And everyone went to his own house. But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do you say?"
This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first." And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.
Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?" She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more." Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."
The passage above was taken from King James Bible. John 8: 1-12. The reason I felt the need to write this passage was I believe we live in an unforgiving and judgmental world. When people do wrong it is ok to not like the act, but who are we to condemn someone or not forgive them? Jesus does not like adultery, but still felt compelled to forgive this woman of her act. If Jesus is so forgiving, then why can't us regular folks be the same way? The next time you want to not forgive someone who has wronged you ask yourself, have I ever wronged someone? And after you answer that question you will not feel so unforgiving after that. By the way, if adultery was still a stoneable offense today, how many of you would be dead already?
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| An Adulteress Faces the Light of the World |
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Josuha
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Feb 5 @ 10:02PM
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When people do wrong it is ok to not like the act, but who are we to condemn someone or not forgive them?
You missed an important part of the scripture for the context.
What was Jesus writing in the dirt with his finger?
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justsayyeah7
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Feb 5 @ 10:05PM
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The passage does not say what Jesus was writing in the dirt. Please read the passage and you will see that I wrote it word for word.
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jayej
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Feb 6 @ 12:53AM
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John 8 (King James Version)
THE SETTING
V 2 "The Temple"
V 3 "the scribes and Pharisees"
How do they address Jesus?
V 4 "Master"
this is an acknowledgement of his knowledge of "the Law"
NOW THE TEST
V 5 "Moses in the law commanded us"
V 5 "but what sayest thou?"
V 6 "This they said, tempting him"
Well Jesus had been through the temptation thing already and got through it with Satan...I figure he knew what he was doing here with the Pharisees.
V 6 So Jesus stoops down and writes something in the ground, while they were still trying to make thier case. Ignoring what they were saying.
V 7 So 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.
V 8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
V 9 And they which heard it,being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
 hmmm They which heard it? They heard writing on the ground. 
"being convicted by their own conscience" oooohhh maybe their heart heard it.
what did they do?
"went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last'
Now here is the first question...
Considering the scribes and Pharisees were supposed to be the most knowledgable men around concerning the Law.
What could Jesus have possibly written that would have convicted their conscience?
Here is the second question
What were they convicted of?
Here is the third question
Why did they leave?
Here is my next question
Who else wrote what on stone that would have the power to convict men of what?
Now let me present a couple of other scriptures as answers to the questions I posed.
Exodus 24:12 (King James Version)
12And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.
Lets see...God wrote the law on stone....Moses was to teach the law and comandments....hmmm for what purpose.....so man might know without a doubt what his law was...because if you broke the law it was sin, and the wages of sin is death.
Ok quick run down...what did Jesus write on the ground?
I am going to take a guess here and say "The Law" because there was nothing else really that would convict the scribes and Pharisees to the point of just walking away.
"He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her."
If they stayed and pressed the charges...they would have had to have been deemed quilty of their sins as well.
How did they know that Jesus knew their sins?
they which heard it,being convicted by their own conscience,
Who was Jesus that he had the authority to convict the conscience of even a scribe or Pharisees?
This is what they must have been asking themselves.
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justsayyeah7
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Feb 6 @ 1:03AM
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hmmm They which heard it? They heard writing on the ground.
This is what they heard:
He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
After they heard Jesus say this is when they felt compelled to leave. Not the writing on the dirt.
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jayej
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Feb 6 @ 1:41AM
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I think I have addressed 8 1-9 (on both blogs)
I am going to address the question that seems to be the stumbling block here.
between the two blogs.
Do we judge?
Jesus judged, he judged by his own authority. His judgement was:
V 11 Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
The judgement came with instruction.
He did not say she was not quilty...he said he did not condemn her.
The instruction of course was "sin no more" that is where he acknowledged she was quilty.
So let me finish this without having to quote all the scriptures to prove my point. OK?
I know the authors of both blogs obviously feel very passionate about this topic.
Outside of the "the flock" we do not judge..that is Gods job. We as Christians know the world and have come out of it. This is the very people we want to bring into the fold. Harsh judgments only serves to push people away.
However within the flock. If after a time......there is no repentance, yes it is our responsibility to confront someone that is still practing an unrepented sin. Even to ask them to leave, until they repent.
