Paul replacing Judas is built on a system, not on what Scripture actually says. Galatians 1:1 proves Paul’s apostleship came directly from Christ, but it does not prove Matthias was rejected; it only proves Paul was not commissioned by human authority. Acts 1 says the apostles prayed, asked the Lord to reveal His choice, cast lots to place the decision entirely in God’s hands, and then Luke — under the Spirit’s inspiration — records that Matthias “was numbered with the eleven apostles.” You are trying to overturn a direct statement of Scripture with an argument from silence, because the New Testament never later uses the title “apostle Matthias.” But by that rule, half of the Twelve lose their apostleship, since Scripture never calls Andrew, Thomas, Philip, Bartholomew, Thaddaeus, or Simon the Zealot “the apostle” either. Paul was indeed “another apostle,” but his calling does not erase Matthias — it simply shows Christ can appoint more than twelve. The real issue behind your argument is your claim that human recognition of ministry is invalid, yet Acts 1 shows the apostles submitting their choice to the Lord, not replacing His authority.
What we are discussing is Ephesians 4:11. The question is: Who appoints or chooses the people mentioned in this verse—the human beings, or the Lord Jesus?
Although the word “apostle” is not explicitly mentioned in the passages you cited regarding those whom the Lord chose, Andrew, Thomas, Philip, Bartholomew, Thaddaeus, or Simon, there is no doubt that they were already apostles. That is not the issue we are discussing.
The real issue is whether human beings have the authority to appoint or choose those mentioned in Ephesians 4:11, or whether only the Lord Jesus has the authority to appoint them.
The fact that the apostles were apostles does not mean that they were incapable of making mistakes. They were human beings just like us, and they could make mistakes. And what they did in this particular matter turned out to be wrong.
As evidence of this, the title “Apostle Matthias” is never mentioned in the Holy Scriptures afterward. On the other hand, Paul is explicitly referred to as an apostle, which serves as evidence that Paul was the one who took Judas’s place. And the one who appointed Paul was the Lord Jesus Himself.
Therefore, the point is not whether Matthias was considered one of the apostles at that particular moment in Acts 1. The real question is whether the appointment described in Ephesians 4:11 comes from human authority or from the Lord Jesus. According to the Scriptures, the true appointment of an apostle comes from the Lord Himself, not from human election.
And from what is written in Scripture itself, it is already clear that it is the Lord Jesus Himself who gives apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. It is not human beings who appoint or give these ministries.
That is why the Scripture says,
“And He gave.”
EPHESIANS 4:11
11
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
I am not trying to argue. I am simply sharing the truth found in the Word of God, because I am seeking God’s lost sheep. It is enough for me to have shared the truth that the Lord Jesus alone is the One who appoints and chooses. Just as He personally chose each of the twelve apostles, so it is He who appoints those whom He calls.
For if it were not the Lord Jesus who appoints them, and if human beings were also allowed to make such appointments, then Ecclesiastes 1:9 and Matthew 24:35 would be contradicted, because circumstances and events would change and pass away.
I am not forcing you to believe either. If you believe that human beings can appoint those mentioned in Ephesians 4:11, then you are free to follow those appointed by men.
But as for us who have come to know the one true God, He has revealed to us the spiritual message through His Word, which is called the truth. Therefore, we will never recognize as legitimate those who are appointed by men in connection with Ephesians 4:11.
