Be Careful what you ask for

Matthew 18 18 -20 Matthew 18:19

#biblestudy #greeknewtestament

These 3 verses and in particular 19 shows why a knowledge of greek can be useful.

Many commentators presume these verses are about the power of prayer but ...
let us consider them in context and then phrase by phrase.

Chapter 18 talks about forgiveness and protecting the innocent and sin and ends in a parable about a royal servant who asks for forgiveness of a debt and then goes and mistreats a minor debtor.

Verse 18

amen i say to you whatever is bound upon the earth will be bound in heaven and whatever is loosened upon the earth will be released in heaven

Verse 19

again i say to to you that if/whenever two agree sumphooneoo
which is literally make sounds in unison
out of you plural upon the earth about the whole  affair event activity
NOTE THE NOUN IS PRAGMATOS !
not a prayer or a wish a discussion about something!
relative pronoun so whichever? they asked
it will happen - geneesetai to them be done to them
by the father mine in the heavens

verse 20

where for are 2 or 3 gathered together in mine name there i am in middle of them.

It may well be what they receive as a response to their discussion or joint prayers might not be a wish?

Think carefully and read deeply the next section.

Be careful what you ask for!