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Using ChatGPT for Search

Using ChatGPT for Search

Last updated on: April 6, 2023 at 5:17 am by James F. McGrath

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Using ChatGPT for Search 2023-04-05T18:37:35-04:00 James F. McGrath

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I wanted to check whether there was any record I might have missed of Herod Antipas beheading someone else, and so I decided to use it as a test of one of the things I suspected ChatGPT might be useful for. Here is how it went. It will be the contrast with Google search results that makes the point, so read on…

Me: Did Herod Antipas behead anyone else besides John the Baptist?

ChatGPT: It is possible that Herod Antipas beheaded other individuals besides John the Baptist, but historical records are not definitive on this matter. Herod Antipas was a ruler of Galilee and Perea during the first century CE, and he was known for his cruelty and capriciousness. According to the New Testament, he ordered the execution of John the Baptist, who had criticized his marriage to his brother’s wife (Mark 6:14-29). However, there is no clear evidence that Herod beheaded anyone else during his reign. Some historians speculate that he may have executed other political dissidents or rivals, but there is no definitive proof of this.

Me: Who else around the time of Herod Antipas was executed by beheading?

ChatGPT: There were several other individuals who were executed by beheading around the time of Herod Antipas. Here are a few examples:

Saint Paul: According to Christian tradition, the apostle Paul was executed by beheading in Rome around 64 CE. He was an important figure in the early Christian church and had been imprisoned several times for his teachings.
Saint John the Apostle: According to some traditions, John the Apostle was also beheaded in the first century CE. However, there is some debate among scholars about the exact circumstances of his death.
James the Just: James was the brother of Jesus and the leader of the Christian church in Jerusalem. According to the historian Josephus, he was stoned to death by the Jewish Sanhedrin in the year 62 CE. However, some later Christian traditions suggest that he was beheaded instead.
Saint Denis: Denis was a Christian missionary who was beheaded in the third century CE. He is a patron saint of France and is often depicted holding his own severed head.

These are just a few examples, and there were likely many other individuals who were executed by beheading during this time period.

Another example (also related to my book project, no surprise) involved me wondering how clear the evidence is that many Galileans traveling to Jerusalem preferred the Ridge Route along the Jordan to the Ridge Route (the Way of the Patriarchs) that led through Samaria. The question as I posed it to Google were not at all focused and on target. ChatGPT on the other hand was.

Me: What route would Jesus have taken from Galilee to Jerusalem?

ChatGPT: The route that Jesus would have taken from Galilee to Jerusalem would have depended on the specific location in Galilee that he was starting from, as well as the time period in which he was traveling. However, there are a few routes that are commonly believed to have been used during Jesus’ time:

The Coastal Route: This route followed the Mediterranean coast southward from Galilee to Jerusalem, passing through the coastal cities of Caesarea, Joppa, and Ashdod. This route was the most direct, but it was also the most dangerous, as it was vulnerable to attacks from the sea and from bandits on the road.

The Jordan Valley Route: This route followed the Jordan River southward from Galilee to Jericho, then turned westward and climbed up to Jerusalem. This route was longer than the coastal route, but it was safer and offered better access to water.

The Samaria Route: This route went southward from Galilee through Samaria, passing through the cities of Shechem and Bethel, before turning eastward and climbing up to Jerusalem. This route was the least direct, but it was also the least dangerous and offered a more peaceful journey.

It’s worth noting that the exact route that Jesus took is not specified in the Bible, so it is impossible to know for sure which route he would have taken. Additionally, the routes that were commonly used during Jesus’ time may have been different than the routes that are used today due to changes in geography and infrastructure.

Thus I think that ChatGPT and future AI tools like it will prove revolutionary for search inasmuch as they respond better to questions than a search engine does. The thing to keep in mind about the tool is that it is mimicking speech in relation to your question and thus information provided must be fact-checked.

Here is another example, one in which I think that ChatGPT helped me get a sense of what I would have found via a longer search process:

Me: Do religious reformers usually come from cities or the countryside?

ChatGPT: There is no definitive answer to whether religious reformers usually come from cities or the countryside, as the factors that lead someone to become a religious reformer can vary widely and are shaped by a complex mix of personal, social, cultural, and historical circumstances.

That being said, throughout history, there have been examples of religious reformers emerging from both urban and rural contexts. For instance, the Protestant Reformation in Europe was led by figures such as Martin Luther and John Calvin, who were based in urban centers like Wittenberg and Geneva. However, there have also been religious reform movements that have arisen in rural areas, such as the Taiping Rebellion in 19th-century China, which was led by Hong Xiuquan, a failed civil servant who had a religious vision while living in a remote village.

