How Pastors Can Use AI to Do Word Studies
- Darrell Stetler II
- Aug 18, 2025
- 3 min read
For more than 20 years, I’ve preached multiple times a week as a pastor. Like many of you, I’ve spent hours bent over lexicons, cross-references, and commentaries, chasing down the meaning of a single Greek or Hebrew word. Those deep dives were worth it—but let’s be honest, they were often time-intensive and sometimes overwhelming.
Now, as someone who has also spent the last 5 years creating discipleship resources for pastors, I’ve discovered that AI can be a faithful assistant in the process of biblical word studies. Not a replacement for prayer, discernment, or hard thinking—but a tool, like a concordance or commentary, that can help you dig faster and deeper.
It's not just me. I have spoken with 3 of the most proficient scholars I've ever met, including Greek and Hebrew professors. All of them said they are regularly using AI to examine the original languages, and do study and research in Greek and Hebrew.
In fact, I believe pastors who learn how to use AI for word studies will find themselves preaching with more insight, clarity, and efficiency.
It's all part of learning to prepare better sermons with AI, without cheating or selling out.
Why Word Studies Still Matter
Words unlock theological truth. Preaching “grace” (charis), “fellowship” (koinonia), or “steadfast love” (hesed) requires more than surface reading.
Our people need more than “what the English says.” They need the richness of the original context applied to their everyday lives.
Word studies are one of the best ways to bridge academic theology and practical preaching.
AI makes that bridge a lot easier to cross.
Practical Prompts for Word Studies with AI
Here are some ready-to-use prompts you can copy and paste into ChatGPT or another AI tool. In my course "How Pastors Can Use AI For Sermon Prep," you'll find more of these kind of copy-and-paste prompts.
1. Root Meaning and Usage
Do a word study on the Greek word charis as used in Ephesians 2:8. Include the root meaning, its range of usage in the New Testament, any significant Septuagint parallels, and key theological implications.
2. Theological Application
Regarding the Greek word koinonia, summarize the things in which believers share together according to the New Testament. Then explain how this should shape a modern congregation.
3. Exegetical + Preaching Connection
Do a word study on the Hebrew word hesed. Show how it’s used across the Old Testament, summarize how it is translated in the Septuagint, and give me three compelling applications I could preach this Sunday.
4. Comparative Translation Insight
Compare how John 1:14 is translated in the ESV, NASB, NIV, NLT, and KJV. Highlight what theological differences arise from the translation choices of the phrase “full of grace and truth.”
5. Historical & Contextual Background
Explain the cultural background of the word doulos in first-century Greco-Roman society, and discuss how that would have shaped Paul’s use of the term in Romans 6.
Each of these prompts helps you cut through hours of research. But remember: AI is a research assistant, not the Holy Spirit. You still need to weigh, verify, and apply what it gives you.
How the Sermon Illustrator Fits In
That’s why I built The Sermon Illustrator—a custom AI tool for pastors. While most pastors know it for generating creative sermon illustrations across 20 categories, it also has powerful built-in capacity for word studies, outlines, and cross-references.
And I don’t just hand you the tool and say, “Good luck.” In my course, How Pastors Can Use AI for Sermon Prep (Without Selling Out or Cheating), I devote an entire session to word studies with AI. I walk you step by step through prompts like these, with practical examples you can copy, paste, and adapt for your own preaching.
The goal isn’t to cheat or shortcut the sacred task of preaching. The goal is to use technology wisely so you can spend less time spinning your wheels—and more time in prayer, pastoral care, and proclamation.
👉 Use the Sermon Illustrator for free when you get the full course (including the complete session on word studies with AI) here: https://ai.newstartdiscipleship.com
Other posts in this series on Pastors and AI:
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I've spent hours over lexicons, but AI tools like obby brainrots games make it faster. The Sermon Illustrator helps pastors dig deeper without cheating, which is a relief for busy ministers.
Really appreciated the balance here—using AI to speed up word studies without replacing prayer, careful reading, or pastoral discernment. It made me think how even simple tools like a cursive font generator can polish sermon notes or handouts without becoming the main focus.
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