Like many people, when ChatGTP burst on the scene, I downloaded the app curious to see what it could do. Since I write a church humor newsletter, I decided to test the chatbot’s skills on the topic.
“Tell me a joke about church” I commanded.
The words immediately appeared:
“Sure! Why did the scarecrow go to church? Because he wanted to find some ‘pews’ to hang out with.”
I didn’t get it, so I tried again.
“Funnier please.”
“Why don’t scientists trust atoms anymore? Because they make up everything … except the pews in church, of course!”
Still pretty bad. It seems my job cracking jokes about church culture is safe for now.
Apparently, AI isn’t much better when it comes to interpreting Scripture. John Boyles decided to put ChatGPT’s exegetical skills to the test by asking the chatbot to interpret the Sermon on the Mount. The answers did more than reveal the shortcomings of the new tech. It revealed something about the way most westerners misread the text. He writes:
“I was struck by the fact that ChatGPT holds up a mirror to the North American church, as well as to the broader Western scholarly community, by sharing three major shortcomings with us as we have been shaped by the spirit of our age.”
Read: “Misreading Scripture with Artificial Eyes”
Interpreting Scripture is difficult. So is teaching it. Especially the disturbing and controversial passages. Our resource on Teaching the Hard Parts of Scripture will equip anyone who teaches or preaches at your church prepare to address the most difficult passages and topics in the Bible in ways that point people toward the fullness of God and his Word.
