When my wife and I ride out the coldest part of the winter in Texas, I have the joy of meeting each Wednesday morning with a disparate group of men for conversation. Some of these men are professing Believers, most are not. So conversation ranges widely.

Among these newly acquired friends is Rabbi Andrew Bloom of Congregation Ahavath Sholom in Fort Worth. Not a Messianic gathering, but a mainstream conservative Jewish Congregation.

Rabbi Bloom is a real joy to interact with. We all deeply appreciate his friendship, insights and energy. And late in 2024, he released a book titled: Technology and Theology: How AI is Impacting Religion. It is a truly relevant topic. I am glad for his leadership in addressing it.

Chapter 13 of the Rabbi’s book is titled: “AI and Education: Transforming Torah Study and Religious Learning”, and serves to explicate a principle in Jewish education called “chevruta.” Bloom writes: “Jewish education has always placed a premium on the study of sacred texts, with Torah study forming the bedrock of Jewish intellectual and spiritual life. This is the reason that Jews have always been known as “the people of the book.” He then teases out how due to the principle of chevruta, the Rabbins consider only private study of Torah, without the active give and take of a student/teacher relationship, an unwise way to study. That Biblical study without others to challenge one’s understandings and to shape constructs, theories, etc., is deficient. Hence Bloom’s observation “Torah study is not merely an intellectual exercise; it is a spiritual and moral pursuit that requires human interaction, mentorship, and reflection.” And his concern that “In the context of AI, there is a risk that students may prioritize speed and convenience over the deep, reflective study that is central to Jewish learning. Thus, losing out on the deeper meanings of the text.”

I think he is really on to something here. Something our Proverbs passage above alludes to. An idea rounded out later in Proverbs 18:1: “Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.” And something which our access to powerful software tools, the internet and electronic libraries can easily lead pastors and teachers to become reliant only on our own opinions and insights, without examination or analysis by others who might challenge constructs, assumptions and conclusions.

The argument? The issue I would like to emphasize here is to encourage those of us who preach and teach, to develop relationships with other pastor/teachers with whom we can regularly interact as an outworking of iron sharpening iron. To not be interpretive Lone Rangers. To have our thoughts, musings, insights and opinions measured both against the scholarship of previous ages, and that of others actively working with the Biblical texts today.

If there is one thing I have learned over my own years in ministry, it is, if I have stumbled upon an interpretation of a text which I cannot find some substantiation for by scholars of previous generations or peers – then it is not to be trusted. To hold myself suspect. And in this way, to help protect those under my ministry from my own temptation to be singularly myopic.

And I would encourage my fellow preachers and teachers to do the same. Let’s give those under our care the benefit of more than ourselves – but riches out of the treasury of the greater Church.