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The Chosen: Another (Inauthentic) Testament of Jesus Christ, Part 1

The Chosen: Another (Inauthentic) Testament of Jesus Christ, Part 1
by Christopher S. Brownwell

The Chosen is a popular, crowd-funded television production that claims to portray the “authentic” Jesus Christ.  A more careful assessment of the show, however, reveals that the Jesus presented by The Chosen is of another Jesus entirely.  Before you tune me out just listen to what I have to say.     

The real Jesus of Scripture warns us to beware of false teachers who dress up like Christians but are really wolves.  Matthew 7:15.  First John 4:1 commands us to test the spirits (i.e. the teachings and doctrines that we encounter) to see if they are of God.  We test them by comparing them to Scripture.  Anyone can claim to portray the “authentic” Jesus.  The Book of Mormon claims that it is “Another Testament of Jesus Christ” but, when you compare it with Scripture, it paints a false Jesus. When you test The Chosen with Scripture you will find the evidence demonstrates that the show is far from a biblically accurate portrayal of Jesus.  Like the Book of Mormon, it is merely “Another Testament of Jesus Christ.”   

Unequally Yoked

Dallas Jenkins, Director of The Chosen

The first problem with The Chosen is its connection with the Mormon cult.  The director of the project, Dallas Jenkins, claims to be an evangelical Christian.  He is a film maker and a video content creator who, before The Chosen, had his business fail in Hollywood. For the movie The Resurrection of Gavin Stone Jenkins partnered with a movie production company that specialized in horror movies, and also with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). The movie flopped.  Being down on his luck seems to have pushed Jenkins into making other poor business decisions.  On the heels of his business failure, he partnered with Derral Eves and the Harmon brothers (owners of Angel Studios) to produce and distribute The Chosen.  Eves and the Harmon brothers are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, commonly known as Mormons.  The Chosen is produced by the Mormon-owned Angel Studios, formerly known as VidAngel.  Although Dallas Jenkins claims the show’s portrayal is of the “authentic Jesus,” he has Mormon, Jewish, and Roman Catholic contributors, who do not believe in the real Jesus, on the writing, production, and theological advisement teams of the show. Both Jenkins and Eves have stated that their goal is to reach a billion people with “the authentic Jesus.” 

Derral Eves, Producer of The Chosen

We are to have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness.  Rather, we are to expose them.  Ephesians 5:11.  In the context of believers being God’s ministers on earth for the reconciliation of unbelievers, the Apostle Paul admonishes the Corinthians not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers. “For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?”  2 Corinthians 6:14. We are to be calling sinners to repentance, not yoking with Mormons to evangelize as if we have the same Gospel.

Mormons are not Christians. They do not believe God the Father is an eternal being. They believe he once was a man who attained godhood, and has a physical body. They do not believe the Bible is inerrant, or that it is God’s final revelation. They believe salvation is by our own efforts along with God’s grace. As we’ll see below, they believe in a different Jesus.  

Christians are not to partner in ministry with them.  Mormon theology runs counter to the Word of God.  We are to expose their false theology, not unite with them.

Jenkins sees The Chosen as an evangelistic tool.  Yet, in response to his business failure he has yoked himself unequally with unbelieving Mormons on this “evangelistic” project.  Christians should be very concerned that Jenkins is allowing non-Christians a voice in how his Jesus is portrayed. How can we expect The Chosen to portray the real Jesus when Mormons own 56% of the show?  Being unequally yoked with Mormons on a project that is supposed to be an evangelistic tool will ultimately distort the presentation of the truth.  This ungodly Mormon influence, in fact, has skewed the presentation of the real Jesus in the show. (I will go into more detail in Part 2 of this article.)

Bad Theology

The second problem with The Chosen is Jenkins’s bad theology.  His bad theology is why Jenkins yokes himself unequally with Mormons and continually sides with his Mormon producers against Christians who have tried to correct his errors.  While being interviewed by a Mormon YouTuber, Jenkins insisted that he has a growing brotherhood (starting at 9:40 of the video) with people of the Mormon community.  Jenkins meant this “brotherhood” in the context of a broader spiritual family.  He enthusiastically spoke of how working on this project has helped him learn more about the Mormon “faith tradition.”  He gets defensive and angry when people call his Mormon friends “blasphemers.” 

