SENT College

22/10/2026

21/09/2026

Have We Read This Wrong?

“For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” — Matthew 18:20

You’ve probably heard this verse used to encourage a small prayer meeting:

“There may only be a few of us here, but where two or three are gathered, Jesus is here.”

That statement is certainly true—Jesus is present with His people. But is that actually what Matthew 18:20 is teaching?

Read the context.

Matthew 18 is dealing with relationships, sin, correction, witnesses, reconciliation, and church discipline.

Jesus says:

“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault…”
— Matthew 18:15

If the person refuses to listen, Jesus continues:

“Take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.”
— Matthew 18:16

That language reaches back to Deuteronomy 19:15, where a matter was established through two or three witnesses.

Then Jesus speaks about binding and loosing, agreement, and finally:

“For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
— Matthew 18:20

So What Is Jesus Saying?

The primary point isn’t:

“You only need two Christians in a room for Jesus to show up.”

Jesus doesn’t suddenly become present when Christian number two arrives.

In context, Jesus is giving His followers assurance of His presence and authority as they carry out the difficult work of correction, discernment, reconciliation, and discipline in His name.

That makes the passage considerably more challenging than the way we commonly quote it.

Context Changes Everything

A biblical verse cannot mean something completely disconnected from what its author was communicating in the passage.

Before asking:

“What does this verse mean to me?”

Ask:

“What did Jesus mean when He said it?”

Then ask how that truth applies to us today.

That is the difference between reading our ideas into Scripture and allowing Scripture to shape our ideas.

Have We Read This Wrong?

Good questions.
Biblical answers.
Faithful discipleship.

SentCollege.com

21/09/2026

Encountering Jesus

Dear Friends,

What if the Gospels were never meant to simply give us information about Jesus—but to bring us into an encounter with Him?

Sent College’s new course, Encountering Jesus: In the Gospels, is an invitation to move beyond merely studying the life of Christ to knowing Him, becoming like Him, and joining His mission.

Over six transformational sessions, we’ll explore:

* Jesus: The Revelation of the Father
* Jesus and the Kingdom
* Jesus: The Man of the Spirit
* Come and Follow Me
* The Jesus Who Disrupts Religion
* Walk as Jesus Walked

This is more than a course. It’s a journey.

We’ll learn together, discuss what we’re discovering, practise what Jesus taught, and pursue genuine spiritual formation.

Starts October 8
Live Online | 90-Minute Cohorts

For this module, you can choose to audit the course or study for academic credit.

AUDIT — $75 USD
Register here:
https://buy.stripe.com/aFadR9dced6hgVF2utfAc0k

STUDY FOR ACADEMIC CREDIT — $150 USD
Register here:
https://buy.stripe.com/eVq9ATgoq8Q1eNx2utfAc0h

KNOW HIM. BECOME LIKE HIM. JOIN HIS MISSION.

Grace and peace,

Glenn Bleakney
Sent College
SentCollege.com

30/08/2026

The Church Is Not an Audience

If Ephesians 4 is taken seriously, pastors and leaders are not called to do all the ministry while everyone else watches.

Leaders equip.

Saints minister.

The Body builds itself up as every part does its share.

The Church is not an audience to entertain. It is a people to equip.

SentCollege.com

16/07/2026

Have We Read This Wrong? 🤷‍♂️

Binding and Loosing: Is Jesus Talking About Spiritual Warfare?

One of the most common teachings in charismatic circles is that “binding and loosing” means binding demons and releasing blessings. But is that what Jesus meant?

The answer may surprise you.

In Matthew 16:19 and Matthew 18:18, Jesus tells His disciples:

“Whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”

But in the first century, “bind” and “loose” were well-known rabbinic terms. Jewish teachers used them to mean forbid and permit—to declare what was binding or allowable according to God’s Word.

Even more revealing is the context.

In Matthew 18, Jesus isn’t teaching about spiritual warfare at all. He’s teaching about church discipline, repentance, forgiveness, and restoring a sinning brother. The authority to “bind and loose” is given in the context of the church faithfully applying Christ’s teaching.

Likewise, in Matthew 16, Jesus has just declared that He is building His Church. He entrusts His disciples with the authority to proclaim the gospel and exercise kingdom authority under His lordship—not to invent heavenly decrees, but to faithfully represent heaven’s verdict.

The point isn’t that we make heaven agree with earth.

The point is that the Church is called to declare on earth what heaven has already determined.

Good Bible interpretation always asks:

What did these words mean to Jesus’ first hearers?

Before we build a doctrine, we must first understand the text in its original context.

Have We Read This Wrong?

Returning to the text. Rediscovering the truth.

04/07/2026

Ready to preach with greater clarity, confidence, and biblical conviction?

Join us for our brand-new Preaching Powerfully module at Sent College, beginning July 16.

Whether you’re preaching regularly, teaching Bible studies, leading a ministry, or preparing for God’s call, this practical online module will help you grow as an effective communicator of God’s Word.

You’ll learn how to:
• Prepare biblical, Christ-centered messages
• Communicate with clarity and confidence
• Connect with your audience
• Preach in the power of the Holy Spirit
• Develop your unique preaching voice

🌍 Live online – join from anywhere in the world.

