Learning to Discern
Truth can be difficult to recognize, but it is not divided. Across countless denominations and theological systems, many conflicting explanations are offered—all claiming to be correct. Yet, what is true remains singular.
Over centuries, layers of tradition and inherited doctrine have "pre-packaged" how Scripture is read. These layers often act as a filter, preventing us from seeing the original intent of the writers. Senetru provides the tools and study resources to help you engage the Scriptures directly, bypassing the imported doctrines of the institutional church.
The Goal of These Tools
The resources on this page are designed to bring your attention back to the language, context, and original intent of the text. They help you identify exactly where human assumptions have replaced scriptural authority.
Here you will find a Study Framework and practical guidance for using modern tools to:
Ask Better Questions: Move past "Sunday school" answers.
Examine Assumptions: Spot where tradition has "backed into" a verse.
Restore Original Meaning: Look closely at what the text actually supports.
The Role of AI in Study
AI is not a source of truth, nor is it a replacement for the Spirit. It is a study aid—a digital shovel to help you dig through the rust of tradition. The goal is to support an honest examination of Scripture as you grow in clarity through patient study and total dependence on the guidance of the Most High.
“Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” — Proverbs 3:5–6
Option 1 — Ask Questions Here
Guided Study: Senetru Answers
If you prefer to bypass prompts, settings, or technical configurations, you can engage directly with the guided assistant below. Senetru Answers is hosted on Google’s Gemini AI platform; please note that accessing the tool requires a Google account sign-in.
Why We Use This Platform
We specifically utilize Google’s Gemini platform because, when equipped with the appropriate custom guardrails, it effectively filters out institutional theology. This allows the AI to focus exclusively on the original Greek and Hebrew languages and the specific intent of the authors at the time of writing—restoring the original meaning of the Scriptures without the interference of imported church doctrine.
How to Use It
The assistant is designed to operate strictly within the framework and definitions presented in Senetru’s books. It is here to help you explore questions, clarify ideas, and think through topics without the confusion often found in unstructured or historically biased sources.
No Installation Required: You do not need to download software or adjust complex settings.
Simple Interaction: Just ask your question and process the response thoughtfully, as you would during a personal study or a focused conversation.
Using AI Effectively (And Avoiding the Risks)
While AI is a powerful tool for recovering original intent, it can be done wrong. Without the right approach, AI can drift into "hallucinations" or revert to common religious biases.
Pro-Tip: Use "Thinking Mode" for Deeper Analysis To get the best results, we recommend using the "Thinking" (or Deep Think) mode if it is available on your Gemini interface.
How it works: This mode forces the AI to slow down and "deliberate" before answering. It helps the AI perform a more rigorous audit of the original Greek and Hebrew rather than giving an instant, traditional response.
What to expect: It may take a minute or two to respond because it is carefully processing the text through the Senetru framework to ensure it isn't importing church doctrine.
Further down this page, we provide additional instructions for using AI effectively when studying Scripture. We include specific recommendations for the types of questions to ask, as well as critical signs of "AI drift" to watch out for to ensure your study remains grounded in the original text.
Alternative Options
For those who prefer to use their own AI interface, the next section provides a copy-and-paste framework. You can use these specific instructions to set up your own environment on the platform of your choice.
Note on Language: We explain further below why precise language matters and how the recovery of original definitions is central to this work.
Option 2 — Guide the AI You Already Use
We’ve developed the Senetru Scripture Study Framework through our ongoing work to recover the original intent of the text. This involves clarifying the specific meaning of key words and systematically removing imported theological and doctrinal assumptions.
While this framework provides the same rigorous study guardrails used in Senetru Answers, it is important to note its scope:
What it is: A set of instructions you can copy and paste into your own AI platform to keep it text-centered, context-aware, and focused on original Hebrew and Greek cultural intent.
What it is not: This framework does not give your AI access to the Senetru books. To ask specific questions about the content or definitions within those books, you must use the Senetru Answers link above.
Why This Framework is Critical
Language is not neutral. Most AI platforms are trained on vast amounts of institutional theology, which can cloud the original meaning of Scripture. This framework directs the AI to prioritize how words were understood at the time they were written, rather than how they have been redefined by centuries of church doctrine. We explain this further in the Why Words Matter section below.
A Note on Platform Performance
In our testing, we have found Google’s Gemini to be the most effective at sticking to original intent. Other prominent AI platforms tend to experience more frequent "drift"—reverting to institutional biases and standard religious clichés.