Mormons, however, are not our brothers.  “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12.  Mormons have not received Christ.  They are idolaters who worship a false Christ.  Because they get who Jesus is wrong, Mormons have a false gospel.  They are still lost in their sins and are still in need of a Savior.  They remain unbelievers and should not be treated as brothers in the faith.  Christians do not have a brotherhood with Mormons.

Jenkins treats his Mormon friends as brothers, however, because he is either ignorant about Mormon Christology, or believes in a false Christ himself.  Jenkins asserted in that same interview (starting at 10:05 of the video) mentioned above “For all the stuff that [Mormons and Christians] don’t see eye-to-eye on…that’s all based on stuff that happened after Jesus was here.  Um, the stories of Jesus [from Scripture] we do agree on, and we love the same Jesus.”

Jenkins is incorrect in at least two ways.  One: Christians and Mormons disagree a great deal about the facts surrounding Jesus even prior to His first advent.  For example, Mormons do not believe that Jesus is the eternal God.  Instead they believe Jesus’s spirit was created in the finite distant past by a sexual union between a “god the father” (who used to be a man) and one of his celestial wives.  Mormons believe that Lucifer was created the same way and is the spirit brother of Jesus.  Mormons believe the human part of Jesus was conceived when this “god the father” had a physical sexual union with Mary.  Mormons do not believe Jesus was always a god, but attained god-status after having been obedient on earth.  Though not universal in Mormon circles, many Mormons believe Jesus to have had many wives including Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus, and Mary Magdalene. None of these fictional stories about Jesus before He ascended are found in the Bible.  This Mormon Christology is nothing like the Christ of Scripture.  Christians do not agree with Mormons on the stories of Jesus.

Two: Jenkins’s statement is wrong because Mormons most assuredly do not love the same Jesus as Christians do.  As noted above, contrary to Scripture, the Mormon “Jesus” is less than the eternal God.  He is a finite being who had to earn his godhood.  (See, however, Colossians 1:19; John 1:1; 8:58; and Jude 5 which affirm Jesus Christ’s eternality and deity.)  For Jenkins to even suggest that Mormons and Christians love the same Jesus demonstrates such a woeful lack of theological understanding and discernment.  He feebly attempted to clarify his statement, but it did not help him because he outright lied by denying (starting at 1:54 of the video) that he said Christians and Mormons love the same Jesus.  Yet, the internet is forever and captured him on video (starting at 10:18 of the video) making such a statement. 

Jenkins said in another interview “Yeah, we disagree on some things, but I’m going to die on the hill of, we love the same Jesus, and we want the same Jesus known to the world.” If Jenkins loves and wants to proclaim the same “Jesus” as the Mormons do, Christians should reject his portrayal of Jesus.

Adding to Scripture

Jenkins does not merely claim to be making a show for entertainment.  He wants the show to “reach people” with the “authentic Jesus.”  His Mormon friend and co-producer Derral Eves agrees (starting at 14:59 of the video).  “We knew we wanted to resonate our message and vision with a specific persona (25 to 45 year old, female, married or unmarried, church-goer, volunteer.)”  Jenkins said on numerous occasions that while doing research for this show he felt God “speaking to him.” This “god” that supposedly spoke to Jenkins told him that in several years The Chosen would be “the definitive portrayal (starting at 12:31 of the video) of my people” and will be what people picture when they think of the disciples.  God supposedly assured Jenkins “I’m not going to let you screw it up.”  Jenkins admits that 95% of what he puts on the screen is not from the Bible.  Jenkins is adding so much extra-biblical content for his “definitive portrayal of God’s people,” and, God supposedly told him that He would not let Jenkins “screw it up.”  Make no mistake.  Jenkins is saying that his portrayal with its additions is God’s portrayal.  As such, Jenkins is essentially attempting to create new Scripture—although he most assuredly denies doing it. 

