Acts 1:15-26 Meaning: The Lord Who Knows Every Heart
15In these days, Peter stood up in the middle of the disciples (and the number of names was about one hundred twenty), and said,
16“Brothers, it was necessary that this Scripture should be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who was guide to those who took Jesus.
17For he was counted with us, and received his portion in this ministry.
18Now this man obtained a field with the reward for his wickedness; and falling headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines gushed out.
19It became known to everyone who lived in Jerusalem that in their language that field was called ‘Akeldama,’ that is, ‘The field of blood.’
20For it is written in the book of Psalms, ‘Let his habitation be made desolate. Let no one dwell in it;’ and, ‘Let another take his office.’
21“Of the men therefore who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,
22beginning from the baptism of John to the day that he was received up from us, of these one must become a witness with us of his resurrection.”
23They put forward two: Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias.
24They prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two you have chosen
25to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas fell away, that he might go to his own place.”
26They drew lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was counted with the eleven apostles.
15And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,)
16Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus.
17For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry.
18Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.
19And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood.
20For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take.
21Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,
22Beginning 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.
23And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.
24And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen,
25That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.
26And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
15And in these days Peter stood up in the midst of the brethren, and said (and there was a multitude of persons gathered together, about a hundred and twenty),
16Brethren, it was needful that the scripture should be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spake before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who was guide to them that took Jesus.
17For he was numbered among us, and received his portion in this ministry.
18(Now this man obtained a field with the reward of his iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.
19And it became known to all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch that in their language that field was called Akeldama, that is, The field of blood.)
20For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be made desolate, And let no man dwell therein: and, His office let another take.
21Of the men therefore that have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and went out among us,
22beginning from the baptism of John, unto the day that he was received up from us, of these must one become a witness with us of his resurrection.
23And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.
24And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, who knowest the hearts of all men, show of these two the one whom thou hast chosen,
25to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas fell away, that he might go to his own place.
26And they gave lots for them; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
15And in these days, Peter having risen up in the midst of the disciples, said, (the multitude also of the names at the same place was, as it were, an hundred and twenty,)
16`Men, brethren, it behoved this Writing that it be fulfilled that beforehand the Holy Spirit spake through the mouth of David, concerning Judas, who became guide to those who took Jesus,
17because he was numbered among us, and did receive the share in this ministration,
18this one, indeed, then, purchased a field out of the reward of unrighteousness, and falling headlong, burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed forth,
19and it became known to all those dwelling in Jerusalem, insomuch that that place is called, in their proper dialect, Aceldama, that is, field of blood,
20for it hath been written in the book of Psalms: Let his lodging-place become desolate, and let no one be dwelling in it, and his oversight let another take.
21`It behoveth, therefore, of the men who did go with us during all the time in which the Lord Jesus went in and went out among us,
22beginning from the baptism of John, unto the day in which he was received up from us, one of these to become with us a witness of his rising again.'
23And they set two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias,
24and having prayed, they said, `Thou, Lord, who art knowing the heart of all, shew which one thou didst choose of these two
25to receive the share of this ministration and apostleship, from which Judas, by transgression, did fall, to go on to his proper place;'
26and they gave their lots, and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
15And in those days Peter, standing up in the midst of the brethren, said, (the crowd of names [who were] together [was] about a hundred and twenty,)
16Brethren, it was necessary that the scripture should have been fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before, by the mouth of David, concerning Judas, who became guide to those who took Jesus;
17for he was numbered amongst us, and had received a part in this service.
18(This [man] then indeed got a field with [the] reward of iniquity, and, having fallen down headlong, burst in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.
19And it was known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that that field was called in their own dialect Aceldama; that is, field of blood.)
20For it is written in [the] book of Psalms, Let his homestead become desolate, and let there be no dweller in it; and, Let another take his overseership.
21It is necessary therefore, that of the men who have assembled with us all [the] time in which the Lord Jesus came in and went out among us,
22beginning from the baptism of John until the day in which he was taken up from us, one of these should be a witness with us of his resurrection.
23And they appointed two, Joseph, who was called Barsabas, who had been surnamed Justus, and Matthias.
24And they prayed, and said, Thou Lord, knower of the hearts of all, shew which one of these two thou hast chosen,
25to receive the lot of this service and apostleship, from which Judas transgressing fell to go to his own place.
26And they gave lots on them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
Meaning in one sentence
Peter leads 120 believers to choose Matthias by prayer and lot, trusting God who knows every heart.
