I asked ChatGTP if the Apostle Paul were to write a letter to the church in America, what would he say?
ChatGTP: As an AI language model, I can only speculate what the apostle Paul might say if he were to write a letter to the church in America today. However, based on his writings in the New Testament and the principles he upheld, it's likely that he would emphasize the following points:
Unity in Christ: Paul would likely encourage the American church to maintain unity in their faith and to remember that they are all members of one body, united in Christ.
Colossians 3:11 - "Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all."
Faithfulness to the Gospel: Paul would likely urge the American church to remain faithful to the teachings of Jesus and the gospel, and to resist the temptation to compromise or deviate from the truth.
Galatians 1:6-9 - "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all."
Love for one another: Paul emphasized the importance of love and would likely encourage the American church to demonstrate love and compassion towards one another, regardless of their differences.
John 13:34-35 - "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
Service to the community: Paul was known for his selfless service and would likely encourage the American church to serve their communities and share the love of Jesus with those around them.
Galatians 5:13 - "You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love."
Endurance in suffering: Finally, Paul would likely encourage the American church to endure suffering and persecution, reminding them that trials and difficulties are opportunities for growth and for the gospel to be made known.
Romans 5:3-5 - "Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope."
It's important to note that this is just a speculative response, and I can't be sure of what Paul would actually say if he were writing to the church in America today.
Lawrence: Not bad for a 15 second answer.
Update in January 2026
Short answer: yes, the core of that answer still stands—but I would add emphasis and sharpen the tone today.
What you quoted is a faithful Pauline baseline. Those themes—unity, fidelity to the gospel, love, service, endurance—are timeless and would absolutely still appear in a letter from Paul. Nothing there is wrong or obsolete.
However, if Paul were writing now, to the American church as it exists today, I think his letter would be more pointed, corrective, and unsettling than the summary you received a year ago.
What would stay the same: Paul would still insist on Christ over tribe, Gospel over ideology, Love over rhetoric, Faith proven by embodied action, Hope grounded in resurrection, not outcomes. Those do not change. Paul never changes the center.
What Paul would likely emphasize more strongly today:
A sharper rebuke of allegiance confusion. Paul was relentless when churches blended the gospel with cultural power, ethnic identity, or legal systems. Today, I think he would confront the American church for confusing the kingdom of God with political victory, national identity, or cultural dominance.
A stronger warning against performative righteousness. Paul was allergic to outward religion divorced from inward transformation. He would remind the church that truth without love does not merely fail—it becomes destructive.
A deeper call to cruciform living. Paul's theology was not triumphalist. It was cruciform. Less "winning the culture," more "dying with Christ."
A clearer distinction between suffering and inconvenience. Paul knew real persecution. He would likely challenge the American church's tendency to label loss of privilege, criticism, or discomfort as "persecution."
Paul loved the church too much to flatter it.