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Hell
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Why I Don’t Believe in Hell . . . Right Now

Introduction: The Voices of Hell As of this moment, I do not believe in Hell. There is not a place called Hell where people are burning, screaming or suffering. I remember...

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Christian Life
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Embracing a Five-Dimensional Faith in the Church

Explore the depths of faith and spirituality in our latest blog post. Dive into a heartfelt journey of personal faith crisis, understand the diverse dimensions of Christian...

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. . . and Other Bad Interpretations
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We Will NOT Be Timeless in Heaven

A Complaint I would like to register a complaint. In truth, I would like to register many complaints about the common Christian view of the afterlife, but I start here. This...

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Apologetics
4Comments

The Theological Ecosystem in a Nutshell

Introduction to Christian Scholarship Christian scholarship encompasses much more than what meets the eye on a Sunday morning. It’s akin to the creation of a birthday...

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Apologetics
4Comments

Caleb Goes to Hell: The Concequence of Missing Mass

Note: The following narrative is entirely hypothetical and serves as a thought experiment. Caleb is not an ordinary man. His life is a profound reflection of his unwavering...

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Apologetics
4Comments

The Early Church, Pseudepigrapha, and the Unnamed Gospel

What is Pseudepigrapha? Before we delve into the mysterious world of the unnamed Gospels, let’s first understand the concept of pseudepigrapha. Derived from the Greek...

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Canon
16Comments

Why I’m a “De facto Cessationist” (But Dont Want to Be)

How about this: I am a “de facto cessationist.” Let me clarify something that might help you understand. Some of you have read about this on my blog. It might...

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. . . and Other Bad Interpretations
6Comments

What Does “Where Two or Three Are Gathered in My Name” Really Mean

Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” A Confession I sat quietly as a young lady led us in prayer. It was hard. I...

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Apologetics
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The “Bizarreness” of a God Who Can Do Anything

A friend recently questioned whether I genuinely believe in Jonah being swallowed by a whale. While I acknowledge the thematic and parable-like qualities of Jonah (it’s...

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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.

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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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