The Chosen Episode guide: Season 3, Episode 2

S3, E2

Biblical: What We Find in Scripture

• Jesus does send out the disciples two by two to go and preach the good news. This is recorded in Matthew 10, Mark 6, and Luke 9. However, this scene is quite embellished. We have no record of Matthew offering his home, disciples being given specific jobs for caring for the crowds, disciples nominating one other for certain jobs/roles, etc.

Unbiblical: What Contradicts Scripture

• One of the closing scenes is both unbiblical and helpful, which I think also makes it dangerous. Rather than putting things in all of those different categories, I have decided to put it here and cover all three. Right at the end of this episode, “little James” comes to Jesus and asks him for healing as he is slow to walk and being sent out with the disciples two by two. There is no biblical record of any of the disciples getting healed, or needing healed, during Jesus’ earthly ministry. But more to the point, there is no biblical record that anyone who ever came to Jesus for healing was denied by him. That makes this part of the episode unbiblical. Yes, this is something that is made up and therefore is extra-biblical, but it also seems to be in disagreement with the biblical record. However, this scene makes a point that there are better things to be received from Jesus than physical healing, a point that is both true and important. But what makes this dangerous is that a good lesson is being learned from something that is contrary to the biblical record. There are plenty of true things that Jesus did and said that this point can be learned from. It is best to get our good doctrine from true events.

Extra-biblical: What Is Made Up but Doesn’t Contradict Scripture

• The opening scenes of this episode are not found in the pages of scripture. This one includes the Romans, having a conversation in Capernaum, as well as the disciples talking to the gathering crowd. However, I would encourage you to look below for some helpful things in these scenes.

• As noted in the previous episode, nothing biblically is known of Matthew‘s family. These scenes with his parents are not found in the Bible.

• Quintus and Gaius continue to be fictional characters, and therefore the scenes that they are in are also fictional.

• We don’t really know anything from scripture of James and John’s father. Certainly not that he made ceremonial oil.

• While Simon Peter was from Capernaum and lived there with his wife, we don’t really have any record of anything happening there other than the healing of Peter‘s mother-in-law. We also have no knowledge of any attempt to redraw district lines for taxation. All of the seas woven through this episode at the home of Simon Peter are also fictional.

• Simon was a zealot, which was a sect of Jews that tried to fight against Rome. This rooftop scene with Simon and the Roman official is not from the Bible. It is made up for this episode.

• Ramah, and all the scenes in this episode that include her, are fictional.

• The closing scenes that have the disciples making plans for their departure, including Matthew’s interaction with the made-up character Gaius, are fictional and have been written for this episode.

Helpful: What We Might Be Helpful To the Watcher

• While opening scenes may not be found in the Bible, we do begin to see how much the crowds saw Jesus out. The gospels clearly present us with the crowds regularly gathering to hear from Jesus and see the miracles that he performed.

• Even though the scene with Matthew‘s parents is not biblical, there are elements that are helpful. Though some background might be needed in order to understand why. In the scene, his father says “I had no right to disown you,“ but this is not how the Jews would have understood this. They would have thought it was the father‘s duty to discipline and disowned his son. That is what makes Jesus teaching on the prodigal son so shocking, the Jews would have thought it unthinkable that a father would not have disciplined his son and instead received him back. The reason this scene is helpful is because it shows repentance on the part of Matthew‘s father, but more than that, it shows the incredibly countercultural nature of Jesus’ message.

Dangerous: Things That Have Been Added That Might Be Dangerous to Accept as Fact

• I believe that there is a danger inherent in every episode and for that reason I’m including this suggestion in every episode guide. The danger is assuming that the things in the episodes of the Chosen that are not in the Bible are true, part of the biblical record. In order to avoid this danger, I would encourage everyone who watches the Chosen to compare it to the biblical record. IN part, this is because most of what is in each episode of the Chosen is not found in the Bible. There is more speculation here than actual events recorded in the Bible. If you want a harmony of all of the gospels in chronological order to aid this, then I would recommend purchasing a copy of One Perfect Life by John MacArthur. It is a compilation of all of the gospel records in order of the events as best as we can understand.

Anachronisms and Errors: Things that are out of place regarding the time, etc.

• The Romans continue to be concerned about Matthew no longer being a tax collector. Taxation was broken up into divisions called publicanies. These divisions were up for sale. If Matthew abandoned his tax post, the Romans would’ve just sold it to somebody else. They probably wouldn’t have given too much thought about Matthew at all.

• Ramah is not a biblical character. If Thomas, or any of the other disciples, wanted to marry someone, that would have been arranged with the father.

The Chosen Episode guide: SEason 3, Episode 1

S3, E1

Biblical: What We Find in Scripture

• After the opening scene with Matthew’s parents, the scene shifts to Jesus giving the sermon on the mount. Most of this is out of the account of the sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7. So while most of this is taken from there, there are a couple of things that may not be accurate. First, the crowd depicted in this episode is likely far too small compared to what would have been there to hear the sermon on the mount. Second, the sermon most likely took place on a hill overlooking the Sea of Galilee. While I appreciate that the script of this episode shows Jesus quoting almost verbatim from the gospel of Matthew, Matthew’s depiction is most likely a greatly abbreviated version of Jesus’ actual words. However, whatever else Jesus may have said is unknown to us, so I think it best to have left the sermon to what is recorded in Scripture. One final note on this scene, I appreciate the way this scene shows people being attentive to Jesus’ words, at times even showing an emotional response from people. Jesus is certainly the greatest preacher the world has ever seen; no doubt his words would have resonated deeply with people.

