Let me begin with a few introduction points. Number one I am a cynic. That is a person who believes that people are motivated purely by self-interest rather than acting for honorable or unselfish reasons. The movie industry, even faith-based movies need to please the masses to make money. PERIOD. Number two, I went to PAUL with a closed mind firmly believing no movie (especially one by Sony) would do justice to God's Word. Number three, I also went knowing most of the crowd know little or next to nothing about God's word. On all three points, I was not disappointed.
I will do a brief review with those points in mind.
I was given free tickets to a preview of Paul Apostle of Christ. I have been to numerous Biblically based movies (with the exception of The Passion) from The Ten Commandments to the horrific Russell Crowe Noah. I expect nothing but trouble from these movies most of which seem to have a Catholic bias. I will be brief about my review. First, it took 48 minutes before any reference was made to the Bible. Isn't this movie about the Bible? When there were quotes because the movie is more about Luke penning Paul's memoirs, they were out of place and not the time frame in which Paul would have written those words. I would prefer Luke be called Steve and Paul called Ted because the story mattered, not the TRUTH. These words were totally absent: Justification (one of Paul's favorites), Jew (go figure), Righteousness, Salvation (really never used) and ready GOSPEL. Sin was used once with no context. Grace a couple of times without definition, and what seemed to be the focus and very misplaced was LOVE (didn't count them I kinda of shut down with the use/misuse of 1 Corinthians 13).
As to the gospel which Paul preached. You ready for this! Hope you're sitting down. Mauritius, played by Olivier Martinez a French actor, is sitting with Paul, played by James Faulkner a British actor, on this bench towards the end of the movie, Mauritius states he doesn't know if he will ever believe as Paul believes ( not even sure what Paul Believed in the movie, however). Now, since it was a free preview and I am not sure what I am at liberty to tell you about the movie before it's release I can tell you this. Paul the evangelist of the gospel of Jesus Christ never, not for one moment, was even a hint of a clear gospel was given. Hey, doggone it how about 1 Corinthians 15:1-3. They missed a golden opportunity. The cynic came out full-blown. REALLY!! was all I could think and say. In that scene, what was said was not close to anything Biblical.
After the movie, I listened to comments most were critical of the production parts that still needed to be cleaned up. But one struck me when a nice lady said to her daughter maybe we need to read the book of Acts ( funny this free preview was for church leaders only). Many might say, 'there you go the movie did what it was supposed to do'. No dear reader the ends never justify the means. I have read my Bible and this movie was not close (not nearly as bad as Noah). Don't go to the movies for theology. Beg your church to teach you. Study and read the word prior to these events. Don't allow the movie industry to teach you the word. That's craziness.
By the way, did I say I was a cynic
Post-production addendum:
This movie takes place in Rome when Paul was in prison for the gospel. These are his last days before God takes him home. The book of Romans which holds many salvation truths is quoted from once. One Time! (Romans 5:20). Dears readers here are just a few they were free to use. Romans 1:16, 3:23, 5:1,10, 6:28, 10:25 and 16:25. Not one of these were used
Still a cynic