Season 4 Episode 2 - Peter the Rock

[Dr. Shane]

This is an episode that shakes a lot of Adventists.  It would shake other Protestants too if they understood church doctrine well but sadly most Protestants know more Star Wars trivia than they do about the history of Protestantism.  The key to understanding this episode is to watch the Bible Roundtable discussion which is available on The Chosen app.  For those that haven't watched it yet let me spoil it for you.  The director of The Chosen, Dallas Jenkins, does not believe that Jesus made Peter the "Rock".  What he did in putting this on the screen is somewhat ingenious.  Let me explain, this passage in the Bible confuses many Christians.  Many misunderstand it.  The way Dallas portraited it in The Chosen will also confuse many people.  The way it is written in the Bible can be interpreted different ways by different people. The way it is shown in The Chosen can also be understood differently by different people.  In The Chosen, Jesus puts His hand on Peter's shoulder and gives him his new name.  Then, Jesus steps back and holds out His arms. Gesturing toward the entire group of the disciples, Jesus announces, "Upon this rock will I build My church."  That move can be understood as Jesus referring to the entire group (or the early church) as the rock.  Later, while they are walking, John and James are talking and cannot believe that Jesus made Peter the rock.  Thad interrupts them to clarify that Jesus is "the" Rock and that Peter is "a" rock.  Still later, when Matthew approaches Jesus about it, and says he isn't sure what that means, Jesus responds that He isn't sure Peter knows what it means either.  Dallas purposely makes the issue confusing because, it is not clear in the Bible.  Dallas, in the Bible Roundtable, says he believes the "rock" that Jesus was referring to was the entire group of disciples.  Of course, I think most Adventists believe the "Rock" was either Jesus Himself, or the Holy Spirit which had just revealed to Peter that Jesus is the Son of God.

Once we get past that debate, the touching lesson in this episode is Matthew repenting of the harm he tried to cause Peter and Andrew, asking for forgiveness and watching how Peter (who just received his new name) struggled to forgive Matthew.  We also heard Matthew give a little testimony to Gaius.  We see the wheels in Gaius' head start to turn.