As we continue to develop our devotional life, we want to ensure that we avoid "cherry picking" a verse out of context and trying to make the verse mean what our opinion is, not what the text actually says. For example, one verse misinterpreted by a number of churches is Matthew 18: 20: "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." This verse is generally quoted when the attendance for a service is small. You will hear someone in authority say, "Well, there are just a few of us here tonight, but the Bible says that where two or three are gathered, Jesus will be in their midst." While I concur that the Lord Jesus Christ is omnipresent, that is not what the verse is referencing. The verse is about church discipline. If someone is in sin, go to him privately. If that does not work, take one or two witnesses with you. If that does not produce results, take the matter public to the church. Start reading in Matthew 18: 15-20 and you will see what the context says about the verse. My point today is that it is not enough just to read your Bible and pray, but you want to also have an understanding about what Scripture means. I have said for years, the Bible is the only book I need to know how to be saved, how to walk in holiness, and how I am to make decisions in my everyday ordinary life. Read, study and pray, and be careful who you let have your ear. As a side not, if you have been attending a church for several years and there has never been a case of church discipline, you should prayerfully consider going somewhere else. If a church is never disciplining anyone, you are either in a perfect church or one with weak leadership.
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