S1, E4

Well, I’m back at Season 1 of The Chosen as I will not be able to resume working through Season 5 until mid-June when it becomes available to stream. I had hoped to get to the movie theater to watch all of Season 5, but that just didn’t happen. After a couple of weeks’ break, we will be picking up where we left off in Season 1. So far, the first three episodes have yielded absolutely no content taken from the Bible. This is the first episode in which we get actual events that are found in the pages of the Bible! Not much of what is here is found in the pages of Scripture, but hopefully we are moving in that direction.

Biblical: What We Find in Scripture

Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was a disciple of John the Baptist. One day, when Jesus was walking by, John the Baptist said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” Andrew immediately followed Jesus, and John records that he told his brother about it. Jn. 1:35-42. This marks the first time in the chosen that an event in the show is an actual event in Scripture, albeit dramatized.
John’s arrest is found in Scripture in Mt. 4:12, Mk. 1:14, Lk. 3:19-20, and Jn. 3:24. The report of his arrest to Nicodemus is fictional.
Peter’s fishing all night and not catching anything is biblical, that is found in Lk. 5:1-11. This is when Jesus tells him in the morning to cast out his net and they catch a whole net full. However, there is part of this that is made up, see the extra-biblical category below.
When Jesus told Peter, Andrew, James, John, and Zebedee to cast the net over the boat, the haul was so large that they had to call for help, and their nets threatened to break. Lk. 5:1-11
Peter’s declaration that Jesus should depart from him because he is a sinful man is found in Lk. 5:8.
Mt. 8, Mk. 1, and Lk. 5 all record Jesus calling Peter and Andrew and James and John at the same time.
Jesus called the four of his disciples who were fishermen to follow him, and he would make them fishers of men. This can be found in the aforementioned passages.

Unbiblical: What Contradicts Scripture

I’m cautious to put this in the unbiblical category, but I think there is reason. When Jesus uses Peter’s boat to teach from the shore, he teaches in a parable. Jesus did not teach in parables very often in his early ministry. The closer he got to the cross, the more he taught in parables. I’m not sure that this is contradictory, but it is at least contrary to what we see in Jesus’ early ministry.

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

The opening scene of this episode, where Simon Peter is in a boat with several Roman soldiers, is not a biblical event. There is no record of this in the pages of Scripture. This includes the conversation in the “pub” where Peter speaks of owing a lot of taxes to Rome and the threats of Rome to take his fishing boats, and all of the conversation that happens around the table there.
Matthew’s conversations with the Romans continue to be fictitious. We know nothing from Scripture of Matthew, or really any of the disciples, before Jesus calls them to follow him. We know the professions of some, but not all, of the disciples. Other than that, very little is known about them.
Simon Peter’s fight with what I think is his brothers-in-law. This scene is fictitious. I’m guessing it is leading up to Jesus healing of Peter’s mother-in-law, which is recorded in Scripture. Interestingly, the healing of Jesus’ mother-in-law seems to be in the latter half of Jesus’ first year of ministry. The initial call of Peter and Andrew is recorded in Jn. 1:35-42. The healing of Peter’s mother-in-law is recorded in Mt. 8, Mk. 1, and Lk. 4, all of which come after events recorded all the way at the end of Jn. 4. It is not known whether or not Peter’s mother-in-law was chronically ill or simply sick, but if they are setting the background for her healing, it is a bit premature.
Simon Peter’s rejection of his brother’s news that he found the Messiah isn’t in the Bible. All we know is that Andrew took Peter to see Jesus, who changed his name to Peter. At that point, Peter follows Jesus.
Matthew following Simon Peter to investigate him on behalf of the Romans is part of the story that is made up.
There is nothing in Lk. 5:1-11 that indicates Peter was out fishing alone and then had Andrew, James, and John come to fish with him. All we are told in Mt. 4 and Mk. 1 is that they were fishing together and Jesus called them. We are told by Luke that James and John, along with their father Zebedee, were partners with Simon and Andrew. Luke, in chapter 5, alone records that Jesus called them to put down their nets again and then hauled up a huge catch.
While Jesus does at times teach from a boat, there is no indication that Jesus used the boats of Peter, Andrew, James, and John for the purpose of teaching on the morning that he called them to follow him.
There is no biblical record of Nicodemus visiting John the Baptist in prison.

Helpful: What We Might Be Helpful To the Watcher

Jesus smiles as the men haul the fish into the boat. For me, it is easy to think of Jesus as always being serious. I think Jesus was very serious, but no doubt took joy at many of the things that he did for others. I think it is helpful to see Jesus smile.
I also think it is helpful to see the tender way in which Jesus dealt with Peter after he told Jesus to depart because he was sinful. Jesus could be very tough, but almost always with those who were unrepentant. When Jesus interacts with the humble and repentant in the Gospels, he is always tender with them.

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

Nothing

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

Nothing