The Chosen, Season 3 Trailer

[InfoWarrior82]

Hands down, the best portrayal of Jesus Christ in film. Our church doesn't know Jesus.

[Allison]

Hands down, the best portrayal of Jesus Christ in film. Our church doesn't know Jesus.

If you compare Jesus in The Chosen to Jesus in the new BoM videos, we do have a problem.

But yes, The Chosen is also my favorite portrayal of Him ever, and closest to the Jesus I’ve studied and felt in my day to day life.

[FrankOne]

Yes, this series will probably not resonate with people who have preconceived notions that conflict with some artistic license. Plenty of other Christians are ripping it apart online, mostly by people who frankly don't know the Bible nearly as well as they think think they do.

It is my understanding that it would be impossible for Christ to be nervous, insecure and apprehensive before delivering a sermon. To depict him that way using "artistic license" is to diminish his God given role and to make him appear weak. If that's a 'preconceived notion', then my perception of Christ is askew.

[marc]

Yes, this series will probably not resonate with people who have preconceived notions that conflict with some artistic license. Plenty of other Christians are ripping it apart online, mostly by people who frankly don't know the Bible nearly as well as they think think they do.

It is my understanding that it would be impossible for Christ to be nervous, insecure and apprehensive before delivering a sermon. To depict him that way using "artistic license" is to diminish his God given role and to make him appear weak. If that's a 'preconceived notion', then my perception of Christ is askew.

I don't disagree. But about your understanding, what is your basis for comparison? I'm genuinely interested.

[mudflap]

Yes, this series will probably not resonate with people who have preconceived notions that conflict with some artistic license. Plenty of other Christians are ripping it apart online, mostly by people who frankly don't know the Bible nearly as well as they think think they do.

It is my understanding that it would be impossible for Christ to be nervous, insecure and apprehensive before delivering a sermon. To depict him that way using "artistic license" is to diminish his God given role and to make him appear weak. If that's a 'preconceived notion', then my perception of Christ is askew.

exactly this. It's not you and me (FrankOne), with the skewed understanding of scripture....

You other guys really going to claim that the Man who said "Peace be still" to the wind and the waves was also a nervous wreck, unsure of himself before giving the Sermon on the mount and needed his mommy to hold his hand and tell him it'll be ok?

no. He knew His purpose, He knew every reaction, He knew every heart, He knew their thoughts, and He knew what needed to be said to every single person He ever met. Folks either loved Him or dashed themselves against his true principles. There was no second guessing within Himself. none. Any depiction otherwise is simply not Him. If you want the true portrayal of Jesus, I urge you to seek the real Jesus, the Master of ocean and earth and skies - the one depicted in the scriptures. "The Chosen" is not it.

[moving2zion]

I've wondered why Dallas has had to push back the release date, what 4 times now? They are definitely dealing with some push back from of the Christian churches. Personally I think they are doing a great job at spreading the message.

[Allison]

Yes, this series will probably not resonate with people who have preconceived notions that conflict with some artistic license. Plenty of other Christians are ripping it apart online, mostly by people who frankly don't know the Bible nearly as well as they think think they do.

It is my understanding that it would be impossible for Christ to be nervous, insecure and apprehensive before delivering a sermon. To depict him that way using "artistic license" is to diminish his God given role and to make him appear weak. If that's a 'preconceived notion', then my perception of Christ is askew.

Have you watched the whole series? It is such a tiny aspect of the overall portrayal of His life so far.

And as I watched that scene, I didn’t see Him as scared or nervous. I saw Him trying to build up and include a very demoralized Matthew. He was showing that He valued the opinion of the least knowledgeable of the men in that group. I took it as part of His nature to lovingly condescend to the lowliest among us, to abase Himself a bit to lift another.

Did He have to work at composing the Sermon on the Mount? Some gospel scholars have said that He had to work harder at some things than people give Him credit for. So I don’t know. If He did, that doesn’t diminish Him in my eyes at all.

