The Spirit of God is not supernaturally working “through” people today to produce any sort of communicative message - whether by printed medium or a film representation. Certainly it is not the case that Mel Gibson produced this film as the “Holy Ghost was working through” him, as he has claimed.
Even so, if early reviews of the film are factual, it is not accurate in some particulars.
Though countless believers take it as the immutable word of God, Scripture is not always a faithful record of historical events the Bible is the product of human authors who were writing in particular times and places with particular points to make and visions to advance” (46).Īnd so, it is not the movie with which we are especially concerned. “But the Bible can be a problematic source. Meacham, with a superficial knowledge of biblical matters, and the kind of liberal mentality that almost invariably is characteristic of the secular press, wrote: This is the accusation recently made by Jon Meacham in his warped piece, “Who Killed Jesus?” ( Newsweek, 2/16/04, pp.
We do take strong issue with the hackneyed charge that when Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John penned the original narratives, they distorted the facts, and fashioned the Gospel records into the molds of their own theological agendas, in a defensive effort to placate pagan Rome. Since we have not seen the movie, this is not primarily a commentary on Gibson’s film. He even capitulated to Jewish pressure by removing a volatile subtitle that reflects the sentiments of a Hebrew mob, “His blood be upon us, and on our children” - which, incidentally, was recorded by a Hebrew, Matthew Levi (Mt. Some news outlets have suggested that the actor’s feature production is “troubling,” perhaps even “anti-Semitic.” The popular star, who financed the $30 million enterprise, produced the movie, and co-wrote the script, denies that allegation. And as the time of its release approaches, controversy rages in the religious community – fanned mightily by the largely left-leaning media. The American public has awaited eagerly the debut of Mel Gibson’s movie, “The Passion of the Christ” (“passion” = “suffering”).