Beware and open your eyes and SEE

2 Corinthians 11:1-15

Eve, the first woman, remained loyal to her husband but she did not remain loyal to God. She accepted the lies of the devil, who appeared to her as a snake *. That was how sin (evil deeds) entered the world. The effect of sin was to separate people from God* and to bring death into the world*.

It would be terrible for Christians to behave in the same way that Eve did. Christ died to free them from the power of sin and the devil. It would be very wrong if they chose on purpose to use that freedom to serve the devil.

However, when we do wrong things, we often do not act on purpose. Instead, like Eve, we start to believe something that is not true. We accept the clever lies of the devil, and so we do not trust God’s word. Those lies have the power to cause the most severe trouble to our relationship with Christ.

We can see from the Book of 1 Corinthians how often wrong and evil ideas had already entered the church at Corinth. The source of these wrong beliefs was the devil, but often people brought these ideas to Corinth. The devil was using those people to do his work*.

That was especially true now, because certain teachers, with wrong beliefs, had entered Corinth’s church*. They were impressive men, who acted boldly*. They tried to gain authority over people, and many Christians accepted them.

Paul saw that he must stand against those men. He had to try to protect weaker Christians from their wrong message. God had given Paul responsibility for those Christians, and Paul was eager to serve Christ well.

From: usefulbible.com ”“ by Keith Simons

And what I am doing I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do. For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds. ~ 2 Corinthians 11:12-15

In 2 Corinthians, Paul refers often to the teachers who were trying to gain authority over Corinth’s church. We know that they were impressive men, and skilled public speakers. However, Paul has told us that they were dangerous. They taught a false message about Jesus*. Now, Paul will explain the true character of these men.

The original meaning of an ‘apostle’ was a servant whom a master sent to carry out an important task. These teachers called themselves ‘apostles of Christ’. Therefore, they were saying that Christ had sent them. It was not true; they were not genuinely serving Christ. In fact, by their wrong lessons and their proud behavior, they were serving the devil*.

We must not think that Paul was warning against all the teachers in Corinth’s church. That was a very large church, with many members* and several teachers. God had genuinely appointed some people to be teachers there*. Probably, some of those people served God well, and others made many mistakes. It is interesting to compare Paul’s description of the false apostles here with 1 Corinthians 3:10-16. There, Paul spoke about weak church leaders who would enter heaven without any reward. God would save them, but they would receive no reward for their work.

Paul could not even promise that to these false apostles. It seems that they did not have a real relationship with God. They did not know Jesus; the Holy Spirit was not working in their lives; they had not believed God’s message, the gospel*. They worked in the churches, but they were not serving God.

It was not easy to identify these men, because they imitated the genuine apostles. However, it was essential for every Christian to recognize their evil work. That was because these false apostles were leading people to hell, and not to heaven*.

From: usefulbible.com ”“ by Keith Simons

The Bible is relevant for today. The things that are going on today have been going on from the beginning. Satan will continue coming up with ways to deceive people, he is very subtle and crafty. You cannot sit on the sidelines and think you have your ticket punched ready to go to heaven. The true Christian life is meant to be a full-time lifestyle. The Bible makes that very clear. God wants all to be saved and goes to the greatest measures to do so. Today we are told again to beware of false teachers, preachers, and influencers. New things to distract people and keep their eyes turned in the wrong direction are coming along quickly. Beware and open your eyes. SEE and know by reading the bible for yourself, know it, and obey it. There are many men and women who are leading others down the path to hell. Don’t go there.

Watch out for the deceptions that are being taught today and many think it is the best thing since sliced bread.

Examples:

Progressive Christianity

https://www.gotquestions.org/Progressive-Christianity.html

The Chosen information:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1467776407084679

https://arcapologetics.org/the-chosen-series/

by: https://know-the-bible.com

Why in the world do you want to go knocking The Chosen? Get off the apologetics sites.

Thanks David for showing this warning.

Chosen leaves you wanting to see what happens next like any other TV drama. This drama is not biblical and focuses on humanistic ways which is against God. I rather read the scripture than watch Chosen.

