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Eastern Orthodox
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Why I Don’t Think the Church Is Called to Be as Unified as We Think

Introduction In John chapter 17, Christ prays for His followers, saying, “that they may be one as we are one.” This prayer has often been interpreted as a call for...

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Christian Philosophy
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Six Pillars of Trust: Building Confidence in Theological Voices

When I first became committed to the things of the Lord, I was a sponge. I absorbed whatever anyone was offering, as long as they said they loved Jesus. I bought anything that...

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Anthropology
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Punting to Mystery: A Calvinist Reflection on Free Will and Divine Sovereignty

Introduction I’ve been mulling over an idea for many years, one I’ve written about before but am now trying to articulate more clearly. It centers on the notion of...

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Credo House Ministries
Church History
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44. Through Theology in a Year with C. Michael Patton: The Protestant Tradition

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Apologetics
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The Joyful Cost of Evangelism: Embracing the Mission with Resilience

At the turn of the twentieth century, Theodore Roosevelt wrote these gripping words in his riveting book The Strenuous Life: “Nothing in the world is worth having or worth...

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Addiction
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Biblical Lists of Sins in Reverse

10 Commandments in Exodus 20:3-17 in Reverse You shall have no other gods before me. Reverse: Trust only God for everything. You shall not make for yourself an idol. Reverse:...

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Calvinism
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Reconciling Free Will and Divine Sovereignty: A Three-Dimensional View from a Two-Dimensional World

Imagine a world where you had to choose between two truths that seem equally valid but seemed utterly contradictory. In the realm of the Christian faith, this isn’t just...

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Depression
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Giving Up On Life

About thirteen years ago, right after my dad died, I felt like I gave up on life. I wasn’t going to end my life because I knew from experience the impact that would have on my...

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Theology Unplugged
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Theology Unplugged Q/A

Find everything I do at my Patreon.

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Theology Unplugged

Theology Unplugged
Theology Unplugged

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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
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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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