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‘The Chosen’ creator Dallas Jenkins responds to critics of ‘unbiblical’ scene with Judas

Published

2 years ago

December 18, 2024

“The Chosen” creator Dallas Jenkins has defended the portrayal of an interaction between Jesus and Judas Iscariot as biblically grounded after pastors and Christian critics criticized the scene as “unbiblical.”

In a livestream video Sunday, the 49-year-old director addressed criticism over a scene from the forthcoming season of “The Chosen,” which depicts a conversation between Judas and Jesus.

“You have a choice to make, Judas,” Jesus says in the scene in which Judas challenges Jesus to “reclaim” his “birthright.” “Who [do] you belong to? Who has your heart? I want it, and I’ve had it before. You followed me willingly.”

“I want to continue,” Judas replies. “There’s nothing more that I want than that.”

Jesus takes an emotional Judas’ hand, telling him, “Then I will pray for you. But for now, please leave me in peace.”

“It’s over the issue of, ‘Did Jesus pray for people? Did Jesus pray specifically for Judas? Did Jesus want Judas to change His mind? Did Judas have free will? Was Judas ever saved?’ — all the typical Judas questions started to come up,” Jenkins said.

“There’s a measurable amount of people who believe that we got it wrong,” Jenkins added, “that I got it wrong.”

The director, the son of Left Behind author Jerry B. Jenkins, said some criticism was fair and “worth considering,” particularly the question: “Would Jesus have prayed for Judas to change his mind?”

“While I’m somewhat surprised that the concept of Jesus saying the words ‘I’ll pray for you’ are controversial, I’m not actually that surprised that something like this comes up because it’s a sensitive topic,” said Jenkins.

“Whether it’s Jesus and Judas or whether it’s eternal salvation or not, these are important issues, and that’s why I’m actually glad sometimes when this happens.”

Jenkins said these types of controversies provide a “great opportunity and a great reason to have the conversation, to talk about these kinds of things.”

Jenkins dismissed unfair criticism that misrepresents the show, clarifying he was speaking to those genuinely seeking understanding or needing answers for critics of “The Chosen.”

“I’m talking to you, the person who is either genuinely seeking or genuinely trying to understand, or maybe isn’t as familiar with some of these topics or issues, or also has a friend who came to you and said, ‘Why do you watch this heretical show’ and [it would] be good for you to have an answer,” he explained.

Jenkins said that two teams of conservative Bible scholars look over the script before it’s utilized.

“No, we are not implying that Jesus is going to pray that Judas will change his mind,” he said. “Yes, Judas’ betrayal is part of the Father’s will. It is part of this crucifixion and, ultimately, salvation story. So Jesus did not say in the scene, ‘I’ll pray for you, Judas, that you’ll change your mind from whatever you’re about to do.'”

Second, the director said Jesus “has known for a while that Judas would betray Him,” stressing that “we are not implying that at this point in the story [that] Jesus wasn’t sure what was going to happen [or] was hoping things wouldn’t happen bad. Jesus knew.”

“So no, I’m not saying that Jesus didn’t know or that Jesus was hoping things would change,” Jenkins emphasized, adding that he believes “Jesus and the Father share the same will and that their wills are inextricably united.”

The director addressed the scene where Jesus tells Judas, “Who has your heart? I want it, and I’ve had it before.” Jenkins said this “is not referring to salvation” and shared that he doesn’t “believe you can just gain and lose your salvation at your own will.”

“How we’re interpreting it is, of course, is that Judas did believe in Jesus and now might not, and then, ultimately, may not. We don’t know,” Jenkins said.

“Those of an Arminian theological bent might argue that Judas was a believer who gave up his belief, while Calvinists might argue Judas was never truly saved,” he said, quoting Dr. Huffman, a New Testament scholar who consults on “The Chosen.”

“To me, it matters little because if Jesus could pray for unbelievers while they were crucifying Him, it seems that Jesus could pray for Judas even while Judas was planning to betray Him.”

“The most simple explanation of the scene and of Jesus’ phrase,” Jenkins contended, is understood by reading His words in Matthew 5:44: “Pray for your enemies and those who persecute you.”

“[Jesus] is talking about praying for your enemies. Praying for those who curse you. Praying for those who do evil. Jesus did not say, ‘But I won’t because I happen to be a member of the Trinity and don’t need to pray,” he said.

“There are many ways to pray for someone, many reasons to do so. Compassion is a big one. Jesus could have had, absolutely, must have had, compassion for Judas. … [Jesus] had compassion for those who rejected Him. He had compassion and sorrow for Jerusalem.”

