Thanks , by the way your post made me thinking .
If they cast lots to select 12th apostle after Judas died , were they doing God's will to even cast lots ? We know Paul was apostle of Christ and we know there are 12 gates for 12 apostles in new Jerusalem , so was Matthias that 12th apostle or Paul was 12th apostle ?
Christians answer this question in two ways.
One answer is that there are only 12 "apostles". This then raises the question if Matthias or Paul was the 12th.
The second answer is that the word apostle is simply anyone who God "sent". This is because the word apostle is a word that can describe anyone who is sent by God. It would then include Paul, Matthias, and other Christians that God specifically sent out to share the gospel. In this case, there are a special 12 selected for special ministry to Israel (sitting on the 12 thrones and having names on the gates of New Jerusalem).
I think it is fine to ask questions about the 12th apostle, but the answer is speculation. This is the type of question that I will not spend much time on because there is little to be gained by arguing about which answer is correct. When some Christians start arguing about who has the right answer, I believe that these are questions can become like those described in Titus 3:9 (But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless.)
God is not author of confusion .
I Cor 14:33 is the verse referenced here. In the English AV version, it is "For God is not
the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints." The italics show that the word author is not in the original Greek but added by the AV translators. Other translations do not add the word author. For example the NIV reads "For God is not a God of disorder but of peace—as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people." The important thing is that Paul is writing about problems in the church meetings. He is NOT writing about personal knowledge of our future choices.
There are times that we all have questions about what God wants us to do. We need to learn to walk with Him daily. We need to learn to follow Him daily. The reason God does not reveal everything to us is because He wants to walk with us. He wants us to walk with Him daily. A part of that walk is learning to listen to Him and what He wants us to do. Consistent prayer, bible reading, being with other Christians, are all ways of learning more about God and getting closer to Him. Sometimes, God's direction is clear to us. Sometimes, He has us wait for awhile before He shows us where to go. The important thing is that our life is to be spent getting closer to Him on a daily basis.
I spent about 20 years in one job. There were times it got so frustrating that I looked for other jobs. I was offered a few other jobs, but I just felt that it would be wrong to take them. I was offered one good job with a respected company. Everything about that job seemed good (more money, a more secure company, they would pay for more schooling, it was in a good location), BUT I just knew in my heart I was NOT supposed to take it. Finally, when it was time for me to leave the job, God made it very clear (through circumstances) that it was time to go. As it turned out, about 3 months after I left, the company unexpectedly started shutting down and I probably would have lost my job anyway. The next job I had was clearly where God wanted me to be.
There are times we are frustrated and want change. We look to any possibility. We do not have a clear sense of where God wants us to go. Then there are the times that God is clearly calling us toward something. Sometimes, we need to overcome fear of change and step out in faith. Sometimes, we need to be patient and wait. Sometimes we need to actively research our opportunities and options. Sometimes God will bring something unexpected to us.
The important thing is walking closely with God so that we get a clear sense of where He is guiding us.