• I’ve struggled a bit to know where to put this part, but I am going to put it here because there are some things that are true. Joanna is mentioned twice in the gospel of Luke, and that is all. She is mentioned in Luke 8:3 as one of the women who followed Jesus, and again in Luke 24:10. The first passage in Luke does indicate that her husband, Chuza, was Herod’s household manager and that she was a financial supporter of Jesus. Anything beyond that, such as having seen John the Baptist or providing by donating expensive cloth, isn’t known to us and would better fit in the “extra-biblical” category. Additionally, it is likely that the record of John chapter 8 that mentions Joanna is part of events that took place much further after the Sermon on the Mount as depicted here.

Unbiblical: What Contradicts Scripture

• I’m not sure this is unbiblical, but it is contrary to what we know. Hospitality was normal, even expected, in Jewish culture. Peter would have been very likely to have been welcoming of anyone who would have come to stay with him.

• In this episode, Mary Magdalene is portrayed as having a small residence in Capernaum. However, this is not the case. Magdalene is not a name. Rather, it is a description that means from Magdala. If Mary had a residence in Capernaum, it is not recorded in the Bible. The consistent use of the term “Magdalene” indicates that this was likely her home.

• In Matthew 11 and Luke 7, John the Baptist sends some of his disciples to ask questions of Jesus. The questions seem to be focused on whether or not Jesus is the Messiah. This happens, most likely, because John is discouraged by his estate in prison, somehow having disappointed expectations of what the Messiah was supposed to be and do, and questioning whether or not Jesus was the Messiah. In this episode, John is portrayed as having undaunted hope. This just doesn’t seem to fit the biblical accounts.

Extra-biblical: What Is Made Up but Doesn’t Contradict Scripture

• Mark 2:14 says that one of the disciples of Jesus was Levi, the son of Alphaeus. Levi is most commonly known to us as Matthew. The gospels record the birth of Jesus and then a couple of accounts of Jesus as a child. This episode opens with Matthew collecting taxes on his parents in 24AD. Nothin in the Bible records anything from this time. The gospel record about 3 years, which was the time period of Jesus’ public ministry. It is uncertain of the date of these 3 years, though estimates generally range from 27-30AD to 30-33AD. It is likely that something around the 27-30AD is more accurate. However, other than knowing that Levi’s father was named Alphaeus, we have no knowledge of their relationship or these events. In this episode, his parents call him Matthew, though it is most likely that they would have called him Levi.

• The calling of Judas as depicted in this episode is not found in the Bible. Unlike Peter, Andrew, James, John, Matthew, Philip, and Nathaniel, there is no record of the callings of Judas, James the son of Alphaeus (different Alphaeus than Matthew’s father), Thaddeus, Simon the Zealot, and Bartholomew. Therefore, everything in the lengthy scene of Judas deciding to follow Jesus, leaving his previous employment, and talking with Jesus is fictional for this episode. This includes the prayer of Jesus over his disciples.

• No message to Andrew from John is given in the Bible through Joanna. Neither is the conversation that takes place between Jesus and Joanna.

• By way of reminder, Ramah is not a character found anywhere in the Bible; therefore, any interaction she has with a character is fictional. Also, even if a scene depicts biblical events, any role she plays would have had to be added to those events.

• Mark 5:22 and Luke 8:41 both record that Jairus was one of the rulers of the synagogue and that he fell at Jesus’ feet. Luke adds that he implored Jesus to come to a meal at his house. The following verses of both gospel accounts record the healing of Jairus’ daughter. However, the conversation in the synagogue with Yusif is fictional.

• As previously noted, Scripture does record that Peter was married, as we know that Jesus healed his mother-in-law. However, we have no other record of Peter’s wife than that. I’m sure that any time they were in Capernaum, Peter would have stayed at his own home, but that is not recorded in Scripture.

• The disciples’ search for places to stay in Capernaum was written for The Chosen.

• Matthew is never said to be from Capernaum, nor to have parents who lived there.

• While John sends some of his disciples to ask questions of Jesus, no visits to John in prison are recorded in the Bible. This whole scene is fiction. However, Andrew had formerly been a disciple of John.

• Judas’ visit to his sister isn’t in Scripture, but the statement that “It’s always about money with you” by his sister could be helpful.

• The scroll written to Nicodemus by Rabbi Yusif isn’t recorded in Scripture.

• In this episode, one of the disciples (Andrew, I think) comes to Mary Magdalene to apologize to her for saying awful things to her. Not only is this fictional, but so is the departure of Mary from following Jesus that led to her saying anything to her in the first place. Both this scene and the scenes in the background leading up to this one have been fictionally written for this episode.

Helpful: What We Might Be Helpful To the Watcher

• Judas visit to his sister isn’t in the Bible, but it does reveal a couple of things. First, Judas does seem to be highly motivated by money, even to the point where the fame that came with an association to a rabbi or even the Messiah could have been accepted out of personal aspiration. John 12:4-6 records that Judas would steal money from the moneybag. Also, in the interaction with his sister, Judas says that he expects the Messiah to conquer Rome. It is reasonable to believe that Judas, as well as the other disciples, expected Jesus to be a political messiah more than a personal savior.

Dangerous: Things That Have Been Added That Might Be Dangerous to Accept as Fact

• I believe that there is a danger inherent in every episode, and for that reason, I’m including this suggestion in every episode guide. The danger is assuming that the things in the episodes of the Chosen that are not in the Bible are true, part of the biblical record. In order to avoid this danger, I would encourage everyone who watches the Chosen to compare it to the biblical record. IN part, this is because most of what is in each episode of the Chosen is not found in the Bible. There is more speculation here than actual events recorded in the Bible. If you want a harmony of all of the gospels in chronological order to aid this, then I would recommend purchasing a copy of One Perfect Life by John MacArthur. It is a compilation of all of the gospel records in order of the events as best as we can understand.

Anachronisms and Errors: Things that are out of place regarding the time, etc.

• None