Jesus film ‘The Chosen’ – gospel or cunning seduction?

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The current Jesus film adaptation “The Chosen” creates an enthusiastic atmosphere among believers, previously non-believers and also people who have hardly or never heard anything about Jesus. The power of the gospel, or the intoxicating poison of cunning seduction?

Presented consistent enthusiasm

“The most successful Jesus film of all time,” is one of the superlatives about the series “The Chosen,” which is now starting season number 4 at Easter. “The Chosen – Get used to being different,” is the slogan on the German-language website for this production (Source). More than 770 million people are said to have already seen these episodes. A total of 7 seasons are currently planned.

Positive advertising on your own presentation page is entirely understandable. But this already makes it easy to see what purpose this “modern presentation” of the Gospel is intended to fulfill and to what extent this is achieved. Some of the comments posted on The Chosen’s website largely shed light on this.

The voices of the viewers

“It’s amazing how approachable and appealing Jesus is portrayed here. He is human. He laughs and cries and sweats. He gets his hands dirty. He enjoys life and loves people.” (Viewer comment).

“Incredible. I feel like I’m walking with Jesus myself.” (Viewer comment).

“This series takes us deep into the heart of the gospel like no film has ever done.” (Viewer comment)

“Auch völlig ohne christliche Vorkenntnisse sofort verständlich und packend!” (Viewer comment)

“The beginning of a journey that changes everything. Are you coming with me?” (Viewer comment)

“It feels authentic, human and real.” (Viewer comment)

“So far I have read my Bible in black and white – and suddenly it is C-O-L-O-R-F-U-L” (Chantelle P.)

“This series blows my mind, moves me to tears, and portrays Jesus as I think I know him” (Johannes Hartl)

With Johannes Hartl, a not entirely unknown commentator was presented. He is primarily a Roman Catholic, theologian and philosopher, however these areas may complement or “get along”. As the founder of the “Augsburg Prayer House”, his orientation serves the charismatic camp of the ecumenical movements. Hartl is moved because this depiction of Jesus obviously corresponds to how the Catholic-oriented philosopher personally imagined Jesus. A clear indication that Hartl may not be able to convey the Jesus Christ of the Bible even without “The Chosen”.

Gospel only on the (extreme) edge

One immediately becomes curious as to how the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, as well as the reports of the apostles in their respective letters, were implemented in this large-scale production.

But even without ever having watched any of these episodes, there is already significant information available about “The Chosen’s” faithfulness to the Bible. This even first hand, from production director Dallas Jenkins. He himself explains how much gospel there is in the Jesus series he produced:

It is therefore clear. It was a series about the life and work of Jesus, but the gospel accounted for a measly 5 percent. The “rest” is, well, where from? Obviously purely fictitious statements and actions of a fictitious Jesus so that the real Jesus Christ disappears from people’s minds.

The “optimal” actor Jonathan Roumie?

The face of this Jesus in “The Chosen” is provided by Jonathan Roumie. He is already known from the film “The Jesus Revolution” in 2023, in which Roumie plays the US evangelist Lonnie Frisbee. Frisbee worked as a pastor during the so-called hippie era, was well known throughout the USA and is considered the founder of the “Jesus People”. Frisbee died of HIV in March 1993, probably due to his homosexual practices in the relevant scenes. The hippie pastor regularly consumed marijuana and used the drug LSD for self-discovery and Bible study. Frisbee found further “mental depths” through hypnosis techniques.

The actor Jonathan Roumie was obviously so impressed by Lonnie Frisbee that he visited Frisbee’s grave to pray the rosary together in the “presence” of the deceased.

According to his own statement, the Jesus actor in “The Chosen” appears to be in general contact with the deceased. Jonathan Roumie posted the following message on August 8, 2021:

“Visiting Saint Padre Pio, one of the most powerful saints and witnesses to the suffering and the miracles of Christ in the 20th century, as well as one with whom I’ve had personal interactions; also the first priest on record to have had the stigmata (physically documented)!”

The Jesus actor Roumie therefore had “personal contact” with the deceased. In any case, that would only work if there was even a way to somehow communicate with the deceased (Info). But in doing so, the Catholic actor is doing exactly what God condemns as an abomination, Deuteronomy 18:10-12:

“There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.“

By the way, Roumie himself told us that he was made a knight of the Knights Templar in Jerusalem a few years ago (details in the video at the end of the article). A “spiritual order of knights” within a very mysterious environment. The knight of this order corresponds to the 33rd degree of Freemasonry.

