Artificial intelligence is changing nearly every industry—but what happens when it enters one of the oldest practices in the world: studying Scripture?

On the Legacy Launchers Podcast, I sat down with Roberto Chavez, founder of the Exegesis Bible Study App, to talk about faith, technology, church history, and how AI can help people examine the Bible with more context instead of simply giving them faster answers.

Roberto’s goal is not to replace Scripture, pastors, theologians, or human discernment.

It is to give people better tools to understand what they are actually reading.

From the Coachella Valley to Computer Engineering

Roberto grew up in California’s Coachella Valley, an area that is not exactly known as a major technology hub.

His curiosity started early with computers and video games. Rather than simply playing with technology, he wanted to understand how it worked. That curiosity eventually led him to UC Santa Cruz, where he studied computer engineering near Silicon Valley. FinalRobertoExegesis

Roberto also discussed some of the cultural expectations he encountered growing up. In parts of his community, hands-on labor was a more familiar and accepted path than sitting behind a computer building software.

His advice is simple: figure out what you are called to do instead of allowing the expectations around you to determine your direction. FinalRobertoExegesis

That lesson applies far beyond technology.

Sometimes the biggest barrier to pursuing an opportunity is not ability.

It is whether we believe someone like us is supposed to pursue it.

What Is Exegesis?

The word exegesis means critically explaining or interpreting a text in an effort to understand its original meaning.

That concept became the foundation for Roberto’s app.

He wanted to create a Bible study tool that combines Scripture with historical Christian commentary, theology, church traditions, creeds, confessions, hymns, and AI-assisted research. FinalRobertoExegesis

Instead of reading one verse and immediately accepting a modern interpretation, users can explore how Christians across centuries have understood the same passage.

Roberto’s broader goal is to help people appreciate both the analytical side of studying Scripture and the history of the Christian church. FinalRobertoExegesis

That historical context matters.

A Bible verse does not exist in isolation.

There is language.

There is culture.

There is history.

There are theological debates that may stretch back hundreds or even thousands of years.

Technology can make access to that information dramatically easier.

AI Can Give Us Context—But It Should Not Become the Authority

One of the most important themes in our conversation was the distinction between using AI as a tool and treating AI as an authority.

Roberto is clear that he does not see himself as the final authority either.

When I asked what he wanted his legacy to be, he said he wanted people to see the fruits of his work glorifying God while understanding that he himself is not “the pope” or the ultimate source of truth. FinalRobertoExegesis

That is an important philosophy for AI in general.

AI can help us:

organize information,

compare interpretations,

find historical sources,

identify patterns,

and ask better questions.

But the tool should not automatically become the thing making our decisions for us.

That principle applies whether you are studying Scripture, running a company, writing a book, or making a major life decision.

One Person Can Now Build What Used to Require a Team

One of the most fascinating parts of Roberto’s story is how he built Exegesis.

He explained that a product like this might have required an entire development team roughly a decade ago.

Today, he has been able to build much of it himself, with beta testers helping provide feedback. FinalRobertoExegesis

That is one of the biggest changes happening because of AI.

The cost of creation is collapsing.

A person with an idea can now build software, launch a website, create marketing materials, test a product, and reach customers with dramatically fewer resources than would have been required even ten years ago.

That does not mean building has become effortless.

It means the barrier to trying has gotten much lower.

AI Does Not Mean You Can Skip the Fundamentals

Roberto also offered an important warning for people rushing into AI-assisted development.

You still need to understand what you are building.

He recommends learning basic concepts such as:

• databases,
• user interfaces,
• authentication,
• system design,
• and the limitations of the technology you are using.

AI may make development easier, but it does not eliminate the need to think. FinalRobertoExegesis

That is probably one of the healthiest ways to approach AI.

Use AI to shorten the learning curve—not to avoid learning.

The people who understand both the fundamentals and the new tools are going to be much better positioned than people who simply type prompts and hope everything works.

Building the Product Is Only Half the Work

Roberto is also discovering something nearly every founder eventually learns:

Building the product is not the same thing as building the business.

He is now focused on outreach, meeting new people, connecting with churches, exploring advertising, and introducing the platform to seminary students and other people interested in serious Bible study. FinalRobertoExegesis

The irony is that the more technology improves, the more valuable certain human skills become.

You can use AI to build software.

But people still need to hear about it.

People still need to trust you.

People still need to understand why it matters.

People still need relationships.

Technology does not eliminate human connection.

It may actually make human connection more valuable.

What Values Are We Programming Into AI?

The conversation with Roberto ultimately raised a question that is bigger than Bible software.

We spend a lot of time asking:

What can AI do?

Maybe the better question is:

What should we ask AI to do?

Roberto chose to use technology to help people investigate Scripture, church history, theology, and centuries of interpretation.

Someone else may use the same technology to automate customer service.

Another founder may use it to improve healthcare, education, accounting, construction, or local business marketing.

The technology itself is not the mission.

The values behind the technology matter.

Technology Should Help Us Go Deeper, Not Become Shallower

There is an understandable fear that AI will make people lazy.

Why study when a chatbot can summarize something?

Why learn when software can produce the answer?

But Roberto’s project offers another possibility.

What if AI gives us access to material that would otherwise require years of specialized study?

What if a person can tap a Bible verse and immediately explore centuries of commentary, historical writings, creeds, hymns, and theological discussion? Roberto says Exegesis is designed to provide that type of experience. FinalRobertoExegesis

That does not have to make us intellectually weaker.

Used correctly, it can allow us to ask deeper questions.

The Future Belongs to People Willing to Build

Roberto’s story is ultimately about more than an app.

It is about what becomes possible when curiosity meets technology.

He came from a place that was not known for producing technology startups.

He pursued computer engineering.

He explored faith.

He saw a problem.

And instead of waiting for a large company or development team to solve it, he started building.

That is increasingly what entrepreneurship looks like in the AI era.

You may not need twenty employees.

You may not need millions of dollars.

You may not need to move to Silicon Valley.

You still need an idea worth pursuing.

You still need to understand the problem.

And you still need the courage to put something into the world.

About Exegesis

Roberto says the Exegesis Bible Study App is available through mobile app stores and provides access to Bible study tools including historical commentaries, Christian creeds and confessions, hymns, church writings, and AI-assisted research. FinalRobertoExegesis

🎙️ Featuring: Roberto Chavez
📱 Founder: Exegesis Bible Study App
🎧 Podcast: Legacy Launchers

What will your legacy be?