Where two or three are gathered in my name
Notes
Transcript
“Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
We hear this verse used all the time in regards to small meetings of God’s people. We can still have church with just a handful. This is true, but it is not the exact meaning of this verse when we look at the verses that come before it.
First, we need to understand that this is specifically in the context of when a fellow disciple of Christ sins against you. This is the handbook for how to handle conflict amongst believers. You don’t take to social media. You don’t call all your friends and say, “you’ll never guess what such and such did.” You go to that person.
We should keep in mind that this is not just a personal offense as it is sin that is being described and therefore a violation of God’s law as well. This is why it is necessary for it to be handled amongst the covenant community of the church.
Now, Jesus does not specify how soon this should take place but Ephesians 4:26-27 says:
Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.
In other words, it ought to be taken care of as soon as possible.
If the individual does not respond in a positive way, then other believers are to be brought in hopes that the offender will repent and reconcile. Why is it that a group is brought in if the first rebuke is unsuccessful?
It is only then that the one who has sinned is to be put away by the congregation. The church is the one who has the final authority here.
The ultimate goal in this situation is not to put away the one who has sinned but instead to see them reconciled to this brother.
So, while this is not specifically about the worship gathering and the ability of God to work even amongst a small group of people, it is regarding the Bride of Christ. The Lord knew that there will inevitably be disagreements and sin between believers and set out a plan for how to handle these situations in a right way.
