We wouldn't use a mechanic who did “mostly good” work but made a few small errors that could cause dangerous collisions “down the road.” We care about our car, our safety, and the safety of others.
If you are a Chosen fan, I hope you'll take the time to read through these notes and check out the resources below.
Why does The Chosen include errors when it's not necessary?
No matter how much good comes from something, it doesn't justify scriptural contradictions. If we're not offended by someone putting words in our Savior's mouth that contradict or confuse the truths of Scripture, we need to pray for the right attitude toward God's Word.
See People Aren't Saved by Making the Gospel Popular.
Who is being exalted in The Chosen?
I'm also deeply concerned when I hear Christians defining their faith by things in The Chosen that are not from Scripture. For example, there are popular Bible studies and study guides based on the script, not Scripture. And The Chosen has produced more hype for things Christ didn't say—such as “Get used to different”—than for the actual statements of Christ.
Jenkins has proved that he lacks discernment.
Christians trust Dallas Jenkins to give them an accurate view of Christ even though Jenkins has publicly stated that his practicing Mormon friends worship the same Jesus he worships. It takes very little research to understand that the Mormon Jesus and the Mormon gospel are extremely different from the real Jesus and the real gospel. In order to worship the true Jesus, Jenkin's Mormon friends must reject Mormonism and its heretical beliefs. They cannot be combined with genuine biblical faith.
Despite the fact that Jenkins is encouraging Mormons that they are saved and that he is voluntarily defending the display of gay emblems by his employees on set, millions of Christians are trusting him to accurately share the gospel with the world. And they are more likely to defend Jenkins than to defend the gospel.
Not simply artistic license.
I may not agree with the presentation of Matthew as having OCD or Mary Magdalene as being an alcoholic, but those are not the things that deeply concern me. I'm talking about things in the script that directly contradict God's Word.
I believe things like The Shack, Jesus Calling, and The Chosen test our attitude toward God's Word. They define what matters to us most—popular, attractive, flawed presentations of the gospel, or biblical accuracy.
Many Christians don't have the knowledge to see the errors in these popular books and movies, and those of us who know God's Word have a responsibility to point them out. We will be criticized for doing this, but our loyalty to God's Word should be stronger than our loyalty to a popular miniseries. And we need to pray that those who claim to be saved by watching the miniseries are saved to the true Jesus, not The Chosen Jesus. And we need to pray that they pattern their lives on the true words of Christ, not the scripted words in The Chosen.
See 4 Bad Excuses for Accepting Books and Entertainment that Distort the Gospel.
Resources
Examining The Shack—A Collection of Helpful Articles
This collection addresses specific statements in the book which deny the biblical understanding of God, sin, and forgiveness. It also includes articles about the author of The Shack's theology book that he published which confirm his heretical beliefs. In addition, it shares concerns from well-known Bible teachers.
Are You Willing to Address Scriptural Contradictions in The Chosen?
This collection contains an article with more scriptural proof that “the law of Moses” is not a fitting name for Christ. It also contains articles on The Chosen's misrepresentation of John the Baptist, Dallas Jenkin's view of Mormonism, Jenkin's protection of a gay flag on his set, and Jenkin's contradictory statements.
and/or Jesus Calling: Are Sarah Young's Claims Biblical?
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