Weekly Thoughts
2-3 Gathered = Church? 11/21/08
Hi all,
We understand that where 2 or 3 believers are gathered Jesus is in the midst - that's what he said, didn't he? Could the context actually be deeper than today's common usage of Matthew 18: 20?
From one end of the pendulum to the other
On one end people use this verse as a "we are agreeing together and Jesus is here so it must come to pass!" prayer. On the other end are those who emphasize where 2 or 3 are gathered it's church because Jesus is in our midst - for instance meeting with a friend for dinner is "2 or 3" so they just had church - right?!
True story: I was teaching a class at the World Prayer Center in Colorado Springs several years ago and was asked at a break to join some students in prayer to agree about another student's situation. The lady leading the prayer invoked Matthew 18:20, that we were in agreement and Jesus was in our midst, then proceeded to command the devil and/or the demon's allegedly causing the problem to go to outer space.
Later this lady and her friend asked me if they should have named a planet to cast the devil to. They had friends who had commanded the devil to go to the bottom of the ocean, one to the bottom of the Grand Canyon because it's a dry place, and another to the lake of fire, but wondered if Mars was a better choice?
They believed that since Jesus was in their midst he would do what they said because he said anything on which you agree will be done - when I explained that the devil is on the earth, cast down here by God, and it's too early for the lake of fire, and they had no authority to tell the devil where to go other than out, they replied; "But ______ taught a class right here and said we can tell the devil to go various places..."
I was struck that they so easily exalted a teacher's instructions above Jesus' own words. Did they really think Jesus was in their midst to do their bidding in matters such as these?
Some who have dropped out of church and consider meeting with a friend to be 'church'. Some even in house church circles use this scripture as justification for not being too close with other believers, just a sort of unorganized do-as-you-please existence trying to "be the church".
The truth is in between
Certainly we can say in a sweeping generalization that because Christ lives in me and Christ lives in you, when we get together that is the church meeting together. But is that what Jesus was talking about?
The context of Matthew 18:20, where Jesus said "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them" is much larger than just 2 or 3 believers getting together informally. At some meetings, like casting Satan to space, Jesus is not in the midst at all for he doesn't endorse stupidity.
The context of Matthew 18:20 begins back in verses 11-14, and the topic is the lost sheep. He asks if a man loses 1 sheep out of 100, wouldn't he go to the wilderness to find it and bring it back to the flock? And then he says in verse 14; "Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish."
He continues in verse 15 saying "Moreover, if your brother sins (against you), go and tell him his fault just between you and he alone."
Ever larger circles
He says in verse 16 that if the brother won't listen to the 1, he is to take 1 or 2 more privy to the sin to try to reconcile with the man, for a total of 2 or 3 trying to bring this brother back into fellowship - the flock.
Jesus says if he won't hear the 1, and he won't hear the 2 or 3, tell the matter to the church. Now a word of context here. Remember that church in those days was home based church. He wasn't telling a pastor to share openly about someone's sin with a congregation sitting in an auditorium.
The context is a sheep has become lost, so 1 brother goes after him, but the man (sheep) refuses to reconcile. So he takes 1 or 2 others, for a total of 2-3 to try to reconcile with him, but he refuses still. Then they enlarge the circle again to more friends, the ones meeting each week in their living room for church, and THEY try to bring him back, but he refuses yet again.
At that, Jesus says to treat him like a heathen and publican. At this point most people have been trained to think Jesus is telling them to shun the man, to stop fellowshipping with him. But the Word interprets the Word, and so we look for other things Jesus said as a means to understand what he is saying.
In Matthew 5: 38-48, which would have been read and understood by Matthew's readers before they got to chapter 18, Jesus said: "You have heard it said love your neighbor but hate your enemy. But I say to love your enemies, bless those that curse you, do good to those that hate you, and pray for those who use you. This is so you may be like your Father who causes the sun to shine on the just and unjust, and the rain to fall on the just and unjust. If you love those who love you, what reward is that? Don't even the publicans do the same? And if you greet only your brothers in the Lord, what are you doing any different than others? Don't even publicans do the same? Be therefore mature (in love) as your Father in heaven is mature (perfected) in love."
