Both Christians and unbelievers are guilty of misusing Bible verses by ripping them from their original context.
This is post #4 in the Commonly Misused Bible Verses series. So far I have commented on 2 Chronicles 7:14 and Jeremiah 29:11. These two verses are often pulled out of their contexts by well-meaning Christians. Matthew 7:1 is a very popular verse for unbelievers to misuse. Click on the links for more information on any of those articles.
For today’s post, I want to take a look at another verse that is frequently misused by well-meaning Christians. Bear in mind that I am not trying to pick on anyone or attack them for misusing these verses. Most of the time they are misused because we have heard someone else misuse them and we’re used to hearing the verse in a particular (but wrong) context, so we repeat the same error. This series is designed to encourage people to take a close look at Scripture before repeating what we’ve heard.
Commonly Misused Bible Verse #4: Matthew 18:19–20
Think about how many times you have heard someone quote or summarize this passage during a prayer or immediately before praying.
“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. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:19–20, NKJV)
The idea that is commonly promoted is that if there are two or more people gathered together who agree on something, and they ask God for it in prayer, then Jesus will be present and God will answer their request.
If you’ve read any of the other posts in this series, then you know that we need to look at the context to see what is wrong with the way many people use this verse. However, before we do that, can you see some problems with the idea that God will grant the request of those who come together and are in agreement in prayer? First of all, Jesus said “where two or three are gathered” in His name, so how could this apply to settings of four or more? Also, why would it take two or three believers to be gathered together for Jesus to be in their midst? Isn’t He already present in each and every individual believer? So even if one Christian prays, isn’t Jesus already there?
So there are already a couple of problems with the common use of this passage. Now let’s take a look at the context. This section deals with a subject that most churches completely neglect: church discipline. Jesus said that if you have a brother who sins against you, then you need to go to him and try to work it out. If he refuses to acknowledge his fault, then you bring one or two more witnesses to help work things out. So including you, that would make two or three witnesses—recognize that phrase? Not only is it repeated in these verses, but it comes from the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 19:15 and more). Legal cases needed to have two or three witnesses to establish a matter.
Back to Jesus’ story. If the sinning brother did not make things right in the presence of two or three witnesses, then the case was to be brought before the church. If he refused to listen to the church’s decision, then he was to be thrown out of the congregation. I know that sounds harsh in our day because precious few churches practice discipline as Jesus instructed, but that is what we are commanded to do.
It is with this in mind that Jesus said that the Father would grant the request of two or more who gather together in Christ’s name and are in agreement. Agreement on what? On disciplining the erring brother. That’s what this passage is about and yet so many Christians use it as though Jesus promised to answer their prayers when offered in certain situations.
Before I finish this post let me stress what the Bible actually does say about prayer. The Apostle John wrote, “Now this is the confidence we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him” (1 John 5:14–15). John also wrote, “And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight” (1 John 3:22).
So we can have confidence about God answering our prayers when we are obediently following Him and praying according to His will. If you haven’t experienced answered prayer, then perhaps you aren’t living in obedience and/or praying according to His will (or maybe He did answer it and you didn’t recognize the response because He often answers in ways we don’t expect).
I really enjoyed reading this. I too have heard this used many times in my church. Actually, I was looking up this scripture, because I couldn’t remember exactly where it was in the NT, and I ran across your verse. I must say, I’m a little sad after reading it, because I was leaning on this scripture for the coming weekend. We are going to see eddie james (awesome music and youth leader) and although my husband loves the lord, I’m praying God will speak to him, and change him. I guess I can find comfort in knowing its Gods will for all to serve him. I agree with most of what you said, however I also believe that it is a living word. I have read the same scripture many times and have it mean something diferent each time. But I agree on reading the scripture in its entirityand not just picking a choosing. Thanks for this. God bless!
Jesus said that whenever 2 or 3 gather in his name, he will be with us. I have also seen this verse used in the “context” as an excuse for the Christian fellowship to remain small and insular – and without a vision to share the good news with others.
