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CONLEY COMMENTARY (WSAU) – I am a big fan of the TV Series The Chosen – it tells the story of Jesus’ ministry. Fans are excited because Season Five will be released next month.
There are many scenes that show up in my social media feeds, and I like them so much that I watch them over and over again. It is a marvelous way to introduce people to the teachings of Jesus Christ.
But there is a problem with The Chosen. The writing and the scenes take incredible liberties with Jesus’ biblical story. Many of the things that The Chosen shows might have happened, but almost certainly didn’t. Many of the things that Jesus or the Apostles say in The Chosen are not their own words – they are the words of a screenwriter.
There is a beautiful scene where Jesus calls Simon Peter to be his disciple. Simon Peter says “Depart from me. I am a sinful man. You don’t know the things that I’ve done.” Jesus assures him that his past does not matter. But there is no record of those words even being spoken. In the scene, the miraculous catch of fish is used to settle Simon Peter’s tax debt. That could be true, but there is no historical evidence of that.
There are other scenes where Jesus calls his other disciples, and all of them create compelling back stories, but they are embellishments.
Another of my favorite scenes is the redemption of Mary Magdalene. She tells the Pharisee Nicodemus of her encounter with Jesus. And she says these moving words: “I was one way… and now I am completely different. And the thing that happened in between was Him.” But those are the words of Hollywood – a script writer; Mary did not say them. Actually there’s no record that Mary Magdalene and Nicodemus ever met.
And that’s the point. The Chosen is wonderfully written and beautifully filmed. There are many people who will binge-watch and will want to know more about Jesus. And that’s a blessing. But my warning is this: the place to learn more about Jesus Christ and his teachings is the Bible. I’m worried that many newer believers will begin quoting scenes from The Chosen as if they are holy scripture; they are not.
So please enjoy the new season of The Chosen. I’m eagerly anticipating it. But remember that true knowledge of the savior of the world is contained in the Bible alone. If you want to truly know Jesus, you have to go to the source material.
Chris Conley
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