Thank you brother David and keep up the good job in Christ.

Leave it to Christians to bash a show that is literally introducing millions of persons to Christ and that seeks to glorify Him. It is utterly ridiculous. As if wanting to see what happens next is a bad thing!

1 Corinthians 1:22 Jews demand signs and Greeks search for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.…

Is manipulation a bad thing? Playing with people's mind a bad thing? Why do people want to watch the next episode?

Because the show is incredible!! Duh.

yulboam wrote: Is manipulation a bad thing? Playing with people's mind a bad thing? Why do people want to watch the next episode?

If you've never watched it, how can you intelligently say, "This drama is not biblical and focuses on humanistic ways which is against God. I rather read the scripture than watch Chosen." (edited and removed comment due to harshness, I repent, brother)

I am in total agreement with what TMK wrote: Because the show is incredible!! Duh.

TMK: "Why in the world do you want to go knocking The Chosen? Get off the apologetics sites."

It is very deceiving! People need to read their bible and know it for themselves. You need to pull yourself out of the world and study the word of God.

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
~ 2 Timothy 4:3-4

Ephesians 5:11-12
And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.

Galatians 1:8-9
But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

Psalm 97:10
Ye that love the LORD, hate evil:

Matthew 24:24-25
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before.

If you are a Mormon you are lost.

Jesus did not come to this world to entertain us.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IijbpfCQBnA

TMK: "Leave it to Christians to bash a show that is literally introducing millions of persons to Christ and that seeks to glorify Him. It is utterly ridiculous. As if wanting to see what happens next is a bad thing!"

Introducing people to the WRONG Jesus will send them to Hell. And those who just know about Jesus and don't know Him are not saved. I beg people to open their eyes and read the Bible for themselves before it is too late.

"Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
~ Matthew 7:21-23

There are many, many people who say they are Christians who are lost and on their way to Hell because they do not really know Him but just know a little about Him.

The Chosen is getting masses of people to open their Bibles”” many for the first time in their lives!

Why not complain about something worthwhile?

This show is not presenting a "wrong” Jesus.

Why not not present your complaint to Dallas Jenkins directly? Why don’t you see how they have responded to similar criticisms?

I have read through the Bible many many times and I can tell you they have stayed true to scripture and who Jesus is. Of course because it is a drama they have to create story lines but biblical accounts of various events are at the center. Every Christian I know who has watched it has been blessed by it.

What is incredible is that you are defending a golden cow. An image created by man. I watched the show up to the 3rd episode and realized it was not right. My conclusion is that this show is not credible and I'm glad that brother David is exposing this evil so that you don't share in their sin. Idolatry is a serious sin. Dallas Jenkins was wearing a shirt that says binge Jesus. What does binge mean? God called us to have self control. If you don't have it ask Him and He will give you.

Good grief.

Here is a good article by A. W. Tozer about christian movies:

https://www.biblebb.com/files/tozermovie.htm

From the article: "...the rising generation will naturally come to look upon religion as another, and inferior, form of amusement. In fact, the present generation has done this to an alarming extent already, and the gospel movie feeds the notion by fusing religion and fun in the name of orthodoxy. It takes no great insight to see that the religious movie must become increasingly more thrilling as the tastes of the spectators become more and more stimulated."

Thanks for sharing this-
It is very much in line with my experience.
My brother loved Chosen and suggested it,… I didn’t finish the first episode-
This was back when it was an app -
Having said this… I can also see Todds point and surely the Lord can use it to the good, especially/specifically for people who might otherwise be turned off by the modern evangelical model with all its trappings.
Personally I see it like an Osteen type situation where if someone is broken and willing to consider the gospel, they can come to faith by these means however if they stay under this type of teaching, it’s doubtful they will ever mature into the fullness of Christ-

I agree Fletcher. I remember in the midst of my heavy drug usage turning on Sid Roth for some reason and hearing his guest talk about the end times. The voice of God I couldn't quite shut out by drug use used this to wake me up. (I took drugs because if I didn't, my mind would be constantly bombarded with thoughts of how I had left Christ and that if I died I would go to hell and be separated from Him forever.) God works in mysterious ways, and He can even use Sid Roth's wacky program to reach people, and I praise God if He does use it. So if God uses this show as a way to shake people out of their deadly sleep, good. It's just not one of the means He has promised to bless.

