So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,
English Standard Version (ESV)
The phrase "went in and out among us" isn't just about Jesus' physical movements; it signifies a deep, intimate participation in His everyday life and ministry. This requirement meant the new apostle had to have personally experienced Jesus' leadership and walked with Him from the very beginning, not just heard about Him later.
So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,
English Standard Version (ESV)
Following Judas' betrayal and death, Peter addresses the gathered believers, explaining the necessity of appointing a new apostle to fill the vacant position. This replacement must be someone who had been a continuous witness to Jesus' ministry from its beginning, including His baptism by John, all the way through His ascension. This qualification ensures the new apostle, like the others, can testify to Jesus' life, death, and resurrection.
When choosing a replacement for Judas, Peter didn't just look for someone available. He looked for someone who had been there.
The phrase "companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us" is richer than it first appears. It doesn't just mean they were in the vicinity; it signifies a deep, continuous engagement with Jesus' ministry.
Constant Intercourse
This wasn't a casual acquaintance. The expression "went in and out" was a common way in Hebrew thought to describe the entirety of a person's life and actions – their public ministry, their private moments, their constant interaction. It implies a shared journey, witnessing everything from His teachings and miracles to His quiet moments.
Qualified Testimony
This deep involvement was crucial because the apostles were witnesses. They had to testify to Jesus' life and, most importantly, His resurrection. This required firsthand knowledge, not just hearsay. Their qualification stemmed from their shared experience.
Why was it so important that this new apostle had seen Jesus 'go in and out'?
The selection criteria for a new apostle, particularly in Acts 1, were deeply rooted in the need for reliable eyewitness testimony. This wasn't about filling a vacancy with just anyone; it was about maintaining the integrity and historical foundation of the Gospel message.
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The Resurrection Mandate
The core message the apostles were commissioned to share was the resurrection of Jesus. As Peter himself would later write, faith in Christ hinges on having seen and heard Him (1 Peter 1:3, 8). This made personal, unbroken contact with Jesus during His earthly ministry a non-negotiable qualification.
Historical Continuity
Choosing someone who had journeyed with Jesus from the start ensured a continuity of witness. This person would carry the same authority and perspective as the original eleven, having experienced the same foundational events. It underscored that the Christian faith is grounded in historical reality, not myth.
The early church leaders understood the core of apostolic ministry to be bearing witness to Jesus' life, death, and resurrection – a qualification rooted in firsthand experience of His earthly journey.
c. AD 27-30
Jesus' Public Ministry
Jesus travels throughout Galilee and Judea, teaching, healing, and gathering disciples.
c. AD 30-33
Jesus' Crucifixion and Resurrection
Jesus is crucified in Jerusalem and rises from the dead, appearing to his followers.
c. AD 33
Jesus' Ascension
Jesus ascends into heaven from the Mount of Olives, with the promise of the Holy Spirit.
c. AD 33— this verse
Selection of Matthias
The remaining eleven apostles, after Judas's betrayal, select Matthias to replace him, based on his continuous witness to Jesus' ministry from its beginning.
This passage directly states that the disciples will testify about Jesus because they have been with Him from the beginning, echoing the requirement in Acts 1:21 for a new apostle to be an eyewitness.
1 Corinthians 15:3-8Paul emphasizes that the gospel is based on Christ's death and resurrection, witnessed by many, including the apostles. This highlights the crucial 'witness' aspect of an apostle's qualification mentioned in Acts 1:21.
Acts 4:33This verse shows the apostles testifying with great power about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, reinforcing the importance of their continuous presence with Jesus as described in Acts 1:21.
Luke 1:1-4Luke himself explains his careful investigation of events in order to write an accurate account, similar to how the apostles in Acts 1:21 were qualified by their direct, firsthand experience of Jesus' ministry.
cambridgeActs 1:21: "Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,"
21 . As the new Apostle is to be, like the rest, an eyewitness to the life of Jesus, he must have been a disciple from the beginning of Christ’s ministry. Such a necessity would probably make the number from whom choice could be made a very small one. It seems hardly probable, if St Luke’s design had been (as is so often asserted) to represent St Paul as in every way like…
vincentActs 1:21: "Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,"
Went in and went outAn expression for constant intercourse. Compare Deuteronomy 18:19; Psalm 121:8; John 10:9; Acts 9:28.Among us (ἐφ' ἡμᾶς)The margin of Rev., over us, i.e., as our head, is a sound rendering, and supported by Matthew 25:21, Matthew 25:23; Luke 9:1. The rendering before, in the presence of, occurs Matthew 10:18; Luke 21:12.
The phrase "went in and out among us" isn't just about Jesus' physical movements; it signifies a deep, intimate participation in His everyday life and ministry. This requirement meant the new apostle had to have personally experienced Jesus' leadership and walked with Him from the very beginning, not just heard about Him later.
Following Judas' betrayal and death, Peter addresses the gathered believers, explaining the necessity of appointing a new apostle to fill the vacant position. This replacement must be someone who had been a continuous witness to Jesus' ministry from its beginning, including His baptism by John, all the way through His ascension. This qualification ensures the new apostle, like the others, can testify to Jesus' life, death, and resurrection.
Following Judas' betrayal and death, Peter addresses the gathered believers, explaining the necessity of appointing a new apostle to fill the vacant position. This replacement must be someone who had been a continuous witness to Jesus' ministry from its beginning, including His baptism by John, all the way through His ascension. This qualification ensures the new apostle, like the others, can testify to Jesus' life, death, and resurrection.
"So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us," — The phrase "went in and out among us" isn't just about Jesus' physical movements; it signifies a deep, intimate participation in His everyday life and ministry. This requirement meant the new apostle…
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Last reviewed October 2026