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AI and the Christian Life Under the Authority of Scripture
Equipping You in Grace with Dave Jenkins
October Series: Theology in a Confused World
Artificial intelligence is changing how people research, write, study, and communicate. Christians need biblical wisdom to evaluate its uses and recognize when convenience begins to displace responsibilities God has entrusted to them.
In this episode of Equipping You in Grace, Dave Jenkins responds to a listener’s question about AI usage, particularly the distinction between research and composition. Grounded in the authority and sufficiency of Scripture, he considers how Christians can use these tools with discernment, honesty, and care.
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Using AI Under the Authority of Scripture
Second Timothy 3:16–17 teaches that Scripture is breathed out by God and equips His people for every good work. An AI response must be evaluated under that authority.
AI may suggest sources, organize notes, or help identify questions worth investigating. Christians must still verify quotations, examine context, study the biblical text, and take responsibility for what they teach or publish.
Research Assistance and Personal Responsibility
There is a meaningful difference between using AI to organize research you have gathered and asking it to generate an argument you have not worked through. Editing your writing also differs from presenting substantially generated material as your own work.
Dave explains how to assess these distinctions while guarding against dependence, misleading claims of expertise, and the careless handling of confidential information.
Sermon Preparation and Pastoral Faithfulness
Pastors are called to study Scripture, live under its teaching, and shepherd particular people. Ezra 7:10 provides a helpful pattern: study, obedience, and teaching.
Technology may assist aspects of preparation, but the pastor remains responsible for interpreting the passage, developing the message, and applying God’s Word to the congregation entrusted to his care.
In This Episode
- Scripture’s authority over every technological tool.
- Research assistance versus outsourced thinking and composition.
- Verifying sources, quotations, and theological claims.
- Appropriate uses for editing, transcription, and administration.
- Protecting confidentiality and maintaining personal integrity.
- Preserving the pastor’s responsibility in sermon preparation.
- Using saved time for faithful service, prayer, study, and rest.
A Faithful Response to Changing Technology
Use AI in ways that lead you back to Scripture, primary sources, careful thought, and meaningful service to others. A tool may help locate information, but it cannot believe, obey, pray, or love Christ on your behalf.
Use artificial intelligence as a servant, never as an authority, and never as a substitute for the responsibilities God has given you.
For more episodes and biblical resources, visit Equipping You in Grace and subscribe to the Servants of Grace YouTube channel.
Dave Jenkins is happily married to his wife, Sarah, and lives in beautiful Southern Oregon. He is a writer, editor, and speaker who loves Christ, His people, the Church, and sound theology.
Dave serves as the Executive Director of Servants of Grace Ministries and the Executive Editor of Theology for Life Magazine. He is the Host and Producer of the Equipping You in Grace Podcast and a contributor to and producer of Contending for the Word.
He is the author of The War of Worldviews: Truth, Lies, and the Battle for the Christian Mind (Theology for Life, 2026), Contentment: The Journey of a Lifetime (Theology for Life, 2024), The Word Matters: Defending Biblical Authority Against the Spirit of the Age and The Word Explored: The Problem of Biblical Illiteracy and What To Do About It (House to House, 2021).
You can connect with Dave on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, YouTube, or subscribe to his newsletter.
When he is not engaged in ministry work, Dave enjoys spending time with his wife, going to movies, sharing a meal at a favorite restaurant, or playing a round of golf with friends. He is also a voracious reader, particularly of Reformed theology and the Puritans, and is often found working through a stack of new books from a wide range of Christian publishers.
Dave earned his M.A.R. and M.Div. from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.