I remember when I was probably 7 years old seeing an episode of the Simpsons where the main character talked to "God" in a dream, and asked him what the meaning of life is. "God" ( a bearded man in a robe) said "The meaning of life is..." and then the show cut to the credits without answering the question. From that point I wanted to know, Why am I here? What is the purpose of my life? Did God anoint this cartoon as a means of evangelism? No! He just used it as one more way to draw me and get me thinking about eternity.

Not sure you are all getting it.

Before The Chosen there was nothing on TV that did anything to draw people to God other than the extremely dubious personalities on "Christian” tv channels.

Then The Chosen comes along, via grass roots funding, to bring g a show to TV that accurately portrays the life of Jesus and his disciples and his teachings.

Because it is a drama, and because when you get down to actual counting not many days of Jesus’s life are included in the gospel, story lines must be created to fill in some gaps. But the actual events and teachings and sayings of Jesus are portrayed accurately. The episodes involving the woman at the well and the healing of the woman with the issue of blood are powerful. The whole show is powerful when you get right down to it. It is why people want to watch it.

But here we have Christians of all people bashing this show as if it is the devil from the pit of hell. There are indeed devils from the pit of hell to resist and sound the alarm over, but The Chosen is not one of them.

Any person who watches and has a softened heart toward the Lord will obviously need further discipleship. But the show makes Jesus a person they will be willing to follow when previously Jesus was only a curse word in their mouths.

Why not celebrate that so many persons are at least now considering the claims and teaching of Jesus?

The creators of the show has indicated it’s going to start getting a lot harder to watch as it moves toward the final week of Jesus’s life. But millions of people will watch, yes, many of them Christians, but also many who would never pick up a Bible or enter a church. THAT is why the show was created.

Ha! Yes it is amazing how the Lords hand is not shortened even and especially in this fallen world 🙏🏻

and your transparency is (for me) quite refreshing!

Something that has been interesting to me is how different we can appear in an Internet forum when contrasted with how we interact in real life-
For example, it might be surprising to some here on SI if they met me in person as my physical appearance/presence seems to throw many people off…. apparently (according to the testimony of some clients) I can be scary and even intimidating… where one client remarked i looked like "you would stab somebody” 😳😂 while more recently some of one of my son’s friends had pulled into the driveway to visit him while I was sitting on the porch reading, they saw me and didn’t exit or even turn off the headlights but just sat there, I got up and walked to the driver window to see who it was and if they needed help, only to find them terrified that I was about to kill them and another son’s friend first saw me at church and was so scared he stopped in his tracks and later confessed to my son that he didn’t know I was his dad and was virtually petrified with fear when he first ran into me rounding a corner at church…. My boys always laugh and can’t imagine why anyone would think such a thing, but they do - 🤷🏽”â™‚️

For some reason my presence can often make men very uncomfortable in that they are aware of the potential danger I could physically present and yet most women are comforted by it- mind you I’m a 165lbs soaking wet but what I carry inside me is heavy like bricks and there is (apparently) an awareness that I’d be a problem if something were to happen. This is why I’ve remarked in the past in certain discussions that if we were sitting across from one another I guarantee I wouldn’t get spoken to as we do sometimes here on SI, where people get snarky, confrontational or even disrespectful….

I make this point to illustrate that things are not always as they seem, just as a fruit that looks good to eat can contain death and a large well equipped king can have a small spirit inside him… likewise a show that purports to represent the Lord Jesus might actually be purposely misrepresenting Him,… where a show that presents as secular can actually contain the seed of truth within itself.

We would do well to remember to remind ourselves that most everything in this world has been hijacked and grossly misrepresents itself. Think of how Jesus was mischaracterized in n the first century as what in the modern world we would call a domestic terrorist and all His disciples the same… tho in this modern world He is more often than not presented as a tolerant teddy bear type person who wouldn’t hurt anyone’s feelings- both are incorrect and neither even begins to approach the reality of His person.

