In the Bible, Acts 1:12-26, relates how St. Peter, based upon prophetic words in the Psalms, led the 11 Apostles to replace the 12th Apostle with St. Matthias (after Judas Iscariot’s defection). This occurred after Jesus’ Ascension into Heaven and before Pentecost.
Yes. First, his name in Hebrew purportedly
means the “Gift of Yahweh,” or (per St. Arator, died about 550) the “small one
of Yahweh.” “Small” was understood to reflect his humility.
The tradition from the Eastern Church
tells us St. Matthias was born in Bethlehem, of the tribe of Judah. Apparently
as a youth or young man, he studied the Law under St. Simeon, the one who
received the Christ child when He came into the Temple as an infant (Luke
2:25-35). As Scripture implies Simeon was ready to die after seeing the Christ,
this might imply that Matthias was perhaps 15-30 years older than Jesus.
Matthias is traditionally portrayed in art as an old man.
When, then, it came time for the Lord
Jesus Christ to reveal Himself to the world, St Matthias believed in Him as the
Messiah, and followed constantly after Him. St. Peter tells us that Matthias
accompanied the Lord and His Apostles from the baptism of St. John through
Christ’s Ascension, and was a witness to Christ’s resurrection (Acts 1:21-22).
The Eastern Tradition also says that Jesus appointed Matthias as one of the
70/72 disciples (Luke 10:1).
After the descent of the Holy Spirit at
Pentecost, Matthias preached the Gospel at Jerusalem and in Judea together with
the other Apostles and disciples (Acts 6:2, 8:14). From Jerusalem, he later
went with the Apostles St. Peter and St. Andrew to Antioch of Syria (cf., Acts
11:19). Later, he preached in the Cappadocian (today’s northeastern Turkey)
cities of Tianum and Sinope. Here the Apostle Matthias was arrested and put
into prison, but St. Andrew was able to miraculously free him.
Later on, St. Matthias journeyed to
Amasea, a city on the shore of the Black Sea [today’s northern Turkey]. Then
when the Apostle St. Andrew made a three-year evangelization journey to Edessa
and Sebaste, St. Matthias accompanied him. According to Church tradition, St.
Matthias also preached at Pontine in the present-day country of Georgia (which
lies between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea), and in Macedonia (further west
into Europe, north of Greece).
Apparently, there were many perils St.
Matthias faced during his ministry, but the Lord preserved him to continue
preaching the Gospel. Once, while in prison, he was forced to drink some poison.
But after he drank it, not only was he not harmed, but he also healed other
prisoners who had become blind by the potion – just as Jesus had promised His
disciples would not be harmed and would heal others (Mark 16:18).
Thereafter, after leaving the prison, St.
Matthias apparently had become invisible to his enemies. They were now blind to
him! They searched for him everywhere, but could not see him even when he was
near them. Another time, when his enemies were enraged and intending to find
and kill him, the earth opened up and engulfed them – just like happened in
Moses’ day (Numbers 16:32-33).
There are two traditions as to how
Matthias died. One is that he returned to Judea, continuing to preach the
Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Jewish High Priest, Ananias, who had killed James
the Less, “Brother of the Lord” and Bishop of Jerusalem, also had Matthias
arrested, and the Sanhedrin then sentenced him to death by stoning. This was in
AD 63/64.
A second tradition, with good historical foundations, is that St. Matthais was martyred by crucifixion in the present-day county of Georgia, at Gonio, near Batumi in Ajara, and is buried there. The Roman fortress of Gonio is still standing, and his grave is marked within.
Dibby Allan Green