ScriptureChat: The First Gen AI Bible Study App on IOS
Overview
ScriptureChat was the first AI Bible study app on iOS. I shipped it in March 2023 — right in the middle of the early GPT wave, before most people had figured out what to do with these models.
Why I built this
When GPT-3 came out, I started studying how LLMs work and, due to my background in philosophy, was immediately struck by how useful this would be for people who spend real time with texts. Philosophical circles are typically small and academic, but biblical study is done every day by billions of people. The Bible is also an incredibly deep document — layers of history, theology, translation nuance, and denominational interpretation that take years to work through on your own.
So the idea was pretty straightforward: what if an LLM could act like a knowledgeable study partner that already knows your denomination and where you are in your understanding? Not replacing a pastor or a study group, but being the thing you could open when you're reading a passage at night and want to go deeper.
How it works
You open the app, set your denomination (Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, etc.), your knowledge level, and what you're focused on — personal growth, deeper study, mentoring, whatever. The model uses all of that as context for every response. I spent a lot of time on this part because the same question from a beginner and a seminary student should get genuinely different answers. A Catholic and a Protestant asking about the same verse should get responses that respect their tradition, not generic platitudes.
The chat itself is simple on purpose — bubbles, typing indicators, session memory so you can come back to a conversation. I didn't want any of the UI competing with the actual study. No gamification, no streaks, no push notifications nagging you to come back. Just the text and the conversation.
I kept the core study experience free and put extended conversations and customization behind a subscription through RevenueCat. Same logic as Flourish — I didn't want to gate the thing someone might actually need behind a paywall.
The stack
- Frontend: React Native + Expo for cross-platform (iOS and Android)
- AI: GPT-3 with denomination-aware system prompts and conversation context
- Backend: Firebase for auth, database, and analytics
- Monetization: RevenueCat for subscriptions