The Woman Caught in Adultery

John 7:53 – 8:11Wednesday ~ January 6, 2016

As we begin tonight’s lesson

Please remember:James 3:1Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

[The earliest manuscripts do not include 7:53–8:11.][a]The Woman Caught in Adultery7: 53 [[They went each to his own house,8: 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.”]]Footnotes: John 7:53 Some manuscripts do not include 7:53–8:11; others add the passage here or after 7:36 or after 21:25 or after Luke 21:38, with variations in the textThe Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

John 8: 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.”]]

How do I address this textSome of the individuals that I have studied with are concerned with the following:

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

The first thing that I do is to take them to the following text

Mark 16:9-20 English Standard Version (ESV)[Some of the earliest manuscripts do not include 16:9–20.][a]Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene ~ 9 [[Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. 10 She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. 11 But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.Jesus Appears to Two Disciples ~ 12 After these things he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. 13 And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.The Great Commission ~ 14 Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. 15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”19 So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.]]Footnotes:

Mark 16:9 Some manuscripts end the book with 16:8; others include verses 9–20 immediately after verse 8. At least one manuscript inserts additional material after verse 14; some manuscripts include after verse 8 the following: But they reported briefly to Peter and those with him all that they had been told. And after this, Jesus himself sent out by means of them, from east to west, the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation. These manuscripts then continue with verses 9–20The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

I ask the followingAre you also concerned with what is in the text

as well?For those who have said “No” ~ I ask, then why

does John 7:53 – 8:11 concern you?None of them have been able to provide a

response.For those who have said “Yes” ~ I then go to

companion verses that point to the same things that are stated in Mark 16: 9 – 20.This would actually be a lesson in itself!

Quickly ~ here are the companion verses I use

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene John 20: 10 – 18

Jesus Appears to Two Disciples Luke 24:13-35

Jesus Appears to the DisciplesLuke 24:36 – 49 and John 20:19 - 31

The Great CommissionMatthew 28:16-20

Mark 16: 17 – 20Acts 2:4, 19:6, 28:5Luke 24:50 – 53, Acts 1:1 - 11

Back to John 7:53 – 8:11Dilemma

This is the only time that this story is presented in the BibleTherefore, how do I handle this within the context of a

Bible Study?I step back and take a look at the concepts that are being

presented within the text and ask myself ~ has that been presented anywhere else in the Bible?

When studying with a non-Christian, I do not argue whether Mark 16:9-20 or John 7:53-8:11 should be included in the scriptures ~ I concentrate on the concepts found within.

Concepts (as I see them) in John 7:53 – 8:11

Jesus at the Mount of Olives:Matthew 21:1, 24:3, Mark 14:26, Luke 21:37 – 38, Luke 22:39

Jesus going to the temple:Matthew 21:12, 23, Mark 12:35, Luke 21:37 – 38

Scribes and Pharisees testing Jesus:Matthew 16:1, 19:3, (21:46), (22:15-22), 22:35, (Luke 22:2)

Jesus attitude toward sin (these verses are not all inclusive):

Matthew 4:4, 7, 10, 5:22, 28, 32, 44, 6:14-15, 7:3-5, 12, 21, 16:24 – 27, 18:15 – 17, 35, Luke 19:10, Luke 22:40, John 5:14, Revelation 2:4, 14 – 16, 20 – 23, 3:1 – 3, 16 - 20

As we contemplate on how we will deal with individuals who are

burdened with sin, let us consider the “Shadow of the Cross”.

“Shadow of the Cross”

The shadow of the cross fell on me today,As with a humble heart I bowed my head to pray.When I think of what Christ has doneFor me, in His dying – my eternal life was won.No longer do I have the burdens of all my sins;As He hung upon that cross, He took them all on Him.On the cross, a sacrifice for my sins, dying He took my place.I know that one day I will see Him face to face.He reached up and took the hand of God, and then He took mine.He became the mediator of all man-kind.As with a thankful heart, Father, I raise my prayer to thee.I thank You for sending Your Son to save someone like me.Veletia Tatom ~ 1985