The Pericope Adulterae
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[SLIDE 1] Introduction
If you have your Bible, then please turn to John 7:53-8:11.
Today, we’ll be looking at this famous story of Jesus where a woman was caught in adultery.
This passage is also known as “The Pericope Adulterae.”
That’s in Latin.
Pericope means “section” or “passage.”
Adulterae means “the adulterous woman.”
Hence, this is the title of the message.
Let me begin this message by addressing a difficulty of this text.
The text is not necessarily difficult to understand.
[SLIDE 2] If you’re paying attention to this passage, you should notice that this pericope is bracketed in many of your Bibles (except for the King James Version), which says, “The Earliest Manuscripts Do Not Include John 7:53-8:11.”
I wonder how many of you have wondered what that means.
The Bible translators want to be transparent by noting that this section isn’t found in the earliest ancient manuscripts.
Because of that, there's a strong possibility that the Apostle John might not have written this passage.
[SLIDE 3] So, I want to start this sermon by BRIEFLY addressing the background of the Bible.
I encourage you to bear with me by putting on a thinking hat.
One of the hopes I have for you is that we can appreciate the integrity, transcparency, and dedicated work of biblical scholars as they carefully discern the content of the ancient manuscripts.
I don’t claim to be an expert in this field, and I’m sure majority of us aren’t as well.
So, let’s praise God that He gifted several brothers and sisters to do this difficult work.
So, the English Bible that is on our hand did not come out of the nowhere.
It came through a long process.
And since we’re looking at the New Testament, particularly John’s gospel, it would be helpful to understand how we got the New Testament.
[SLIDE 4] I found this helpful infographic that would guide our understanding.
So, we have the English Bibles on the right side.
The New Testament was not originally written in English.
All English Bibles of the New Testament (and I think you can do that for all other translations) were translated from the Greek New Testament.
But, here’s where it gets interesting: it depends on which Greek New Testament text.
Not all English Bibles are translated from the same exact Greek text.
So, I want to direct your attention to the middle of the infographic.
There are generally three main types of Greek New Testament texts:
Critical Text: This is what most modern Bible translations use. It’s based on a wide range of ancient manuscripts, including some of the oldest we have, which we’ll get to in a second. The ESV, for example, uses the Nestle-Aland version.
Majority Text: This one’s based on the majority of Greek manuscripts, which are later in date but more numerous. Versions like the WEB (World English Bible) lean on this tradition.
Textus Receptus (Received Text): This was the main Greek text during the Reformation. The KJV and NKJV come from this. It was based on fewer manuscripts that were available in the 16th century, but it shaped Bible translation for centuries.
Now, how were these Greek New Testament texts compiled?
This is where I want to direct your attention to the left side of the infographic.
[SLIDE 5] Before we examine it, let’s consider these questions as we’re thinking about the woman caught in adultery.
Authorship: Did the Apostle John write this passage?
Canonicity: Should this passage be included as part of Scripture?
Historicity: If it is not inspired by God, can there be value in viewing this text as history?
How we could answer those questions is by bringing up this academic discipline called Textual Criticism.
I want to spend a little bit of time on this one.
[SLIDE 6] Textual Criticism simply means this: “it is the discipline of determining the most probable wording of the original text.”
Let’s say you want to bake Grandma’s famous cookie, but you do not have the original recipe.
You find three handwritten copies.
One says “1 tsp salt,” one says “1 tbsp salt,” and one says “1 tsp sugar.”
You compare them to figure out what she most likely meant.
[SLIDE 7] So, back to the infographic, textual criticism falls under the process of going from the ancient manuscripts to the Greek New Testament.
One of the things you need to know is that we do not have the original manuscripts of the Bible.
In other words, we do not have the manuscripts written by the author themselves. (you don’t have grandma’s original recipe)
However, we do have thousands upon thousands of New Testament manuscripts and fragments that were copied throughout the centuries.
Hence, you have different manuscript families:
Alexandrian
Byzantine
Western
For the ESV, we go back to the Alexandrian text, which uses the earliest and oldest manuscripts.
