The Passion of the Christ

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Tracts and Literature
To Help You Reach the Lost, Grow In Christ, and Sound a Faithful Warning
©Fundamental Evangelistic Association

Mel Gibson's
The Passion of the Christ
Three Serious Concerns for Believers to Consider
by Pastor Matt Costella
from FOUNDATION Magazine, Mar-Apr 2004 issue
©2004 Fundamental Evangelistic Association

Mel Gibson's blockbuster movie The Passion of the Christ has taken America—and will soon take the world—by storm. Individuals of all religious persuasions—from Christians to atheists to Muslims to Buddhists—have formulated their own response to this film, which depicts Gibson's view of the last 12 hours of the life of Jesus Christ. Some have vehemently criticized it while others have endlessly praised it—and everybody can voice their own reasons why they like or loath this multi-million dollar movie. But how should a Bible-believing Christian respond to this cultural, social and religious phenomenon? It appears as though most professing evangelical Christians and Roman Catholics had embraced the movie even before it ever hit the theaters on February 25—thanks, in part, to the support it received from their own pastors and priests, many of whom sat through various private screenings of the movie courtesy of Gibson. Yet rather than unreservedly embracing this movie and accepting it as a great tool in the Christian's ministry toolbox, the faithful and discerning believer should stop, stand back and critically analyze and critique the content of the movie, the purpose of the movie, the Christian community's response to the movie and the effect this movie is having on professing believers.

Several concerns should arise in the mind and heart of the Bible-believing Christian who takes the time to research not only the content of the movie itself but also the Christian community's response to it and the very words of those who played a vital part in making and shaping The Passion of the Christ. The purpose of this brief article is to voice three concerns relating to the movie and its acceptance among evangelicals and Biblical fundamentalists. Before stating these three concerns and elaborating upon them, however, several introductory notes are in order which should help the reader better understand the author's intent in writing this article.

First, I am in no way judging the motives of writer/director Mel Gibson. I am not questioning his motive for making the movie or his role in the controversy that has surrounded it. We cannot truly know his motives-only God does-and they are furthermore irrelevant at this point.

Second, I truly believe that this film has had a great emotional impact on those who have seen it. I am in no way discounting the emotional experience one may have after watching this movie. But emotion is not the key here. We, as Christians, need to analyze all things from a Biblical perspective, and this movie raises some concerns. Third, the tide is much too great for us to stem. This movie is much bigger than any church or ministry, and it is here whether we like it or not. That said, we must, as Bible-believing Christians, be prepared to talk to those who have seen the movie-believer and unbeliever alike-and answer their questions about our faith. We must be able to explain to them what Jesus did on the cross, why He did it and how they can have a relationship with the Savior.

Finally, one must understand that the film's director and driving force, Mel Gibson, and the primary actor, Jim Caviezel who plays Jesus Christ, are devout and outspoken Roman Catholics. The Passion of the Christ is, unquestionably, a Roman Catholic film. In fact, both men actually described the making of this movie as a part of their own conversion/salvation experience as well as the experience of many who worked on the set. A Baptist Press reporter interviewed Caviezel on February 9, and during the interview Caviezel told Baptist Press that "being a Christian is a continual conversion process-a process that he feels helped him get through filming The Passion."¹ According to the Baptist Press report, "Caviezel said the Holy Spirit's presence often was felt on the set" and that the cast and crew witnessed miracles and conversions during the film's production. Caviezel told Baptist Press he hopes the film will open the eyes of viewers. "It's part of that continual conversion process that we talked about. I don't think you can't be changed [by the film]," he said.² Another Baptist Press report cited others involved in the movie's production who returned to their Catholic faith either before they began making the movie or during its production. "I had come back to my Catholic faith and immediately felt that my entire life was in preparation for this project," one man who co-wrote the screenplay with Gibson said.³

It is interesting to note that even evangelicals and mainline Protestants recognize the film's Catholic tendencies, yet they still praise and recommend it. Christianity Today editor David Neff wrote, "This evangelical enthusiasm for The Passion of the Christ may seem a little surprising, in that the movie was shaped from start to finish by a devout Roman Catholic and by an almost medieval Catholic vision."⁴ Neff told readers that Caviezel "insisted on beginning each day of filming with the celebration of the Mass on the set." Steve Beard, a United Methodist and editor of Good News magazine, recounted his personal experience with Gibson at an early screening of the film. In a commentary for the United Methodist News Service, Beard wrote:

"I have always believed in God," Gibson told us after the film. "From age 15 to 35, I was a hell raiser. In many ways, I still am," he said jokingly. He then went on to tell us that he had "come to a difficult point in my life, and meditating on Christ's sufferings, on his passion, got me through it … I'm not a preacher, and I'm not a pastor. But I really feel my career was leading me to make this," Gibson has said. "The Holy Ghost was working through me on this film, and I was just directing traffic. I hope the film has the power to evangelize."⁵

Yes, the film was written, directed and produced by staunch Roman Catholics and bears the marks of Roman Catholicism from start to finish.

