What does it mean that if two people ask, it will be done?

Explanation:

Jesus explains that when two agree on anything they ask, it will be done for them by his Father in heaven. At first it sounds like he is saying that whenever two people agree on anything at all in prayer, God will answer that prayer, but this is hasty. That is because we want to understand Jesus comments in context. When we look to the context, we find Jesus giving instruction on matters of church discipline.⁴ He explains that if a brother sins against another, the offended ought to talk to the offender (Matthew 18:15). If the offender does not listen, the situation escalates until the church is involved (Matthew 18:16–17). Jesus explains that the church is able to loosen and bind (Matthew 18:18), which means the church can make decisions on matters of discipline. Jesus then offers confidence to the disciplinary process, explaining that when two agree and ask of God, God will give what they have asked. In other words, when the church agrees on what to ask God when it comes to matters of church discipline, God will listen and guide the disciplinary process.⁵

Counterargument:

This argument is based on the notion that Matthew 18:19 is connected to what precedes it (Matthew 18:15–18), but this is not obviously the case. Rather, it is plausible that Jesus starts a new teaching when we reach Matthew 18:19.⁶ That is, Jesus teaches on what to do when a brother sins against a brother. He then introduces the topic of prayer and explains that when two people agree and then pray, God hears their prayer. Jesus is coming to the end of his teaching in Galilee, so it is no surprise that Matthew includes several important teachings, one after the other.⁷

Response to counterargument:

This counterargument might hold some weight, except for the fact that not only does this interpretation fit in with Matthew 18:15–18, but it also fits with Matthew 18:21–22. Jesus is teaching that when the church includes God in the process of discipline, they can be sure that God hears their prayer. Then in Matthew 18:19, Peter asks how many times he should forgive his brother, and Jesus responds, seventy times seven. In other words, while the church may deliberate and bring requests regarding matters of discipline to God, those requests ought to be tempered by a spirit of forgiveness, and hope.⁸

Explanation:

It is important to notice that the grammar of Matthew 18:19 is connected to Matthew 18:18. In Matthew 18:19 Jesus introduces his words with the adverb again, which suggests that his comments are meant as a continuation of what preceded.⁹ Further, both Matthew 18:18 and Matthew 18:19 open with (truly) I say to you. These two textual features combine to suggest that the material of Matthew 18:19 is directly connected to Matthew 18:18 (and earlier). In other words, in the church discipline process, church leaders can have confidence that when they bring matters before God and ask, he will make it so.

Counterargument:

There are two counterarguments against this interpretation. First, it is not clear that the adverb again or the clause truly I say to you connects Matthew 18:19 with Matthew 18:18. Rather, while again links Matthew 18:19 to Matthew 18:18, the term is used to show that Jesus is about to introduce a new topic.¹⁰ Jesus gives instructions on how to deal with discipline in the church (Matthew 18:15–18), and then introduces the topic of prayer by believers with again. In other words, Jesus is saying, Here is some instruction on church discipline, and furthermore (again), here is some instruction on prayer.¹¹

Possible weaknesses:

The possible weakness here is that Jesus does not say that if anyone asks about something related to church discipline the Father will see it done. Rather, he says that if two ask about anything, the Father will see it done.

Explanation:

When Jesus says that if two agree on anything, his Father will heed their request, he likely offers a general teaching on prayer. In other words, he is saying that whenever two people agree on a matter for prayer, God will hear that request. We can deduce that Jesus has prayer in general in mind because of the noun thing, a general term that includes any kind of matter that two or more believers might agree to bring to the Father.¹² Jesus is saying that when two agree concerning any matter at all, it will be done by the Father.

Counterargument:

The notion that we can deduce that Jesus has in mind general matters due to the use of thing is hasty. For while thing can be use in a sort of general sense, it can also be used in the more specific sense of a matter of dispute or a lawsuit.¹³ Interestingly, Jesus teaches about a brother sinning against a brother in what immediately precedes Matthew 18:19 (Matthew 18:15–18), which means that Jesus’ teaching on prayer may be related to disputes between brothers. In other words, when two brothers agree on how to settle a dispute between each other, God will hear the prayer and will do what is asked. In fact, Paul uses the term for thing in just this way in 1 Corinthians 6:1, when he exhorts the Corinthians not to bring each other to court over disputes.

Response to counterargument:

While it might be that things can refer to disputes, it also refers to matters in general. Thus, Jesus may be using the notion of church discipline and the settling of disputes between brothers as a segue into agreeing on general matters before bringing them to God in prayer. In other words, Jesus’ instruction about prayer pertains to those who are dealing with disputes among church members, along with anyone who agrees on a matter for prayer and brings it before God.