Context
This passage takes place in the upper room in Jerusalem, after Jesus' ascension and before Pentecost. About 120 believers, including the eleven apostles, Mary, and other women, are gathered in prayer. Peter stands up and addresses the group. He explains that Judas's betrayal and death were foreseen in Scripture. The Psalms spoke of the need for another to take his place. So they set criteria: the new apostle must have been with them from John's baptism to Jesus' resurrection, a witness of the risen Christ. They nominate two qualified men: Joseph Barsabbas (also called Justus) and Matthias. After praying to the Lord who knows all hearts, they cast lots. The lot falls on Matthias, and he is numbered among the eleven.
Key Words
Three Greek words anchor this passage. The first is kardiognōstēs, 'heart-knower,' used only here and in Acts 8. The early church had a huge decision: who should fill the twelfth place? They didn't trust their own judgment. They turned to the One who sees what no one else can see. That is still where we take our deepest decisions.
The second word is klēros, a 'lot' or 'share.' In verse 17, Judas 'obtained part' (klēron) of the ministry. In verse 26, they gave lots (klērous) for the two candidates. The same root word: a share assigned by God. Judas had his share but lost it. Matthias received his share through God's choice.
The third word is martys, 'witness,' in verse 22. The apostle's primary role was not administration, but testifying that Jesus truly rose from the dead. That testimony remains the foundation of our faith.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions have read this passage with shared wonder. The Catholic Church sees Matthias restoring the apostolic college, foundational for the office of bishop and apostolic succession. Protestants often highlight that the whole community of 120 participated, showing that important decisions belong to the church, not just its leaders. Many Orthodox Christians honor Matthias as a saint and note that casting lots was a recognized Old Testament method for discerning God's will, used before the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost. Some Christians debate whether Paul or Matthias is the true twelfth apostle, but both sides agree that God chose Matthias for that specific time and mission.
A common misunderstanding
A common mistake is to think that the casting of lots was a superstitious or random process. In fact, the early church believed that God sovereignly directed the outcome of the lot. The Old Testament often used lots to make decisions. The community first named qualified candidates, then prayed earnestly for God's choice, trusting that He would reveal it through the lot. This was their method for seeking divine guidance before the gift of the Spirit gave other forms of direction.
Living This Out
Maybe you are facing a decision this week: who to hire, who to ask to lead a ministry, or even what path to take yourself. The early church shows you a pattern. Start with prayer to the Lord who knows every heart. Bring qualified people forward. Hold your plans loosely. And trust that God can make His will clear even through methods that seem uncertain to you. You may not cast literal lots, but you can pray exactly what they prayed: 'You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one you have chosen.'
Main takeaway: God knows every heart and guides His church through prayer, Scripture, and the community's trust in His choice.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
After Jesus went to heaven, about 120 of His followers gathered together. They needed to pick a new apostle to take the place of Judas, who had gone away. They prayed and trusted God to help them choose Matthias.
For ages 9, 12
The early church was waiting for the Holy Spirit, but they knew they needed twelve apostles. Peter remembered what the Psalms said about someone taking Judas's place. They set a requirement: the new apostle must have been with Jesus from the beginning. They narrowed it down to two men: Joseph Barsabbas and Matthias. They prayed, 'Lord, You know everyone's heart. Show us which one You have chosen.' Then they cast lots, like rolling dice, but they believed God would decide the outcome. The lot fell on Matthias. This shows that God cares about the details of church leadership and that He answers prayer.
Questions People Ask
Why did the apostles cast lots to choose Matthias?
In the Old Testament, lots were often used to determine God's will. Before the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, the apostles used this method to ensure God made the choice, not human preference. They had already prayed, asking the Lord who knows all hearts to show them. The lot was a way of submitting the final decision to God.
What does 'his own place' mean in Acts 1:25?
The phrase 'his own place' refers to Judas's destination after his death. Most Christians understand this as a reference to hell or perdition, a place of his own choosing by his betrayal and sin. The expression is sobering, showing the consequences of turning away from God.
Who was Matthias and what happened to him after this?
Matthias was one of the followers of Jesus from the beginning, present from John's baptism until the resurrection. After being chosen, he is only mentioned here in the New Testament. Church tradition says he preached the gospel in various regions, possibly Ethiopia or Judea, and was martyred for his faith.
Why did they need to replace Judas? Couldn't they just have eleven apostles?
Jesus had chosen twelve apostles, corresponding to the twelve tribes of Israel. The number was significant. The apostles saw Judas's defection as a breach that needed to be filled, as Scripture had predicted: 'Let another take his office.' They understood that God's plan included a complete group of twelve witnesses to the resurrection.
Is the way they chose Matthias a model for how the church chooses leaders today?
Some elements are timeless: prayer, seeking qualified candidates, and trusting God's guidance. The specific method of casting lots is not used in most churches today, because after Pentecost the Holy Spirit guides through prophecy, wisdom, and consensus. However, the principle of seeking God's will humbly remains central.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study