Equally true of this verse is that whenever 2 or 3 are gathered in his name, (or in anybody’s name) there will be conflict. Conflicting views have been voiced in this discussion, which is healthy and a process of discerning God’s will, forgiveness, grace and hope in the “context” in our own spiritual journeys. The key though is to always respect each other with acceptance and love.
Hi Graham,
Using this verse as an excuse to remain small would definitely be an abuse of what Jesus was saying. I also agree that there will be disagreement on certain points among believers and that we need treat one another with gentleness and respect. We’ll be together for a very long time (eternity), so we might as well learn how to love one another. Thanks!
Greetings Tim Chaffey,
I am sure you are a well-meaning Christian, but your assertion that Matthew 18:20 is misused is erroneous, as well as your assertion that Jesus is in us. The Holy Spirit Dwells in us, Please see John 14 in full context provided below.
You assertion that Matthew 18:20 is misused by Christians, requires the reader to erroneously combine two distinct thought processes into one: Discipline and Prayer. The discipline process is covered by Matthew 18:15-18. Matthew 18:19-20 REINFORCES AND EXPANDS THE SCOPE OF Matthew 18:15-18 to include the number of witnesses necessary for Jesus to be present in ALL prayer.
We must look at the scripture in its entire context; and we cannot ignore the significance of the word “ANYTHING” that is used in Matthew 18:19; but which is not used in Matthew 18:15-16. We also cannot ignore the fact that Matthew 18:19-20 begins in a new paragraph. New paragraphs, in the English language are used when you start a new topic, skip to a new time, skip to a new place, or a new person speaks. In this instance there is a scope change from a specific scenario (when a brother refuses correction ) to all scenarios (ANYTHING, that two or three witnesses ask for.) The use of the word “Anything” in Matthew 18:19 denotes an increase in scope from a specific scenario to ANY scenario.
Your logic is illogical also, because if Matthew 18:19-20 means the exact same thing as Matthew 18: 15-16 as you imply, then there would be no need for Matthew 18:19-20 to have ever been written, since according to you it simply regurgitates, and is not adding any new meaning to what was said in Matthew 18:15-16; but the word ‘ANYTHING’ is not used in Matthew 18:15-16. Let’s look at the discipline and prayer scripture in its entirety..
15 “If your brother sins[k], go and [l]show him his fault [m]in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16 But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY [n]FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as [o]a Gentile and [p]a tax collector. 18 Truly I say to you, whatever you [q]bind on earth [r]shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you [s]loose on earth [t]shall have been loosed in heaven.
19 “Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them [u]by My Father who is in heaven. 20 For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”
DO YOU KNOW SEE YOUR ERRORS. IF NOT YOUR ERRORS MAY BECOME CLEAR WHEN YOU READ MY ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS WHICH ARE IN ALL CAPS.
However, before we do that, can you see some problems with the idea that God will grant the request of those who come together and are in agreement in prayer?
NO
First of all, Jesus said “where two or three are gathered” in His name, so how could this apply to settings of four or more?
IT APPLIES THE SAME SINCE (TWO OR THREE) IS A SUBSET OF (FOUR OR MORE). See any Algebra book for rules on sets and subsets.
Also, why would it take two or three believers to be gathered together for Jesus to be in their midst? Isn’t He already present in each and every individual believer?
NO, JESUS IS NOT PRESENT IN EVERY INDIVIDUAL BELIEVER; THE HOLY SPIRIT IS PRESENT IN EVERY BELIEVER.
In John 14; Jesus says He is leaving, but not leaving us as orphans that God will send another Helper, the Holy Spirit to dwell in each individual.
John 14
New King James Version (NKJV)
The Way, the Truth, and the Life
14 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions;[a] if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.[b] 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.”
5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
The Father Revealed
7 “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.”
8 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.”
9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. 11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.
The Answered Prayer
12 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. 13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask[c] anything in My name, I will do it.
