ScriptureChat: The First Gen AI Bible Study App on IOS

Overview

ScriptureChat is an AI‑powered Bible study companion—designed to enhance how you engage with Scripture through a calm, conversational interface. It launched in March 2023 as the first AI Bible study app on iOS, originally leveraging GPT‑3 to deliver context‑aware dialogue and thoughtful guidance tailored to your spiritual journey.

The experience emphasizes clarity over flash: gentle typography, space to reflect, and answers that point you back to the text. Instead of chasing novelty, the app helps you slow down and explore passages with curiosity and care.

Highlights

First AI Bible study app on iOS (March 2023)
GPT‑3 powered conversational study with Scripture‑aware responses
Personalized guidance based on denomination and knowledge level
Clean, reflective design that invites focus—not distraction
Cross‑platform foundation (iOS and Android) built with Expo

Why I Built This

When GPT-3 came out, I started to study how LLMs work and, due to my background studying philosophy was immediately struck by how this would be obviously useful for those that reviewed texts in detail. While philosophical circles are typlically small and exist in academic environments, biblical study is done every day by billions of people. At the same time, the bible is an incredibly deep document with many layers of understanding required to really grasp it's core messages and propositions. So the idea was to provide access to a service that can help deepen your knowledge by tuning an LLM around your current level of knowledge and denomination so the LLM can guide you forward.

What It Does

ScriptureChat provides an intelligent chat interface for asking questions about passages, themes, and faith topics. It blends conversational AI with Scriptural context and practical wisdom, offering:

Study prompts and follow‑ups that deepen understanding
Explanations that are sensitive to tradition and theology
Suggestions for related passages and reflective practice

Premium features unlock extended conversations and deeper customization for power users.

Personalization (Faith‑Aware)

ScriptureChat adapts to you. You can fine‑tune responses based on:

Denomination settings (e.g., Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox)
Biblical knowledge level (beginner → advanced)
Spiritual focus (personal growth, study, mentoring, counseling)
Custom preferences to shape tone and depth

This faith‑aware approach keeps guidance respectful and contextually aligned—meeting you where you are in your journey.

Interface & Flow

The interface stays intentionally simple so study takes center stage:

Main chat view with clear message threading and easy scrolling
Subtle system cues (typing and send states) to reduce friction
Quick actions for verse references and follow‑up questions
Settings and profile to manage preferences and subscriptions

Under the hood, the chat system organizes conversation state globally so context is preserved across turns.

Under the Hood

React Native + Expo for the cross‑platform app shell
Firebase for authentication, database, and analytics
GPT‑3 as the original foundation for generative responses
React Context for app‑wide conversation state
RevenueCat (React Native Purchases) for subscriptions

Representative areas in the codebase include the main chat interface, global context for conversations, and reusable message components. See the repository for implementation details and structure.