And when he made that comment to His mother, I saw it as one of their several private jokes, since only she fully knew who He was, and how He was.

He is never portrayed trying to WOW or impress anybody. He is never officious or full of Himself. Jesus in The Chosen is above all, modest.

I do have a few moments I find implausible, but in balance with all of the other wonderful scenes that portray Him, they are not worth getting my nose out of joint. But that’s just me.

[Allison]

. If you want the true portrayal of Jesus, I urge you to seek the real Jesus, the Master of ocean and earth and skies - the one depicted in the scriptures. "The Chosen" is not it.

What makes you think we don’t do both?

I do.

[Niemand]

hm. that is exactly what I wouldn't be able to handle. I give that a name in modern tv shows. "When an actor goes off character". This happens in many tv series. They do a great job for a few seasons as an honest good guy but then changes into a selfish, weak imbecile. It's as if modern tv has to destroy the character of those that are good in order to perpetuate their series. I've seen that happen many times and I just turn it off.

This, I'm afraid is a trait of drama. Now, I'm not going to endorse it in regards to Jesus, but when people are writing a drama they generally have to have dramatic tension/conflict and imperfect characters. A perfect character often doesn't work and ends up a Mary Sue. They had to invent Kryptonite to stop Superman being perfect and invincible so he became a more dramatically interesting character.

This is a problem with Jesus because he is not an imperfect character. The tension in the Gospels is mostly from others around him making mistakes, not himself.

When Jesus is betrayed and crucified, that's where the drama comes in, but it must be hard to adapt Jesus in his adult life before then, because it's mostly people getting angry at him.

[marc]

I really find the differing opinions quite fascinating. Please keep in mind that Dallas has the consultation of ministers of different faiths including Jewish who are very well versed in scripture and nuance. It's not a Mormon production and for one that isn't, the fact that it is the number one trending crowdfunded media speaks for itself. There are some scenes that I don't agree with, but this show wasn't designed to please all 7 billion people. It was designed to expose the masses to Jesus Christ and encourage them to dive into the scriptures. Dallas has issued many disclaimers and has had many round tables where they discuss why they portrayed Jesus a certain way, why some scenes are this way and that. I'm glad it's getting so much attention. It's a good thing!

[marc]

The Book of Mormon explicitly states what is alluded to throughout the Bible. Not bad for an Evangelically produced series.

3 Nephi 15:9 Behold, I am the law, and the light. Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life.

[mudflap]

. If you want the true portrayal of Jesus, I urge you to seek the real Jesus, the Master of ocean and earth and skies - the one depicted in the scriptures. "The Chosen" is not it.

What makes you think we don’t do both?

I do.

Well, the fact that you claim to love both, I think.

Once you know the real Jesus, how can any imitation ever satisfy again?

[marc]

Once you know the real Jesus, how can any imitation ever satisfy again?

The word "know" carries a very specific connotation scripturally. To know is a covenant term. Adam knew Eve. The brother of Jared knew Jesus having faith no longer. The overwhelming vast majority of Christians including LDS do not know the real Jesus.

[sushi_chef]

"The Chosen’ Under Fire for Apparent Reference to The Book of Mormon
October 21, 2022
Earlier this week, “The Chosen,” a series that dramatizes the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, released a trailer for its upcoming third season. Lauded among many evangelicals, production of “The Chosen” is entirely crowdfunded, and the show’s creators hope that it eventually reaches 1 billion viewers in every country of the world.

Nevertheless, the show has come under fire following the release of its Season 3 trailer, wherein Jesus can be seen delivering a line that appears to be a paraphrase of a verse from the Book of Mormon.

In the trailer, Jesus can be seen in a confrontation with a Jewish religious official.

“Jesus, if you do not renounce your words, we will have no choice but to follow the law of Moses,” the man says, implying that the Sanhedrin would pursue Jesus’ execution.

Jesus steps toward the man and replies, “I am the law of Moses.”