In general, it is likely that the factors that contribute to religious reform include a dissatisfaction with the status quo, a desire for change, a deep sense of personal conviction, and a willingness to challenge established authority. These factors can arise in a wide range of settings, whether in the bustling streets of a city or the quiet fields of the countryside.

Me: Do they all at least end up in a city before becoming reformers?

ChatGPT: No, religious reformers do not necessarily have to end up in a city before becoming reformers. While urban areas may provide more opportunities for networking, education, and exposure to new ideas, there are many examples of religious reformers who have emerged from rural or isolated contexts.

For instance, the Buddha, who founded Buddhism, was born in a small town in ancient India and spent much of his early life in the countryside. Similarly, Muhammad, the founder of Islam, was born in Mecca, a city in present-day Saudi Arabia, but spent much of his early life as a shepherd in the surrounding hills.

The important thing to note is that becoming a religious reformer is often a deeply personal and transformative process that can be influenced by a wide range of factors, including personal experiences, intellectual inquiry, and spiritual insights. While urban areas may provide more opportunities for education and intellectual exchange, they are not a necessary prerequisite for becoming a religious reformer.

Here is one on a topic relevant to my class which isn’t bad at all, but is less of a genuine search on my part (I just was working on class prep at the same time and so thought I’d see what it says):

Me: How are women depicted in the Book of Revelation?

ChatGPT: The Book of Revelation, also known as the Apocalypse of John, depicts women in various ways, both positive and negative.

On the one hand, there are positive portrayals of women in the Book of Revelation. In chapter 12, for example, a woman “clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars” appears as a symbol of the people of God, and she gives birth to a male child who is destined to rule the nations with a rod of iron. This woman is often interpreted as representing the Virgin Mary or the Church.

On the other hand, there are also negative depictions of women in the Book of Revelation. In chapter 17, for example, a woman is depicted as a great prostitute who sits on a scarlet beast and has a cup full of abominations in her hand. This woman is often interpreted as representing the city of Rome, which was seen as a corrupt and idolatrous power in the early Christian era.

In general, the Book of Revelation uses a highly symbolic and metaphorical language, and its portrayal of women should be understood in this context. While some of the images of women in the book may seem negative to modern readers, they should be interpreted in light of the book’s overall message, which is one of hope and redemption for the faithful.

Quite a good summary, which tells us that there is a consistent pattern in the textual base this LLM (Large Language Model) had to work with. In contrast, this one didn’t go so well in terms of the information provided, but is very interesting in terms of the way ChatGPT explained what went wrong:

Me: Has anyone suggested that the “two witnesses” in the Book of Revelation might be John the Baptist and Jesus?

ChatGPT: While some people have suggested that the “two witnesses” mentioned in the Book of Revelation could represent John the Baptist and Jesus, this interpretation is not widely accepted among scholars.

The two witnesses are described in Revelation 11:3-13 as two prophets who will prophesy for 1,260 days (which is approximately three and a half years) and perform miraculous signs. They are eventually killed by a beast that rises out of the abyss, but are resurrected and ascend to heaven.

While some Christians have identified the two witnesses with specific historical figures, such as Moses and Elijah or Enoch and Elijah, there is no consensus on their identity. The idea that the two witnesses represent John the Baptist and Jesus is a relatively recent interpretation that has been put forth by some theologians and biblical scholars, but it is not widely accepted.

In general, the Book of Revelation is a highly symbolic and metaphorical work, and its meaning has been debated and interpreted in many different ways throughout history.

Me: Which scholars have suggested this view?

ChatGPT: There have been a few scholars who have suggested that the two witnesses in the Book of Revelation might represent John the Baptist and Jesus, but this interpretation is not widely accepted.

One scholar who has advocated for this view is Richard Bauckham, a British New Testament scholar and theologian. In his book “The Theology of the Book of Revelation” (1993), Bauckham argues that the two witnesses represent the prophetic witness of John the Baptist and Jesus, who were both rejected and killed by the authorities but were vindicated by God through their resurrection.

Another scholar who has proposed this interpretation is Vern Poythress, a professor of New Testament interpretation at Westminster Theological Seminary. In his book “The Returning King: A Guide to the Book of Revelation” (2000), Poythress suggests that the two witnesses symbolize the witness of John the Baptist and Jesus to both Israel and the Gentiles, as well as the two-fold nature of Christ’s ministry as both a suffering servant and a victorious king.

However, it should be noted that this interpretation is not widely accepted among scholars, and there are many other views on the identity and meaning of the two witnesses in the Book of Revelation.

Me: I just looked in Richard Bauckham’s book and he does not hold that view.

ChatGPT: I apologize for the mistake in my previous response. After checking again, I can confirm that Richard Bauckham does not hold the view that the two witnesses in the Book of Revelation represent John the Baptist and Jesus. Instead, Bauckham suggests that the two witnesses represent the prophetic witness of the Christian church throughout history.

Bauckham argues that the two witnesses symbolize the church’s testimony to Jesus Christ, as represented by the two olive trees and two lampstands mentioned in Revelation 11:4. The olive trees are a reference to Zechariah 4:1-14, where the prophet sees two olive trees standing beside a golden lampstand, and the lampstand represents the presence of God. Bauckham suggests that the two olive trees in Revelation represent the church’s continuity with the prophetic witness of Israel, while the lampstands represent the church’s witness to Christ.

In Bauckham’s view, the two witnesses are killed by the beast that rises out of the abyss, which represents the forces of evil that oppose the church’s witness to Christ. However, the two witnesses are eventually resurrected and ascend to heaven, symbolizing the church’s ultimate victory over its enemies and its final vindication before God.

I apologize for any confusion my previous response may have caused, and I hope this clarification is helpful.

ChatGPT: I apologize for my error in my first response. As an AI language model, my responses are generated by algorithms that analyze patterns in text data, and sometimes there can be errors or inconsistencies in the results.

In this case, my first response was based on an incomplete understanding of Richard Bauckham’s views on the identity of the two witnesses in the Book of Revelation. While I had read about Bauckham’s interpretation of the two olive trees and two lampstands as representing the church’s testimony to Jesus Christ, I had mistakenly attributed to him the view that the two witnesses represented John the Baptist and Jesus. This was likely due to an error in my language model’s training data or a misinterpretation of the sources I used to answer the question.

I strive to provide accurate and helpful responses, and I apologize for any confusion or inconvenience my error may have caused.

Me: So does Poythress hold the view you suggested, or would you like to change your answer?

ChatGPT: Yes, Vern Poythress has suggested that the two witnesses in the Book of Revelation might represent John the Baptist and Jesus. In his book “The Returning King: A Guide to the Book of Revelation” (2000), Poythress proposes that the two witnesses symbolize the witness of John the Baptist and Jesus to both Israel and the Gentiles, as well as the two-fold nature of Christ’s ministry as both a suffering servant and a victorious king.

Poythress argues that the two witnesses are depicted as two olive trees and two lampstands, which symbolize the witness of John the Baptist and Jesus as prophets and teachers who testified to the truth of God’s word. He suggests that the two witnesses are killed by the beast that rises out of the abyss, which represents the forces of evil that oppose God’s kingdom, but are ultimately vindicated by God through their resurrection and ascension to heaven.

I apologize for any confusion my earlier response may have caused, and I hope this clarification is helpful.

I don’t have access to Poythress’s book. Nothing I have found online supports Poythress holding the view ChatGPT claims. I don’t expect it to be correct, but I am curious!

Finally, here is one more question I asked ChatGPT that led to a response that I found very amusing – very typical ChatGPT language that in this case is less apt than it is in others:

Me: How frequently does Luke agree with Matthew rather than Mark where the three overlap?

ChatGPT: As an AI language model, I do not have access to Luke’s personal opinions or beliefs, as Luke is a biblical figure. However, based on the synoptic problem in biblical scholarship, it is generally agreed upon that Matthew and Luke used Mark’s gospel as a source, as well as another hypothetical source known as “Q.”

When Matthew and Luke overlap with Mark, they often agree with each other in their use of Mark’s material. However, there are also many places where Matthew and Luke differ from each other and from Mark. The degree to which Luke agrees with Matthew rather than Mark in these overlapping sections varies depending on the specific passage in question.

Overall, it is difficult to provide a precise frequency of how often Luke agrees with Matthew rather than Mark in the overlapping sections without a specific passage or comparison in mind. However, it is important to note that the study of the synoptic problem is a complex and ongoing area of biblical scholarship, and there is still much debate and discussion surrounding the relationships between the synoptic gospels.

Google was much more helpful, taking me right to chapter 11 of Streeter’s famous book on the Synoptic Problem.

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