Who succeeded Judas Iscariot as an apostle?

According to Acts, Matthias succeeded Judas Iscariot as an apostle. After Judas’s death, the remaining apostles selected Matthias to restore the group of Twelve.

Acts 1 says the disciples nominated two candidates: Matthias and Joseph Barsabbas, also called Justus. After praying for divine guidance, they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias. He was then numbered with the eleven apostles.

Matthias is not named in the Gospel lists of the original Twelve, and the New Testament gives no further narrative about his ministry. That limited information has led to later traditions about his preaching and martyrdom, but those details are not established by the canonical text.

A common mix-up is confusing Matthias with Paul or Barnabas. Both became major early Christian missionaries, but Acts specifically identifies Matthias—not either of them—as Judas’s replacement among the Twelve.