Jesus' sparing the adulteress

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tourist

Senior Member
Mar 13, 2014
42,581
17,050
113
69
Tennessee
#82
it's simple, if everyone breaks the law, everyone must be stoned
"Well, they'll stone you when you're trying to be so good.
They'll stone you just like they said they would.
They'll stone you when you're trying to go home,
Then they'll stone you when you're there all alone.
But I would not feel so all alone,
Everybody must get stoned."
 

Mem

Senior Member
Sep 23, 2014
7,150
2,171
113
#84
Jesus said, "Let him that is without sin throw the first stone." Well, seeing that He is the only one without sin, was Jesus essentially saying, 'leave all judgment to Me"? And when He said to the woman, "...neither do I condemn thee," was He suggesting His judgment the only one that counts as valid? When He asks, 'where are your accusers, does anyone condemn you?' speaking exclusively of accusers and she answered, 'no one' and His reply, "neither do I..." suggests His exclusion from "anyone," considering He is not just "anyone."...
So, essentially this is a lesson in leaving God's judgment to Him alone, we are not sufficiently skilled nor even capable of picking up that sword, let alone wielding it.
 

AndrewMorgan

Active member
Jul 10, 2022
375
81
28
#85
Jesus said, "Let him that is without sin throw the first stone." Well, seeing that He is the only one without sin, was Jesus essentially saying, 'leave all judgment to Me"? And when He said to the woman, "...neither do I condemn thee," was He suggesting His judgment the only one that counts as valid? When He asks, 'where are your accusers, does anyone condemn you?' speaking exclusively of accusers and she answered, 'no one' and His reply, "neither do I..." suggests His exclusion from "anyone," considering He is not just "anyone."...
So, essentially this is a lesson in leaving God's judgment to Him alone, we are not sufficiently skilled nor even capable of picking up that sword, let alone wielding it.

Ultimately, all judgement comes from God, but before His system reaches its fulfilment, He has set up a system of temporary judgement - involving execution of adulteresses. I don't know, but maybe there were other factors in this scenario:- eg - Jesus being on Earth, preparing the way for the next stage, the restraints of Roman law, as has been suggested.
 

BillG

Senior Member
Feb 15, 2017
9,023
4,444
113
#86
"Well, they'll stone you when you're trying to be so good.
They'll stone you just like they said they would.
They'll stone you when you're trying to go home,
Then they'll stone you when you're there all alone.
But I would not feel so all alone,
Everybody must get stoned."
I'd rather get stoned by beer or whiskey than by rocks.

Or maybe whiskey on the rocks.
 

Mem

Senior Member
Sep 23, 2014
7,150
2,171
113
#90
Ultimately, all judgement comes from God, but before His system reaches its fulfilment, He has set up a system of temporary judgement - involving execution of adulteresses. I don't know, but maybe there were other factors in this scenario:- eg - Jesus being on Earth, preparing the way for the next stage, the restraints of Roman law, as has been suggested.
This is coming to mind, it's early so I won't do the leg work retrieving the verses, but something like
'If the law were perfect... then there would be no need for another...' and "the perfect has come..."
 

Thewatchman

Active member
Jun 19, 2021
622
116
43
#91
I've considered this event. It seems the accusers were obeying the Mosaic Law when bringing the woman to justice. Why did Jesus not fulfil this commandment? Was it because His presence on Earth was issuing in a new legal era?
Or something else?
Jesus said that He did not come to change the law. He sais I will not change one dot or tittle of the law. The law He was talking about were the 10 commandments. He did however come to do away with the Sacrificial law. The men that brought the woman to Jesus were just as guilty as she was. We do not know what Jesus wrote on the ground with the stick but I am sure it was not just a drawing of some sort. If I had to make an educated guess it was a list of sins that included her. The men all left in shame bur the woman stayed; What did Jesus ask her? Where are your accusers? She replied I do not know. Jesus told her He did not accuse her either but to go and sin no more. We do not serve a harsh task master but a Loving and forgiving God. Do not take that loving kindness as a sing of weakness; God said “Vengeance is mine” but He also wishes non to parish.

