And they proposed two: Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. And they prayed and said, “You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.” And they cast their lots, and the lot fell on Matthias. And he was numbered with the eleven apostles. (Acts 1:23-26)

The One Who Was Not Chosen

After Judas killed himself, the need to fill his place was recognized by the eleven. Gathered with over one hundred disciples, Peter addresses the crowd to select some men to be put forth before the Lord to serve as the twelfth apostle. The group chose two names: Joseph, called Barsabas, whose surname was Justus, and Matthias. Remarkably, neither of these men are mentioned in scripture in any other place. They were part of the disciples of Christ, and Matthias would be selected as the twelfth apostle and then disappear on the pages of holy writ. Matthias would share in the life of the apostles, the persecutions, and the work of preaching the gospel to the world. Joseph would be among the early disciples, but nothing is known of him.

The selection of the twelfth apostles was left to the will of God. After Joseph and Matthias were put forth, the assembly prayed to the Lord to choose who would take part in the ministry and apostleship. No one in the room that day knew what lay ahead for the kingdom of God and how the apostles would begin to lay the foundation of the church. The lot fell on Matthias, and he was counted as an apostle. To a large degree, Matthias knew as little about what would take place as the eleven. This would all change on the Day of Pentecost when Matthias and the other apostles were baptized in the Holy Spirit and began preaching the good news of Jesus Christ. Matthias would be beaten by the Jews and face persecution from those opposed to the teachings of Jesus Christ. Like most of the apostles, the life of Matthias is left to traditions of the early church.

Joseph, called Barsabas, surnamed Justus, was not chosen. Maybe his name was too long. God made the choice, and it was not Joseph. The reality was that only one could be selected from among the disciples. God choosing Matthias did not suggest Joseph was not a qualified candidate to carry out the mission, but the Lord decided Matthias would better fit the role than Joseph. On the positive side, it would be suggested Joseph was happy for Matthias and not envious for any reason. At the time, the eleven were unaware of the involvement of their work in taking the teachings of Jesus Christ to the world. Jesus had returned to the Father, and the twelve were to remain in Jerusalem until they were endued with power from on high.

The Holy Spirit did not tell the life story of the one who was not chosen. He was qualified to be an apostle, which speaks volumes about his character and faith. There would have been other men who could have fit the mold, but only Joseph and Matthias were chosen. After Matthias was selected, Joseph would have continued to be a vital part of the early church to spread the gospel. It is tantalizing to think about what kind of work he did to help establish the infant church. He could have seen the providential hand of God in selecting Matthias as the Lord’s will, being the most important part of the kingdom. Accepting the selection of the Lord was to God’s glory.

It is difficult to understand how things work out in life, and sometimes, it is not as a person desires. Joseph would have been excited to be an apostle, but he was not chosen. Did he pout and fret about Matthias being chosen above him? It is highly unlikely. We may not be able to preach, lead a song, teach a class, or go on missionary journeys to far lands, but there is much work for all the ‘Joseph people’ in the church. They are the ones who roll up their sleeves and put their hands to the work of the kingdom for the glory of God. They are the quiet disciples that few know about that minister daily in the work of the church. Like Joseph, they have great faith in the will of God. Their lives are not filled with envy but hope and excitement to be part of the church of Christ. Not everyone can be a Matthias. But the church needs a lot of people with long names: Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus.