John 7:53–8:11 Sermon
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53 They went each to his own house, 1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. 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?” 6 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. 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. 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. 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.”
Introduction
Introduction
First, I wanted to deal with the controversy over what has been called the “THE PERICOPE ADULTERAE” which is latin for the “passage of the adulterer.”
The way I’ll present it today is with questions that I believe can help us understand the issue.
The way I’ll present it today is with questions that I believe can help us understand the issue.
Questions pertaining to the THE PERICOPE ADULTERAE.
Questions pertaining to the THE PERICOPE ADULTERAE.
1. What is the controversy about?
1. What is the controversy about?
The controversy is about whether John wrote this section in His original autograph.
The claim is that this was added afterwards which would make it invalid when considering what is authoritative and inspired.
2. Why is controversial and put into question?
2. Why is controversial and put into question?
Here are some of reasons why the pericope adulterae is questioned.
Here are some of reasons why the pericope adulterae is questioned.
First, the earliest Greek manuscripts do not include the story of the woman caught in adultery
D.A. Carson said, Carson, D.A. The Gospel According to John. Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press, 1991. 333.
“All the early church Fathers omit this narrative: in commenting on John, they pass immediately from 7:52 to 8:12.”
There are some that have challenged this claim with pointing out that in the first five centuries, there were church fathers who actually referred to the Pericope Adulterae. Here are some examples.
Eusebius (260 A.D - 340A.D) was a bishop, a historian of Christianity, an exegete, a Christian polemicist and a scholar of the Biblical canon. He claimed that Papias mentioned the Pericope Adulterae in his writings. Papias referred to a very early story about...
Eusebius adds that Papias was Bishop of Hierapolis around the time of Ignatius of Antioch.[5] In this office Papias was presumably succeeded by Abercius of Hierapolis.
“a woman falsely accused before the Lord of many sins.” Eusebius Chapter 39. The Writings of Papias.
Papias lived in the first century. Not much is known about Him but He was a Bishop and was spoken of as "an ancient man who was a hearer of John and a companion of Polycarp."
So here we have an account of the story mentioned very early in church history
Ambrose (340 A.D - 397 A.D) was an Archbishop who strongly opposed the heresy of Arianism. He said,
The name Papias was very common in the region, suggesting that he was probably a native of the area.[6]
“In the same way also the Gospel lesson which has been read, may have caused no small offense to the unskilled, in which you have noticed that an adulteress was brought to Christ and dismissed without condemnation… Did Christ err that He did not judge righteously? It is not right that such a thought should come to our minds.” Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Latinorum, Academia Litterarum Vindobonensis, Volume xxxii. 359-360.
Aurelius Ambrosius[a] (c. 340–397), better known in English as Ambrose (/ˈæmbroʊz/), was an Archbishop of Milan who became one of the most influential ecclesiastical figures of the 4th century. He was the Roman governor of Liguria and Emilia, headquartered in Milan, before being made bishop of Milan by popular acclamation in 374. Ambrose was a staunch opponent of Arianism.
Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Latinorum, Academia Litterarum Vindobonensis, Volume xxxii. 359-360.
Augustine (354 A.D - 430 A.D) who was an African Christian theologian, he critiqued some who removed this section because,
Ambrose was one of the four original Doctors of the Church, and is the patron saint of Milan. He is notable for his influence on Augustine of Hippo.
Augustine (354 A.D - 430 A.D) was an African Christian theologian
“Certain persons of little faith, or rather enemies of the true faith, fearing, I suppose, lest their wives should be given impunity in sinning, removed from their manuscripts the Lord’s act of forgiveness toward the adulteress, as if He who had said ‘sin no more’ had granted permission to sin.” De Adulterinis Conjugiis 2:6-7. Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Latinorum, Academia Litterarum Vindobonensis, Volume xxxxi. 387.
Augustine believed that some scribes purged this section, because it might encourage infidelity in marriage! He writes, “Certain persons of little faith, or rather enemies of the true faith, fearing, I suppose, lest their wives should be given impunity in sinning, removed from their manuscripts the Lord’s act of forgiveness toward the adulteress, as if He who had said ‘sin no more’ had granted permission to sin.”[12]
If I understand correctly, D.A. Carson, along with other scholars, are speaking of the manuscripts that were used when translating the more modern versions we have today. Example: the ESV, the NASB and the NIV. Which used the the earliest manuscripts.
