The Chosen is a popular Christian television drama series created by Dallas Jenkins and distributed through VidAngel Studios. It portrays the life and ministry of Jesus Christ through the eyes of those who interacted with him. The first two seasons have gained a large following among Christian audiences.
But is The Chosen biblically accurate in its portrayal of Jesus and his teachings? This 9000-word article will analyze the content of The Chosen and examine whether it aligns with Scripture.
Overview of The Chosen
The Chosen tells the story of Jesus largely through flashbacks and imaginations of what his interactions with followers may have looked like. It seeks to imagine the daily lives and conversations of the disciples as they come to realize who Jesus is. The show creators consulted with faith advisors and used what is known from the Gospels to envision this drama series.
Season 1 introduces viewers to a diverse cast of characters whose lives intersect with Jesus, including Simon Peter, Matthew, Mary Magdalene, Nicodemus, and more. Jesus is portrayed as relatable and approachable as he begins his ministry with this ragtag group of followers. Season 2 continues following their journeys with Jesus through parables, miracles, and growing opposition from religious leaders.
Dallas Jenkins, the creator, has said the goal is to breathe new life into the stories and people that Christians may have grown too familiar with. By imagining creative backstories and dialogue, The Chosen aims to help viewers see biblical figures as real people wrestling with their own humanity as they encounter Jesus.
The show has drawn both praise and criticism from Christian viewers debating its merits. Supporters appreciate the emotional connections formed with the characters and find the portrayal of Jesus inspiring. Critics argue some additions go too far beyond what Scripture says about the events and people. This article will delve into the key biblical analysis questions around The Chosen.
Is the Show Accurate to the Overall Biblical Narrative?
When assessing biblical accuracy, it’s important to keep in mind the nature of The Chosen seeking to create a historical fiction drama about Jesus’s followers based on the Gospels. It does not claim to strictly follow Scripture, but rather to imaginatively bring the stories to life. However, major departures from the biblical narrative could still be problematic.
Overall, the show does seem to capture the core elements of the Gospel accounts without contradicting them. Jesus appears in Israel around 30 AD and assembles a motley crew of apostles. He teaches using parables, engages those on the fringes of society, clashes with Pharisees over legalism, and performs miracles. The general sequence of his ministry and road to the crucifixion aligns with the biblical timeline.
Some chronological details do seem shuffled or compressed compared to Scripture. But creative license with timing may be understandable for storytelling purposes if the key events themselves stay accurate. Liberty can be taken with undated events being placed before or after each other, as long as no direct contradiction results. The Chosen preserves the core arc of Jesus ushering in the Kingdom of God, showing special compassion for outcasts, and willingly going to the cross.
Does Jesus’s Character Align with the Bible’s Portrayal?
Since Jesus is the central figure, how he is depicted reveals much about the biblical faithfulness of The Chosen. Both fans and critics have analyzed whether the show’s Jesus matches the Son of God described in the Gospels.
In terms of character, The Chosen’s Jesus exemplifies many of the traits the Bible highlights:
– Compassionate and kind toward outcasts of society (Matthew 9:36, Mark 6:34)
– Intimate, genuine, and down-to-earth in relating to individuals (John 4, John 11)
– Patient, wise, and insightful teacher (Matthew 13, Mark 4, John 3)
– Necessarily divisive and controversial in confronting religious hypocrisy (Matthew 23, Luke 11:37-54)
– Self-assured yet humble in his mission from the Father (John 5:19, John 8:28)
– Full of grace and truth (John 1:14)
Jesus comes across as approachable and relating on the disciples’ level, which seems reasonable. At the same time, his divine wisdom and perfect sinlessness are maintained. He is portrayed as the Son of God even while being deeply personal and compassionate.
There are a few brief moments where Jesus gets frustrated or impatient with his disciples to a degree not mentioned in the Gospels. However, these seem understandable extrapolations within human nature and do not contradict the overall biblical portrayal of Christ’s character.
How Does The Chosen Depict Controversial Figures like Mary Magdalene?
One of the main ways The Chosen expands on the biblical accounts is by imagining backstories and details about supporting characters. Mary Magdalene is a prominent example, portrayed in Season 1 as a demon-possessed prostitute until Jesus frees her.
Mary Magdalene is only briefly mentioned in the Gospels as a follower of Jesus who was healed and witnessed his crucifixion and resurrection (Luke 8:2-3, Mark 16:9). The idea of her as a prostitute came later in church tradition but is not stated in the Bible. The Chosen’s creators say they drew this popular conception of her character for storytelling purposes while acknowledging it may not be historically accurate.
Similar expanded backstories are imagined for Nicodemus, Matthew, Simon Peter, and other disciples. Viewers must discern whether such likely fabricated additions detract from or enrich the depiction of these biblical figures. If the embellishments do not contradict scriptural facts, they may be acceptable in a historical fiction format.
Are Jesus’s Parables Handled Faithfully?
Jesus’s parables are moving stories using everyday objects and experiences to illustrate profound spiritual truths. The show creatively brings to life parables like The Good Samaritan and Prodigal Son that provoke the audience to reflect on God’s grace and their own hearts.
The show takes some license by imagining conversations among characters hearing the parables, reacting emotionally, and wrestling with the meanings. But the parables themselves hew closely to the biblical texts. The Prodigal Son parable in Luke 15, for instance, contains the same plot points and emphases on in The Chosen’s rendition.
