The Chosen TV Series

[Jahrule]

I don't know who it was that first mentioned this show on this forum but I watched the first episode last night, and I just wanted to say that I love it so far. They obviously had to take some creative liberties in order to take the story from written to a visual medium like film. Some of the dialog is different, and some details probably never happened exactly as they are shown. But I'm willing to be charitable with it because the way they've done it, at least so far, is acceptable to me. They even taught me some stuff about the historical setting back then that I never knew, so it's given me a different appreciation for Jesus and his disciples. Here's a recap of the first episode.

 

[Ms_ladyblue]

I don't know who it was that first mentioned this show on this forum but I watched the first episode last night, and I just wanted to say that I love it so far. They obviously had to take some creative liberties in order to take the story from written to a visual medium like film. Some of the dialog is different, and some details probably never happened exactly as they are shown. But I'm willing to be charitable with it because the way they've done it, at least so far, is acceptable to me. They even taught me some stuff about the historical setting back then that I never knew, so it's given me a different appreciation for Jesus and his disciples. Here's a recap of the first episode.

@Jahrule

I LOVE this series. A few months ago my son was up here visiting and he told me about it. We found it and watched season 1 and 2. It was so well done, and I agree with you about how it was presented and I too was very impressed with the historical setting back then I love the music how true to life it was back then. Good acting. I was moved to tears at the end of each one!

They’re working on season 3 and it should be released sometime this year. You’ll love both seasons….it holds your attention the whole way through.

 

[Jahrule]

@Jahrule

I LOVE this series. A few months ago my son was up here visiting and he told me about it. We found it and watched season 1 and 2. It was so well done, and I agree with you about how it was presented and I too was very impressed with the historical setting back then I love the music how true to life it was back then. Good acting. I was moved to tears at the end of each one!

They’re working on season 3 and it should be released sometime this year. You’ll love both seasons….it holds your attention the whole way through.

Exactly! I was blown away by how well done it was. I've seen a LOT of Christian themed movies, and most of what's out there is terrible. Watch any Kirk Cameron movie and you'll see what I mean. Terrible. They're usually so bad, you can only enjoy them ironically. But this show is great. I'm only on the third episode and already I love it. The acting is top notch. I'm legit impressed. This is made better than a lot of the garbage Hollywood is pumping out lately.

 

[Ms_ladyblue]

Exactly! I was blown away by how well done it was. I've seen a LOT of Christian themed movies, and most of what's out there is terrible. Watch any Kirk Cameron movie and you'll see what I mean. Terrible. They're usually so bad, you can only enjoy them ironically. But this show is great. I'm only on the third episode and already I love it. The acting is top notch. I'm legit impressed. This is made better than a lot of the garbage Hollywood is pumping out lately.

@Jahrule

Yes, it’s definitely that good. My son and I watched all of the first season in one night and part of the second season the next. He had already seen it previously and said that it was different than any Christian theme movie he’d ever seen before. That’s why he told me about it and wanted to see it again. I did watch the rest of the second season too. You’re so right too, Kirk Cameron and Hollywood can’t even come close to how this was done! Like I said, it holds your interest through all of the series!

 

[The God Pill]

I'm very forgiving to this show because it's a commercial endeavor superior to most other productions by an evangelical Christian Hollywood likes to have atheists make bible adaptations. It's highly engaging and draws people in with ease as a product of the world 9.0/10 in fact the main reason the season 2 opening was a bit trinitariany was because as they emphasized the humanity and non schizophrenicness of Jesus when on earth in S1 so much they received a lot of criticism, pressures and questions from people apparently whether S1 was unitarian. I only have four minor gripes

Because its a crowd funded effort however and given 2/3 of target audience of Christendom are catholics it made concessions to catholicism of ignoring Jesus siblings entirely and emphasizing Mary a lot.

There are a few sequential issues i noticed in it when I was reading John in things like the time/circumstances of some apostles entering the narrative.

A demon in the show identifies itself as Belial a soldier of Legion but pretty much all jews in the first century and as far back as the patriarchs in genesis knew that title refered to the devil himself.