The earlier translations like, Tyndale New Testament 1526, the King James Version 1611 and the Young's Literal Translation 1862, used what was called The Textus Receptus which was in short “a Greek New Testament that provided the textual base for the vernacular translations of the Reformation Period.”
Tyndale New Testament 1526
The Textus Receptus included . That is why you will find it in the earlier versions like the New King James Version.
Tyndale New Testament 1526
King James Version 1611
King James Version 1611
Young's Literal Translation (YLT) 1862
,1613,1629,1664,1701,1744,1762,1769,1850 Quaker Bible 1764 Webster's Revision 1833
Young's Literal Translation (YLT) 1862
Darby Bible 1884,1890[citation needed] New King James Version (NKJV) 1982 (New Testament 1979). With an anglicized version originally known as the "Revised Authorized Version". Green's Literal Translation 1985. Included in The Interlinear Translation 1986. Third Millennium Bible 1998 KJVER (King James Version Easy Read) 2001 The Holy Scriptures Voice of the Wilderness (V-W Edition) 2003 Real - New Testament By Hadarel Corporation 2010 The Holy Bible Lighthouse Version Third Edition - By David Plaisted 2011 Divine Name King James Bible 2011 Modern English Version 2014[29] King James Version 2016 Edition[30]
Died: August 28, 430 AD, Hippo Regius, Annaba, Algeria
Full name: Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis
Movies: Ten Minutes Older: The Cello
The Textus Receptus includes , and the majority of Greek texts do. That is the reason the King James Version of the New Testament (based on the Textus Receptus) includes the section as an original part of the Gospel of John. However, more modern translations, such as the NIV and the ESV, include the section but bracket it as not original. This is because the earliest (and many would say the most reliable) Greek manuscripts do not include the story of the woman taken in adultery.
But the modern translations, such as the ESV, the NIV and the NASB, include the section but they put brackets in to say that the earlier manuscripts that were considered older and more reliable than the Textus Receptus, did not have this section in them.
So the earlier manuscripts used to translate the modern versions we have, bracket this section as not in the manuscripts. The older versions we have (example The King James Version) used the Textus Receptus which included this story. But it was not the oldest of copies available.
Again, we do have mention of the Pericope Adulterae within the first five centuries of the early church but there is no evidence that it was in the gospel of John.
Some have even found it to be in other books in certain manuscripts.
Some have said that Augustine’s criticism of its removal would make sense as to why some of the earlier manuscripts omitted this section but there is no explicit citing to this story being in the gospel of John.
In fact, the earliest commentary on the gospel of John that we have from the first five centuries do not have the pericope adulterae in them.
So the earliest manuscripts we have do not include this story in them.
Another reason why this section is questioned is because of the unique language in it.
There are claims that the story of the woman taken in adultery does not fit its context and that it differs in its vocabulary and general tone from the rest of John’s Gospel
Some NT scholars argue that it seems to interrupt the context of Jesus debating with the religious leaders
It makes mention of Scribes which is found only here in this section and is not found anywhere else in the gospel of John
He argued that without this little pericope, the text would go from 7:52 to 8:12, which he called
“abrupt and unnatural.” Boice, James Montgomery. The Gospel of John: Volume 2 (5:1-8:59). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. 1980. 308.
He also notes that this story seems to fit the pattern of John.
James Boice also mentioned that,
“Two manuscripts leave a blank space where it would have come.” Boice, James Montgomery. The Gospel of John: Volume 2 (5:1-8:59). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. 1980. 307.
He continued to say that
“Some early manuscripts attach it at other places, such as at the end of the gospel or after .” Boice, James Montgomery. The Gospel of John: Volume 2 (5:1-8:59). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. 1980. 307.
D.A. Carson writes, “Although most of the manuscripts that include the story place it here (i.e. at 7:53-8:11), some place it instead after , and other witnesses variously place it after , or .” Carson, D.A. The Gospel According to John. Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press, 1991. 333.
[7] Carson writes, “Although most of the manuscripts that include the story place it here (i.e. at 7:53-8:11), some place it instead after , and other witnesses variously place it after , or .”[8] This may corroborate Augustine’s theory (cited below): this account was clipped out and was just floating around the manuscripts.
