:41; Act_9:37; Act_11:27; Act_13:41). Luke is using other eyewitness sources. He also uses "from day to day" (kath hçmeran) as common, ambiguous time indicator in the early chapters of Acts (cf. Act_2:46-47; Act_3:2; Act_16:5; Act_17:11; Act_17:31; Act_19:9). After Acts 15, Luke is personally acquainted with many of the events he is recording. He still uses "day" often, but not as often as in these ambiguous, idiomatic phrases.
▣ "Peter stood up" Peter is obviously the spokesman for the Apostles (cf. Matthew 16). He preached the first sermon of the church after the coming of the Spirit (cf. Acts 2) and the second sermon in Acts 3. Jesus appears to him first in the post-resurrection appearances (cf. John 21 and 1Co_15:5). His Hebrew name is "Simeon" (cf. Act_15:14; 2Pe_1:1). This name is spelled "Simon" in Greek. The term "Peter" is a Greek term (petros) for a "detached rock." It is "Cephas" or "bedrock" in Aramaic (cf. Mat_16:18).
▣ "a gathering of about one hundred and twenty persons" This phrase is a parenthesis in the UBS4 Greek text (but not Act_1:18-19). This group must have included the eleven Apostles, the women who accompanied Jesus, and other disciples from Jesus' preaching and healing ministry.
Act_1:16 "the Scripture" All references to "Scripture" in the NT (except 2Pe_3:15-16) refer to the OT (ex. Mat_5:17-20; 2Ti_3:15-17). This passage also asserts the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (cf. 2Pe_1:21) through David. It also implies the canonization of "the Writings" section of the Hebrew Bible.
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▣ had to be" This is dei, which means necessity. It is an imperfect active indicative and refers to the first quote in Act_1:20.
The term is characteristic of Luke's sense of the life of Jesus and the early church being an extension of OT Scriptures (cf. Luk_18:31-34; Luk_22:37; Luk_24:44). Luke uses this term often (cf. Luk_2:49; Luk_4:43; Luk_9:22; Luk_11:42; Luk_12:12; Luk_13:14; Luk_13:16; Luk_13:33; Luk_15:32; Luk_17:25; Luk_18:1; Luk_19:5; Luk_21:9; Luk_22:7; Luk_22:37; Luk_24:7; Luk_24:26; Luk_24:44; Act_1:16; Act_1:21; Act_3:21; Act_4:12; Act_5:29; Act_9:6; Act_9:16; Act_14:27; Act_15:5; Act_16:30; Act_17:3; Act_19:21; Act_19:36; Act_20:35; Act_23:11; Act_24:19; Act_25:10; Act_25:24; Act_26:9; Act_27:21; Act_27:24; Act_27:26). The term means "it is binding," "it is necessary," "it is inevitable." The gospel and its growth is not a chance occurrence, but the predetermined plan of God and fulfillment of OT Scripture (LXX usage).
▣ "fulfilled" When one reads these OT quotes (Act_1:20), Judas' betrayal was not the intent of the writer of the Psalms (i.e., Psa_69:25; Psa_109:8). The Apostles interpreted the OT in light of their experience with Jesus. This is called typological interpretation (cf. Act_1:20). Jesus Himself may have set the pattern of this approach as He walked and talked with the two on the road to Emmaus (cf. Luk_24:13-35, especially Act_1:25-26). The early Christian interpreters saw parallels between the events of the OT and Jesus' life and teachings. They saw Jesus as the prophetic fulfillment of all the OT. Believers today must be careful of this approach! Those inspired NT authors were under a level of inspiration and personally familiar with the life and teachings of Jesus. We affirm the truth and authority of their witness but cannot reproduce their method.
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▣ "Judas" It was Judas' apostasy, not his death, which caused this election of a substitute Apostle. In Act_1:20 b, Judas' actions were seen as a fulfillment of prophecy. The NT does not record another Apostolic election after the death of James (cf. Act_12:2). There is much mystery and tragedy in the life of Judas. He was possibly the only Apostle who was not a Galilean. He was made the treasurer of the apostolic group (cf. Joh_12:6). He was accused of stealing their money throughout the period of Jesus' time with them. He is said to be a prophetic fulfillment and an object of Satanic attack. His motives are never stated, but his remorse resulted in his taking his own life after returning the bribe.