Furthermore, many of these manuscripts were not copied exactly the same, so you will have manuscript variants.
Since all manuscripts were copied by hand, small changes—like spelling, word order, or missing words—naturally occurred. (Hence, you have variants).
So, Biblical scholars would engage in textual criticism by examining these manuscripts and their variants to discern which reading most likely reflects the original text.
And this shouldn’t trouble us.
[SLIDE 8] According to scholarly research by Daniel Wallace, almost 99% of the manuscript variants are minor.
Among 400,000 textual variants of the NT, over 99% make no difference to the meaning of the text.
The good news is that these variants do not affect the core doctrine of the Christian faith.
We still believe that God is Triune.
We still believe that salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
Additionally, in many of your Bibles, you’ll find footnotes that give you some ideas of how some words or phrases could have been translated, and whether they’re found in the earliest manuscripts.
So, scholars and translators would let us know about these things, which demonstrate the reliability of the Bible, and the integrity and transparency behind the process.
So, I’ve given you just a little taste of textual criticism and the amount of labour it takes for biblical scholars to discern the ancient manuscripts.
[SLIDE 9] If you want to personally do a deeper study on textual criticism, you can Google search “Daniel Wallace Textual Criticism.”
Daniel Wallace is one of the leading scholars on textual criticism in our time.
I think he provides a free course on this subject under “biblicaltraining.org.”
With that said, faithful, conservative Bible teachers and Bible scholars debate whether this passage should be included in the Bible.
[SLIDE 10] Here are some reasons why this section should be included.
Character of Jesus: It doesn’t contradict the nature of Jesus Christ and the rest of Scripture.
Possible Intentional Omission: Some speculate that the scribes removed this section because Jesus was being too lenient on adultery.
[SLIDE 11] Early Circulation & Oral Tradition: Scholars suggest this story circulated orally or alternative written sources before appearing in manuscripts in the 4th century.
Majority of Manuscripts: Most of the manuscripts dated after 4th century include the pericope adulterae.
[SLIDE 12] However, there are also some reasons why it should not be included.
Church Fathers: None of the earliest church fathers wrote this section in their commentary of John’s gospel.
Earliest Manuscripts: This passage (and Mark 16:9-20) was not found in the earliest manuscripts (Alexandrian). This explains why many modern translations indicate that “The Earliest Manuscripts Do Not Include ____.”
[SLIDE 13] Writing Style: The vocabulary and style of the story are different from the rest of John’s gospel.
Narrative Flow: It cuts the flow of the story from John 7:52 to John 8:12.
Floating Passage: It’s uncertain where this section should be placed in Scripture. Some manuscripts add the passage after John 7:36 or after John 21:25 or after Luke 21:38.
[SLIDE 14] So, depending on which manuscript families the English Bible is based on, this explains why some include this passage and why some don’t.
[SLIDE 15] Now, let’s return to these questions.
I could be totally wrong about this, but I would humbly suggest that this might not have been written by the Apostle John, and it shouldn’t considered inspired by God.
It could have been written by Luke, but we are only speculating.
Maybe it shouldn’t be included as part of Scripture, but we can appreciate the translators for including a bracketed note that this was not in the earliest manuscripts.
However, it might also have been a historical event that could have happened in the life of Jesus.
[SLIDE 16] Leon Morris said this: “But if we cannot feel that this is part of John’s Gospel we can feel that the story is true to the character of Jesus. Throughout the history of the church it has been held that, whoever wrote it, this little story is authentic. It rings true. It speaks to our condition. It is thus worth our while to study it, though not as an authentic part of John’s writing.”
Now, having learned the background of the Bible, we’ll now consider what this section has to teach us about Jesus Christ.
There are four things that are true about our Lord.
Illustration
Biblical Theology
Context
Exposition
[SLIDE 17] First, we see that “Jesus Exhibits Humility.” (7:53-8:2)
53 They went each to his own house, 1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
Now, everyone dispersed from the temple.
Everyone went back to their house.
The party is over.
The Feast of Booth is done...