Jenkins speaks out of both sides of his mouth.  Though he claims he is not adding to Scripture, he also insists that his show will be the definitive portrayal of God’s people.  No longer is the written Word of God the definitive portrayal of God’s people.  Jenkins’s visual portrayal is.  The hubris of Jenkins’s claim is astounding.  That God was going to make The Chosen the “definitive portrayal” and won’t let Jenkins “screw it up” is a claim of special revelation akin to Scripture. He is essentially claiming both divine inspiration and inerrancy. 

If one were to argue with Jenkins about the portrayal, he can simply shut down the objection by referring to his supposed conversation with God.  “God said he wouldn’t let me screw it up.  What I have portrayed must be what God wants.”

 We are commanded not to add to Scripture.  “Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.”  Proverbs 30:5-6.  The Apostle John cautions us not to add to the revelation of Jesus.  “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.”  Revelation 22:18-19.

Jenkins adamantly states that he is not adding to God’s Word.  However, his actions do not line up with that assertion.  Scripture leaves out a lot of details one might want in order to tell a good story.  Jenkins feels he can take creative license to fill in the blanks.  He adds personality to Jesus and puts words in His mouth not found in Scripture.  He adds backstories for several characters. He even adds events not found in Scripture. In episode 7 of season 2, a Roman Praetor has Jesus detained for questioning.

Jenkins wants the viewer to see Scripture through his lens.  His work is supposed to be the “definitive portrayal of God’s people.”  These extra-biblical additions are meant to shape the viewer’s perception—especially that of a viewer who is not familiar with the Word of God.  “Extra-biblical” additions (i.e. filling in the blanks with creative license) can be just as much a lie as inaccurate additions. Jenkins and Eves think that if a story line is plausible it’s permissible. Jenkins is adding to God’s Word and is adding to the revelation of Jesus Christ.  In the end, what Jenkins portrays is a different Jesus not found in Scripture.  Dallas Jenkins with The Chosen is treading on very dangerous ground.

Other troubling additions are the extra-biblical backstories for the figures created out of whole cloth that seem to be written to appeal to a sense of diversity, inclusion, and feminism rather than to be faithful to the Word.  The writers made Matthew to be a bit autistic.  Why would they?  Nothing in Scripture indicates Matthew was autistic.  The writers showed “Jesus” somewhat romantically embrace Mary Magdalene and tell her “You are mine” after he cast demons out of her.  Do you think we can divorce this romantic image of Jesus embracing Mary Magdalene from the Mormon false teaching that Jesus took her as a wife?  Then the writers of the show gave her a more prominent place among the disciples than found in Scripture.  They turned James the son of Alphaeus (James the Less) into a very short, handicapped person.  They had a black Ethiopian woman leading the four men who brought their crippled friend to Jesus at Peter’s house.  After they lowered their friend down through the roof, “Jesus” then looks up at her as she peers through the hole in the roof and romantically proclaims “Your faith is beautiful.”  These scenes most certainly appeal to the 25 to 45 year old woman Eves insisted the show was designed for.

Conclusion

What Dallas Jenkins and his Mormon partners have presented is not an authentic Jesus.  Not even close.  What you are getting with The Chosen is not a supplement for your Bible, or an inspiration to read your Bible more.  You are getting something that surreptitiously seeks to replace the authentic Jesus with one created to appeal to women between the ages of 25 and 45.  This image from Jenkins’s imagination is an idol, a “graven image.”

 The Word of God alone is sufficient to give us the authentic Jesus.   

“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons.”  1 Timothy 4:1.  Partnering with Mormons on a portrayal of Jesus is most certainly a recipe for promoting the doctrine of demons.  The artistic license and many additions to Scripture have distorted the real Christ.   Dallas Jenkins has come to you and said his portrayal is of the “authentic Jesus.”  Don’t believe him.  “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.”  Matthew 24:23-24. 

The Chosen is the portrayal of a false Christ.  I am not here to tell you not to watch the show.  Just go into every episode with your eyes open, knowing that Dallas Jenkins has partnered with Mormons to sell you their inauthentic portrayal of Jesus Christ.