For where two or more gather in my name, there I am with them.
Like me, you’ve probably heard or shared that verse a few times (especially in the context of going to church).
It’s from Matthew 18.
Verse 20.
Good message.
Except that’s not what Jesus said.
Check multiple versions of the Bible, and you’ll see these specific words from Christ:
“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” (NIV)
“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (KJV)
“For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” (ESV)
“And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I’ll be there.”(The Message)
Jesus clearly did not say two or more.
What is the significance?
My friend and fellow brother Wendell brought this important detail to my attention the other week as we shared fellowship with brother Rob.
It was just the three of us.
And I remember the conversation.
We normally have about six men who gather together, and it always one of the best hours of my week.
I’m not making the case that a group less than 4 is necessarily better (and for fellowship purposes, I’ll take a group of 6 over a group of say 16 any day of the week).
The purpose for this blog post is simply two fold:
1. To bring this detail to your attention for your thoughts and experience.
2. To remind all seekers that you don’t need to be in the presence of 400 churchgoers on a Sunday morning to share in the body of Christ.
There’s Something Special About Three
Authors C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Charles Williams were famously connected to the literary discussion group The Inklings in Oxford, England.
When Charles Williams passed away in 1945, C.S. Lewis remarked:
“In each of my friends there is something that only some other friend can fully bring out. By myself I am not large enough to call the whole man into activity; I want other lights than my own to show all his facets. Now that Charles is dead, I shall never again see Ronald’s [Tolkien’s] reaction to a specifically Charles joke. Far from having more of Ronald, having him “to myself” now that Charles is away, I have less of Ronald.”
Stated simply, C.S. Lewis experienced less of his friend Tolkien because Williams was no longer present.
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“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:20)
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What are your thoughts on what Jesus said?
What has been your experience in fellowship with just two or three?
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“Two or more” is not the major misinterpretation of this verse, but rather “in my name” or “there am I”. When two Christians meet for a conversation, they may not be meeting “in Christ’s name.” God can be present in different groups of different sizes (i.e. a church of 400 or a 4 member prayer group) in different ways. I personally don’t believe traditional church regardless of size is a very efficient model for evangelism or discipleship. However, because God is God, you can experience him in very powerful ways even in a crowd of say 4000 gathered in his name.
Good observation. Thank you for sharing Martin. I will take your point to heart in upcoming “church” gatherings.
I always find commentary on Scripture interesting reading. It seems most Christians today are not particularly versed in the customs of the time or Christ or the ancient languages of that time. It’s true that while “two or three” is written in the text and literally translated, the finer point of the language seems to be lost on most people. The use of these numbers in sequence is a sort of verbal anagram and in that one is the number of witness and the other the number of the Trinity. Hence, the literal translation is used by most scholars for this reason but admittedly, few pastors ever teach this. However, logically, if Christ is with “two believers” who gather then it follows that He is with “more than two” believers who gather together. Thus, the concept of “two or more” is a perfectly acceptable paraphrase because it conveys the same meaning. This is a rare case in point where the English paraphrase commonly quoted by most English speakers actually captures the thought conveyed in the original Greek.
I would also suggest that the thought that we as believers in Christ convene in His name at some times and not others is a product of our modern worldview. It does not fit at all well with the context one must take in to account of the ancient Hebrew mind at the time of Christ. Modern Christians often fall prey to such false logic because you view the Scripture in our modern context and not in the context of the events portrayed by it.
Another point I forgot to mention about the phrase “two or three” is that it occurs in verse 16 previously. In this verse, the subject is “two or three witnesses.” This is curious because Hebrew law in the Old Testament specifically mentions “two witnesses” and it was implied in the context that more than two was even better- assuming their testimony agreed. It is possible that this is actually an idiom used in the time of Christ and why we don’t see this usage in other Greek sources. However, we also don’t have many of the Greek sources of the ancient world so it is truly impossible to know if this is an idiom or a Hebrewism in the common Greek of that day.
It’s a good “observation”, indeed. I do believe that the majority has taken that nugget of information quite out of it’s intended context. Just as the “church” as done covering the majority of the Bible.
I believe this was being made as the reference to prayer and the strength there is in numbers, while simultainiously stating that it’s not neccessary for a bunch of people to be a “church”, but in fact is the exact oposite. There is little instruction for what the “church” has come to be today. Mearly we’ve been instructed to gather as like minded people. To grow from one another, discuss our lives, and how to better go about serving Him. Christ was saying in this passage that even in small groups, two or three people, He’ll be there too. That it’s not required to be part of a larger body. That even gathering as instructed with as little as two or thee, He’ll still be there to help guide us, help us grow in our relationships with Him… Often times it’s MUCH easier to learn from Him and “hear” from the Holy Spirit, gleen true knowledge and widsom from Him when it’s in a small group of focused believers. This is not saying the “church” is a bad thing. Not at all.. It’s always better to have many trusted friends and advisors than just a few. “Seek the counsel of many”…. The church can provide that. After all, we ARE the friends we keep….