📅 Starts: July 16

For more information or to enrol, email:
📧 [email protected]

We’d love to answer your questions and help you take the next step in your ministry journey.

03/07/2026

Matthew 12:31–32 Explained

Q: What is the “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit”?

A: Jesus spoke these words after the Pharisees claimed that He was casting out demons by the power of Satan (Matthew 12:24). Rather than acknowledging the Holy Spirit’s work through Jesus, they deliberately attributed God’s work to the devil.

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Q: What does the word “blasphemy” mean?

A: The Greek word blasphēmia refers to slander, reviling, or speaking evil against someone. In this context, it is the deliberate and willful rejection and misrepresentation of the Holy Spirit’s testimony concerning Jesus.

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Q: Why did Jesus say this sin “will not be forgiven”?

A: The Pharisees were not speaking out of ignorance. They had witnessed overwhelming evidence that Jesus was the promised Messiah, yet they knowingly hardened their hearts and declared the work of the Holy Spirit to be satanic. Their persistent rejection placed them beyond repentance.

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Q: Is this simply saying something offensive about the Holy Spirit?

A: No. Scripture records that people spoke against Jesus and later found forgiveness (Luke 23:34; Acts 2:36–38). The unforgivable sin is not a careless statement or moment of doubt but a settled, willful rejection of the Holy Spirit’s witness to Christ.

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Q: Can someone commit this sin today?

A: Evangelical scholars differ slightly. Some believe it was uniquely tied to those who personally witnessed Jesus’ earthly ministry and knowingly attributed His miracles to Satan. Others believe the principle still applies whenever a person continually and deliberately rejects the Holy Spirit’s testimony about Christ until death. In either case, the emphasis is on persistent hardness of heart rather than a single careless act.

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Q: What if someone fears they have committed the unforgivable sin?

A: That fear is usually evidence they have not. Those who committed this sin in Matthew 12 showed no repentance or concern. A person who is convicted of sin and desires God’s forgiveness demonstrates that the Holy Spirit is still at work in their heart.

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Q: Does this mean God is unwilling to forgive certain sins?

A: No. Scripture repeatedly teaches that Christ’s sacrifice is sufficient for every sin of those who repent and believe (1 John 1:9; Romans 10:13). The problem is not a lack of God’s mercy but a heart that continually refuses His grace.

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Q: What is the main lesson of this passage?

A: Jesus warns against hardening our hearts to the Holy Spirit’s testimony. The Holy Spirit points people to Christ, convicts of sin, and calls them to repentance. Persistently rejecting that witness leaves a person without forgiveness because they have rejected the only One who can save.

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Key Takeaway

The unforgivable sin is not an accidental word, a passing doubt, or a season of spiritual struggle. It is the deliberate, persistent rejection of the Holy Spirit’s witness to Jesus Christ. The very desire to seek God’s forgiveness is strong evidence that a person has not committed the sin Jesus describes.

30/06/2026

James 1:1 Explained

Q: Who was James writing to in James 1:1, “the twelve tribes scattered abroad”?

A: Most scholars believe James was writing to Jewish believers in Jesus, not to unbelieving Jews.

Q: What evidence points to a Christian audience?

A: James 2:1 describes his readers as those who hold “the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Throughout the letter he calls them “brothers,” speaks of “the coming of the Lord” (James 5:7–8) in Christian terms, and refers to “the honorable name by which you were called” (James 2:7), which most scholars understand as the name of Christ.

Q: Then why does he call them “the twelve tribes”?

A: This is covenant language rather than simply an ethnic description. The earliest Jewish followers of Jesus understood themselves as the true covenant people of God, so James uses Israel’s identity to describe the scattered Christian community. Peter does something similar in 1 Peter 2:9 when he applies Israel’s covenant titles to believers.

Q: What is the historical background of “the scattered abroad”?

A: It most likely refers to the dispersion of Jewish Christians following the persecution that broke out after Stephen’s martyrdom, as described in Acts 8:1 and Acts 11:19.

Q: Why does James place such a strong emphasis on works in James 2:14–26?

A: He is addressing people who claimed to have faith but whose lives showed no evidence of it. His point is that genuine faith naturally produces obedience. As James says, “faith without works is dead.”

Q: Does this contradict Paul’s teaching that we are justified by faith?

A: No. Paul and James are addressing different issues. Paul explains how a person is made right with God: by faith, not by works of the law. James explains how genuine faith is recognized: it produces a transformed life. Many scholars note that Paul and James use the word “justify” in different senses. Paul refers to God’s declaration of righteousness, while James speaks of faith being shown or demonstrated to be genuine by its fruit.

Q: Do James and Paul use the same biblical example?

A: Yes. Both appeal to Abraham and Genesis 15:6, but they emphasize different aspects of his life and faith. Rather than contradicting one another, they complement each other.

Q: Why would this message have resonated so strongly with Jewish Christians?

A: Jewish believers understood that covenant faith and covenant obedience belonged together. To claim faith while living in disobedience would have been an obvious contradiction. James exposes that inconsistency and calls believers to a living faith that is demonstrated through action.