The pool of Siloam was not a superstitious heathen thing as the show portrays it Isaiah mentions it at one point and Josephus does. An angel possibly Raphael healed people there.

I'd certainly recommend the show as a means of getting friends relatives or acquaintances that are not that religious enthusiasm for the bible/Christianity up.

I've mentioned before I've had a strong relationship with Jehovah since early childhood but not much with Jesus till past few years I'd say in the past year the show and the book the great angel by Margaret Barker were the two things that most helped in that area.

 

[SusanB]

I watched an episode or two a while back and I hated it. I thought it was so dark and not accurate. I think they took a lot of liberties. I’m glad you two enjoyed it, but it wasn’t anything I wanted to spend time on.

 

[The God Pill]

I watched an episode or two a while back and I hated it. I thought it was so dark and not accurate. I think they took a lot of liberties. I’m glad you two enjoyed it, but it wasn’t anything I wanted to spend time on.

Yeah most of the pilot was very grim

 

[Jahrule]

I watched an episode or two a while back and I hated it. I thought it was so dark and not accurate. I think they took a lot of liberties. I’m glad you two enjoyed it, but it wasn’t anything I wanted to spend time on.

Yeah well, I have seen some pretty bad movies and TV shows. It's kinda my thing. I kinda seek out the worst of the worst, and my expectations particularly concerning bible based media is set rather low. The following video perfectly exemplifies my problem with most Christian based entertainment. So you have to understand, if that kinda stuff is my expectation of a Bible movie, then it should be no surprise why this Chosen show caught me off guard.

And yes, I know that it's weird that I like bad movies.

 

[Jahrule]

I'm very forgiving to this show because it's a commercial endeavor superior to most other productions by an evangelical Christian Hollywood likes to have atheists make bible adaptations. It's highly engaging and draws people in with ease as a product of the world 9.0/10 in fact the main reason the season 2 opening was a bit trinitariany was because as they emphasized the humanity and non schizophrenicness of Jesus when on earth in S1 so much they received a lot of criticism, pressures and questions from people apparently whether S1 was unitarian. I only have four minor gripes

Because its a crowd funded effort however and given 2/3 of target audience of Christendom are catholics it made concessions to catholicism of ignoring Jesus siblings entirely and emphasizing Mary a lot.

There are a few sequential issues i noticed in it when I was reading John in things like the time/circumstances of some apostles entering the narrative.

A demon in the show identifies itself as Belial a soldier of Legion but pretty much all jews in the first century and as far back as the patriarchs in genesis knew that title refered to the devil himself.

The pool of Siloam was not a superstitious heathen thing as the show portrays it Isaiah mentions it at one point and Josephus does. An angel possibly Raphael healed people there.

I'd certainly recommend the show as a means of getting friends relatives or acquaintances that are not that religious enthusiasm for the bible/Christianity up.

I've mentioned before I've had a strong relationship with Jehovah since early childhood but not much with Jesus till past few years I'd say in the past year the show and the book the great angel by Margaret Barker were the two things that most helped in that area.

I'm glad you prepared me for that. I was waiting for the trinity references to pop up. You can't escape it. They did it in Bruce Almighty too, and I like that movie too. It's one of my favorites, actually. They always gotta work it in somehow. I'm always expecting it.

 

[SusanB]

I'm glad you prepared me for that. I was waiting for the trinity references to pop up. You can't escape it. They did it in Bruce Almighty too, and I like that movie too. It's one of my favorites, actually. They always gotta work it in somehow. I'm always expecting it.

I loved Bruce Almighty. It was pretty funny.

 

[Jahrule]

I loved Bruce Almighty. It was pretty funny.

They have that song in it by Vertical Horizon called You're a God. So much nostalgia for that song, LOL. One of the top comment on that video takes the words out of my mouth.