There is so much speculation about Judas and his motives. He is mentioned and vilified often in John's Gospel (Joh_6:71; Joh_12:4; 13:2,26,39; Joh_18:2-3; Joh_18:5). The modern play "Jesus Christ Superstar" depicts him as a faithful, but disillusioned, follower who tried to force Jesus into fulfilling the role of Jewish Messiah—this is, to overthrow the Romans, punish the wicked, and set up Jerusalem as the capital of the world. However, John depicts his motives as greedy and malicious.
The main problem is the theological issue of God's sovereignty and human free will. Did God or Jesus manipulate Judas? Is Judas responsible for his acts if Satan controlled him or God predicted and caused him to betray Jesus? The Bible does not address these questions directly. God is in control of history; He knows future events, but mankind is responsible for choices and actions. God is fair, not manipulative.
There is a new book that tries to defend Judas—Judas Betrayer or Friend of Jesus? by William Klassen, Fortress Press, 1996. I do not agree with this book, but it is very interesting and thought provoking.
▣ "who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus" Here is a quote from my commentary on Mat_26:47-50 (see hyperlink ).
"There has been much discussion about the motivation of Judas. It must be said that this remains uncertain. His kiss of Jesus in Acts 1:49 either (1) was a sign to the soldiers that this was the man to arrest (cf. Mat_26:48); or (2) lends support to the modern theory that he was trying to force Jesus' hand to act, (cf. Mat_27:4). Other Gospel passages state that he was a robber and an unbeliever from the beginning (cf. Joh_12:6).
From Luk_22:52 we know the make-up of this crowd. There were Roman soldiers involved because they were the only ones who could legally carry swords. Also, the Temple police were involved because they usually carried clubs. Representatives from the Sanhedrin were also present at the arrest (cf. Mat_26:47; Mat_26:51)."
Act_1:17 Judas was chosen by Jesus, heard Jesus speak, saw Jesus' miracles, was sent on mission by and for Jesus, was present in the upper room and participated in these events and, yet, betrayed Jesus!
Act_1:18
NASB, NKJV,
NRSV, NJB,
NIV"falling headlong, he burst open"
TEV "where he fell to his death and burst open"
It is possible that "falling headlong" was a medical term for "swelling up" (cf. Moulton and Milligan, The Vocabulary of the Greek Testament, pp. 535-536), which is found in some English translations (e.g., Phillips, Moffatt and Goodspeed). For a good discussion of the different versions of Judas' death (Mat_27:5 vs. Act_1:18) see Hard Sayings of the Bible, pp. 511-512.
▣ "this man acquired a field" Act_1:18-19 are parenthetical (cf. NASB, NKJV, NRSV, NJB, NIV). The author provided this information for the reader's understanding. From Mat_27:6-8 we learn the priests bought this piece of land in fulfillment of OT prophecy (cf. Mat_27:9). It was Judas' money, which the priests considered unclean and used to buy a field for burying unclaimed bodies. Act_1:18-19 tell us it was the very field in which Judas died. This information about Judas' death is not repeated elsewhere.
Act_1:19 "in their own language" Many of the Jews of Jesus' day did not read or speak Hebrew, but a similar Semitic language, Aramaic, which they learned from their years under Persian rule. The educated people could speak and read Hebrew. Jesus used it when He reads Scripture in the Synagogues.
Many people in Palestine would have been bilingual (Koiine Greek and Aramaic) or tri-lingual (Koine Greek, Aramaic, and Hebrew).
Jesus spoke Aramaic most of the time. The phrases and words in the Gospels that are transliterated are all Aramaic.
NASB, NRSV "Hakeldama, that is Field of Blood"
NKJV "Akel dama, that is, Field of Blood"
TEV "Akeldama, which means Field of Blood"
NJB "Bloody acre. . .Hakel-dama"
This is a Greek translation of an Aramaic word. It is always difficult to uniformly transpose from one language to another. Despite the Greek spelling variations, the Aramaic means "field of blood." This could mean
1. a field bought with blood money (cf. Mat_27:7 a)
2. a field where blood was shed (cf. Act_1:18)
3. a field where murderers or foreigners were buried (cf. Mat_27:7 b)
Act_1:20 These are two quotes from the Psalms. The first is Psa_69:25. Originally it was plural. It functions as a curse formula related to Judas. The second quote is from Psa_109:8 (LXX). It provides the prophetic precedent for the replacement of Judas discussed in Act_1:21-26.
Modern believers cannot reproduce this method of typological hermeneutics because none of us in this period of history are inspired. The Spirit guided these Bible authors/scribes at a level He does not do for later believers. We are illumined by Him but we sometimes disagree (see hyperlink at Act_1:16).
