In December of 2021, Lighthouse Trails posted a YouTube video by an outside source that documented numerous unbiblical aspects of the highly popular series, The Chosen. In January of 2022, Lighthouse Trails released its own documentation in a booklet titled The Chosen Series: 10 Critical Concerns. Prior to and after the release of our booklet, Lighthouse Trails received many phone calls, letters, comments, and e-mails (some from ex-Mormons) expressing concern that Christian leaders like Jack Hibbs, Greg Laurie, and Kirk Cameron were heartily promoting The Chosen. Sometime in April, Lighthouse Trails learned that Jack Hibbs’ ministry was issuing a response regarding their support of the series to those who contacted them with concerns.
Shortly after one of our readers posted the Hibbs response on our blog comments section, we received a comment by another reader, stating that the response coming from Hibbs’ ministry was taken, almost word for word, from a website called gotquestions.org. We confirmed with gotquestions.org that the response given by Hibbs’ ministry did originate with gotquestions.org though no mention of the source was given in the Hibbs response. Nevertheless, our primary concern from our standpoint was the content of the response. Gotquestions.org did accept our offer to receive one of our booklets, and we also had it confirmed with Hibbs’ ministry team that they did receive a copy of our booklet, which we had sent at an earlier date. One of our own writers also did inform Hibbs’ ministry that the response they were issuing was indeed lifted from gotquestions.org, but we did not receive a response back from them at that point.
The purpose of this article is to examine the statement given by Jack Hibbs’ ministry (and either inadvertently or advertently, by gotquestions.org).
Below is the response Hibbs’ ministry has issued regarding The Chosen. (To see the gotquestions.org response, click here). Because this response by the Hibbs’ team was sent directly to one of our own writers, it is within copyright law for us to post this (we have posted it exactly as it was sent and have included our own comments in brackets [ ]) and italicized.
Response from Jack Hibbs’ ministry team regarding Hibbs’ promotion of The Chosen (largely lifted from gotquestions.org):
The Chosen is television show about the life of Christ. Season 1, released in 2019 (with a pilot episode on the birth of Christ released in 2017), garnered attention for several reasons: it is the first TV show of its kind, presenting the life of Christ over multiple seasons (it plans seven seasons total); it was crowd-funded, bringing in more donations (over $11 million).
The show’s creator, Dallas Jenkins (son of Left Behind co-author Jerry Jenkins), has a degree” in Biblical Studies. In creating the show, Jenkins put together a panel of “expert consultants” to ensure biblical and historical accuracy in the script he was co-writing for the show. On the panel were a Messianic Jewish rabbi, a Catholic priest, and an evangelical professor of biblical studies. This is part of the problem with the series! [LT Note: The response gives no explanation as to what they are referring to that is the problem. We assume they are saying this because of the three consultants’ various religious backgrounds. We will be discussing the three consultants in a second booklet on The Chosen in the future.]
Jenkins’ goal in creating the show was to help people know Jesus better and love Scripture more. To reach that goal, he and the other scriptwriters took the gospel accounts and added plausible [*] details about the lives of the biblical figures found there. They added backstories to well-known characters and fleshed out other characters who might receive only a passing mention in Scripture. [LT Note: These “backstories” are pure fabrications and in several cases even slanderous such as: 1) saying that Mary Magdelene backslid into sexual promiscuity after her repentance and conversion; 2) calling John the Baptist “creepy John”; 3) saying that Peter went fishing on the Sabbath to pay off a gambling debt; 4) having Jesus and John the Baptist get into a disagreement about whether John should confront Herod over his adultery; and 5) having Jesus rehearse his sermon on the mount and even get suggestions from others on how to present it.]
As with all storytelling based on historical events. some artistic license is evident and when it comes to the word it needs to be spot on 100% In telling the gospel accounts, remember a little levin [sic], leavins [sic] the whole lump as the writers have inserted or modified some characters, storylines, and details of the inspired original. No one is claiming that the show is God’s Word and that too is a problem! The Bible, is the Bible they have stated license is acceptable which is unacceptable especially for believers who know the truth and those who don’t are lured in. [Bold added by LT: The section in bold was added in by Hibbs’ team and was not in the gotquestions.org response. While this statement issues a generic caution, the last paragraph of the response basically gives a contradictory pass to The Chosen.]
