Quotes & Notes on:     Matthew 18:19   

• John Wesley's Notes:
   Again I say-And not only your intercession for the penitent, but all your united prayers, shall be heard. How great then is the power of joint prayer!
  
  If two of you-Suppose a man and his wife. Mt 16:19.
   

• The Fourfold Gospel:

  That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. These two verses illustrate the sublime power of the church which has just been suggested by its right of excommunication. A small church of two or three can prevail with God in prayer (in matters not wholly at variance with his will) and can be honored by the very presence of the Christ.
   

• Treasury of Scripture Knowledge:

  * That if. Mt 5:24; 21:22; Mr 11:24; Joh 15:7,16; Ac 1:14; 2:1; 4:24-31; 6:4 Ac 12:5; Eph 6:18-20; Php 1:19; Jas 5:14-16; 1Jo 3:22; 5:14-16 Re 11:4-6
  * it shall. Joh 14:13; 16:23
   

• Robertson's Word Pictures:
  Shall agree (sumphônêsôsin). Our word "symphony" is this very root. It is no longer looked at as a concord of voices, a chorus in harmony, though that would be very appropriate in a church meeting rather than the rasping discord sometimes heard even between two brethren or sisters. Of my Father (para tou patros mou). From the side of, "by my Father."
   

• William Burkitt's Notes:

  Here we have a gracious promise made by Christ of his presence with all his members in general, and with is ministers in special; whenever they meet together in his name, that is by his authority, in obedience to his command, and with an eye to his glory. Whenever they celebrate any sacred institution of his, or execute any church-censures, he will be in the midst of them, to quicken their prayers, to guide their councils, to ratify their sentence, to accept their endeavours.
  
  Learn, 1. That Christ will be graciously present with and amongst his people, whenever they assemble and meet together in his name, be it ever so small a number.
  
  2. That Christ will, in a special manner, be present with the guides and officers of his church, to direct their censures, and to confirm the sentence passed in his name, and pronounced by his authority upon obstinate offenders.
   

• Family Bible Notes:

   Any thing; that is agreeable to his will.
   

• 1599 Geneva Bible Notes:
  This word, which is normally used of the body, is here used of the mind, for it belongs properly to poetry.
   

• People's New Testament Commentary:

    If two of you shall agree. Two shall constitute a Christian fellowship. The united prayers of this fellowship for any legitimate object shall be heard. The assurance of this is found in the fact that Christ will be present wherever two or three are gathered in his name. Their united prayers will ascend, made mighty by the intercession of the Son of God. By his presence it becomes his prayer.
   

• Albert Barnes' Commentary:

  Again I say unto you, That if two of you, etc. This is connected with the previous verses. The connexion is this: The obstinate man is to be excluded from the church, Mt 18:17. The care of the church--the power of admitting or excluding members--of organizing and establishing it--is committed to you, the apostles, Mt 18:18. Yet there is not need of the whole to give validity to the transaction. When two of you agree, or have the same mind, feelings, and opinion, about the arrangement of affairs in the church, or about things desired for its welfare, and shall ask of God, it shall be done for them. See Ac 1:14-26; 15:1-29. The promise here has respect to the apostles in organizing the church. It cannot, with any propriety, be applied to the ordinary prayers of believers. Other promises are made to them, and it is true that the prayer of faith will be answered; but that is not the truth taught here.
  
  {q} "it shall be done" Mr 11:24; Joh 16:241Jn 5:14|
  
   

• Jamieson-Faussett Brown:

   Observe the premium here put upon union in prayer. As this cannot exist with fewer than two, so by letting it down so low as that number, He gives the utmost conceivable encouragement to union in this exercise. But what kind of union? Not an agreement merely to pray in concert, but to pray for some definite thing. "As touching anything which they shall ask," says our Lord--anything they shall agree to ask in concert. At the same time, it is plain He had certain things at that moment in His eye, as most fitting and needful subjects for such concerted prayer
   

• Spurgeon Commentary on Matthew:

   Thus the Savior sets his seal upon assemblies of the faithful, even of the smallest kind, not only in their acts of discipline, but in their intercessions.  Note how tenderly Jesus speaks of his followers: "If two of you." Poor as you are, if two of you agree in prayer on earth, "my Father which is in heaven" will hearken to your pleading. Prayer should be matter for previous consideration, and persons about to join in prayer should "agree as touching anything that they shall ask." Then they come together with an intelligent design, seeking a known blessing, and agreeing to combine their desires and their faith in reference to the one chosen object. Two
  believers united in holy desire and solemn prayer will have great power with God. Instead of despising the verdict of so small a gathering, we ought to respect it, since the Father does so.  Note the power of combined prayer. There is no excuse for giving up
  prayer-meetings while there are two praying people in the place; for two can prevail with God. Of course, more is needed than a cold agreement that certain things are desirable; there must be importunity and faith.
   

• Adam Clarke's Commentary:

  Again I say unto you] The word , verily, is added here, in ninety-eight MSS., (many of which are of the greatest antiquity and importance,) seven editions, all the Arabic, the Slavonic, and several of the Itala. The taking in or leaving out such a word may appear to some a matter of indifference; but, as I am fully convinced Jesus Christ never spoke a useless or a needless word, my maxim is, to omit not one syllable that I am convinced (from such authority as the above) he has ever used, and to take in nothing that he did not speak. It makes the passage much more emphatic-Again, VERILY I say unto you,
  
  If two of you shall agree] , symphonize, or harmonize. It is a metaphor taken from a number of musical instruments set to the same key, and playing the same tune: here, it means a perfect agreement of the hearts, desires, wishes, and voices, of two or more persons praying to God. It also intimates that as a number of musical instruments, skilfully played, in a good concert, are pleasing to the ears of men, so a number of persons united together in warm, earnest, cordial prayer, is highly pleasing in the sight and ears of the Lord. Now this conjoint prayer refers, in all probability, to the binding and loosing in the preceding verse; and thus we see what power faithful prayer has with God!
  
  It shall be done for them] What an encouragement to pray! even to two, if there be no more disposed to join in this heavenly work.

   

• Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary:

   (No comment on this verse).