Commentary on the Four Gospel Books
The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ
G086 The Lord Jesus and the Woman Caught in Adultery
John 8:1-11

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All the Bible verses quoted in this article are from the King James Version, unless otherwise noted.

John 8:1-11

1 Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.

2 And early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came unto Him; and He sat down, and taught them.

3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto Him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,

4 They say unto Him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.

5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest Thou?

6 This they said, tempting Him, that they might have to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down, and with His finger wrote on the ground, as though He heard them not.

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.

8 And again He stooped down, and wrote on the ground.

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.

10 When Jesus had lifted up Himself, and saw none but the woman, He said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?

11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

This lesson will examine the incident in which the scribes and Pharisees brought a woman who had committed adultery to test the Lord Jesus.

John 8:1-2

1 Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.

2 And early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came unto Him; and He sat down, and taught them.

After the Lord Jesus taught in the Temple on the solemn Sabbath following the Feast of Tabernacles, evening came. Perhaps everyone returned home, while the Lord Jesus and His disciples went to the Mount of Olives to spend the night. The Mount of Olives is about 1.6 km east of the Temple as the crow flies; on foot, it would likely be a bit over 2 km. Walking from the Temple up the mountain requires crossing the Kidron Valley, likely taking around 30 minutes. It is quite possible that the Lord Jesus spent the night in the Garden of Gethsemane, an olive grove located partway up the mountain. The Lord Jesus and His disciples were accustomed to such nights spent under the open sky. Several places in Scripture show that the Lord Jesus often spent the night outdoors.

Early the next morning, it is likely that the Lord Jesus, along with His disciples, went straight from the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem’s Eastern Gate, then through the Beautiful Gate, and entered the Temple colonnade along Solomon’s Porch. This area, located on the east side of the Temple, was a public space where people could gather, converse, and discuss matters related to God’s Word and Jewish laws. It is likely here that the Lord Jesus continued teaching the crowd.

A large group of people, probably gathered at the Temple for the morning prayer time, came to hear Him teach. Those who had previously listened to Him and believed in Him wanted to continue hearing His profound teachings on God’s Word. Those who had not yet believed wanted to explore His teachings, while those who opposed Him sought reasons to find fault with Him.

Illustration of Solomon’s Porch in the Temple area
https://timhieuthanhkinh.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/MinhHoaMaiHienSalomon.png

Regrettably, the Scripture does not record the words the Lord Jesus taught to the people that morning.

John 8:3-5

3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto Him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,

4 They say unto Him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.

5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest Thou?

The scribes and Pharisees likely anticipated that the Lord Jesus would return to the Temple to teach, so that morning, they brought to Him a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery to test Him.

“This woman was taken in adultery, in the very act” means that she was married and was caught while engaging in sexual relations with a man who was not her husband. However, we do not see the man who committed adultery with her being brought forward. This shows that the scribes and Pharisees were setting a trap for the Lord Jesus.

According to God’s law, both the man and the woman who commit adultery are to be put to death:

“And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.” (Leviticus 20:10).

“If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then they shall both of them die, both the man that lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou put away evil from Israel.” (Deuteronomy 22:22).

The law does not specify stoning as the method of execution, but in Old Testament times, execution was often carried out by stoning the guilty until death. By the way the scribes and Pharisees phrased their question, they wanted the Lord Jesus to speak up and tell them to stone the woman.

John 8:6-8

6 This they said, tempting Him, that they might have to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down, and with His finger wrote on the ground, as though He heard them not.

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.

8 And again He stooped down, and wrote on the ground.

If the Lord Jesus spoke up and told them to stone the woman, they would then ask Him, “So, is the mercy and forgiveness You often teach not applied in this case?” Additionally, they would bring Him before Governor Pilate on the charge of inciting murder. At that time, the Roman authorities had prohibited the Israelites from sentencing anyone to death, as they told Governor Pilate, recorded in John 18:31, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.”

If the Lord Jesus spoke up and told them to forgive the woman, they would condemn Him as one who opposed God’s law. This meant that whether the Lord Jesus responded with “stone her” or “do not stone her,” they could find fault with Him.

This was similar to when they asked Him whether it was right to pay taxes to Rome. If He answered that taxes should be paid, they would say He was a traitor to Israel, serving the Roman government. If He answered that taxes should not be paid, they would hand Him over to the Roman soldiers with the charge of opposing the government.

The Lord Jesus did not answer their question but instead bent down and wrote on the ground with His finger. In reality, the ground there was paved with stone. We do not know what the Lord Jesus wrote on the ground. It’s quite possible that He wrote down the adulteries of those accusing the woman, listing their names and those they had sinned with. Some Greek manuscripts add a few words at the end of verse 6: “the sins of each one of them.”

