Gospel of Matthias Gospel of Matthias The Gospel of Matthias is a lost text from the New Testament apocrypha, ascribed to Matthias, the apostle chosen by lots to replace Judas Iscariot (Acts 1:15-26). The content has been surmised from various descriptions of it in ancient works by church fathers (see below). There is too little evidence to decide whether a Traditions of Matthias is the same work, according to J.B. Matthews, "The Anchor Bible Dictionary" (IV:644). Though the work is lost, Clement of Alexandria records a sentence urging asceticism that the Nicolaitanes ascribe to Matthias: "we must combat our flesh, set no value
Judas Iscariot were known for committing acts of terrorism in the 40s and 50s AD by assassinating people in crowds using long knives hidden under their cloaks. This interpretation is problematic, however, because there is nothing in the gospels to associate Judas with the Sicarii, and there is no evidence that the cadre existed during the 30s AD when Judas was alive. A possibility advanced by Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg is that "Iscariot" means "the liar" or "the false one," perhaps from the Aramaic אִשְׁקַרְיָא. Stanford rejects this, noting that the gospel-writers follow Judas's name with the statement that he betrayed Jesus, so