Artificial or Superficial Intelligence?

With all the talk about AI, I decided to see how it would explain these verses.

Acts 2:38:“Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

The popular ChatGPT says, “Baptism is the act of being immersed in water as a public declaration of faith in Jesus Christ. In the context of Acts 2:38, it is an outward sign of inward faith and repentance. Baptism symbolizes the believer's identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ…Acts 2:38 emphasizes the importance of repentance and baptism for the forgiveness of sins and the reception of the Holy Spirit.”

This go-to in the virtual world has it right about the mode of baptism. It is immersion in water. That is what the Greek word baptidzo means. But this confidant is wrong about the purpose of baptism. This verse says it is “for the remission” or “for the forgiveness” of sins. It says nothing about baptism being an outward sign of an inward change. That is an old expression that is not in the Bible.

Acts 22:16: “Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.”

The virtual commentary says, “Baptism here is presented as an immediate and necessary response. In Christian theology, baptism is a symbolic act of being cleansed from sin and starting a new life…In the New Testament, water baptism is often linked with the washing away of sins (though the deeper belief is that it's the blood of Jesus that truly cleanses from sin; baptism is an outward sign of this inner reality).”

This program just repeats what someone programmed it to say which in this case is the same old “baptism is the outward sign of an inner change” view. According to this reasoning, Paul was already saved when Ananias told him to be baptized and wash away his sins. So when did this happen? Many say Paul was saved three days earlier when the Lord appeared to him on the road to Damascus. This means that Ananias is telling Paul how to wash his sins away when his sins had already been washed away!

Brother AI says, “Calling on the name of Jesus implies invoking His authority and acknowledging Him as Lord and Savior.” But Acts 9:11 says that Paul was praying before Ananias came to him. If calling on the name of the Lord in Acts 22:16 means praying for salvation, then Ananias gave Paul a useless command. In this verse Paul called upon the name of the Lord by what he did, not by something he said. He called on the name of the Lord by being baptized.

The people of Berea searched the Scriptures daily to see if what Paul and Silas taught was true. If they tested the words of an inspired apostle, how much more should we be careful about using programs created by non-Christians?

Kerry Duke

West End church of Christ • August 11, 2024