Hollywood Needs a Bible

Hollywood just needs to understand that the subject of God and His Word is simply too big for them to try and accurately capture in a 2 hour film. God is too big to fit in your movie!

Brenda and I went to the Test Premiere of this movie last Tuesday. We are truly grateful and thank God every time that we hear His word being proclaimed. Unfortunately, sometimes that is not enough and may actually do more harm than it does good if it is not done within the proper context of the subject matter. In this case, the life of the Apostle Paul.

If you are someone who can disregard Hollywood once again producing a Bible movie while not using the Bible, you may enjoy this film. We both like Jim Caviezel and some other actors in the film. But we were not there to like actors. We were invited there by Sony pictures to critique the film, so we did.

Personally we've grown weary of filmmakers who continue to do what I'm about to describe. This movie may challenge your faith, but not in the way you may have wanted.

Good actors, great sets and good technique can still miss the entire point of what you intend to portray.

Paul preached in his letters to the churches that Jesus was the Messiah, and that even during times of terrible persecution and suffering there is still an overcoming joy in serving God. This movie contains no joy, no edification, and no building up of the believer whatsoever. This is the complete opposite of what Paul himself preached everywhere he went and everything he wrote in his letters to the church.

The characters in the film are shown reacting to situations exactly like your unsaved next door neighbor might do, and they have their faith placed in Luke and in Paul instead of in God. Don't misunderstand me, I've reacted poorly to some situations myself, but this was different, almost like they were abandoned or forsaken by God and it was going to be up to the natural skills of Luke and Paul. I got the feeling that God had pretty much left all of them to fend for themselves. At one point, the believers had to resort to a community social meeting to try and determine what they should do. This was because all of them had said they had asked God what to do but He hadn't said anything. Someone must have forgotten about God's promise that He would never leave us or forsake us.

We were truly disappointed but not one bit surprised. Movies about the moon landing should use some NASA details. Flying shark movies need some science, mathematics and physics. Bible movies might wish to consider actually using a bible.

Some would say that we should be grateful when anyone even attempts making a faith-based movie. Our response is that since (faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God), then they should use the Bible, not dramatic license and character overreach that does not result in faith being produced. Using God's word will build faith. Not actors. Not sets. Not scenery. Not dramatic dialogue. Those things are good but they don't build up your faith. And friend, if you're not choosing your movies by what will build up or tear down your faith, then I want to remind you that sooner or later you're going to end up needing that faith that was eroded by misuse and abuse of God's word in the name of entertainment.

The scripture I quoted earlier is Romans 10:17.

It was written by the Apostle Paul, and no . . . it wasn't in the movie either.

#faith #hope