It’s likely that, at first, the accusers paid no attention to what the Lord Jesus was writing and kept pressing Him with questions. Then, the Lord Jesus straightened up and responded to them, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” After saying this, He bent down again and continued writing on the ground. His response may have caused them to pause, reflect, and glance at what He was writing. It is possible that the Lord Jesus really was writing down their sins, which left them stunned and filled with fear, afraid that He might publicly expose their sins.

John 8:9

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.

The consciences of the woman’s accusers convicted them, for they, too, were sinners. One by one, they began to leave. John records in detail that the older ones left first. Perhaps the elders, who stood closest and led the attempt to test the Lord, could see their own sins written on the ground. After they left, the younger ones stepped forward to see what the Lord Jesus was writing. When they saw their own sins written on the ground, they too left, one by one, until no one remained. This meant that none among them was without sin.

In reality, no one in this world is without sin. Leading the list are the sins of pride, greed, and sexual immorality, which includes adultery. All three of these sins lead to lying, using deceit to serve pride, greed, and immorality.

Among those who are known as disciples of Christ, as God’s people, there are still countless who live in pride, greed, and sexual immorality. They are knowledgeable about God’s Word. They understand the Gospel of Salvation. Some even preach the Gospel and teach God’s Word. Yet they live in sin because they yield to the desires of the flesh. They crave the praise, admiration, and respect of others. They desire wealth to indulge in pleasures money can buy. They seek to satisfy their sexual desires through improper means.

These are the people whom the Holy Spirit, through the Apostle Peter, prophesied about in 2 Peter, chapter 2, with the following conclusion:

2 Peter 2:19-22

19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.

20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

They are the ones whom the Apostle Paul referred to as “false brethren” in 2 Corinthians 11:26. God’s people need to stay away from such individuals.

The Lord Jesus Himself warned God’s people:

“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” (Matthew 7:15).

Those who proclaim God’s Word in the name of the Lord are doing the work of a prophet, for a prophet is one who declares God’s Word, even if they do not bear the title of prophet in their “churches.” In fact, every believer is a prophet. The false prophets in the Lord’s statements are those who preach God’s Word but do not live according to it. Therefore, false prophets are essentially false believers, whom the Apostle Paul refers to as false brothers. They are those who do not believe, meaning they do not live according to the truth, even though they are well aware of the truth of the Gospel. Some have even shared in the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 6:4-6).

The command of the Holy Spirit in 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 instructs God’s people to separate themselves from such deceitful individuals.

John 8:10-11

10 When Jesus had lifted up Himself, and saw none but the woman, He said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?

11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

The accusers of the woman left the scene one by one, leaving the Lord Jesus alone with the accused woman. We understand that when the Lord Jesus said He “saw none,” it meant He no longer saw any of the scribes and Pharisees. The crowd of people who had come to hear the Lord Jesus teach was still present.

The question the Lord Jesus posed to the woman helped her understand that her accusers were also sinners, just like her. This question also reminds us of the Lord Jesus’ teaching recorded in Matthew 7:1-5.

We do not know the state of mind of the woman at that moment. We do not know what she knew about the Lord Jesus. Perhaps she was a resident of Jerusalem and had heard about the Lord Jesus and even heard Him teach. Nevertheless, she was still living in sin.

Today, in the Church, there are many people who know about the Lord Jesus, profess their faith in Him, yet are still living in sin. The seven letters from Christ to the seven Churches in Asia, recorded in Revelation chapters 2 and 3, show us that most local Churches have people living in sin. We thank the Lord for His great mercy. For He remains patient, giving them time and opportunity to repent. However, the Lord’s patience towards those living in sin within the Church will end on the day He comes to take the Church out of the world. At that time, those living in sin without repentance will be left behind. They will have to endure the terrifying Great Tribulation, which we fear they will no longer be able to repent. For *God may harden their hearts even more, as He did with Pharaoh in the time of Moses. Among the approximately 2.4 billion people who currently claim to be disciples of Christ, it is likely that most will be those calling for the mountains and rocks to hide them from the wrath of God in the Great Tribulation (Revelation 6:16).

The words of the Lord Jesus to the woman encompass three points.

First: “Neither do I condemn thee.” The first time the Lord Jesus came into the world was not to condemn the world but to save the world through His sacrifice (John 3:17). He died on the cross, offering His life to *God as a sacrifice for the sins of humanity once and for all (Hebrews 7:27). Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, for all their sins are forgiven by *God through His atoning death. Those who do not believe in Him are already condemned by *God because they have not believed in the salvation that the Lord Jesus has provided for them (John 3:18-19).