As stated earlier, several concerns should arise in the mind and heart of the Bible-believing Christian who takes the time to research the content of the movie, the Christian community's response to it and the words of those who played a vital part in making and shaping The Passion of the Christ. The following three concerns briefly summarize some problems with the film:

Concern # 1 - The Passion of the Christ Inaccurately Portrays Christ's Passion

Neither Matthew, Mark, Luke nor John—the four Biblical gospels—provides the reader with a detailed, minute-by-minute account of Jesus' final 12 hours. Divinely inspired, the gospels give only the information the Holy Spirit deemed necessary for the believer in this present dispensation to know. Therefore, a two-hour film portraying select, detailed, minute-by-minute events during Christ's Passion requires great artistic license and, in Gibson's case, theological license as well. Gibson provides his audience with a glimpse of his own version of the Passion—a version that mixes the Biblical account with apocryphal legends and visions from Roman Catholic mystics. When asked what he studied to prepare for the film, Gibson told Worship Leader magazine,

Of course I had to study up on the crucifixion ... There was this convent that was going out of business and they were selling their library. They sold them to me for a dollar a piece, so I bought 1500 of them. I was looking through the books and there were some really old books ... One of them was from Father (Peter) Gallwey, The Watchers of the Sacred Passion. It was a meditation book on the passion of Christ. I used a lot of the book as preparation for the movie. The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ by Saint Anne Catherine of Emmerich was another book that just popped out at me.⁶

Although Gibson said he wanted to make the movie as realistic as possible, he admits that the images projected on the screen stem from his own understanding of Christ's Passion. In a telephone interview with Baptist Press, Gibson said, "Once I started meditating on [Christ's] passion, really going deep into it in my own mind and heart, then I began to understand it, to believe—that's the version I put on film."⁷ One Southern Baptist leader, Morris Chapman, said, "Some conservative evangelical Christians have expressed concern that Gibson, the film's director and producer, is a devout Roman Catholic and therefore inserts Catholic tradition into The Passion."⁸ Chapman admitted that the film does contain Catholic tradition and artistic license. "Not only is there Catholic tradition, no film is ever made commercially that does not have some poetic or dramatic license." Yet Chapman still praised the film and encouraged Southern Baptists to see it and promote it.

Christianity Today's David Neff also highlighted the Catholic nature of the movie. Neff writes, "[Gibson] recounted [to a Catholic television network] a series of divine coincidences that led him to read the works of Anne Catherine Emmerich, a late-18th, early-19th-century Westphalian nun who had visions of the events of the Passion. Many of the details needed to fill out the Gospel accounts he drew from her book Dolorous Passion of Our Lord."⁹ Neff then provided several examples of the Catholic influence on the content of the film. The very structure of the movie actually follows the structure of a Catholic meditative prayer technique. Neff explains, "The structure of Gibson's film conforms exactly to the list of the Five Sorrowful Mysteries: The Agony of Jesus in the Garden, the Scourging of Jesus at the Pillar, the Crowning with Thorns, the Carrying the Cross and the Crucifixion and Death of Jesus."

Tyndale House recently released a companion book to the movie, and in the book's forward, Gibson says the film "is not meant as a historical documentary ... I think of it as contemplative in the sense that one is compelled to remember ... in a spiritual way, which cannot be articulated, only experienced." The World Catholic Association for Communication released an analysis of The Passion of the Christ, and the analysis clearly stated that "there is some material drawn from the later legendary stories and apocryphal gospels (Veronica and her veil; Desmes the "bad" thief) ... it needs to be reiterated that this is a film and that the screenplay is a 'version' of the Gospel stories with no claim to be a Gospel." One Roman Catholic leader even expressed concern over Gibson's artistic license in the film. Describing Gibson's "flights of fancy," or expressions of poetic license in the movie, Father Michael Tilly, principle of Mission College Preparatory High School in San Luis Obispo, California, said "I understood why they were there from an artistic point of view, but since they have no basis in Scripture, I was questioning why the interpretations were necessary."¹⁰

