AI Theology: A Study of Joy

I've mentioned that one of the reasons I've wanted to mess around with ChatGPT was to explore its value as a Bible study tool.

I will say that, as a theological resource, ChatGPT is very limited. I've not been very impressed when I've asked the chatbot abstract and complex theological questions. So, I wouldn't turn to the AI for anything particularly deep. But for more concrete questions about the Biblical text, ChatGPT can be a very helpful resource for Bible study and for Bible teachers.

Here's an illustration. 

Last week I was giving a talk out at the prison about the book of Philippians. Philippians is called Paul's "Epistle of Joy" because of how often he talks about "joy" and asks us to "rejoice." So, joy was going to be the theme of my talk. I had some prior notes about joy in Philippians, and thought I'd compare them with what ChatGPT would produce. Here was our exchange.

I asked, "List all the passages in the book of Philippians where joy is mentioned." The response:

In the book of Philippians, there are several passages where joy is mentioned. Here is a list of those passages:

Philippians 1:4 - "In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy."

Philippians 1:18 - "But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this, I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice."

Philippians 1:25 - "Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith."

Philippians 2:2 - "then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind."

Philippians 2:17-18 - "But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. So, you too should be glad and rejoice with me."

Philippians 2:28 - "Therefore, I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety."

Philippians 3:1 - "Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you."

Philippians 4:1 - "Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends!"

Philippians 4:4 - "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!"

Philippians 4:10 - "I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it."

These passages emphasize the theme of joy and rejoicing in various contexts throughout the book of Philippians.

Point of caution here. I asked ChatGPT for "all" the passages, and it answered with "some." The chatbot missed Philippians 4:14. This is a common glitch in ChatGPT: it struggles to give complete lists when you ask for them. You have to check and nag to get any complete list. 

Rule of Use: Never trust a complete list generated by ChatGPT as being complete.

Regardless, with one quick query you can get many if not most of the passages in the book of the Bible that use a particular word. Even the complete list if you nag. And if you don't know Greek, you can ask: "What is the Greek word in the New Testament for 'joy'?" The response:

The Greek word for "joy" in the New Testament is χαρά (chara). This word is commonly used to convey the concept of joy, gladness, or rejoicing in various contexts throughout the New Testament.

Of course, you can find all of this information using standard Bible study tools, like a concordance. I've used online tools for work like this for years. But those tools typically involve a lot of clicks and scrolling. Or flipping through pages. With ChatGPT, you just ask a quick question and you get quick answers. It's like a concordance you can query. And while I still don't know how much to trust ChatGPT for work like this, you can see a lot of promise here for Bible study.