Matthew 18:19 and 20 are oft-quoted verses that most of us know by heart. Verse nineteen is the favorite of the Word of Faith so-called Christians. It reads “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.” Just about anytime you choose you can turn on your television and find people abusing this verse, offering to “join their faith with yours” or “agree with you in faith” so that you can have the selfish desires of your heart. They believe this verse gives Christians license to demand anything from God and that He is beholden to provide us what we want when two Christians believe in faith for the same thing.
The following verse is quoted just as often. “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” This verse is often used to indicate to Christians that where two or more believers get together, Jesus is somehow more present in that situation than He is when a Christian is alone.
Students of the Bible know that when it comes to Bible study, context is king. I believe both these passages have far different meanings than we may think when they are examined in context.
To find the true context, we need only look a few verses above them. There we see Jesus discussing the method of properly dealing with a believer (or a supposed believer) who is sinning. He tells us first to address that person on our own. If he does not turn from his wicked ways we are to take two or three witnesses and try again. If he still does not listen we are to take it before the church and if he will not heed the warnings of the church he is to be cast out of the church and considered as an unbeliever.
Verse eighteen then says “Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Clearly God gives the church extraordinary power here. When the church decides that someone is living a sinful lifestyle and excommunicates that person on Biblical grounds, that excommunication is binding in God’s eyes. God has given the “keys of the kingdom” to the church. You can read Matthew 16:19 for more information about this.
Verse nineteen follows this instruction saying that where two or three agree on earth concerning a matter of church discipline, God will do it for them. So why is it that many Christians choose to tear this verse from its logical context? Clearly it is a further application of verse eighteen. God is affirming that where the church makes a decision based on Biblical precepts, God will agree with it.
Verse twenty follows logically as an extension of verse nineteen. Where two or three are gathered in His name, He is there. What this means is that Jesus is present spiritually to validate the decision that has just been made. Jesus will help guide the church officials and give them peace that the decision they were forced to make was the right one. I see no reason to expand this verse to mean that whenever two Christians are in the same geographic location, Jesus is somehow more present there than when they are apart.
Now the improper interpretation of verse twenty is not dangerous and in a sense is not even unscriptural, for God is present where people are gathered in His name. However, I do not think that is the meaning of the verse in question. Evidently an improper interpretation of verse nineteen can lead to many false teachings.
I would be interested in hearing some further opinions on my interpretation of these verses.
Comments (6) »
1. Paul Bonnici
March 5, 2006
7:19 AM
Hello Tim,
I came across your blog while searching for “Where two or more are gathered” because I have been hearing this phrase misquoted quite a lot lately. I belonged to an intercessory prayer group until recently, And we spent quite a lot of time discussing Mathew. :)
I agree with your analysis as to the meaning of the verses you quote, and also very much agree that context is very important. I also believe that when true believers are gathered and the Holy Spirit is present, heartfelt prayer can be answered.
We were a small group that varied from 2 to 6 usually, and we had a lot of answered prayer, and we received some of the gifts that the Father promised. I know that I still have much to learn. :)
I wanted to say thank you for helping to clarifying this part for me.
Peace and love, Paul.
2. Steve Butler
March 9, 2006
11:20 AM
Deuteronomy 19:15ff is the passage that I believe that He is talking about. There are “two or three witnesses” (v 15 (Mat 18:16)) and it is “in the
presence of the Lord” (v 17).
Whenever we see “two or three” it is for judgment (Deu 17:6 2Co 13:1 1Ti 5:19 Heb 10:28) … even in the passage in Matthew, the context is about
someone who doesn’t listen.
Since, I want to learn more, is there something I am missing?
Also, if I am alone, is He not with me (Mat 28:20) … plus if four or more are gathered, is He not there?
3. Mike G.
April 21, 2006
8:02 PM
In Matt. 18:20 Jesus is placing another piece in the New Testament puzzle concerning His body, the church. We are not the Body alone, as individuals. We are the church only when we are together. This accents beautifully the washing of the disciples’ feet and His telling us to do the same to eachother, as well as the teaching that He is present in the least of our brothers. He is telling us to be Christ to eachother, and treat eachother as we would treat Him. It all adds up to the physical presence of Christ himself being found in the work and unity of Christians. When Christians love in this way, the transformation we all crave will take place and the world will notice. We won’t have to sell Jesus to anyone. It will be obvious.