This may corroborate Augustine’s criticism that there where certain persons of little faith, enemies of the true faith who removed from their manuscripts the Lord’s act of forgiveness toward the adulteress.
So what do we do today with this story?
John Calvin, commentary on .
“It is plain enough that this passage was unknown anciently to the Greek Churches; and some conjecture that it has been brought from some other place and inserted here. But as it has always been received by the Latin Churches, and is found in many old Greek manuscripts, and contains nothing unworthy of an Apostolic Spirit, there is no reason why we should refuse to apply it to our advantage.”
The story is not found in the majority of the earliest manuscripts. But it is made mention early in Christian history and Augustine did make mention of its removal.
. He became the
bishop of Caesarea Maritimaabout 314 AD. Together with Pamphilus, he was
a scholar of the Biblical canon and is regarded as an extremely learned Christian of his time.[5] He wrote Demonstrations of the Gospel, Preparations for the Gospel, and On Discrepancies between the Gospels, studies of the Biblical text.
Bruce Metzger said, “The account has all the earmarks of historical veracity” (Textual Commentary, 220).
And D.A. Carson said, “There is little reason for doubting that the event here described occurred” (The Gospel According to John, 333).
And so my approach today is to highlight two points in the story that speaks to what is true about Jesus Christ that we know to be true according to what is actually inspired.
I believe, because of early testimonies of the church fathers, that this actually happened. And we will look to into this story and then see what God’s word says!
The two points we will look into in is
The two points we will look into in is
1. Jesus is greater than the law.
1. Jesus is greater than the law.
2. Jesus is compassionate.
2. Jesus is compassionate.
These two points will be my focus today as to what is true about Jesus according to Scripture.
So today we will look to
1. The Setting (v.53 - 8:1)
1. The Setting (v.53 - 8:1)
1. Jesus greater than the law (v.53-8:1-8)
1. Jesus greater than the law (v.53-8:1-8)
53 They went each to his own house,
1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. 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?” 6 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. 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.
This story has Jesus going to the temple early in the morning.
-8
It shows us that people came to Him and it speaks of Jesus sitting down and teaching them.
The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery.
They asked Him, “in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?”
The story does tell us that they did this to test Him.
It is interesting to note that John does not speak anywhere else in his gospel account about the religious leaders actually testing Jesus.
The only time in the gospel of John we see this is when Jesus said to Philip (In 6:5-6), “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” And it says that Jesus said this to Him to test him, for Jesus already knew what he would do. Which was Jesus feeding the five thousand.
5 Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” 6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .
In we do have an example of the Pharisees trying to trap Jesus in His talk.
In , we do see the Pharisees again trying to catch Jesus saying something that would get Him in trouble.
Matt. 16:1; 19:3; 22:18, 35; Mark 8:11; 10:2; 12:15; Luke 10:25; 11:16
The gospels are full of examples where they tried to set Jesus up to be arrested and killed.
We have examples in:
; ; , ;
; ; ;
; ,
They speak of Jesus being tested by the religious elites. But in the gospel of John, there is no mention of Jesus being tested.
According to the story, the scribes and the Pharisees sought to test Jesus and they brought up the law of Moses and the command to stone her because of what the law said about adultery.
10 “If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.
22 “If a man is found lying with the wife of another man, both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman. So you shall purge the evil from Israel.
Deutoronomy 22:22
The law was clear about this.
Leviticus
;
Jesus, speaking to the scribes and Pharisees said, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”
We see the story beginning with Jesus at the temple, the religious leaders seeking to test Him by bringing Him a woman who was caught in adultery and then we see His response.
There are two things to note here.
There are two things to note here.
1. We see religious leaders wanting to test Jesus who was without sin.
1. We see religious leaders wanting to test Jesus who was without sin.
This is of course something we do see in the gospels.
to test v. — to put to the test in order to ascertain the nature of something, including imperfections, faults, or other qualities.
To test meant to ascertain the nature of something, more specifically imperfection and/or faults.
This is what they sought to do in the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke). They sought to find fault or an imperfection in Christ in order to charge Him.
But as states,
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
We see clearly that Jesus, though fully and truly man, was without sin because He was fully and truly God.
We at Christ Alone Fellowship believe in the impeccability of Christ.
We believe that Jesus Christ could not have sinned.
He knew no sin () and He committed no sin ().
