A great lesson can be learned from our text today, John 8:1-11. We find Jesus entering the temple, as was often the case, only to be confronted by the scribes and Pharisees. They bring an adulterous woman before the Lord to test Him, hoping they might catch Him in a compromising situation, only to be foiled by the Master’s timely response and cool head.

There is some debate amongst scholars as to whether or not the text should even be included in the Holy Scriptures. Many translations put the story in brackets, with the notation, “Many of the old manuscripts do not contain these verses.” Even before considering the text itself, we learn a valuable rule about Bible study. According to R.C. Foster, “Although the American Standard Version carries the footnote stating that ‘most of the ancient authorities omit John 7:53-8:11’, yet the majority of the translators of the A.S.V. finally cast their vote in favor of the passage.  This means that the translators attached great importance to the presence of the passage in so many of the early versions which were made from Greek manuscripts far older than any Greek uncials we now possess” (Studies In The Life Of Christ, Foster, 796). While many of the older Greek manuscripts do not have the verses included, several of them do, including some of the very earliest. Early Christian writers, including Jerome and Augustine in the 4th century B.C., asserted that it should be a part of the scriptures. It is speculated that early translators and scribes may have omitted that passage because it appeared to them to endorse sinful habits, such as adultery. “Neither do I condemn you” may have been interpreted as an approval of the woman’s lifestyle. Seeing that some manuscripts had the story and others did not, early copyists cast doubt on the passage by continuing to omit it entirely, or place it at the end of the book as an endnote. But the lesson we learn is powerful: in spite of the narrowness of man’s mind, God’s word was still passed down to us in its complete form. We need to be careful not to dismiss a passage simply because we do not fully understand it, or it seems to not fit with other verses. Rather than falling into the category of Revelation 22:18-19 and cutting out Bible verses, we should strive to study further and fill in the gaps in our knowledge.

Suspicious Situation

As we begin the story (John 8:1-5), I am immediately struck by how suspicious the whole thing seems:

  • While Jesus is trying to teach, the Pharisees are trying to confound. While Jesus is trying to shed light on His people, the Pharisees are looking for any wet blanket they can use to dampen spirits. This is often the case with false religious leaders. To the Pharisees, their fellow Hebrews were of so little value to them that executing an adulterous woman was just an afterthought while trying to defeat Jesus. On the other hand, Jesus came to save people like her, not condemn them.
  • Does it not seem odd how the Pharisees just happened to have a woman handy who had committed adultery? While it is entirely speculative, I have always wondered if they did not somehow set her up and jump through the window at just the right time. How very convenient for the Pharisees!
  • Not only that, but their application of the law to which they are referring (Deuteronomy 22:22) was not even properly done. According to the text, “If a man is found lying with a woman in adultery, then both of them shall be put to death, in order to cleanse the defilement of Israel.”  Where was the man in all of this? Why did the Pharisees not bring the man involved, also? Which, again, makes one wonder if this woman was not set up.
  • Considering the law in its proper context, we learn a great lesson from the Pharisees. They wanted to stone this woman in order to catch Jesus in a falsehood. But God’s law on the matter was never intended for such a sinister purpose. Rather, it was “to cleanse the defilement of Israel.”  Similarly, we must strive to obey God’s laws today with the right intentions. Motive is just as important to God as the act of obedience itself (Amos 5:21-24, Micah 6:6-8, Hosea 6:6). This applies to why we go to church, why we love our neighbors, show hospitality, partake of the Lord’s supper, or anything else. God’s commandments are not vehicles for our ulterior motives or desires.
  • Another powerful moral involves how we treat those who are sinning in our midst. Imagining the Pharisees parading around the city with this adulteress in the middle of the tumult and then displaying her in public does not seem to be God’s intention in ordering execution in Deuteronomy 22:22. No good was being done by treating her thus – it did not benefit her, those who were observing, or the Lord. Today, when we make sins public, as is the stated protocol in some cases (Matthew 18:15-17, 2 Thessalonians 3:14), it is to be done with tact, care, and for the purpose of restoring the sinner to spiritual health (2 Thessalonians 3:15).

The Writing On The Floor

“And they were saying this, testing Him, in order that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down, and with His finger wrote on the ground” (John 8:6). One can only wonder what was written, but the character of Jesus shines as both amusing and provocative. While He generally responded to the Pharisees’ tests with His steely brand of wisdom and wit, this time He only lowers Himself to the ground and begins writing something in the dirt. Much speculation has been done regarding this odd gesture:

  • It is entirely likely that He was only writing scriptures, to show His knowledge. There would be no way the Pharisees could respond to the Word of God in such a blatant way as this. Not only that, but it shows Jesus knows how to fight fire with fire. In the same way that Satan quoted scripture, the Pharisees had often maligned the Holy writ for their own ends. Using scripture to refute misapplied scripture is our surest way of defending the faith.
  • It also likely that Jesus was writing nothing of the sort. Could it have been nothing more than a grocery list? Some names of dear friends? A poem? If this is the case, we learn another great lesson. Sometimes, when others are going to be petty, trite, rude, or coarse with us, the best response we can give is silence. Knowing that the villains were only looking for a rise out of Him, Jesus simply ignores them – He refuses them the satisfaction of eliciting a response.
  • I tend to think that He was writing a list of sins, in preparation for His next statement.

