The Woman Caught In Adultery

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John 7:53-8:11

[The earliest manuscripts do not include 7:53–8:11.]

53 [[They went each to his own house, 1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5 Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” 6 This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”]]

 
 

Quick note on the text itself: the earliest manuscripts do not have this story at this place in John’s Gospel, but the later manuscripts do. So, it seems that somehow the earliest manuscripts were missing this section, and later scribes added it back in.

The obvious problem with what the scribes and the Pharisees do to the woman is that it is impossible for a woman to commit adultery by herself—there had to be a man present also! So, the Jewish leaders are seeking to enforce the law unfairly, since Old Testament law condemned both the woman and the man who were caught committing adultery.

Jesus once again proves here that He judges differently than do the Jewish leaders, as He has already said:

24 Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment [John 7:24].

QUESTION OF THE DAY
This is a very popular Scripture passage, particularly the part when Jesus says, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” From reading the passage as a whole—and the Gospel of John so far—do you think Jesus is accepting and approving the adulterous actions of the woman? Why or why not? [Hint—look at His final words to her in v.11.]