But the question one must ask is this: Are evangelicals and fundamentalists understanding this? Sadly, they are not. They are being told by their pastors and Christian leaders either that the film is theologically correct and faithful to the true event or that the film is not entirely true and accurate but worthy of consideration anyway. For example, Chapman said, "The movie is not the Gospel. The movie does portray dramatically what Jesus did, but we must not begin to think of the movie as the actual truth. It's a portrayal of the truth as drawn from the four Gospels and some Catholic tradition."¹¹ Yet Chapman and others recommend this movie to their evangelical audience.

The Passion of the Christ, then, is a film that contains a mixture of truth and error portrayed to the viewer as truth—the way it really happened. This is exactly what many—if not most—viewers take home from this experience as evidenced by the testimonies of those who have seen the movie and were impacted by its "reality" and "authenticity." In other words, the movie does impact the viewer greatly, but the story is not entirely true or correct. Sadly, the image of Christ and the events surrounding His Passion as portrayed by Gibson will burn into the minds of those who view this movie. In endorsing this movie, Franklin Graham said, "You will never read the Bible again the same way. You won't come to these last chapters in the Gospels and read them the same way." Billy Graham echoed a similar sentiment: "No one who views this film's compelling imagery will ever be the same."¹² Notice the observations of a United Methodist minister who wrote a commentary for the United Methodist News Service voicing his opinion of the film:

Movies communicate with power visual images that stay with us all our lives. We may endlessly debate the best screen Jesus, but almost every Christian has a nominee to defend. The challenge to each of us is to remember that the real Jesus is larger and more complex than any image—graven or celluloid ... Every screen representation of the gospel story is incomplete—some terribly incomplete, like The Passion of the Christ.¹³

Yes, this movie has impacted millions of people—including evangelical and fundamentalist Christians—but this movie contains a mixture of truth and error and is, therefore, inconsistent with the true events surrounding the Passion of Jesus Christ as revealed in His Word, the Bible. Therefore, this movie is dangerous because its images will remain in the minds of many viewers who will embrace this film as a true and accurate portrayal of Christ's Passion.

Concern #2 - The Passion of the Christ Is A Powerful Catalyst for Ecumenism

Perhaps no other cultural or religious phenomenon has ever possessed the capacity to bring evangelicals, Roman Catholics and those of mainline denominations together as The Passion of the Christ. Evangelical Christians, who for years have been told that Roman Catholics do not need to be evangelized and that Roman Catholics and evangelicals agree on important doctrinal issues such as salvation, are praising this film and are now convinced that evangelicals and Catholics enjoy doctrinal agreement. Caviezel has gloried in the ecumenical triumphs of the movie. "I'm proud that people of all denominations of the Christian faith have been able to see beyond their differences," he told Baptist Press.¹⁴ In the same Baptist Press report, Gibson stated, "Many Protestant readers may be concerned that the film is dominated by Catholic doctrine. The Passion of the Christ is not about denominational dogma."

Many churches are using the movie as a tool for evangelism, including Pentecostals, United Methodists, Presbyterians, Southern Baptists, Lutherans and many others. One Baptist Press report noted, "Across the country, churches are taking advantage of the open door to evangelism sparked by the Hollywood production. Outside Dallas, for example, churches of different denominations are joining for a follow-up roundtable discussion of the film February 29 at The Heights Baptist Church in Richardson."¹⁵ Key promoters of the movie include Christian leaders from all denominations, including Billy Graham, Jack Hayford, Charles Colson, Tim LaHaye, James Dobson, Jerry Falwell, Greg Laurie, Bill Hybels, Robert Schuller, Donald Hodel, Rick Warren, Franklin Graham, Max Lucado, Jack Graham and many leaders within the Roman Catholic Church.¹⁶

This movie is being used as an ecumenical evangelism tool because any individual, church or denomination can use the film as a springboard for the propagation of their own theology. The movie is open-ended concerning what it takes for one to become a Christian and possess a relationship with Christ. Almost every professing Christian denomination or church teaches that Jesus suffered and died. Yet many churches and denominations fail to agree on the application of this truth to the life of a sinner. Many, if not most, professing Christian churches and denominations fail to preach the true Gospel-that any person can enter into a relationship with God by grace alone through faith alone in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Nothing else can be required for salvation or it is a false gospel under God's curse! Yet because this film is not offensive to any one particular system of theology, anybody can use it as a springboard for evangelism—from the Roman Catholic to the Seventh Day Adventist to the Southern Baptist.