He Who Is Without Sin

When the Pharisees and scribes persisted, Jesus responds with one of the most criticized, misquoted, and poignant phrases of His lifetime. “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her” (John 8:7). He immediately stoops down again and resumes writing on the ground. Unfortunately, many have abused this text, asserting that it offers justification for unquestioned tolerance of other people’s sinful habits. Those who love sin throw this verse in the faces of those who oppose it, saying, “See, even Jesus says we can’t judge each other, or tell each other not to sin.” But if this verse we are never allowed to pass judgment in any situation, then most of the Bible is worthless to us. It requires judgment to teach the Gospel, which Jesus requires of us (Matthew 28:18-20). We need judgment to deem somebody our enemy; to ostracize a sinner; to baptize anybody; to stand up for truth. To say that we can never judge is to go beyond the scriptures, for Jesus also commands us to judge, but with righteousness (John 7:24).

Jesus is not justifying adultery by this statement, nor is He saying that only perfect, sinless men can pass judgments in this world. Rather, Jesus’ words were meant to illustrate how incompetent the Pharisees and scribes were in administering justice for the adulteress. The Law made it clear that only the witnesses of an adulterous act were to cast stones (Deuteronomy 17:7). Jesus is not saying that only sinless individuals could do this, otherwise the Law would have been impractical. More accurately, Jesus is exaggerating to prove a point, using hyperbole to convey the idea that they were terribly qualified to cast the first stone. This is why it seems to make the most sense that Jesus was listing sins of the Pharisees on the ground. While the woman committed adultery, one Pharisee over here could have been committing tax fraud, another over there practicing homosexuality, and still another gluttonous drinking. The Lord saps the motivation from the mob by displaying all of their intimate secrets on the floor for all to see. Embarrassed and deflated, each one leaves the scene in turn, beginning with the eldest of them. Consider some practical applications:

  • We are required to judge, at times; In law (Ecclesiastes 8:11); A path unfit for the righteous (Proverbs 7:6-9); Our own sins (Colossians 3:5-10) ; The sins of others (James 5:19-20). But we must understand that in all of these things, it is not us making the judgment, but God. As long as we judge by God’s standards, we are not relying on human wisdom, but on an objective, fair, measurement (2 Corinthians 10:12).
  • The older Pharisees leave first, perhaps, because they are acutely aware of the greater abundance of their sins. By virtue of having lived longer, they are more likely to have seen their own deeds reflected in Jesus’ impromptu literature.
  • Also, when we do judge, let us judge with sobriety and compassion, understanding that we too are sinful, and have fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). Let us guard ourselves in judgment, lest Jesus feel the need to recite our own misdeeds on the Day of Judgment. After all, if we do not forgive others when they sin, we will not be forgiven by the Lord (Matthew 6:14-15).

Neither Do I Condemn You

“And straightening up, Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?’ And she said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said, ‘Then neither do I condemn you; go your way and sin no more from now on’” (John 8:10-11). Again, this is a verse that is sadly misapplied by those who do not love the truth. Jesus is not downplaying the seriousness of her actions, because He does attach the term “sin” to her lifestyle. Rather, Jesus is telling her that He will not condemn her to death, as the Pharisees and scribes were more than willing to do. This shows that God is fair. In the absence of witnesses to a crime, the execution would not be carried out. Barclay notes, “In effect what Jesus was doing was not to abandon judgment, and not to say, ‘Don’t worry; it’s quite all right.’  To put it in human terms, what He did was to defer sentence.  He said, “I am not going to pass a final judgment and a condemnation now; go out, and prove that you can do better’” (p. 8).

Some try to use this verse to argue they can continue living in their sins. But the phrase does not end with, “Neither do I condemn you.” There is more to it than just an admission of freedom without punishment. There are requirements to her pardon: she is to go on her way and discontinue the habits of her sinful life. Consider some concluding thoughts:

  • The simplicity of “go” is very refreshing. She has a life to live, and it will be a happy one if it is not associated with sinful habits. Notice that the fun does not stop for a person once he or she becomes a Christian.
  • “Sin no more” is also a refreshing statement. It shows the expectation by God for a complete change in our lives. Even though a sin like adultery is commonly associated with habit, deep emotional desires, and physical passions, Jesus expected that this woman could from this day forward cease committing that sin. “Cold turkey” is always, without question, the best way to break ourselves of sinful habits. Jesus never told her that she could have one last fling with her lover. In the same way, homosexuals, alcoholics, porn addicts, etc. cannot gradually part from their habits (Ephesians 4:22-24). We are told in Ephesians 4:28 to “steal no longer.”
  • Self-denial is a part of Christianity, and it is difficult. But all of have to deny sinful desires if we are to please God. “Instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires” (Titus 2:12).