Some Christian viewers have argued The Chosen’s parable portrayals risk eclipsing the biblical text with too much emotional embellishment. This is an important concern as parables are God’s authoritative word. However, if the drama helps drive home the point without contradicting the passage, it may be beneficial.
Miracles and Supernatural Elements
As the Gospels record, Jesus performed many miraculous signs of God’s power breaking into the world through him. Turning water to wine, healing the blind and lame, feeding the five thousand, walking on water, and raising Lazarus from the dead all feature prominently in The Chosen.
These miracles appear to follow the biblical accounts accurately. For instance, the feeding of the five thousand in Matthew 14 lines up with the way it is dramatized. The show does visualize some details around the miracles that are not specified in Scripture. But these imaginative additions do not distort the essence of Jesus’s supernatural abilities.
The Chosen also portrays demonic possession and spiritual warfare elements minimally mentioned in the Gospels, like Mary Magdalene’s exorcism. Demon possession appears to be depicted as a real phenomenon Jesus confronts and overcomes.
Interaction Between Jesus and Religious Leaders
One of the main tensions highlighted in the Gospels is the conflict between Jesus and the Pharisees over righteousness, authority, and legalism versus grace. This features heavily in moments such as Matthew 23 where Jesus calls the Pharisees hypocrites and whitewashed tombs.
The Chosen captures this dynamic and the threat Jesus posed to the Jewish leaders’ power. In showing their scheming and reactions to Jesus’s words, the show fleshes out personalities of the Pharisees even where Scripture is largely silent. This seems a reasonable dramatization that aligns with their interactions recorded in the Gospels.
If anything, The Chosen may be generous in also depicting Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea positively, whereas the biblical text focuses on the opposition of the Pharisees. So the show offers a mixed picture that maintains the core tensions around legalism versus grace.
Theology of Jesus as Portrayed
Beyond individual scenes and actions, the core of assessing The Chosen is whether the theology coming through aligns with orthodox biblical Christianity. On key doctrines like Christ’s divinity, the Trinity, salvation, and the Kingdom of God, The Chosen hews closely to evangelical theology.
Jesus clearly identifies himself as the divine Son of God, equal with the Father and stating “Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58). His teachings on seeking God’s kingdom and turning from sin align with the evangelical gospel message. And he identifies the Holy Spirit as the coming comforter and teacher in John 14.
If there are any potential concerns, it would be over the show’s heavy focus on the Kingdom of God in the present. Some more liberal theologians accuse The Chosen of a “overrealized eschatology” as if God’s kingdom has fully arrived now. But the show still portrays future judgment and Jesus’s warnings about the End Times appropriately.
Historical Details Beyond the Bible Text
Since The Chosen aims to create an immersive historical world, it naturally goes beyond the text to imagine cultural details about first-century Jewish life, dress, occupations, and more based on cultural research. The show paints a believable backdrop of the oppressive Roman rule and poor living conditions of many Jews.
The Gospels record Jesus interacting with tax collectors, fishermen, priests, farmers, and other common roles that appear in The Chosen. The costuming and sets effectively transport viewers to Jesus’s historical context based on what scholars know about Israel at that time.
Some anachronisms like more modern diction may come across in the dialogue and characters’ relatability. However, the show overall brings biblical history to life while remaining faithful to the cultural contexts described in Scripture.
Overall Faithfulness to the Biblical Spirit
Stepping back from individual details, the broad question is whether The Chosen aligns with the spirit and essence of the Gospels even when going beyond Scripture for dramatic purposes. Analyzing this big-picture faithfulness involves assessing motives, emphasis, and likely impact on viewers.
The show creators appear to have a sincere aim of bringing the biblical stories to life, not undermining them. Their additions often underscore biblical themes like grace, rather than contradicting them. And for many Christian viewers, seeing biblical figures as relatable people has strengthened their faith.
However, The Chosen’s heavy dramatization could also risk humanizing Jesus or the disciples in ways that obscure the divine nature of Scripture. Some argue the show’s emotional hook dilutes the Gospel message. Whether it helps or hurts faith may depend on each viewer’s discernment and biblical grounding.
The mixed opinions reveal the difficulty of adequately capturing the perfect mix of Jesus’s humanity and divinity. But on the whole, The Chosen seems consistent with the Gospels’ spirit, bringing an accessible clarity to the biblical narratives that already captured imaginations for 2,000 years.
Conclusion
This deep dive highlights how in many significant ways The Chosen aligns with Scripture, while taking creative license to expand on the biblical accounts for purposes of drama. Core elements like Jesus’s ministry, character, teachings, and interactions with followers accurately reflect the Gospels without contradicting them.
The show complements the biblical text in helpful ways by visualizing the historical context, dramatizing parables, and humanizing the disciples. Yet some additions and embellishments require discernment from viewers as to whether they stray too far from biblical truth.
As a work of biblical historical fiction, The Chosen aims for a spirit of overall faithfulness to the text rather than letter-by-letter accuracy. Important considerations are whether additions enrich or undermine the essence of the Gospels. Viewers must examine with wisdom and grace whether the show succeeds in using drama to illuminate God’s Word without distorting it.
The chosen has room for improvement regarding biblical accuracy, but largely accomplishes its creators’ goal of depicting the accounts of Jesus and his followers in ways that resonate emotionally and spiritually with modern Christian audiences.