We have great concern that members of the Mormon Church are involved in the production of The Chosen and that resources owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are used to film the show. In fact, the distributer of the show, VidAngel, was founded by two Mormons. Also of concern are some statements made by Dallas Jenkins that seem to embrace Mormons as his brothers and sisters in Christ. [LT Note: That “seem to”? Jenkins absolutely did this publicly.] Are these concerns enough to keep us from viewing The Chosen? We need to really ask; “Is this a Mormon show?” Anything unique to Mormon doctrine, or Catholic, is suspect. [LT Note: This is a very misleading statement. In other words, as long as this isn’t a “Mormon show” per se or as long as it isn’t “unique” to Mormonism or Catholicism, then it’s ok. But as Harry Ironside has pointed out, the mixture of truth and error is perhaps the most dangerous of all.]
The show’s evangelical creators still retain full control over the content of the show. [LT Note: This is insinuating that since the “evangelical creators” are in control, we can rest assured. However, given that Dallas Jenkins and at least one of his co-creators are influenced by emergent ideologies, that isn’t reassuring; one of the three writers for The Chosen, Tyler Thompson, is described by Jenkins as a “Cathelical” (part evangelical/part Catholic, Jenkins says); have Christian leaders like Hibbs, Laurie, and Cameron even considered that?] As long as that doesn’t change, and The Chosen keeps producing a faithful retelling of the life of Christ, all is well. [LT Note: A “faithful retelling”? This statement is so ridiculous, it would be funny if it weren’t so indicting. Jenkins himself admits that 95% of the series isn’t even in the Bible. That’s not “retelling”; that’s fabricating!]
If elements of Mormon (or Catholic) theology begin creeping into the show itself, then they will have betrayed their viewers and the truth of the gospel. Until that time, watching The Chosen is a matter of conscience. Some Christians will appreciate the retelling of Jesus’ life. Others will balk at the involvement of Mormons, even if Mormon theology is not promoted on the show. “Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind” (Romans 14:5). If it betrays any portion of the true word of God, it should be label as such. Anything else is deceptive. We know the author of deception.
Trusting in Him,
Your Real Life Ministry Team
There are so many problems and loopholes with the response above that the entire thing should be thrown out, and Hibbs’ ministry should reconsider what they are telling people. Not only is the response obscure, it also concludes with a multi-faceted faulty premise: which is 1) that The Chosen is a “faithful retelling of the life of Christ,” which it is not (as Jenkins even admitted in saying 95% isn’t from the Bible) ; and 2) that it’s OK to watch The Chosen (if our consciences allow it) as long as Mormon or Catholic doctrine doesn’t become predominant (which, by saying, completely negates and ignores other false doctrines and influences that are evident in The Chosen and its creators.
Hibbs’ team ends by saying, “We know the author of deception.” Maybe they do, but they act like they don’t know how he operates.
Some people reading our article here may feel we are being unkind or too picky by challenging Hibbs’ promotion and defense of The Chosen (and that this isn’t a big deal), but we find it quite troubling that a ministry that is respected and trusted by so many Christians is 1) promoting such an unbiblical production in the first place; 2) issuing a weak, misleading, and erroneous response to defend themselves; 3) appearing to be completely disregarding legitimate documentation showing the serious errors of The Chosen; and 4) does not consider that The Chosen’s “Jesus” is a reimagined (thus false) christ (something the Bible warns about frequently) and that the series could be leading people away from the true Gospel and God’s Word. We find it irresponsible for Jack Hibbs and his team to lift a feebly written response from another website without taking the time to investigate this matter properly (even though they have been contacted by numerous followers of theirs who are concerned, which shows a disregard for those who support and trust their ministry).
Sadly, this is just another example of how lackadaisical today’s Christian leaders and many pastors are when it comes to guarding and protecting the saints from spiritual deception in these last days. This is tragically reminiscent of what the prophet Jeremiah said regarding the children of Israel:
My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their restingplace. (Jeremiah 50: 6)
We hope that Lighthouse Trails readers who also follow Jack Hibbs’ ministry will call that ministry and beseech them to reconsider their stance on The Chosen. If Hibbs and other Christian pastors and leaders who have supported The Chosen realize they were in error in their initial promotions of the series, a Christian believer can never go wrong by humbling himself and correcting his ways.