Following the release of the trailer, the show posted a GIF of the moment to Facebook, captioning the post, “Mic drop.”

However, a number of social media users were quick to point out that the line delivered by Jonathan Roumie, who portrays Jesus in the series, sounded similar not to a verse from the New Testament but 3 Nephi 15:9 in the Book of Mormon.

Reference to The Book of Mormon
“Behold, I am the law, and the light. Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life,” the verse reads.

Pointing out the similarity, one Twitter user said, “I never took a hard position against the Chosen until now. It is compromised and in heresy.”

“This isn’t one of those ‘Jesus could’ve said/done this’ types of things, this is a direct bowing to Mormon theology (Mormons put a lot into the series) which is against Biblical Christianity. Jesus fulfills the law and as God gave it, but He is not the law,” he went on to say. “Beware this.”

Another said, “It would be disingenuous to assume that Mormon theology has no impact” on the series.

“Stop watching The Chosen,” someone else urged. “Read your Bible instead.”

Concerns about the show’s connections to Mormonism have been ongoing, as “The Chosen” is distributed by Angel Studios, which was co-founded by brothers Neal and Jeffrey Harmon, both of whom belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS).

“There has been an increased amount of attention given not only to the show itself lately, but to a comment that I made several years ago that I probably need to add a little clarification to. And this is what we kind of call the ‘LDS issue’ or the ‘LDS question’ when it comes to ‘The Chosen,’” Jenkins said in a video published to YouTube.

Jenkins went on to address what he characterized as a misquote of him that appeared in the headlines of a number of publications. In those headlines, Jenkins was accused of claiming that Mormons and evangelicals “love the same Jesus.”

“Is it true that I said that? The answer is no. I did not,” Jenkins said, going on to express that he understood why some people misinterpreted him to be implying it. He further expressed that “nuance matters.”

“Not because there aren’t LDS folks who are Christians and not because there aren’t LDS and evangelicals who love the same Jesus, but because it would be wrong of me to ever say that any one group believes any one thing altogether. That is just a level of arrogance that I don’t have,” Jenkins explained. “It would be just as dumb for me to say that all LDS are Christians, as it would be to say that all evangelicals are Christians, or that all Catholics are Christians or any other faith tradition. It would also be dumb for me to say that none are.”

Jenkins went on to express that he has close friends who are Mormon but who “absolutely love the same Jesus that I do.” He added, “I’ve known plenty of evangelicals that I’d say don’t know the same Jesus that I do and don’t love the same Jesus that I do.”

At another time, Jenkins said of the show’s production, “As long as the content itself is faithful, we’re less demanding with those who help deliver it.”
"
https://churchleaders.com/news/436764-t ... ormon.html

[Niemand]

I really find the differing opinions quite fascinating. Please keep in mind that Dallas has the consultation of ministers of different faiths including Jewish who are very well versed in scripture and nuance. It's not a Mormon production and for one that isn't, the fact that it is the number one trending crowdfunded media speaks for itself. There are some scenes that I don't agree with, but this show wasn't designed to please all 7 billion people. It was designed to expose the masses to Jesus Christ and encourage them to dive into the scriptures. Dallas has issued many disclaimers and has had many round tables where they discuss why they portrayed Jesus a certain way, why some scenes are this way and that. I'm glad it's getting so much attention. It's a good thing!

I don't know if it's possible to portray a Jesus for everyone. On the Jewish issue alone, some will complain about Judaisers and anachronistic Jewish traditions, and others will complain that Jesus' Jewish background is airbrushed out.

Then there are the people who want to stick exactly to the Gospels even though they leave out a lot of information. (They never mention him having a beard or what he did for most of his adult life or between being a baby and a 12 year old.) So stuff has to be added for dramatic effect etc. Other people will complain the Gospels are a much later account that was not contemporary with him and some verses were left out.

