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Christian Life
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Ten Commandments in Reverse

1.  You shall not have any other Gods before me. 1 in Reverse: You shall place ultimate trust in me alone to provide you with all that you need. You shall look toward me as...

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Credo House Ministries
Uncategorized
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Selling Fetal Body Parts is NOT the Primary Moral Issue

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Abortion is Murder
Ethics and Morality
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Selling Fetal Body Parts Is NOT the Primary Moral Issue

It’s gone viral, and there’s no undoing it. The hidden camera exposé of Planned Parenthood’s tiny “chop shop” side operation is one “baby” they couldn’t prevent coming to full...

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Credo House Ministries
Apologetics
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Joseph Smith’s Seer Stone and Mormon Origins: A Matter of Transparency

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Joseph Smith's Seer Stone
Apologetics
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Joseph Smith’s Seer Stone and Mormon Origins: A Matter of Transparency

I actually heard it on my car radio on NPR the other day—August 4, 2015. Melissa Block introduced the segment by saying that the way in which Joseph Smith had translated the...

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Apologetics
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Apologetics Unplugged – Gender Identity – Part 2

Listen in as Michael, Clint and Carrie wrap up their series covering issues surrounding gender identity. Is gender determined by the individual? If not, and someone identifies...

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Doubt
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A Plea to Have Mercy on Those Who Doubt

Over the years, I have written much about Christian doubt. One of my life-verses is Jude 22, “Have mercy on some who doubt.” Christian doubt is a terrifying...

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The Cross and the Sword: How Christianity and Islam Spread
Apologetics
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The Sword or the Cross? How Islam and Christianity Grow

Doctrine drives all religions, theistic and non-theistic. God makes for a more compelling religion. Following God’s will, sacrificing for God, hoping in God compels believers...

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Stop the Madness. End Discrimination Against Discrimination.
Ethics and Morality
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I’m Pro-Discrimination and so Are You

You want to hear a confession? Today I committed blatant discrimination. I did it knowingly and on purpose. And it wasn’t the first time. In fact I practice discrimination...

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Theology Unplugged

Theology Unplugged
Theology Unplugged

Get your weekly dose of one of the longest-running theology podcasts there is.

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
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 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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