I get really excited each week a new episode is available for season three of The Chosen. I really enjoyed and was encouraged by the first two seasons of this television series that reenacts Jesus’s life and ministry and the life and ministry of his disciples. Season three is proving no different. I have watched the episodes of this whole series multiple times. I know I’m not alone.
The week of Thanksgiving, the first two episodes of season three debuted in theaters, opening in the top three among secular films. Approximately 108 million people have seen at least part of The Chosen. People are being born again because of their exposure to this series. How many of these people would be unwilling to walk into a church but are willing to watch a video? The impact of The Chosen is amazing! However, I think it’s imperative that we all watch this series with caution. The show feels so real that it can be difficult to separate the imaginative from the facts. (For example, we know that Matthew was a tax collector but we don’t have background details of his family and there isn’t any biblical evidence that he was autistic.)
Earlier this year, some bloggers caused a stir when they claimed that The Chosen was being produced by Mormons. (Mormonism is a cult derived from Christianity.) In fact, Mormons, as well as people from many faith backgrounds, are a part of the production of this series. I found this great article that addresses this concern. I encourage you to do your own research. There is a lot to read out there.
My conclusion is twofold. First, while there are people of many faith backgrounds working on this television series, the heart of the show is to draw people to the Jesus of the Bible and that’s a good thing. Second, we watch and listen to a lot of entertainment that is created by people of different belief systems. Just because this show is based off of the Gospels, doesn’t mean that only Christians should be working on the series. In fact, how amazing is it that so many non-Christians are getting a firsthand seat to this all-important message?
What really matters is whether the main message of the series matches up with the Gospel message. The belief statements of Dallas Jenkins, the show’s creator, align with this message, which gives me peace about watching the show. He says in the following video, “I’m a conservative Evangelical. I believe in the inerrancy of Scripture. I believe in the supremacy of God’s Word. I believe in the Holy Trinity. I believe in God the Father, the Son of God, the Holy Spirit, and believe that Jesus is the Son of God and all of the core tenets of Scripture.”
Dallas Jenkins does a great job of addressing the Mormon question, expressing his personal belief, and sharing how we should view The Chosen in the following video. The video is actually very thoughtful, and I encourage you to watch it.
Just like any Bible study, Christian book, pastor or other Christian leader we follow, or Christian entertainment, we need to test all teaching against the truth that can only be found in God’s Word. The Chosen is a great way to challenge how we think about Jesus and the Bible. It gives us a look into what it might have been like to follow Jesus. No one can really know for sure. All we can be certain of is what the Bible actually says. In that regard, how should we view The Chosen?
Testing the Spirits
There is only one Holy Spirit. He lives and works in and through true believers of Christ. There are many evil spirits out there that would love for us to believe that they are from God. We need to test these. The apostle John warns us,
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.
1 John 4:1 (ESV)
John also tells us how we know if the spirit is from God. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul teaches that some people are particularly gifted by God to know his Spirit. In 1 Thessalonians, he tells us to test the spirits and hold onto the good:
Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.
1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 (ESV)
I’ve been a Christian for over 25 years and have hungered to understand God’s word during most of that time. This groundedness in the Word helps me to discern the truth. Even if you’ve only been a Christian for a short time, dig deep into the scriptures and God’s truth will be revealed to you whenever there is a question.
The Inerrancy of the Bible
Nothing is closer to the truth than the Bible. It is recorded directly from God’s words.
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV)
John 17:17 says, “your word is truth.” Nothing can be more pure than the Word of God.
The words of the Lord are pure words,
like silver refined in a furnace on the ground,
purified seven times.
Psalm 12:6 (ESV)
I love hearing what other people have to say about the Bible. I love that my church teaches straight from scripture, word for word. My pastor clearly knows the Bible really well, and he’s good at teaching its truths. However, if my pastor or anyone else can’t back up what they say about the Bible with scripture, I should be suspicious. I think a lot of people say a lot of things in good faith, but out of ignorance. Always take what you hear others say about spiritual things and compare it to what the Bible says. Be a constant student of God’s Word.
When I’m researching for my writing, I always check what I’m saying to multiple passages in scripture. Only some of it makes it into my blog posts out of the need for brevity. But, please, check what you are reading on my blog to the Bible. If I say something questionable, please contact me.
I think all the hype around The Chosen is a good reminder that only the Bible is Truth. It’s great to let other believers speak into your life in a variety of different ways, but always test what they are saying with Spirit and Truth. I love what Dallas Jenkins is doing to get people excited about Jesus, but I hope the excitement is further encouragement to get into the Word and seek out Truth.
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Ready to watch The Chosen? You can see all three seasons at https://watch.angelstudios.com/ , on The Chosen app on your phone or tablet, or on the Angel Studios app on your smart TV.
The Journey to My Father's Kingdom 