TBC Notes

Discernment Suggestions

Two examples of the ever-increasing apostasy that have overtaken the church of late have to do with 1) little to no discernment and 2) a lack of awareness (even concern) regarding what is undermining the faith of hundreds of thousands of brothers and sisters in Christ.

Those examples both apply to The Chosen film series. (If you're not familiar with it, I recommend that you view Visual Idolatry, a talk presented at the 2022 TBC Conference.) Incredibly, the Mormon-produced production has been promoted by leading evangelical pastors as a means to draw people to Jesus Christ. Additionally, many believers who recognize the destructive spiritual influence of the series avoid it. Nevertheless, most show little concern over its growing popularity.

Here are my discernment suggestions: Encourage those who are enamored by the series (especially pastors) to view Visual Idolatry. Many have been beguiled by the seductive power of The Chosen, which is a chief characteristic of the film medium. One way to counteract that emotional influence is to employ the acronym STAQ: Stop. Think. Ask Questions. That will usually put the brakes on when our emotions are ruling our imagination, and enable us to ask ourselves questions as to what the biblical basis is for what we are seeing.

We need to heed the words of Jesus regarding the days just prior to His return: “Take heed that no man deceive you” (Matthew:24:4And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
See All...). Also, the Apostle Paul's admonishment: “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or ifye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him” (2 Corinthians:11:3-4 [3] But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. [4] For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.
See All...).

T. A. McMahon

Executive Director