VERSES THAT ARE SOMETIMES TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT

 

Matthew 18:  18-20

 

“Verily I say unto you whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven. And whatsoever ye shall loose on earth, shall have been loosed in heaven. Again, I say unto you that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them by my Father who is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” 

 

 

That’s great authority. We’re ambassadors of heaven on earth. Just a glorious, glorious incomprehensible thought. The word agree there is worth noting, sumphoneo, from which we get the word symphony. It means to produce a sound together. When all of you who are looking into this person’s life agreed that his sin is still there or his sin is repented of, whatever it is, covering anything the Father will be agreement with you.

 

I don’t think this verse is talking about a blank check for prayer and it’s been utterly misused. Just ripped out of it’s context and these two people just have…most people think just mean any two people, and if you can just get two people to agree, God has to give you what you agreeing for.

 

I’ve heard that said so many times. That isn’t the point. The two here are the two witnesses in a case of church discipline, a sinning person, and they really want god’s will done and they really want what’s right, but if they agree over this issue and the follow the biblical pattern, they can be confident that in their seeking for God’s will they will receive it and God will do what’s right.

 

Not only does the Father in heaven act with us, but the Son on earth acts with us. This is a dual divine authority. The Son on earth acts with us, verse 20. And here’s another verse that gets terribly misapplied,

 

“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

 

 Now you’ve probably heard that in a dozen prayer meetings you’ve been at. If we can just get two or three people together God will be there. Listen, if you’ve just got one person, God’s there, right? I used to worry about that when I was a kid at Cregagh Street Gospel Hall because I heard some people preach on that sermon. “Where two or three are gathered together there am I in the midst.” And I thought well, what happens when one person prays?

 

You see that isn’t what that’s talking about. What are the two or three in this context? Two or three what? 

 

Two or three witnesses and the discipline. You see that’s why it’s so important to teach the flow of the Scripture. Two or three witnesses, when you gather in my name, what does that mean? To do my works Jesus says. What’s Your work? I’m moving among the church. And when you gather together in my name to reflect my character and my will there am I in the midst of that, be it in a house, a gospel hall, or a baptist church.

 

Isn’t that a great confidence? Not only is heaven acting…is the Father acting in heaven with us, but the Son is there on earth with us. Never are you more fulfilling the will of God and the work of the Son than when you’re acting in the purging and the purifying of His own church. We all have to be a part of that beloved, ministers of holiness