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Apologetics
12Comments

What if Someone Knows Something You Don’t?

Making a commitment to God is not easy. This is especially true with skeptical people. I am not talking about skeptics out there. To put it another way, I am not talking about...

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Credo House Ministries
Uncategorized
130Comments

J. P. Moreland’s Story About God Healing an Amputee

Let’s think about how we believe. No, not “what we believe” or “why we believe it.” How we believe is what I want to discuss with you. Craig...

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Credo House Ministries
Christian Life
25Comments

Elder Questions: Miscarriage

I’m currently in a six month eldership process at my local church. This series is taken from questions asked during the process. How would you respond to a couple at...

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Credo House Ministries
Hermeneutics
28Comments

Basic Hermeneutical Principles

It is both the privilege and responsibility of every Christian to interpret the Bible for himself/herself. This principle of private interpretation, based on the doctrine of...

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Credo House Ministries
Charismatic
267Comments

Let this Strange Firestorm be a Lesson

Controversy is like a social hemorrhoid that will flare up on a regular basis & need to be cooled and soothed (I almost used the term strange anal fire but I thought...

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Charismatic
89Comments

What Does it Mean to Be Charismatic?

Many within evangelical circles seem to have failed to recognize how influential and growing the charismatic movement is these days among the most theologically astute. By...

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Credo House Ministries
Church
7Comments

Theology Unplugged: Church (Part 2) – Local vs. Universal

[display_podcast] Join Michael Patton, Tim Kimberley, JJ Seid and Sam Storms as they continue their new series on the Church. This is a topic hotly debated today. What really...

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Credo House Ministries
Calvinism
211Comments

What if My Children Are Not Elect?

An email came into the Credo House today containing this question: I’m wrestling with Calvin right now and as a parent I have hit a wall…What if my kids...

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Credo House Ministries
Christian Life
8Comments

Beware of Images that Make You Look More Pathetic than Cool

When did we make it our obsession to be liked by everyone so that we go out of our way to project images that will please them? I speak not of the youngsters here. I’m talking...

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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
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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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