He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God. (Micah 6:8)
*According to Webster’s Dictionary, the word plausible means “superficially fair, reasonable, or valuable but often specious (i.e., having a “false look of truth or genuineness” and “having deceptive attraction or allure”). This is something we address in our booklet.
Related Articles:
“‘Defaced’ Billboards Part of Strategic Ad Campaign by ‘The Chosen’ to Grow Audience”
Ex-Mormon Couple – “Devastated” That Christian Leaders and Pastors Are Embracing The Chosen Series
Stanley,
I think you might be referring to Jan Markell of Olive Tree Ministries. This is not her site. This is Lighthouse Trails. You can reach her on her site at: https://olivetreeviews.org/.
Hi, Jan,
Did Jack Hibbs ever change his position regarding The Chosen? I thought that he might have since you were selling his most rcent book at your store.
Thanks!
Stan
The hour is late… I pray the Lord will graciously open more hearts to know Him with all their hearts, minds, souls and strength and that they love their neighbor as themselves as commanded by Christ Jesus, I pray the following links will be helpful for some… https://comeoutofher.org/ and
https://www.biblebasedministries.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/A-Message-to-Protestants.pdf and
https://acalltotheremnant.com/2019/10/06/chapter-5-from-the-fall-of-christendom-is-god-calling-his-remnant-out-of-the-established-church/
You can listen to this entire message from Jan Markell if you want, but the part about The Chosen starts at about the 26 minute mark. She is clearly against watching this show. I’m posting this because someone mentioned her name and her show and I wanted to make sure they were aware of Jan’s thoughts on the show:
https://rumble.com/vz9hwf-days-of-deception-pastor-billy-crone-and-jill-martin-rische.html
I just knew it was not right when my daughter told me I should watch it. She is not receptive when I share the Gospel with her. Reading this article confirms it is not a true depiction of Jesus..especially when side stories are added. A little leaven leavens the whole lump (Gal. 5:9.) What evil days we live in.
I’ve tried to send your links to people who use him on their platforms Jan Markel olivetreeviews.org is really good about Bible prophecy end times stuff but seems to be ignoring my attempts to bring his errors to her attention? I’ve even tried to share these links to him on Facebook and heard no reply? It’s sadly indicative of the false churches of today that have abandoned true solid Biblically discernment and hermeneutics historical grammatical literal etc I’ll keep trying thanks for your awesome service to The LORD GOD Almighty Jesus 🙏 ❤️ Praying for you and your families May GOD bless you and your families with health love joy and peace always in Jesus name amen have a blessed day and weekend!
Hi Judy,
Hopefully you can make a call or write a letter to him telling him your concerns about his promoting The Chosen. Just as with Jesus Calling and The Shack, The Chosen is pushing a false “Christ,” and we must exhort leaders and pastors to do what is right.
I have followed Jack Hibbs ministry for a number of years. I too questioned his promoting of The Chosen. But, I never received a response. I will continue to follow him, his preaching is the best. But, we are all humans and as such are called to be Bereans and “ search the scriptures daily”. It is our personal responsibility to do so. We each will be held accountable to know the Truth.
Thank you, Lighthouse Trails (and The Berean Call) who do such a great job in calling out deception and false teaching when so many of us tend to go along and think something isn’t that big of a deal. I was uncomfortable watching “The Chosen” and yet when I try to warn people, I am shunned. What saddens me is that they do not even want to read anything “negative” about it, and that makes me wonder what kind of Christian isn’t even curious enough to examine another’s opinion that could possibly help them in their walk with the Lord?
Hello James,
Would you mind providing the link to his statement for our readers? Thank you. And hopefully, Jack Hibbs will be able to give that same kind of warning about The Chosen.
Jack Hibbs posted this on Facebook 6-27-22:
If you are a catholic, its time for you to read the Gospel of St. John chapter 3 and ask yourself, ‘when was the last time you were told by your priest that YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN to enter the kingdom of heaven?'”
Then go and read John’s other book – the Book of Revelation chapters 17 and 18 and ask yourself ‘Am I following Jesus Christ or am I following a church, a system, a pastor, priest or pope?'”
Flee any church that seeks to be a friend of the world and the agenda’s of this world.
