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Matthias the Apostle

Matthias (/məˈθəs/; Koine Greek: Μαθθίας, Maththías [maθˈθi.as], from Hebrew מַתִּתְיָהוּ Mattiṯyāhū; Coptic: ⲙⲁⲑⲓⲁⲥ; died c. AD 80) was, according to the Acts of the Apostles (written c. AD 63), chosen by God through the apostles to replace Judas Iscariot following the latter's betrayal of Jesus and his subsequent death.[1] His calling as an apostle is unique, in that his appointment was not made personally by Jesus, who had already ascended into heaven, and it was also made before the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the early Church.


Matthias
St Matthias by Peter Paul Rubens, c. 1611
Apostle and Martyr
Born1st century AD
Judaea, Roman Empire
Diedc. AD 80
Jerusalem, Judaea or in Colchis (modern-day Georgia)
Venerated in
CanonizedPre-congregation
Feast
AttributesAxe, Christian martyrdom
PatronageAlcoholics; carpenters; tailors; Gary, Indiana;[citation needed] Great Falls-Billings, Montana; Trier; smallpox; hope; perseverance

Biography Edit

There is no mention of a Matthias among the lists of disciples or followers of Jesus in the three synoptic gospels, but according to Acts, he had been with Jesus from his baptism by John until his Ascension. In the days following, Peter proposed that the assembled disciples, who numbered about 120, nominate two men to replace Judas. They chose Joseph called Barsabas (whose surname was Justus) and Matthias. Then they prayed, "Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all [men], shew whether of these two thou hast chosen, That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place."[2] Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was numbered with the eleven apostles.[3]

No further information about Matthias is to be found in the canonical New Testament. Even his name is variable: the Syriac version of Eusebius calls him throughout not Matthias but "Tolmai", not to be confused with Bartholomew (which means Son of Tolmai), who was one of the twelve original Apostles; Clement of Alexandria refers once to Zacchaeus in a way which could be read as suggesting that some identified him with Matthias;[4] the Clementine Recognitions identify him with Barnabas; Adolf Bernhard Christoph Hilgenfeld thinks he is the same as Nathanael in the Gospel of John.

Ministry Edit

The tradition of the Greeks says that St. Matthias planted the faith about Cappadocia and on the coasts of the Caspian Sea, residing chiefly near the port Issus.[5]

According to Nicephorus (Historia eccl., 2, 40), Matthias first preached the Gospel in Judaea, then in Aethiopia (by the region of Colchis, now in modern-day Georgia) and was crucified.[3] An extant Coptic Acts of Andrew and Matthias, places his activity similarly in "the city of the cannibals" in Aethiopia.[a][6] A marker placed in the ruins of the Roman fortress at Gonio (Apsaros) in the modern Georgian region of Adjara claims that Matthias is buried at that site.

The Synopsis of Dorotheus contains this tradition: "Matthias preached the Gospel to barbarians and meat-eaters in the interior of Ethiopia, where the sea harbor of Hyssus is, at the mouth of the river Phasis. He died at Sebastopolis, and was buried there, near the Temple of the Sun."[7]

Alternatively, another tradition maintains that Matthias was stoned at Jerusalem by the local populace, and then beheaded (cf. Tillemont, Mémoires pour servir à l'histoire ecclesiastique des six premiers siècles, I, 406–7).[7] According to Hippolytus of Rome, Matthias died of old age in Jerusalem.

Clement of Alexandria observed (Stromateis vi.13.):

Not that they became apostles through being chosen for some distinguished peculiarity of nature, since also Judas was chosen along with them. But they were capable of becoming apostles on being chosen by Him who foresees even ultimate issues. Matthias, accordingly, who was not chosen along with them, on showing himself worthy of becoming an apostle, is substituted for Judas.

Writings Edit

Surviving fragments of the lost Gospel of Matthias[8] attribute it to Matthias, but Early Church Fathers attributed it to heretical writings in the 2nd century.

Veneration Edit

 
His reliquary in Padua.
 
Statue of Saint Matthias by Hermann Schievelbein at the roof of the Helsinki Cathedral.

The feast of Saint Matthias was included in the Roman Calendar in the 11th century and celebrated on the sixth day to the Calends of March (24 February usually, but 25 February in leap years). In the revision of the General Roman Calendar in 1969, his feast was transferred to 14 May, so as not to celebrate it in Lent but instead in Eastertide close to the Solemnity of the Ascension,[9] the event after which the Acts of the Apostles recounts that Matthias was selected to be ranked with the Twelve Apostles.

