Church Restoration : IN THE MIDST OF THEM

IN THE MIDST OF THEM

Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three are gathered together in my name,

there am I in the midst of them.”

Greek Study:

“For where two or three”- duo treis as witnesses

“Gathered together”- sunago meaning to lead together;

having been brought together;

together, together.

“in my name”- onoma meaning into His Name

“there am I”- I am with you

“in the midst of them”- mesoo meaning to be the middle;

reach the middle; among, right

there, between them.

Vincent Greek Word Studies of the New Testament: “Into my name means when two or three are drawn into Christ.”
Robertson’s Greek Word Pictures in the New Testament: “Those gathered are really His disciples with the Spirit of Christ as well as in His Name.”
Broadman Commentary on Matthew: “The Church is assured of God’s presence when it truly acts as the Church.”
Pulpit Commentary on Matthew: “Into my Name, with love to me, yearning for union with me and acting for my glory, then His presence is actually felt and realized.
Greek Interlinear Greek New Testament: “Having been assembled implying that Jesus does the gathering.”
Greek Word Studies: “Having been gathered together into My Name, there am I also. Jesus does the gathering.”
Greek Word Studies: “When Jesus brings two or three together, it is for our own needs and in His Name means by his authority.

*NOTE concerning “in the midst of them”:

Exodus 25:20-22 “And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be…And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony.”

Exodus 37:7-9 “And he made two cherubims of gold, beaten out of one piece made he them, on the two ends of the mercy seat: One cherub on the end on this side, and another cherub on the other end on that side: out of the mercy seat made he the cherubims on the two ends thereof. And the cherubims spread out their wings on high, and covered with their wings over the mercy seat, with their faces one to another; even to the mercy seatward were the faces of the cherubims.”

Joshua 6:15 “They compassed the city seven times…at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the Lord hath given you the city…So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat…and they took the city.” Note: They got Jericho in between their faces and gave shouted praise to God and He was in their midst in a mighty way. We too must speak to one another about the majesty of God and He will stand in the midst between our faces in His power and glory!
I Corinthians 5:4 “In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ…”
Ephesians 5:18-19 “…Be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to Yourselves(Horizontal) in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord(Vertical);”
I Corinthians 11:23-34 “Jesus(In their midst; between them) gave thanks and brake bread and said, This is my body…Also He took the cup, when He had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood..,”
There is both a 1.) Vertical and 2.) Horizontal dimension to worship: 1.)Worship to God directly and 2.) Praise God to one another. As believers begin to share / sing / praise / worship the goodness of God to / with one another, God moves in between their faces and they experience the presence of the Lord in their midst.