“Let another man take his office”
[Acts 1:12-26]
What is the concept of "office" about? "Office" refers to function, not position. The purpose of office is service, sacrifice, and being a servant. To perform the office well, one must become a servant to others (2 Cor. 4:4). Without service and sacrifice, one is not fulfilling their office. It would be hypocritical. Since we have all received an office, we must be faithful to it.
When we speak of a person holding an office, we can think of 1 Timothy 3:1-13, which outlines the qualifications for church officials. They must be lovers of what is good, blameless, not only within the church but also in society and morality. They must be self-controlled in all things, which means they must govern their hearts well, being careful with their words, actions, and thoughts. They must be hospitable, not given to excessive drinking, not violent or quarrelsome, and tolerant in all things. They must not love money, be stubborn or self-willed, but must keep the Word. These are the basic qualifications for an officeholder. Indeed, those who have taken on an office in the church must approach it willingly (1 Cor. 9:16-18). They did not take on the office of the church on their own, but were appointed through the organization's function, so they must lead by example. They should do it with joy in accordance with God's will and discard the notion that only they can do it. Especially when church officials serve as examples in everything, it pleases God.
In today's passage, Acts 1:12-26, we see a disciple of Jesus who did not remain faithful to the office given by God and instead betrayed it. His name is Judas Iscariot, whom we are familiar with. Today, I want to consider three aspects of the concept of office based on Acts 1:12-26, titled "Let another man take his office."
First, what does "his office" refer to? His office refers to the "apostolic office."
Look at Acts 1:25a – “to occupy this ministry and apostleship ….” In the Korean Bible, it is written as "봉사와 및 사도의 직무" which translates to "this ministry and apostleship." However, in the original Greek text, the corresponding meaning is ‘this office, namely, the position of apostleship’ (Yoo). The question arises: Does the office of apostles still exist today? Catholics refer to the papacy as the succession of Peter's apostolic office, considering the Pope as the representative of Christ, the head of the entire Church, and an infallible (without error) entity. Therefore, they hold the Pope's teachings in higher regard than the Bible (Internet). However, our Protestant faith denies the continuation of the apostolic office. We can find the reason in today's passage, Acts 1:21-22, which states: “Therefore it is necessary that of the men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us-- beginning with the baptism of John until the day that He was taken up from us--one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.” The reason for denying the continuation of the apostolic office is that, since there is currently no one who, like those who were with the apostles from the time of John's baptism until Jesus' ascension and personally witnessed Jesus' resurrection, can succeed in the apostolic office. The apostolic office is fundamentally unique and not repeatable. Those who personally witnessed the risen Lord and were directly commissioned by Him in the early Church cannot be replaced or represented by successors. The apostolic office as witnesses and envoys appointed directly by the resurrected Lord does not continue or repeat. So, if the "his office," namely the "apostolic office," no longer exists, how can we apply that office to ourselves? While the unique office of the apostles cannot be replicated, we believe that our church has the responsibility to accept and obey the teachings and ministry of the apostles. In other words, the term "apostle" means 'one who is sent,' and in a sense, all of us Christians are 'apostles.' This is because we are those who have received a sending from the Lord into the world. Therefore, the "his office" given to all of us Christians is to, like the apostles, be sent from the Lord into the world, open our mouths, and proclaim the gospel containing the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ to the world (Progress of the Gospel). And we must nurture those who have accepted the gospel and establish them as laborers for Christ (Progress of Faith). This is the will of the Lord who sent us. As 'those who have been sent,' we must obey the will of the Lord who is the 'Sender.' Fulfilling the will of the Lord is the responsibility of those who hold our office.
Second, why was "his office" entrusted to another man for him to take on?
The reason is that he was unable to bear the weight of that office.
Judas, who was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus, betrayed Jesus. Therefore, Apostle Peter, in the upper room (v. 13), gathered with the remaining apostles, including Mary, the mother of Jesus, and a crowd of about 120 people (v. 15), and preached. An interesting point in Peter's sermon is that the betrayal of Judas Iscariot was already prophesied in the Old Testament. Look at Acts 1:16: "… Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through the mouth of David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus." Here, the Scripture that spoke long ago refers to the verse in Acts 1:20, which quotes Psalms 69:25: " May their place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in their tents." In the end, Peter, by quoting Psalms 69:25 in Acts 1:20, explains that Judas committed the sin of rejecting Jesus as the one who led those who arrested him, a sin that collaborated with the forces of darkness, namely the power of Satan. This reveals that Judas Iscariot became a target of God's curse. Therefore, by appointing someone to fill Judas Iscariot's vacant position, as stated in Acts 1:20b, "Let another take his office," Peter affirmed the necessity to fulfill the Scripture in Psalm 109:8b, "... Let another man take his office."
It seems that nowadays many of us Christians are taking our responsibilities too lightly, much like Esau, who despised his birthright by selling it to his brother Jacob for a single meal (Heb. 12:16). Just as the passage warns of Esau as a profane person who scorned the spiritual office, thereby blaspheming God, too many Christians are committing the sin of treating the responsibilities given to us by God lightly. In some ways, this tendency to be neglectful of the roles within the church may be understandable. This is because church responsibilities do not come with exercising great authority, nor do they necessarily come with significant honor. Indeed, a wise person cherishes the duties within the church. They prioritize faithfulness to these responsibilities. This sentiment was exemplified by the American retail magnate, John Wanamaker. When offered a position as Secretary of War by the President, he promptly declined. His reason was that he was serving as a Sunday School teacher in his church, and taking on the position would mean he couldn't teach the children every Sunday. It was only when the President promised to arrange his schedule to accommodate his teaching duties that he accepted the position. Every Saturday, he would fly back to his hometown to teach the children. When journalists once asked him if being Secretary of War was not a higher calling, he reportedly responded: ‘Teaching in the Sunday School is my life work. But being Secretary of War would be only a side issue for a year or two, wouldn't it?’ What a precious attitude this is. Here lies the true posture of a faithful believer, valuing the service of God more than any high worldly position (Internet).