In my experience/perspective, this has been a cardinal mistake on the part of the church in that they have historically misrepresented His person to such an extent that now He is imagined to be something entirely different from who He actually is and this is a very difficult barrier to overcome for way too many people inside the church as they are quick to reject anything that doesn’t align with their "idea” of who they imagine Him to be and instead are quite content to limit their fellowship to people who share a compatible view.

(For me) what’s scary about this is the scriptures, yea Jesus Himself states as He did to the Sumerian women at the well "you don’t even know Him who you worship” 😳🥹 which means she’s just worshiping her own idea of God, which of course is idolatry and it grieves me in my heart to see so many in the church do the same and they even find comfort in associating with others of like mind 😟

*samaritan woman - not Sumerian (spell check strikes again)

I get what you are saying and where you are coming from and have no doubt about your hearts intention in seeing the world given opportunity to hear the gospel that they may come to faith in Christ-

Having said this,… Jesus says that the "world” hates Him because it doesn’t "know Him” so (for me) the concern is that we may, with good intentions, misrepresent Him in an effort to make Him more palatable… which would rob the gospel of its power to confront them in their sin and require a decision by comforting them in it.
Wether this is the case or not the Lord knows, but in either case this seems to be the concern held by many that do "know Him”.

A few years ago the Lord confronted me in my understanding of His character and after confirming that it was well with Him that I viewed the Bible as the source of His testimony, containing life lessons, sets of principles to live by, self help in times of trouble, etc… He stated that I was still missing a very important aspect that limited my ability to continue to grow in Christ. This was due to a categorical misunderstanding regarding His character and He directed me to reread his he scripture as a narrative. When I struggled to perform this task, He directed me to approach the situation with a deathly seriousness by telling me to consider that in reading the scriptures as a narrator, I would be tasked with presenting the texts as a visual (film) representation and that it would be the last translation ever made, where after which all the written versions would be removed from circulation….
This weighed heavily on my mind and taxed me to the point of spiritual poverty… but it also exposed many things that I had unwittingly placed my faith in that were ultimately not what the texts actually say-

One example comes to mind where in my initial rendering of Romans 1, I had mistakenly misread the text to say that in the case of someone who had the knowledge of God and went back to a homosexual lifestyle, that this might be a reason Jesus would give them over to a reprobate mind- I talked about this with many people and never had anyone offer correction. Tho after undertaking what the Lord had directed, the seriousness of the matter required me to be 100% certain on every word,… this led me to the surprise that the scriptures (Romans 1) actually says something entirely different,… namely that this isn’t a "reason” Jesus might give them over, rather it is the evidence that He already has!😳🥹.
The implications of this cannot be overstated because at the end of the day, since Jesus is the only name under heaven by which men must be saved, and of Jesus Himself has given them over to a reprobate mind,… then how could they come back ?? 🤷🏽”â™‚️

Yet we have in the modern institutionalized church an open acceptance of such, so to be 100% clear I am totally intolerant of everyone’s tolerance of such things as they are an affront to a Holy God, full stop -

I don’t think the show presents a "gentle Jesus, meek and mild” at all. He is abrasive with religious leaders but soft toward the sick and downtrodden. In the show his disciples often him urge him to tone down his rhetoric, which of course he refuses to do. He corrects his disciples sternly on numerous occasions.

I guess you have to watch it to see what I am taking about.

I realize that some people might be offended by a Jesus who would dare to crack a smile or joke with his disciples. That doesn’t bother me at all because I am 100% positive he did both with regularity.

We seem to be talking past one another…
It doesn’t seem to me that anyone has an issue w/Jesus being "meek and mild” as surely at times He was,… rather it is an issue that Jesus is a being somewhat misrepresented in certain aspects that, especially in this day and age, lays the groundwork for further mischaracterizations. This is a legitimate concern today just as it was in the times of Christ. Where if in those days a story was created that seemed off to His disciples, surely they would object, no?