(although I would argue that the Feast continues until the end of John 8 if this section doesn’t belong in this context).
So, everyone goes home except for Jesus.
Jesus did not go back to his house.
He didn’t return to Galilee.
He went to the Mount of Olives.
The mount of Olives was located on the hill east of Jerusalem.
Why did He go to the Mount of Olives?
According to Luke 21:37, he would spend the night at the lodge during the final days of his life before His crucifixion.
He had friends, such as Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, who lived around that area, which was also known as Bethany.
This underscores Matthew 8:20.
[SLIDE 18] It’s probably verse that is worth a lifelong meditation.
20 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”
Jesus - God in flesh - the Creator of all things, the One who brought all things into existence, had no place of His own to stay.
This teaches us the depth of Jesus’ humiliation and condescension.
His humiliation was not in the sense of personal embarrassment, but in the sense that such lowliness was utterly unfitting for who He truly is.
[SLIDE 19] The Apostle Paul writes elsewhere about the humilitation of Jesus Christ.
9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.
[SLIDE 20] After staying in the Mount of Olives for a night, we’re told what Jesus did the next morning.
2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them.
Now, it’s early in the morning.
Jesus went back to Jerusalem and came again to the temple where He was before.
When He was in the temple, all the people came to Him.
So many people were eager to come and listen to Jesus teach.
I pray that many people in the Oakridge community would be eager to come and hear God’s word.
While Jesus was teaching the crowd, He was interrupted by the scribes and Pharisees.
[SLIDE 21] In verses 3-9, we’ll see that “Jesus Exposes Religious Hypocrisy”. (vv.3-9)
But, first, these religious leaders will expose the sin of the woman who committed adultery.
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?”
The Pharisees have been trying to get Jesus arrested.
Now, they’re attempting to put Jesus in a corner.
The scribes and Pharisees brought a woman who had been CAUGHT in adultery.
They seized her or arrested her.
This woman was married to another man.
But, she decided to sleep with someone else other than her husband.
This was infidelity on her part.
Having caught the woman, the scribes and the Pharisees placed her in the midst of the temple court while Jesus was teaching the crowd.
Imagine the humiliation the woman was being put into.
They didn’t just catch her after she committed sexual immorality, but caught her IN THE MOMENT or IN THE ACT of adultery.
They saw her committing sexual sin with another man.
If she was caught in the act of adultery, then she was probably barely clothed when she’s thrown or being dragged into the midst of the temple court.
Imagine such shame and humiliation of this woman of being caught.
However, this applies to all of us, right?
I wonder how many of you were caught doing something that you knew was wrong.
Most likely, you might have experienced a sense of shame and humiliation.
Even if we try to hide our sins and never get caught, we know that God is sovereign and all-knowing. [SLIDE 22]
13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
Our God knows our sinful thoughts.
He knows what we truly think about those whom we struggle to love.
He see every malicious intent of our hearts.
He knows when we’re being deceptive.
He is fully aware of every sin we commit publicly and privately.
Now, how in the world were they able to catch her and the man?
There would have been at least two eye witnesses to see the act (Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15).
It wasn’t enough to have a single witness.
[SLIDE 23] There needs to be more than enough to convict a criminal.
6 On the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses the one who is to die shall be put to death; a person shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness.
[SLIDE 24] Now, what’s odd about this scenario is that they only brought the woman to be tried, but where is the man?
How come the man is not being tried (Deuteronomy 22:22)?
If she was caught “in the very act,” then the man had to be present too.
Shouldn’t both experience the execution?
There are a number of possible explanations for why the man is not brought before Jesus.
The best possible explanation is that this was a setup.
Their failure to bring the man shows not only inconsistency, but likely ulterior motives
This was not about justice.
It was about trapping Jesus.
And the man involved in the adultery was a part of the trap setup for Jesus.
Additionally, if they were genuinely seeking for justice against the woman, why in the world did they bring the woman to Jesus at all?
While we know theologically, Jesus is the Judge of all things, He’s not the legal judge in Jerusalem.
