NASHVILLE (BP) – The first two episodes of the third season of “The Chosen” are set for a 12-day run in theaters across the U.S. beginning Friday (Nov. 18). The TV series has been viewed nearly a half-billion times through its app.
Series creator and director Dallas Jenkins appeared on Baptist Press This Week to talk about the success of the show and how his team uses Scripture in their creative process.
Seasons 1 and 2 are available to watch for free on various platforms because the show is financed via crowdfunding. It is reported to be the largest crowdfunded media project in history.
Jenkins told Baptist Press that achieving acclaim and success for the show has never been his motivation.
“I just care about making sure that I’m pleasing God and honoring the character and intentions of Jesus and the Gospels. I do believe we’ve done that with season three, so now the results are not up to me and that’s OK,” he said.
The show has been the subject of some controversy, as some viewers interpret certain content in the show to be unnecessary or extrabiblical.
Jenkins said he truly believes the Bible to be God’s Word, and this show is simply a supplement to the unchanging Scriptures.
“I’m a Baptist myself. I love the Word, and I was raised that God’s Word is inerrant and is the foundation of our lives,” Jenkins said.
“I believe that, but here’s what’s very important: The Bible is the Bible. ‘The Chosen’ is not the Bible. Your Bible has not changed since ‘The Chosen’ came out. So, when people express concern about adding to Scripture, the first thing I say is, ‘No, I’m not adding to Scripture because we’re not Scripture.’ The Bible is God’s Word and that is unchanging. So, no matter what we do in this TV show, that should not impact anything with Scripture or your relationship with it,” he said.
