Michael Demory
I’m sure most of us have heard Matthew 18:20 used to justify most anything brethren and others desire; that as long as two or three are gathered together Jesus can be found in the midst of them, no matter what they may be doing. But is that the gist of what Jesus is saying there? Brethren have been using this one verse to justify forsaking the assembly, by staying home because relatives dropped in suddenly, or because they hadn’t prepared from the Lord’s Day and decide they can sleep in, or going on a camping or some other type of trip, thinking all they need do is read some scripture, sing a few verses of a hymn and end with a prayer and it is believed that Jesus presence had just been in the midst of them—Really? Does that fit the context of Matthew 18:20? Not hardly!
In that chapter, Jesus had been teaching His disciples humility, avoiding offenses, dealing with brethren and forgiveness. But verses 15-20 finds our Lord teaching how to deal with a brother who has trespassed against us. Really, it is an extension of the parable of the lost sheep and coin (Luke 15:1-9). These passages in Matthew 18 are also misused by brethren in error to show we have no authority to say anything about an erring brother until we first go and speak to them about said perceived error. That of course is absurd, because the context does not fit.
Jesus was trying to teach His apostles about forgiveness, humility and love for their brethren. It was not so much about the trespass committed against us, as it was about the harm it brought upon a fellow brother who sinned against God. Here we definitely find a lesson about being our brother’s keeper (Eph. 4:25; Heb. 3:13; et al). Many times, we tend to ignore the sins of our brethren, thinking it is none of our business, or that he/she is responsible for it themselves. But that attitude is not of the brother’s keeper type, as it expects us to sincerely care about the souls of others, as well as their eternal destiny.
In the text before us, Jesus is teaching the apostles and us today, when sin rears its ugly head, “take the initiative!” Go! Tell him his fault! We are all to be peace making disciples (Matt. 5:9). By taking immediate action, we may recover a soul from the snare of the devil (2 Tim. 2:25-26). Jesus didn’t say anything about how bad or trivial we think the trespass is, it’s a trespass, period, end of subject—it must be dealt with immediately. Showing him his fault means we are demanding an explanation for their actions by proving satisfactorily he has truly committed that which he is accused of. This is to be accomplished between you and him alone, in love and tenderness, with a readiness to forgive. If he hears you and repents, you have gained a brother, but if not, then you are to take one or more witnesses a second time, praying for a positive result. Here I will insert a note on repentance, as most hold a false view of it. That repentance simply means to apologize for the transgression. But Biblical repentance is an action word, that requires not only reforming our lives, but repairing whatever damage was committed in the process of the sin. Repentance requires restitution.
Notice verse 16 of Matthew 18, “…that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.” And tie that in with verse 20, “for where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.” Verse 20 is the completion of the attempt to save a soul who is opposing himself by refusing to repent of his trespass. Two or three gathered in Jesus’ name, by His authority, for the united purpose of gaining a brother, the Holy Spirit says, Jesus is there, He is interested in such a gathering to reestablish fellowship. Not to approve of forsaking the assembling of ourselves’ together in worship, but in dealing with an erring brother.
The kingdom is made up of accountable men and women who have committed themselves to making Jesus their Lord and Master. Attitude, Motive and Emphasis mean everything with God, in our attempts at being perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48). This writer is not saying it is wrong to “get away from it all” from time to time, but as Christians, we must remind ourselves that we are still children of God and must put God first (Matthew 6:33). It amazes me the number of brethren who take weekend trips, or one and two week vacations, never thinking about the place they are going. The first thing on the check list should always be “Is there a faithful congregation to attend, and where and when do they meet.” That must always be checked out before what sites the family desires to visit. However, far too many abuse Matthew 18:20, thinking that Jesus will be present, and approve of their choosing to quickly partake of the Lord’s Supper in their hotel room, RV, or roadside and call it worship. Such is nothing short of will worship.
Not only would this be an outright perversion of Matthew 18:20, but it certainly would not be true worship even if two dozen or more were assembled together to participate in the same perversion. One can go through the motions of worship, even partial worship just as much while on vacation, as one can in their home congregation, and it still not be proper worship. Why? Because their attitude, motive and emphasis were not focused on the true worship of God, but on trying to get by with the least amount of involvement. If Jesus were to be present and approve of what two or three did on vacation and called it worship, then why not do the same in every congregation on every Sunday? The fact is, we have forgotten our purpose in this life—to glorify God, put Him first, and thank Him for all that He has done and continues to do for us. We are being proved, tested, to find out if we are worthy of an eternity in heaven or hell. We should have learned long ago, not to follow the example of the Israelites, who thought they could pull the wool over the eyes of Jehovah. They thought they could stop keeping the sabbath, stop caring for their fellowman, among other commands, thinking all the while that their sacrifices would cover their unfaithfulness.
We have come to a new era, after the Covid “plandemic”, where more brethren have decided to continue live streaming Bible classes and worship, rather than the commanded assembling together. Again, Matthew 18:20 is abused to justify their unfaithfulness. First of all, the Lord’s church never should have stopped their assembling together, their obedience to God (Acts 5:29). It was a supposed flu virus. I never heard of congregation shutting their doors every flu season, but suddenly this one was different (even though it wasn’t). There is nothing wrong with brethren who are sick, invalid, or otherwise unable to attend the assembling together of their respective congregations, and watching services via live stream (whether their home congregation or some others). But that should be the exception, not the rule that we are witnessing today. Partaking of the Lord’s Supper can be prepared ahead of time, so the individual can take part when the congregation does. There is some push back by some elders on this, saying that because the person is alone, they cannot take the Supper. Such elders have become a law to themselves by demanding that a brother or sister violate the Lord’s command in keeping the supper of the Lord. Would that be true of a Christian who is the only one in their town, or on their Island? And such does exist. If it is okay for that person to take the Lord’s Supper by themselves (which they are commanded to partake, despite not having fellow Christians to partake with them) then why not one, by themselves, while being an invalid, ALS, Shingles, MS, et al? I wonder if these same elders would deny the “Two or Three” loophole when they are on vacation, or just getting away on a hunting or fishing trip?
There are multiple variations of this misapplication of Scripture that could be addressed, but I think you get the picture. Jesus certainly did not have in mind the idea that He would be in the midst of two or three who decided to use Matthew 18:20 as a loophole for any number of applications. The question is, when is it ever right to “forsake the assembling of ourselves together” (Heb. 10:25)? The answer should be, seldom, and only when necessary due to illness or physical malady.