Bless you LHT for your continuing great work and posting this article. We have shared it with our unsuspecting Christian family and co-worker. The end-times Babylon church has lulled many to sleep and may more be drawn out of the fire by the truth of God’s word and Holy Spirit.
Thank you for continuing to warn the flock about the danger in the series , The Chosen. As an ex temple Mormon, I am very aware of the extreme demonic direction of the Mormon Church delusion. I also disagree with those who say that The Chosen does not teach Mormon doctrine,. One of the main doctrines of Mormonism as with all Christ based cults, is that they humanize God and deify man. The portrayal of Christ is very much that of simply a human. Christ is fully human AND fully God, this is not a minor issue. Mormonism teaches that “ as man is, God once was, as God is, man may become”. Brigham Young , a Mormon prophet and leader of the church following Joseph Smith, taught in his “Doctrines and Discourses” volume one that Adam is our (the earth’s) God and the only god with whom we have to deal”. Later in the same volume, he states that it was “Adam God” who as god had the right to choose any woman he wanted to be his son’s mother and that it was he (Adam god) who impregnated Mary. The Mormon church does not propagate this teaching but it is implied in their teachings and it was taught by their prophet BrighamYoung.
The identity of Christ is crucial to correct Biblical doctrine! I received Christ at Calvary Chapel after hearing Pastor Chuck Smith teaching about being born again. I tried to find the Jesus of the Bible in Mormonism and the more I read the Word of God, the more I realized the real Jesus was not the Jesus of the Mormon church. During my time of searching, I came under horrifying demonic attacks, rejection by all my Mormon friends, home teachers and a abusive spouse and in-laws, but Jesus had me and wouldn’t let go.
As you can see by my testimony, Who Jesus Is, is absolutely crucial to me and I am terribly grieved to see so many brother and sisters deceived by this gross misrepresentation of my Lord being not just accepted, but lauded in His church.
You can be sure that the Mormon church is using this series as a missionary tool for leading many into deception and as a way of luring some who left the Mormon church seeking to find the Jesus of the Bible, back into deception hearing an “evangelical Christian” claim that Mormons and Christians worship the same Jesus. They don’t!!!!
Thank you for all you do to warn about deception in these last days. I pray that many will heed your warnings and be saved from following the many paths leading away from “the narrow way”. God bless you
Sandy Grosklos
My first time even hearing about The Chosen was within tis past week! The man was totally raving about it! A.W. Tozer had a lot to say about ‘Christian’ movies!! I agree with him!
Thank you LT for all that you do! Don’t give up the fight! There are more people out here praying for you than you may think!
May our Lord keep a hedge of protection around you and your ministry now and always.
Rita B.
That may be true about human nature, Nancy. But the Bible clearly tells believers to discern truth from error and to warn about dangers, doctrinally speaking. We are not to do that in a mean-spirited way, but we are to do it. The reasoning behind your statement is that if a Christian leader is doing some good things, he should not be challenged in areas where he is hurting the body of Christ. We just don’t agree with that. False christs have entered the church and are deceiving many, and Christian leaders and the majority of pastors are not warning about them but rather are giving heed to them.
Lisa, can you explain how we did not do our due diligence regarding Jack Hibbs’ promotion of The Chosen?
Lighthouse trails you have done some good work and have provided Christians with some good and solid information. But, lately I have seen you tear down people and ministries without doing your usual thorough due diligence. It is not right. It is not balancing truth and love. There are so many heretics and false teachers in the church today and this is how you spend your time. it is obvious that you know little about Jack Hibbs’ ministry.
I knew there was something wrong with that Jack Hibbs guy!
I’ve had numerous instances when seeing a preacher that is popular and seemingly OK… but something just seemed off to me so I would not listen to their messages.
Then later, I learn why things seemed off. Thank you Lord for the Holy Ghost!
I have no words of wisdom. Maybe it’s good or maybe it’s bad. But I know human nature is to criticize those who are trying to do something by those who are not doing anything.
I agree with Andre and Donna. These poor people who look up to these pastors never discerning on their own are being set up for the one world super church that will come in the name of Christ but is opposed to Christ. I recommend all watch the interview of Greg Laurie with Alice Cooper. I also used to follow these men. Now I follow Jesus Christ and His Word alone.
After seeing Jack Hibbs during one of his sermons, playing an excerpt from THE CHOSEN and encouraging people to watch the series, I too, wrote to Jack Hibbs with my concern that he was promoting THE CHOSEN.
