When I was in my undergraduate program, I had the opportunity to make maps. This was a good thing since I loved maps. This was also the era of the fold-up map. People planning a road trip would rely on those maps from their neighborhood gas station or the Automobile Club of America (AAA).
For our schoolwork, we plotted the base of a historic lighthouse on the eastern end of Long Island in NY and surveyed a segment of a beach. We relished making the maps, but we learned that no matter how accurate our work was, we were always a bit off. Not so that we would have wound up in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, but significant to the point that we had to settle for being close enough.
In reality, there was as much about art as science in the creation of maps. Back in the day, cartographers would converse with traders who would travel from port to port and town to town. The mapmakers would compare stories and adjust their maps. When possible, they would venture out as actual experience was vital.
Because this work was painstakingly tedious and personal, the cartographers would often insert an intentional mistake or what came to be called: a phantom settlement into a map to make it their own. This was a location or physical artifact that in fact did not exist. If someone copied the false information, the original mapmaker had the evidence to show.
The point of including this story is to make the far more important point that as true Christians we should never blindly rely on information simply because it is in print. However, we know that we can and must trust absolutely in the Word of God contained in our Bibles. We need to use our Bibles and become familiar with the Scriptures.
We know that the Bible was written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek, and there can be subtle differences in translations. Ultimately however, it comes down to this Scripture in Psalm 119:160: “The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.” This is a simple yet complete message that is reinforced for us in 2 Timothy 3:16-17: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
We must always make certain that any study tools and translation aids we are relying on are rendered accurately. While I was preparing my previous editorial in December 2024, Mr. Norbert Link and I realized that something was amiss with a particular NIV translation I was using. I had used a popular online Bible study tool—but as you may guess, the translation was inaccurate.
I’ve researched this since my experience and learned that this particular tool uses Artificial Intelligence to analyze biblical texts and provide translations, commentaries, and study resources. This does not inherently mean that Scripture will be altered with AI, but in my experience, it was. I think back on previous work using the tool, and recall apparently “minor” changes the tool frequently suggested. I never accepted the changes since I knew this would modify Scripture.
I suspect that online Bible study tools generally focus on readability. However, we must never alter Scripture to suit the software. It is clear that there is no better resource for true Christians than actually using our Bibles.
In Exodus 20:1-2, Moses wrote: “And God spoke all these words, saying: ‘I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.’”
This Scripture and the next 25 verses provide the record of the conversation between Moses and our Creator, concerning what was now a mutual relationship between God and His people. God saved His people from the yoke of the Egyptians and was now communicating His expectations for His people: their adherence to the Ten Commandments.
The words that God chose for this message were perfect, and modifying them in any way would diminish this sacred and historic moment, as well as alter the Word of God.
In Proverbs 3:5-6, we are reminded to rely on God: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” For further emphasis, consider this Scripture in Deuteronomy 4:2: “You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.” This is very clear guidance as to how we should be reading and using our Bibles to grow our understanding of Scripture. It is also instructive as to how we must consider tools such as AI in our Bible studies. As we delve deeper into Scripture, we can see that God makes this point time and again. Trust and rely on His word, neither add nor subtract from it. Let’s consider two more Scriptures to close out this editorial.
Proverbs 30:5-6 states: “Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.” Revelation 22:18-19 emphasizes: “For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”
Technology can be wonderful and yet can also create challenging issues. I am not casting all AI software with a negative light, but just as we rely on a map to be accurate, as true Christians, we must make certain that the tools we rely on to help us draw closer to God and Jesus Christ are indeed godly and have integrity. We can do this by using the Bible as our roadmap.