Evangelicals are clearly embracing a mixture of Biblical truth and Roman Catholic theology! Gibson himself expressed amazement over the evangelical community's positive response to the movie. Gibson, who defines Mary as a "tremendous co-redemptrix and mediatrix," told Christianity Today, "I've been actually amazed at the way I would say the evangelical audience has—hands down—responded to this film more than any other Christian group."¹⁷ He said what makes it so amazing is that "the film is so Marian." He adds, "The way the film displays [Mary] has been kind of an eye opener for evangelicals who don't usually look at that aspect." Christianity Today editor David Neff praised the film and wrote,

Some will feel simply overwhelmed by the display, but many traditional Christians (both Catholic and Protestant) will see this film as feel Gibson has sprinkled them with the saving blood just as the Israelite priests sprinkled the atoning blood on the altar. For, as Gibson puts it, "In the Old Covenant, blood was required. In the New Covenant, blood was required. Jesus could have pricked his finger, but he didn't; he went all the way."¹⁸

Southern Baptists, especially, seem to praise the movie and voice support for Gibson. SBC Executive Committee president Morris Chapman said, "I don't know of anything since the Billy Graham crusades that has had the potential of touching so many lives."¹⁹ In fact, Chapman has said "The Passion is God's Kingdom work for Kingdom purposes and nothing else."²⁰ One Southern Baptist columnist said Mel Gibson "could become one of the most influential Gospel evangelists of our time—almost overnight."²¹ Of course this "influential evangelist" of whom he speaks in none other than a devout Roman Catholic!

Billy Graham issued a press release saying he met Gibson and Caviezel in his North Carolina home for a private screening of the film. Graham said he was "impressed with [Caviezel's] deep sincerity and the commitment of him and his wife, Kerri, to the Gospel." Commitment to the Gospel? One must ask, what gospel? Caviezel is a devout Roman Catholic! During ABC's Nightline broadcast on February 25, William Donohue of the Catholic League said the movie "will bring more Catholics and Protestants who have been lapse, back to the church, more than anything all the Catholic priests and all the Protestant ministers have done, together, in the last quarter of a century." Clearly, this film is a catalyst for ecumenism, for evangelicals are praising the movie and supporting the spiritual endeavor and the spiritual condition of devout Roman Catholics.

Concern #3 - The Passion of the Christ Undermines the Power and Sufficiency of Scripture

While the first two concerns are legitimate and important, this third concern is the most disturbing. The comments of many who have seen the film reveal that the viewer often relies more on the visual presentation and his emotional response to the movie for spiritual edification and personal relevance of the Passion than on the Word of God itself. In other words, many who praise the movie claim to have learned more or been emotionally moved in a way the Scriptures have failed to do or could ever do. And, indeed, Gibson wanted this movie to have this effect on his audience—to give the audience something they could experience.

After listening to the testimonies of many who have seen the movie, one comes away with the impression that any person born and saved prior to the release of this movie has really missed out on what it means to truly experience Jesus Christ—because all they had was the Bible! One believer has noticed this response on the part of many who have seen the movie and has asked a question worthy of reflection: "Do we really gain something from the movie that is missing in the sacred text of the Bible?"²² At least this is the impression one gets from hearing the testimonies of those who have seen The Passion of the Christ.

Notice several verbatim quotes made by Christians who have seen the movie (emphasis added):

"Mel Gibson was able to really capture the passion of Christ for me."

"You can read about it in the Bible. But you don't get an impression of what it really must feel like."

"I feel like I know [Jesus] better, a little bit, tonight."

"To me, it's not just a movie. There's too much to-you know, to religion, to God, to your life, for it to be just a movie."

"In looking and watching it, I mean, this movie really personalized it for me different than just reading the Gospels."

"While I have read the Gospel accounts of the passion, seeing it portrayed on the big screen, seeing the length that Jesus was willing to go to die for me, makes it impossible for me to wake up in the morning and feel like I don't have time to read the Word and pray."

"I've read the Gospels thousands of times throughout my life, but this was the first time I'd actually stepped into them."

A pastor of a church welcomed one crowd by saying, "We appreciate you coming. I believe it's going to be an outstanding movie, and I know it's going to change your life."

