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Bibliology
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How to Study the Bible in a Nutshell

The following is a practical guide to biblical interpretation following a three-step process that I have used for years. The Bible is two-thousand years old and often seems...

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Uncategorized
6Comments

Concessionism

The belief that God can “concede” to common worldviews and practices for a time in order to make a point or advance his perfect will one step at a time. For example: (although...

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Culture
9Comments

Critical Race Theory and Antinomianism?

I’ve been thinking a lot on the theological implications of Critical Race Theory. Philosophically, there are gnostic components to CRT in that it entails a belief there is a...

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Atheism
19Comments

How NOT to React to Joshua Harris’ Announcement

Popular pastor and author Joshua Harris announced recently that he no longer considered himself a Christian. This announcement comes shortly after he announced he and his wife...

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Depression
11Comments

12 Diagnostic Questions I Ask of Those Doubting Their Faith

1. What are you doubting? There are three primary things people doubt: 1) Their salvation, 2) God’s love for them, 3) Fundamental issues of the faith. Included with the...

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Credo House Ministries
Bibliology
2Comments

Humanizing Judas Iscariot

I woke up this morning thinking about Judas Iscariot, you know, the guy history remembers as the “son of hell”? The one who betrayed Jesus to the Pharisees for 30...

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Angels and Demons
9Comments

Are Demons Afraid of Zoloft? Toward and Evangelical Demonology

I remember in seminary Dr. Frank Minirth covering my class on pastoral counseling. He was an internationally know Christian psychiatrist who had a successful ministry in...

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Epistemology
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The Five Great Mysteries in the Christian Faith that We Can’t Solve

As I do the math, there are five great mysteries in theology: 1. Creation out of nothing (ex nihilo): How did God create being out of non-being? Being transcendent in...

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Calvinism
24Comments

An Open Letter to Arminians

I know that some of you will have no idea what I am talking about, and others will shake their heads, but I want to say a few things anyway. I struggle this morning to find a...

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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:
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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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