For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them. -- Matthew 18:20 (ESV)

and

Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. -- Matthew 28:20 (ESV)

It is physically impossible for a human to be omnipresent. If Jesus really meant that he would always be present with billions of Christians all over the world, it would mean that Jesus has to be divine.

However, this argument ignores the scriptures that state that Jesus could not be present everywhere and that he was leaving his disciples behind and will be returning (John 17). However, Trinitarians would argue that Jesus meant that his human body which cannot be omnipresent would leaven and return, but that he would also be "spiritually present" as like the Holy Spirit.

Jesus meant to be spiritually present

Being "spiritually present" is a vague statement. Even Paul said that:

When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. -- 1 Corinthians 5:4-5 (ESV)

Surely Paul is not divine and neither was he omnipresent.

Therefore, some suggest that like Paul, Jesus words should not be considered literally as if he would be physically "among" or "with" all Christians always.

So what was the intent for Jesus and Paul's statements?

• This could perhaps mean that both Jesus and Paul meant that when the assembly are in agreement to God's Holy Spirit, then they are acting in the same spirit of the Lord Jesus and of Paul as if Jesus or Paul was present or among them such that they are united as "one".
• It could also perhaps mean that both Jesus and Paul passed on their authority (approval) to their disciples so that they were able to make decisions as if Jesus or Paul was present to give approval.

Jesus meant it literally

Some reject the argument that Jesus words should be considered "spiritually" as there are no evidence that he was speaking in idioms, neither did he mention anything about the spiritual realm.

Matthew 18:20

For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” -- Matthew 18:20 (NKJV)

Out of context, it seems like Jesus magically appear "in the midst" everytime Christians gather. The context here is that Jesus was addressing how they should deal with the "brother that sins against you". One solution would be to gather two or three witnesses to confront him in Jesus' authority (name). In such a case, Jesus would be "among" (on the side of) those witnesses.

“If your brother sins against you:

1. go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.
2. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.
3. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church.

And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 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. For where two or three are gathered in my name (authority), there am I among them.”

-- Matthew 18:15-20 (ESV)

Some would argue that the topic has changed from gathers to confront sin to gatharing to claim blessings from God. The reason they say so, it that most modern bibles translations separte this verse from the next verse with a paragraph break and often separate it even further by including an unrelated title between them which was not part of the original text. This is a common practice by bible translators to make their copies "more readable", but ironically it adds confusion to the intended message.

Jesus did not switch to prosperity preaching. Instead he meant with "bind" and "loose" to intercede for those who sin. Intercession is to plead with "the Father in heaven". When the first 3 steps failed, then the last alternative is to gather to intercede for the sinner. This is the strategy that Jesus authorized and support.

The topic is not finish yet. In the next verse Peter asked a valid question relating the same topic:

Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?”
Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to...”

-- Matthew 18:21-23 (ESV)

Not only did Jesus answer his question, but he also explained his answer with a parable which is still related to the original topic "how to confront sin".

Matthew 28:20

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. -- Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV)

In this context Jesus was concerned about the eternal salvation of people. The purpose of making "disciples of all nations" was to make it possible for them to live forever in the presence of Jesus. Jesus previously said that he would return to gather his own (Matthew 24:23-44). Although he is currently not physically present yet, he will be in the future and this is something to look forward to (Matthew 19:28-30).

Furthermore, a parallel witness in the book of Acts states:

So when they had come together, they asked him (Jesus), “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”
He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said,

“Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven?
This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

-- Acts 1:6-11 (ESV)

In this passage, Jesus referred to his Father as a distinct person with more authority.

What is also surprising is that none of the disciples ever questioned Jesus or asked him or the angels why he contradicted himself when he said that he will "always be present with them", yet after saying those words, he left them. Instead of questioning Jesus omnipresence they "looked into heaven". This hint that the disciples did not understand Jesus statement as an omnipresence claim.

It is also confirmed when the "two men in white robes" confirms that Jesus really left them. If Jesus was truly omnipresent from that moment, he would have appeared to them himself, and it would not have been necessary for God to send two men.

Acts 18:9-10

And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.” -- Acts 18:9-10 (ESV)

This scripture does not proof Jesus omnipresence. Jesus did not magically appear on Paul's trial. Jesus was simply assuring Paul that he was not alone and that he would protect him with his people in the city.