A scene from Part 1 of Season 5 of “The Chosen,” which released in theaters March 28, has some people squirming. Others, however, have found it amusing and appreciate how it illustrates the characters’ “humanity” [Editor’s note: This article contains spoilers for “The Chosen: Last Supper”]. 

In the scene in question, the Apostle John, played by George Xanthis, has to admit he cannot enter a room because he is unclean. It’s implied that the reason for his uncleanness is that he had a nocturnal emission.

In a statement on Facebook, the show’s creator, director, and co-writer Dallas Jenkins described several reasons why the writers included that scene, one being they were contrasting the Jewish leaders’ obsession with ritual purity with the “true purity” Jesus was bringing.

RELATED: Dallas Jenkins Responds to Criticism of ‘The Chosen’ With ‘Great News’: Viewers Read the Bible ‘More Than Ever’

“We always want to remind you of the Jewishness of the story. The prayers, the laws, the rituals are important to understand. And interesting,” Jenkins said. “It’s important to stress how the religious leaders were focused on the wrong things.”

“[The Jewish leader] is obsessed with making sure John and Zeb are ‘pure,’” said Jenkins, “when he’s talking to two Christ followers with the Messiah in town. And he can’t see the Truth because of his obsession.” 

“We want to contrast their perspective with our heroes,” the director said.

‘The Chosen: Last Supper’ References Levitical Laws

Season 5 of “The Chosen” is titled “The Chosen: Last Supper.” The recently released Part 1 includes Episodes 1 and 2. Part 2, which is the next three episodes in the series, will release April 4, and Part 3, the final three episodes, will release April 11. Fans will have the ability to watch all eight episodes the following week, which is Easter weekend.

 

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Part 1 of Season 5 saw the best theatrical debut “The Chosen” has had yet, grossing $11,755,197 domestically and nearly $13 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. The show came in third at the box office behind “Snow White” and “A Working Man.” 

Jenkins told Deseret News his “heart is full.” He said he had tried to keep his expectations for opening weekend low and that he was prepared “to be really happy” with $10 million. “If you’re one of the faces we saw in theaters this weekend: thank you,” he said. “Your support sends a huge message to media and makes it easier for storytellers like us to share impactful stories.”

A Kansas children’s pastor has been sentenced to 29 years and five months in prison after pleading guilty to the attempted murder of his family. Matthew Lee Richards had been a pastor on staff at Crossroads Christian Church in Shawnee prior to the incident that led to his arrest.

Richards was accused of attacking his wife and children with a knife before setting his home on fire in an incident that took place on Sept. 16, 2023. 

The victims included Richards’ wife and five children, four of whom were minors. His eldest child was 19 years old at the time. 

On the night of the crime, police received a 911 call about a house fire. A child also called 911 saying that the father was chasing them with a knife, and another caller told police she had been stabbed.

When police and other emergency personnel arrived on the scene, they discovered three victims with stab wounds waiting outside for help, and smoke could be seen coming from inside the house. 

Firefighters soon extinguished the fire. Richards’ wife and two of his children were rushed to the hospital with critical injuries. His adult child and two other children were treated for minor injuries.

During questioning, Richards admitted to setting the home on fire and attempting to murder his family. His home was in foreclosure, and rather than telling his family of their dire financial situation, Richards said he thought it was better to end their lives. 

“I stabbed my family…I stabbed my kids, detective. I stabbed my wife,” Richards said during the interview. He also referred to himself as a “monster.”

Richards was charged with five counts of attempted first-degree murder with premeditation and one count of aggravated arson with the risk of bodily harm. In February, Richard pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted murder as part of a plea agreement. 

Matthew Lee Richards and His Family Address the Court During Sentencing Hearing

At Richards’ sentencing hearing last week, Richards’ mother and sister addressed the court to speak on Richards’ behalf. 

RELATED: Pastor Murdered by Wife After Years of Forcing Her To Have Sex With 50 to 100 Men; Sentencing Underway

Turning to Richards, Richards’ mother said, “My little boy yesterday, my friend today, my son forever.”

Gospel singer Bishop Marvin Sapp has again addressed the controversy surrounding a viral clip of him asking for donations last summer. Sapp corrected an “absolutely false” narrative he said people are perpetuating, described “vitriol” he has experienced because of the controversy, and admitted he could have been less “assertive” when he asked for money. 

“People have created a narrative that was absolutely not true,” said Sapp in an appearance on “The Rickey Smiley Morning Show” Monday, March 31. That narrative, said the bishop, was that he held people hostage at his church until they gave $40,000. 

“That is absolutely false,” said Sapp.

PAW’s Presiding Bishop Defends Marvin Sapp

Marvin Sapp is an award-winning gospel artist, pastor, and suffragan bishop-senior advisor to the presiding bishop of Global United Fellowship. Last week, a clip went viral showing Sapp leading a worship service last July at a Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Inc. (PAW) convention in Baltimore. 