"God, why does this song trigger so much nostalgia for me? I play this track and I feel like I'm suddenly looking back at my life and all I've done." -Zoey Seely

 

[Jahrule]

Just finished season one, and they're already starting with the Jesus is God insinuations. But all in all, I am enjoying the show. I absolutely love what they did with Matthew. While the Bible doesn't expand on backstory for the apostles, it would make sense for Matthew to be a little weird. He's a tax collector. He is good with numbers. Everybody hates him because they see him as a trader. But it's obvious there was something good in him or Jesus wouldn't have picked him. So I love how they portrayed him. I identify with his character so much. I'm not autistic, but I do have Tourette syndrome, so I can relate to him in a way.

 

[a watcher]

Just finished season one, and they're already starting with the Jesus is God insinuations. But all in all, I am enjoying the show. I absolutely love what they did with Matthew. While the Bible doesn't expand on backstory for the apostles, it would make sense for Matthew to be a little weird. He's a tax collector. He is good with numbers. Everybody hates him because they see him as a trader. But it's obvious there was something good in him or Jesus wouldn't have picked him. So I love how they portrayed him. I identify with his character so much. I'm not autistic, but I do have Tourette syndrome, so I can relate to him in a way.

I don't like videos that change the Bible narrative in any way. The Watchtower does this too and I don't like it.

 

[Jahrule]

I don't like videos that change the Bible narrative in any way. The Watchtower does this too and I don't like it.

Yeah. It is really cringe sometimes when they go beyond what is written. It's unfortunate but the truth is in the minority. Even the one place we believe has the truth can't get it right. So I take what I can get. Maybe in the new world there will be fully and historically accurate Bible dramas. Until then there really aren't many options out there.

 

[The God Pill]

Yeah. It is really cringe sometimes when they go beyond what is written. It's unfortunate but the truth is in the minority. Even the one place we believe has the truth can't get it right. So I take what I can get. Maybe in the new world there will be fully and historically accurate Bible dramas. Until then there really aren't many options out there.

I assume some point in the new system we could with consent access the memories of resurected witnesses of events

 

[Jahrule]

I assume some point in the new system we could with consent access the memories of resurected witnesses of events

I'm sure stories will always be a huge part of the humans experience. That's always been how Jesus and Jehovah chose to teach us. I'm sure there's a reason for that, and that's because the right stories can change the world. If Jesus and Jehovah believe that, then so do I. A new world, good friends, great food, and endless stories. Sounds like paradise to me.

 

[The God Pill]

Just finished season one, and they're already starting with the Jesus is God insinuations. But all in all, I am enjoying the show. I absolutely love what they did with Matthew. While the Bible doesn't expand on backstory for the apostles, it would make sense for Matthew to be a little weird. He's a tax collector. He is good with numbers. Everybody hates him because they see him as a trader. But it's obvious there was something good in him or Jesus wouldn't have picked him. So I love how they portrayed him. I identify with his character so much. I'm not autistic, but I do have Tourette syndrome, so I can relate to him in a way.

I have high functioning aspergers probably from vaccine damage in infancy I could relate as far as my younger self before social skills gradually improved always had high memory retention in reading and aptitude for anything involving ratios, proportions etc I think with Matthew they did a good job in capturing the genuineness and honesty deviation from blunt truth does come across as pointless and inefficient to many on the spectrum.

Matthew was definitely the standout performance I liked some of the other apostles as well they did a good job with Andrew, John and Phillip, (though the latter should've appeared earlier in the show) Thomas comes across as someone that if not already familiar with India could go there and there honesty in depicting Peter as a married man was good given that undermines the catholic doctrine of celibate clergy.

 

[Ms_ladyblue]

Yeah. It is really cringe sometimes when they go beyond what is written. It's unfortunate but the truth is in the minority. Even the one place we believe has the truth can't get it right. So I take what I can get. Maybe in the new world there will be fully and historically accurate Bible dramas. Until then there really aren't many options out there.

@Jahrule

I guess I must’ve overlooked the Jesus is God insinuations. But even when I have heard that theme I automatically separate it in my mind just as you no doubt did. But I also watched a behind the scenes take on the movie where the I thought I understood the director to state that the movie didn’t portray or promote any sys of belief. I believe he’s Evangelical. Unless the thought could be mainstream Christian or Christendom religion all believe Jesus is God, you think?

