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Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas which was guide to
them that took Jesus . . . . . it is written in the book of the Psalms . . . . . his
bishopprick let another take" (Acts 1: 16, 20). Peter had evidently been taught by the
risen Christ the meaning of the Psalms that spoke of His betrayal, and acting upon
that teaching he said that it was necessary that another should take the forfeited place
of Judas.
A.--Would not the apostle Paul have filled that place?
B.--No, there was one qualification which Paul did not possess.
A.--What was that?
B.--He had never been associated with Christ and the eleven from the beginning.
A.--But was that essential?
B.--Listen to Peter:--
"Wherefore of these men which have companied with us ALL THE TIME that the
Lord Jesus went in and out among us, BEGINNING from the baptism of John, unto that
same day that He was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of
His resurrection" (Acts 1: 21, 22).
This limited the number of possible candidates to two, and as the Lord had done many
times during Israel's history, He did it again; He used the lot to convey His choice.
"And the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven" (verse 26).
Then came Pentecost.
Paul in I Cor. 15: 5-8 gives the names of several witnesses to the resurrection of
Christ, viz., Cephas, the twelve, five hundred brethren, James, all the apostles, and last of
all Paul himself. This enumeration places Paul outside the twelve.
A.--Do you mean then that there is another order of apostleship outside that of the
twelve?
B.--Look at Eph. 4: 8-11:--
"When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men . . .
. . And He gave some apostles."
The "twelve" were appointed while Christ was on earth, but here is an order of
apostles appointed "When He ASCENDED".
A.--What is there distinctive about Paul's apostleship then
B.--Let the apostle himself tell us:--