RELATED: Bishop Marvin Sapp Responds to Viral Video of Him Saying ‘Close the Doors’ and Asking Worshipers for $40,000

During that service, Sapp asked 1,000 people in person and 1,000 people online to give $20 each, telling worshipers they had an “obligation” to God since they had benefited from his Word that evening. While Sapp was exhorting people to give, he repeatedly told ushers to close the doors and said that the whole group would “leave together.” 

“This is an easy miracle,” said Sapp. “We should be able to raise $40,000 tonight just from ya’ll giving.”

People, including Christian hip hop artist Lecrae, reacted negatively to the clip, with some viewing the bishop as pressuring people to give money. Sapp defended his actions in a March 26 statement on Facebook, saying he told the ushers to close the doors for security reasons and that he had a responsibility to the conference’s budget. The bishop also cited 1 Chronicles 29 in his defense.

The presiding bishop of PAW, Bishop Theodore L. Brooks, Sr., put out a statement Saturday, March 29, defending Sapp, saying “a short clip from our convention has now gone viral and unduly misrepresented not only Bishop Marvin Sapp, but the P.A.W., and churches worldwide.”

Brooks reiterated Sapp’s statements that Sapp was asking for the doors to be closed for security purposes and that the funds were being raised to support PAW’s ministry. “No doors were locked, and no one was held in the room against their will,” said Brooks. “We do not force or coerce anyone into supporting the operations of our organization, and we never will.”

The eight-day mission of NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Suni Williams didn’t go according to plan. But Wilmore, an outspoken Christian, said God’s plans are greater and filled with purpose.

During a March 31 press conference, the 62-year-old astronaut testified about God’s sovereignty and talked about participating in worship and Christian fellowship during nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Wilmore and Williams, who returned to Earth safely on March 18 via the SpaceX Dragon capsule, answered questions Monday about life in space. A reporter who’d heard that Wilmore continued attending church services virtually asked why that was so important to him.

“The Word of God, continually infilling me, I need it,” Wilmore responded. He called his pastors “the finest…on or off, in this case, the planet.” While in space, the astronaut worshiped weekly with his home congregation, Providence Baptist Church in Pasadena, Texas. Wilmore serves as an elder at the church, located near the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

RELATED: NASA Astronaut Emphasizes Prayer Ahead of First Manned Moon Mission in 50 Years

During the unexpected delay, being able to “worship with my church family was vital,” said Wilmore. “It’s part of what makes me go.” In addition to worshiping virtually with Providence Baptist, Wilmore also watched services at a friend’s church in Tennessee “every single week” while at the ISS.

Astronaut Butch Wilmore: ‘I Need That Fellowship’

The weekly worship and fellowship opportunities while in orbit were “invigorating,” Wilmore said. “Part of what I need, as a believer in Jesus Christ, to continue that focus [is] a system, day in and day out,” he said. “Because I need that fellowship, even though it’s fellowship from afar.”

Christian fellowship from 250 miles above the Earth isn’t like “fellowship up close,” Wilmore admitted, “but still I need it.” From space, the astronaut led devotions and sang “Amazing Grace” with his home congregation.

Tommy Dahn, pastor of Providence Baptist, said in an interview last August that Wilmore “ministers to us, almost.” For example, the astronaut often called fellow congregants from space to share words of encouragement with them. The driving force behind all that? “The chance to share the gospel and proclaim Christ Jesus as Lord,” according to Wilmore.

‘God Is Always Good,’ Butch Wilmore Proclaims

At Monday’s press conference, a reporter asked about the life lessons the astronauts learned from having their “plans kind of fall apart.” Wilmore immediately referenced his faith, saying he centers his life “in my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,” who is “the end all, be all.”

NewSpring Church, a megachurch with multiple locations in South Carolina, has voluntarily withdrawn from the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) despite the fact that the denomination’s Credential Committee reaffirmed its cooperation with the church following an inquiry. 

The inquiry into whether NewSpring should still be considered to be “in friendly cooperation” with the SBC was launched last year after concerns were raised about the fact that a woman serves as a teacher pastor for NewSpring. 

According to the Baptist Faith & Message 2000 (BFM), which serves as a shared statement of faith for churches in the SBC, the “office of pastor/elder/overseer is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.” To remain in fellowship with the denomination, churches must have a faith and practice that “closely aligns” with this and other convictions outlined in the BFM. 

While NewSpring does not allow women to serve as elders, it does allow them to serve in pastoral leadership positions and to preach to mixed gender groups. The church has several pastors on its preaching team, one of whom is a woman.

In February, the Credentials Committee closed the inquiry on NewSpring without recommending that the church be removed from the denomination—a decision that stirred controversy online. 