Pro-Tip: Use "Thinking Mode" for Deeper Analysis To get the best results in you are using Gemini, we recommend using the "Thinking" (or Deep Think) mode if it is available.
How it works: This mode forces the AI to slow down and "deliberate" before answering. It helps the AI perform a more rigorous audit of the original Greek and Hebrew rather than giving an instant, traditional response.
What to expect: It may take a minute or two to respond because it is carefully processing the text through the Senetru framework to ensure it isn't importing church doctrine.
Important: We cannot guarantee that any platform will remain free of bias. Because of this, we have created a guide below on How to Tell When AI is Drifting and how to address it.
The Necessity of Discernment
Ultimately, no framework or AI is a substitute for the Spirit of God. You do not study to gain the Spirit; rather, you seek the Most High God, and He provides the discernment necessary for true study.
What the Framework Does
Maintains Textual Focus: Keeps the AI centered on the specific passage and its immediate context.
Restores Original Language: Directs the AI to explain word meanings based on original Greek/Hebrew and cultural understanding.
Filters Institutional Bias: Prevents the AI from defaulting to inherited church doctrine or creed-based conclusions.
Rejects External Authority: Avoids using commentaries or theological systems as the primary interpretive lens.
Promotes Reasoning: Encourages careful, step-by-step logic instead of "proof-texting."
How to Use It: By clicking the button below the framework will be copied and all you need to do is paste it into your AI tool’s "Custom Instructions" or at the very beginning of each new chat. Once pasted, you may begin your study.
📋 Copy This Framework Into Your AI
Using AI as a Scripture Study Tool
Seek the Source First
Understanding Scripture begins with seeking the Lord, not mastering information.
“The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” — 1 Corinthians 2:14
Trust Him to guide your reading. As He leads, AI can serve as a powerful tool to explore language and examine context in ways that were once difficult to access. Used thoughtfully, it supports your discernment by removing the barriers of modern translation.
Study the Flow, Not Just the Verse
A healthy way to study is to read passages in context. Most of the Scriptures are letters or historical accounts meant to be read as complete messages. AI can help you maintain this "full flow" of thought so you don't get lost in isolated verses.
How AI Assists Your Recovery of Intent:
Uncover Original Language: Ask for the specific Greek or Hebrew word and its governing meaning at the time of writing.
Examine the Audience: Ask what specific cultural or legal issue the author was addressing for their original listeners.
Connect the Structure: Ask how a specific section aligns with the overall message of the book.
Identify Traditions: Ask the AI to distinguish between the literal text and common theological assumptions added later.
A Companion, Not a Teacher
AI is a place where you can ask the questions you’ve always wanted to ask. You can pause and ask why something is phrased a certain way or how an idea connects to the nature of the Father. Use it to slow down and notice details. Curiosity leads to clarity, and seeking the original intent opens the door to deeper understanding.
A Note on Vigilance: Even with a framework provided, AI can sometimes default back to 'church-speak' or religious clichés. This is called 'drift.' We have provided a guide below to help you identify when an AI has stopped analyzing the text and has started repeating institutional theology.
How to Tell When AI Is Drifting — and How to Refocus
When using AI to explore Scripture, you must remain vigilant. AI models are trained on vast amounts of "church-speak" and institutional commentary. Even with a framework in place, the AI may occasionally default to these majority-held traditions rather than sticking to the original intent.
Signs of "Institutional Drift"
Watch for these specific indicators that the AI has stopped analyzing the text and has started repeating doctrine:
The "Theological Pivot": The AI uses terms like "The Trinity," "God the Son," or "Original Sin" when those words do not appear in the text you are studying.
Vague Sentimentality: It gives a "smooth" or "devotional" explanation (e.g., "God just wants you to feel His love") rather than explaining the legal or covenantal governance of a word.
Blending Contexts: It mixes a verse from a letter to the Hebrews with a modern denominational idea as if they are the same thing.
Circular Reasoning: It explains a word's meaning by using another religious word without ever defining the original Greek or Hebrew root.
Avoiding the "Hard" Definition: It uses phrases like "Many scholars believe..." or "Traditionally, this means..." instead of looking at the raw, literal meaning of the text.
