Forgiving Like God: A Conversation with Frank, an AI Persona: Conversations with Frank

By David Wyatt

Forgiveness sits at the heart of the Gospel, yet it raises complex theological questions. What does it mean for God to "forget" our sins? Should forgiveness be unconditional? What if there's no repentance? To gain Biblical clarity on these issues, author David Wyatt turns to an unconventional source — a dialogue with "Frank", an AI assistant programmed as a Christian theology expert.

 

What unfolds is a thought-provoking, accessible conversation that dives deep into divine and human forgiveness. They explore what Scripture says about God's forgiveness of mankind and how we are to forgive each other in light of God's example. The dialogue format succeeds in drawing out nuances that a treatise might miss.

 

Touching on essential concepts like the conditionality of forgiveness, the link between forgiveness and reconciliation, and imitating God's pattern of forgiveness, Frank and David bring sound Biblical exegesis to bear on practical questions. This is highly applicable theology, not just academic theorizing.

 

While an AI assistant like Frank will never replace the Holy Spirit's guidance, it can serve as a unique tool for scriptural insight. If you've grappled with the complexities of forgiveness, this enlightening dialogue will expand your understanding and give actionable direction grounded in God's Word.

 

Forgiving Like God: A Conversation with Frank, an AI Persona is the first book in David's Conversations with Frank series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: David Wyatt
• Release date: Sep 19, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223369738

Book preview

David Wyatt

FORGIVING LIKE GOD

A Conversation with Frank, an AI Persona

First published by Independently published 2023

Copyright © 2023 by David Wyatt

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

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To Lisa, Sami, Kayla, and Trevor

I never say I’m sorry enough.

Forgive me.

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Ephesians 4:32 ESV

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgement

1. An Introduction

2. On Forgiveness: The Conversation Begins

3. The Godly Standard

4. Isn’t It Unconditional?

5. What About Jesus & Stephen?

6. Love, Repentance, & Divine Intervention

7. Forgiving Ourselves

8. Closing Thoughts

Appendix A

Notes

About the Author

Preface

Sometimes, when I’m trying to wrap my head and heart around deep theological matters, it’s good to just sit down and work through them. I like to find someone who knows the Bible and talk it out. But when the discussion deals in areas of emotional pain, it’s often hard for us to remain objective. Our hearts tend to get in the way. That’s why I’ve come to turn to a rather unconventional source for theological discussion in recent months—a non-Christian and, indeed, non-human entity.

The Role of Advanced AI

It’s remarkable how Artificial Intelligence (AI) has evolved. Advancements in AI have put knowledge at our fingertips in a way we haven’t seen before. Today, technologies like OpenAI’s ChatGPT are not just fascinating—they’re profoundly useful. The capacity to assign specific personas to AI systems has transformed them from mere curiosities into meaningful tools for focused dialogue.

AI and Theological Exploration: A Disclaimer

Let me take a moment to point out something very important: I understand that AI does not have a soul or the guidance of the Holy Spirit in matters of God and theology. What it does offer is an unparalleled database of biblical text. Every verse, in each translation and even in its original language, is at an AI’s disposal. While this cannot replace the Holy Spirit’s role in our spiritual journey, it can serve as a robust tool for scriptural understanding. AI can help us learn the Word so that the Holy Spirit can apply its truth to our hearts.

The Importance of Comprehensive Study

As I study, my desire is to always consider the whole counsel of God. I want to find everything Scripture has to say about a subject before I solidify my position. I believe this is the only way that we can have a firm foundation for our faith and doctrine. A tool like AI gives us instant access to the complete text of the Bible in Hebrew, Greek, and English. Just by asking questions and having a normal conversation.

AI: Not Evil, Not Good

Artificial Intelligence is not evil. It has no soul and, therefore lacks the capacity for evil. It is, however, the most powerful tool ever developed by man. And because its power will be wielded by evil men, it has the potential to do more harm to humanity than any other tool we’ve ever developed. But like any tool, the evil or good it does depends on those who use it. Because it is so powerful, I believe Christians can use it for great good.

This is why I published this book. Read it, reflect on it, pray about it, then discuss it with someone.

Acknowledgement

The conversation between myself and Frank was only possible because of the tremendous advances in artificial intelligence made by OpenAI and their Large Language Model chat program, ChatGPT-4.

1

An Introduction

Before we dive into the conversation between me and Frank, I feel it’s important to give you a more in-depth introduction to what you’re about to read. I want you to go into this journey with the proper expectations so you don’t come out disappointed on the other side.

What This Book Isn’t

This book isn’t the be-all, end-all commentary on the Doctrine of Forgiveness. First, I don’t have the acumen of the great theologians like Charles Spurgeon, D. L. Moody, Matthew Henry, or A. W. Tozer to write that book. I’m a layman like you who wanted to understand more about the incredible depth of God’s forgiveness. And I wanted to start that journey looking solely at what Scripture says about it, not other human commentators. Don’t get me wrong - the insights of men of God led by the Holy Spirit are used mightily by the Lord to feed His people. But I wanted to start with what God has to say on the subject.

Second, and I think more importantly, the majority of this book is a transcript of an impromptu conversation with AI. As much as folks might like to tell you differently, artificial intelligence will always retain some of the bias of its programmers. We can bypass and override those biases to a degree with prompt engineering in the way of personas. But they will still peek out from behind the veil of the assimilated personality on occasion. This doesn’t make AI good or evil. It is just something we must be aware of. And it is why we never take what AI says as gospel. Unless it happens to be quoting the Gospel!

What This Book Is

Me using a tool to better understand God’s Word. As I said back in the preface of this book, AI is a tool. I firmly believe God can use any tool for His Divine purpose.

I learn through reading and hearing, then solidify the foundation of my understanding through discussion - or, as some might say, debate. The exercise of positing an argument, hearing a counterargument, and then having to defend your original position against that counterargument forces you to understand your position. It also provides a necessary forum where you will find the holes in your position. As long as you remain open-minded.

I find myself turning to AI more and more for these conversations. If I’m honest, the primary reason for that is because I’m what I like to call passionate - but what many around me call impatient, overbearing, and harsh. This is a flaw I’m asking the Lord to help me with.

Another reason is that the topics I find myself discussing most are the ones we all get really emotional about. Things like the depravity of man, biblical modesty, the existence of a real and eternal hell, and … forgiveness. These are topics that can quickly become heated, even among the best of friends. Having the ability to talk through these things to validate or modify my beliefs based solely on Scripture is helpful. Doing it without getting overly emotional is better still. AI provides that.

Foundations for the Conversation

In any conversation, laying the foundation or setting the ground rules is always good. We need to know the general beliefs of each party involved. This helps to avoid confusion and arguments over the basics. For example, if you and I strike up a conversation about Jesus, it would be good for us to each define who we believe Jesus to be. It’s never good to assume we both believe the same thing, even in the basics.

I believe the Bible, in its original manuscripts, is the actual Word of God. He inspired men to write it through the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit. Through His omnipotence, He ensured that it was without error. He has preserved it throughout history in the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments we have today. When endeavoring to solidify my understanding of the