John 7:53 - Printer Friendly

ESV: [The earliest manuscripts do not include 7:53–8:11.] [[They went each to his own house,

NIV: Then they all went home,

NASB: [[ And everyone went to his home.

CSB: Then each one went to his house.

NLT: Then the meeting broke up, and everybody went home.

KJV: And every man went unto his own house.

NKJV: And everyone went to his own house.

This verse is usually set off from the rest of the chapter, as part of the story of the adulterous woman. Many scholars believe this story is authentic and true. However, virtually all greatly doubt the incident with the adulterous woman originally appeared in this exact spot in the gospel of John. Even many ancient manuscripts bracket this passage with special marks, indicating that it's not part of the original inspired narrative. In older copies of the Bible, the verses are recorded in diverse places. These include earlier in chapter 7, or at the end of the gospel of John, or even in the middle of Luke chapter 21.

Reading John 7:51 directly to John 8:12 shows a much smoother, more connected flow of thought. More than likely, the common practice of including this story in between those verses is because of similar themes of forgiveness, Christ's sinlessness, and so forth.

Such questions are separate from the issue of whether the story is authentic. The scholarly consensus is that this is a legitimate part of Jesus' earthly ministry, albeit not originally intended to be in this precise location.

John 7:53—8:11 is one of the most famous stories of the New Testament. Jesus' response to a trap sprung by the Pharisees is masterful. Though He alone has the moral authority to execute the woman for her sin, Jesus instead chooses forgiveness. This highlights a major concept of Christian ethics: just because one has the power to do something does not mean it's the best option. However, scholars do not believe this event was originally found in this exact place in Scripture. The flow of the gospel of John seems interrupted by the story. Also, in ancient manuscripts, these verses are found in various places. This leads to the suggestion that it is a true story, but not part of John's original narrative of the Festival of Booths in chapters 7 and 8. Not all scholars agree.

Six months after the feeding of thousands, and the public debate which followed, Jesus plans to attend the Feast of Booths, also called the Festival of Tabernacles. Rather than going publicly, He chooses to arrive privately, and after His family. While teaching and preaching there, Jesus once again comes into conflict with local religious leaders. The crowds take note of His profound words, history of miracles, and the inability of the religious leaders to silence Him. This causes the people to openly question their spiritual leaders. This embarrassment is a milestone in the effort to permanently silence Jesus.

John chapter 7 is the beginning of the end of Jesus' public ministry. The feeding of thousands in chapter 6 was the pinnacle of His earthly popularity. That enthusiasm was dampened when Jesus explained the true meaning of His ministry. Here, in chapters 7 and 8, Jesus will confront His critics at a major Jewish festival, using metaphors drawn from ritual celebrations to highlight themes from His preaching. The following chapters include additional miracles and teachings from Jesus, as His eventual crucifixion draws nearer.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.