“Jesus did not say in this scene, ‘I’ll pray for you, Judas, that you will change your mind.’ He said, ‘I’ll pray for you,’ which can mean any number of things, and there are many reasons to pray for someone,” Jenkins clarified.

Jenkins believes that Jesus’ will and the Father’s will are “inextricably linked, but pointed to Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane where He was “asking for a potential change from the plan.”

“In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus actually said, ‘Not My will, but Yours be done,” Jenkins said. “Not mine, but yours, because in that moment, He was actually, in fact, saying, ‘Could You take this cup from me?'”

“Now, scholars have debated what exactly that means, and eventually you’ll see that scene portrayed, but it’s absolutely unarguable that he said, ‘I want your will to be done, not mine,'”

Jenkins said, “That seems to be the most likely scenario for a comment like that. Of course, there’s people who disagree, and that’s fine. … I don’t claim that I have the monopoly on every single theological debate. … It’s not impossible for Jesus to pray for Judas’ heart while still saying to the Father, ‘Not my will, but yours be done.'”

Though the show never portrays Jesus actually praying for Judas, Jenkins said, “I’m not saying that’s exactly what Jesus would have prayed for Judas, but I’m just saying it’s not impossible that He would have.”

When Jesus tells Judas, “I have had your heart, and I want it now,'” He is “not necessarily referring to salvation,” Jenkins continued. “Of course, He wants everyone’s heart. He wants salvation, but the crucifixion hasn’t even happened yet. … The true act of salvation has not actually occurred just yet.”

“We’re referring to the fact that Judas absolutely was a follower of Jesus and absolutely, most assuredly, believed in Him,” Jenkins said. “He had authority to cast out demons and preach in His name.”

Now, as to “whether or not he had salvation and then lost it,” Jenkins said, “that’s a debate for the Calvinists and the Armenians to have, but we’re referring to his belief.”

Jenkins stressed that he and the show’s writers “believe that Judas was originally a follower of Jesus and did believe that He was the Messiah and did believe in His miracles and whatever that meant for his salvation.”

“I do believe that [Judas] did believe and then didn’t — and that by that time, by that point in time, he did not have a choice. It was part of God’s will, especially once the spiritual, dark fears, spiritual forces entered into him, as the Bible says,” Jenkins said.

“I do believe that Jesus can pray for people,” Jenkins added. “I do believe that Jesus can pray for His enemies. I do believe Jesus can pray for Judas.”

John 17 references “one of Jesus’ big prayers [where] He talks about how in that moment He was praying for those who God gave Him, but not the one, the son of perdition, not His betrayer,” Jenkins said.

“So in that moment, He was not praying for Judas,” said Jenkins. “But that’s not to say that He never was. But [Jesus] absolutely, throughout his ministry, prayed for all of His apostles, many of His enemies and Judas.”

While acknowledging the sensitivity of the issue, Jenkins said he welcomed the controversy as an opportunity for conversation and biblical reflection.

“It’s good to have these kinds of conversations. We just ask and pray that we’ll continue to do it respectfully and that we will be accurate in what we are assuming about others,” he said.
Sources:Christian Post

http://theendtimeradio.com

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Related Topics:Dallas Jenkins Featured garden of Gethsemane Jerry B. Jenkins Jerusalem Jesus and Judas The Chosen

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A ‘Convinced Atheist’ Finds Jesus on the Sea of Galilee

Published

2 hours ago

October 10, 2026

theendtimenews

A rising star in Swedish media, Ingrid Carlqvist worked as an investigative reporter and editor at some of the country’s largest news companies.

Her reporting would lead her to take some controversial stands on issues like Muslim immigration to Sweden, which would doom her career in the mainstream media.

Then, after 59 years of living as a convinced atheist, her life completely changed in 2019.

An Atheist Who Was ‘Very Fond of Christianity’

Ingrid said, “I thought I was an atheist, but I was very fond of Christianity. I, for many years, dreamed about there being a revival in Sweden.”

“I just didn’t think I needed it.”

Ingrid’s journey to Christ began when her friend Henrik Hultberg, a Christian, was miraculously healed of a serious blood clot in his brain while in the hospital.

Ingrid recounted, “(Henrik) said to me, ‘You have to become a Christian. That’s the thing, don’t you understand?’”

Ingrid told him, “‘Yeah, I, I think I want to. But how do you do it?’ And then God started doing things in my life.”

