“If two of you shall agree on earth” refers to the reconciliation procedure

Jesus' promise to answer prayers made by any two believers who are in agreement is a part of his discussion on reconciliation of offenses. Strictly, it applies to prayers made as a result of reconciliation. This underscores the importance of reconciliation between believers to Jesus.

Two of Jesus’ most often quoted promises were made in the Matthew 18 context of attempts to reconcile offenses between believers and so restore the unity of the Body, and they make perfect sense in this context:

Again, assuredly I tell you, that if two of you will agree on earth concerning anything that they will ask, it will be done for them by my Father who is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the middle of them.”

Matthew 18:19-20 (WEB).

These promises are usually pulled out of their context and used as promises that, if a group of Christians has gathered and, in prayer together, recite that they all agree that something, anything, should happen, God is obliged to grant this prayer. That is not what these verses are saying. I can’t agree with two of my Christian friends that I will win the Lottery and so oblige God to make it happen.

In fact, these verses are almost never applied in their original context, which is attempts to reconcile offenses between believers. That reconciliation is what Jesus had in mind when he made these promises is shown by the way Jesus’ instructions about reconciling believers to each other flows naturally into the promises, the two being joined by “again… I tell you:”

 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembly. If he refuses to hear the assembly also, let him be to you as a Gentile or a tax collector.  Most certainly I tell you, whatever things you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever things you release on earth will have been released in heaven. Again, assuredly I tell you, that if two of you will agree on earth concerning anything that they will ask, it will be done for them by my Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 18:17-19 (WEB)

So, IF the reconciliation procedure is followed and the offender refuses to listen to the assembled church, AND the church fully agrees about what ought to be done, THEN Jesus promised the things the church agreed to ask for in the matter will be done. And, applying this promise to the steps in verses 15 and 16, if the two disputing parties are reconciled to each other, having come into agreement, then God will grant anything that is asked in resolving the matter–whether agreement occurs in the first step (only two in agreement, the actual parties), the second step (the parties and one or two witnesses in agreement) or the third step (the church and the parties in agreement). But, strictly speaking, the promises are limited to prayers made in the context of reconciling an offense and on which there is true agreement.

Jesus did not directly answer two practical questions about the application of these promises apply when an attempt at reconciliation goes before the church and there fails:

1. Where the church believes that reconciliation could and should be reached, but the offended party is being unreasonable, may the church reconcile with the offender over the offended party’s objection? This is the way worldly judicial systems would normally handle such a situation. But this produces a false, forced agreement that is not a true reconciliation of the offense. The offended believer would be left carrying two grudges–one against the original offender, the other against the church. And Jesus’ literal words appear to say that failure for this reason is simply a failure. The rest of the church may pray that God do what is necessary to move the parties into agreement, someday, but a prayer of agreement is not possible because the offended party, at least, will not be in agreement with it.
2. Can a church pray in agreement when an offender has refused to be reconciled, and so has been expelled? The answer is probably “yes,” because the expelled person is no longer a member. But this is only implied, not directly said.

Likely, Jesus didn’t answer these questions because the whole context presupposes that reconciliation will succeed. This is certainly the result he desires in every situation. This is shown again by the passages that follow verses 15 through 20 for the rest of the chapter. The promises about prayer and gathering together flow quite naturally into the dialog about “how often should I forgive?” which follows:

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the middle of them.” Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I don’t tell you until seven times, but, until seventy times seven…”

Matthew 18:20-22 (WEB).