Artificial intelligence has emerged as the newest frontier for both culture and the church, raising questions that many Christians never imagined they would need to confront.
As apps claim to let people “talk to Jesus” or “chat” with Scripture, theologians, pastors and everyday Christians are wrestling with what role, if any, machines should have in spiritual formation. The technological acceleration has created genuine excitement, yet also deep concern about deception, misplaced dependence, and the erosion of biblically rooted teaching.
As reported in a CBN News segment, AI-powered spiritual tools are increasingly being marketed as pathways to revelation. But CBN’s Billy Hallowell cautioned viewers that “you’re not speaking with Jesus. You’re not talking with the Bible. This is AI.” He warned that the impression of sacred interaction can be misleading, because the experience “isn’t prayerful, but it’s relying on technology.”
Raj Nair, also with CBN and a commentator on the segment, professed a deep affection for Scripture while sounding an alarm over the trend. “I adore this book,” he said. “I love to live in it.” For him, Scripture comes alive only when engaged spiritually. When people ask how to read the Bible, Nair said his answer is simple: “Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you, to reveal things, to show things.”
Nair pointed to biblical precedent, citing John 14:26, reminding Christians that “the Holy Spirit… will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” He affirmed that AI may be acceptable for basic factual questions such as “Who came first, Joseph or David?” or “What were the 12 tribes of Israel?”
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However, he warned that it should not be used for spiritual revelation. “If you’re looking for a deeper meaning, a message from God, I’m really worried that this is not that,” he said.
The segment drew attention to a theological limitation no amount of code can solve. “The person without the spirit does not accept the things that come from the spirit of God,” Nair quoted from 1 Corinthians. He then added, “News flash, the AI, no matter how powerful it is, does not have the Spirit.”
Hallowell took the concern further, drawing parallels to practices Scripture condemns. Using AI to seek mystical knowledge, he warned, begins to feel “like divination or some sort of like, you know, people go to psychics, which they should never do.” He argued that these apps are “not Jesus, they are not the Bible,” and using them for spiritual advice “can be very dangerous.”
The pair also noted growing dependence among pastors themselves. Many leaders now turn to AI tools to craft sermons. Hallowell said it is one thing to request “outlines and ideas,” but another to deliver messages written by a machine. “Artificial intelligence is a machine,” he cautioned. “How much should we be relying on that?”
Nair underscored a sobering reality: intellectual knowledge of Scripture is not the same as spiritual understanding. “The enemy knows the Bible,” he said. “Demons and the enemy believe that there is a God.” What separates believers from deception, he argued, is Spirit-led submission.
The future of AI in spiritual contexts is still unfolding. Bible study apps and textual tools may remain helpful aids, but Nair offered a final warning that the church and society will need to heed as technology evolves. “Use the app if you want to … to intellectually understand Scripture,” he said. “But to have a relationship with God, that requires His Holy Spirit.”
As AI pushes into moral, cultural, and now theological territory, the church is not alone in facing these dilemmas. Governments, educators, ethicists, and institutions around the world are asking similar questions about how much trust humans should place in machines. For Christians, however, the stakes are uniquely spiritual, and the answer is timeless: technology may assist faith, but it must never replace it.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a background in journalism from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine.