Meeting Jesus at the Sea of Galilee ‘On The Wrong Boat’

The turning point came when Ingrid went to Israel, visiting the Sea of Galilee where, as she puts it, she “got in the wrong boat.”

After Ingrid talked about Christianity on her podcast, a listener suggested she meet Lars Enarson, a Swedish Bible teacher living in Israel.

Enarson said, “That’s when I decided I’m going to connect with her and see if she would be interested in coming to Israel and I could show her what Israel is all about. And she graciously accepted.”

Enarson and his sister Ellen gave Ingrid a tour of the Holy Land and scheduled a trip to the Sea of Galilee. She traveled north with Ellen, and they prepared to board one of the many tourist boats that operate on the lake.

Ingrid said, “And then I just saw a lot of people walking onto this boat, and I said, ‘Ellen, that must be our boat. Let’s go.’ And we went on this boat, and suddenly people started to sing in English hymns.”

It was a boat chartered by a group of American Christians.

And Ingrid told Ellen, “I think we’re on the wrong boat.’ And she said, ‘Okay, but now we’re here. Let’s just have fun.’ As she sang along with them, she knew all these hymns, but I had really bad conscience. I hadn’t paid for my ticket.”

Then the Pastor told the story of Jesus walking on water, calming the storm, and how Peter tried to walk on water and began to sink because of his unbelief.

Jesus’ Words Hit Her Like a ‘Boom!’

When the Pastor repeated the words of Jesus, “Why do you have so little faith, Peter?” Ingrid said they hit her like a “’boom’ in my heart. I started crying. And I just cried and cried and cried. And I thought to myself, ‘Wow, I really met Jesus today.’”

As the boat returned to shore, Ingrid, her face still red from crying, felt guilty because she hadn’t bought a ticket for the cruise.

“So, I went up to the Pastor, and I said, ’My name is Ingrid and I’m from Sweden, and I’m so sorry that I got on the wrong boat. And he looked at me and said ‘Ingrid, you were definitely on the right boat.’”

The Smears on Her Reputation Followed Her Into Church

Ingrid returned to Sweden and began reading her Bible each day and even enrolled in a Bible College. Although when she wanted to join a church, the media’s past attacks on her reputation, that she was “an Islamophobe, a racist, a horrible person,” followed her.

Members of one church looked up Ingrid on the web and she says she felt unwelcome and left.

Then she discovered a church pastored by Sven Wiborn.

Wiborn told us, “I looked it up on the internet and I could see very, very bad things written about her. And I was interested. So, I went to her and I talked to her, and I found a longing for truth. And she told me she had been rejected in different churches. And I said, ‘It’s not right.’ If God has saved her, who are we to stop her? Even if she’s different? Doesn’t matter.”

Ingrid Says God Gave Her the Title For her Book

Then, as she was driving to her baptism, “I heard a voice in my head saying, ‘You must write a book about your story, how you came to faith. And I will give you the title.’ And in English it is ‘Oh my God, Do You Really Exist?’

“Because it’s true, He exists.”

Ingrid’s new book, Oh My God, Do You Really Exist?, was published last month. Lars Enarson, who wrote the forward, says we should never decide who is a good candidate to become a Christian.

“There are many people who are looking for truth today and many are like her and they just need to hear the truth, “Enarson said. “I think many are open today. And we have the answer. So, I think we need to be very bold in in reaching out to these people.”

And Henrik Hultberg, who’s miraculous healing started Ingrid on her journey, said he knew God was going to get her.

“I was pretty convinced,” Hultberg told us. “I just thought, ‘He’ll get her soon enough. Sooner or later, He’ll get her.’”

Her New Mission: Reaching a Nation of ‘Unhappy Swedes’

Ingrid wants to use her new book to reach a nation of what she calls “unhappy Swedes,” many of whom in polling have admitted that their lives lack meaning.

“That’s my mission. You can go around and believe almost all of your life that you are an atheist because ‘It’s cool. It’s cool to be an atheist.’ Then you believe in ‘science’ and all that stuff. And God is for people who are ‘weak or a little stupid. ‘”

“So, my message is, ‘No, it’s not. It’s just waiting there for you. You can change your life like this and just be filled with happiness.’”

