My Opinion of The Chosen Season 5
by Paul Ellingsen
I am happy to announce that I DID NOT find the MAJOR theological errors in season 5 as I did in seasons 2 and 4. There were things Dallas changed but not the major theological errors as in seasons 2 & 4.
For example, Dallas has Jesus and his disciples staying in Jerusalem, in the house of a friend of Joanna's.
But according to the Gospels they stayed in Bethany, probably in the house of Lazarus, Mary and Martha.
Matt 21:17 Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.
Mark 11:11 And Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple. So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.
They were not aimlessly wandering around the streets Jerusalem.
They came into Jerusalem and went to the temple together.
Mark 11:12 So they came to Jerusalem.
Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.
So, it seems certain that the disciples were with Jesus when he overthrew the tables of the money changers.
They weren't just randomly wandering around Jerusalem. Thursday night was the night of the last supper, so they did stay in Jerusalem Thursday night/Friday morning.
You can read it for yourself in Matt 21:1-21, Mark 11:1-24, and Luke 19:28-48.
In Matthew and Luke it appears that Jesus overthrew the tables on the first day that they came from Bethany, but it appears in Mark that it was on their 2nd trip from Bethany.
It appears that Jesus drove out the money changers from the temple twice.
Once at the beginning of His ministry as described in John 2:13-17 and again the week before His crucifixion as described in Matt 21:1-21, Mark 11:1-24, and Luke 19:28-48.
So, the disciples should not have been surprised. However, Jesus making a whip of cords is only mentioned in John 2:13-17.
In episode 1 I did not agree with the way Pilate was portrayed.
I thought he was portrayed as a smarmy spoiled young kid and him offering the high priest shrimp reminded me of the way Obama offered Netanyahu a ham sandwich when he visited the White House.
As I said earlier, I believe that Pilate was more righteous than the Jewish leaders.
Pilate knew Jesus was God and sought to release Him until the Jews cried out, saying, "If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar's friend…" John 19:12.
However the portrayal of Herod as a nasty guy was, in my opinion true.
I did find it amusing that Dallas had an excuse for why Jesus had Matthew write the sermon on the mount in season 3.
In season 5 Episode 3 at 24:20 Dallas has Matthew saying "I know you did that to teach me".
As far as Jesus's answer to the pharisees about paying taxes at E3 34:20-36:42, all that is recorded in scripture that Jesus said according to Matthew 22:18-22, Mark 12:15-17 and Luke 20: 23-26 was:
But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, "Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? 19 Show Me the tax money. "So they brought Him a denarius.
And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?"
They said to Him, "Caesar's. "And He said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."
When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way. Matt 22:18-22 NKJV The rest of the speech was from the script writers' imagination.
I did enjoy Dallas's sense of humor.
I got a laugh about Caiaphas saying to Judas at E6:29:40 "This could be your best chance for your family name to be remembered" and at E7:23:10 When Judas's sister says "The Name of Iscariot won't be forgotten"
I found it confusing that the scenes from the last supper at the beginning of each episode were totally out of sequence. My wife Cece's best guess was 8-7-6-5-4-1-2-3
But I must say I was happy that this didn't have the MAJOR theological errors that were in some of the other seasons of the Chosen. Thank you Dallas.