How to Recenter the AI
If you notice the AI drifting into institutional bias, you don't necessarily have to start over. You can "re-handcuff" it to the framework with a simple follow-up prompt:
"You are drifting into institutional theology and majority-held traditions. Stop. Go back to the original Greek/Hebrew text of [Verse] and tell me the governing meaning of [Word] at the time it was written, ignoring all later church doctrine."
If the AI continues to struggle, simply start a new conversation, paste the Senetru Scripture Study Framework again, and restate your question.
The Goal: AI should remain a tool that supports your discernment, not a voice that replaces it. The Spirit of God is the ultimate guide; the AI is simply the digital lexicon helping you strip away the rust of tradition. it.
Top 5 Questions to Ask AI While Studying
These specific questions are designed to bypass "church-speak" and force the AI to look at the structural and linguistic reality of the text.
What is the specific original Greek or Hebrew word used here, and what was its "street-level" or governing meaning to the people who first heard it?
Why this works: It prevents the AI from using modern, sentimental definitions of words like "love," "faith," or "grace."
What specific problem, cultural situation, or legal issue was the author addressing in this passage?
Why this works: It grounds the text in history and stops the AI from turning the passage into a generic, feel-good life lesson.
If I remove all later church doctrine and creeds, what is this verse actually stating about the nature of the Father (Yahweh) and His Son (the Sent Logos/Word)?
Why this works: It forces the AI to look at the relationship described in the text rather than using "trinitarian formulas."
Does the English translation here hide any specific nuance or structural authority that exists in the original language?
Why this works: Many English words "flatten" the text. This question makes the AI reveal the "weight" behind the original terms.
Based strictly on the surrounding context of this book, how does this passage connect to the author's primary goal, and where might common interpretations be "proof-texting" it out of its home?
Why this works: It identifies when a verse has been stolen from its context to support a church tradition.
A Note for the Reader: You never need to feel embarrassed asking simple or "blunt" questions. In fact, the simplest questions—like "What does this word actually mean if I'm not a religious person?"—are often the ones that lead to the most profound clarity.
Using AI to Recover Meaning, Not Import Assumptions
Scripture was not written in English. The Old Testament was primarily written in Hebrew and the New Testament in Greek. Today, hundreds of English translations exist, but in an effort to be "readable," many have smoothed over critical distinctions.
When multiple, distinct original terms are compressed into a single, familiar English word, meaning shifts without the reader even realizing it. AI helps you slow down and peel back these layers to see what words were actually used. This isn't about becoming a scholar—it's about refusing to let inherited assumptions replace what is actually being said.
The "Flattening" Effect: Examples of Why We Re-Examine
1. Love — Alignment vs. Emotion
English uses one word—love—to represent seven different original words in Scripture. These are not just "shades" of a feeling; they describe entirely different orientations of the heart and legal standings.
The Drift: Most people read "love" as an emotional sentiment or a feeling of affection.
The Recovery: The most common New Testament word, Agapē, refers to alignment with Yahweh. It is an orientation that flows from Him and is proven by obedience and structural agreement, not by how a person feels.
2. God / LORD — Authority vs. Identity
Across the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures, there are nine different original words that English translations render simply as “God” or “Lord.”
The Drift: Using these generic titles as names often blurs the distinction between the Source and those in positions of authority.
The Recovery: In the original languages, these terms are often titles for rulers, judges, or spiritual beings, where the context determines the level of authority. Yahweh is the only name consistently used for the Most High alone. When we use generic titles, we risk losing the specific identity of the Father.
3. Logos ("Word") — Living Intent vs. Ink and Paper
One of the most deeply embedded institutional assumptions is that "The Word" (Logos) refers exclusively to the Bible as a document, or to Jesus in a flattened, philosophical sense.
The Drift: Reducing Logos to a book or a static document.
The Recovery: In the Greek, there are five different words for "word." Logos is Yahweh’s living will, intent, and self-expression.
It is living and powerful (Hebrews 4:12).
It multiplies (Acts 6:7).
It was embodied in the Son (John 1:14).
The writers of Scripture did not possess a "Bible"; they were bearing witness to the Logos—the living will and intent of God active in the world. A book cannot fulfill what Scripture describes the Logos as doing.
The Goal of Your Study
When you use AI to study, the goal is simple: Do not let English shortcuts or religious habits decide the meaning for you. Use these tools to recover the raw, governing communication that was originally intended.
“For the Logos of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” —Hebrews 4:12