Joseph Barsabbas

Biblical Account

Joseph Barsabbas appears only in Acts 1. After the ascension of Jesus, Peter stood up among a company of about 120 people gathered in Jerusalem and proposed filling the place left vacant by Judas Iscariot (Acts 1:15-20). The qualification Peter set forth was that the person must have accompanied the disciples throughout the time the Lord Jesus went in and out among them, from the baptism of John until the day He was taken up. The purpose was that this person should become a witness of the resurrection (Acts 1:21-22). The company put forward two candidates, one of whom is identified as "Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus" (Acts 1:23). The disciples prayed and then cast lots, and the lot fell upon Matthias, who was numbered with the eleven apostles (Acts 1:24-26). Scripture records nothing further about Joseph Barsabbas.

Significance Within Scripture

According to the text, Joseph Barsabbas was a disciple who had been with Jesus from the beginning of His public ministry until His ascension. His presence shows that, beyond the Twelve Disciples, there were other disciples who had followed Jesus from the start. The Aramaic name "Barsabbas" is usually explained as "son of Saba" or "son of the Sabbath," though its meaning is uncertain. "Justus" is a Latin name meaning "just" or "righteous." Bearing both a Jewish name and a Latin surname in this way was not unusual among Jews of the period.

Interpretations and Issues

• Distinction from other figures: Some have speculated that he may have belonged to the same family as, or been a brother of, "Judas surnamed Barsabas" (Acts 15:22), who was sent to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas after the Council of Jerusalem. The text, however, offers no basis for this. "Jesus, which is called Justus" in Colossians 4:11 and Titius Justus in Acts 18:7 are likewise generally regarded as different individuals who merely share the name.
• Later tradition: The fourth-century church historian Eusebius presented him as one of the seventy disciples of Luke 10. Citing Papias, Eusebius also relates a story that Barsabbas, surnamed Justus, drank poison and suffered no harm. These stories are traditions not found in the biblical text.
• Legitimacy of the casting of lots: Interpreters differ on whether this selection accorded with the will of God. The majority regard the casting of lots after prayer as a legitimate procedure. The fact that Scripture counts Matthias among the twelve apostles (Acts 1:26; 2:14) is also cited in support of this view. Some interpreters, however, hold that the selection was made hastily, before the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and that the one God had prepared was Paul. This debate is treated mainly in the article on Matthias.

In the Korean Church

In the Korean church, Joseph Barsabbas is mentioned chiefly in sermons on the passage describing the selection of Matthias. Because he was a faithful and qualified disciple even though he was not chosen as an apostle, he is sometimes used as an illustration of the point that a life of following the Lord to the end matters more than church office or the outcome of an election. The passage is also sometimes cited when churches are preparing to elect officers.