There are some Protestants who object to Jesus appearing on screen, much as Muslims object to Mohammed. This is partly a reaction to RC/Orthodox obsession with religious images. (There is a famous Muslim movie about Mohammed which succeeds in never showing the man.) The thinking is similar in both cases – they don't want to create an idol and think Jesus is above any visual representation.

[mike_rumble]

Only out of curiousity, who are the Protestants who object to Jesus being shown on screen? I can't think of any at the moment. Did you mean to say individuals who object or are you saying there are denominations that object based on their doctrines or practices? Maybe Quakers or Mennonites?

[marc]

I haven't heard about Protestants objecting, but there certainly is a lot of criticism from different people. Catholics don't like that Dallas (Evangelical) is portraying Jesus a certain way, Evangelicals complain of a Catholic slant here and there (Mary), the list goes on. It's been happening since this whole thing began. Everyone wants The Chosen to be made in their own image. All things considered, I love the show for what it is and Dallas is the right person at the right time to do the right series. Oh! And check this out: now the series is being accused of pandering to the Mormons!

https://churchleaders.com/news/436764-t ... ormon.html

[Allison]

. If you want the true portrayal of Jesus, I urge you to seek the real Jesus, the Master of ocean and earth and skies - the one depicted in the scriptures. "The Chosen" is not it.

What makes you think we don’t do both?

I do.

Well, the fact that you claim to love both, I think.

Once you know the real Jesus, how can any imitation ever satisfy again?

Okay, whatever you say.

Have you watched the series?

I can love and appreciate all kinds of imperfection, because only Jesus could perfectly portray Jesus. The rest of us are bundles of inadequacy.

The character of the Christ that I know loves all kinds of imperfect people, and all our clumsy, inadequate efforts to come unto Him.

I guess we just see Him differently.

[FrankOne]

The Book of Mormon explicitly states what is alluded to throughout the Bible. Not bad for an Evangelically produced series.

3 Nephi 15:9 Behold, I am the law, and the light. Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life.

curious statement on the image.

Christ made distinctions between his law and the law of Moses and they were very different.

The laws of Moses totaled 603.

The Law of Christ were few and summed up by :

Love God
Love your neighbor
Bear your neighbors burdens.
Give all
Judge not
Forgive always

The distinction between the Law of Christ and the Law of Moses:

Romans 8:2
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

John 5:22
For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:

And the best message of all scriptures in existence which is the complete salvation of Christ:

John 5:45
Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.


The law of Moses is accusation, sin and death. The law of Christ is Salvation, that is why it is the "good news" (meaning of the word Gospel)

[marc]

Good post. Jesus is both laws, of course. But when He gave the law at Sinai, he gave them a cursed law because they refused His invitation to be redeemed (like city of Enoch). They wanted religion instead because they were idolatrous and wicked. He told Moses that He was going to destroy them and start over, but Moses persuaded Him to spare them, so He did.

[FrankOne]

Good post. Jesus is both laws, of course. But when He gave the law at Sinai, he gave them a cursed law because they refused His invitation to be redeemed (like city of Enoch). They wanted religion instead because they were idolatrous and wicked. He told Moses that He was going to destroy them and start over, but Moses persuaded Him to spare them, so He did.

although reluctantly, I can't agree that Christ is both laws. It is my understanding that Christ came to solve the problems created by the previous law. Christ is the deliverer from the idea and effects of sin. I do understand that the Laws of Moses were necessary at the time for a people that couldn't abide anything more than ideas of fear, guilt, and punishment.

We are going into a new time and a period of redemption. The old must fade completely and no longer be remembered. Salvation is coming.--on a world scale.

[Niemand]

Only out of curiousity, who are the Protestants who object to Jesus being shown on screen? I can't think of any at the moment. Did you mean to say individuals who object or are you saying there are denominations that object based on their doctrines or practices? Maybe Quakers or Mennonites?

In the UK it was forbidden to depict Biblical characters on stage in some places for a number of years. I think there were permitted exceptions, but Oscar Wilde's play Salome could not be performed at the time for that reason.

