Need at least 2 people for prayer?

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tomch

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Okay… here’s a question about Matthew 18:20…

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

What if I’m alone? Does this verse imply that the Lord isn’t with me? I guess this verse could really encourage a lot of fellowship, eh?
 
No. Remember that the whole of Scripture must always be considered. This is precisely why we rely on the Church’s interpretation and not our own. In fact, the verse which you reference is a teaching by Jesus on just that. Just before your verse, He is talking about the Church (“whatever you bind on earth”…etc. ) By no means is He devaluing individual prayer, otherwise, why would He say in Matthew 6 “But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.”?
No, He is teaching that the unified prayer of the Church is more effacacious than that of the individual.
 
Erich said:
I seem to remember hearing/reading something about “where two or three are gathered” as dispensing with the requirement for a minyan for worship.

Here’s another interpretation I hadn’t thought of: rabdavis.org/binding_and_loosing.htm
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Interesting, and while I am always interested in a Jewish perspective, it should be noted that while this site is maintained by “Messianic Jews”, it is in no way in agreement with the Catholic Church, therefore the “interpretations” presented should be recognized and treated as opinions. The site disputes the authority of the Catholic Church. :twocents:
 
tomch said:
Okay… here’s a question about Matthew 18:20…

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

What if I’m alone? Does this verse imply that the Lord isn’t with me? I guess this verse could really encourage a lot of fellowship, eh?
Click to expand...
There are always a cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1), saints and angels, with us. More than enough.
 
tomch said:
Okay… here’s a question about Matthew 18:20…

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

What if I’m alone? Does this verse imply that the Lord isn’t with me? I guess this verse could really encourage a lot of fellowship, eh?
Click to expand...
does the verse say “If and only if two or more are gathered in My name . … .” NO? then it does not mean that, it means Christ is present when two or more gather in his name, just what it says.
 
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