Most Famous Passage That’s Not There
Notes
Transcript
I’ve titled this morning’s message, “The Most Famous Passage That’s Not There”; it’s an odd title, however there are some that would argue it should not be included in our Bibles. Now before we throw the baby out with the bathwater so to speak. I’m going to talk about the passage before we read it, but so that you know what passage I’m talking about it’s the story fo the woman caught in adulter brought before Jesus.
If you’re reading the passage in your Bible today it may be presented in several different ways. Some Bible publishers put this passage in brackets with a footnote or perhaps a subtitle that reeads,
[The earliest manuscripts do not include 7:53-8:11]
[The earliest manuscripts do not include 7:53-8:11]
Then there may be something like this one from the English Standard Version:
English Standard Version
Some manuscripts do not include 7:53–8:11; others add the passage here or after 7:36 or after 21:25 or after
So, if this isn’t in the earliest manuscripts why is it in our Bibles? Great question. The passage is included largely due to ecclesiastical tradition and the story’s perceived authenticity. Despite evidence it was a later addition both the Roman Catholic tradition required the story to bve considered a part of Scripture and Protestants did not break with that tradition, even though it is missing from the most reliable early manuscripts.
It first appears in a Greek text from the 5th century, although it is alluded to by Greek writers as early as the 2nd century.
Many New Testament scholars believe it is an account of an actual event from the life of Jesus that was circulated independently, most likely orally transmitted within the early church, and that managed to wrestle itself a place within the canonical Gospel of John around 400 AD. This oral circulation gave the narrative credibility within church communities, making later scribes willing to insert it into written texts.
Scholarly opinion divides on how to handle the passage. For some scholars, absence from the earliest manuscripts renders it neither inspired nor canonical. For others, this absence is not decisive, so long as the passage was later recognized by the church. Still others opt for a middle route: keep it in despite its late inclusion, but refrain from designating it inspired in the same sense as the original text. Some translations place brackets around the story, print it in a smaller font, or place it at the end of the Gospel, all with notes of explanation. So far, no modern translators have chosen to leave it out altogether. In fact it’s sometimes left out of commentaries entirely.
We’re going to talk about it for several reasons -
One - for centuries it has inspired Christians and non Christians alike.
Two - There is nothing in this passage that contradicts anything that Jesus the actions or words of Jesus elsewhere in Scripture.
Three - Despite its tenuous inclusion into the Gospel of John it has a message for us today.
So, now, let’s get into the passage. I’m going to read today’s passage a little differently than I usually do in that I’m going to read through it with a bit of commentary - the verses will be on the Screen and we’ll ask questions and make comments of them. So here we go.
As you may remember the Pharisees and Jesus were at odds at the end of chapter 7. Nicodemus was encouraging his fellow Pharisees to give Jesus a hearing, and they accuse him of being from Galilee. So we begin with Jesus and his accusers going their separate ways.
[[They went each to his own house, but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them.
The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst
they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery.
Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?”
This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground.
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.”
And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground.
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.
Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”]]
And there was much cheering and no more weeping or gnashing of teeth.
What do we learn?
What do we learn?
As we walk through this passage what do we learn? The first thing we notice is the vindictiveness of the scribes and Pharisees. They bring a woman caught in the act of adultery but somehow her dance partner is missing.
They then seek to set a trap for Jesus pointing to the Law of Moses. If he affirms their wanting to stone the woman for being caught in this act he would lose his status as merciful and a friend to sinners. He would also be directly challenging the authority of the Roman government as the Jews did not have legal authority to enforce a death sentence. If he doesn’t enforce it he would be denying the Law that he says he upholds.
So the scene is set, they’re trying to test Jesus, and what does he do? He kneels down and begins to write with his finger on the ground. What do you imagine that He wrote? The Scripture doesn’t tell us so anything we imagine is pure conjecture. Perhaps this is one of those questions we’ll have for when we get to glory.