They could have brought her to the legal court where the case would normally be heard.
But, again, this is a trap.
It’s a setup to test Jesus according to verse 6.
6a This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him.
The scribes and Pharisees challenged Jesus with a case before Him.
Since the woman committed adultery, she is to be executed according to the Law (Leviticus 20:10; Deut 22:22).
And so, Jesus, what do you think about this?
As a way to test Jesus, they asked Him for His opinions, to see whether He agreed with them.
Now, what happens if Jesus answers Yes or No?
If He said, “No,” then Jesus would obviously be going against the Law of Moses.
This would have been something that the religious leaders could accuse Him of.
If He said, “Yes,” then possibly He would be in danger of going against the law of the Romans that forbid the Jews to use capital punishment.
And the Jewish leaders can then report Him to the Roman official for defying the Roman authority.
So, how does Jesus respond?
Jesus responds by doing something odd.
He didn’t respond to their test immediately.
He absolutely knew what was in their heart.
He knew He’s being tested, and He knew their hypocrisy (Mark 12:15).
Here’s what verse 6 says:
6b Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground.
He bents down, and writes on the ground with his finger.
And He does the same thing in verse 8.
Why did Jesus do that?
Perhaps, it was a way to refuse to reply.
Perhaps, it was a way to ignore them.
The million dollar question that Christians and Bible scholars throughout the centuries have asked this question, “What did Jesus write on the ground?”
Here’s the #1 best answer: “We don’t know!”
Why can’t we know?
It’s because the text doesn’t tell us.
Nor the context.
Now, I can offer you possible answers, but they’re generally speculation.
First, there seems to be a longstanding interpretation in church history that Jesus’ writing on the ground alludes back to Jeremiah 17:13 [SLIDE 25]
13 O Lord, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you shall be put to shame; those who turn away from you shall be written in the earth, for they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living water.
This is possible since we talked about the living water last time.
Second, some speculate that Jesus was writing a list of sins committed by each of the Jewish leaders.
But hey, maybe He was just writing: “Mind your own business.”
Ultimately, we don’t know.
If this event was historical, then we can ask Jesus that question when we’re with Him in heaven, right?
We should not speculate too much on what Jesus wrote on the ground.
Rather, we should see the main point of this story, which is exposing the hypocrisy of the Jewish leaders and their corrupt motives.
[SLIDE 26] Here, Jesus responds to them.
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.
While Jesus was on the ground, the religious leaders kept asking Him or questioning Him about the woman.
So, Jesus stood up from His writing.
He clearly states this: “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”
According to the Law, the ones who would be the first to cast the stone would be the witnesses (Deuteronomy 17:6-7) who caught the woman in the act of adultery.
Now, we have to be careful of how we interpret Jesus’ word.
Jesus isn’t saying that the judge in Israel can never condemn a criminal unless he’s sinless.
Or else, there wouldn’t be a fair justice system at all and no one is able to carry out the Law.
Rather, as D.A. Carson puts it, they must not be guilty of that particular sin (i.e. sexual sins).
Dr. Carson explains the comparison of sexual sin committed by men and women in that cultural context.
Back then, women often faced harsher consequences than men when it came to sexual sin.
A man could commit the same sin but still be seen as “respectable,” while the woman would be publicly shamed or punished.
But Jesus, without rejecting the law of Moses, cuts through that double standard.
With just one statement, He goes straight to the heart and confronts the conscience of everyone watching.
Jesus is not telling us that we can never judge other people’s sins.
Rather, we should not make hypocritical judgment.
Matthew 7 says we should remove the log out of our own eyes before we take the speck out of our brother’s eyes.
Afterward, Jesus went back down on the ground, writing.
No further comment.
It is Jesus’ characteristic to give a succinct and smart response that would shut everyone up. (Matthew 21:23-27, 22:22, 46)
It’s a “mic drop” as kids like to say these days.
What’s remarkable about Jesus’ response is that He neither approves nor disapproves the execution of the woman.
With such a response, Jesus puts the responsibility on the accusers’ conscience.