A summary

• “The Chosen” director Dallas Jenkins explains that 95% of all 4 seasons so far are NOT the gospel

• The Jesus actor Jonathan Roumie practices the Catholic faith and calls the spirits of the deceased. These include the once homosexual hippie pastor Lonnie Fresbee and Padre Pio, who is considered “holy”.

• Individual passages in the film “The Chosen” are taken from the Mormon writings (more in the video at the end of the article)

• The entire production team embodies the realization of ecumenism

• “The Chosen” aims to displace the previous view of the gospel, that of aligning one’s own behavior according to the Scriptures, and to place the focus on self-realization. The Jesus of the Bible is not perfect (more in the video)

• The website “The Chosen” encourages you to get used to something “different”

• The music producer for “The Chosen”, Matthew S. Nelson, favors Buddhism and puts the following quote on his website: “The Zen gardener…does not interfere with nature because he is nature , and he cultivates what is not cultivated. This makes the garden seem very artificial and extremely natural at the same time” (Alan Watts)

Struck by blindness?

This makes it all the more surprising to see reviews about “The Chosen” from communities who believed that they should actually know better. These communities declare themselves to be committed to the gospel, but do not realize that only 5 percent of the Jesus depicted and those around him are in accordance with the gospel? Describing “The Chosen” as a fairy tale series with a thematic reference to the gospel would seem very appropriate here. The following is a statement from an evangelical free church (Source).

“‘The Chosen’ is the first multi-season TV series about the life of Jesus. You get deep insights into the life of Jesus through the eyes of the people who knew him personally.

‘The Chosen’ is lively, touching and completely contemporary. The series is completely different from all the Jesus films that have existed before. A Jesus who is totally human: warm-hearted, humorous, real. And yet so irresistibly divine that you understand why people drop everything when he says: ‘Come with me!’“

A “contemporary” Jesus

“Absolutely contemporary” hits the nail on the head. A Jesus who corresponds to our current ideas, currently defined morals and values. It is not man who has to follow the words of Jesus in the New Testament, but Jesus who must “kindly” adapt to our customs. The “old-fashioned” Bible already said this with accurate foresight in 2. Timothy 4:3-4 voraus:
“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.“

To the Philadelphia church, Jesus Christ communicated through John (at Patmos) that insistence on the written Word will be answered accordingly, as in Revelation 3:10:
“Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.“

Adhering to the Word of God as it is written leads to a protection from God that renders any deception, misdirection or temptation ineffective. You can confidently believe it as it stands!

This decline was foreseeable

In 1858, a very far-sighted woman named Ellen G. White wrote the following note about the emerging developments in what she saw as the future:

“Even in its present form, so far from being more worthy of toleration than formerly, it is really a more dangerous, because a more subtle, deception. While it formerly denounced Christ and the Bible, it now professes to accept both. But the Bible is interpreted in a manner that is pleasing to the unrenewed heart, while its solemn and vital truths are made of no effect.

Love is dwelt upon as the chief attribute of God, but it is degraded to a weak sentimentalism, making little distinction between good and evil. God’s justice, His denunciations of sin, the requirements of His holy law, are all kept out of sight. The people are taught to regard the Decalogue as a dead letter. Pleasing, bewitching fables captivate the senses and lead men to reject the Bible as the foundation of their faith. Christ is as verily denied as before; but Satan has so blinded the eyes of the people that the deception is not discerned.” (Great Controversy, chapter 34)

The gospel provides the reason for this in 2. Thessalonians 2:9-12:
“Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.“

The consequences will not be missed

In short: The bottom line is that the film “The Chosen” has nothing to do with the Gospel, except for the identical-sounding name Jesus and the names of the disciples. Actions, statements and messages arise from the imagination and actual intentions of the scriptwriters and the producer. Jonathan Roumie and his occult-spiritual practices actually seem to be the ideal person for this. But if you want to get to know the real Jesus Christ and His exclusive message of salvation, you just need to pick up the Bible.

2 Corinthians 11:4:
“For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.”

Galatians 1:6-9:
“ I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”

Matthew 7:21:
“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”

Bible verses from King James Version

Further information in the video by Timo Hoffmann (German and English)