 

[Jahrule]

@Jahrule

I guess I must’ve overlooked the Jesus is God insinuations. But even when I have heard that theme I automatically separate it in my mind just as you no doubt did. And I also watched a behind the scenes take on the movie where the I thought I understood the director to state that the movie didn’t portray or promote any sys of belief. I believe he’s Evangelical. Unless the thought could be mainstream Christian or Christendom religion all believe Jesus is God, you think?

Don't get me wrong. They were very subtle about it, so it didn't bother me. Like I said, I love what they've done with this show. Most stories about the bible kinda go beyond scripture to an extent. Sometimes it bothers me. Sometimes it doesn't. It depends. Honestly, even we do it as individuals without thinking about it. Not in a bad way, though. It's just that the bible tells us things and we always fill in little details inside our head to make a story real. We all picture settings, faces, voices, we speculate on backstories, etc.

It is only wrong if we take those assumptions and turn it into something else. That's why it doesn't bother me that they invented some backstories for bible characters. I love the back story of Mary Magdalene. The actress playing her is gorgeous. Great actor. All of them are great actors. I love what they did with Matthew. He is probably my favorite character in the show.

Of course I realize this is just part of the show and isn't necessarily how they really were, but they were real people who actually did have backstories. I also appreciated how the disciples didn't always get along. We think of the apostles as this band of brothers who loved each other all the time and never fought amongst themselves. But that itself is an assumption that could be wrong just like the story they are telling. It is very likely that they didn't always get along.

 

[Ms_ladyblue]

Don't get me wrong. They were very subtle about it, so it didn't bother me. Like I said, I love what they've done with this show. Most stories about the bible kinda go beyond scripture to an extent. Sometimes it bothers me. Sometimes it doesn't. It depends. Honestly, even we do it as individuals without thinking about it. Not in a bad way, though. It's just that the bible tells us things and we always fill in little details inside our head to make a story real. We all picture settings, faces, voices, we speculate on backstories, etc.

It is only wrong if we take those assumptions and turn it into something else. That's why it doesn't bother me that they invented some backstories for bible characters. I love the back story of Mary Magdalene. The actress playing her is gorgeous. Great actor. All of them are great actors. I love what they did with Matthew. He is probably my favorite character in the show.

Of course I realize this is just part of the show and isn't necessarily how they really were, but they were real people who actually did have backstories. I also appreciated how the disciples didn't always get along. We think of the apostles as this band of brothers who loved each other all the time and never fought amongst themselves. But that itself is an assumption that could be wrong just like the story they are telling. It is very likely that they didn't always get along.

I have to agree with your thoughts on this too. But just think, if we didn’t have that basic knowledge of the truth about Jehovah, Jesus and some background knowledge about the apostles, we would tend to go with it whatever they put forth in the movie.

Now for example, I can kind of see why the back story of Mary Magdalene could be portrayed the way she was in the movie. And for sure the Apostles not always getting along. I mean after all, remember the how the Bible, on 2 occasions they were fighting over who was the greatest!

But what I couldn’t quite figure is how did they get the idea that Matthew had those particular problems he displayed, always looking like he was going to jump out of his skin lol. He really played his part well.
Peter has always been my favorite, so the way they portrayed him was probably not far from how he really was. So many of us have a similar personality to his. I’ve always been able to relate to Peter.

 

[Jahrule]

I have to agree with your thoughts on this too. But just think, if we didn’t have that basic knowledge of the truth about Jehovah, Jesus and some background knowledge about the apostles, we would tend to go with it whatever they put forth in the movie.

Now for example, I can kind of see why the back story of Mary Magdalene could be portrayed the way she was in the movie. And for sure the Apostles not always getting along. I mean after all, remember the how the Bible, on 2 occasions they were fighting over who was the greatest!

But what I couldn’t quite figure is how did they get the idea that Matthew had those particular problem he displayed, always looking like he was going to jump out of his skin lol. He really played his part well.
Peter has always been my favorite, so the way they portrayed him was probably not far from how he really was. So many of us have a similar personality. I’ve always been able to relate to Peter.

