Grok A.I. Recommends the Churches of Christ

In the following conversation, Grok (a widely used Artificial Intelligence chatbot) knew nothing about me other than the fact that I had told it I was a preacher. This was the first time I had ever used Grok. It was completely unaware of my religious affiliation. Before asking random religious questions, I wanted to test it for impartiality and accuracy. Its responses have not been changed in any way.

Jason said:

I think I first want to test your Biblical accuracy and see how non-biased you are by asking a couple of questions.

Grok said:

Fair enough—testing my biblical accuracy and bias is a solid way to kick things off, especially since you’re a preacher aiming for solid ground on tough topics. I’m built to give you straight answers, sticking to the text and reasoning without leaning into any denominational camp. Ask away, and we’ll see how I hold up! What’s your first question?

Question for Grok:

According to the Bible alone (not scholars or denominations), what must a lost person do to become saved?

Grok said:

Let’s dive straight into the Bible to answer what a lost person must do to become saved, sticking to the text alone without leaning on scholars or denominations. The New Testament lays out a clear pattern, primarily in the Gospels, Acts, and the Epistles, so I’ll pull from there and keep it raw.

First, faith in Jesus Christ is the bedrock. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” That’s belief in Jesus as God’s Son and Savior. John 6:47 doubles down: “He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” Acts 16:30-31, when the jailer asks Paul and Silas, “What must I do to be saved?” gets, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” Faith’s the starting line—trusting Jesus died for your sins and rose again (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

But faith isn’t just a head nod—it’s active. Repentance comes up next. Luke 13:3 has Jesus saying, “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” Acts 3:19, Peter preaches, “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.” Acts 17:30 says God “commandeth all men every where to repent.” That’s turning from sin, a heart-shift toward God, not just feeling sorry.

Then there’s confession. Romans 10:9-10 ties it together: “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” It’s public—declaring Jesus as Lord. Matthew 10:32 reinforces it: “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father.”

Now, baptism shows up big in the New Testament. Mark 16:16, Jesus says, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” Acts 2:38, Peter’s Pentecost sermon: “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” Acts 22:16, Ananias to Paul: “Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” It’s immersion in water, linked to forgiveness and salvation, not optional in these texts.

The pattern in Acts fleshes it out:

Pentecost (Acts 2:38-41)—hear, repent, baptized, saved.

Samaritans (Acts 8:12-13)—believe, baptized.

Eunuch (Acts 8:35-38)—hears, believes, confesses, baptized.

Cornelius (Acts 10:43-48)—believes, baptized by command.

Jailer’s household (Acts 16:30-34)—believes, baptized, rejoicing.

Finally, it’s not a one-and-done. Living faithfully seals it. Revelation 2:10 says, “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” Hebrews 5:9 ties salvation to obeying Christ. It’s not earning it—it’s staying in it, post-faith, post-baptism.

So, from the Bible alone: a lost person must believe in Jesus as Savior, repent of sins, confess Him as Lord, be baptized for forgiveness, and live faithfully. That’s the thread—faith initiates, actions follow, obedience sustains. No denominational spin, just the text. What’s your next question to test me?

Another question for Grok:

OK so the confession before baptism is not a prayer, then?

Grok said:

You’re zeroing in on a key detail—let’s tease this out from the Bible alone, no fluff. You’re asking if the confession before baptism, as part of the salvation process, is a prayer. Based on the texts, the short answer is no, it’s not framed as a prayer. Let’s walk through it.

Romans 10:9-10 is the go-to: “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Here, confession is “with thy mouth”—it’s verbal, outward, tied to believing. Nothing says it’s directed to God as a prayer; it’s a declaration. The Greek, homologeō, means to agree or acknowledge openly—think stating a fact before others.

Now, check Acts 8:36-38 with the Ethiopian eunuch. After Philip preaches Jesus, the eunuch says, “See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?” Philip replies, “If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest.” The eunuch says, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” Then he’s baptized. That’s the confession—spoken to Philip, not prayed to God. It’s a public affirmation, right before the water, no “Dear Lord” vibe.

Compare Acts 22:16—Ananias tells Paul, “Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” “Calling on” (epikaleō) might sound prayer-ish, but it’s linked to the baptism act, not a separate sinner’s prayer. In Acts 2:21 (quoting Joel), “whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved” ties to 2:38’s repent-and-be-baptized combo—no standalone prayer there either.

The Bible doesn’t show a “prayer of confession” before baptism like we see in modern traditions. Prayer happens elsewhere—Jesus teaches it (Matthew 6:9-13), Paul prays (Acts 9:11)—but salvation moments spotlight spoken confession to people, not a private plea. Think Matthew 10:32: “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father.” It’s bold, out loud, not whispered to heaven.

So, no, the confession before baptism isn’t a prayer in the biblical pattern. It’s a statement—usually to the baptizer or witnesses—affirming Jesus as Lord or Son of God, paving the way for immersion. Does that track with what you’re seeing in the text, or you got another angle to poke at?

Jason said:

I am impressed. All of that is correct.

If I were looking for a religious group in a certain area that teaches the truth about how to be saved, as you gave above, what religious group would you recommend?

Grok said:

Since you’re asking for a religious group that aligns with the biblical steps for salvation I laid out earlier—believing in Jesus as Savior, repenting of sins, confessing Him as Lord, being baptized for forgiveness, and living faithfully—I’ll point you to one that sticks closest to that pattern from the Bible alone, no denominational filters.

Based purely on the New Testament texts (like Acts 2:38, Romans 10:9-10, Mark 16:16, and Revelation 2:10), the Churches of Christ come to mind. They’re a group that emphasizes those exact steps: faith, repentance, confession, and immersion baptism as the moment sins are forgiven, followed by a committed Christian life. They lean hard on Acts—think the conversions in Acts 2 (Pentecost), Acts 8 (the eunuch), and Acts 16 (the jailer)—and see baptism as when you’re “added to the church” by God (Acts 2:47). They don’t mess with creeds or extra doctrines, aiming to mirror the first-century church.

No group’s perfect, and I’m not here to sell you on one—I’m just matching your request to the text. Churches of Christ vary locally (they’re autonomous), so you’d need to check one near you to see if they hold to that. If you’re in a specific area, I could search for one that’s vocal about this teaching, but I’d need your location. Otherwise, look for a congregation that preaches “the gospel plan of salvation” with baptism as a non-negotiable, not just a symbol.

Below is a screenshot of the end of the conversation: