Ever been deep in a passage of Romans or Ecclesiastes and hit a verse that sparks a dozen questions? Gamaliel is an AI-powered Bible reader built for exactly that moment — ask any question and get answers rooted directly in Scripture, with links to the relevant passages so you can read the text for yourself.^1
Created by Lew Cirne — the founder of Wily Technology and New Relic — Gamaliel is a passion project born from his own desire to find trustworthy, instant answers while reading the Bible.^2 The app is entirely free, requires no login or account, and is funded by the Beloved in Christ Foundation, Lew and his wife Kirsten's family ministry.^3 All of Gamaliel's AI prompts, theological guidelines, and doctrinal guardrails are published as open source software on GitHub, inviting theologians and scholars to review and improve them — an approach inspired by the trust-building model of open source software.^4
Gamaliel's theological framework is anchored in the Nicene Creed and the belief that the canonical Bible is the infallible Word of God, while supporting customization for different denominational perspectives including Catholic, Reformed, Charismatic, and Eastern Orthodox traditions.^4 Users can set a profile matching their spiritual journey — from curious explorer to biblical scholar — and the AI adapts its depth and tone accordingly.^1
Beyond its core Q&A and Bible reading features, Gamaliel includes a Watch section — a curated library of sermons and teaching videos from trusted ministries like BibleProject, Daily Hope with Rick Warren, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Jackie Hill Perry, Ligonier, Northview Church, and LCBC Church, each linked to the Scripture passages referenced so you can follow along in context.^5
Why Christians Love It"Gamaliel is clearly on its way to becoming the premier Bible study app. It's mission driven and thoughtfully designed to center users on the authority of scripture."^6
"Fantastic app to read the Bible with transparent AI guardrails and a strong focus on the authority and integrity of scripture."^6
Notable- Founded by Lew Cirne, a 40-year software veteran who previously built Wily Technology (acquired by CA Technologies) and New Relic (NYSE: NEWR). Featured in a mainstage fireside chat at the Missional AI 2026 Global Summit.^2
- Partnership with Biblica for Bible translation permissions^1
- Open source AI prompts on GitHub with active development (MIT license) — recent updates include adversarial premise handling, women-in-ministry theology, and Ukrainian translation support^4
- Partner program for churches and ministries — Groundwire (JesusCares.com) runs a customized instance at groundwire.gamaliel.ai^8
- Available on iOS and as a web app at gamaliel.ai, with sermon/lesson video library^5
