Skip to content
Credo House Ministries
  • Home
  • Theology Unplugged
  • Donate
  • About
  • Credo Courses
  • Close Search Form
    Open Search Form
Calvinism
0Comments

Bad Theology in Heaven? Confessions of a Mystical Calvinist

Being a Calvinist isn't the struggle—it's being mistaken for *that* kind of Calvinist. This post explores "Mystical Calvinism," a way of holding the doctrines of grace with...

Continue Reading

Church
0Comments

Who’s Not Who in Church History: Felix Aptunga – The Bishop Who, Sadly, Got a Libellus

Felix Aptunga, an often-overlooked figure in church history, found himself at the center of one of the most significant early Christian controversies. During the brutal...

Continue Reading

Church History
0Comments

Orthodoxy Across the Spectrum: 6 Views of Orthodoxy

Where Do You Stand? Christians come to theology with different starting points—presuppositions that shape how we define faithfulness. That doesn’t make those presuppositions...

Continue Reading

Angels and Demons
0Comments

Are We Held Guilty for Adam’s Sin: Why Aquinas’ View that Angels are not a Species Matters

Are we really held guilty for Adam’s sin? Many wrestle with the fairness of imputed sin, but Thomas Aquinas offers a surprising and compelling angle. By exploring his view...

Continue Reading

Christology
0Comments

The Gospel is a Person, Not a Proposition

What if the Gospel isn’t primarily a formula, a set of doctrines, or even a carefully worded message—but a person? This post reflects on a real conversation with a homeless...

Continue Reading

Anthropology
0Comments

Won’t Heaven Be Boring?

Many wonder if heaven will be boring—an endless, unchanging existence. But what if heaven is filled with growth, learning, and endless discovery? This post explores how being...

Continue Reading

Apologetics
0Comments

Is Ridicule Ever a Legitimate Christian Tactic? (Don’t Answer Too Quickly!)

In this blog, we explore whether ridicule is a legitimate—and even necessary—tool for Christians. Drawing on Scripture and the teachings of Church Fathers like Augustine,...

Continue Reading

Addiction
0Comments

Gladiators and Strippers (And The Night I Closed My Eyes)

Alypius once despised the gladiator games—until one moment of weakness pulled him in. Augustine tells the story of his fall and God’s unexpected rescue.

Continue Reading

Apologetics
0Comments

The Hidden Hands: Amanuenses and the Letters Behind the Letters

This deep dive into ancient letter-writing practices explores how the use of amanuenses impacts our understanding of New Testament authorship, challenging modern assumptions...

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