Jesus Promises Another Helper
15 “If you love Me, keep[d] My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
Indwelling of the Father and the Son
19 “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. 20 At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”
22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?”
23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.
The Gift of His Peace
25 “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 28 You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said,[e] ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I.
29 “And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me. 31 But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do. Arise, let us go from here.
So even if one Christian prays, isn’t Jesus already there?
NO SEE JOHN 14 IN FULL CONTEXT ABOVE TO UNDERSTAND YOUR ERROR.
Dee,
Thank you for taking the time to write. I believe you also have sincere intentions, although you made a lot of accusations and came across as quite smug (perhaps unintentionally). But I disagree with you on several points.
First, yes, the Holy Spirit dwells in believers. I did not deny that since the Bible is very clear on that point. We agree there. However, Galatians 2:20 states, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (emphasis added). So not only does Christ live in us, He is also the omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent God, so of course He is present when any believer prays. Remember, He also promised His disciples at the very end of Matthew that He would be with them always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20).
Second, you claim that it would be pointless for Matthew to write verse 19 and 20 if they were just repeating the same idea as the previous verses. Perhaps the next time you read through Scripture, you should pay attention to the number of times an idea is repeated multiple times. Is Galatians 1:9 pointless since it repeats the teaching of Galatians 1:8? Also, what are the first five words of Matthew 18:19? “Again, I say to you.” Again? That means He must have said it to them before—and He did, in the verses right before that.
Third, I’ve already dealt with the “anything” in a previous response so there is no need to rehash it here, only to point out the absurdity of believing that Jesus was really telling the disciples that He would given them “anything” they agreed upon. It would help readers to know that the word for “thing” in “anything” is the Greek word pragma, and it was frequently reserved for judicial matters, which perfectly fits the context of discipline.
But there’s the word “anything”. I think it might have more to do with “in My name”. Maybe in our hearts, we should want the answered prayer to glorify God, as much as help the recipient of the prayer or experience the answer ourselves. As for two or three, this would be for clearer discernment on the “anything”.
Hi Tammy,
Thanks for your thoughts on this. I would agree that the two or three idea is to help with discernment (especially since this passage has to do with discipline). But I think that is helpful in any situation. It’s a great idea to seek wise counsel from mature believers and to join in prayer with them. But “anything” here does not mean any possible thing that you might agree to pray for. It does have more to do with “in My name” which shows that one is praying in accordance to God’s will.
Even words like “anything,” “every,” or “all,” are defined by their contexts. In the next chapter during the discussion about the rich young ruler, Jesus responds to the disciples’ question about who can be saved by saying, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). This clearly does not mean that God can do anything, no matter what it is. He can do all things that are possible, but it is impossible for Him to lie (Titus 1:2), and it was impossible for Jesus to remain in the grave (Acts 2:24). In the context, Jesus was saying that men cannot save themselves through their ability to keep the law, but God is able to save anyone. So in the passage about two or three, the “anything” must still be limited by the context (probably praying “in My name” as you pointed out).
We use these words “all the time.” Actually, it isn’t “all the time” in a literal sense, otherwise we would be using nothing but those words, but in a figurative sense, meaning that we do it a lot. That’s why it is so important to understand the context of a passage. Thanks!
It is good to see someone else have this view on Matthew. I always heard only the version that somehow Christ was stronger present, and more willing to hear prayers if we were more people. MacArthur`s Study Bible was the first one to present another way of understanding this, for me. Still it took a while since no one else seems to agree on this. After reading your comment I am much more sure. My wife is not there yet, but for her it is new. Thank you so much.
If you spent as much time and effort promoting the most commonly LOOKED OVER verses of the bible as you did trying to discredit the ones you are,…then maybe you would spark some positive reaction.
excuse me. i meant OVER-LOOKED!