The Eastern Rites of the Eastern Orthodox Church celebrate his feast on 9 August. Yet the Western Rite parishes of the Orthodox Church continues the old Roman Rite of 24 and 25 February in leap years.[citation needed]

The Church of England's Book of Common Prayer, as well as other older common prayer books in the Anglican Communion,[10] celebrates Matthias on 24 February. According to the newer Common Worship liturgy, Matthias is remembered in the Church of England with a Festival on 14 May,[11] although he may be celebrated on 24 February, if desired.[12] In the Episcopal Church as well as some in the Lutheran Church, including the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod and the Lutheran Church–Canada, his feast remains on 24 February.[13] In Evangelical Lutheran Worship, used by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America as well as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, the feast date for Matthias is on 14 May.[14]

It is claimed that St Matthias the Apostle's remains were brought to Italy through Empress Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine I (the Great); part of these relics would be interred in the Abbey of Santa Giustina, Padua, and the remaining in the Abbey of St. Matthias, Trier, Germany. According to Greek sources, the remains of the apostle are buried in the castle of Gonio-Apsaros, Georgia.[citation needed][15]

Notes Edit

  1. ^ The Ethiopia/Aethiopia mentioned here as well as in the quote from the "Synopsis of Dorotheus" is that region identified with an ancient Egyptian military colony in the Caucasus mountains on the river Alazani.

See also Edit

Further reading Edit

  • Knecht, Friedrich Justus (1910). "The Election of Matthias — Descent of the Holy Ghost" . A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture. B. Herder.

References Edit

Citations Edit

  1. ^ Acts 1
  2. ^ Acts 1:24–25
  3. ^ a b Jacque Eugène. Jacquier, "St. Matthias." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 10. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. 10 August 2014
  4. ^ Stromata Book 4 Ch 6 The New Advent Translation says "It is said, therefore, that Zaccheus, or, according to some, Matthew, the chief of the publicans, on hearing that the Lord had deigned to come to him, said, Lord, and if I have taken anything by false accusation, I restore him fourfold;" but the Greek has 4.6.35.2 Ζακχαῖον τοίνυν, οἳ δὲ Ματθίαν φασίν, ἀρχιτελώνην, ἀκηκοότα τοῦ κυρίου καταξιώσαντος πρὸς αὐτὸν γενέσθαι, ἰδοὺ τὰ ἡμίση τῶν ὑπαρχόντων μου δίδωμι ἐλεημοσύνην φάναι, κύριε, καὶ εἴ τινός τι ἐσυκοφάντησα, τετραπλοῦν ἀποδίδωμι. ἐφ' οὗ καὶ ὁ σωτὴρ εἶπεν· can just about be read as "by some said to be Matthias")
  5. ^ Butler, Alban. "Saint Matthias, Apostle", The Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Other Principal Saints, D. & J. Sadlier, & Company, 1864
  6. ^ See "Egyptian Colony and Language in the Caucasus and its Anthropological Relations," by Hyde Clarke, 1874, https://www.jstor.org/stable/2841305
  7. ^ a b   One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domainJacquier, Jacque Eugène (1911). "St. Matthias". In Herbermann, Charles (ed.). Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 10. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
  8. ^ "The Traditions of Matthias". Earlychristianwritings.com. Retrieved 12 May 2011.
  9. ^ "Calendarium Romanum" (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1969), p. 92; cf. p. 117
  10. ^ "The Prayer Book Society of Canada " The Calendar". The Prayer Book Society of Canada. 16 October 2013.
  11. ^ "The Calendar". The Church of England. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  12. ^ "web site". Oremus.org. Retrieved 12 May 2011.
  13. ^ . Archived from the original on 6 January 2011.
  14. ^ Evangelical Lutheran Worship, (Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Fortress, 2007), 15
  15. ^ Kakhidze, Emzar (2008). "Apsaros: A Roman Fort in Southwestern Georgia". In Bilde, Pia Guldager; Petersen, Jane Hjarl (eds.). Meetings of Cultures – Between Conflicts and Coexistence. Black Sea Studies. 8. Aarhus University Press. pp. 303–332..