Impeccability (the absence of sin) is clearly shown in the Scriptures. And because Jesus was God in the flesh, God the Son could not have sinned.
Looking through Matthew, Mark and Luke we witness the absurd attempt to find fault in someone who was without sin and incapable of committing it.
These events highlight for us the sad state of those apart from faith. They attempt to do something that cannot be done. Which brings us to ask a question which was Jesus’ point.
2. We see
2. Who is without sin?
2. Who is without sin?
We are not without sin. The Scriptures are clear about this!
There is a list I found that can help us ask the questions and answer some questions pertaining to this with Scripture.
Asking who is without sin is a good question!
1. Is man basically good or basically evil?
29 See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.
12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—
2. All men? Are there any exceptions? The answer is no!
- “See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.”
7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
- For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
- For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
,
- sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned… by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners
- for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
- All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way
,
8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
3. Are people good at the core?
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we say we have not sinned, we make [God] a liar, and his word is not in us.
21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
4. Are men totally depraved? Is every faculty of the person corrupted? Yes!
a. The heart is corrupted
Verse 53 They went each to his own house, 1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
Verse 53 They went each to his own house, 1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
Verse 53 They went each to his own house, 1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
Verse 53 They went each to his own house, 1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?
Verse 2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them.
Verse 2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them.
b. The will is corrupted
34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.
c. Desires/passions are corrupted
3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
Every part of our being has been corrupted with sin and it is inescapable apart for genuine saving faith.
In fact says,
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.
This is who were are and what we are. We are born in sin.
According to ,
4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.
We are natural law breakers. We have broken God’s law and God sought justice for breaking His law.
The moment we sinned we deserved the wrath of God.
So who is without sin?
Answer: None of us! Only Jesus Christ who was God in the flesh was without sin!
We are all corrupted with sin and we all deserve the judgements for breaking God’s law.
The woman in the story deserved to be punished for what she did. They were right. But Jesus response wasn’t to do away with the law.
He was showing them that He came to fulfill it!
So if we broke the law of God and God must be just in His judgements in passing judgement on us who broke His law, what hope do we have?
Our hope lies in Christ! It lies in the compassion of God shown in Christ!
Verse 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst
Verse 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst
The law of God condemns us because we all have sinned and thus we are all law breakers.
Verse 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery.
Verse 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery.
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Verse 5 Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?”
Verse 5 Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?”
Jesus fulfilled the law! He did not abolish them. And because He fulfilled them,
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
1 Corinthians
Our righteousness is attained, not by our works, but by the work of Christ.
And by taking upon the justice of God on the cross we have been given the benefits that came by faith in Him.
And so we died to the law and its demands and our now under grace when we place our faith in Him.
Romans 7:
4 Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God.
The law shows us our sin but Christ shows us our righteousness!
This is our hope!
That is why Christ is greater than the law. By fulfilling it, He removed its demands from us by fulfilling its demands which then He would accredit its fulfillment on our behalf!
By doing this He gave us His righteousness was necessary in order for us to stand before God unpunished and with a clear conscious.
Not only do we go unpunished but we are granted favor and acceptance before the Father!
That is why Christ is greater!
The law exposes our sin and Christ points to His finished work!
Verse 6 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.
Verse 6 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.
We were given the righteousness of Christ by His love for the glory of God the Father and in completing His will perfectly we then receive right standing with God the Father through the finished work of Jesus Christ.
We didn’t need this story to show us that! Just look to the cross!
Verse 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.”
Verse 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.”
The cross is where see the greatest display of compassion!
Verse 8 And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground.
Verse 8 And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground.
It shows us that Jesus was compassionate to those who were under condemnation by becoming a curse for us in which He was treated as one who was condemned!
2. Jesus was compassionate (v.9-11)
2. Jesus was compassionate (v.9-11)
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. 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.”
In the story, after Jesus said “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her,” they heard this and they left.
Verse 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.
Verse 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.
Verse 10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
Verse 10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
He then said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” Then she said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”
Verse 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”
Verse 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”
The compassion of God shown towards those who are in condemnation is shown in the gospel!
10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
We may question whether this story actually happened. But what we cannot deny is that Jesus was compassionate.
I want to end with a story that we all would agree is in the Scriptures.
36 One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. 37 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” 40 And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.” 41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 44 Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” 50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”