What do you think about watching The Chosen TV series?
As you may be aware, some Christians have posted on various blogs and websites that they are against watching The Chosen, which is a television show put out by some Christians that tell the story based off of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). While there are a number of reasons why they say they won’t watch it, most of the reasons all come down to the series portraying the story of Jesus in a non-biblical way. Not in a sinful way (though some of the more extreme blogs probably say this), but in an inaccurate way. So it is not a surprise for this question to come up.
So what are we to make of the series? Is it a sin to watch it? Is it unwise to watch it? Or on the other end, is there a benefit to watching a series like this.
A Matter of Conscience
We need to first begin with this: Whether you watch it or not is a matter of conscience (see Romans 14). There is nothing sinful in watching appropriate television shows, The Chosen included. But if your conscience is not OK with watching the show, then do not watch it.
Sinful to Portray Jesus on TV?
Others might point out that the Ten Commandments expressly forbid making images of God. In Exodus 20:4, it says, “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.” I have written about this in a previous blog, where I concluded that God, “is telling his followers not to make images of Him to worship (with “worship” being the key).” In other words, don’t worship images of God. Since no one would be tempted to worship the series or actors, I don’t think portraying Jesus on TV is sin in itself.
With that aside, let me share why I think watching The Chosen might be beneficial.
1) It keeps you from watching other shows that have inappropriate content.
If you are busy watching three seasons of The Chosen, you will be distracted from watching other shows that will not edify you. Enough said about this one.🙂
2) Watching The Chosen gives you a fresh perspective on New Testament stories.
If you have been a Christian for a while, you might have heard some of the well-known stories 50 or 100 times. Even the most spiritually devout person might be tempted to grow complacent with it or take it for granted. Seeing the series on the screen gives you a fresh way to think about it. The next you read the passage you will be see it in a fresh way.
3) It will point you to Scripture.
After watching an episode, you will be more likely to then read the passage in the Bible. That is a good thing! Watching an episode of Stranger Things or a football game certainly won’t do that.
One Word of Caution
I do have one word of caution. Watching something on a screen is good entertainment and can give a fresh perspective, but it is not a substitute for God’s word in written form. When it says in Hebrews 4:12 that, “the word of God is living and active” it is not referring to television. Television is entertainment, the word of God is authoritative and breathed out by God.
There are tons of articles about where The Chosen goes “off script” from the Bible. I read many of them, and while I feel they are being a little too knit-picky, the reality is that when you take any book and turn it into a television show or movie, there will be differences.
The Chosen gives backstories that the Bible never talks about. It acts out scenes that are only described with dialogue. It shows interactions that are only briefly mentioned in Scripture. Simply put, it expresses the scriptures in an artistic way, though with good effort to be biblical. Have they accomplished that goal 100% of the time? Probably not, but have done a very good job as a whole.
Remember, television is an expression of art. Art is good, but it is not infallible. It should not add to the Bible or be a replacement for it.
Do you remember walking through the art museums when you were younger (or is it just me who hasn’t gone to an art museum since childhood?)? Many people have painted some wonderful pictures about Jesus. I don’t think most people saw those pictures and said, “Wow, the artist portrayed exactly what happened in real life!” No, the paintings are influenced by personality, culture, and biases. It is their artistic expression of the event. We can still admire the paintings even if they are not 100% accurate.
Conclusion
Personally, I have watched the first season of The Chosen and am currently working my way through season two. My impression is that the series is well done, with good acting, an engaging story, and a thoughtful perspective.
If you watch it well, The Chosen will lead you to more Scripture. Watching it will give you more love and awe of our savior. As I said before, it will make passages seem fresh again. Simply put, The Chosen can be a beneficial tool in getting you deeper in the Bible.
That is the key: It is a tool. It is art. It is not authoritative. As long as you see The Chosen in that way, you should be good.