SABBATH

God's Gift to Us

Sermonette: Twelfth Apostle?

Who is the Twelfth Apostle?
#1600s

Given 29-May-21; 16 minutes

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description: Considering the twelve foundation stones of the New Jerusalem, each of which will bear the name of one of the Apostles, was it Matthias or Paul who replaced Judas Iscariot? Arguing against Matthias is the fact that Christ did not choose him; rather, the disciples selected his name by prayer and casting lots (Acts 1:15-26), reminiscent of the method God established for making difficult decisions under the Old Covenant, namely, the casting of Urim and Thummin (Exodus 28:30, Leviticus 8:8, Numbers 27:21). Additionally, Matthias wrote no New Testament books; in fact, the New Testament is silent about his subsequent "acts." Aside from the original twelve, evidently the only apostle other than the original twelve personally chosen by Christ was Paul (Galatians 1:1, Acts 9:12). Consequently, it may be more likely that Paul's name will appear on one of New Jerusalem's foundation stones.