Referring to the Biblical mandate to evangelize the lost, one lady actually told a national television audience during ABC's Nightline, "It is an incredible opportunity to let Mel Gibson do the work for us." Clearly, the aforementioned quotes reveal that many who have seen The Passion of the Christ feel as though this movie meets their needs and expectations far more than the Bible itself. They have concluded that the Bible's record of Christ's Passion is insufficient to clearly and effectively communicate the truth; instead, Gibson's understanding of Christ's Passion and his emotionally moving portrayal and interpretation of the last 12 hours of Jesus' life present a far better representation of the Passion.

Does the Bible itself address the problem of such attitudes on the part of professing Christians? It certainly does! According to God Himself, His Word is powerful and living (Hebrews 4:12). The Bible alone is totally sufficient to equip the believer, to motivate the believer, to speak to the believer and to provide the believer with everything necessary to be the very person God wants him to be (2 Timothy 3:15-17). In fact, the Word of God is more certain than the very eyewitness testimony and personal experience of Jesus' own disciples! The apostle Peter, who witnessed the glorious ascension of Jesus, told the believers to whom he wrote, "We (the New Testament apostles and prophets) have also a more sure word of prophecy (that is, more sure than their own eyewitness testimonies); whereunto ye do well that ye take heed..." (2 Peter 1:19). The believers were to heed the "word" which the apostles and prophets revealed to them-the Word of God-because it is sure, certain and steadfast and has been given by God Himself to mankind (2 Peter 1:21). Man's emotions can be manipulated and his own eyes can deceive him, but the very Word of God is ironclad and totally sufficient!

Believers today need to be passionate about the Truth—about proclaiming the pure Word of God unmixed with tradition, error and emotional manipulation—and allow the Holy Spirit, in concert with the pure, true Word of God, to convict the hearts of those who hear it. And for believers, the Bible alone is totally sufficient to equip them for every good work that honors and glorifies God. For any believer to claim that a movie or extrabiblical experience could meet his emotional or spiritual needs more than the Word of God itself is to openly deny what the Bible says about itself! Christians must never fall into the trap of undermining the sufficiency of Scripture or of failing to look to it to meet their true needs in the first place.

Endnotes

1Laura Erlanson, "The Passion: Love, Sacrifice Are 'The Whole Point' Actor Says." Baptist Press, February 16, 2004.

Ibid.

Phil Boatwright, "Mel Gibson: The Passion Will 'Bring People Closer Together.'" Baptist Press, February 19, 2004.

David Neff, "The Passion of Mel Gibson: Why Evangelicals Are Cheering a Movie With Profoundly Catholic Sensibilities." Christianity Today, March 2004.

Steve Beard, "Commentary: Passion Drives Home Gritty Reality of Christ's Sacrifice." United Methodist News Service, February 24, 2004.

Julie Reid, "One Man's Passion: An Interview with Mel Gibson." The interview can be found at http://www.integritymusic.com/music/index-2.html?target=nrp/passionofchrist.html.

Boatwright, Baptist Press, February 19, 2004.

Erin Curry, "'Be Ready with an Answer,' Chapman Says About Passion." Baptist Press, February 17, 2004.

Neff, "Why Evangelicals Are Cheering..."

Matt Sterling, "Peace from Passion." The Tribune, San Luis Obispo County newspaper, February 22, 2004.

Michael Foust, "Chapman, MSNBC Panel Discuss Question, 'Who Killed Jesus?'" Baptist Press, February 26, 2004.

NewsMax Press Release. "Billy Graham Praises Mel Gibson's Passion of Christ." November 26, 2003.

Dan Dick, "Commentary: Real Jesus Is Bigger Than Any Movie Depiction." United Methodist News Service, February 26, 2004.

14 Boatwright, Baptist Press, February 19, 2004.

Erin Curry, "Reports of Changed Lives Abound as Thousands Take in Passion." Baptist Press, February 26, 2004.

A select list of religious leaders who endorse the film, along with their statements, can be found at http://www.thepassionoutreach.com/quotes.asp.

David Neff, "Mel, Mary and Mothers." Christianity Today, March 2004.

Neff, "Why Evangelicals Are Cheering ..."

Chris Herlinger, "Passion Continues Blazing Ahead of Mel Gibson's Biblical Movie Release." Ecumenical News International, February 17, 2004.

Curry, "Be Ready With an Answer..."

Erich Bridges, "Envying Mel Gibson." Baptist Press, February 19, 2004.

David Nelson, "The Passion & The Book." Baptist Press, February 26, 2004.

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