Back now to Matthew 18. The subject is going after the lost sheep - first 1 man tried, then 1 or 2 others, then a living room full of friends...and now they must love him like he doesn't even know the Lord - like he's a publican or sinner!
Call in the Great Shepherd
At this point the man is beyond human reach. All they can do, those who were formerly in relationship with him, is to love him and ask the Great Shepherd to go after His wayward sheep.
That is what verses 18-20 are all about. The people who care most for this man, the original 2-3, are meeting in prayer for their brother. Their efforts have been refused, but they can pray for him. Jesus said this of them:
"Truly, I tell you, whatever you forbid and declare to be improper and unlawful on earth must be what is already forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit and declare proper and lawful on earth must be already permitted in heaven." (Amplified Version here and following verses)
This is not "binding the devil", rather a legal term clearly stated to be in teamwork with heaven - "must be already forbidden in heaven" or "already permitted in heaven". This is a team being led from heaven in prayer for their brother. It's intercessory prayer looking out for this wandering sheep - being a guard for him!
Next Jesus says: "Again I say to you, if two of you on earth agree (harmonize together, together make a symphony) about - anything and everything - whatever they shall ask, it will come to pass and be done for them by My Father in heaven."
Who are the 2-3 and what is the "anything"? The original 2-3 that went to the brother personally in verses 15-16. What is the "anything" they agreeing about? The reconciliation of their brother! Anything within that context the Great Shepherd will do, because he is more concerned for that brother than his 2-3 friends!
And finally the reason for verses 18-20: "For wherever two or three are gathered (drawn together as My followers) in (into) My name, there I AM in the midst of them."
To show you that this really is all about the 1 sheep that goes astray and efforts to bring him back, look at the very next verses: "Then Peter came to Him and said, Lord, how many times may my brother sin against me, and I forgiven him and let it go? As many as 7 times? Jesus answered him, I tell you, not up to seven times, but seventy times seven!"
Purpose and commitment
The two elements these men held in their hearts for their dear brother was purpose and commitment. When they met together it was for a purpose - not to have coffee, not to bad mouth other believers, not to share what is happening this week in their lives and saying they had "church" - it was for the purpose of bringing reconciliation to this brother.
They were committed to him - and as they met and prayed the Great Shepherd was in their midst to carry on the search for the brother. Only the Great Shepherd could go into this man's wilderness experience and find him and one day bring him back. It was beyond man's control other than prayer, and Jesus is in the midst of that kind of meeting with purpose and commitment - love - to seek out their brother.
Sloppy doctrine
That is why Jesus is not in the midst of someone trying to cast the devil to a far flung planet. That is why 2 believers merely getting together for coffee is not "church".
As people go from being involved in the traditional church to backing away from the same, the temptation is just to drop out of everything. Sometimes it's because of hurt, sometimes because they want more of God but are not sure where to look, but it is error to get into the thinking that just meeting with a friend is what Jesus was talking about in Matthew 18:20.
But when we see the context of these verses in Matthew 18, and combine them with the rest of the New Testament where we see believers gathered in homes throughout the Roman Empire, we can see that Jesus did not mean, nor did the apostles take his words to mean, that just 2-3 people gathering together for any old reason means that is 'church'.
From Lydia's house in Phillipi, Jason in Thessalonica, Justus' house in Corinth, Aquila and Priscilla's house in Ephesus and later Rome, to the lady named Nymphas and the man Philemon in Colossae, our New Testament letters were sent to these people who hosted church in their homes. (Acts 16:15, 40; 17:5; 18:7; Rom 16:3-5; I Cor 16:19; Col 4:15; Ph 2)
No where did they believe that just 2-3 people gathered together was 'church' - they were all part of a larger community of people meeting weekly in homes (I Cor 16:1) with friends, relatives, and/or business associates, with purpose and commitment to one another.
Some thoughts this day,
Blessings,
John Fenn
skype; jfenntulsa
