Woman Caught in Adultery

Creation date: 9-Feb-2024
 

Last updated: 9-Feb-2024
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This is an excerpt from the topic that Abraham Knew Jesus Christ:
 
Jesus Christ was at the Temple Courts teaching the people, and has a confrontation with the Pharisees about a woman caught in Adultery, who Jesus Christ forgives.
 
John 8:1-11 1 but Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. 2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. 3 And the scribes and the Pharisees bring a woman taken in adultery; and having set her in the midst, 4 they say unto him, Teacher, this woman hath been taken in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such: what then sayest thou of her? 6 And this they said, trying him, that they might have whereof to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground. 7 But when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. 8 And again he stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground. 9 And they, when they heard it, went out one by one, beginning from the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the midst. 10 And Jesus lifted up himself, and said unto her, Woman, where are they? did no man condemn thee? 11 And she said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said, Neither do I condemn thee: go thy way; from henceforth sin no more.]

The Pharisees, who were obviously using the adulterous woman (where is the man?) to entrap Jesus Christ into:

  1. Wrongly trying to get Jesus Christ to make a mistake on the method of judging, which Jesus Christ did not do.  Jesus Christ, by writing in the sand, exposed the Pharisees sins and the Pharisees left the scene of the event.
  2. Wrongly trying to show Jesus Christ was claiming to be in the authority the same as a Pharisee when Jesus Christ was not part of the Sanhedrin.  Jesus Christ explains His authority later in John chapter 8 and He is Superior to the Sanhedrin by the witness of God the Father and Himself being Two Witnesses.
  3. Wrongly trying to get Jesus Christ to state the woman should be stoned, which the Pharisees were wanting to do, and if it happened would show Jesus Christ was subservient to the Pharisees.  Jesus Christ knew all of their thoughts and the woman's circumstance and by forgiving her showed that Jesus Christ was God and absolutely Superior to the Sanhedrin.
  4. It is this author's opinion, that I have not read in any Biblical Commentary, that the Pharisees stating "taken in the adultery, in the very act.", indicates the event never happened since the man was not taken as there was no man present when the woman was taken. 
    (a) The taking of the woman event was most likely made to look like it happened for other people, bystanders who would not challenge a Pharisee, passing by which then allowed this group of evil minded Pharisees to take this appointed and targeted woman to Jesus Christ. 
    (b) Since Jesus Christ forgave her, saying also to "sin no more", indicates she is an adulterer and possibly a prostitute, but not from the event that the Pharisees staged.
    (c) Also, the woman did not deny she has been an adulterer, but was quite out of fear that indicated she knew she was guilty and more importantly recognized Jesus Christ as Lord.  We can absolutely know she was changed and became a Believer in Jesus Christ unto Salvation because Jesus Christ said "go thy way".

This is an excerpt from the topic on Adultery concerning the woman caught in adultery in John 8:1-11.

Example 3: No Restitution required.  This is from the scriptures in John 8:1-11 which is commonly known as the adulterous woman passage.  Jesus forgave the woman which is AWESOME.  Note that we know the woman had already had numerous bad ramifications already happen to her, which appears to be the case since she was being persecuted by the Pharisees in fear of death by stoning, that could still happen after the encounter with Jesus Christ. 

Many Christian Pastors say that this is an example scripture to show all that is required to remove any problems and consequences is to confess the adultery to God in Jesus Christ's name.  This author does not believe that the adulterous woman passage is an all-encompassing solution for all cases.

The woman of John 8:1-11's situation and the full details, with extent of her sinful deeds of adultery and punishments already endured are not known.  She may have:

  • Been forced into adultery for one night as the adulterous man is not present,
  • Raped,
  • Given no choice in fear of safety of children,
  • Acquiesced into sex to settle a debt, and
  • Many more situations. 

We all need to understand that God will show mercy and grace in different degrees to whom He desires (Romans 9:18), but God changes not (Malachi 3:6), so we all cannot simply think that grievous sins such as adultery will always be free of consequences.  Remember that God forgave King David, but David still had consequences where is it safe to presume that when we commit adultery then there will be no consequences?

What to read next?

What is Salvation?  Is it is possible to lose Salvation?  We have eternal life.  Evolution is not real.  When a Christian suffers is there benefits from it.  Rewards in heaven.  Do we Tithe?  What does the 3rd Commandment tell us?  What is Grace and Mercy?  Is there a place of unending punishment and exile form God?