Ingrid hopes to release an English version of her book soon.
Sources:CBN News

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നടൻ നാനാ പടേക്കർ അന്തരിച്ചു, ഹൃദയാഘാതത്തെ തുടർന്ന് അന്ത്യം

Published

2 days ago

October 8, 2026

theendtimenews

ചലച്ചിത്രകാരൻ നാനാ പടേക്കർ അന്തരിച്ചു. 75 വയസായിരുന്നു. ഗോവയിലെ വീട്ടിൽ വച്ച് ഹൃദയാഘാതത്തെ തുടർന്നാണ് അന്ത്യം. 3 തവണ ദേശീയ പുരസ്കാരം നേടിയ ചലച്ചിത്രകാരനാണ് നാനാ പടേക്കര്‍. 2013ൽ രാജ്യം പത്മശ്രീ നൽകി അദ്ദേഹത്തെ ആദരിച്ചിരുന്നു.

പുലർച്ചെ 5.20നാണ് മരണം സ്ഥിരീകരിച്ചത്. ആശുപത്രിയിലെത്തിച്ച ശേഷം ഏകദേശം 45 മിനിറ്റോളം ഡോക്ടർമാർ തുടർച്ചയായി ഹൃദയ-ശ്വാസകോശ പുനരുജ്ജീവന ശ്രമങ്ങൾ നടത്തിയെങ്കിലും പ്രതികരണമുണ്ടായില്ലെന്ന് മണിപ്പാൽ ആശുപത്രിയിലെ ഡോ. ഷേഖർ സാൽക്കർ വാർത്താ ഏജൻസിയായ എഎൻഐയോട് പറഞ്ഞു. മരണവുമായി ബന്ധപ്പെട്ട് മെഡിക്കോ-ലീഗൽ കേസ് രജിസ്റ്റർ ചെയ്തിട്ടുണ്ടെന്നും പോസ്റ്റ്മോർട്ടം നടത്തുമെന്നും അദ്ദേഹം വ്യക്തമാക്കി.

ഹിന്ദി, മറാത്തി സിനിമകളിൽ പതിറ്റാണ്ടുകൾ നീണ്ട അഭിനയജീവിതത്തിലൂടെ തന്റേതായ ഇടം കണ്ടെത്തിയ താരമായിരുന്നു നാനാ പടേക്കർ. ശക്തമായ കഥാപാത്രങ്ങളിലൂടെയും വേറിട്ട അഭിനയശൈലിയിലൂടെയും ഇന്ത്യൻ സിനിമയിൽ ശ്രദ്ധേയനായ അദ്ദേഹം അഭിനേതാവിന് പുറമെ സംവിധായകനായും എഴുത്തുകാരനായും പ്രവർത്തിച്ചു.

‘പരിന്ദ’, ‘ക്രാന്തിവീർ’, ‘അബ് തക് ഛപ്പൻ’, ‘വെൽക്കം’ തുടങ്ങിയ ചിത്രങ്ങളിലെ പ്രകടനങ്ങൾ നാനാ പടേക്കറിന് വലിയ ജനപ്രീതി നേടിക്കൊടുത്തു. ‘പരിന്ദ’യിലെ പ്രകടനത്തിന് മികച്ച സഹനടനുള്ള ദേശീയ ചലച്ചിത്ര പുരസ്കാരവും ‘ക്രാന്തിവീർ’ എന്ന ചിത്രത്തിലെ അഭിനയത്തിന് മികച്ച നടനുള്ള ദേശീയ പുരസ്കാരവും അദ്ദേഹം നേടിയിട്ടുണ്ട്.

നാടകവേദിയിലൂടെയാണ് നാനാ പടേക്കർ അഭിനയരംഗത്തേക്ക് എത്തിയത്. പിന്നീട് സിനിമയിലും സ്വന്തം അഭിനയശൈലിയിലൂടെ ശക്തമായ സാന്നിധ്യമായി മാറുകയായിരുന്നു. ഹിന്ദിക്കും മറാത്തിക്കും പുറമെ വിവിധ ഭാഷകളിലെ ചിത്രങ്ങളിലും അദ്ദേഹം ശ്രദ്ധേയമായ വേഷങ്ങൾ അവതരിപ്പിച്ചു.

അഭിനയത്തിലെ തീവ്രതയും സംഭാഷണങ്ങളിലെ വ്യത്യസ്തമായ അവതരണശൈലിയും നാനാ പടേക്കറിനെ മറ്റു താരങ്ങളിൽനിന്ന് വേറിട്ടുനിർത്തി. ‘നട്സമ്രാട്ട്’ ഉൾപ്പെടെയുള്ള മറാത്തി ചിത്രങ്ങളിലും ശ്രദ്ധേയമായ പ്രകടനങ്ങൾ അദ്ദേഹം കാഴ്ചവച്ചു.

