Matthew 18:20
Bible verses · Also called: Matt. 18:20, Where two or three are gathered, Where two or three are gathered together in my name, There am I in the midst of them
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For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
The text is the New Korean Revised Version (1998), shown under a licence from the Korean Bible Society. Wording may differ slightly from the Korean Revised Version and the Revised New Korean Standard Version. Read in the Korean Revised Version
"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" is a promise of Jesus. It is widely used to offer comfort that he is present even in small gatherings, although some interpreters note that its original context concerns the church's judgment and prayer.
Context
Immediately after the procedure for church discipline (Matthew 18:15-17), Jesus says that whatever is bound and loosed on earth shall be bound and loosed in heaven (18:18), and that if two agree on earth as touching anything they shall ask, it shall be done for them by the Father (18:19). Verse 20 gives the reason for these promises. Its number echoes the "two or three witnesses" of the preceding passage (18:16).
Interpretation
- Presence in the church's judgment: In context, the "two or three" are understood as the church's witnesses and judges dealing with the case of a brother who has sinned. On this reading, the verse promises that Christ is present with his authority in the judgments the church renders in Jesus' name.
- Presence in every gathering: This reading extends the verse, irrespective of its context, into a general promise that Christ is present in any gathering of believers assembled in Jesus' name, regardless of its size. The verse has long been used this way throughout church history.
- An extension of Immanuel: Some also see the verse as connected to the theme of God's presence with his people in Matthew 1:23 and 28:20.
Debates and Issues
The verse is frequently cited in discussions of the minimum requirements for a church. Small house churches and small groups treat it as a basis for their identity as a church, while traditions that emphasize institutional elements such as the sacraments and church offices hold that a gathering of two or three does not by itself possess everything that constitutes a church.
As online worship spread during the COVID-19 pandemic, discussion arose over whether believers could be said to be "gathered together" without being physically present in one place. Opinion was divided between those who cited the verse in support of online worship and those who held that gathering together in person is essential to worship.
In the Korean Church
The verse is often quoted as a word of comfort and encouragement in district (cell-group) worship services, small-group meetings, and sparsely attended prayer meetings.
Related Passages
- Matthew 18:18-19
- Matthew 28:20
- Acts 2:46-47
- Hebrews 10:25
See also 6
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