I’m curious e0, why would you come on here and anonymously (unless your name really is e0) make false accusations against me? I did not discredit this verse, or any of the others as you allege. If you read this post carefully, you’ll see that I am trying to direct people to understand the Bible properly rather than yanking verses out of their context to make it say what it doesn’t say. If you are doing this, then you are actually the one discrediting the Bible. You would be misusing the Scripture and implying that what it does say and how one should properly apply it are not good enough for you. My goal is not to “spark some positive reaction” but to accurately handle the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). It’s a sad testimony for the church that so many Christians would get upset about being corrected when they rip verses out of context.
If you can show me how I discredited this verse or any other, I will gladly make the corrections to this post, or pull it down and write a new one acknowledging my errors.
What about John 14:13-14 and 16:23?
Don’t they seem to promise that a believer will receive whatever he asks for in the name of Christ?
What do they mean?
Since my last post I’ve done some more research and realise that binding and loosing does not refer to excommunicating or reinstating someone in the church. I understand that it means declaring something to be lawful or unlawful, which obviously is something which God has already said is lawful or unlawful. But I cannot fathom what these 2 Christians of verse 19 are asking the Father. They already know that the unrepentant offender must be put out after 3 admonitions, so they wouldn’t be asking Father to put them out of fellowship. Father has given that responsibility to the church.
I do not understand then… and no one seems to be able to answer.. I have a dear friend that has been battling Lung and brain cancer for 2 years – people have been praying for her all over the country for her and now just got word it has spread to her bones.. Dr have left no hope.. Does God listen at all ?
Hi Denise, I’m sorry to hear about your friend. God does hear the prayers of His people, but He is not obligated to answer them the way we want Him to. There are times when He does heal miraculously, and there are times people are able to be cured through medicine, but there are other times where He chooses not to heal. We may want to know why this is the case, but God is not obligated to tell us. He’s God and we’re not. Even His faithful servant Job, who suffered terrible loss, didn’t have a right to demand an answer from God. The truth is that we are all sinful and deserve His wrath, but thankfully, He sent His Son to die in our place on the Cross. We will still face death, but believers do not need to fear it, because Christ has paid our debt, and we will immediately be ushered into God’s presence and never suffer again.
There are times when it may seem like He is far away, but James 4:8 tells us when we draw near to God He will draw near to us. As someone who has gone through a cancer battle, I can sympathize to some degree. I had a few close calls during my battle, but I was ready to go home to be with the Lord too, so I had peace. I didn’t want leukemia, and I don’t want it to come back, but I wouldn’t trade it. Even when He doesn’t choose to heal, God can give peace and comfort in the toughest of situations. Remember, He created a perfect world with no death, disease, or suffering, but it was our sin that brought all of that into this world. So when tragedy strikes, we need to remember that ultimately it is our fault and not God’s. I hope this helps. Keep praying for your friend and drawing near to God. He will always be faithful.
Hello Tim,
Hope you have time to answer my query. I agree with your conclusions about the meaning of Matthew 18:19, however, I still don’t understand why two Christians need to pray to God to ask something about this matter of church discipline when Jesus has already said that they have delegated authority from Him to excommunicate (bind) or reinstate (loose) the Christian who is living in wilful unrepenant sin. What is it that these two Christians are actually asking God? Are they asking God to discipline or forgive the offender; but wouldn’t God do that any way as part of His relationship with the offender? I’m assured that these verses are about church discipline, but I can’t fathom what it is that the two Christians are agreeing about. I understand that it is in connection with church discipline, but why are they asking God to do something when God has told the church to do it – i.e. to excommunicate or forgive and reinstate the offender. Also, if it is the church which ultimately puts the unrepentant offender out of fellowship, then why are only two Christians involved in asking God for something? Why isn’t the whole church involved? Any extra light you could shed would be much appreciated. Thank you.
