Who was Matthias in the Bible?

from the old testament

• Matthias is not mentioned in the Old Testament.

from the new testament

• Information on Matthias is highly limited. Jesus originally chose twelve men as His apostles (Luke 6:12–16). After Judas hanged himself (Matthew 27:3–5), only eleven remained. After Jesus ascended (Acts 1:6–11), the apostles decided to select a replacement for Judas (Acts 1:15–20). They short-listed two men, Joseph and Matthias, and with God’s help through lots selected Matthias (Acts 1:23–26).
• The Bible gives us only the information we have about Matthias from the original selection process. They were looking for “one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection” (Acts 1:21–22). Thus, Matthias was a long-time follower of Jesus, having been there at the start of His ministry and still there at the ascension, and being an eyewitness to Jesus after the resurrection. From this, we can surmise that he was a godly man whom the apostles respected. Additionally, they would have had to consider Him capable of leading the new church and teaching the people everything Jesus had taught them.
• The extra-biblical records are sketchy; the only potential connection to Jesus’ ministry is a fourth-century reference that Matthias was one of the seventy disciples Jesus sent out (cf. Luke 10:1). No individuals are named in the biblical account, so that’s pure speculation. However, if Jesus sent the more reliable believers, it wouldn't be surprising to learn Matthias was among them. Beyond that, the records conflict, with some saying he was a missionary to the Ethiopians, even cannibalistic ones, while others say he stayed in Jerusalem, where he was buried. Historical accounts of the apostles are unreliable, with the records for Matthias being particularly dubious.

implications for today

We know so little about Matthias, and what we do know demonstrates that he fit the unique requirements of being an apostle, something only possible in his day. That makes it difficult to apply what we do know about him to ourselves.

However, we can deduce a couple of implications. First, before God selected Matthias by lot, the other apostles already recognized him as a godly man; otherwise, they would never have narrowed the choice to him. This shows that a man’s and a woman’s character provides evidence of genuine faith. As believers, we must strive so that our “walk matches our talk.”

Second, their leaving the final decision to God shows that God looks not at our external faithfulness, but at our heart condition. Judas also looked faithful (cf. John 13:21–22), but his heart proved to be sinful (John 12:4–6). So, while our walk matters, it’s worthless if we hide unrepentant sin in our hearts. Even if no one else sees, God does (1 Samuel 16:7). Therefore, as believers, we must keep repenting and ask God for His ongoing help to cleanse our hearts (1 John 1:9).

Third, Luke recorded this event despite never mentioning Matthias again. Being an apostle seems like a highly visible, and thus rewarding, office. However, when God looks for faithfulness, He’s looking for a heart of service (Mark 10:43–45). Matthias’ blending into the background reminds us that we serve to be seen by God and not by others. Let us then serve humbly wherever God has placed us.