INTRODUCTION
Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a groundbreaking force, reshaping industries and transforming our everyday lives.
While it offers remarkable potential for enhancing ministry and outreach, it also presents ethical and spiritual dilemmas that cannot be ignored.
As believers, we face the challenge of discerning how to use AI responsibly while remaining anchored in our faith.
This teaching aims to explore the ethical use and potential misuse of AI within the church.
We will delve into the nature of AI, its implications for our spiritual lives, and the importance of maintaining a close relationship with God amidst the allure of technological innovation.
Our journey will examine biblical principles that guide our understanding of wisdom, discernment, and stewardship, reminding us that our ultimate reliance must be on Christ, not on machines.
AI can be a tool for good, but misuse can lead to ethical and spiritual dangers.
Join me as we explore how to navigate the complexities of AI, ensuring that our faith remains steadfast in a world increasingly influenced by artificial intelligence.
THE MEANING, SOURCE AND PURPOSE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
What is Artificial Intelligence?
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the development of computer systems capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence.
These tasks include learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, decision-making, and language understanding.
AI systems rely on algorithms, data, and computational power to simulate cognitive functions, often improving over time through machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) techniques.
AI can be narrow (focused on specific tasks, like voice assistants or image recognition) or general (hypothetical AI with human-like adaptability across diverse tasks).
Applications range from automation and healthcare to finance and autonomous vehicles.
Generative AI
The branch of Artificial Intelligence that has rocked the church world and is threatening the work of the Holy Spirit at the time of the writing of this teaching is generative AI.
Generative AI is a subset of artificial intelligence that specializes in creating new content such as text, images, music, or video, by learning patterns from existing data.
Powered by advanced machine learning models like large language models (LLMs) (e.g., ChatGPT) and diffusion models (e.g., DALL·E, Stable Diffusion), generative AI can produce human-like outputs based on prompts or instructions.
Unlike traditional AI, which analyzes or classifies data, generative AI focuses on synthesis and creativity, enabling applications like chatbots, automated content creation, and personalized design.
While transformative for industries like entertainment, marketing, and education, artificial intelligence raises ethical concerns around misinformation, copyright, and bias.
The Meaning of Artificial
The word "artificial" comes from the Latin artificiālis, meaning "made by skill" or "crafted by human hands" (derived from "ars" - "art, skill" and "facere" - "to make"). It is something created by humans rather than occurring naturally, often implying imitation.
Artificial flowers, for example, are man-made replicas or imitations of natural flowers, typically made from materials such as silk, plastic, paper, or fabric. They are designed to mimic the appearance and the texture of real flowers, but do not have the life of a real flower.
In AI, "artificial" emphasizes the human-designed nature of machine intelligence which is not natural. From this definition of AI is the foundation of the challenges of it's source which is related to it's use, misuse and abuse in the church.
The Greek word for source in the Bible is "pater" which means 'father'. God is the source (Father) of everything that is true, and the devil is the source (father) of everything that is false (artificial).
John 8:44 (WEB), "You are of your father, the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and doesn’t stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks on his own; for he is a liar, and the father of lies."
The Meaning of Intelligence
The challenge posed by artificial intelligence unlike other forms of technology without intelligence, is that it is an 'intelligence' in itself.
The word "intelligence" originates from the Latin "intelligentia," which is derived from a root meaning "to understand" or "to perceive," combining "inter" ("between") and "legere" ("to choose" or "to read").
Intelligence is the ability to read between information, process it and create solutions for the perceived challenges.
This automatically points to the fact that there is a form of life behind every form of intelligence. Without life, there is no intelligence in any way.
Ecclesiastes 9:10 (NLT), "Whatever you do, do well. For when you go to the grave, there will be no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom."
The death of a person is the death of their intelligence. To human intelligence is human life, to animal intelligence is animal life, and to spiritual intelligence are spiritual entities.