The decision highlighted disagreements within the SBC about terminology, as well as about whether non-elders can serve as preachers.

For more conservatively-minded Southern Baptists, the terms “elder” and “pastor” are synonymous, and women are barred from preaching in mixed gender settings. 

For Southern Baptists who are more moderate, the terms “elder” and “pastor” represent two separate roles, with elders having the final say in church leadership decisions and pastors exercising gifts of preaching and congregational care. While these Southern Baptists bar women from serving as elders, they allow women to serve as pastors. 

Whether these more moderate Southern Baptists are still welcome in the denomination has been a live question for several years, but the SBC has been trending in a more conservative direction.

Among those calling the Credential Committee’s decision into question was Pastor Clint Pressley, who is the current SBC president. He posted, “My understanding is that our Credentials Committee deemed a church in friendly cooperation that has a female teaching pastor. The committee needs to take another look at this one. Our statement of faith is clear about qualifications for a pastor.”

RELATED: SBC Has Disfellowshipped 7 Churches in 2 Years for Failing To Comply With Sexual Abuse Reporting and Prevention Standards

Similarly, Pastor Bart Barber, who served as SBC president for two years before Pressley, replied, “I generally want to be quiet, deferring to Clint, but I thought it might be helpful to support what he says here.”

Canaan James Hill, a 17-year-old aspiring preacher from Dallas, wowed the “American Idol” judges with his smooth but powerful gospel rendition of Earnest Pugh’s “I Need Your Glory.”

“We’re a gospel family,” Hill told “American Idol” host Ryan Seacrest before his audition. Hill shared that after hearing his grandfather sing gospel music, he was inspired to get into music. “I was like, ‘Wow, I want to do that,'” he said.

Hill’s performance in front of judges Carrie Underwood, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan concluded the final auditions before Hollywood Week starts.

RELATED: From Contestant to Judge—Christian Artist Carrie Underwood Replaces Katy Perry as a Judge on ‘American Idol’

The young man told the judges that he is “getting into preaching” and completed high school early “so that I can go forward with my gift and do what God has called and chosen me to do.”

When Hill began singing, all three judges reacted with joy. But as Hill showed the judges his vocal range, Richie pushed his chair back in amazement.

Richie then raised his hand as Hill sang the words, “Anybody in here need his glory? I need your power. Less of me and more of you. The Lord is what I need.”

One of Hill’s vocal runs made Bryan react with a joyful laugh and forced Richie from his chair straight into a church dance.

As Hill finished the song, Richie walked up to him, placed his hand on his shoulder, and asked him, “Would you do that again?” Richie then told him, “That was powerful. You have been so blessed.”

RELATED: ‘Lord, Make Your Ways My Ways’—17-Year-Old Wows ‘American Idol’ Judges With Original Song About Struggling With Sin

Hill reacted to Richie’s kind words by giving God the glory.

“That was something so spectacular, I just can’t even describe what I heard,” Richie added.

Actor, producer and podcast host Candace Cameron Bure celebrated the exciting news Monday, March 31, that her friend and “Full House” costar Dave Coulier “is cancer free.”

Coulier said in a March 31 interview with Parade that a biopsy in his neck several weeks ago showed “no sign of cancer” but added that he still awaits the results of a CAT scan to show whether or not his cancer “will be in the rear-view mirror.”

“DAVE IS CANCER FREE!!!!” said Bure on X Monday afternoon. “Join me in celebrating this AMAZING news — let’s shower him with all the love in the world!”

“I’ve got so much to celebrate!” Coulier posted Monday along with a link to his Parade interview. “Get a prostate exam, breast exam, colonoscopy etc. Please check in with your doctor for early cancer detection. It saved my life. We’ve all been affected by cancer. Sending all of you love.”

I’ve got so much to celebrate! Get a prostate exam, breast exam, colonoscopy etc. Please check in with your doctor for early cancer detection. It saved my life. We’ve all been affected by cancer. Sending all of you love ❤️ https://t.co/AHhRmti6wg @ParadeMagazine

— Dave Coulier (@DaveCoulier) March 31, 2025

Dave Coulier: ‘I Feel Like Myself’

Dave Coulier is a stand-up comedian, TV host, and actor who is known for starring as Joey Gladstone in “Full House” and in the reboot “Fuller House.” In 2022, Faithwire’s Billy Hallowell interviewed Coulier, who shared that he grew up Catholic but that alcoholism almost extinguished his faith.

RELATED: Former ‘Full House’ Star Dave Coulier on Grief, Alcoholism, and Faith: Love Is ‘The Only Thing’ That Can Bring Us Together

Coulier was diagnosed with stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma in October 2024. On Feb. 7, Bure told People, “I talk to Dave a lot, and he’s still on his journey and doing okay. So we’ll see here in the next couple of months as his chemo rounds end how he’s feeling.”