Hi Marisa,
I think the prayer in this passage is that they are seeking God’s guidance in all things. Church discipline is a very difficult thing to do for several reasons. We want to forgive since God has forgiven us, and we want to be gracious, but when a brother or sister is continuing in unrepentant sin, then for the sake of the purity of the church body, discipline must be carried out. There are many things to pray about when it comes to church discipline. You want to pray for the wisdom that you are making the right decision to eject the unrepentant sinner, that the congregation will understand the reason for and necessity of the discipline, and that the sinner will repent of his mistakes and be restored to full fellowship.
As for why it is 2 or 3 instead of the whole church, it seems that issues like these are not left for some sort of majority vote since that is not the way God designed the church to function. Each congregation should have godly leaders who meet the qualifications for elders described in 1 Timothy 3. They are responsible for handling situations like these. The hope would be that the sinner would repent at the first stage (the one on one confrontation). If that doesn’t work, then hopefully they will repent when the matter is brought before 2 or 3 church leaders (at this point, there is likely not a reason to make it public for the whole church to know about–especially if the person repents). But if he/she refuses, then it is made known to the congregation.
I hope this helps.
With all do respect Tim I think what you fail to realize is that the scripture says that if 2 or 3 agree on earth as touching ANYTHING THAT THEY SHALL ASK not limited to just kicking people out of the church. If Jesus just meant 2 0r 3 gathering for one specific purpose he would have said that…but he says ANYTHING….verse 18 says WHATSOEVER YE BIND again not limited to just one specific thing….Also when verse 20 says 2 or 3 gathered in my name. He is saying i will be in the mist of THEM meaning that he will be in the MIDDLE of your Prayer and fellowship circle. Yes he is in the individual believer, but this is referring to The spiritual Bond that 2 or 3 people have when they come together and agree on something. Just like when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego came together in agreement that they would not worship the idol image…they agreed only to worship God and he showed up in the Mist of the 3 and danced in the fire with them!!!!
Jonathan,
As with any type of communication, the context is key to determining the meaning. If I said to my son right now, “You can have anything you want,” it would be important to know the context. In this particular case, he is in my study with me and I am referring to books. So he can have any of the books in here that he wants. As I explained in the post, the context clearly is dealing with properly confronting an errant brother, and Jesus uses the 2 or 3 gathered concept in the context of church discipline. To interpret it as you have, we would have to conclude that if I got my wife and daughter together, and we prayed for 10 billion dollars, then God would give it to us. Of course, that’s absurd.
I’m not saying that this can never apply in a different situation. What I am saying is that many Christians misuse this verse when they act as if it was a promise from Jesus that whenever several believers are gathered together then He will be present with them. Why do they quote this when there are more than three? And the immediate context here deals with the correction of an erring brother, so the burden of proof is on the person who wants to use it for another purpose.
Hey Johnathan, you are not alone. Tim thinks all revolves around only context of the specific story. I also believe your general perspective. Tim’s example doesn’t even make sense. It does not say that is two or more get together, God will give you what you want (like 10 billion dollars) … only that God is there in your midst. Where it says “it will be done for them” that includes “according to God’s will” – which, since ALL is according to His will, that would apply here even though it is implied and not spelled out … how about this example … if i say to my son to always make sure that his change is correct while we are at Wendys – he can apply that advice elsewhere – as “always” (like this reading) implies elsewhere, even if not at a restaurant.
Hi Arthur,
Thank you for proving my point about the context. If you would have been careful to read the context, then you would realize that it does indeed say that God will give them what they ask. Verses 19–20 state, “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. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (NKJV). So my analogy is accurate after all.
Also, you misrepresent my position. I do not think that “all revolves around only the context of the specific story.” I do believe that the immediate context carries more weight than the broader context.
Finally, I believe you are conflating or confusing interpretation with application. My article is about the proper interpretation of the passage, and not necessarily how people apply it (except when they are doing it wrongly). When it comes to hermeneutics, the goal is to find the one right interpretation, and that’s when it moves on to application.