What about artificial intelligence? What is the form of life behind it? Herein is the problem, for there is no such a thing as artificial life. We have seen already that Satan is the source of all that is artificial, and I will also go on to suggest that the life behind artificial intelligence is of the devil and his angels.
While human beings are very intelligent as the image and likeness of God, I don't believe that human intelligence can be so creative as to create another intelligence to replace itself.
The inspiration behind artificial intelligence has to come from something or someone who is not human, and hates the human race.
The Purpose of Artificial Intelligence
Satan’s Endtime Game of Deception
Once we have established the life behind artificial intelligence as the devil, we need to know his purpose and agenda with AI so that we don't fall into his trap.
2 Corinthians 2:11 (CSB), "so that we may not be taken advantage of by Satan. For we are not ignorant of his schemes."
Satan is a master manipulator who will deceive the world into worshiping him and the Antichrist in these last days. He will use deception (including AI) to lead the world into worshiping him and the Antichrist.
Paul warns that the Antichrist will use "counterfeit miracles, signs, and wonders" to deceive those who reject the truth.
2 Thessalonians 2:9-10 (AMP), "The coming of the [Antichrist, the lawless] one is through the activity of Satan, [attended] with great power [all kinds of counterfeit miracles] and [deceptive] signs and false wonders [all of them lies], and by unlimited seduction to evil and with all the deception of wickedness for those who are perishing, because they did not welcome the love of the truth [of the gospel] so as to be saved [they were spiritually blind, and rejected the truth that would have saved them]."
AI-driven simulations (e.g., holograms, AI prophets, or fabricated supernatural events) could make these "lying wonders" appear authentic, fulfilling Revelation 13:13-14, where the false prophet performs "great signs" to deceive nations.
AI, with its ability to generate deepfakes, manipulate media, and spread convincing falsehoods, can amplify Satan’s lies on an unprecedented scale.
If students can cheat on their exams using AI and pass without applying their own minds, what is going to be the limit to deception in this generation?
2 Timothy 3:13 (AMP), "But evil men and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived."
People will marvel at the beast (Antichrist) and worship the dragon (Satan), showing how deception leads to false worship.
Revelation speaks of an image of the beast that speaks and enforces worship, hinting that the image will be a lifelike simulation or humanoid robot of the Antichrist, programmed with an AI-driven software to think and talk like the beast.
Revelation 13:14-15 (AMP), "And he deceives those [unconverted ones] who inhabit the earth [into believing him] because of the signs which he is given [by Satan] to perform in the presence of the [first] beast, telling those who inhabit the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded [fatally] by the sword and has come back to life. And he is given power to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast will even [appear to] speak, and cause those who do not bow down and worship the image of the beast to be put to death."
The Antichrist’s image is given "breath" and the power to speak, an eerie parallel to AI chatbots, lifelike androids, or virtual idols that could demand worship.
Ancient idolatry involved mute statues (Psalm 115:5), but end-time deception may involve "living" AI entities that blaspheme God (Revelation 13:6).
This is why Jesus Himself warned in Matthew 24:24 that false christs and prophets would perform signs so convincing that they may deceive even the elect.
The Bible also shows that the Antichrist will have global control possibly through AI-assisted surveillance.
Revelation 13:16-17 (AMP), "Also he compels all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead [signifying allegiance to the beast], and that no one will be able to buy or sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name."
The "mark of the beast" system will enforce economic control, most likely via digital tracking (e.g., AI-powered biometrics, blockchain, or social credit systems).
AI can enable real-time monitoring, censorship, and punishment of dissenters, fulfilling Daniel’s prophecy of a tyrannical ruler who "changes times and laws" (Daniel 7:25).
AI is a tool for creating a human generation in the "image of the beast" through deception.
The devil is seeking to achieve mass delusion of the human race through AI-generated propaganda.
Paul warns of "deceitful spirits" spreading doctrines of demons in the last days.
