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Current Issues in Theology
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The Sad Story of Roy Clements and the Progressive Reinterpretation of Sodom and Gomorrah

In the early 2000s, I encountered the unsettling story of Roy Clements, a respected evangelical leader who dramatically shifted his stance on homosexuality. His progressive...

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Credo House Ministries
Christian Life
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On a Reminder of God’s Return (Matthew 12:36)

Last night, I was reading Luke (my plan is to get through Luke-Acts as they are both written by Dr. Luke, a friend of the apostle Paul) and my commentary brought me to the...

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Book Review
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Reformed Systematic Theology, Beeke and Smalley

Let me give a great big shout out to Crossway Books. I am one of their humble authors. Since I’m part of their review program – my blog used to be big and I used to be cool –...

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Calvinism
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Was God’s Purpose in Creation Really to Glorify Himself?

There is a popular notion in the evangelical world today that I think has become part of our folklore and can very easily misrepresent the character of God by attributing to...

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Reformation
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The Paradox of Infallibility of Rome: A Protestant Perspective

This blog post delves into the inherent contradictions within the Roman Catholic doctrine of papal infallibility, exploring how both Catholics and Protestants grapple with the...

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Faith
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The Significance of What John Leaves Out of His Gospel

The early Gospels were not available in the Canon we have today during the first century. Each Gospel writer crafted their narrative for a specific audience, much like tracts,...

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Bibliology
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Oh, Pulpit, Where Art Thou?

In the wake of modern shifts within the church, the traditional pulpit is being abandoned, raising important questions about the impact on preaching and authority. This post...

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Calvinism
502Comments

The Irrationality of Calvinism

In this insightful post, we delve into the complex theological debate between Calvinism and Arminianism, exploring key concepts like predestination, the balance between divine...

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Calvinism
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William Lane Craig’s Infinite Library: Why Molinism Doesn’t Work

Delve into the complexities of Molinism as we explore its unique approach to divine sovereignty and human free will, discussing middle knowledge and the philosophical...

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Theology Unplugged

Theology Unplugged
Theology Unplugged

Get your weekly dose of one of the longest-running theology podcasts there is.

87. Through Theology in a Year: Evidencing Inspiration
byC. Michael Patton

How can we be certain that the Bible is inspired? What evidence supports the Christian claim that the Scriptures are uniquely the Word of God? In this episode of Theology Unplugged, Michael begins examining the cumulative case for biblical inspiration, including Scripture’s self-attestation, its uniqueness, its historicity, its prophetic character, the testimony of Christ, its life-changing power, and the testimony of the Holy Spirit.

Michael begins with Scripture’s testimony concerning itself. The Bible repeatedly claims to speak the words of God, but self-attestation cannot stand alone as the entire argument. Simply saying that the Bible is inspired because the Bible says it is inspired would appear circular. Nevertheless, self-attestation is a necessary part of the evidence. If Scripture truly is the Word of God, there can be no higher authority by which its divine inspiration may be authenticated. As Hebrews says of God, because He had no one greater by whom to swear, He swore by Himself.

The episode also considers the remarkable uniqueness of the Bible: a collection of 66 books, written by more than 40 authors from very different backgrounds, in three languages, on three continents, over approximately 1,500 years. Despite these differences, the books form a unified theological and redemptive story unlike any other collection of literature.

Michael then turns to the historicity of Scripture and explains the importance of examining both internal and external evidence. Christianity does not ask people to accept its historical claims merely because the Bible is inspired. Rather, the historical claims themselves—most importantly, the resurrection of Jesus Christ—must be investigated. If the resurrection occurred as a historical event, Christianity is true whether or not someone has already accepted a complete doctrine of biblical inspiration.

Finally, Michael begins considering the internal evidence for Scripture’s historical reliability, especially its striking honesty. The biblical writers consistently record the sins, doubts, embarrassments, and failures of their own heroes. David murders, Peter denies Christ, the apostles abandon Him, Abraham and Sarah doubt, Jonah runs, Noah becomes drunk, and Israel repeatedly rebels. These are not the kinds of carefully polished stories normally produced to glorify a nation, its leaders, or its founders. Scripture also preserves apparently incidental details that are difficult to explain as deliberate legendary embellishments.

This episode begins a larger cumulative argument. No single evidence by itself establishes everything Christians believe about inspiration, but together these evidences provide substantial reasons for believing that the Scriptures are what they claim to be: the written Word of God.

Get involved:
Michael’s public blog: https://credohouse.org
Courses and Manuscript Reproductions from Michael and other scholars: https://credocourses.com
Join us as we go through the great Fathers of the Faith in a year: https://throughthechurchfathers.com
Support Michael and receive exclusive podcasts, courses, and much more: https://patreon.com/cmichaelpatton

87. Through Theology in a Year: Evidencing Inspiration
87. Through Theology in a Year: Evidencing Inspiration
2026-07-15
C. Michael Patton
Will the True Church Please Stand Up?
2026-06-24
C. Michael Patton
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  • 87. Through Theology in a Year: Evidencing Inspiration 2026-07-15
    How can we be certain that the Bible is inspired? What evidence supports the Christian claim that the Scriptures are uniquely the Word of God? In this episode of Theology Unplugged, Michael begins examining the cumulative case for biblical inspiration, including Scripture's self-attestation, its uniqueness, its historicity, its prophetic character, the testimony of Christ, its […]
  • Will the True Church Please Stand Up? 2026-06-24
    What happens when we become convinced that our church, our tradition, or our denomination is the official gatekeeper of the kingdom of God? In this episode of Theology Unplugged, Michael explores a surprising pattern that runs throughout the Gospels. Again and again, the disciples appoint themselves as the guardians of God's kingdom. They try to […]

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