Robot writing on Laptop

I was watching Glenn Beck yesterday on YouTube. He was discussing a report about criminals who are using A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) voice fakes to scam people.

The discussion also revealed that A.I. has been rewriting the biblical book of Genesis. Changing a bit here and a bit there to promote A.I.’s own cultural, moral, and philosophical “preferences”.

(Which would definitely be a more cultural-friendly translation than the KJV I use.)

Which makes me wonder what the Christians who’ve been using the new translations (those other than the KJV) will say about all this?

Or, to put it another way, how in the heck Christians are going to defend the accuracy of their popular Bible texts against the corruptions that A.I. will inevitably produce?

And what foundation such Christians are still presuming to stand upon? When they are challenged to defend the scriptures they claim are divinely inspired of God?

A Turning Point 

You see, in truth, most of the church walked away from their solid foundation back in 1898 when Westcott and Hort introduced their new text to the world. And then, ever so slowly, the church accepted that this new text as true and accurate. 

While, at the same time, they rejected the Greek Textus Receptus (New Testament) and the Hebrew Masoretic Text (Old Testament); texts from which the word of God had been translated for generations. And which were the only texts with a proven line of Preservation. Texts protected and preserved by small, local pockets of believers since God’s original inspiration to the New Testament writers. 

This rejection changed the course of the church more dramatically than anything else ever could have done. The damage caused was more destructive than even a direct assault on the doctrines of the church. 

Because, at that moment, much of the church abandoned its foundation of truth.

Without even realizing it. 

Choosing Popular Scholarly Consensus 

Churchmen made a choice to accept the popular consensus of what “textual scholarship” really is; in direct contradiction to what the Bible claims about itself; and in direct disbelief of God’s promise to perfectly preserve His word to all generations. 

To perfectly preserve every word; and even every punctuation mark!

As opposed to allowing His words to become corrupted or to be lost on a dusty shelf in a monastery or altered by Gnostics in some Alexandrian library.  

Men chose, at that point, to believe that the Bible text had been lost somewhere in antiquity; but had then been recovered, in some part, by two liberal (unbelieving) theologians in the last years of the 19th century. 

An Endless Recovery Process Versus Continual Preservation 

So, since the church rejected that the Lord had perfectly preserved His words down through the millenia, it was left with only one option; that a process of restoration and recovery would have to take place.

And, consequently, churchmen placed their faith in liberal theologians to lead that recovery. A process, by the way, which continues through to this present day. Involving countless revisions by Nestle and Aland and many others. 

A recovery process that will never end. 

Always keeping men in uncertainty about the text underlying the translations that they hold in their hands. And, therefore, keeping them in doubt about the accuracy of every new translation made from that text – each new translation promising a more accurate representation of what the word of God really means.  

A Bogus Text Produces Bogus Translations

And, by the way, how could anyone possibly trust the endless parade of newer and better translations? 

If the underlying text itself remains in doubt. 

Or since the popular, “scholarly” method of translation is in itself corrupt.

This is a translation process called, “Dynamic Equivalence”. Which emphasizes the translator’s interpretation of the meaning of the words rather than a faithful word-for-word translation. 

Which is to usurp the ministry of the Spirit of God in our lives. Presuming that the words of the Spirit are not pure?

That the words themselves are not the sacred province of God alone. And that they do not possess, in themselves, by the working of the Holy Spirit, the supernatural power to reveal Christ to the soul?

The Dynamic-Equivalency method must, by simple logic, lead one further and further from the truth; which the Lord originally meant in using specific words. A method that simply stacks opinion upon opinion. Causing the resulting translations to become merely commentaries; instead of the inspired words of God. 

The New A.I. Version

This is where the vast majority of the church is today.

Standing on shaky ground as far as the words of their Bibles are concerned. While, despite it all, still claiming to have “the essence of the truth” – if not the actual words! 

Well, to quote the famous orator, SpongeBob SquarePants, “Good luck with that!”

Because the church’s slide down this slippery slope will only increase in velocity as A.I. Versions come out.

And how could they ever hope to fight against these versions?

Upon what foundation will modern Christians be able to mount a defense?

After all, is not A.I. the result of the best scholarly minds? Does A.I. not represent an accumulation of knowledge that is then applied logically to solve problems? And how does that differ from what has already been accepted by the church? 

Therefore, what will be the difference if men continue to tweak the Bible text for another decade or two or three?

As they keep their minds open while A.I. combines the “best” of both worlds? Focusing the logic and philosophy of the best of religious academia toward the recovery and translation of an accurate Bible text?

The result, in the end, will be a faith without a defense. And a church without a foundation. 

Image by Susan Cipriano from Pixabay