Coulier told Parade he had recently completed his sixth round of chemotherapy and that the treatment, which he started as soon as he learned of his diagnosis, had taken a significant toll on his body.

“I’ll tell you this. Today is the first day that I really feel like, ‘Wow, I’m feeling pretty darn good. I feel like myself,’” he told Parade. “And it’s today. So I get to celebrate that with you.”

Todd Friel of Wretched Radio recently criticized the content and viewers of “The Chosen,” now in its fifth season. The show’s creator, director and co-writer Dallas Jenkins happily addressed and refuted the claims using significant evidence from over the years.

“I’m really more focused on what God thinks,” said Jenkins in a recent YouTube video.

‘The Chosen’ Drives People to the Bible, Says Creator Dallas Jenkins

Dallas Jenkins has received his fair share of criticism over the content portrayed in “The Chosen,” and he has deemed many of the questions “fair and important.” From the beginning, Jenkins has been clear about the research and writing processes behind the record-breaking series focused on the life of Jesus Christ.

“We’re not the Bible. We’re not pretending to be the Bible. We’re not a replacement for Scripture; we never claimed to be,” Jenkins has said. “This is a show about first century Galilee using the Bible as our primary source.”

“The Chosen” has consistently received accolades and criticism amid its success. Early on, the series was accused of quoting the Book of Mormon, which Jenkins publicly refuted.

This time, however, the criticism comes directly from Wretched Radio, a “discernment video channel,” described Jenkins. Executive director and host Todd Friel carries out the goals to “preach the gospel,” “equip the saints,” and “strengthen the church.” His specific critique video focuses on the historical drama, “House of David,” which released its first episode earlier this year.

Even though Friel mentioned that Jenkins has a “low view of Scripture,” Jenkins continued to assert that he is someone “who loves the Bible.”

“Among those who don’t like our show, one of their most common criticisms is intended for us,” Jenkins continued. “But it’s actually an insult towards you.”

“The basic complaint starts by correctly pointing out that a lot of our content isn’t directly from Scripture,” Jenkins said, addressing the 200 million viewers of the series. “But then they confidently assert that you mindlessly accept our portrayal of the story without ever checking the source material.”

Friel claimed that “anybody who watches this who doesn’t check their Bible—and 999 out of a thousand aren’t going to check their Bible”—they’re going to believe exactly what they see on the screen.

RELATED: How Stephen Lang Prepared for His Role as Samuel in ‘House of David’

“It’s simply a false statement,” Jenkins argued. “It’s actually not an issue.” Jenkins countered with his own statistic from the “tens of thousands” of comments the show receives from viewers. The vast majority paints a very different picture.

Pastor John Gray defended gospel singer Bishop Marvin Sapp regarding Sapp’s actions last summer when the bishop asked worshippers to give $20 each and instructed ushers to close the doors as he did so. Gray, however, also acknowledged a problem with the incident and implied blame on “a culture that would allow that to be a language that’s expressed across pulpits.”

“I’ve known Marvin Sapp for many years. He’s a great human being. He loves God. Those are unquestioned things. He loves his children, he loves the church,” Gray said in an interview with TMZ about the controversy. “I think the challenge is context, cultural context, because within the construct and the context of the people he was speaking to at that particular service, they would understand his language.”

“Within that construct, I’ve seen much, much worse. I’ve seen $1,000 lines, $500 lines,” Gray continued. “‘Don’t leave—no one’s leaving until.’ And I think what he was saying was more for order, and I have to take his word for that, but I understand how culture sees a moment like that, particularly when it comes to faith.”

RELATED: Bishop Marvin Sapp Responds to Viral Video of Him Saying ‘Close the Doors’ and Asking Worshipers for $40,000

John Gray Addresses Viral Video of Marvin Sapp

Marvin Sapp is a gospel artist who has been nominated for 11 Grammy Awards. He is a Dove Award-winner and nominee, and his other awards include BET Awards, Stellar Awards, and Soul Train Music Awards.

According to Sapp’s website, he is cofounder of Lighthouse Full Life Center Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan; the senior pastor of The Chosen Vessel Cathedral in Fort Worth, Texas; and the suffragan bishop-senior advisor to the presiding bishop of Global United Fellowship.

Last week, a clip of Sapp went viral, drawing criticism. The clip showed Sapp leading a worship service last July at a convention of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World in Baltimore. During that service, he asked 1,000 people in person and 1,000 people online to give $20 each, telling worshipers they had an “obligation” to God since they had benefited from his Word that evening. 

While Sapp was exhorting people to give, he repeatedly told ushers to close the doors and said that the whole group would “leave together.” 

“This is an easy miracle,” said Sapp. “We should be able to raise $40,000 tonight just from ya’ll giving.”

RELATED: Pastor John Gray to Ransomware Attackers: ‘Leave the Things of God Alone’