NASB, NKJV,
NJB "office"
NRSV "positions of overseer"
TEV "place of service"
In the Septuagint the term episkopç carries the connotation of a charge or service of an officer (cf. Num_4:16; Psa_109:8). It came to denote an office in the Roman Catholic clerical system, but in Greek it simply was the Greek city-state term for leader (cf. NIV), as "elder" (presbuteros) was the Jewish term for leader (ex. Gen_50:7; Exo_3:16; Exo_3:18; Num_11:16; Num_11:24-25; Deu_21:2-4; Deu_21:6; Deu_21:19-20 and others). Therefore with the possible exception of James, "overseer" and "elder" after the death of the Apostles refer to the pastor (cf. Act_20:17; Act_20:28; Tit_1:5; Tit_1:7; Php_1:1).
Act_1:21 "it is necessary" This is the word dei (see full note at Act_1:16). Apparently Peter felt that the Twelve Apostles somehow represented the twelve tribes or some other symbolism that must not be lost.
Act_1:21-22 These are the qualifications for Apostleship (See Special Topic: Send [apostellô] at Act_14:4). Notice that it shows the presence of other believers besides the Twelve who followed Jesus throughout His earthly ministry. These criteria were later used by some to reject Paul's Apostleship.
Luke apparently includes these two verses to show the priority of Apostolic witness, not the election of Matthias, about whom we hear no more. The church and NT Scripture will be built on Jesus' life and teachings, but it is mediated through eyewitness, authoritative witness, selected theological witness, the NT. This is the theological issue, not the symbolism of "twelve"!
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Act_1:23 "they set two" There is a Greek manuscript variant which shows the theological issue in this phrase:
1. estçsan ("they set") in MSS à , A, B, C, D1, E
2. estesen ("he set") in MS D* (fifth century), Lectionary 156 (tenth century), two Old Latin manuscripts (fifth and thirteenth centuries), and Augustine (a.d. 354-430)
If number one, this is an example of the whole group of disciples voting on the possible replacement of Judas (a form of congregational polity (cf. Act_15:22), but if number 2, then this is evidence for the supremacy of Peter (cf. Act_15:7-11; Act_15:14). As far as Greek manuscript evidence, the wording of number one is certain (UBS4 gives it an "A" rating).
▣ "Joseph. . .Matthias" We know nothing about these men from the NT. We must remember that the Gospels and Acts are not western histories, but selected theological writings to introduce Jesus and show how His message impacted the world.
Act_1:24
NASB "who knows the hearts of all men"
NKJV "who knows the hearts of all"
NRSV "you know everyone's heart"
TEV "you know the thoughts of everyone"
NJB "you can read everyone's heart"
This is a compound word, "hearts" and "known" (cf. Act_15:8). This reflects an OT truth (cf. 1Sa_2:7; 1Sa_16:7; 1Ki_8:39; 1Ch_28:9; 2Ch_6:30; Psa_7:9; Psa_44:21; Pro_15:11; Pro_21:2; Jer_11:20; Jer_17:9-10; Jer_20:12; Luk_16:15; Act_1:24; Act_15:8; Rom_8:27). God knows us completely and still loves us (cf. Rom_8:27).
The disciples affirm that YHWH knows their motives as well as the motives and lives of the two candidates. They want God's will in this choice (aorist middle). Jesus chose the Twelve, but He is now with the Father.
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Act_1:25 "to his own place" This is an euphemism for "damnation." Satan used him for his purposes (cf. Luk_22:3; Joh_13:2; Joh_13:27), but Judas is responsible for his choices and actions (cf. Gal_6:7).
Act_1:26 "they drew lots for them" This has an OT background related to the High Priest's use of the Urim and Thummim in Lev_16:8, or to individuals using some similar type of method (cf. Pro_16:33; Pro_18:18). The Roman soldiers also cast lots for Jesus' clothes (cf. Luk_23:34). However, this is the last time this method of knowing God's will is mentioned in the NT. If one tends toward proof-texting, this method could become normative for how to make spiritual decisions, which would be very unfortunate (e.g., opening the Bible and putting one's finger on a verse to determine the will of God). Believers are to live by faith, not by mechanical means of determining God's will (e.g., sheep fleece, cf. Jdg_6:17; Jdg_6:36-40).
▣ "Matthias" Eusebius says he was involved in the mission of the seventy (cf. Luke 10). Later traditions assert that he was martyred in Ethiopia.
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