Verse 25
To take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas fell away, that he might go to his own place.
From which Judas fell away ... is a forced rendition, the KJV being far better: "From which Judas by transgression fell." Those exegetes who would make Judas a wicked sinner from the very time of his appointment evidently influenced the rendition as in English Revised Version (1885). The Greek word [@parabaino], which means "transgression," is in the Greek text;[27] and it should most certainly appear in the English, thus making it crystal clear that sin resulted in the fall of Judas from a spiritual condition and from an office, both of which he once possessed.
His own place ... Hervey called this "an awful phrase, showing that every man has the place in eternity which he has made for himself in time."[28]
The reticence of the New Testament writers regarding the fate of Judas is noteworthy. Their mention of him was in sorrow, nor did any of them embellish the traitor's deed in any manner. Even here, it is not stated what the fate of Judas was, the same being merely inferred.
The circumstance of his death gave them little ground for hope in this regard, but they would not take it upon themselves to say definitely what "his own place" was to which he went.[29]
Matthias ... Eusebius declared that this man was one of the seventy mentioned in Luke 10:1, which is probable but not proved.
Some have suggested that the apostles erred in choosing a successor to Judas and should have waited for the Lord's call of the apostle Paul to fill the vacancy, but such an opinion cannot be justified at all. Paul did not possess the qualifications in view here. He was a special apostle to the Gentiles, himself confessing that he was "not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God" (1 Corinthians 15:9); and, besides that, Paul mentioned "the twelve" as not including himself (1 Corinthians 15:5).
Regarding the casting of lots, as practiced here, it may or may not be significant that there is no New Testament example of such a thing being done after this occasion. The device of making decisions through casting lots was highly respected in the Old Testament.
The lot is cast into the lap; But the whole disposing thereof is of Jehovah.[27] Vine's Greek Dictionary (Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell, 1962), Vol. IV, p. 149.
[28] A. C. Hervey, op. cit., p. 6.
[29] F. F. Bruce, op. cit., p. 51.
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