John 8:11 - Printer Friendly

ESV: She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more."]]

NIV: "No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."

NASB: She said, 'No one, Lord.' And Jesus said, 'I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on do not sin any longer.']]

CSB: "No one, Lord," she answered. "Neither do I condemn you," said Jesus. "Go, and from now on do not sin anymore."

NLT: No, Lord,' she said. And Jesus said, 'Neither do I. Go and sin no more.'

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

NKJV: She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

A woman has been brought to Jesus by Pharisees after being caught "in the act" of a capital offense: adultery. There is no question about whether she committed the act. She is morally guilty. The Law explicitly assigned adultery the death penalty (Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22). She is legally guilty. The man she stands before is sinless (Hebrews 4:15), and perfect (John 8:46), and her Creator (John 1:1), giving Him unquestionable authority to punish her. In a profound lesson, however, Jesus takes a different approach.

Jesus challenged her attackers, pointing out that they weren't following the entire relevant law. Accusers were supposed to cast the first stone (Deuteronomy 17:7). Also, the Law calls for the death of both guilty parties, yet only this woman was accused of wrongdoing. Jesus pointed these things out, and with some unspecified writing in the dirt, He has driven off every single one of the men who called for her death (John 8:6–10).

This verse must be interpreted in its full context. Jesus does not tell the woman, "you did nothing wrong." He does not say, "don't worry about what you did." Instead, Jesus simply states that He does not condemn her, which in this context means He is not going to stone her. Yet He explicitly tells her not to sin anymore. This incident is often misapplied by those who think Christians ought never to speak out against sin. The exact opposite is true: Jesus showed this woman spectacular grace, while still holding firm in calling her adultery what it was: a moral failure which should not be repeated.

This incident serves as a useful example for Christians. The adulterous woman is morally and legally guilty, and Jesus is morally and legally perfect. No one on earth had greater justification to kill her for her sin than Jesus did in that moment. And yet, Jesus chose not to do what He was allowed to do. Instead, He chose to do what He should do, which was to exercise "right judgment" (John 7:24), to show mercy (Proverbs 21:10; Zechariah 7:8–9; Matthew 23:23), while still speaking out against sin. Having the right to do something does not mean it's the best option; sometimes, the right thing to do is to be softer, gentler, and more forgiving than the world (Matthew 12:7; John 13:35; 1 John 2:16).

Another point worth taking from this incident is the danger of hypocritical judgment (Matthew 7:2). The Pharisees violated the very standards they claimed to uphold (Matthew 7:3).

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.

This begins with the story of the adulterous woman, a well-known but controversial passage. Most scholars believe this story is authentic, but not originally found in this exact spot in Scripture. The rest of chapter 8 continues Jesus' preaching during the Feast of Booths, where He once again comes into conflict with local religious leaders. Here, Christ will make His second ''I am" statement, using the analogy of light, which is a common theme in Hebrew theology. This conversation will become more and more heated. Jesus' opponents become so enraged that they attempt to kill Him right then and there.

Jesus is attending the Feast of Booths in Jerusalem. There He once again conflicts with local religious authorities. Previously, Jesus referred to Himself as a source of living water (John 7:37–38). That built on the festival's ritual pouring of water in the temple. In this chapter, Jesus will do something similar with the imagery of lights also related to festival traditions. This demonstrates Jesus' willingness to be direct, even aggressive, with His critics. The next few chapters will complete Jesus' public ministry, as He prepares for His impending death.

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.