നിരവധി തലമുറകളിലെ പ്രേക്ഷകരെ സ്വാധീനിച്ച കരിയറിന് ശേഷമാണ് നാനാ പടേക്കറുടെ വിടവാങ്ങൽ. ഇന്ത്യൻ സിനിമയിലെ ശ്രദ്ധേയനായ മുതിർന്ന അഭിനേതാവിന്റെ വിയോഗം സിനിമാലോകത്തിന് വലിയ നഷ്ടമാണ്.
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Veteran actor Nana Patekar has died at the age of 75 after suffering a severe cardiac arrest at his residence in Goa. The actor was found unconscious at his home and was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors attempted to revive him for around 45 minutes.

According to hospital sources, Patekar was declared dead at 5:20 am on Thursday, October 8. Preliminary analysis indicated that he had suffered a severe cardiac arrest. Despite continuous CPR, doctors could not revive him.

Dr Shekhar Salkar, Chief of Oncology Department at Manipal Hospital, told news agency ANI that Patekar could not be revived despite 45 minutes of CPR. A medico-legal case has been registered and a post-mortem will be conducted, according to the report.

A detailed statement from Patekar’s family and authorities is awaited.

Nana Patekar found unconscious at Goa residence
Patekar was reportedly found unconscious at his Goa home before being taken to hospital for emergency treatment.

The actor’s death was reported on Thursday morning at 5:20 am after doctors spent around 45 minutes attempting to revive him.

The precise circumstances surrounding his death are yet to be officially detailed. While the preliminary hospital assessment points to severe cardiac arrest, the post-mortem is expected to provide further information.

Nana Patekar’s career in Hindi and Marathi cinema
Born Vishwanath Patekar, Nana Patekar built a career spanning several decades across Hindi and Marathi cinema. He became known for an intense screen presence and a distinctive style of dialogue delivery, taking on roles that ranged from volatile and morally complex characters to comic parts.

His breakthrough came with films such as Gaman and Salaam Bombay!, before he went on to deliver acclaimed performances in movies including Parinda, Krantiveer, Agni Sakshi, Ab Tak Chhappan and Apaharan.

Patekar won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for Parinda and later received the National Film Award for Best Actor for Krantiveer. He was also awarded the Padma Shri in 2013 for his contribution to Indian cinema.

He found a new generation of audiences through commercial films including Welcome, in which his portrayal of the gangster Uday Shetty became one of his most recognisable comic performances.

Nana Patekar’s work across Marathi cinema
Although widely recognised for his Hindi films, Patekar remained closely associated with Marathi cinema and theatre.

His work in Marathi films included Natsamrat, Aapla Maanus and Natsamrat, among other projects. His performances often moved between mainstream cinema and more serious, character-driven stories.

In recent years, Patekar continued to work across films and other projects. He was last seen in the web series Sankalp, with the end also hinting at a sequel. His death marks the end of a career that saw him move between theatre, Marathi cinema and Bollywood over several decades.

Further details about his last rites and the circumstances surrounding his death are awaited.
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‘I Know God’s Power’: Dallas Jenkins Reacts Moments After Filming Last-Ever ‘The Chosen’ Scene

Published

1 week ago

October 3, 2026

theendtimenews

“The Chosen” creator Dallas Jenkins was filled with gratitude last Thursday night just moments after filming the final scene of his popular biblical series.

Jenkins, who exclusively invited CBN News on set in Texas to witness those last moments, expressed his profound gratitude for how the show is coming to an end.

“I feel awesome because there’s no more days hanging over my head, no more seasons hanging over my head, we’ve done the work that we set out to go,” he said. “God provided everything that we needed.”

The last scene, which featured the disciples on a boat, was memorable because the vessel used in filming was the same seen in the first season of the show. The scene offered a literal and figurative full-circle moment.

“God has met us here in the waters so often,” Jenkins said. “I have nothing but gratitude.”

Ultimately, Jenkins said the mission behind the show has never changed, even as the audience has swelled to over 100 million people.

“We haven’t changed,” he said. “We’re still trying to do the work for God. We’re still humbled, we’re still surrendered, we’re still grinding.”

As for how the seven-season journey changed Jenkins, he said it offered him insight into God’s character and relationship with mankind.

“I’ve been a believer as long as I can remember,” he said. “I know God’s power. … I don’t think I knew quite as much as I do now from doing this show how intimate of a God He is, how personal of a God he is.”
Sources:faithwire

http://theendtimeradio.com