External links Edit

matthias, apostle, saint, matthias, redirects, here, other, uses, saint, matthias, disambiguation, matthias, koine, greek, Μαθθίας, maththías, maθˈθi, from, hebrew, הו, mattiṯyāhū, coptic, ⲙⲁⲑⲓⲁⲥ, died, according, acts, apostles, written, chosen, through, apos. Saint Matthias redirects here For other uses see Saint Matthias disambiguation Matthias m e ˈ 8 aɪ e s Koine Greek Ma88ias Maththias ma8ˈ8i as from Hebrew מ ת ת י הו Mattiṯyahu Coptic ⲙⲁⲑⲓⲁⲥ died c AD 80 was according to the Acts of the Apostles written c AD 63 chosen by God through the apostles to replace Judas Iscariot following the latter s betrayal of Jesus and his subsequent death 1 His calling as an apostle is unique in that his appointment was not made personally by Jesus who had already ascended into heaven and it was also made before the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the early Church SaintMatthiasSt Matthias by Peter Paul Rubens c 1611Apostle and MartyrBorn1st century ADJudaea Roman EmpireDiedc AD 80 Jerusalem Judaea or in Colchis modern day Georgia Venerated inCatholic ChurchEastern Orthodox ChurchOriental Orthodox ChurchesAnglican CommunionLutheran ChurchCanonizedPre congregationFeast14 May Roman Catholic Church some places in Anglican Communion and Lutheran Church 9 August Eastern Orthodox Church 24 February in leap years 25 February pre 1970 General Roman Calendar Western Rite Orthodoxy Anglican Communion Episcopal Church some places in Lutheran Church AttributesAxe Christian martyrdomPatronageAlcoholics carpenters tailors Gary Indiana citation needed Great Falls Billings Montana Trier smallpox hope perseveranceThis article contains Coptic text Without proper rendering support you may see question marks boxes or other symbols instead of Coptic letters Contents 1 Biography 2 Ministry 3 Writings 4 Veneration 5 Notes 6 See also 7 Further reading 8 References 8 1 Citations 9 External linksBiography EditThere is no mention of a Matthias among the lists of disciples or followers of Jesus in the three synoptic gospels but according to Acts he had been with Jesus from his baptism by John until his Ascension In the days following Peter proposed that the assembled disciples who numbered about 120 nominate two men to replace Judas They chose Joseph called Barsabas whose surname was Justus and Matthias Then they prayed Thou Lord which knowest the hearts of all men shew whether of these two thou hast chosen That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell that he might go to his own place 2 Then they cast lots and the lot fell to Matthias so he was numbered with the eleven apostles 3 No further information about Matthias is to be found in the canonical New Testament Even his name is variable the Syriac version of Eusebius calls him throughout not Matthias but Tolmai not to be confused with Bartholomew which means Son of Tolmai who was one of the twelve original Apostles Clement of Alexandria refers once to Zacchaeus in a way which could be read as suggesting that some identified him with Matthias 4 the Clementine Recognitions identify him with Barnabas Adolf Bernhard Christoph Hilgenfeld thinks he is the same as Nathanael in the Gospel of John Ministry EditThe tradition of the Greeks says that St Matthias planted the faith about Cappadocia and on the coasts of the Caspian Sea residing chiefly near the port Issus 5 According to Nicephorus Historia eccl 2 40 Matthias first preached the Gospel in Judaea then in Aethiopia by the region of Colchis now in modern day Georgia and was crucified 3 An extant Coptic Acts of Andrew and Matthias places his activity similarly in the city of the cannibals in Aethiopia a 6 A marker placed in the ruins of the Roman fortress at Gonio Apsaros in the modern Georgian region of Adjara claims that Matthias is buried at that site The Synopsis of Dorotheus contains this tradition Matthias preached the Gospel to barbarians and meat eaters in the interior of Ethiopia where the sea harbor of Hyssus is at the mouth of the river Phasis He died at Sebastopolis and was buried there near the Temple of the Sun 7 Alternatively another tradition maintains that Matthias was stoned at Jerusalem by the local populace and then beheaded cf Tillemont Memoires pour servir a l histoire ecclesiastique des six premiers siecles I 406 7 7 According to Hippolytus of Rome Matthias died of old age in Jerusalem Clement of Alexandria observed Stromateis vi 13 Not that they became apostles through being chosen for some distinguished peculiarity of nature since also Judas was chosen along with them But they were capable of becoming apostles on being chosen by Him who foresees even ultimate issues Matthias accordingly who was not chosen along with them on showing himself worthy of becoming an apostle is substituted for Judas Writings EditSurviving fragments of the lost Gospel of Matthias 8 attribute it to Matthias but Early Church