Wanting to give him the benefit of doubt, part of my letter to him stated, “I thought perhaps you might not have watched much, or was at the least unaware of the UNBIBLICAL ideas and dramatizations of this series. You can do your own research (and I hope you do), but here is a short paragraph from a Berean Call article….”
I will just say that I received the same response as that posted here in your article; and I also noticed that it was taken almost word for word from GotQuestions.org. Pretty obvious to me that no personal research was done on this series, just reposting what others have written or endorsed. Sad that one who is supposed to be a Shepherd is more like a wolf. I’m thankful Lighthouse Trails has sent him this booklet, and I pray that he reads it and reconsiders.
Mary
Thank you LT for posting.
As another reader commented, is it possible that Pastor Jack isn’t aware of your concern and that his perhaps less discerning ministry team is handling this matter on his behalf?
He’s incredibly active in the ministry, I do not believe he would even has the time to sit and watch this series or any other.
Aside from that, I always wondered what his stance on it was as I had my own reservations from the beginning. My family and I have been apart of this ministry’s online viewership for some years now and only just saw a clip played at Christmas. Aside from that, I have seen no other promotion of the series Sundays or Wednesdays.
Not to say there isn’t, just my own observation.
No man is perfect, but our family is very thankful and appreciative of Pastor Jack and his boldness at the pulpit for a time such as this.
Jan Markell and Jill MR did a great video with their own concerns about the Chosen. I know that Jan and Jack partner often in the ministry and are good friends. I have no doubt that concerns are being voiced, heard, and prayed about.
Let us all be very careful at this late hour to warn, speaking the truth in the love and not devour one another. If we truly believe the Holy Spirit is present, we can trust He will convict the hearts of man that are hearing Him and I believe wholeheartedly that Pastor Jack does and will respond appropriately.
Blessings Church. Soon and very soon, we’re going to see our King!
I tried to watch it when it came out but found it annoyed and irritated me. A more mature Christian I know was raving about it. Now I know why I was being irritated by it. I also can’t stand Eugene Petersons the message . In a similar way they both trash Gods word.
Praying for you, Deborah and David. You are standing firm on your faith and I applaud you for that. I see the enemy and his demons attacking all of us who are standing firm. We are NOT surprised.
Hang in there, dear Saints. I pray for protection for us all as times get worse and worse. BUT GOD…
Love you both and your ministry. Come and get us, Jesus !
I for one am dead against men playing Our Lord Jesus .
What about the 4th Commandment? 4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.
How dare they even consider such blasphemy !
thank you for bringing this to our attention. might i ask, do you think that Jack Hibbs even knows about your concerns or is his team handling everything? maybe Jack isn’t even aware. just wondering if you know for sure that he does know? thank you again for your work.
Thank you for posting this. It seems many have put the “Chosen” on the backburner, but fail to realize it is a huge Trojan horse being used to promote Mormonism.
How do we contact Jack Hibbs’ ministry?
Thank you Lighthouse for warning people about these apostate movies that are not from the Bible. Living in America can we not have Peaceful Protests to tell the world that false teachings are not from many of these movies? Christians, Our world right now is heading for disaster. The Gospel should be made clear to all who want to listen to truth. Pray for help from our Heavenly Father. For God so Loved the World. Pray.
Thank you so much for all that you are doing to reveal the truth about The Chosen.
The Chosen embodies the worst and most dangerous kind of deception. The darkest evil isn’t even that Mormons (or Catholics) were involved (and there are definite red flags here), but the obvious lack of holy fear, love and respect for Jesus and the Word of God. The wicked license that has been taken so as to entertain, but that truthfully is to deceive, mislead and malign is not to be believed. That today’s Christians are putting their approval on this blasphemous, slanderous and deceptive series is a sorry statement on the Biblical illiteracy that is rampant in the Church.
Jack Hibbs ministry should not be “beseeched”, but “called out” for their deceptive appraisal, and later deceptive cover up response
concerning The Chosen.
I don’t think LT was too hard on JH, but if anything, too easy.
Thank you for this much needed article.
Thank you for posting this. I have been concerned about Jack Hibbs ministry for some time.
Thank you. Very sad that so many leaders are promoting this horrible series.