DictionaryBy Adam "MOOP" Johns | USMC Ministries
I recently watched a conversation between C.R. Wiley and the team at ABWE's The Missions Show about the theology and ethics of artificial intelligence. As someone who is actively building AI-powered Bible study tools for men's discipleship, this hit different.
Wiley's core argument is one every believer needs to hear: AI isn't just a technological revolution - it's a competing eschatology. That's seminary-speak for "it offers a rival vision of the future." Transhumanism promises transcendence through technology. Christianity promises resurrection through Christ. Same structure. Different gospel.
The Idol in Your Pocket
Here's where Wiley really convicted me. He argues that AI technologies - especially when people begin treating them as sentient or divine - function as modern idols. They replace prayer with prompts. Human affirmation with algorithmic validation. Divine guidance with chatbot wisdom.
As a Marine veteran who now builds AI tools for ministry, I have to sit with that tension honestly. I use large language models every single day. I've built a Bible translation engine that blends nine English translations with interlinear Hebrew and Greek roots. I have AI delivering daily Scripture readings formatted with theological commentary.
Am I building a tool - or am I building an idol?
The Black Box Problem
Wiley points out something most people don't think about: LLMs (large language models) are black boxes. Even the engineers who build them can't fully explain why they produce certain outputs. The model isn't reasoning - it's predicting the next word based on statistical patterns across billions of documents.
This matters for ministry. When I use AI to surface translation divergences or identify Strong's concordance entries, the tool is serving the Word. But if I ever start treating the AI's theological commentary as authoritative - as if the machine understands Scripture - I've crossed a line.
The Bible is living and active (Hebrews 4:12). The algorithm is not.
A Tool, Not a Teacher
Here's my conviction, shaped by a literary-grammatical / cultural-historical hermeneutic and anchored in the 1689 London Baptist Confession:
AI is a tool. Christ is the Teacher. The Holy Spirit is the Counselor.
I build these tools so that men - husbands, fathers, veterans, leaders - can engage Scripture more deeply. The MOOP Bible Translation Engine doesn't replace a man sitting with his Bible at 5 AM. It enriches that time by surfacing what he might miss in a single translation.
The daily reading plan doesn't replace the discipline of the Word. It structures it - Wisdom at dawn, a Husband's Post at midday, a Father's Charge in the afternoon, a Citizen's Stand for civic engagement, and Evening Peace before rest.
The AI serves the man. The man serves Christ. That's the order.
What the Church Must Do
Wiley calls the church to prepare ethically and spiritually - not just with rules, but with discernment. I agree. Here's what I'd add from the trenches:
- Use AI. Don't worship it. If your morning devotional starts with "Hey ChatGPT" instead of "Lord, open my eyes," you've got a problem.
- Know the limitations. AI can fetch, organize, and cross-reference. It cannot repent, worship, or love your wife for you.
- Build for the Kingdom, not the algorithm. Every tool I build asks one question: Does this help a man lead his family closer to Christ? If not, it gets deleted.
- Teach your men. Most guys in your church are already using AI. They just don't have a theological framework for it. Give them one.
The Marine in Me
In the Corps, we had a saying: "Improvise, adapt, overcome." AI is the most powerful tool I've ever held - more capable than any weapon system I operated in uniform. The question isn't whether to use it. The question is who are you using it for?
If the answer is yourself, you'll build an idol.
If the answer is Christ and His people, you'll build a ministry.
I choose ministry. Every time.
Adam "MOOP" Johns is a Christ-following husband and father, retired US Marine, military aviator, and combat veteran (21 years of service), NASM-certified personal trainer, and men's discipleship coach who has been investing in the formation of men for over 25 years. He holds an M.Div. from Liberty University and founded U.S.M.C. Ministries — Uniting, Serving, Mentoring & Counseling — in Fredericksburg, VA.
Watch the full conversation: The Theology of AI with C.R. Wiley (YouTube)
Full transcript: ABWE PDF