So, how do the religious leaders respond?
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.
So, beginning from the older ones to the young ones, they all left one by one.
The older ones would have been the elders, who were expected to be the leaders with the greatest wisdom and experience.
Those who came to shame Jesus now leave in their own shame.
Those who came to trap Jesus now walk away trapped by their own guilty consciences.
And so, Jesus was left with the woman alone at the center of the court.
Now, it's likely that a crowd was still gathered nearby, watching in silence.
Jesus' disciples may also have been there, observing everything unfold from a distance.
And Jesus - in His tenderness, full of grace and truth - interacts with the woman for the first time.
[SLIDE 27] Here, in verse 10, we see that “Jesus Extends Mercy To Unworthy Sinners.” (v.10)
This mercy is not just for the woman, but for all of us.
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.”
Jesus did not ask this question because He did not know.
His question probably was to show her that no one was around to condemn her.
It was a question that gave her a sense of assurance and ease.
She must have felt a lot of shame during that moment that she wasn’t able to look up.
She must have felt terrified knowing that she might be stoned to death so she may have not wanted to see her demise.
Of course, the woman responds to Jesus, “No one, Lord.”
No one was there to condemn her.
However, Jesus, who was perfect and sinless, had every right to condemn her because He’s God and Judge of the universe.
She is standing at the mercy before a holy God, who is in flesh.
Yet, Jesus is also full of mercy, grace, and compassion that He speaks these words to her: “Neither do I condemn you.”
In other words, not only do I not want to condemn you, but I also have the authority to forgive your sins.
How can Jesus do that?
That’s on the basis of what He’ll do for unworthy sinners on the cross.
He’ll be condemned in her place and in our place.
On the cross, Jesus took the punishment we deserved for our sin.
Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
In my place condemned He stood;
Sealed my pardon with His blood;
Hallelujah! what a Savior!
However, such forgiveness of sin did not mean that the woman can continue in her sin.
[SLIDE 28] So, in verse 11, we see that “Jesus Exhorts Holiness On Forgiven Sinners.” (v.11)
Jesus commands her, “Go, and from now on sin no more.”
Since you have been forgiven much, you are no longer to continue to sin as an adulterer.
Application
And that’s an application from our Lord Jesus to you.
This woman experienced much shame.
However, Jesus suffered shame and humiliation by boring our sin on the cross.
And on the cross, He was despising the shame on our behalf.
If you have trusted in Jesus as your Lord and Saviour,
If you believe in what He has done for you through His death and resurrection,
You can receive the imputed righteousness of Christ.
So that you can receive forgiveness of sins
So that you can stand before a holy God, and be reconciled to Him.
If your sins have been forgiven by the Lord, you are called by the Lord to sin no more.
This doesn’t mean we’ll have sinless perfection.
But, God’s grace and mercy ought to transform us so that we would live for Christ in newness of life, and not live for sin.
[SLIDE 29] The Apostle Paul would later write this:
1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?
We live for Jesus because we love Him.
And we love Him because He first loved us.
However, we can never live for Him by our own strength.
We can never be truly wise by our own wisdom.
Apart from Christ, you can do nothing.
Instead, we need to be low in humility.
We need to rely on the Holy Spirit to strengthen us in our own weakness.
We need to be filled with the Spirit so as to produce the fruit of the Spirit.
[SLIDE 30] Conclusion
So, in conclusion, we have learned four things that are still true about our Lord even if this pericope isn’t found in the earliest manuscripts.
Jesus Exhibits Humility
Jesus Exposes Religious Hypocrisy
Jesus Extends Mercy To Unworthy Sinners
Jesus Exhorts Holiness On Forgiven Sinners
[SLIDE 31] Like the woman who encountered God’s grace through Jesus in the dirt, may you experience that same transformation as you behold the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
May you walk away experiencing forgiveness of our sins.
May you sense that your relationship with God has been restored through Christ Jesus.
May you be empowered to turn from sin and to live in holiness.
May you live for the glory of the One who stooped down at your level to lift you up.
Benediction
23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.