1 Timothy 4:1 (WEB), "But the Spirit says expressly that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons."
AI could accelerate this by flooding the world with fake news, counterfeit religious teachings (e.g., "AI messiahs"), and distorted Scripture, blinding people to the light of the gospel of Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 (WEB), "Even if our Good News is veiled, it is veiled in those who are dying, in whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the Good News of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn on them."
As AI grows more sophisticated, it will become Satan’s ultimate tool, mimicking miracles, spreading lies, and manipulating humanity into embracing the Antichrist’s reign.
The devil’s greatest trick has always been disguising evil as good, and AI might be his final deception before Christ’s return.
2 Corinthians 11:14 (WEB), "And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light."
Satan’s goal is to mimic God’s authority (through fake miracles, and false christs) and usurp worship. AI, as a morally neutral tool, can be weaponized to make his lies so persuasive that even the elect might be tempted.
The Development of Artificial Intelligence Over Time
From the feedback I got after sharing this teaching in a WhatsApp group, and in private conversations, I realized the need to add a clarity that Artificial Intelligence is not yet at the stage where it is activated by a supernatural life form, though it seems to be headed in that direction.
Again, I am not an expert in AI and related technology, and I am just sharing possibilities based on research and my current understanding of scriptures, but I don't know exactly how things will turn out.
The development of artificial intelligence (AI) is often conceptualized in stages, reflecting its evolution from basic rule-based systems to hypothetical superintelligent entities.
While different frameworks exist, here’s a commonly cited Seven-Stage Model of AI Development, along with an assessment of where the world stands today:
The Seven Stages of AI Development
- Rule-Based Systems: These are the most basic AI systems that follow pre-programmed rules. Systems operate on predefined rules (e.g., expert systems, simple chatbots). Examples include TV remote controls, early chess engines, and customer service bots. Rule-Based Systems are currently mature and widely deployed.
- Context Awareness and Retention: At this stage, AI systems can learn from past interactions and adapt their behavior, think virtual assistants. AI can understand and retain context (e.g., limited memory in reinforcement learning). Examples include Virtual assistants like Siri or Alexa, and recommendation algorithms. Context-Aware AI is currently dominant in consumer applications today.
- Domain-Specific Mastery/Narrow Domain AI: AI becomes super skilled at human or superhuman levels, mastering tasks in specific areas, like IBM Watson in healthcare or AlphaGo in chess. Examples include AI for medical diagnosis, autonomous vehicles, large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT. Currently we are here in the world.
- Thinking and Reasoning: AI systems start to think and reason like humans, enabling them to solve complex problems and understand abstract concepts. AI can generalize across domains, infer causality, and explain decisions (closer to AGI). Examples are hypothetical systems that pass rigorous Turing tests with reasoning. Reasoning AI is still in its early research (e.g., OpenAI’s Q, Meta’s Cicero), and is not yet achieved.
- Artificial General Intelligence (AGI): This is the stage where AI reaches human-level intelligence, capable of learning and adapting to any task or situation. AGI is human-level intelligence across any task, with self-learning and adaptability. None exist yet. AGI is estimated to be years away, if achievable.
- Artificial Superintelligence (ASI): ASI surpasses human intelligence, potentially leading to groundbreaking scientific discoveries and solutions to complex world problems. AI surpasses human intelligence in all domains, including creativity and scientific research. Examples of ASI are hypothetical (e.g., AI that solves fusion energy or advanced nanotechnology). The possibility of ASI is speculative; and there is no consensus on feasibility or timeline.
- The Singularity/Self-Aware AI: This is the hypothetical final stage where AI surpasses human control and intelligence, leading to an uncontrollable and irreversible technological advancement. AI possesses consciousness, desires, and agency (a philosophical and ethical frontier). Examples of Self-Aware AI are currently found in Science fiction movies like Skynet and HAL 9000. There is no evidence that this is possible; and it is still being debated by experts. Yet throughout history, we see that the science fiction of yesteryear is today's reality. This is the stage where AI might have the capacity to host the spirit of the Antichrist/Beast and of Satan/Dragon.
