Artificial intelligence poses a great risk to the future survival of the human race, a fact that we and many other smarter, brighter, and more experienced minds have been trying to tell the masses ever since the technology was developed. And that message is even more critical today as major strides in the advancement of A.I. are being made in what feels like light speed.
One of the applications of this technology that could go beyond having physical consequences by reaching into the spiritual realm is the use of A.I. to develop sermons that pastors preach to their congregations. Yes, that’s right, ladies and gentlemen. Artificial intelligence is now coming for the Church.
Popular reformed pastor, John Piper, had a very strong, negative reaction when he was posited a question about the use of A.I. to write sermons during an episode of his podcast, “Ask Pastor John.”
“Pastor John, do you think it’s OK to use AI platforms—like Gemini or ChatGPT—to help draft a sermon, youth lesson or Bible study, as long as I review, adjust and ensure it aligns with God’s Word?” the question asked.
Piper then replied to the question by stating that the intellect of a human being was purposefully designed by its Creator to cultivate affection toward God that ultimately turns into worship. This is not something A.I. cannot participate in or help create in others, Charisma News said.
“Worship is not simply right thinking, which computers can do. Worship is right feeling about God,” he explained in his answer to the question. “That’s really crucial, unless we begin to think that artificial intelligence can take the place of human beings in accomplishing the divine purpose in the universe. It can’t.”
He then went on to add that human affections “are fundamentally of another nature than the logical thinking process of the human mind,” and this is why we’re all deeply disturbed whenever a machine tries to express joy or delight or any other emotion.
Despite the technological achievements of tools like ChatGPT, Piper argued that using the chatbot to write “an astonishingly well-written sermon” in mere moments is inappropriate. He even said that by way of testing, he told ChatGPT to “please write an 800-word answer, in the theology and style of theologian John Piper, to the question, ‘What are the dangers of a pastor using AI?’”
Piper reported that the result was “excellent” and “unbelievable,” with the AI assistant producing a perfect response in five seconds. But he also called that result “wicked.”
“I’m using a strong word because I feel strongly about this,” he stated as a warning. “This goes to the heart of God and the meaning of Christianity and the integrity of the church and her ministers.”
The pastor then said he’s “appalled” by the notion of pastors creating sermons through A.I., even if he goes over it to check for theological inaccuracies after it’s initial draft is written.
“I know that resources and websites have existed forever to help pastors cut corners: create your outlines, provide illustrations, tell you how to do research and so on,” he pointed out.
“There’s nothing new about this, and it’s been appalling to me all the way along, for this reason: one of the qualifications for being an elder-pastor-preacher in the Bible is the gift or the ability to teach,” he added.
The Word of God teaches that ministers should “have the ability, the gift, to read a passage of Scripture, understand the reality it deals with, feel the emotions it is meant to elicit, be able to explain it to others clearly, illustrate and apply it for their edification,” Piper said.
Some of the worst atrocities in the world have been the result of someone trying to take shortcuts and avoid hard work and responsibility. If you do not have the gift, skills, ability, and drive to study the Word of God and share what the Holy Spirit reveals to you to those who have been entrusted to your care, you aren’t called to the ministry.
It’s that simple.
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