The Chosen's creator confesses: putting words in Jesus' mouth feels ‘dangerous’ to him
His Jesus says ‘I am the Law of Moses’—Scripture never contains this line. He admits this is theological stance-taking, not storytelling.
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The argument · tap a timestamp to hear it
He draws the line: adapting is not extending Scripture
Against accusations of ‘adding to Scripture,’ Dallas defends: the Bible itself hasn't changed a word. Open any Bible in a bookstore—you won't find Rhema or Atticus, or the Jesus dialogue he wrote. His argument: if viewers can tell canonical from imagined, adding scenes isn't corrupting Scripture. Hence ‘we are not Scripture.’
— Dallas JenkinsGospel sources conflict—so he chooses which to film
Jesus cleansing the temple: the synoptics place it at the end of his ministry; John places it at the beginning. Some scholars think it happened twice, but Dallas says staging it twice would dilute the impact, so one version had to be chosen. That choice isn't passive retelling—it's an editor making a judgment inside Scripture's own contradictions.
— Dallas JenkinsHis Jesus actor rejected a line on theological grounds
Jonathan Rumi, a devout Catholic, plays Jesus. During season 6's crucifixion scenes, he said for the first time ‘I've never been this uncomfortable’—not because the words violated doctrine, but because the script gave suffering Jesus some light, joking moments. Jonathan reasoned that the agony itself is theology; a lighter tone would undermine it. They negotiated for hours. Some lines were cut.
— Dallas JenkinsHe deliberately leaves the question of Jesus' siblings open
Catholic doctrine holds Mary perpetually virgin—Jesus had no biological siblings. Protestants generally accept that Scripture's ‘Jesus' brothers’ were born to Mary. Dallas personally leans this way, but admits the topic is too sensitive. If he'd filmed Jonathan's Jesus meeting a biological brother, it would likely cross the line for his Catholic actor. So the show names the brothers but doesn't develop the plot, leaving interpretation to the viewer.
— Dallas JenkinsOne line he admits writing was dangerous—theologically
In season 3, Jesus tells his accusers ‘I am the Law of Moses’—nowhere in Scripture. Dallas admits this isn't casual improvisation but a high-stakes theological claim that would certainly have been recorded if Jesus said it. His defense: Jesus is God and fulfills Mosaic law, so theologically it stands. But he also acknowledges putting words in Jesus' mouth—a theological assertion Jesus never made—which he calls dangerous.
— Dallas JenkinsFor a fictional character, he invented a theodicy
An actor with serious spinal deformity was cast as ‘Little James.’ This created a Scripture problem: Jesus heals through disciples but refuses to heal him. Jesus asks ‘Do you want healing?’ He says yes; Jesus says ‘No’—then gives a full theodicy using Job to explain suffering's meaning. The gospels never show Jesus articulating why suffering matters.
— Alex O'ConnorJudas wasn't just corrupted by greed, he argues
The gospels give scattered accounts of Judas' motives—money, or demonic possession. Dallas rejects the simple reading: ‘He was always bad, and Satan just corrupted him further.’ Instead, he layers in history: Jews of that era expected a warrior Messiah who'd liberate them from Rome. Judas becomes tragic—hopeful, then disillusioned, gambling that forcing Jesus' hand will prove his messianic identity. If Jesus is truly Messiah, he'll escape; if not, Judas will have exposed a false one. This leans on psychology, not Scripture.
— Dallas JenkinsNinety-seven pieces hold up the three that don't fit
Dallas uses a puzzle metaphor: of a hundred pieces, ninety-seven he'd stake his life on. Three don't fit, but instead of doubting the whole picture, he trusts those three fit too—he hasn't figured them out yet. Better to trust ninety-seven pieces than discard the whole over three. Alex proposes a different test: Is this cited in multiple independent gospels? Is it an unflattering detail the author kept anyway? These filters reveal what's more likely historically true.
— Dallas JenkinsIn their own words · checked verbatim
I'm not adding to the Bible because as my co-writer Tyler often says as well, if you go to Barnes & Noble right now and find a Bible and open it, you're not going to see Rhema, you're not going to see Atticus, you're not going to see Jesus saying some of the things that are in the chosen.
Dallas Jenkins5:46
he goes, I've never been this uncomfortable.
Dallas Jenkins40:06
And he says to Little James, do you want to be healed? And he says, yes, of course. And Jesus says, no.
Alex O'Connor57:02
So I'll first start by saying, to make it clear, little James in the Gospels was not handicapped, almost assuredly. The decision to do this came when I decided to cast George.
Dallas Jenkins1:05:20
I think that there was a demonic influence on Judas. Please don't pull that clip out. A demonic influence on Judas.
Dallas Jenkins1:18:16
There is a conspicuous absence of women in the Gospels.
Alex O'Connor1:33:55
I think it's like the, it's probably the 20th greatest piece of Jesus media ever produced. I think after the 27 books of the New Testament minus revelation and the six disputed Pauline epistles, I think, I think it's probably about that.
Alex O'Connor1:51:52
there's so many things that I believe that I would die for, that the things that I am not sure of, to me, feel like maybe the three, the three, three pieces of the puzzle that I don't have assurance of, but that must be true because the 97 other puzzle pieces are connected.
Dallas Jenkins2:01:18
Figures
| Jesus' core disciples | approximately 72 | 1:42:35 |
| Witnesses to Jesus' resurrection (one appearance) | 500 | 1:39:09 |
| Judas' betrayal payment | 30 silver coins | 1:20:18 |
| The Chosen's ranking (Alex's personal list) | 20th place | 1:51:52 |
Glossary
- Theodicy
- An explanation for why an all-good God permits suffering and evil.
- Synoptic Gospels
- Matthew, Mark, and Luke—the three gospels whose narratives closely parallel each other.
- Sicarii
- Jewish militants in the first century who opposed Roman rule; the name means dagger-carriers.
- Criterion of embarrassment
- A historical test: if an ancient source reports something that harms the author's cause but stays recorded anyway, it's probably true.
- Holy imagination
- In Catholic theology, the practice of reverently filling the gaps in Scripture with imaginative artistic work.
How to listen
For Christians and skeptics who care about the ethics of adapting Scripture, or curious how screenwriters handle theological disagreements.
The opening tour promotion and the Huel advertisement at 20:20 can be skipped.