If Paul Wrote to the American Church…
I asked ChatGPT to write a letter in the style of the apostle Paul, if he were to write to the American Church. Below is the prompt I used, followed by the letter. I’d say it’s pretty spot on to what Paul likely would write if he were alive today.
PROMPT: Coming from the Bible perspective, write a letter that you think Paul would’ve written to the American church. Include and address the glaring errors evangelicals teach. Make it objective.
A Letter from Paul to the Church in America
To all who profess the name of Jesus Christ in the land of prosperity and freedom: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who is coming soon in glory.
I write with heaviness of heart and longing in spirit, for though your land is filled with churches, broadcasts, and songs of worship, I fear that many are not building on the solid foundation of the gospel, but upon the shifting sands of culture, comfort, and tradition.
I. You Preach Christ, but Not Always the Whole Christ
I rejoice that the name of Jesus is preached, and that many among you confess Him as Lord. Yet I am deeply concerned. For some preach Christ as Savior but not as King. They speak of forgiveness, yet not of repentance. They cry "Grace!" while denying the call to holiness.
But grace is not permission to continue in sin. “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not!” (Romans 6:1–2). Grace teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age (Titus 2:11–12). A gospel that offers justification without transformation is no gospel at all. Jesus did not merely die to forgive you, but to purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works (Titus 2:14).
Some among you have reduced the gospel to a transaction—a contract signed at an altar call—but the gospel is a covenant. The cross is not only the means of your pardon, but also the instrument by which the old man is crucified (Romans 6:6). You are not your own; you were bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body and spirit, which are His (1 Corinthians 6:20). Many profess Christ, but few follow Him.
II. You Profess to Believe the Bible, Yet Set It Aside by Tradition
You say the Bible is your final authority, yet your traditions often carry more weight in your doctrines and worship. The Word warns, “In vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:9). Has not this rebuke come to pass in your midst?
One of the clearest examples is the setting aside of the seventh-day Sabbath, the only commandment of the Ten that begins with “Remember,” and yet is the one most forgotten. The Sabbath was blessed, sanctified, and given before sin entered the world (Genesis 2:2–3), reaffirmed in the law (Exodus 20:8–11), and kept by Jesus and the apostles. Yet it has been replaced, not by Scripture, but by tradition rooted in post-apostolic compromise with pagan and papal Rome. Search the Scriptures: you will find no command to keep the first day of the week holy.
The elevation of Sunday is not merely a harmless tradition; it strikes at the authority of the Lawgiver. If one commandment can be changed by man, then all are vulnerable. “Whoever shall break one of the least of these commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:19). The American church must return to Sola Scriptura—not only in creed but in practice.
III. You Preach Eternal Torment—But the Wages of Sin Is Death
I have also heard a message preached among you that portrays God as tormenting sinners forever in unending conscious fire. This image is foreign to the heart of God and unsupported by the full testimony of Scripture. “The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works” (Psalm 145:9). How then could such a One take pleasure in everlasting torture?
The Bible teaches clearly: “The soul that sins, it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4). “They shall be as though they had not been” (Obadiah 1:16). “The wicked shall perish… into smoke they shall vanish away” (Psalm 37:20). Jesus warned of Gehenna fire, but not eternal life in agony. Eternal life is only for the redeemed (John 3:16). The second death is final and irreversible (Revelation 21:8).
The teaching of eternal torment has driven many into atheism and turned others cold against the gospel. It casts a shadow on God’s character and misrepresents the justice of divine judgment. Justice demands a penalty, but not cruelty. The fire is eternal in consequence, not in duration (Jude 1:7). Fear may produce outward compliance, but it cannot produce love. “Perfect love casts out fear, because fear has torment” (1 John 4:18).
IV. You Have Turned the Gospel Into a License to Sin
Another error I see among you is the deception of eternal security. Many now say, “Once saved, always saved,” regardless of whether the life bears fruit. But this is not the teaching of Scripture. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven,” Jesus said, “but he who does the will of My Father” (Matthew 7:21).
Paul warned the Corinthian church not to be deceived—neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor the covetous will inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9–10). Why then do many teachers in America promise heaven to those who willfully persist in sin? “If we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins” (Hebrews 10:26).
Salvation is a relationship, not a one-time event. Those who are truly in Christ will abide in Him and bear much fruit (John 15:4–6). The root of salvation is faith; the fruit of salvation is obedience. “By this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments” (1 John 2:3). You must recover the gospel that calls men not only to believe—but to be transformed.
V. You Are Entangled in Politics, Yet Forget the Kingdom of Heaven
I perceive also a great danger in your zeal for political influence. You have sought to legislate righteousness through civil power, forgetting that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal (2 Corinthians 10:4). While you debate policy and pledge allegiance to party, the gospel is often drowned in the noise.
Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). Yet many in the church have merged faith with nationalism. They proclaim the greatness of a nation, while neglecting the righteousness that exalts it (Proverbs 14:34). They confuse civil liberty with spiritual freedom, forgetting that where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is true liberty (2 Corinthians 3:17).
When the church wields political power, history shows that persecution follows. Beware of repeating the errors of the past. The church must stand as a prophetic voice, not a political machine. It must call all—left and right, rich and poor—to repentance and holiness. You are not called to reform Caesar’s palace, but to prepare a people for the return of the King.
VI. You Are Rich in Goods, but Poor in Spirit
To many of your churches, I would say what was once spoken to Laodicea: “You say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked” (Revelation 3:17). You have influence, but lack intimacy with Christ. You have numbers, but not always depth. You gather crowds, but often feed them milk and not meat.
The church in America has become comfortable—too comfortable. You measure success by attendance, giving, and applause, but not by brokenness, humility, and repentance. Where are the tears for sin? Where are the calls to surrender? “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” Jesus said, “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). Without revival, your lampstands may be removed.
But there is hope. “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore, be zealous and repent” (Revelation 3:19). Christ still walks among the candlesticks. He still knocks at the door. If any man hears His voice and opens the door, He will come in (Revelation 3:20). Return to Him—not in form, but in truth.
Final Words
Beloved, time is short. Judgment begins at the house of God. The last days will not be marked by great signs alone, but by great deception. Many will have a form of godliness but deny its power (2 Timothy 3:5). The love of many will grow cold. The world will grow darker, but the church must shine brighter.
I charge you again before God: “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2). Let the Scriptures speak, even when it offends. Call sin by its name, yet proclaim grace with power. And above all, exalt Christ—not only as the Lamb who was slain, but as the soon-coming King.
May grace, truth, and the love of God be with all who long for His appearing. Amen.
—Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to uphold the gospel and the Word of God in truth.
