House Church Talk - Re: Two or three gathered

[Glenn Frank]

Just as a side comment...

I would like to says something about Mathew 18:20 and how is is often used.
Often I hear this verse quoted... "For where two or three come together in
my name, there am I with them."

It seems that every time I hear this verse quoted by someone, it is being
used to try and say something almost mystical about when Christians gather
that there in that place exists some incarnation of the church and Christ
magically appears and it is like a 'church meeting'... Or something like
that. It almost seems that house church people like to use this to justify
small gatherings (which don't need justifying... Small gatherings of
Christians are totally legitimate forms of fellowship and worship). And IC
church people like to use this verse to justify that Christ is there with
them even if them to pray for something (as if a bigger more official
gathering had more power in prayer to God).

But I think both of these uses of the verse are out of context...

If one examines the context of this verse they will see is is not in the
context of a "church gathering" or even a "fellowship" of friends... nor in
some description of a 'house church' or prayer meeting of two or three.

It is mentioned at the end of a section where the context is that of
resolving sin and conflict among brothers -- how to deal with each other,
how to handle forgiveness and Christian relationships, how to handle 'church
discipline' if you will.

Verse 20 in this context is saying that when two brothers resolve
differences and agree together... THERE... God is in the midst of that!

God desires that we rightly handle our disagreements and RESOLVE them rather
than separate over them. There in he midst of two or three who have forgiven
each other and resolved conflict do we see God working.


Sorry for the rabbit trail... Or the soap box speech... But I just had to
mention that since I hear it mentioned all the time.

Glenn Frank