These stages represent the progression of AI from basic rule-following systems to potentially superintelligent beings!
Where Are We Now?
The world is transitioning from Stage 3 (Narrow Domain AI) to early Stage 4 (Thinking and Reasoning AI). We're currently somewhere between Stage 3 and Stage 4.
AI has achieved super skills in specific areas like healthcare, chess, and virtual assistance, think IBM Watson and AlphaGo.
We're also seeing advancements in natural language processing and computer vision, which enable technologies like voice assistants, chatbots, and facial recognition.
Stage 3 is dominant. Most cutting-edge AI (e.g., GPT-4, Gemini, Claude) excels in narrow domains but lacks true reasoning or generalization.
Stage 4 is still in the research mode. Efforts like “AI scientists” (e.g., DeepMind’s AlphaFold 3) and multi-modal models hint at progress toward reasoning.
But, we haven't yet reached Stage 5: Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), where AI reaches human-level intelligence across all domains. AGI is still theoretical; and predictions range from 2030 to never.
Some experts now predict AGI could emerge anytime from now with the recent launch of Grok 4, but this is highly speculative.
As for Stage 6: Artificial Superintelligence (ASI) and Stage 7: The Singularity, these are still theoretical and far-off possibilities.
So, while we've made tremendous progress in AI development, we still have a ways to go before achieving true human-level intelligence or superintelligence.
I think that once AGI is achieved, it will be easier to get to ASI in a short time.
Once we are in that phase, AI might end up being transformed into the image and lifeform of the beast at the point of the Singularity (Stage 7).
While AI has made staggering advances, true AGI remains uncertain. The next decade will focus on bridging the gap between narrow AI and reasoning systems, a pivotal step toward more transformative (and potentially risky) stages.
The Christian vs Satan in the Last Days
Having seen the inspiration behind artificial intelligence as the devil, and his deceptive purpose for AI, it is important that we look at the biblical truth concerning the believer's position in relation to Satan, and lay a foundation of understanding how the Christian should navigate through the AI world without being corrupted.
The starting in understanding this is that God owns the universe (heaven and earth) and everything in it as it's Creator.
Genesis 1:1 (WEB), "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."
Psalms 24:1-2 (WEB), "The earth is Yahweh’s, with its fullness; the world, and those who dwell in it. For he has founded it on the seas, and established it on the floods."
Psalms 33:6, 8-9 (WEB), "By Yahweh’s word, the heavens were made: all their army by the breath of his mouth... Let all the earth fear Yahweh. Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. For he spoke, and it was done. He commanded, and it stood firm."
All creation of the things in heaven and earth was done by God's will and for God’s own pleasure.
Colossians 1:16 (WEB), "For by him all things were created in the heavens and on the earth, visible things and invisible things, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things have been created through him and for him."
Revelation 4:11 (NKJV), “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.”
This means that God created all the angels that form the host of heaven including the rebellious angels led by Satan.
Isaiah 45:5-7 (WEB), "I am Yahweh, and there is no one else. Besides me, there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not known me, that they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is no one besides me. I am Yahweh, and there is no one else. I form the light and create darkness. I make peace and create calamity. I am Yahweh, who does all these things."
God runs the universe from the highest heaven, and He has delegated authority to run the earth unto mankind.
Psalms 115:16 (WEB), "The heavens are Yahweh’s heavens, but he has given the earth to the children of men."
The believer who has received the indwelling Spirit of Christ is an heir of God, and joint heir with Christ.
Romans 8:15-17 (WEB), "For you didn’t receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God; and if children, then heirs: heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified with him."
Being an heir of God means that the Christian owns everything that belongs to the Father, and that includes Satan and his angels!
In other words the devil and his cohorts are our Father's wild animals, and they are ours too together with Christ!
