Matthew 18:20 (KJV)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

Matthew 18:18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Matthew 18:19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.

Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Matthew 18:21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?

Matthew 18:22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "where", "three", "gathered", "together", "name", and "midst". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "where" and "three", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 19's "Again I say unto you That if..." into verse 21's "Then came Peter to him and said...", so "where" and "three" belong inside that flow. In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "where" and "three" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.