The Chosen

Okay, so maybe they go and read the Bible. Good right?

If the truth is in the Bible, why should I watch a TV show full of human ideas that may or may not have anything to do with the truth. In this case, I'd advise people to watch the disclaimer, pick up the Bible, and turn off The Chosen.

Why support something that doesn't have my best interest at heart but was created to make a few people a lot of money?

Which is only a no-no for the book of Revelation.

"For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book." Revelation 22:18-19

I think people forget that the Bible is a compilation of 66 books. Revelation is just one of them and is the only one, "the book of prophecy" that we're not to alter. If anything, we should be side-eyeing all the Left Behind books and movies that take Revelation and twist it into their own idea of what The End will look like, not attacking a t.v. show based on the 4 gospels.

Because some people can't read, maybe? Some people are visual learners, perhaps?
I know, personally, when I can see a thing acted out (Shakespeare, for example) I understand better what's going on. It brings it to life.
Many movies are used by missionaries to show unbelievers who Christ is. Many kids are reached through videos, too. Why should we limit reaching others when we have this medium at our fingertips?

In your opinion, should every video ever made about Jesus be banished because money was made off of it? The Passion of the Christ? The Nativity Story? Should we extend this to the old movies about Moses? Let's just erase all movies and ignore how they can be used to reach people and encourage them to further seek the truth because there might have been some money made off of it.

You can learn to read if you know the langauge

otherwise, use a translation in your own tongue

Some things we are just going to miss because the idioms are not the same. Like all the names have special meanings that are not immediately obvious to a non Hebrew speaker.

For example, Jesus, (greek transliteration) or Yeshua means salvation, and its a short version of Joshua or Yehoshua

at the time the gentile world was speaking greek. Many Israelites were speaking greek too. It easnt that Jesus didnt speak greek but it was not his native tongue, though he would have picked it up. Paul spread the gospel into greek speaking population (gentiles)

I think its imprtant to reach those who find the Bible daunting to read and to show that these stories are human and grounded in history, a lot of people who havent read the Bible just assume its fiction or fantasy

Or they dont have time to read, as often the case. Not everyone is a reader. Thats why tv is created but tv can only go so far, is all

sort of like 'dip your toes into the Bible'

Has everyone read Lord of the Rings or Gone with the wind, of course a movie or tv series would not have everything that was in the book either. Though when people take liberties and poetic licence you'll always get people nitpicking over certain details, while those who havent read the book wouldnt even know what was changed

My wording here wasn't the greatest. I'm not saying anyone is trying to add to scripture. I'm just saying the "interpretations" of scripture which are portrayed on the show go well beyond what is actually written. They give misleading and false ideas that have no basis in scripture.

For example Jesus' sermon on the mount. The show depicts Jesus as giving some kind of stage performance, rehearsing His lines beforehand with Matthew and asking his advice. Then He steps out on stage from behind a curtain. Not only is this ridiculous, nothing of the kind is recorded in scripture and it gives people idea that the Son of God was little more than a motivational speaker.

I never saw or read the left behind series but I'd take that one with huge grain of salt because reading the Bible I dont think it would happen that way that its depicted in those stories.

However the possibility that it could happen that way is explored. again a very american centric interpretation as if no other people exist. And I think in that one the russians are still the baddies lol

what i thought the sermon was on the mount (of olives) not on some stage lol

But, again, John 21:25. We aren't told everything He did or didn't do.

It doesn't take away from the message of salvation to show Jesus walking out on a platform (where everyone would see him better and where, probably, his voice would be better projected to the large crowd). Nothing about that, from my perspective, is going to make people view Jesus poorly. He WAS a man. He was also God. And he was a great speaker.

Those actually watching the show (such as my lukewarm mother) are seeing that not only was He able to perform miracles that only God could do, but he also got tired like a man. Because He was both. And I think people seem to forget that and imagine Jesus never had to pee or take a nap because He was God. But there were things, as a man, that affected Him just like it affects us. I think it makes Him more REAL to people, seeing both sides of Jesus: God AND Man.

You want to watch it, so watch it. I don't and won't, except to see what ridiculous things they're coming up with next.

Alrighty. But if you're going to bash something that is reaching millions and causing them to examine their relationship with Christ (or lack thereof), people are gonna call you out.

Forgive me for bugging you further but...I had a thought: If the truth is in the Bible, why do we need pastors preaching at us every Sunday? Why do we listen to the commentaries and interpretations of a man's idea of what the scriptures say? Why do we support an organization that asks money from us every week?

