What does "gathered together in my name", (Jesus) really mean?

Question

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

What does it mean to be gathered together in the name of Jesus? Can I just say the name Jesus with a couple other freinds of mine and He will be there?Verse 19 says that whatever we ask He will do so long as we agree.

I am not making fun of scripture here, but I get the impression that many today are of the mind that they can live as they want to, and be gathered in His Name. I am thinking, James 1:1-5, but especially verse 6-8.

Answer 1

I don't think it's that simple my friend, you got to live like him.

Answer 2

This is from a men's daily devotional Bible...this "piece" is by author Jack Perry,Titled: A most tragic search.
In His own life Jesus asked what was the will of God. He received a most searing answer. We can easily say He was the Son of God, and He came into the world to save sinners, and thus had to die on the cross. Yes, but He was the Son of Man as well, and He prayed that this cup might pass from Him, and He asked why God had forsaken Him, and His suffering as He undertook to do the will of God was suffering such as we mortals know. So we cannot take refuge from hard choices in the divinity of Jesus. Nor can we hide behind the some divison of the world into the part Jesus was talking about and the part He was not. At Calvary it all came together.
Therefore when Jesus told us to say, "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done" (Matthew 6:10) He was telling us to embark upon a most tragic search for the will of God in our own lives. Try as I might, I cannot find a place to hide in those crystal bleeding sentences. Human words find it hard to express the depth of Jesus' divine words. But He was saying, in the most literal way, that God's will should be sought and it should be obeyed. To obey God's will for my life - what a shattering thought! If I took Jesus at His Word, would I not be helping the poor, or giving all I have to the needy, or learning how to care for the sick, or proclaiming the acceptable day of the Lord on the public streets, or binding the war-torn - would I not be about my Father's business, rather than going about my daily routine? If I took Jesus seriously, and truly asked God to let me do His will in my life, would I be where I am right now?
A very GREAT question! One we should ALL be asking ourselves....as we "gather together" in His precious Name.

Answer 3

I agree with several of the responses already posted. "gathered together" means taking time to hang-out with other Christians; "in My Name" means that you're gathering to focus on God, serve others in the Name of Christ, or edify the body in some way. That could include prayer time, accountability conversations, praise and worship, discussing and asking questions about the Word, Bible study, mission trips, visits to the the sick and elderly; meeting to encourage and edify a brother or sister, etc. Those gatherings can occur in any building or location. The church is just a building, but I believe that worship services are included .... but are not the single way to "gather together in My Name."

My suggestion is that you pray and ask God to reveal the meaning of this verse to you. He WILL answer! :)

God bless!

Answer 4

Gathered in the authority of His name. We can only do this with His blessings if we are walking in obedience.
Just saying we are gathered in His name is not enough.

Joh 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
Joh 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Answer 5

Jesus mentioned those words at Matthew 18: 20 to Stress that Whether Meeting together be made up of fewer than ten or of several thousand worshipers of God that we recognize his with us.True, when making that promise, Jesus was discussing judicial matters that needed to be handled correctly by those taking the lead in the congregation.
But can Jesus’ words also be applied in principle to all Christian gatherings that are opened and closed with prayer in his name? Yes. Remember, when Jesus commissioned his followers to do the disciple-making work, he promised: “Look! I am with you all the days until the conclusion of the system of things.”—Matthew 28:20.

Answer 6

Wow. You are a deep thinker. I just grew up believing that it meant we were supposed to pray to say "In Jesus Name we pray" but then does that mean we have to have more than one (as in by ourselves) in order to be heard? I was such a "religious" kid growing up but the older I get the more I figure out I never really had all the answers. Good question.

Answer 7

gathering together in His Name, would be in a spirit of prayer or worship. other scriptures admonish us not to ask anything amiss. how can you half heartedly gather in his name? i don't think you should try. people cannot lift up holy hands to him if their hands are covered in sin. we must first ask for forgiveness and ask God to cleanse our hearts and minds. "shall we continue in sin? God forbid" Paul said. there are people out there that want to treat God as their personal genie in a bottle that whenever they call on him, he should just be at their beckon and give in to their every whim just because they did it in the name of Jesus. i think we all need to deeply reconsider what our idea of taking the lord's name in vain really means. if i call myself a Jesus name christian and i don't even try to live the way he instructed, then i could very well be taking the lord's name in vain.

Answer 8

We are to be of "like mind".....in unity...."as one".....and be 'in the name of Jesus." Does not mean that we won't be individuals or agree on every tiny thing. What is DOES mean is that we will be "of one purpose"....which is to know God and to spread the gospel. If we waver in the truth...we will not be "of one mind" or in "unity". Jesus is the only Way, the Truth...only by His name are we saved....so we gather in HIS NAME.

Answer 9

I'm thinking based on my search that to be gathered in the name of Christ means to understand that Jesus is God and that the name Jehovah pertains to Him. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. All things were made through Him, by Him and for Him...with Him all things are possible. He brings God the Father Glory as He and the Father are One in Spirit...the HOLY SPIRIT..Not three as believed in the Trinity doctrine. There is power in the name of Jesus as He was the Word...the Word was God, the Word was with God. We pray to the Father in the name of the Son...that name is I Am or Jehovah...Jesus earthly name means I AM who saves. Check out the conversation between Him and Pontius Pilate. The Bible is splattered with evidence to this. No, I am not a Jehovah's Witness. If I were then I wouldn't believe that Jesus is God or I would believe Him to be a lessor God. I believe Him to be the God of all creation sent by the Father with the Power of the Holy Spirit to deliver us from ourselves. Love in Christ, ~J~

Answer 10

Gathered to Worship and give Praise to the Lord.

Answer 11

Gathered in Jesus name is what people do when they attend church. They are all there in one accord, with one motivation, and that is to praise God and bring our needs and petitions to him. Sure when you call on His name, he is there! It probably doesn't make him to happy when people take that name and blaspheme it just for the heck of it, yet He gives us the benefit of the doubt and comes back every time.

Thanks for reminding me how awesome out God is!