Thank you so much for providing a thorough understanding of what Matt. 18:19-20 really means. In reading the first part of your article, I immediately remembered many in my church always alluding to this verse that whenever two or more are gathered together there Christ will be. I kept asking myself the question; isn’t He there even if one is in prayer? But you cleared it up for me and I will be able to gently share with my brothers and sisters what that passage really means. I know it will be an eye-opener to those who have always thought incorrectly.
I like all your comments and agree that the context of the verse is not used correctly. And that both of you are correct because the law of the prophets was summed up into love one another. The greatest of these is love, put on love. Seems like you guys are full of knowledge thats awesome to have bible believing brothers and sisters. Love you guys keep fighting the good fight and being good soldiers in christ, and enjoy jesus.
In the 1John3:22 passage (correct me if I’m wrong) you make it seem as if God rewards our good behaviour but if we read further on we realise that this is not what that commandment is referring to but this: ’1Jn. 3:23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son,
Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.’
Thanks for your thoughts on this. I think you are probably reading more into my comments than what was intended. I wasn’t trying to thoroughly explain 1 John 3:22. My point in bringing it up is to show that one doesn’t need to have 2 or 3 believers gathered together to have God answer prayer. So I was simply using this verse to show why the popular claim about Matthew 18:19–20.
Regarding 1 John 3;22, I agree with you that v. 23 tells us that His commandment is to “believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ.” However, v. 22 mentions keeping His “commandments” (plural) and doing the “things” (plural) that are pleasing in His sight. So this would refer to more than just obeying the one commandment in v. 22. Thanks again for your thoughts!
I think Jesus doesn’t specify two or three gathered together as only in this instance, He says “whenever”. So, I believe it is fair to conclude that this includes prayer. And, while He also speaks in other areas of individual prayer, I believe that even in individual prayer, we do not pray alone. For example, just as Jesus converses with Moses and Elijah in Luke 12:26, I can also converse with Mary, and when mixed with the Lord’s prayer – during a rosary for example – there He is, in our midst.
Why with Mary you may ask? Well, she does have influence with Jesus as His mother. And while we must ask for what in within God’s will and God’s plan for us, for it to be granted, Jesus has been swayed (see John 2: 3-11) so long as it is within that will and that plan.
And finally, I recognize that all prayers are answered, even if it is with “no” or “not now.”
Art,
The context determines what this is about. I am not saying that Christ isn’t present when 2 or 3 believers gather together—He certainly is, since He’s present within each believer. But that’s exactly the point. Two or three are not needed for Him to hear and answer our prayers. The two or three people have to do with correcting a fellow believer. That is the context of this passage.
Mary does not have any part to play in our prayers. She was undoubtedly a godly woman, but she admitted that she needed a Savior (Luke 1:47), so she was not sinless. Also, there is only one Mediator between God and man, and that is Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2:5). To think that one can go through Mary to influence Jesus is to deny His role as Mediator. There is absolutely no need to try to go through someone else. I think it would be rather insulting to Jesus to act as if He needs to be swayed by Mary, as if He isn’t loving enough, or gentle enough, etc. He was tempted in all points as we are, but He did not sin. He knows exactly what it is like to be human, and He is also the omniscient, omnipotent Creator.
The Bible never instructs any believer to pray to anyone other than God. While we often seek to have others pray with and/or for us, there is never an instance in Scripture where believers call upon deceased believers to pray for them. To read that idea into John 2 is a huge stretch (and contradicts clear teachings in Scripture).
I would say that all prayers to God are answered, even if it is with a “no” or “not now.”
This is one of (many) the most misused bible verse in scripture. It drives me up a wall when people site that verse in prayer to mean two or more people have the power to provoke God. First of all, that interpretation makes no sense in the context of all the scripture that claim Christ resides in all believers. I hear this from pastors I greatly respect. Thank you for your clear and concise interpretation. CONTEXT, CONTEXT, CONTEXT!
Reading your answer to the use of Matthew 18:19-20 I have heard them used anoher way too, reguarding God being present for people to have Church services. I heard that used all my life.