The story of the woman caught in adultery from the Gospel of John is one of the most beloved stories of the New Testament. Part of it has even entered into popular culture as people will say, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone,” even if they don’t know where it comes from.
The problem is that John 7:53-8:11 is missing from the earliest manuscripts. Bart Ehrman shares this as if it is the Church’s dirty little secret and yet most Bibles make note of this. The question for Christians is, what do we do with this massage? Do we accept it as any other passage or do we completely ignore it?
I believe that this story does go back to Jesus. Unlike other additions, it rings true to what we know about Jesus. Also, this passage appears in some manuscripts of John, as well as in Luke. I believe that this passage was not written by John but it was a true story about Jesus that the early church struggled to find a place for.
How do I use it? Because of the uncertainty, I do not preach from this passage. However, I do use it as an illustration when I am preaching from more certain passages. It is a great story but we have to acknowledge the problems and that there is a difference from other passages.
- Gospel of John
- John 7:53-8:11
- Preaching
- Woman Caught in Adultery