Some have said that he was merely stalling. Others say He wrote out the 10 commandments. Some have said perhaps He was writing out the names of those standing around next to a list of their sins. He stands up and says, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” Um, yeah, that’d cause me to drop any stone I had to throw. Let’s look a little closer at this verse: John 8:7
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.”
It’s not just, “him who is without sin” as that might leave it up to one’s own personal assessment, but it is “Him who is without sin among you…” So now it’s not just personal assessment, you’d be making this proclamation amongst your community that knows you. You’re all ready to throw a stone and you catch Joseph’s eye reminding you of that time…
According to the text the older ones drop their’s first - why? My opinion is the older you are the more you’re able to recognize and admit the mistakes you’ve made both with and without intention.
When we live in community much is known about us - the good, the bad, the quirks, the ups and the downs.
After saying this, Jesus again kneels down to write on the ground, perhaps returning to listing out the charges against those standing there so eager to condemn.
It rings of the Sermon on the Mount as recorded in Matthew 5-7, specifically the beginning of Matthew 7:1-2
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.
In this passage we see it lived out.
Ultimately Jesus is left alone with the woman standing before him. He stands up and asks her, John 8:10
Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
“Has no one condemned you.” is Jesus question. Was she worthy of condemnation? As we read the scripture there is nothing here that says she was not guilty of the charge levied against her. Even though the other person is obviously missing this does not absolve her from apparent guilt. Jesus does not say she’s not guilty. In the closing verse she simply says, “No one, Lord.” She herself does not attempt to absolve herself of guilty only states plainly that she has not been condemned.
She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”]]
“Neither do I condemn you; go, and from no on sin no more.”
She is not seen as innocent, she’s not condemned. And she’s given the challenge you and I rise with each and every day, “From now on sin no more.”
The Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Rome, Romans 8:1
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
This is where Christians live every day. Do we sin? Yes!
Are we accountable for each and everyone of those sins? Yes!
Are we condemned for those sins? Ye…well it depends.
It depends not on how grievous the sin but your attitude towards it. It is imperative that you and I recognize the sinfulness that permeates our lives. We read in John’s first pastoral letter, 1 John 1:8
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
and in verse 10, 1 John 1:10
If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Both of these are powerful statements. Lying right between those is the statement of incredible grace, 1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
We’re not the ones who can make ourselves clean, it is only through the grace of God through the work of Jesus on the cross that we can be fully cleansed from our unrighteousness. Again, Paul writes to the Corinthian church, 2 Cor 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
So this passage is so important for us in that we recognize the woman’s guilt remains, yet without condemnation.
When you reflect on your own life, what are some sins that still weigh you down?
What are some stones that perhaps you refuse to let go of as you seek to condemn others?
Scripture is clear, “none is righteous, no, not one…”
There is none who does good, not even one.
The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity; there is none who does good. God looks down from heaven on the children of man to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all fallen away; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.
These verse would have been known to those scribes and Pharisees, and then we have Paul’s message to the Romans 3:23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
We must be honest about the fact that we’re not the people we often wish we were and are created to be. That’s why each day it is important that we continue strive each day to be better than the day before.
The absolute greatest life you can possibly live is the life you were created for. The world will continue to try and tell us what kind of life we can live, that filling our own deepest desires. We desire companionship, we desire intimacy - was this woman doing anything against that?
She got caught. And whether we want to admit it or not the scribes and Pharisees in this passage were not wrong in pointing out she was in violation of God’s Law given through Moses. She was guilty as charged.
Yet this passage is not solely about her guilt. It’s about self-righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, it’s about condemnation, and it’s about mercy. She doesn’t get what she deserves.
It’s because of God’s grace and Jesus’ humility and work on the cross that you and I do not get what we deserve. You and I are not condemned. We are forgiven and freed from our past sins if we’ve confessed them. Still you and I are challenged by that phrase “Go, and sin no more.” That is our challenge daily.
We know what sin is, now we must strive to live by it.