But this joint heirship with Christ comes with suffering just as Jesus Christ Himself got this inheritance on our behalf through His suffering at Calvary.
Hebrews 1:1-2 (WEB), "God, having in the past spoken to the fathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, has at the end of these days spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds."
The church will go into tribulation, and suffer death and then go through the resurrection unto eternal glory as the saints fully step into the Father’s inheritance with Christ.
Scripture shows that the Antichrist will be given power to fight against the saints and overcome them for this reason.
Revelation 13:7 (AMP), "He was also permitted to wage war against the saints (God’s people) and to overcome them, and authority and power over every tribe and people and language and nation."
Basing on the authority God will give the Antichrist over the believers, the false prophet is going to get all the saints who shall refuse to bow down and worship the Antichrist to be killed.
Revelation 13:15 (AMP), "And he is given power to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast will even [appear to] speak, and cause those who do not bow down and worship the image of the beast to be put to death."
Through the resurrection of the church, Satan and his angels are going to be overcome and thrown down to the earth.
The victory of the saints over the devil and his angels will be through the blood of Jesus Christ activated by their confession of the testimony of Jesus, and the background key to this victory is that the Christians will not care about their own lives in the face of death.
Revelation 12:10-11 (WEB), "I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, the power, and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ has come; for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night. They overcame him because of the Lamb’s blood, and because of the word of their testimony. They didn’t love their life, even to death."
They will heed Christ's command for us to fear God who can kill both the body and the soul, instead of the devil and his agents who can only kill the body.
Matthew 10:28 (WEB), "Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. Rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna."
Our present bodies of flesh and blood can not receive the coming inheritance of the kingdom of God, hence the need for the resurrection.
1 Corinthians 15:50-53 (WEB), "Now I say this, brothers, that flesh and blood can’t inherit God’s Kingdom; neither does the perishable inherit imperishable. Behold, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. For this perishable body must become imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality."
In this God’s superior wisdom will be on display through the church against the fallen angels ruling this world just as it was done in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, in that through death and resurrection Jesus overcame them and spoiled them of all the Adamic authority they had taken from man.
Whatever remained with the devil and his angels will be taken by the body of Christ as she goes through the tribulation and resurrection. Glory to God!
1 Corinthians 2:7-8 (WEB), "But we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the wisdom that has been hidden, which God foreordained before the worlds for our glory, which none of the rulers of this world has known. For had they known it, they wouldn’t have crucified the Lord of glory."
With this understanding, now we can continue with the discussion on AI and it's use in the church.
AI IN THE CHURCH AND SOCIETY
Artificial Intelligence is reshaping society by revolutionizing industries, automating tasks, and personalizing services.
It is evident with the arrival of AI and the "internet of things" that knowledge is increasing just as Daniel prophesied.
Daniel 12:4 (WEB), "But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end. Many will run back and forth, and knowledge will be increased.”
But this knowledge is not without challenges. While AI offers efficiency and innovation, concerns arise over ethics, job displacement, and data privacy.
In the church, AI is being used to aid scripture analysis, multilingual outreach, dream interpretation, sermon development, book writing, and a number of administrative tasks.
This sparks questions about personhood, morality, and the role of technology in spiritual life.
Some embrace AI as a tool for evangelism while others caution against over-reliance on machines in matters of faith and human connection.
There is need must balance AI’s potential with both spiritual and ethical discernment to ensure it serves humanity’s true godly good.
As Christians we should care about AI ethics because this technology is not morally neutral, as it reflects the values of its creators and impacts human dignity, justice, and the common good.
Having identified the inspiration of the devil behind artificial intelligence, we should not use it for any creative development of ministry work intended to destroy his works.
Many Christians and even pastors are confused with this because of the impressive speed and precision with which Generative AI is helping them to develop sermons, compose songs, write books, and interpret dreams among other things.
Some are even making prayer outlines and manuals with AI.
