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48Comments

Changing Doctrine? How Do Protestants (And Others) Justify Themselves?

How do Protestants justify their belief in sola fide (salvation by faith alone) if it didn’t exist prior to the sixteenth-century? How do Catholics explain their belief in the...

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Eschatology
3Comments

Armageddon – What is it? Mark Hitchcock Gives the Definition

What Is “Armageddon”? Dr. Mark Hitchcock (of Faith Bible Church) recently stopped by the Credo House to teach a course on the book of Revelation. Because Dr. Hitchcock’s class...

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Heresies
81Comments

Heretics – Why I Love (Some) of Them

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Homosexuality
11Comments

Homosexuality in the Church (Part 1) – Theology Unplugged

Homosexuality in the Church? On this episode of Theology Unplugged, Michael, Tim, Sam, and JJ launch a new series, “Homosexuality in the Church”. Homosexuality is one of the...

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Homosexuality in the Church (Part 1)
Ethics and Morality
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Homosexuality in the Church (Part 1)

[smart_track_player url=”https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/credo-house/podcast/theology-unplugged/2014/homosexuality-in-the-church-part-1.mp3″...

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Eschatology
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Eschatology – What Does it Mean? A Simple Definition

What Does “Eschatology” Mean Anyway? Dr. Mark Hitchcock recently stopped by the Credo House to teach a course on the book of Revelation. Because Dr....

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Doubt
30Comments

When We Misinterpret God

There have been times, too numerous to count, when I went one way, suspecting the Lord was heading in the same direction, only to find out the heart-breaking reality that God...

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Credo House Ministries
Doubt
4Comments

Living with Unanswered Questions

Some of you have a lot of questions about the Christian faith. I am especially talking to those of you who are “seekers,” who, according to your own testimony,...

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Credo House Ministries
Depression
19Comments

My Second Round with Depression

Depression. I hate it. I can’t think of many things in this life that are worse. Oh, how different I would be if I were never introduced to this dark shadow which...

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Theology Unplugged

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Theology Unplugged

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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
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  • 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 […]

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