layhoma Posted September 29, 2012 Group: Members Followers: 0 Topic Count: 19 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 36 Content Per Day: 0.01 Reputation: 5 Days Won: 0 Joined: 05/21/2012 Status: Offline Share Posted September 29, 2012 Matthew 18:20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” I know when I pray God listens. I have the Holy Spirit. This verse is more than face value and I'm sure it is considered somewhat a parable with deeper meanings. Can someone explain why the Lord express a gathering of more than two ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 Matthew 18:20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” I know when I pray God listens. I have the Holy Spirit. This verse is more than face value and I'm sure it is considered somewhat a parable with deeper meanings. Can someone explain why the Lord express a gathering of more than two ? In Judgement I Believe It Could Be Of Church Leaders Especially The Leaders Or Perhaps, Only The Church Leaders Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Matthew 18:15-20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joi Posted September 29, 2012 Group: Royal Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 506 Topics Per Day: 0.11 Content Count: 1,922 Content Per Day: 0.41 Reputation: 173 Days Won: 4 Joined: 06/12/2011 Status: Offline Share Posted September 29, 2012 layhoma, I am also aware of God's Holy Spirit being with me when I pray. I do not think there is any intent in this verse that would deny this fact. Many times I have prayed with others and they with me, especially when I am in a group of people and a prayer is being asked for a specific need. Perhaps when we pray together we somehow keep one another accountable for putting a request before God in the fullness of truth, as we understand it. Only God has all the details, in most cases when we go before Him in prayer. Jesus also stands between us and our Father as our intercessor. Could it be that this is considered two or more? I don't know. . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gdemoss Posted September 30, 2012 Group: Royal Member Followers: 8 Topic Count: 59 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 4,402 Content Per Day: 0.98 Reputation: 2,154 Days Won: 28 Joined: 02/10/2012 Status: Offline Birthday: 04/26/1971 Share Posted September 30, 2012 It is about judgment, remembering that where 2 or 3 gather together in his name, that he is present in the midst of them preforming the judgment. When the Corinthian believers turned over the fornicator unto Satan for the punishment of the flesh that his soul 'might' be saved in the day of judgment, it was God himself preforming the task 'through' his servants. This applies to any and all and not just church leaders as sometimes it might be expedient to turn the church leadership over to Satan for the punishment of his flesh. Our work is serious business as we come in the name of the king and are sometimes called to execute judgment within the family of Christ. Always remembering that judgment is a last resort as God desires mercy rather than sacrifice but as is with all things sometimes sacrifice is necessary for the greater good of the whole (think Ananias and Saphira). In Jesus Name, Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seriousseeker Posted October 7, 2012 Group: Junior Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 9 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 70 Content Per Day: 0.01 Reputation: 6 Days Won: 0 Joined: 12/06/2010 Status: Offline Share Posted October 7, 2012 Matthew 18:15-20 is teaching about Church Truth and conduct, though the Church had not yet been established (note Matt.16:18). The ref. in verse 20 is about the place and order of a faithful gathering. God says: "where" (the place of God's appointment, not wherever --note KJV); and "two or three" (the smallest number of collective testimony); "are gathered" (by the Holy Spirit, not choosing to gather); "together" (speaking of "unity of the faith", as God also enjoins the saints); "in My Name" (for no other religious name will suffice); "there am I in the midst of them" (the place where the Lord by the Spirit will present Himself, even as Israel found in the Tabernacle ---not wherever people might design a place). This fundamental begins with the Lord among His people, as He impressed upon the Disciples, and as He also shows us in Acts 2 and the Epistles for His testimony in the world. Men, of course, have had other designs for God's testimony down through the years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmgal Posted October 7, 2012 Group: Junior Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 0 Topics Per Day: 0 Content Count: 55 Content Per Day: 0.01 Reputation: 5 Days Won: 0 Joined: 09/30/2012 Status: Offline Share Posted October 7, 2012 I believe it to go much deeper than 2 or 3 gathered in the sense of a prayer session. God has called us into community with one another, He said He would dwell in US and walk among US, meaning that when we are in deep fellowship, community and a sharing of our lives together, there He is. If anyone else has experienced this same sort of commitment, then you will know the power that is released when 2 or 3 or more are gathered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldenEagle Posted October 7, 2012 Group: Royal Member Followers: 4 Topic Count: 764 Topics Per Day: 0.18 Content Count: 7,626 Content Per Day: 1.80 Reputation: 1,559 Days Won: 44 Joined: 10/03/2012 Status: Offline Share Posted October 7, 2012 Matthew 18:20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” I know when I pray God listens. I have the Holy Spirit. This verse is more than face value and I'm sure it is considered somewhat a parable with deeper meanings. Can someone explain why the Lord express a gathering of more than two ? This passage in context is meant as instruction on dealing with a sinning brother and church discipline. Matthew 18:15-20 15 “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. 18 “Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19 “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. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” Each individual Christian is responsible to God and has the Holy Spirit living inside him or her. We as Christians are all priests to God (1 Pet. 2:4-9) and Jesus Christ is our High Priest (Hebrews 3:1, 4:14). We do not need a pope, bishop, priest, pastor, deacon, or parent to mediate between us and God. Jesus Christ is our mediator. (1 Tim. 2:5, Heb. 12:24) We are His children and can approach God directly because of the atoning price paid by Jesus Christ at the cross for our sins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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