Skip to content
Credo House Ministries
  • Home
  • Theology Unplugged
  • Donate
  • About
  • Credo Courses
  • Close Search Form
    Open Search Form
Current Issues in Theology
2Comments

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...

Continue Reading

Credo House Ministries
Christian Life
0Comments

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...

Continue Reading

Book Review
2Comments

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 –...

Continue Reading

Calvinism
1Comments

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...

Continue Reading

Reformation
3Comments

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...

Continue Reading

Faith
0Comments

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,...

Continue Reading

Bibliology
84Comments

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...

Continue Reading

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...

Continue Reading

Calvinism
15Comments

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...

Continue Reading

« Older Articles Newer Articles »

NEW! Become a Patron of Michael Patton

Theology Unplugged

Theology Unplugged
Theology Unplugged

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

85. Through Theology in a Year: Can Scripture Mean More Than Its Author Intended?
byC. Michael Patton

In this episode, Michael explores one of the most fascinating questions in biblical interpretation: Can Scripture mean more than its human author intended? If God is the ultimate Author of Scripture, is it possible for Him to communicate truths that transcend the conscious awareness of the biblical writers while remaining faithful to their intended meaning?

Along the way, Michael introduces the concept of “Biblical Docetism”—a tendency among many Bible-believing Christians to emphasize the divine element of Scripture while neglecting its genuinely human character. Drawing an analogy from the ancient Christological heresy of Docetism, he argues that many interpreters approach the Bible as if it simply dropped from heaven, overlooking the personalities, literary styles, historical settings, and intentions of the biblical authors. This often results in serious hermeneutical errors and a misunderstanding of how God chose to communicate through human writers.

Michael also examines the doctrine of sensus plenior (“fuller sense”), asking whether a biblical text can legitimately mean more than the human author consciously understood. Can God intend meanings that transcend the author’s awareness? If so, what limits govern interpretation? The discussion leads to a deeper appreciation of the relationship between divine authorship, human authorship, and the nature of biblical inspiration itself.

Ultimately, Michael argues that Scripture, like Christ, possesses both a divine and human dimension. A faithful doctrine of inspiration must account for both without sacrificing either. The result is a richer understanding of how God speaks through His Word and why responsible interpretation requires attention to both the divine Author and the human authors He employed.

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 me and get A LOT more stuff from C. Michael Patton: https://patreon.com/cmichaelpatton

85. Through Theology in a Year: Can Scripture Mean More Than Its Author Intended?
85. Through Theology in a Year: Can Scripture Mean More Than Its Author Intended?
2026-06-11
C. Michael Patton
84. Through Theology in a Year: Theories of Inspiration
2026-06-10
C. Michael Patton
Search Results placeholder

Every Credo Course On One Drive!

Or Send a Quick Tip

Subscribe

* indicates required

C Michael Patton’s discipleship book

Categories

RSS Theology Unplugged

  • 85. Through Theology in a Year: Can Scripture Mean More Than Its Author Intended? 2026-06-11
    In this episode, Michael explores one of the most fascinating questions in biblical interpretation: Can Scripture mean more than its human author intended? If God is the ultimate Author of Scripture, is it possible for Him to communicate truths that transcend the conscious awareness of the biblical writers while remaining faithful to their intended meaning? […]
  • 84. Through Theology in a Year: Theories of Inspiration 2026-06-10
    In this episode, Michael examines the major theories of biblical inspiration and asks one of the most important questions in theology: Where does inspiration reside? Is Scripture merely the product of exceptionally gifted men? Does the Holy Spirit simply elevate human insight? Is only part of the Bible inspired? Are some passages more inspired than […]

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Address


Credo House 1209 Cedar Ridge Road Edmond OK 73013

Text

405-410-3039

Credo House Ministries

©2010-2017 SmartTheme. All Rights Reserved.

WordPress Theme by OptimizePress