Acts 1:15-26

Acts 1:15-26

After an intense time of prayer, Peter stood up and declared to the other disciples that Judas needed to be replaced. Not only was there an obvious gap in the apostles, but he also pointed out that the book of Psalms supported the picking of another apostle.

It is interesting what criteria Peter gave to direct the process of choosing another apostle. He said that the next apostle must be one who 1) had accompanied Jesus and 2) had been a witness of Jesus’ resurrection. In other words, Judas’ replacement must be someone who was intimately acquainted with Jesus, his ways, and the triumph of his return from death. In order to teach the world, build up fellow Christians, and combat false ideas about Jesus, the apostles had to be very knowledgable about the story of Jesus.

Although we no longer have apostles leading the church today, we still have shepherds (elders) who govern individual congregations of God’s people. As guiding leaders, it is vital for these shepherds to know Jesus, who he is, what he taught, and what happened in his story. Knowledge of Jesus is the key to counseling, preaching, living, and leading in the Lord’s way! It is also necessary as a leader to concentrate on the resurrection, since the Christian faith hinges upon the truth of Jesus’ resurrection (1 Corinthians 15). Leaders must be able to discuss why it is important and why it must have happened historically. Isn’t it neat to know that leadership qualities for the apostles must still be present in God’s leaders today?

Nathan Combs