Fathers attributed it to heretical writings in the 2nd century Veneration Edit nbsp His reliquary in Padua nbsp Statue of Saint Matthias by Hermann Schievelbein at the roof of the Helsinki Cathedral The feast of Saint Matthias was included in the Roman Calendar in the 11th century and celebrated on the sixth day to the Calends of March 24 February usually but 25 February in leap years In the revision of the General Roman Calendar in 1969 his feast was transferred to 14 May so as not to celebrate it in Lent but instead in Eastertide close to the Solemnity of the Ascension 9 the event after which the Acts of the Apostles recounts that Matthias was selected to be ranked with the Twelve Apostles The Eastern Rites of the Eastern Orthodox Church celebrate his feast on 9 August Yet the Western Rite parishes of the Orthodox Church continues the old Roman Rite of 24 and 25 February in leap years citation needed The Church of England s Book of Common Prayer as well as other older common prayer books in the Anglican Communion 10 celebrates Matthias on 24 February According to the newer Common Worship liturgy Matthias is remembered in the Church of England with a Festival on 14 May 11 although he may be celebrated on 24 February if desired 12 In the Episcopal Church as well as some in the Lutheran Church including the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod and the Lutheran Church Canada his feast remains on 24 February 13 In Evangelical Lutheran Worship used by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America as well as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada the feast date for Matthias is on 14 May 14 It is claimed that St Matthias the Apostle s remains were brought to Italy through Empress Helena mother of Emperor Constantine I the Great part of these relics would be interred in the Abbey of Santa Giustina Padua and the remaining in the Abbey of St Matthias Trier Germany According to Greek sources the remains of the apostle are buried in the castle of Gonio Apsaros Georgia citation needed 15 Notes Edit The Ethiopia Aethiopia mentioned here as well as in the quote from the Synopsis of Dorotheus is that region identified with an ancient Egyptian military colony in the Caucasus mountains on the river Alazani See also EditActa Andreae et Matthiae apud AnthropophagosFurther reading EditKnecht Friedrich Justus 1910 The Election of Matthias Descent of the Holy Ghost A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture B Herder References EditCitations Edit Acts 1 Acts 1 24 25 a b Jacque Eugene Jacquier St Matthias The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol 10 New York Robert Appleton Company 1911 10 August 2014 Stromata Book 4 Ch 6 The New Advent Translation says It is said therefore that Zaccheus or according to some Matthew the chief of the publicans on hearing that the Lord had deigned to come to him said Lord and if I have taken anything by false accusation I restore him fourfold but the Greek has 4 6 35 2 Zakxaῖon toinyn oἳ dὲ Mat8ian fasin ἀrxitelwnhn ἀkhkoota toῦ kyrioy kata3iwsantos prὸs aὐtὸn genes8ai ἰdoὺ tὰ ἡmish tῶn ὑparxontwn moy didwmi ἐlehmosynhn fanai kyrie kaὶ eἴ tinos ti ἐsykofanthsa tetraploῦn ἀpodidwmi ἐf oὗ kaὶ ὁ swtὴr eἶpen can just about be read as by some said to be Matthias Butler Alban Saint Matthias Apostle The Lives of the Fathers Martyrs and Other Principal Saints D amp J Sadlier amp Company 1864 See Egyptian Colony and Language in the Caucasus and its Anthropological Relations by Hyde Clarke 1874 https www jstor org stable 2841305 a b nbsp One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain Jacquier Jacque Eugene 1911 St Matthias In Herbermann Charles ed Catholic Encyclopedia Vol 10 New York Robert Appleton Company The Traditions of Matthias Earlychristianwritings com Retrieved 12 May 2011 Calendarium Romanum Libreria Editrice Vaticana 1969 p 92 cf p 117 The Prayer Book Society of Canada The Calendar The Prayer Book Society of Canada 16 October 2013 The Calendar The Church of England Retrieved 27 March 2021 web site Oremus org Retrieved 12 May 2011 Misc Info on Minor Festivals The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod Archived from the original on 6 January 2011 Evangelical Lutheran Worship Minneapolis MN Augsburg Fortress 2007 15 Kakhidze Emzar 2008 Apsaros A Roman Fort in Southwestern Georgia In Bilde Pia Guldager Petersen Jane Hjarl eds Meetings of Cultures Between Conflicts and Coexistence Black Sea Studies 8 Aarhus University Press pp 303 332 External links Edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Saint Matthias nbsp Wikisource has the text of a 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica article about Matthias Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Matthias the Apostle amp oldid 1175931093, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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