Tom Thomas –
Everyone is talking about the impact of the Artificial Intelligence tool, ChatGPT these days, and how it will affect almost all spheres of activity. I wanted to test out how ChatGPT could impact the area of Bible studies- will it be a boon or bane?
We are part of a weekly Bible study group that picks out a Chapter for study and discussion each Friday evening. This week, the leader announced that we would be looking at Mt 18. I like to read up on the chapter before the hour-long session, as it helps me get prepared. Reading the relevant chapter from my Bible, I found several takeaways that struck me: including having the humility of a child as well the capacity for unlimited forgiveness, both difficult for me to practice now as an adult in middle age, having lost the spontaneity and large-heartedness of a child. The saying of Edith Stein comes to mind, “The deeper one is drawn into God, the more one must go out of oneself.” I supplement my reading of the Bible by looking through the St Jerome commentary of the same chapter.
I feel I am almost ready for the class when I think of consulting ChatGPT too ( just as an experiment).
“What are the key learnings from Mt 18?” is my query.
Back comes the response:
“Matthew 18 contains several key teachings from Jesus, including:
- Humility and childlike faith: Jesus emphasizes the importance of humility and childlike faith when he says, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3).
- Dealing with sin in the community: Jesus provides a framework for dealing with sin within the community of believers. He encourages us to confront sin in a spirit of love and reconciliation, seeking to restore the offender to fellowship with God and others (Matthew 18:15-17).
- Forgiveness: Jesus teaches that we should forgive others when they sin against us, not just seven times, but seventy-seven times (Matthew 18:21-22). He tells the parable of the unforgiving servant to illustrate the importance of forgiving others as we have been forgiven by God (Matthew 18:23-35).
- The importance of unity: Jesus emphasizes the importance of unity within the community of believers, saying, “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18:20). He urges us to be reconciled with one another before bringing our worship and offerings to God (Matthew 5:23-24).
Overall, the key teachings of Matthew 18 encourage humility, forgiveness, and reconciliation within the community of believers, as well as emphasizing the importance of childlike faith and unity in Christ.”
Not bad at all, I think, in fact, this supplements my learning on Mt 18. I am ready for the class.
Based on this short experiment, I feel that ChatGPT can indeed help us in many areas, and we can use it as a tool to supplement our efforts in our Bible studies too.
The Holy Father also has addressed the impact of Artificial Intelligence on our lives:
“I am convinced that the development of artificial intelligence and machine learning has the potential to contribute in a positive way to the future of humanity.” Holy Father, Pope Francis addressing the Minerva Dialogues, 27 Mar 2023.