Articles
The Woman Caught In Adultery - John 8
The Woman Caught In Adultery - John 8
If you are reading out of almost any newer translation or version of the New Testament you will have seen that this section (7:53-8:11) is either left out or printed in brackets. There is also usually a note added to explain this oddity:
“The early manuscripts do not include 7:53-8:11”. This particular note is taken from the ESV.
A brief reading of the situation shows:
· The older manuscripts that we have do not contain this story.
· It is not found in the early versions such as the Syriac and Coptic texts.
· It is not even mentioned by the ‘church fathers’ of the ‘Eastern churches’ until after the 9th century.
· It first appears in the western texts about the 4th and 5th centuries.
Not only does the evidence show a lacking of it in the early manuscripts, when it appears in the later manuscripts it is found in different places in the text. In different manuscripts it is placed variously after 7:52 (here in most modern versions), but also after Luke 21:38, John 21:25, John 7:36, and even John 7:44.
Having said all that, it is still interesting that this is a favorite story of many believers. There is nothing in the story that is ‘un-Jesus’ like. It portrays the scribes and the Pharisees in the same light as the rest of the scriptures. Also, there is no new or unique teaching that is based solely upon this story.
Jesus still judges sin as sin but also is ready to forgive. In forgiving He also admonishes to ‘sin no more’ (i.e., repent). He is steadfast in his demand of righteous judgment as this story shows so much that is obviously a ‘set up’. Jesus treats even ‘sinners’ such as this woman with a level of human dignity. It is hard to imagine how totally humiliating it must have been for this woman, yet Jesus treats her with kindness.
It may not be originally in John’s text, but it has been pointed out that it certainly has al the earmarks of a ‘Jesus story’. I would that we all could learn to treat sin and sinners with the same even-handedness that Jesus did. To quote another statement of Jesus: “go and do likewise”. Hugh DeLong
