This is a very interesting question, and scholars have often asked it. The unsuccessful candidate to succeed Judas, Joseph called Barsabbas, surnamed Justus (Acts 1.23), evidently possessed all the qualities required to be an apostle. Why is he not found among the Seven in Acts 6.5?
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Luke says nothing of what became of him
The simplest answer is that Luke does not mention him. After Acts 1.23, Joseph Barsabbas disappears completely from the narrative. It is therefore impossible to know with certainty what his later ministry was.
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The Seven seem to belong to the group of the Hellenists
The seven men chosen all bear Greek names:
- Stephen;
- Philip;
- Prochorus;
- Nicanor;
- Timon;
- Parmenas;
- Nicolas, a proselyte of Antioch (Acts 6.5).
Many scholars think that they themselves came from the group of Hellenistic Jews whose widows were complaining. Their appointment would thus have been a particularly wise response to the crisis.
Now Joseph Barsabbas bore an Aramaic name (“Barsabbas”) and a Latin surname (“Justus”). Nothing indicates that he belonged to the Hellenistic community. He may therefore not have been part of the group directly concerned.
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His calling may have been different
Not having been chosen as an apostle did not necessarily mean that he was to receive another important office. In the New Testament, God does not entrust the same ministries to everyone (1 Corinthians 12.4-6).
It is possible that Joseph Barsabbas carried out another service of which Luke says nothing.
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The selection criteria were different
To become an apostle, one had to have accompanied Jesus from the baptism of John until the Ascension (Acts 1.21-22).
To be counted among the Seven, the criteria were:
- a good reputation;
- being full of the Holy Spirit;
- being full of wisdom (Acts 6.3).
The two functions were therefore not identical.
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A possible theological reason
It is striking that Luke never tries to “console” the candidates who were not chosen. Joseph Barsabbas disappears from his narrative without the slightest remark. This underlines that the election of Matthias was not a personal reward but a particular calling from God. Likewise, not being chosen among the Seven does not mean being set aside.
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An interesting hypothesis
If the Seven were mostly Hellenists, the choice of Joseph Barsabbas, probably a Hebrew Jew, would have been less appropriate in this context. The apostles perhaps wished to entrust this responsibility to the representatives of the group that felt wronged, thus showing their trust and promoting reconciliation within the Church.
Conclusion
We do not know why Joseph Barsabbas is not among the Seven. The most likely reason is that they were chosen mainly from among the Hellenistic believers in order to resolve a crisis that concerned precisely their community. Luke’s silence about what became of Matthias’s rival also reminds us that, in the early Church, not all of God’s servants were called to hold visible offices or to leave their names in history.
One can even observe a certain analogy with John 21.22: when Peter worries about the fate of another disciple, Jesus answers him:
“What is that to you? You follow me.”
Thus, in Acts, the emphasis is never placed on the careers of individuals, but on the progress of God’s work.