How to (Carefully) Use AI for Bible Study

8 Ways to Leverage AI for Bible Exploration, Not Interpretation

Our world is exploding with AI tools.

Our world is exploding with artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT, Grok, chatbots, and others. As these tools become more popular they are increasingly being used to explore the Bible. Why?

1. AI can speed up your research. AI can help quickly guide you on information about the Bible. What once took hours to look up in multiple books, can take minutes with a good prompt (aka questions or commands).

2. AI can make Bible study more approachable. For people new to the Bible, AI can explain things in simple terms that feel less intimidating.

But how do we do this carefully and cautiously? How do we ensure that as we use AI as part of our study of the Bible, it isn’t providing us with false information?

While AI can be used to summarize data around the Bible, it, like any tool, must be used wisely, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and never as a replacement for personal engagement with God’s Word. AI is a machine, not the Holy Spirit. So be prayerful and invite the Holy Spirit to help give you discernment as you engage with AI.

Below are 8 safe ways to use AI for Bible Study, along with warnings and things to consider as you engage AI for Bible study.

8 Safe Ways to Use AI for Bible Study

1. Develop Reading Plans. Not sure how to tackle reading a specific book or section of scripture as part of your daily schedule? Ask AI to create reading plans based on what you’re hoping to read and the time you have available (e.g. “I want to read the entire New Testament of the Bible in 6 months. Develop a daily reading plan to help me accomplish this?”).

2. Generate study questions. When reading a verse or passage, request suggestions of what questions you should be asking yourself about the passage, or have it help develop questions or guides for group discussion. (e.g. “I’m reading John 3:16 in the Bible. What questions should I be asking myself as I read this verse and the surrounding verses?” or “Recommend 5 discussion questions on John 3:16 for a small group.”)

3. Outline themes or patterns in the text. Remember, AI is really good at summarizing complex information and can locate patterns and themes easily in a text. The key is to ask focused, text-driven questions that help you see patterns and themes without outsourcing your interpretation. (e.g. “What are the main themes in John 3:1–21?” or “What words or phrases are repeated in John 3, and why might that be significant?” or “How does the word ‘believe’ appear across the Old Testament and New Testament?”)

4. Use as a concordance or for a word study. As you study a specific topic in the Bible, use AI as a concordance when a physical Bible isn’t nearby. Just make sure to verify the information with your Bible or a trusted commentary. (e.g. “What verses in the Bible speak about “anxiety”?)

5. Find cross-references. Use AI to locate cross-references that correlate with the passage you’re studying. Just make sure to verify the information you gained with your Bible or a trusted commentary. (e.g. “What cross-reference verses tie to the verse John 3:16 in the Bible?” or “List Old Testament prophecies fulfilled in Jesus’ crucifixion”).

6. Compare Bible translations. Ask AI to compare a specific verse or passage across different Bible translations. Learn more about Bible Translations here. (e.g. “Compare John 3:16 in ESV, NIV, KJV, and NLT, highlighting differences in wording.” If your AI tool supports charts, ask for a table or chart when comparing translations.

7. Explore the original language of the Bible. Occasionally, you may run across Bible translations that use different wording. Remember, the Old Testament was written in Hebrew and some Aramaic, and the New Testament was written in Greek – so all English versions of the Bible are a translation. Use AI to explain the words in the original language (e.g. “Looking at the original language, explain the phrase “only begotten” in John 3:16” or “What is the word “love” in John 3:16 in the original language and what are the common definitions of that word?”)

8. Learn historical context. We live thousands of years removed from the characters and time period in the Bible. Because of this, it can be helpful to ask AI for details to understand historical places and people, as well as what worldview, cultural, religious, political factors and experiences would have influenced them. (e.g. “What was happening historically when Nehemiah was written?” or “Who were the Sadducees and Pharisees, and how did their beliefs differ?” or “Where was Berea located, and what was its significance in biblical history?”)

5 Warnings for Using AI in Bible Study

While AI can be a great tool in supporting your Bible Study, it does have its weaknesses. Check out these warnings before turning fully to AI for all your Bible study needs.

  • AI can be wrong. AI is grabbing from multiple sources, some that have zero backing or credentials. Just like humans, it can pull from bad information, mis-represent references, or just plain be inaccurate. Make sure to double-check what it says against trustworthy Biblical resources.
  • AI will make up information or hallucinate. If AI doesn’t have an answer, it will sometimes fill in the blanks with information it believes you want to hear. It might generate plausible-sounding but incorrect interpretations, facts, or even fabricate or mis-quote Bible verses. Always verify information against the Bible or other Biblical resources. Note: You can ask AI if it’s lying or adding non-sourced information, and it will tell you. (e.g. “Are you lying? What information did you include that’s not accurate or sourced properly?”)
  • AI uses your and other’s biases. Based on previous prompts you’ve provided, AI will take your beliefs, insights, and inquiries into account when answering questions. It also compiles data from a variety of sources to formulate answers, which might introduce biased interpretations based on the authors of the websites it’s sourcing.
  • AI has limitations. AI excels at pattern recognition and summarization but struggles with context, nuance, or interpretation. Treat it as such and make sure you’re not requesting something it was never intended to do.
  • AI can be too easy of a shortcut. It’s tempting to let AI do the heavy lifting instead of personally wrestling with the text. But transformation comes through meditating on God’s Word yourself, not outsourcing it. 

Because of AI’s weaknesses, here are a few tips on how to think about AI for Bible Study.

5 Ways to Approach AI for Bible Study

  • Use AI as a study aid, not a teacher. Treat AI like a Bible dictionary, not like a theologian. It can help you explore ideas, but you don’t have to accept everything AI generates.  Just like any website or book you pick up, use wisdom and discernment to ensure the information you’re receiving is accurate and trustworthy. You should test everything you are learning from AI tools (Acts 17:11). 
  • Prompts matters. AI responds best to clear, specific queries. The more detailed your prompt is, the better, so don’t be vague on what you’re asking. Remember, AI is good at summarizing information, not interpreting scripture. 
  • Combine AI with Traditional Tools. Pair AI with physical Bibles, concordances, commentaries, historical documents, or online Biblical resources that are trustworthy. You should always cross-check AI responses with multiple sources and fact-check historical or cultural details with scholarly sites.
  • Ask AI for its sources. When you get a response back from AI, be sure to ask it what sources it used to pull the information. You can even ask it to answer the question again, removing specific sources you don’t want it to reference. (e.g. “Cite all the resources you used to provide your information?” and “Don’t use [resources to remove] and then answer the question again.”)

Bottom line: Use AI to deepen—not replace—your engagement with the Bible.

AI can be a helpful tool for Bible study if used with discernment, humility, and Scripture as the final authority. If you’re just starting, pray for guidance, explore cautiously, and watch how AI enhances your interaction with the Bible. AI should deepen your hunger for God’s Word, not replace it.

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