Again, I see and can agree with your general sentiment of the story reaching people that might not otherwise consider it. (Trying to find common ground)

Though if another person, who is following Him, raises a concern why is it okay in your mind for you to confront them over your concerns but their concerns are seemingly dismissed as foolish or overreacting?

As Tozer points out, the issue is reducing the gospel to a form or means of entertainment or amusement and by extension robbing it of its efficacy in that it confronts people in their sin, requiring them to make a decision to either repent or remain.

Surely you see the validity of such a concern, else why are there so many warnings about "another gospel” and "another Jesus” throughout the NT?

//As Tozer points out, the issue is reducing the gospel to a form or means of entertainment or amusement and by extension robbing it of its efficacy in that it confronts people in their sin, requiring them to make a decision to either repent or remain. //

Love Tozer. For years. The problem is vast masses of people have no gospel period. In his day church was normal. People went to church in general.

Today people are leaving churches in droves so there must be alternative ways of reaching them.

I get testy because people who have never watched the show (but are quick to devour every word about it on a "discernment” website) choose to bash it.

Why in the world not give it the benefit of the doubt? Why not do some research into why the show was created direct from the creators’ mouths?

The Chosen is a million times less concerning than prosperity and hypergrace gospels. The Chosen is intended to draw people to Jesus. Watching The Chosen cannot save anybody but many many people have moved on to salvation because of the show. I know many people, including family members, whose hearts have softened to the gospel. Isn’t that a good thing?

Again I don’t disagree with your general sentiment and have stated that I personally believe the Lord can obviously use it to the good-

But… if we are being realistic, how many unbelievers are gonna wind up reading this thread where a particular concern is being discussed among believers… ?

Personally I appreciate your boldness in defending your position much as I do Staff regarding pre-trib - even and especially when my understanding is different.

Having said that, considering the times in which we live as you articulated above, we have bigger fish to fry as it were and as such we would do well to give space to brothers and sisters who may be more sensitive to a particular topic. This doesn’t mean we should not state or even defend our positions, yet if we allow ourselves to become offended by another person’s faith then does that not affect our own witness?

I personally didn’t find it every edifying and therefore wouldn’t recommend it tho at the same time I wouldn’t state that someone else might not be in a place where it was beneficial,…

(For me) it’s kinda like the Jesus revolution film that recently got allot of press and "reached” a group that had previously not been open to the gospel-

Point in case- I have a female physician (client) that moved here from NW US to escape the craziness in her home state during the Covid fiasco. As always I took opportunity to minister to her and had planted seeds that challenged her, even suggesting a local church that she now attends. She seemed to feel empowered after seeing that movie, in that her idea that anything "negative” wasn’t from God. This led to me pointing out that God killed everyone on the planet save 8 souls in the flood, to which she winced and confessed, "yeah I have a problem with that” to which I replied "no, you have a problem with God being God and not needing your permission/approval”.
The church she attends surely doesn’t teach such things as they were portrayed in the movie, yet that film apparently confirms (for her) an idea that is contrary to what the scriptures plainly state-
The point being, we should be very careful to use pragmatism as a metric when addressing the things of the Lord as it is rarely if ever the standard put forth in the Bible-

Having said this, I do sincerely appreciate your heart in reaching the lost and pray the Lord comforts and strengthens you in your inner man as we continue to seek His kingdom ✝️

You’re right. If folks want to come on here to tear apart The Chosen it’s their prerogative.

I won’t say any more about it.

The guy who plays "Jesus" in The Chosen said the rosary is the greatest weapon we have against Satan. The producers are Mormon, and the owners of the production studio are Mormon.

Just to hand wave this away and say it doesn't matter, and browbeat people who have concerns is not right.

If the evangelical, Dallas Jenkins, is truly saved, he lacks discernment and is unequally yoked with a false gospel.

Does anyone here dare to defend the Mormon faith, or call them true followers of Jesus? They say that Jesus is Satan's brother (making them equal), and that there are innumerable Gods, and that salvation is by faith plus works.

Please don't stick your fingers in your ears, close your eyes and pretend nothing is wrong.