Second: “Go.” This is a call to live a new life, a life free from condemnation. The Bible often uses the verb “to walk” to refer to daily living and the noun “the way” to refer to one’s life journey.

Third: “And sin no more.” This is a command. It means never to return to violating the Ten Commandments of *God. Violating the Ten Commandments of *God is sin.

The Ten Commandments of *God summarize all of His laws given to humanity, not just to the people of Israel. Before the existence of the nation of Israel, *God had already given His commandments and laws to humanity. Genesis 26:5 records *God’s words about Abraham’s obedience to His commandments and laws. Isaiah 24:5 affirms that the land is defiled under the feet of the people living on it, not just the people of Israel: “The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.”

The Ten Commandments of *God were given to the people of Israel through His own writing, on two stone tablets, at Mount Sinai, as a specific written reminder of the commandments that had already been revealed to humanity. Romans 1:19-20 confirms that the knowledge of *God has been made manifest in humanity. He has revealed to them His invisible attributes. Certainly, *God has placed His commandments within humanity, but humanity has increasingly corrupted itself and violated His commandments even more, so He established His Ten Commandments in written form.

The entire law of *God is summarized in the Ten Commandments, which are unchanging until the current heaven and earth pass away. The Lord Jesus affirmed this in Matthew 5:17-18. The coming of the Lord Jesus did not abolish or dismiss the law but fulfilled it. Through His atoning death, He took upon Himself the punishment for all of humanity’s sins. Through His own life given to those who believe in His atoning death, He enables them to overcome sin and no longer violate the Ten Commandments of *God. Fulfilling the law means executing precisely what the law requires. This includes bearing the penalty for transgression and not violating the Ten Commandments of *God, meaning to fully obey His commandments.

Today, many religious organizations that claim to be of *God teach that the Ten Commandments of *God do not apply to the people of God in the New Testament time. They argue that the people of God in the New Testament time live under grace and not under the law. They do not understand that living under grace means living in the forgiveness of all sins because of faith in the atoning death of the Lord Jesus, not living in a way that continues to violate the Ten Commandments of *God without facing punishment. Hebrews 10:29 refers to those who acknowledge the atoning death of the Lord Jesus yet continue to live in sin as “trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace.”

Many religious organizations that claim to be of *God teach that the people of God do not need to observe the Sabbath according to the fourth commandment. They provide various arguments to support the view that the people of God do not need to keep the weekly Saturday Sabbath. However, none of their arguments are found in the Scriptures. On the contrary, the words of the Lord Jesus recorded in Matthew 5:18 affirm that, “Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” Heaven and earth will pass away after the Millennial Kingdom and before the Final Judgment. All things will be fulfilled when the new heaven and new earth are created and the Eternal Kingdom is realized. Until then, the Ten Commandments of *God do not change, not even a jot or a tittle. Anyone who violates any of the commandments in the Ten Commandments of *God commits a sin. The wages of sin are death (Romans 6:23), if the sinner does not repent in time and sincerely.

True children of God should come out of religious organizations that claim to be of *God but do not acknowledge the observance of the Ten Commandments of *God. True children of God should also avoid religious organizations that claim to uphold the Ten Commandments of *God but teach heresy, such as teaching about a Mother God; teaching about another Christ who is Chinese or Korean; teaching that one must observe festival days, which were shadows of the ministry of Christ; teaching that one must abstain from unclean foods that *God has cleansed in the New Testament; teaching that one must pronounce the names of *God and the Lord Jesus according to Hebrew; etc.

May the words of the Lord Jesus always resonate in the spirit of each of us: “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.”

We conclude this lesson here.

May the Holy Spirit guide us into all the truths of God’s Word (John 16:13). May the Word of God sanctify us (John 17:17). May the Faithful *God of Peace Himself sanctify our spirit, soul, and body entirely, without blame (1 Thessalonians 5:23), at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, our Beloved Savior. Amen!

Timothy Christian Huynh
Priscilla Christian Huynh
11/02/2024

Note:

About Using “*God” and “holy spirit”

Wherever the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts of the Bible uses a definite article with a noun to denote GOD, we translate it into English as *God or “the God” to refer to God the Father. We understand that “God,” without a definite article, was used as a collective noun for all and any of the three Persons of the Godhead. And “God,” with a definite article, was used to refer to God the Father.

In the Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, the term “holy spirit” (πνευματι αγιω) without the definite article “the” (το) is used to denote the power of God, which is given by God the Holy Spirit. “The Holy Spirit” (το πνευματι το αγιω) is God, and “holy spirit” (πνευματι αγιω) is the power that comes from God.