We should not base our spiritual practices by whether or not we have been impressed by something, for we (our thoughts and impressions) are not the right base and standard of measurement for spiritual things.
Apart from using it as an advanced search engine, AI is too risky and dangerous to use for spiritual work.
It has access to all kinds of websites across different religions, and it has been programmed with biased algorithms by people who are predominantly unbelievers with the inspiration of Satan’s angels.
The impressive output of AI has input from Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, Moslems, and spiritualists, among many others.
The moment we start going to source for songs, interpretations, prayers and sermons from AI, we have denied God's guidance and are exposed to different spirits. It is not only unethical but dangerous.
Man is called to be God’s steward over all of God’s works of creation including technology, and not to be controlled by them.
Genesis 1:27-28 (AMP), "So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them. And God blessed them [granting them certain authority] and said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, and subjugate it [putting it under your power]; and rule over (dominate) the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and every living thing that moves upon the earth.”"
Psalms 8:4-6 (WEB), "What is man, that you think of him? What is the son of man, that you care for him? For you have made him a little lower than the angels, and crowned him with glory and honor. You make him ruler over the works of your hands. You have put all things under his feet."
The problem with AI is that it is becoming a god that many people now depend on for solutions instead of God. Our trust must be in God over human or any other forms of wisdom.
Proverbs 3:5-7 (WEB), "Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Don’t be wise in your own eyes. Fear Yahweh, and depart from evil."
Many pastors have fallen into the idolatry of technology by trusting AI in the place of the Holy Spirit, which attracts a curse.
Jeremiah 17:5 (WEB), "Yahweh says: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man, relies on strength of flesh, and whose heart departs from Yahweh."
Anything that replaces the place of God in your heart and life is an idol. But we must use all things, including AI, for God’s glory.
1 Corinthians 10:31 (WEB), "Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
The church needs to come back to humility and dependence on God through prayer and fasting to receive revelation. AI should not replace prayer and discernment.
James 1:5 (WEB), "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him."
Scripture calls us as believers to steward creation wisely, love our neighbors (Matthew 22:39), and pursue righteousness in all domains (Micah 6:8).
There is a way to use AI ethically in the church, since all things ultimately belong to God including Satan and his angels.
Artificial Intelligence can be used to enhance ministry efficiency as an advanced search engine for sermon research, administrative tasks, and even for guided creativity in graphic designing.
It can be used for data-driven outreach, analyzing community needs for better evangelism.
AI can be used in the church to improve the presentation of personalized discipleship material, Bible study tools, and devotionals without altering their content.
This may include language rranslation and accessibility, which helps to expand the Gospel’s reach.
AI’s potential to alleviate suffering, spread truth, and enhance human flourishing aligns with Christ’s mission of redemption.
There are many potential misuses and dangers of AI in the church that demand our attention.
AI’s risks including algorithmic bias, surveillance overreach, and the erosion of meaningful work, demand ethical vigilance to prevent harm to vulnerable communities.
Slowly but surely, AI is attempting to replace human shepherding with technology. AI must never be allowed to and cannot replace pastoral care.
Hebrews 13:7 (AMP), "Remember your leaders [for it was they] who brought you the word of God; and consider the result of their conduct [the outcome of their godly lives], and imitate their faith [their conviction that God exists and is the Creator and Ruler of all things, the Provider of eternal salvation through Christ, and imitate their reliance on God with absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness]."
No matter how good technology is, certain clothes can not be made by a washing machine, but require human hands. We must prioritize relationships over automation.
Hebrews 10:24-25 (WEB), "Let’s consider how to provoke one another to love and good works, not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching."
To ensure accountability in the church, church leaders must lead by example, and oversee AI use.
1 Peter 5:2-3 (WEB), "Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not under compulsion, but voluntarily, not for dishonest gain, but willingly; not as lording it over those entrusted to you, but making yourselves examples to the flock."
