Skip to content
Credo House Ministries
  • Home
  • Theology Unplugged
  • Donate
  • About
  • Credo Courses
  • Close Search Form
    Open Search Form
Paul Copan
9Comments

Was the Trinity Broken at the Cross? Paul Copan

As we approach Good Friday, it would be good to reflect on what did and didn’t happen while Jesus was on the cross. Some modern theologians (e.g., Jürgen Moltmann in his...

Continue Reading

Difficult Issues in Scripture
12Comments

Why I Don’t Believe in Hell Right Now

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 many years ago hearing about someone...

Continue Reading

Christian Philosophy
2Comments

Doing Philosophy as a Christian: The Example of Justin Martyr

  “Our doctrines are not shameful, according to sober judgment, but are indeed more lofty than all human philosophy.” -Justin Martyr, Second Apology 15 NOTE: I have...

Continue Reading

Politics
12Comments

I Finally Figured Out These Elections

  Not really. I thought the headline would be a better grabber than that I’m “trying really hard” to figure out what’s going on with these elections. Even though this...

Continue Reading

Culture
0Comments

Apologetics Unplugged: One off episode – The Final Republican Debate of 2016

We are taking a bit of a pause from our new series on the trancendentals. But are we? Listen in as Clint and Carrie discuss how a belief in an objective, universal truth (or...

Continue Reading

Apologetics
8Comments

Eight Reasons Why the Gospels are Embarrassing

I don’t know if you have ever realized this, but the Gospels are quite embarrassing. No, I don’t mean that the Gospel itself is embarrassing, but that the four...

Continue Reading

Apologetics
2Comments

The Problem of the Nameless Gospels

In the New Testament, there are four canonical “Gospels.” These are basically four different people writing about the life, death, and resurrection of Christ from...

Continue Reading

Addiction
3Comments

Confessions of a Pill-Popping Pastor

This Place is Not for Me When I first arrived at rehab, I was met by a big, tattooed, long haired, bare foot Native American. “Here is where you will sleep. Lucky!  . ....

Continue Reading

Apologetics
9Comments

Do Christians and Muslims Worship the Same God

Considering all the controversy about the Wheaton professor that was suspended for displaying solidarity with Muslims, even going so far as to say that Muslims and Christians...

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