Third, how should "his office" be taken on by someone else? It should be determined by the casting of lots.
Look at Acts 1:26 – “And they drew lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.” Because of the vacancy left by Judas's betrayal, and in accordance with the fulfillment of Psalms 109:8b, another disciple was chosen to take on the office of apostleship. The criteria for selecting a replacement for Judas were that the candidate must have been with the other eleven apostles from the time of John's baptism until Jesus' ascension. Two candidates, Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias, were nominated (Acts 1:21-23). Out of these two candidates, one was chosen to assume the office of apostleship in place of Judas, after prayerful consideration by approximately 120 disciples. Look at Acts 1:24-25: “And they prayed and said, "You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two You have chosen to occupy this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” This prayer of approximately 120 disciples, who prayed throughout the night, reflects the example set by Jesus, who, after praying all night, chose his disciples (Lk. 6:13). It is a prayer asking the Lord, who knows everyone's hearts, to reveal the one He has already chosen from among the two candidates (Yoo). They then cast lots to discern the will of the Lord. Through this process, Matthias was chosen to join the eleven apostles (Acts 1:26). At that time, the casting of lots likely followed the Old Testament custom, where the names of the two candidates were written on separate stones, placed in a container, and shaken. The name that appeared on the first stone drawn was the one selected (Lev. 16:8; Num. 18:6-8:10; 1 Chron. 24:5, 31, 26:13-16; Neh. 10:34, 11:1; Ps. 22:18; Ezek. 21:21) (Yoo).
Is the casting of lots a useful method for us today? The Joint Council of Presbytery Associations reportedly revised the rules and regulations for the election of council members in accordance with biblical principles, using the method of casting lots at the 85th General Assembly held in 2000, the first year of the new millennium (Location: Jinju Church, Chairman: Pastor Dong-kwon Kim). Afterward, it faced a crisis of imminent failure due to strong resistance from entrenched interests. However, by the sovereign grace of God, it was brought up for reconsideration at the 86th General Assembly held in the first year of the 21st century (Location: Chunghyun Church, Chairman: Pastor Jong-tak Yeo). The Assembly, after engaging in biblical and theological discussions and debates, received overwhelming support from the majority of presbyters and made a resolution. Why do they engage in casting lots? The reason is to prevent election fraud and corruption. However, according to Professor Sang Seob Yoo, there is a crucial issue regarding casting lots. It lies in the responsibility, duty, and mission of those chosen by casting lots according to biblical principles. He states, ‘If God, being pleased with himself and deeming it appropriate, has chosen through the casting of lots, then those individuals bear the responsibility, duty, and mission to carry out God's will humbly, seeking to satisfy God's heart more than anyone else. We are responsible to God and people, and should receive praise, respect, and trust. We should not become unfortunate ministers who, like Saul, arrogantly disregard God's word, act according to their own will, and end up rejected, having forsaken the sovereign grace and expectation of God, who chose them as the first king of Israel through casting lots’ (Yoo).
This is a story about a certain deacon: This deacon had been serving in the church for over a decade since its establishment. However, when the deacon took on a job later on, he couldn't maintain his faith life as faithfully as before. In response, the pastor, considering that someone who should be an example to the other believers wasn't being faithful in his faith life, decided to remove the deacon from his position at the beginning of the new year. Upon hearing this, the deacon's daughter asked, ‘What did father do wrong to be cut from his position as a deacon?’ She felt embarrassed and couldn't bring herself to go to church. Furthermore, the deacon's wife started to cautiously ask, ‘Are you really okay? Are you really okay?’ showing a lot of concern. So, the deacon went to talk to the pastor. "Pastor! Is it possible for a deacon who has once been appointed in the church to be removed from their position? What exactly did I do wrong to be cut from my position as a deacon?’ he asked, feeling upset. That's when the pastor responded, "Saint OO! In the church, if the believers' faith lives are found to be insincere, it is allowed to remove them from their position. That's the reason why Saint OO was removed from the position of a deacon.’ The deacon had nothing to say. Upon reflection, he realized that he had indeed been neglecting his church life and faith life since starting his job. Therefore, the deacon accepted the fact that he was removed from his position as a deacon and quietly continued his church life. However, the other believers around him couldn't understand how someone who had once been appointed as a deacon could be removed. They thought it was quite severe. They tried to comfort the deacon, but the deacon remained unmoved and continued his faith life silently. The pastor's perspective was, ‘I removed Saint OO from the position of a deacon to make him reflect on his negligence in his faith life, as someone who should be an example to others. Additionally, it was to encourage others to be more diligent in their faith life by witnessing Saint OO's case.’ We should be faithful in the positions entrusted to us. Faithfulness is what is required of those who are entrusted with a responsibility (1 Cor. 4:2).
Aspiring to be faithful in the roles we receive,
James Kim
(Humility, Service, Servanthood)