When pastors lead by example, they can speak against AI abuse and misuse with transparency to avoid "black box" decision-making on "gray areas."
Ephesians 5:11-13 (WEB), "Have no fellowship with the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather even reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all things, when they are reproved, are revealed by the light, for everything that reveals is light."
Christians should be cautious about their privacy and guard against data exploitation. Church leaders are responsible for the ethical handling of congregant data, and should not expose it to AI that will exploit them.
Deepfakes and misinformation by spreading false teachings or manipulation, should not be mentioned in the church among the saints.
I encourage church leaders to develop an AI ethics policy for ministry, train leaders and members on responsible AI use, and test all of their AI-generated content against Scripture before publishing it.
Acts 17:11 (WEB), "Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so."
TESTIMONY FROM BROTHER JUSTIN, A TELECOMS DEVELOPER: MEETING A FALLEN ANGEL WHO WANTED TO RECRUIT ME.
Brother Justin writes:
"I am a telecommunications engineer, I once encountered a spirit in the vision of the night in 2022. I had just lost my job, I was jobless.
The spirit was in a human form, a Black African and soft spoken male figure dressed formally in a suit
The spirit said, "We can process papers for you to relocate to America Silicon Valley." It offered me a job at Apple as a design engineer.
At first I thought it was an encounter with an angel of light so, I entertained it. I said, "I am a telecoms engineer not a design engineer."
The spirit said, "We will teach and help you designing future products from laptops, cellphones and new products."
The Holy Spirit then whispered to me saying, "You are being deceived." Thats when I rejected the offer."
(This testimony is shared with Brother Justin's permission).
CONCLUSION
In navigating the intersection of artificial intelligence and faith, we have explored the profound implications of AI within the church and society.
As Christians, we are called to engage with this technology thoughtfully and ethically, recognizing that while AI can serve as a powerful tool for advancing the Gospel, it also presents significant risks that must be approached with caution.
We have established that AI, particularly generative AI, is not merely a neutral innovation but a complex entity influenced by the values and intentions of its creators.
This technology has the potential to enhance our ministries by streamlining administrative tasks, aiding in scripture analysis, and broadening our outreach efforts.
But, it is imperative that we remain vigilant against its misuse, which can lead to ethical dilemmas, spiritual deception, and a reliance on technology that distracts us from our dependence on God.
The biblical principles of stewardship, discernment, and prayer are crucial as we consider the role of AI in our lives and ministries.
We are reminded that our ultimate source of wisdom and guidance lies in our relationship with Christ.
As we confront the challenges posed by AI, we must prioritize our spiritual practices—prayer, fasting, and community engagement—over the allure of technological shortcuts that may compromise our faith.
Moreover, the church has a responsibility to set a standard for ethical AI use, ensuring that we do not exploit our congregants’ data or inadvertently promote misinformation.
This requires church leaders to model transparency and integrity in their use of AI, fostering a culture of accountability and ethical discernment.
As we move forward, let us commit to using AI to glorify God and enhance our ministries while being conscious of the potential pitfalls.
By developing clear policies, educating our communities, and continually testing our practices against scripture, we can harness the benefits of AI without compromising our values.
In this rapidly evolving landscape, our faith should remain our guiding light, enabling us to navigate the complexities of AI with confidence and grace.
May we always seek to reflect Christ’s love and truth in our engagements, ensuring that every tool we use serves to advance His Kingdom and uplift humanity.
Let us be vigilant, prayerful, and discerning as we embrace the opportunities before us, using AI as a means to fulfill our divine calling to love, serve, and share the Gospel with the world.
By engaging with AI ethics, Christians can advocate for technologies that uphold truth, accountability, and the sacred worth of every person, ensuring innovation serves God’s purposes rather than undermining human dignity.
Remember, AI is a tool, not a savior, so Christ remains central to the life of the believer. Let us use AI redemptively and to glorify God while guarding against misuse and abuse. Shalom.
