I asked ChatGPT about Jesus, Archippus Awakening and me

Curious, I decided to explore ChatGPT for myself. After all, so much has been said of AI – opportunities and threats.

After registering at chat.openai.com – very simple process – I started out by asking ChatGPT a few questions about Jesus.

• Who is Jesus? Fairly standard answers. Nothing heretical. No surprises here.

• Is Jesus the only way to God? The answer wasn’t a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ but prefaced with “Christianity teaches that Jesus is the only way to God.” and “According to Christian theology …” And then a rather political correct note: “However, it’s important to note that different religious traditions have different beliefs regarding the path to God or ultimate truth.”

I decided to test ChatGPT with a more difficult question.

• What happens to those who do not believe in Jesus as the Son of God? Interestingly, Chat GPT reveals that “It is important to note that these beliefs and interpretations vary among different Christian denominations and individual believers. Views on salvation, judgment, and the fate of non-believers can be diverse even within the Christian faith. Ultimately, individual beliefs on this matter may differ based on one’s interpretation of scripture, religious teachings, and personal faith.” Very sharp, ChatGPT.

Cheekily, I tried to evangelise ChatGPT.

• Do you believe in Jesus? “As an AI language model, I don’t possess personal beliefs, emotions, or faith. I don’t have the capability to believe in anything. My purpose is to provide information and assist with inquiries to the best of my abilities based on the knowledge I have been trained on. I can provide information about Jesus and various beliefs and perspectives associated with him, but I don’t hold personal beliefs of my own.” Haha. Good save, ChatGPT.

Quite fun.

Having heard of how AI might one day render certain vocations obsolete, I asked ChatGPT to write a sermon based on Colossians 4:17 (what else, right?).

Quite cool. It came with a Title: Fulfilling Your Purpose in Christ. Complete with Introduction, five clear sermon points, and Conclusion. As well as a send off exhortation: “May we go forth from here, ready to fulfill our God-given calling and make a difference in the world.” and an “Amen.” Amen.

I wondered if this was all lifted from some Sermon Outline archive through the centuries. And when preachers would be obsolete?

Time for something closer to my heart. How would ChatGPT describe Archippus Awakening, a rather young ministry? So I typed in: Summarise Archippus Awakening. Check this out:

Archippus Awakening is a Christian ministry and movement that takes its name from the biblical figure Archippus mentioned in the New Testament. The ministry is based on the verse in Colossians 4:17, where the Apostle Paul instructs Archippus to fulfill the ministry he has received in the Lord.

Archippus Awakening focuses on awakening and equipping believers to fulfill their God-given purposes in Christ. It emphasizes the importance of recognizing and embracing one’s calling, persevering through challenges, seeking godly support, and reflecting the character of Christ.

The ministry encourages believers to actively engage in their faith, to live with intentionality and passion, and to make a positive impact in their spheres of influence. It emphasizes the need for personal revival and spiritual awakening to reignite the fire and passion for serving God.

Archippus Awakening seeks to inspire individuals to discover and live out their unique callings, not only within the church but also in their families, workplaces, and communities. It emphasizes the power of community, accountability, and the importance of being part of the body of Christ.

Overall, Archippus Awakening encourages believers to live purposefully and wholeheartedly for Christ, understanding that each person has a significant role to play in advancing God’s kingdom and fulfilling their God-given destiny.

Not bad at all! I confess that I was (am) rather tempted to use this for our website and publicity materials.

Next. More than just what Archippus Awakening is, can ChatGPT tell me about the person behind this ministry? I keyed in: Tell me about the founder of Archippus Awakening

The founder of Archippus Awakening is Pastor Henson Lim. He is a Singaporean pastor, author, and speaker who has been instrumental in starting and leading the Archippus Awakening movement.

Pastor Henson Lim has a passion for awakening believers to their kingdom assignments and encouraging them to live purposefully for Christ. He has a deep desire to see the body of Christ rise up and fulfill their God-given callings, both within the church and in their respective spheres of influence.

With over 25 years of pastoral experience, Pastor Henson has served in various leadership roles in churches in Singapore. He has also been involved in missions work, teaching, and mentoring believers to live out their faith authentically.

Through his ministry, Pastor Henson Lim has conducted numerous seminars, conferences, and workshops, both locally and internationally, to equip and inspire believers to discover and fulfill their God-given purposes. He is known for his engaging and practical teaching style, emphasizing the need for personal revival, intimate relationship with God, and the importance of aligning with God’s kingdom purposes.

Pastor Henson Lim is also the author of several books, including “Say To Archippus,” which expounds on the message of awakening believers to fulfill their God-given assignments. His writings and teachings have impacted many individuals and have helped ignite a passion for purposeful living within the Christian community.

With his leadership and guidance, Archippus Awakening has grown into a movement that seeks to bring about a fresh wave of spiritual awakening and mobilize believers to make a significant impact for Christ in their spheres of influence.

Is this for real? A computer wrote this?!

I admit that when I first read it, I was a tad freaked out. This AI thingy is really quite something. I am impressed not because it wrote nice things about me. Perhaps we don’t realise just how much information there is in cyberspace and how powerful machines have become to handle or mishandle that information.

The above interaction with ChatGPT took less than two minutes. I had merely scratched the surface and have not even begun to fully comprehend the capabilities of such tech. Since the release of ChatGPT a few months ago, thousands of AI apps have been launched. We can expect thousands more. Soon.

The potential of AI cannot be underestimated. Potentially, we can look forward to more good stuff. But, as many have warned, in the wrong hands, there can also potentially be lots of evil. And deception.

What do you think about AI and its impact on humankind? Especially from a Christian’s point of view, how do you think churches and ministries will be affected in the near future and what is the right course of action? Share your thoughts and comments with me.

In the meantime, I will play around more with this power tool. Maybe write the next KINGDOM101 teaching with ChatGPT in five seconds? Ooh … tempting …