Casting lots: two-scene worksheet and answer key
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Original Bibleward reading resource · Jonah 1 and Acts 1 · BSB v5.9. Descriptions are paraphrases. This is a text-comparison exercise, not a random-choice tool, reconstructed ritual, or promise of divine guidance for a personal decision. Read the full scenes before answering. Work on paper and keep personal information private.
1. Completed comparison card
| Field | Jonah 1 | Acts 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Starting situation | Jonah is fleeing; a storm threatens the ship (1:1–6) | Judas’s place is being discussed in the gathered community (1:15–20) |
| Who speaks about the question? | Sailors address one another, then Jonah (1:7–8) | Peter states conditions; the group proposes two men and prays (1:21–25) |
| What is being decided? | Identification of the person responsible for the calamity in the sailors’ question (1:7) | Selection for the ministry and apostleship left by Judas (1:24–25) |
| Names and conditions | Jonah is identified by the result; no qualification list for candidates is given | Joseph called Barsabbas, also called Justus, and Matthias; accompaniment and resurrection-witness conditions (1:21–23) |
| Result narrated | Lot falls on Jonah; questions follow (1:7–10) | Lot falls to Matthias; he joins the eleven (1:26) |
| Physical details not supplied | Objects, markings, handling, and recasting rules | Objects, markings, handling, and recasting rules |
The final row is limited to these passages. It is not a claim that every ancient practice was identical or that no other historical evidence exists.
2. Worked three-layer example
Topic: selection in Acts 1.
| Layer | Completed entry | Reference or limit |
|---|---|---|
| Participant speech | The group prays for the Lord to show which of the two has been chosen | Acts 1:24–25 |
| Narrated event | Matthias receives the lot and is added to the eleven | Acts 1:26 |
| Interpretation/application | A proposal to use a similar method today would require further reasoning | No general personal-decision instructions are stated in 1:21–26 |
Correction example: replace “the verse specifies a marked-stone procedure” with “the verse names casting lots but does not identify the objects.” You may imagine an object while reading; label the image as imagination rather than evidence.
3. Six questions
Who proposes casting lots in Jonah 1:7, and what question do they ask? Answer and verse: ____________________.
What two features of a candidate’s experience does Peter require in Acts 1:21–22? Answer and verse: ____________________.
How many candidates are proposed in Acts 1:23? Which three names belong to the same candidate? Answer: ____________________.
What immediately follows the result in each account? Keep Jonah 1:8–10 separate from the later action in 1:15. Answer: ____________________.
What can you establish about the physical equipment from these passages? Name two details you cannot establish. Answer: ____________________.
Sort these into participant speech, narrated event, or unsupported generalization: the prayer asks for the chosen man; Matthias joins the eleven; this method guarantees the right answer for every decision. Answer: ____________________.
4. Answer key with reasons
The sailors propose it to discover who is responsible for the calamity (Jonah 1:7). This is their stated question, not a command addressed to the worksheet reader.
The man must have accompanied them during Jesus’ ministry from John’s baptism until Jesus was taken up, and become a witness with them to his resurrection (Acts 1:21–22). These are conditions for the role in this scene.
Two: Joseph and Matthias. Joseph is called Barsabbas and also Justus (Acts 1:23). The three names are not three additional candidates.
In Jonah, the sailors question Jonah about his identity and situation (1:8–10). In Acts, Matthias is added to the eleven (1:26). Jonah entering the sea occurs later, after further speech and an attempt to row to shore (1:11–15).
Both mention casting lots and a result. Neither specifies a material, markings, container, complete handling sequence, or rule for repeats. “Not stated here” is the supported answer.
Prayer: participant speech (Acts 1:24–25). Joining the eleven: narrated event (1:26). Universal guarantee: not established by this passage; it adds a claim beyond the reported selection.
5. Blank cards to reuse
| Card field | Your entry |
|---|---|
| Book, chapter, verse range, translation | ______________________________ |
| Situation before the practice | ______________________________ |
| Participant and their stated question | ______________________________ |
| Conditions explicitly supplied | ______________________________ |
| Action and immediate narrated result | ______________________________ |
| Physical or historical detail still unknown | ______________________________ |
| Interpretation I am considering | ______________________________ |
| Additional evidence that interpretation would need | ______________________________ |
Check a proposed conclusion against both passages. A difference between the scenes should remain visible; do not erase it to make a tidy rule.
Sources and next reading
BSB Jonah 1 · BSB Acts 1 · USCCB Jonah 1, a separate edition · Berean permissions.
Read the companion guide or choose another reading. No answer needs to be submitted. AI-assisted editorial resource; not Scripture or pastoral endorsement.