How Chat GPT is changing our Bible study

How do you find Bible study resources for a group that includes an academic with a PhD, a recent convert, a second-language English speaker and someone who finds reading hard? David Landin found an unlikely helper in the form of artificial intelligence

When we moved into our new home seven years ago, one of the main considerations was a large front room. We wanted to start a Bible study group for people in our church, and we reckoned that if we could seat twelve people, that would be ideal. Jesus seemed to think twelve was a good number too. 

We began by using various topical Bible study booklets from well-known Christian publishers. But we often found that the materials weren’t really suitable for what we needed. Sometimes the content focused more on the author’s personal experiences than on scripture. Other times, the questions didn’t seem to fit our very mixed group.

Our group often felt like a small slice of the church in New Testament times. We had people from the Midlands, North Wales, Pakistan and Nigeria. Some had PhDs, while others struggled with reading. And with no Christian bookshop in our town, we couldn’t simply browse for suitable materials. 

We wanted people to think deeply about the biblical text and apply it to their own lives, but finding appropriate Bible study resources was an ongoing struggle.