Got Questions is one of the largest online ministries in terms of web traffic only smaller than Bible apps and entire religions, ranked 12th on Similar Web in the faith and belief category. This makes them much larger than The Gospel Coalition and Desiring God by the mere presence of search traffic alone. Aptly named, Got Questions could have been a force for good warning about The Chosen being a biblically unfaithful adaptation of Scripture. But instead they provide a defense of The Chosen and Dallas Jenkins.
Based on their article, the Got Questions podcast answers the question, “Should I choose to watch The Chosen?” They start off pontificating on the merits of creative license and the guest on the podcast touts the merits of using your imagination while reading Scripture in order to better understand.
The examples of controversial creative licenses brought up are Jesus doing sermon prep for the Sermon on the Mount and Mary Magdalene having a relapse into what’s implied to be prostitution. Yet, sight unseen, these seem as though benign examples. In contrast, Math Autist Matthew is a celebrated example of creative license despite the obvious flaws with this approach. Numerous contradictions to Scripture large and small are brushed under the rug.
Then there is the interview with Dallas Jenkins. Dallas Jenkins is upfront about The Chosen not being a Bible show, and audaciously claims how much of a good thing this is. He claims that it’s not meant to replace the Bible, in his usual fashion. This is despite how The Chosen has put out Prosperity Gospel sermons. He also addresses the 2nd Commandment violation debate.
Dallas Jenkins claims that he does not care what people think of him, good or bad. He says he writes the show for God and has no target audience in mind. Perhaps Dallas Jenkins writes a seeker friendly Jesus, like the He Gets Us Campaign, because that’s what he knows. But writing this is far too intentional. Dallas Jenkins is keenly aware of the Protestant, Papist, and Mormon audience that must be placated for mass appeal of a series that’s funded by its fans. So his claims of the show having no target audience despite its seeker friendly approach seem as disingenuous as his claims that The Chosen is not a ministry.
Overall, it would have done a lot of good for Got Questions to have signaled a warning about The Chosen. Months after this, The Chosen would have their gay flag scandal, which served as a sufficient warning for many. If this trajectory continues, it will be an embarrassment for Got Questions and their credibility.
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