I am there

One verse that is close to my heart, and to many of my family and friends as well, is Matthew 18:20, where Jesus states, “For where two or three have gathered in my name, I am there among them.” This verse has been a comforting reminder throughout my life that Jesus is with us in a special way wherever we gather in his name.

However, recently I encountered an argument that since the preceding verses in this passage (vv. 15-19) are about church discipline, taking v. 20 as a general statement about the gathering of believers is taking it out of context. In this post, I would like to respond to this argument.

There are, in fact, several reasons why Jesus’ statement is not restricted to the context of church discipline. On the contrary: this is a general statement, and thus it should continue to comfort and encourage us wherever we gather in his name.

Looking at the context

First, let’s look at the preceding context of v. 20.

In Matthew 18:15-17, Jesus discusses what to do when a fellow believer sins. He says that first, you should point out their fault just between the two of you. However, if they don’t listen, you should then take one or two others along. Then, if this does not work, you should treat them like you would a pagan or tax collector.

Then, in v. 18 Jesus encourages his disciples by stating that the verdict we come to about this matter on earth will have already been decided in heaven.¹ In other words, Christians who carefully follow the procedures in vv. 15-17 can be confident that they are acting in alignment with the prior decision of God’s heavenly court; they will be acting justly and with proper authority.

Finally, in vv. 19-20, Jesus makes some further related statements: that the Father will similarly answer prayer when two people ask (v. 19), and that Jesus himself will be among his people where they gather in his name (v. 20).

Looking at the logic

So, that is the context. In the preceding verses, Jesus is indeed discussing church discipline. However, does that mean his statements in vv. 19-20 only apply when we are confronting someone about sin?

Several features of the text convince me that these are in fact more general statements.

For one thing, v. 19 clearly marks a transition from Jesus’ discourse in the preceding verses. The use of the adverb πάλιν (palin) “also, again, furthermore, thereupon” at the start of this verse is a “marker of a discourse item added to items of a related nature” and “a favorite expression when a speaker takes up a formula previously used and continues” (BDAG, s.v., “πάλιν” 3). In other words, it signifies that Jesus is moving on from what he said in the previous verses. This transition is evident from the fact that in the NA28 critical edition of the Greek New Testament, for example, vv. 19-20 constitute a new, separate paragraph in the text.

Secondly, and more importantly, is Jesus’ use at the beginning of v. 20 of the explanatory coordinating conjunction γάρ (gar) “for, since, then, indeed.” This word signifies that what Jesus is about to say, namely, that he is present where believers gather in his name, is a general statement that is being used to explain the particular case of church discipline in vv. 15-19.

For this reason, it is actually backwards to restrict the statement in v. 20 to the context of church discipline. As the theologian Wayne Grudem concisely notes, for example, in his recent Systematic Theology:

It is true that this sentence is spoken in a context that applies specifically to church discipline (vv. 15-19), but it is a statement of a general truth used here to support a specific application, and there is no good reason to restrict its application to occasions of church discipline. It tells us that Jesus is always present when believers gather in his name.²

In short, Jesus’ statement in v. 20 is an example of an argument from the general to the specific. Jesus is saying that since he is always present whenever two or three gather in his name, therefore he is also present when two or three gather in his name for the purpose of church discipline. So, rather than the context of church discipline restricting the meaning of Jesus’ statement, the logic of his discourse actually shows precisely the opposite: the general statement in v. 20 is the grounds for, and the explanation of, his specific statements about church discipline in vv. 15-19.

Looking at the lesson

It is always good to consider the context of a verse. However, merely stating the context of a verse is not enough to restrict its meaning. Especially when looking at a piece of discourse, we do well to also pay attention to the logic of the passage in front of us.

I don’t know about you, but having a more solid understanding of Jesus’ promise to be with us where we gather only deepens the encouragement I find from this verse. While we know from other verses Jesus is always with us (Matt 28:20), this verse is just another reason for taking comfort in the fact that he is with us in a special way when we gather in his name.

As you reflect on this verse, may Jesus indeed be with you in a special way. And may God richly bless you wherever you find yourself on the Christian pilgrimage today!

Notes

[1] The binding and loosing—legal terms—are future perfect passives in the Greek of Matt 18:18. So, this verse doesn’t mean that we have the power to bind and loose, and that God must comply with our decrees. See William D. Mounce, Basics of Biblical Greek Grammar (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2019), 149.

[2] Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2020), 1228n21.