Knowing the truth is a blessing. Never forget that. And as for Matthew being weird, I could see how they could come up with that. He was a Jewish tax collector who absolutely would have bee seen as a traitor. But this begs the question, why would a Jew choose to do that unless they had something deeper going on inside?

Autism is hard enough to live with in modern times, try growing up with autism in ancient times. Good lord. I imagine that would have been difficult to say the least. If nobody likes you anyway, it would make sense to fall into a job where you just look out for yourself because no one else would.

Plus, autism fits very well for a tax collector because many people with that disorder are great with numbers. They did the same thing on another show called the Good Doctor. From the outside it would just appear that Matthew was nothing but a sellout and a trader, and most of the time, for most other people in that line of work back then would have been a safe assumption. But we know that assumption was not true because Jesus chose Matthew. For Christ to have chosen him he must have seen something inside him that the world did not see. So to me it makes sense that Matthew would be at least a little weird looking from the outside-in. Granted, I never thought about that until now, but that's what a good story can do. They can make us think about things in a different way.

 

[Ms_ladyblue]

Knowing the truth is a blessing. Never forget that. And as for Matthew being weird, I could see how they could come up with that. He was a Jewish tax collector who absolutely would have bee seen as a trader. But this begs the question, why would a Jew choose to do that unless they had something deeper going on inside?

Autism is hard enough to live with in modern times, try growing up with autism in ancient times. Good lord. I imagine that would have been difficult to say the least. If nobody likes you anyway, it would make sense to fall into a job where you just look out for yourself because no one else would.

Plus, autism fits very well for a tax collector because many people with that disorder are great with numbers. They did the same thing on another show called the Good Doctor. From the outside it would just appear that Matthew was nothing but a sellout and a trader, and most of the time, for most other people in that line of work back then would have been a safe assumption. But we know that assumption was not true because Jesus chose Matthew. For Christ to have chosen him he must have seen something inside him that the world did not see. So to me it makes sense that Matthew would be at least a little weird looking from the outside-in. Granted, I never thought about that until now, but that's what a good story can do. They can make us think about things in a different way.

@Jahrule

Good point and great insight!
And when you think of the fact that Jesus evidently saw good in Matthew, it makes me think how grateful we should be that Jesus and Jehovah will be the final judges of us all.

 

[Jahrule]

@Jahrule

Good point and great insight!
And when you think of the fact that Jesus evidently saw good in Matthew, it makes me think how grateful we should be that Jesus and Jehovah will be the final judges of us all.

Yep. I'm one of the few people who can be insightful and an idiot at the same time. I said trader when I meant traitor. At least you got what I was going for. And yes, it is refreshing to take note of Jehovah's decisions. What Jesus did on earth back then is a direct reflection of what Jehovah himself would have done since Jesus is a perfect representation of his father. By getting to know Jesus we are getting to know Jehovah as well. It's very reassuring that he's the one in charge of how this story ends and restarts. When I think about it like that, I'm kinda not so much worried anymore. Until I forget all that by tomorrow and go back to worrying again.

 

[StillA_WorshiperOfJah]

I found the free app, and I am really enjoying it.
Yes, there is lot of supplementary story telling, but I think it is sympathetic to the biblical texts.
Just have to ignore the occasional trinitarian subtext.

 

[Ms_ladyblue]

Yep. I'm one of the few people who can be insightful and an idiot at the same time. I said trader when I meant traitor. At least you got what I was going for. And yes, it is refreshing to take note of Jehovah's decisions. What Jesus did on earth back then is a direct reflection of what Jehovah himself would have done since Jesus is a perfect representation of his father. By getting to know Jesus we are getting to know Jehovah as well. It's very reassuring that he's the one in charge of how this story ends and restarts. When I think about it like that, I'm kinda not so much worried anymore. Until I forget all that by tomorrow and go back to worrying again.

Trader=traitor, yeah, I knew what you meant.
Your thoughts at the end of your comment, sounds like the way I am.
Thank you for your encouraging comments.