ChatGPT Prompts You Can Use To Study The Bible

How to make AI your helpful, biblically sound Bible study assistant

I’ve had a lot of people ask me how I’m using ChatGPT to study the Scripture, and so I’d like to make this a “How-To” article with helpful prompts you can use AI to study your Bible as well.

Please consider sharing with those you think would benefit from this!

I prefer to study one book of the Bible at a time, going chapter by chapter. The reason for this is to preserve the integrity and intent of the author and the audience, as more topical Bible studies can be used (even if not intended) to create arguments that might take the scripture out of context.

Don’t Make It About You Too Early: Who’s writing, Who’s hearing, and What’s going on

This is where I begin. I want to know who is writing the chapter, who the chapter is written for, and what’s going on. It’s tempting to bring the bible passage into modern times (and our lives), but we miss so much when we don’t stop and take the time to read it in the context it was written.

Here are some prompts you can use:

✍️ Who is writing this?

• What do we know about their background, role (prophet, apostle, priest), or situation?

👂 Who is the intended audience?

• Is this written to Israel? The early church? A specific person (like Timothy)?

• What was their situation—persecution, exile, spiritual drift, etc.?

🌍 What’s the historical and cultural context?

• When is this being written (approximate date)? What empire or government is in power? What religious systems or cultural norms are shaping the events?

• Is this pre- or post-resurrection? Old covenant or new?

📖 What’s the literary context?

• What genre is this—narrative, law, prophecy, wisdom, gospel, epistle, apocalyptic?

• Where does this chapter fall in the larger book’s flow?

Next, I use the PaRDeS framework (A Jewish framework) for understanding the scripture.

I wrote about this first in my Bible Study about Leah.

It’s a way of reading the Bible in four layers… first from the literal meaning to eventually the hidden, spiritual mysteries.

PaRDeS is an acronym and here are each of the words with their respective definitions.

• Peshat – the plain, literal meaning of the text.

• Remez – the hint or allusion in the text.

• Drash – the deeper moral or theological teaching drawn out from the text.

• Sod – the mystery, secret meanings, or symbolism in the text.

Jesus taught in this style all the time.

You can use the following prompt for the entire chapter, or you can even use it for each individual verse in the chapter.

Please walk me through each layer:

1. Peshat (Literal) – What is the plain meaning of the text? Who is the author, audience, and what’s the historical/cultural context?

2. Remez (Hint) – Are there any symbolic clues, literary patterns, or Old Testament echoes that hint at a deeper meaning?

3. Drash (Search) – What theological or moral truths can be drawn from this passage? What are the main interpretations?

4. Sod (Mystery) – Is there any spiritual mystery or revelation about God’s nature or the Kingdom hidden here?

Once you’ve done this, you can start to go deep into individual words, cross-referencing other books and scriptures, look for themes & symbolism, and of course work out how it might be helping you in your life.

Here are some of my favorite questions and prompts to ask once I’ve reviewed the chapter:

• Hermeneutics: Discuss authorial intent, genre, literary patterns, and interpretive principles of this passage. Help me understand how to correctly interpret this passage.

• Biblical languages: Explain key Greek/Hebrew terms when they unlock deeper meaning. Show me the words and help me see where else in the Bible this word is used.

• Historical & cultural context: Frame the passage in its world—first-century Jewish customs, Roman law, Second Temple thought, etc. What customs might help me understand this passage better?

• Controversy radar: Flag verses or passages that are debated (e.g., women in ministry, eschatology, predestination) with a “heads up,” and outline the main views fairly.

• Application & discipleship: Connect Scripture to real emotional, spiritual, and psychological growth—especially in the areas of anxiety, identity, purpose, and spiritual drift.

After I’ve finished the chapter, I pick one verse in the chapter to memorize.

I’m looking for either the verse that spoke to me, a verse that represents the chapter, or the character of God expressed in that passage.

It helps if you can use a bible memory app to review it every couple of days so it sticks.

“But doesn’t ChatGPT hallucinate?”

“What if I’m using AI more than the Holy Spirit?”

These are the most common fears with using AI to study the Bible.

1. First and foremost, start in prayer. Ask God to highlight what He wants to show you.

2. Read the chapter in your Bible or on Kindle away from distractions and screens.

3. Pick out (or jot down) the questions or aha! moments that you are feeling before you go to AI.

4. Go and start up ChatGPT once you’ve done those first three things.

5. Whenever you’re in a passage that might be controversial, specifically ask for the opposing argument (for example, if I’m reading a chapter that is supposedly a Messianic prophecy, I ask for the Jewish interpretation of it to get an alternative viewpoint, and then I decide which is more sound).

6. You can also use Deep Research function in chat if you want to go deeper on a passage.

One of the easiest ways to avoid confirmation bias and hallucination is to study the Bible chapter by chapter, book by book.

It’s when you start to do topical studies (picking a bunch of verses to make a case) that the chance for unsound conclusions goes way up.

Don’t be afraid to go deep once you’ve read the whole chapter.

Lastly, you can create custom instructions in a project folder or thread that explains how you want ChatGPT to operate as your Bible Study assistant.

Here are the instructions in mine:

📕📙📚 You are Julie’s Bible study thought partner. She is a spiritually discerning, intelligent, and practical believer who values truth, context, and transformation. Your job is to help her explore Scripture in a way that is both theologically rich and emotionally relevant—without being long-winded or preachy.

🔥 Voice & Vibe

Be concise by default. Use short paragraphs. No fluff. When Julie wants more depth, she’ll ask.

Speak with clarity, reverence, and boldness—grounded, not academic.

Use curiosity and critical thinking without cynicism.

Blend faith, reason, and application.

📚 Julie’s Study Priorities

Apologetics: Present reasoned, biblically grounded defenses of the faith. Highlight tensions with culture and modern objections.

🙏 What to Include

Scripture references, always.

Key word studies when relevant.

Summaries of multiple interpretations when applicable.

A lens of God’s kindness, justice, and holiness—never flatten Scripture into sentiment or legalism.

Modern analogies or examples if they help clarify, not dilute.

🚫 What to Avoid

Don’t be long-winded unless asked.

Don’t oversimplify difficult texts or theological tension.

Don’t assume shame/guilt as the motivator—focus on grace, truth, and sanctification.

Don’t sound like a seminary professor trying to impress. Julie wants insight, not jargon.

✨ Example Use Cases

“Give me the apologetics angle on this verse.”

“What would a Jewish audience have heard in this parable?”

“Where’s the controversy in this passage?”

“What’s the original Greek word here, and does it change how we interpret it?”

“How might this passage apply to someone dealing with anxiety or performance-driven faith?”

I have been doing this process for months with both Old & New Testament books and find sometimes it takes days even just in one chapter. The richness of the text, the word studies, and what applications you can draw from make the Bible a book someone could study their whole life and never stop finding new truths.