If you have a house full of healthy people and someone brings in a communicable illness do not not isolate one so the rest of the house stays healthy?
When thier health returns do you welcome them back into the house? Absolutley.
But while they are sick do you allow them to infect everyone? If you do, you end up with a very weak flock. How does a weak flock defend themselves against another illness?
Call on Jesus? Do you not think he would first ask how is you allowed your entire flock to get sick? You took no actions to maintain your own health?
Yes Jesus died and paid for your sins, that gift was free to us, but it cost him to be scorned, beaten, crucified. Did he know this was his fate? Absolutely ....
Matthew 26:39
39And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
If it is Jesus that stands between us and God so that God does not see our sins. How many times will we bring him to the cross? Will we sin, repent and do it again? What is the instruction?
V 11 Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
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justsayyeah7
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Feb 6 @ 8:54AM
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This is what I think this passage means. I think people are reading more into this then is really there. The passage starts off as Jesus is teaching in the temple. Then the scribes and Pharisees come along with a woman they accuse of adultery. They use this woman to test Jesus with the laws. Jesus ignores them. We know He ignores them because instead of answering them He writes in the dirt. I believe the writer mentions Jesus writing in the dirt only to show that Jesus was ignoring them. But they persisted, so Jesus finally answers them and then goes back to writing in the dirt. This writing in the dirt part is Jesus way of saying I am done with you scribes and Pharisees. There is no hidden meaning there. Why do I think this? Because after all of the scribes and Pharisees leave, then Jesus looks up. The whole point of this passage i believe is that Jesus is showing us that we all sin so who are we to pass judgment on other sinners.
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MisterMatt
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Feb 10 @ 1:36AM
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Romans 13
Submission to the Authorities
1Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. 4For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. 6This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. 7Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
Love, for the Day is Near
8Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. 9The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet,"[a] and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself."[b] 10Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
11And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.[c]
Footnotes:
Romans 13:9 Exodus 20:13-15,17; Deut. 5:17-19,21
Romans 13:9 Lev. 19:18
9I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.
12What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you."[a]
1 Corinthians 6
Lawsuits Among Believers
1If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints? 2Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? 3Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! 4Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, appoint as judges even men of little account in the church![b] 5I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? 6But instead, one brother goes to law against another—and this in front of unbelievers!
7The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? 8Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers.
Romans 13 (New International Version)
New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
I find it totally interesting that we are using the adulteress for our working example of being judgemental. I have had my stint with those who claim that the only pathway to righteousness is through total lack of judging others. Complete and total disregard for the law. Love your brother as your self.
I say this in all love and being genuine. If I cause but the weakest of my brothers(or sisters) to stumble and fall it would be better to have a mill stone tied around my neck and drowned in the sea. I anticipate and welcome being discipled. Not disciplined, discipled.
As Paul clearly points out. We must love as Christ loved, but judge with love and grace and forgiveness. But if the sinner is a Christian, and they rebuke discipleship, they should be cast out of the fold and left to the world to judge.
The verses I have quoted may seem totally out of context. But if you really think about it, they relate and are relevant.
I have faced this very delima personally in my life. Not as the adulterer, but as the victim as such. I watched the church use this very verse to try and free the accused of there wrong doings. But to have them rapidly return to there ways of sin. Expecting the church and those around them to forgive seventy times seven.
One cannot allow those that claim to be a christian to make a mockery of the church. The Lord our God will not be made a mockery of. This is why Paul instructs the church to cast them out. In this case, the church could be represented by the sadducees and pharisees.
The sadducees and Pharisees were not attempting to bring peace or reconciliation. They were not concerned for the spiritual well being of the accused. Just the opportunity to flex there muscles of authority and challenge the divinity of Jesus.
At this point the leaders of the law were breaking one of there own ten commandments. It is totally irrelevant if the writing in the sand was words. Perhaps it was. Remember the day of Pentecost when the holy spirit came down and all those in attendance heard the good news in there own tongue. Greek Hebrew, what ever? If Jesus was indeed writing in the sand something relevant, then what he was writing was less relevant then what the teachers of the law saw. Remember, each saw there own sins.
I think there is a rousding theme at the end of this message. It repeats it's self throughout the new and old testaments. This would be the words, "your sins are forgiven, go and sin no more".
Pity we forget this most important pa
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