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Theological Teenagers – Navigating the Dangerous Landscape of Theology

The Joy of Theological Transformation Theology is a realm that I have grown to have a love-hate relationship with. I find immense joy in its capacity to deepen one’s...

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Calvinism
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The Ultimate Balanced Guide to Calvinism (from a Calvinist)

Calvinism, rooted in the teachings of John Calvin, is more than just a theological stance; it's a profound exploration of God's sovereignty and mankind's role in salvation....

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Addiction
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My Addiction Six Years Later

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Theological News
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8 ≈ Credo News ≈ Saturday, October 14

Let me know if you want me to keep doing this. Interesting theological news from around the web: 1. Grant for Women’s Preaching Program: A new initiative aimed at...

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Christian Philosophy
5Comments

Through the Gates of Mystery: A Fascinating Glimpse of the Sons of God, Nephilim, and Other Weird Beings

In the realm of biblical mysteries, some passages in the early parts of the Bible hold a special allure. They speak of enigmatic beings known as the "sons of God," the...

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Uncategorized
8Comments

A Quick Word About the Credo House Coffee Shop

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Bibliology
12Comments

Protestant Christianity and the True Meaning of “Sola Scriptura”

Understanding "Sola Scriptura" Unravel the often misunderstood Protestant principle of "sola scriptura." Explore its true meaning as the ultimate authority, delving into...

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Anthropology
4Comments

What Does it Mean to Become “One Flesh”

“Therefore, a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24) What does it mean to become...

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Christian Philosophy
27Comments

John Shelby Spong’s Paradoxical Religious Pluralism

In my reading of Spong today, I came across this quote. It started as a two-sentence response to it that I was going to post on Facebook. But as so often happens, it turned...

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Theology Unplugged

Theology Unplugged
Theology Unplugged

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86. Through Theology in a Year: Biblical Docetism
byC. Michael Patton

In this episode, Michael introduces a new term for an old interpretive problem: Biblical Docetism. Borrowing from the ancient Christological heresy of Docetism—which denied the true humanity of Christ while affirming His deity—Michael argues that many Christians approach the Bible in a remarkably similar way. They affirm the divine origin of Scripture but neglect its genuinely human character, treating the Bible as though it simply dropped from heaven rather than being written through real authors in real historical contexts.

Michael explores how this tendency manifests itself in everyday Bible study. Whether it is randomly opening the Bible to see what God has to say, assuming every verse applies directly to us, searching for hidden meanings and secret codes, neglecting the personalities of the biblical writers, or ignoring literary genre and historical context, these approaches often bypass the human element of Scripture altogether. The result is a view of the Bible that functions more like a magical object than a divine-human book.

Along the way, Michael examines a variety of common hermeneutical mistakes that arise from this perspective, including over-literalization, misunderstanding progressive revelation, treating chapter and verse divisions as inspired, and assuming that everything recorded in Scripture is therefore endorsed by Scripture. He argues that many of these errors stem from the same underlying problem: an inability to appreciate the role of the human authors in the process of inspiration.

Ultimately, Michael contends that a faithful doctrine of Scripture must mirror a faithful doctrine of Christ. Just as Christ is fully God and fully man, Scripture is both divine and human. To neglect either dimension is to distort the nature of God’s revelation. Understanding this balance not only protects us from interpretive errors but also helps us hear more clearly what God intended to communicate through the human authors He inspired.

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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
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86. Through Theology in a Year: Biblical Docetism
86. Through Theology in a Year: Biblical Docetism
2026-06-16
C. Michael Patton
85. Through Theology in a Year: Can Scripture Mean More Than Its Author Intended?
2026-06-11
C. Michael Patton
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  • 86. Through Theology in a Year: Biblical Docetism 2026-06-16
    In this episode, Michael introduces a new term for an old interpretive problem: Biblical Docetism. Borrowing from the ancient Christological heresy of Docetism—which denied the true humanity of Christ while affirming His deity—Michael argues that many Christians approach the Bible in a remarkably similar way. They affirm the divine origin of Scripture but neglect its […]
  • 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? […]

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