Explanation:

The first words Jesus uses in Matthew 18:19 are, Again I say to you. While that can suggest that what follows is simply a continuation of the teaching Jesus has just been giving, it is especially the term again that is used to show that Jesus is actually about to introduce a new topic.¹⁴ He teaches how to deal with discipline in the church (Matthew 18:15–18), and then introduces the topic of prayer by believers with again. It is as if Jesus is saying, Here is some instruction on church discipline [Matthew 18:15–18]. Furthermore ('again'), here is some instruction on prayer.¹⁵

Counterargument:

The natural reading (which ought to be the preferred reading) is that the grammar of Matthew 18:19 is connected to Matthew 18:18. By introducing his words in Matthew 18:19 with the adverb again, Jesus clearly means for his following comments to be seen as a continuation of what came before.¹⁶ And both Matthew 18:18 and Matthew 18:19 open with truly I say to you. These two factors indicate that what follows in Matthew 18:19 is connected to Matthew 18:18. That is, as the church discipline process unfolds, the church can be confident that when church leaders bring matters before God, he will guide the process.

Response to counterargument:

Even if it can be argued that Matthew 18:19 is grammatically connected to Matthew 18:18, it is not clear that Matthew 18:18 has anything to do with church discipline. Rather, it might be that Jesus discusses church discipline in Matthew 18:15–17, and then introduces a new but loosely connected topic of church authority. Jesus then follows this up with Matthew 18:19, which is grammatically connected Matthew 18:18, where he connects the authority of the church with a general teaching on prayer.

Possible weakness:

The problem with this view is that it wants us to take it that Matthew abruptly introduces a new theme without properly notifying his reader. In fact, the clause truly I say to you seems to connect Matthew 18:19 with Matthew 18:18 and what precedes.

Explanation:

Jesus explains that when two agree on anything they ask, it will be done for them by the Father in heaven. The verb to ask can be used to denote prayer, but it can also be used to denote pursuing a claim.¹⁷ We can paraphrase Matthew 18:19 with this translation: If two agree on any claim they are pursing, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. So is Jesus talking about prayer in Matthew 18:19 or about pursuing a claim? Based on the context, we can see that Jesus likely has pursing a claim in mind. When we look back to Matthew 18:15–18 Jesus teaches that if a brother sins against another, they ought to reconcile, and even the church should get involved. Still, Jesus explains that if the offender and offended are able to agree on whatever claim they pursue, it will be ratified by God.¹⁸ In other words, God will affirm a harmonious resolution.

Counterargument:

The problem with this argument is that, while it might make sense according to the general theme of this section, it goes against the immediate context. For Jesus does not move from teaching about a brother sinning against a brother (Matthew 18:15) to teaching about agreeing on claims (Matthew 18:19). Rather, Jesus’ teaching follows a logical pattern where he explains precisely what to do when a brother in the church sins against another. First, the offended is to confront the offender (Matthew 18:19). If that does not lead to repentance the offended is to bring witnesses. If that does not work, he is to involve the church, and if he refuses to listen to the church, the offender is to be treated as an outsider. Thus, Jesus has given his instruction on how to handle an offender. Now Jesus explains that the decisions of the church are binding, and when two agree on anything they ask, the Father will see it done. Given that Jesus has already explained how the offended is to approach the offender, it seems that his statements in Matthew 18:19 are about prayer, not pursuing a claim.

Possible weaknesses:

The problem with this view is that it goes against the natural meaning of the text. The plain meaning of the statement is that, when two or more are gathered in prayer, Jesus is present to bless the occasion as the prayers go up to the Father.

Explanation:

We want to know what Jesus means when he says that if two agree on anything and ask the Father, it will be done. We need to understand that Matthew 18:19–20 is connected to Matthew 18:18. And when we look at Matthew 18:18, we find Jesus saying to his disciples that whatever they bind and loose on earth will be bound and loosed in heaven. Jesus’ instructions are directed toward his disciples, which means that Jesus has the binding of doctrinal authority in mind.¹⁹ In other words, when Jesus ascends into heaven and leaves the disciples to establish the early church, whatever they bind or loose will be bound or loosed. Jesus then explains that whenever two or more (disciples) agree on anything and ask the Father, it will be done. This means that whenever two or more disciples agree on a matter of doctrine, their doctrinal decisions will be ratified by the Father.²⁰

Counterargument:

This view reads too much into the text. While it is true that Jesus is teaching the disciples (Matthew 18:1), he offers them general teachings that apply to the church as a whole. We can deduce this from Matthew 18:17 where Jesus explains that if an offender does not listen to two or three witnesses, it is the church’s task to confront him. In other words, Jesus does not limit his teachings here to the disciples only. So Jesus teaches that when the church is responsible for matters of discipline, and that when two agree on anything and ask the Father it will be done (Matthew 18:18). On the other hand, the notion that Jesus has the doctrinal authority of the apostles in mind is far from the text.

Possible weaknesses:

This view overlooks the fact that Matthew 18:19 is about asking the Father. This view does not consider what it means for two to agree and ask the Father, but instead the view reads Jesus’ teaching as the notion that when two disciples agree on something they have doctrinal authority. Of course, central to Matthew 18:19 is the notion not only that two or more agree but that they agree and then ask. Asking has to do with prayer, and this interpretation fails to incorporate the fact that the two agree on a matter for prayer, not a matter of doctrinal decision.