Copyrighted material that appears in this article is included under the provisions of the Fair Use Clause of the National Copyright Act, which allows limited reproduction of copyrighted materials for educational and religious use when no financial charge is made for viewing. Catholic Lectionary. (2009). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software. The woman caught in adultery. “Let the one without sin cast the first stone.” John 8:1-11
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John 8:1-11
Copyrighted material that appears in this article is included under the provisions of the Fair Use Clause of the National Copyright Act, which allows limited reproduction of copyrighted materials for educational and religious use when no financial charge is made for viewing. Catholic Lectionary. (2009). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.
The woman caught in adultery. Let the one without sin cast the first stone.John 8:1-11
1 . . . . Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 But early in the morning he arrived again in the templearea, and all the people started coming to him, and he sat down and taught them.3 Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle.4 They said to him, Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery.5 Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?
6 They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger. 7 But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.8 Again he bent down and wrote on the ground.9 And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders. So he was left alone with the woman before him.10 Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?
11 She replied, No one, sir. Then Jesus said, Neither do I condemn you. Go, (and) from now on do not sin any more.
The Pharisees and the Scribes intention was to trap Jesus between a rock and a hard place.There is an old saying which says, When you seek revenge you need to dig two graves, one for your enemy and one for yourself.In more modern terms, What goes comes around.The Romans had taken away capitol punishment from the Jews when the only justification for its use was the violation of Mosaic Law.If the Jews imposed a death sentence for violation of Mosaic Law it would have been considered by the Romans as a rebellion.Instigators of a rebellion, by Roman law were put to death.
If Jesus agreed to the stoning then the Pharisees could accuse him of starting a rebellion, which would have been a capital offense.
If he said the Romans have taken away the right to stone her because she only broke Mosaic Law then the Pharisees would say, he was a hypocrite because he would be relaxing the law of Moses which he had accused them of doing in the previous chapter.John 7:19 - Did not Moses give you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law.
If Jesus says, don't stone her, wouldn't he be selectively enforcing the law?The Pharisees dont view themselves as blind but as righteous, not as sinners but as perfect (Jn. 9:40-41).Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.
Wow, the Pharisees have him, he is authorizing stoning her in violation of the Roman law. BUT the Romans wouldnt consider the Pharisees as sinless therefore Jesus wouldnt have committed a crime.If Jesus didn't authorized the stoning and if the Pharisees stoned her anyway they would have committed the act of rebellion and earned capitol punishment for themselves.
If they dont stone her then they are admitting that they are sinners.
Jesus forced them into a corner; if they insist on their sinlessness by stoning her, then they will die under Roman law. If they walk away they admit they are sinners without making that confession.The Pharisees and Scribes sought vengeance, they had laid a trap, dug a grave for their enemy, but like the old saying goes, they found themselves standing in the grave they had prepared for Jesus.
Copyrighted material that appears in this article is included under the provisions of the Fair Use Clause of the National Copyright Act, which allows limited reproduction of copyrighted materials for educational and religious use when no financial charge is made for viewing. Catholic Lectionary. (2009). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.
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