How many does it take to be a church? Is it twelve like the apostles? The answer is two and three, “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”(Mathew 18:20). Notice it says gather, as in gather together like in the verse, “not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25, CSB). Thus Jesus is saying as lomg as there are two or three gathering together He is there and it is a meeting of the Church!
The significance of two is perhaps modeled further by Jesus sending the disciples out two by two, “And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.” (Mark 6:7). The truth is you cannot have a gathering of one, there has to at least be two, so that a conversation can even transpire and to study.
Jesus even says when two agree on anything it is done, “Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 18:19). This affirms that two is sufficient for the ecclesia, the church! That you only need two to have a gathering of a church!
In the age of megachurches it is unpopular to examine what the minimum gathering should be, and yet in times of persecution it is crucial that we know Jesus affirms two or three is enough! That if you can only meet with one other person, that is church! That is a gathering of the minimum number according to our Lord Jesus Christ! Amen.
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