I wanted to see what answer the chatGPT artificial intelligence would give me for a topic like “new creation”. I tried this first on my mobile and this was the answer: 

“According to Christian theology, “new creation” refers to the transformation of believers through faith in Jesus Christ. This transformation involves the forgiveness of sins and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which enables believers to live a new life in Christ.

The concept of new creation is rooted in the teachings of the Apostle Paul in the New Testament, particularly in 2 Corinthians 5:17, which states, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!” This verse speaks of a radical change that takes place in the life of a believer when they come to faith in Christ.

The new creation is not just a personal transformation, but also involves the renewal of all things. According to Christian theology, god is in the process of redeeming and restoring all of creation, which has been corrupted by sin. This process of renewal began with the resurrection of Jesus Christ and will ultimately culminate in the new heaven and new earth described in Revelation 21:1-5.

In summary, the concept of new creation in Christian theology refers to the transformation of believers through faith in Jesus Christ and the renewal of all things through God’s redemptive work.”

Impressive, but…

I must say the AI did an impressive job of explaining the meaning of “new creation” without unnecessary theological jargon.  It is clear and broad enough and concise. Conciseness and clarity seems to be foundational values the AI is built upon. 

I do wish the name of the Bible translation used was listed. I do wish it discussed alternate views and interpretations that will add depth, diversity and richness. But this will increase the article’s length, make it more complicated, and turn off many readers. This is good as more will have access to Theology for Dummies, but what is unhealthy is that readers do not learn a breadth of ideas and discern for themselves what is truth and what is error, what are the nuances in the faith, and the what and why they are finally convinced and persuaded of.

Why Is Answer Different?

I could not copy and paste with the mobile so I tried it on my laptop. I was able to copy and paste with the laptop. Using the exact same question, “What is “new creation” according to Christian theology?” The answer that came out was different, sticking mainly to the transformation of the sinner to a child of God. This version was truncated and an important aspect of the new creation was completely absent: the new heaven and the new earth. I then changed the last phrase to: “according to the Bible”, “according to biblical theology”, and “according to Christian tradition” and the answer remained the same. This was the truncated version:

“According to Christian theology, the “new creation” is the transformation of a person’s life that occurs when they accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. It is based on the teachings of the Bible, particularly 2 Corinthians 5:17, which states, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” This transformation is seen as a supernatural work of God, where the person is made new in Christ and their old self is crucified with Christ. The new creation is characterized by a renewed relationship with God, a new identity in Christ, and a transformed way of life. It is considered a foundational concept of Christian theology, representing the power of God to change lives and redeem humanity.”

And HERE is my understanding of “new creation” from my readings, reflection and gleanings from good old Google.

I must try ChatGPT for sermon development in future and let you know whether it can be as useful a tool as Google. Haha… a ChatGPT vs Google match. Will ChatGPT end Google’s dominance in the search engine business?