OK...for a more precise description of the things that happened we always go to the Gospel of Luke to see how things really happened. The story of "The Faith of the Centurion" is an example of this...there weren't two different centurions...this is just a retelling of the same story from a more Roman perspective which will include such things as messengers. In Hebrew it is considered "of course" type of information and because of the cost of ink and paper the information is left out. There is some of that "of course" type information left out of Roman style of writing but it is usually a different list of things. (different culture...go figure eh?)

Now the story of the Samaritan woman is different.
Samaritans were Jewish...and if you will let me explain...

Way back when the nation of Israel was divided into two nations and the nation of Aram was harassing the northern tribes of Israel. (which is why everyone spoke Aramaic) The Nation of Assyria rose up and actually were the ones that Conquered the Northern tribes of Israel(as well as Aram). They hauled everyone who was a somebody in Israel back to Assyria to become a slave of the Assyrians. (Judah and Jerusalem and Assyria were later conquered by Babylonians) The ones that were left were the very poor and those who had not recorded their births in the Temple. These people later married the Assyrians and Arameans that were used to replace the Israelites that were taken away as slaves to Nineveh (yes, where Jonah went)

So...when the Israelites came back to occupy the land during the Persian Empire as allowed by Xerces in the book of Ezra and etc those Jews who remained this whole time wanted to worship God too. But the Israelites/Jews didn't want them to use "their Temple" because their parentage was highly in question. And there was a huge racial and religious divide between them. In fact the civil war between the Samaritans and the Jews was so bad that they often fought during things like Passover...which when the Romans caught them they went in and killed everybody. Copies of the Torah also were very expensive...like a person's whole year's salary expensive. And when these Torah scrolls were purchased and paid for they Samaritans discovered that the Jews had deliberately changed the words to keep the "Samaritans" out of Jerusalem during the religious festivals.

But Jesus was not a racist...However under OT law He needed to undergo purification rituals that lasted a week before He was considered "clean" once again from talking directly to people that were "unclean".
So...When I say that Jesus didn't speak directly to the Gentiles...aka Goyim (which is a bad, Yiddish word) I mean just that.

Now...
The show has some good points and some bad points. I do love some of the scenes that they create. But I wish that they were more anthropologically correct with some of the scenes that they portray as well.

I know that a person might come to the conclusion that I hate the show...I don't. But I just want people to be aware that there are some differences between what is portrayed and reality too.

That's a whole different discussion.

The whole answer I just gave above came about after many many long hours of hinest study that was without denominational bent. (which is almost impossible)

not everyone is cut out to study this much and this hard or able to decipher truth separate from denominational bent.

The scriptures were written OVER 5,000 years ago in a completely different culture with a completely different mindset than what we have today. Of course there are going to be differences of writing style and what they considered important versus not important. But we have ways of studying the history and coming to accurate conclusions. And if you really want the truth...usually your average Bible study class leader is not equipped sufficiently or capable of for various time constraints to go into details like we discuss here on this forum.

I'm not trying to blame anybody for anything in truth. Choices have to be made...compromises to continue to get funding...and some truth is better than none at all.

Yeah, I think the belief among mormons is Jesus became God rather than being God from the very beginning with the Father and Holy Spirit.

I think this series sort of shows that line a little.. but it's not obvious. Jesus still does the miracles which show His diety.

I think that explains why I didnt continue to watch (for me) because it seemed to show Jesus in that light of him having to learn to be good rather than He was already good, that he wasnt really sure that God was his Father, when actually Jesus already had authority at 12 years old, was ALREADY comfortable with speaking to scribes and doctors, as says in scripture knew he would to be in his Fathers house going about His business, so to later show he was nervous and needed to ask Peter or whoever for help aside from prayer seems just way out of character.

Like he was only acting his role perhaps?

I had an interesting encounter last night with some LDS missionaries. I wanted to know what was the main thing that sets Mormons apart from every other religion and they said the Book of Mormon. They were pushing it hard.

When it gets right down to it, LDS aren't Christians but they really are "Mormons." They said every other Christian denomination only has partial truth but with the Book of Mormon they have God's full revelation.

John 4: Woman at the Well: (Music Video, not the Original, but shows the scene from it)

I wonder if later they are planning on filming the book of mormon as a carry on from the Chosen series

I dont know, cos I havent read it, how the book of mormon carries on from the Bible, But it seems its like a 'fan fiction' that has Jesus go to america and ending up in salt lake city, Utah. Then I suppose they would film how Joseph Smith found his golden plates of 'reformed egyptian' or whatever

Of course. having filmed the series in Utah it would be right on location for them if its actually a Mormon production. lol