The Passion of the Christ movie by Mel Gibson has been hailed by some
as the greatest evangelistic tool in history. But do such claims match the
reality? Many may be surprised that a movie claimed by such people to be
evangelistic has no mention of the need for repentance, or of salvation through faith alone. In fact the suffering of Christ is left largely unexplained.
This is because such Biblical and Evangelical concepts are not to be found in a movie that
is essentially a Roman Catholic interpretation of the gospel account.
Traditional Roman Catholicism sees the contemplation of Christ's physical
suffering as meritorious - hence the Christ on crucifixes, flagellations and
passion plays (of which this movie is an example) of traditional Roman Catholicism. This, and not primarily evangelism, is Mel's acknowledged goal for the movie. Contrast the explicit and
dominating fixation of the flagellation of Christ in the movie - with the
minimalist account in the Gospels (eg: John 19:1 Then
Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged.) The New Testament emphasis
is clearly on the spiritual suffering Christ on our behalf as the mediator of
the New Covenant. Mel's emphasis on the flagellation plays down Scripture's emphasis on the cross and ressurection.
Sadly the
result of Mel's movie will be increased confusion, for many 'Evangelicals' will
simply assume that we preach the same gospel. Most Evangelicals watching the
movie are unaware of the theological interpretations underlying all those extra
scenes. Many will mistake these Roman Catholic elements for 'poetic licence' -
but for Mel these extra scenes with Mary, the 14 Stations of the Cross, etc. are
what he believes happened on the basis of Roman Catholic tradition and
mysticism. Such unbiblical additions undermine and distort the scriptural
account and therefore the Gospel itself. 'Evangelical' leaders have interviewed
Mel and sung his praises - but how many have challenged him on his works of
penance, Mariolatry, etc. and called him to trust in Christ alone for salvation?
It seems that any sincere person who calls themselves a 'Christian' is one - yet
even Jesus warns that such 'disciples' who trust in their works are not real disciples, and hence not saved (eg: Matthew
7:21-23)
Below are some links to articles that offer a more in-depth analysis of themovie:
Followup surveys show that the movie fails to have significant or lasting evangelistic effect. Its impact is primarily emotional and temporary. Eg:
A few excellent presentations of the Biblical meaning of the Passion,
especially good for non-Christians who may have seen the movie:
By Chris Good
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