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Punting to the Eschaton

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Personal (Michael Patton)
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A short message on the six-year anniversary of my recovery

When my sister killed herself, my mom had her aneurysm, and then my dad died within a few short years, I thought I was fine. More than that, I thought I was handling...

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Credo House Ministries
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Atheism is a Blind Leap of Faith in Disguise?

Introduction Atheism is often regarded as a rejection of religious belief, a position firmly grounded in evidence and reason. But is atheism itself free from faith? This blog...

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Christian Life
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The Value of Deconstructing Your Faith

Rebuilding a Lawnmower “With” My Dad Regrettably, my father hasn’t explicitly taught me much, as he seldom spoke. Most of what I’ve learned from him came through...

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Culture
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Look Whose Laughing Now: The Rise of Conservative Comedy

Everyone in our family knows how to get my wife, Kristie, to laugh. It is the most predictable thing about her. She loves to laugh, like we all do. But it is when she laughs...

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Bibliology
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The Myth of a “Closed” Canon: An Open Dialogue

Revisiting the Concept of ‘Closed’ Scripture The term ‘closed canon of Scripture’ often surfaces in theological discussions, but it might not...

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Culture
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The Butterfly Effect of Misunderstood Theology: A Reflection on Doctrinal Misrepresentation

Introduction: In today’s interconnected world, beliefs and ideologies spread like wildfire, often reaching vast numbers of people across society. The more popular a...

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Credo House Ministries
Theology Unplugged
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Conversations with Tad – Can Christians Go On Sinning After they are Saved?

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Difficult Issues in Scripture
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10 Most Controversial Issues in the Church Today

I have been in ministry for 25 years. Besides a six-year stint as a pastor at Stonebriar (great memories!), I have solely taught and produced theology courses (unless you...

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Theology Unplugged

Theology Unplugged
Theology Unplugged

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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
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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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