Acts 1:24Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

And they all pray together in this way: "You, Lord, Knower of the hearts of all, show." You, they say, and not we. They fittingly invoke the Knower of hearts, for He had to make the choice, not outsiders. So certain were they that one necessarily had to be chosen. They did not say, "Choose," but, "Show," they say, the chosen one, "whom You have chosen." They knew that with God everything is determined beforehand.

They fittingly cry out in prayer to the Knower of hearts. They no longer say, "Choose," but, "Show the one whom You have chosen," knowing that with God all things are determined before human thought.

Although the emperor's authority is great, see how great God is. He sees the hearts of all, questions the inner conscience, knows all things before they happen, and knows the inward state of your heart. You yourselves do not tolerate being deceived, and do you wish to deceive God?

Preparing for this ministry at Peter's proposal, they chose one from among themselves by lot, namely Matthias, to complete the apostolic company. They set him in the place of the fallen Judas.

Here for the first time we see them turning in prayer to the Lord Jesus: "Show whom Thou hast chosen." The election of the Apostles, the heralds of Jesus Christ, is His work.

The expectation of the promised Comforter, the Spirit of truth and the divine witness concerning Jesus, grew each day in the disciples left by the Lord.

He had promised soon to ask Him from the Father. Meanwhile, in this state of deprivation, their faith was gradually strengthened more and more, and rose to the degree of unshakable firmness.

The conditions for choosing a new Apostle indicated by the Apostle Peter could easily be applied to the matter even by human judgment. The assembly of believers knew who among them had been a constant follower of Jesus Christ.

Yet though this pointed to the inner qualities of the one to be chosen, human observation still did not know the innermost part of the human soul, nor the depths of his heart.

Therefore the assembly, having chosen two according to the indicated rule, left the final decision to Him whose Apostle the chosen man was to become. As the Knower of hearts, He alone could make a true and unerring election.

The essential condition for the new Apostle was that he should be a witness of the Resurrection. He also had to have been in communion with the disciples throughout the whole time of the Savior's sojourn with them.

This manner of appointment, unique in the New Testament, seems to have arisen from the Church's special condition during the first days between the Ascension and the descent of the Holy Spirit.

As though sensing that they did not yet possess the living power of true discernment of spirits, the Apostles chose two men: Joseph Barsabbas, who in Gentile circles was usually surnamed Justus, and Matthias.

Then, in accordance with Old Testament examples and Jewish customs (Lk 1:9), they prayed to God that He would show the one whom He had chosen.

The lot was cast, and it fell on Matthias. He was therefore received into the number of the twelve Apostles. The faithful, with their twelve leaders at their head, began to prepare for the great feast of Pentecost.

"And they prayed." Neither the Apostles nor the assembly took upon themselves the final election of one of the two previously chosen men as Apostle. They entrusted it to the Lord Himself, asking in prayer for the indication of His will.

Thus, in the election of the new Apostle, a twofold action takes place, human and divine. The Apostles and the community of believers chose two beforehand from among themselves.

The Lord, in answer to their prayer, indicated one of them to be numbered among the company of the twelve Apostles.

"And they said." Without doubt Peter, on behalf of the whole assembly, pronounced the following prayer to the Lord.

"Lord, Knower of the hearts of all." The prayer is not addressed directly to God the Father, but to the Lord Jesus Christ.

The prayer before the election of the Apostle shows that the faithful attached very great importance to this matter. The content of the prayer, probably spoken by the Apostle Peter, also shows this.

Confessing the Lord Jesus Christ as the Knower of hearts, they asked Him to choose one of the two Himself, making this visibly known through the lot.

According to Bishop Michael's explanation, a twofold action is revealed here, human and divine. The Apostles and the community of believers chose two beforehand from among themselves.

The Lord, in answer to their prayer, indicated one of them to be numbered among the company of the twelve Apostles.

Both chosen men seemed to have an equal right to the apostolic rank. But only one was needed. Both were worthy, yet the electors did not know which was more worthy.

They judged both by outward appearance. They could not judge otherwise, not even the Apostles, until the Holy Spirit came down upon them on the day of Pentecost and gave them the gift of spiritual insight.

The Lord alone, the Knower of hearts, judges each man according to his inner dispositions. He knows what is unknown to men who have not been enlightened by the grace of the Holy Spirit.

And so all the electors, through Peter and by his mouth, lifted up prayer to the Lord God. Whether to God the Father or to the Lord Jesus is not known.