4. Stephen Zinn
June 10, 2006
11:35 PM
I was doing a search for these verses in Matthew, when I came across this blog. I have not ever participated before, but I felt I had something to say on the subject.
Although I attended church ‘religiously’ from my earliest recollection of life, and consider myself a Christian since accepting Jesus as my savior in 1961, at the age of 13, I ceased attending church in 1982. The reason: My wife of 13 years had extramarital affairs with 2 different men, from 2 different states. One was in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and the other in St. Louis Missouri, the place we moved to get away from the memories of Wisconsin. Also, both of these men were my best friends, and BOTH were also associate pastors of the churches we attended. After the second affair, I stepped back and took a hard look at my personal beliefs, and the fact that these ‘Ministers of the Gospel’ willingly gave up everything they had worked towards for their personal desires. Because of the fact that both my wife, and her ‘lovers’ were both very involved in church functions (My wife and I both sang in the choir, and taught Sunday School, and I was the Senior Commander of Royal Rangers) the residual impact on the church members, as well as the children in Sunday School, can only be imagined. My ex-wife ended up getting married to the second friend, and I still see them both occasionally because of my 13 grandchildren. By the way, their answer to their actions was ”All we have to do is ask for God’s forgiveness, and all will be well”.
This is the kind of thinking that has kept me in a mental quandary with God and the Bible for many years, and has kept me out of church for the past 24 years as a result. It is also something that, at the height of the affair that his associate pastor was having with my wife, the senior pastor of the church said to me ‘I’m not so sure that scripture is true anymore’. After all, the two of US agreed, and everything still fell apart.
I am sure somebody out there will have a good answer, but my take on it was this: No matter WHAT two of US agree on, if the mind set of the person(s) we are agreeing FOR is not right, then it will NOT happen.
5. D.E. Olson
June 29, 2006
1:07 AM
Mr. Zinn, I, too, don’t participate in blogs. However, I felt compelled after reading your message and praying for you.
My first reaction is that it is very dangerous to hang your faith and spiriual growth onto actions by sinful humans. Remember, we are all sinners, and only through the grace of God and accpetance of Christ are we freed of that bondage. Even then, we have to work daily to avoid sin. I am truly sorry for the wrongdoings against you, and I commend you for giving your ex-wife a second chance. I urge you to again put Christ at the center of your life. He loves you more than your ex-wife or anybody ever could; only He can lift you up.
Here is a Bible verse and comentary that I hope helps. I found it on Bible.com.
Philippians 3:13-14:
13 “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
“Grief that is not released to God has a deadly hold on many people. They carry this heavy burden that is aching for release. They may find temporary release when someone sympathizes with them or when they cry some tears, but soon this feeling turns into an overwhelming pain of loneliness that is almost unbearable. Grief and sorrow come to hurt us, not help us. We must resist them in the name of Jesus. Jesus does not want us to bear this grief. He bore it on the cross for us. Gladness and joy are our portion, not sorrow and sadness.”
Please let me know how you are doing.
6. K. D. Yorke
October 8, 2008
9:00 AM
Hi Tim,
Although I have never responded to a blog before this, I can’t help but respond to your writing. Oftentimes scripture is taken out of context. I was recently married after decades of being single. Having read scripture which spoke of “where two or more are gathered in His name”, I was always acutely aware of my singleness and fearful that God did not hear my prayers. I often felt discouraged, especially during those times when I felt God wasn’t answering my prayers and attributed my discouragement to not having a husband to pray with. The book of Matthew directs us to pray in secrecy: Matthew 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. In secret, I believe to mean alone with God, no mention of a witness or of another being taken into your closet with you to validate your prayer and/or petitions. And did not Jesus Himself, go up to the mountain to pray alone? Even though I am married now, I have found that one of the most enjoyable aspects of my married life are those times early in the morning after my husband has left for work, cuddled up in my blanket and alone in my home, praying and enjoying my private time with my Lord and Savior. Thank you for allowing me to respond…