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Credo House Ministries
Christian Life
62Comments

Ten Reasons Good Christians Go Bad

One of the most discouraging (and blindsiding) things in life is to follow the Lord for some time, feel like you’re on the right track, be involved in the His work, and...

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Credo House Ministries
Roman Catholicism
42Comments

Theology Unplugged: Roman Catholicism – Part 14 – Sacraments

[display_podcast] Join Michael Patton, Tim Kimberley, JJ Seid and Sam Storms as they continue their series on Roman Catholicism by discussing the Sacraments. Theology...

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Credo House Ministries
Christian Philosophy
17Comments

Believing for No Reason

One of the earliest signs of the healthy development of the mind of a child is that he or she starts responding to everything with a simple question: Why?  Every parent knows...

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Credo House Ministries
Uncategorized
36Comments

Superman: Man of Steel Review (Spoiler Free)

As most of you know, it is hard for me to write an unbiased review about any superhero movie. Either I go in with too many expectations, get my hopes dashed, and kick dirt all...

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Credo House Ministries
Hermeneutics
34Comments

John Shelby Spong on the Gospel of John

John Shelby Spong’s newest book, The Fourth Gospel: Tales of a Jewish Mystic, was released this week. For those unfamiliar with Spong, he is a retired Episcopal bishop of...

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Credo House Ministries
Church History
207Comments

The Great Reformation in a Nutshell

There used to be a time when your loyalty to the Protestant cause was judged by how much you hated Catholics. But today, with all the ecumenical dialogue, the Manhattan...

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Credo House Ministries
Roman Catholicism
3Comments

Theology Unplugged: Roman Catholicism – Part 13 – Indulgences

[display_podcast] Join Michael Patton, Tim Kimberley, JJ Seid and Sam Storms as they continue their series on Roman Catholicism by discussing Indulgences. Theology Unplugged:...

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Credo House Ministries
Credo House of Theology
0Comments

Just 24 Hours Left! – Credo Course – #1 Reason to Love Textual Criticism: The Enemies of the Gospel know Textual Criticism

Yesterday I was on an atheist forum. It was amazing to me what I saw. It was a discussion about textual criticism. These atheists were discussing how the text of the Bible had...

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Credo House Ministries
Folk Theology
81Comments

Folk Theology: Twenty Urban Legends in Theology

Folk theology describes beliefs, generally shared by a large group of people, which said adherents have rarely thought through in a critical way. These beliefs are normally...

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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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