Obviously this was lifted, whenever that happened, but some Protestants consider portrayals of Christ to be leaning into Popery, and the Popish Mystery Plays of the Middle Ages. There are stricter Presbyterians, mainly Free Churchers, here in remote parts of Scotland who would still object to it. They are few in number. Plymouth Brethren would probably object too

An additional objection would be that the performers are conflated with the Saviour, and if the actor goes off and does whatever that is an issue. I know for example that Gibson's the Passion of the Christ included an actress who had done nudey scenes in some film and it was objected to.

Most Protestants have abandoned many of their principles, due to softening of some doctrines and also entryism by certain elements, ecumenism, television etc.

Speaking for myself... I don't have an issue with most of the paintings in the church, but that Christus statue is fast becoming an idol and needs to be put away into the background.

[Niemand]

I haven't heard about Protestants objecting, but there certainly is a lot of criticism from different people. Catholics don't like that Dallas (Evangelical) is portraying Jesus a certain way, Evangelicals complain of a Catholic slant here and there (Mary), the list goes on. It's been happening since this whole thing began. Everyone wants The Chosen to be made in their own image. All things considered, I love the show for what it is and Dallas is the right person at the right time to do the right series. Oh! And check this out: now the series is being accused of pandering to the Mormons!

https://churchleaders.com/news/436764-t ... ormon.html

It's inevitable. As I say above, the Jewish issue is another sticking point – too Jewish, not Jewish enough – also how radical he is.

[marc]

Good post. Jesus is both laws, of course. But when He gave the law at Sinai, he gave them a cursed law because they refused His invitation to be redeemed (like city of Enoch). They wanted religion instead because they were idolatrous and wicked. He told Moses that He was going to destroy them and start over, but Moses persuaded Him to spare them, so He did.

although reluctantly, I can't agree that Christ is both laws. It is my understanding that Christ came to solve the problems created by the previous law. Christ is the deliverer from the idea and effects of sin. I do understand that the Laws of Moses were necessary at the time for a people that couldn't abide anything more than ideas of fear, guilt, and punishment.

We are going into a new time and a period of redemption. The old must fade completely and no longer be remembered. Salvation is coming.--on a world scale.

I believe that words matter so I will agree that "Christ" is not both laws, strictly speaking. Christ means anointed. He is the Messiah. But Jesus is the premortal Jehovah. They are the same person. But I also did not use the word Christ. I used the word Jesus. I'm not talking semantics, though, just the same person who gave both laws.

[FrankOne]

Good post. Jesus is both laws, of course. But when He gave the law at Sinai, he gave them a cursed law because they refused His invitation to be redeemed (like city of Enoch). They wanted religion instead because they were idolatrous and wicked. He told Moses that He was going to destroy them and start over, but Moses persuaded Him to spare them, so He did.

although reluctantly, I can't agree that Christ is both laws. It is my understanding that Christ came to solve the problems created by the previous law. Christ is the deliverer from the idea and effects of sin. I do understand that the Laws of Moses were necessary at the time for a people that couldn't abide anything more than ideas of fear, guilt, and punishment.

We are going into a new time and a period of redemption. The old must fade completely and no longer be remembered. Salvation is coming.--on a world scale.

I believe that words matter so I will agree that "Christ" is not both laws, strictly speaking. Christ means anointed. He is the Messiah. But Jesus is the premortal Jehovah. They are the same person. But I also did not use the word Christ. I used the word Jesus. I'm not talking semantics, though, just the same person who gave both laws.

in my opinion, excellently said. I previously noted your choice in using the word Jesus, but I made the wrong assumption that you used the two synonymously. Your comment opens up a different subject about the nature of Jehovah, Jesus, and Christ. I do not have a clear understanding on the differentiation, but I speculate that there are levels of "The Christ" that really need not be delineated. We encounter the savior that we need.