(excuse the spelling errors. I’ve always been pretty bad at that, and Microsoft Word hasn’t made learning to spell on my own very easy either
Thank you for the great insight. I concur there is little instruction for what the church has become today. There’s certainly a parallel with man’s other institutional operations (e.g. schools, corporations). I’ve certainly gained (and shared) so much more in small groups in His Name.
I have to strongly raise a brow to this post. My concern is yes Jesus said two or three, but rarely did you see Jesus himself, just walk with 2 other people. Jesus always was about His business, when the bible even talks about the people that Jesus took along with Him it was a total of 4 (Jesus, Peter, James and John)…. God gave to the church, the 5 Fold Ministry (Ephesians 4:11)… In the very beginning of the church which was established in the books of Acts, there were at least 120 people present and that was one of the greatest events of Gods presence appearing on earth.
I also wanted to point out the context of the passage that you are referring to above… Jesus is talking about dealing with a fellow believer that has sinned against you. You see later on in the epistles Paul talking about how to deal with a member of the church that has sinned against God and it discusses how the issue should be handled. It seems to me to refelect the model that Christ is talking about here. Two or three coming together to discuss what is going on with the “brother” to bring up his sin and help him (not condemn, that’s not our place or our job).
I don’t see a difference from 2 or 3 and 2 or more, it still means the same thing. Minimum 2 maximum unlimited. This is a good word to bring to “lone wolf Christians” who have no desire to seek fellowship. I think this verse also shows us how easy it is to access Jesus, that it does not take some ritual or killing an animal or a rock concert. It is simple 2+ and Jesus is there. How awesome is that!
Indeed! Thank you Sean for the feedback. Blessings to you.
Where was the first instance of Jesus “in the midst” of two or three after His resurrection? I just read in Luke 24:13-32 how two disciples were on their way to Emmaus when Jesus joined them.
Let’s look at the context featuring the first 20 verses here:
Matthew 18
Amplified Bible (AMP)
18 “At that time the disciples came up and asked Jesus, Who then is [really] the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
2 And He called a little child to Himself and put him in the midst of them,
3 And said, Truly I say to you, unless you repent (change, turn about) and become like little children [trusting, lowly, loving, forgiving], you can never enter the kingdom of heaven [at all].
4 Whoever will humble himself therefore and become like this little child [trusting, lowly, loving, forgiving] is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5 And whoever receives and accepts and welcomes one little child like this for My sake and in My name receives and accepts and welcomes Me.
6 But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in and [a]acknowledge and cleave to Me to stumble and sin [that is, who entices him or hinders him in right conduct or thought], it would be better ([b]more expedient and profitable or advantageous) for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be sunk in the depth of the sea.
7 Woe to the world for such temptations to sin and influences to do wrong! It is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the person on whose account or by whom the temptation comes!
8 And if your hand or your foot causes you to stumble and sin, cut it off and throw it away from you; it is better (more profitable and wholesome) for you to enter life maimed or lame than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into everlasting fire.
9 And if your eye causes you to stumble and sin, pluck it out and throw it away from you; it is better (more profitable and wholesome) for you to enter life with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the hell (Gehenna) of fire.
10 Beware that you do not despise or feel scornful toward or think little of one of these little ones, for I tell you that in heaven their angels always are in the presence of and look upon the face of My Father Who is in heaven.
11 [c]For the Son of man came to save [[d]from the penalty of eternal death] that which was lost.
12 What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray and gets lost, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountain and go in search of the one that is lost?
13 And if it should be that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not get lost.
14 Just so it is not the will of My Father Who is in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost and perish.
15 If your brother wrongs you, go and show him his fault, between you and him privately. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother.
16 But if he does not listen, take along with you one or two others, so that every word may be confirmed and upheld by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
17 If he pays no attention to them [refusing to listen and obey], tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a pagan and a tax collector.
18 Truly I tell you, whatever you forbid and declare to be improper and unlawful on earth must be [e]what is already forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit and declare proper and lawful on earth must be [f]what is already permitted in heaven.
19 Again I tell you, if two of you on earth agree (harmonize together, make a symphony together) about whatever [anything and [g]everything] they may ask, it will come to pass and be done for them by My Father in heaven.
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.”
The common denominator among them, thank God, is not a denomination or religion, but a Person. If we are gathered together, “drawn together as [His] followers…,” that’s where I want to be! Don’t you?
Christ wants unity without rank, partiality or offense. Look at Psalm 133. There’s blessing in the oneness.
In Christ’s “day” during His earthly ministry, the religion of His people was anything but “harmonious” or like a “symphony” as the Amplified Bible puts it.
God was not welcome among the proud and haughty, self-centered Pharisees and Sadducees who disagreed with each other just as modern denominations today split hairs over wine versus grape juice or immersion versus sprinkling (baptism).
If Christ is “in the midst” of only 2 or 3, I who may be alone would happily join in to benefit from the presence of our Savior. Ecclesiastes speaks of the “three-fold cord” and its strength capacity over one or two strands of cord.
Thank you, Brent, for “gathering” two or three of us in His Name with this post. May the Lord be honored in our hearts as a result!
Thank you Gilbert for the informative response. Great context. I appreciate your valuable insight.