The woman had not committed the unforgivable sin.
 

CS1

Well-known member
May 23, 2012
13,016
4,316
113
#93
I've considered this event. It seems the accusers were obeying the Mosaic Law when bringing the woman to justice. Why did Jesus not fulfil this commandment? Was it because His presence on Earth was issuing in a new legal era?
Or something else?
because they were not obeying the Mosaic law. They only brought the woman who they said was caught in the VERY ACT of adultery.

Therefore where was the man? In addition, the only one who could stone her was one free from this sin. Those who caught this woman in the act of adultery knew where to find her. They did so to trap Jesus.
 

CS1

Well-known member
May 23, 2012
13,016
4,316
113
#94
I don't understand. As I understand it, the Law taught that if a woman were caught in adultery by 2 or more witnesses, she was to be put to death. I don't see how "mercy" played a part in this.
it is not just the women it takes two
 

Mem

Senior Member
Sep 23, 2014
7,150
2,171
113
#95
it is not just the women it takes two
JJ used the word hypocrites in describing those that brought the woman to Jesus, and I agree this is an accurate nomenclature of these characters, going by the letter of the law rather than the spirit. So, when you ask, where was the man in all this, they'll say, there is no scripture concerning the man's judgment, because they can't follow the spirit to conclude the man's sentence, by God's standards, is also death. Maybe not by stoning but, ultimately, by death nonetheless, for the wages of sin is death.
 

Mem

Senior Member
Sep 23, 2014
7,150
2,171
113
#96
I suppose also that the defense might say that the man didn't sin against anyone, since women was made for the man's pleasure... yeah, I'm pretty sure that is the fleshly interpretation of it, I've heard it far too many times to conclude otherwise, although it misses the true spirit of the reason she was created by entire solar systems.

Can anyone think of how the adulterer, apart from the obvious sin against his wife (though the same argument would likely be applied to her also, being a woman) might've sinned against this woman? and I'll listen to the crickets until then.
 

Mem

Senior Member
Sep 23, 2014
7,150
2,171
113
#97
Can you imagine the buzz in times of temple sacrifices? I think it would go something like this, "My sin was just a little dove death sin, yours requires a bull's death!" However, not even a sparrow can fall to the ground outside of God noticing.
 

Randy4u2c

Active member
Sep 13, 2022
165
76
28
#98
I've considered this event. It seems the accusers were obeying the Mosaic Law when bringing the woman to justice. Why did Jesus not fulfil this commandment? Was it because His presence on Earth was issuing in a new legal era?
Or something else?
It was something else. The law the Pharisees referred to was the law concerning a betrothed damsel in Deut 22:24. The Pharisees were trying to trip up the Lord with the law. If the woman was taken in adultery, why wasn't the man also brought to be stoned? This case was in regards to another man's wife committing a trespass as written in Num 5:11-31. The Lord complied with the law prescribed in such a case and stooped down and wrote the curses on the ground as required in verse 23. The Pharisees saw that the Lord saw through their deception and began walking away.
 

studentoftheword

Well-known member
Nov 12, 2021
1,706
594
113
#99
The Pharisees were hoping Jesus would screw up and wouldn't know the Law on Adultery so they could accuse Him of breaking the Law ----they wanted Jesus out of their way ---but Jesus fooled them and reversed the situation back on them by saying ----

John 8:7 KJV
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.

I say -----This was brilliant of Jesus to say this -----He played His cards and won the victory -----they went away with their tails between their legs -----and notice Jesus didn't say anything about the Law on this situation or accuse them of trying to trick Him ---He kept it very simple and made them feel guilty and ashamed --because they were committing a sin right then and there by only bringing the woman to be stoned when the Law required the stoning of the man also ------


 
I've considered this event. It seems the accusers were obeying the Mosaic Law when bringing the woman to justice. Why did Jesus not fulfil this commandment? Was it because His presence on Earth was issuing in a new legal era?
Or something else?
Because it is written, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice.