John 8:4 - Printer Friendly

ESV: they said to him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery.

NIV: and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.

NASB: they *said to Him, 'Teacher, this woman has been caught in the very act of committing adultery.

CSB: "Teacher," they said to him, "this woman was caught in the act of committing adultery.

NLT: Teacher,' they said to Jesus, 'this woman was caught in the act of adultery.

KJV: They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.

NKJV: they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act.

The use of "Teacher" here is probably sarcastic. In Greek, the term Didaskale does not carry an automatic sense of respect, as does the word Rhabbi (John 3:2). Jesus is speaking to the crowd, and the Pharisees are looking for a way to discredit Him with His followers. As they bring a guilty woman into the area and place her in the middle of the crowd (John 8:3), they highlight Jesus' reputation by referring to Him as "Teacher." This is key to their scheme: to prove to the people that Jesus is not a figure worth following.

It is unlikely the woman was caught "in the act" mere moments prior and dragged directly in front of Jesus. More than likely, she'd been previously found out and carefully chosen by the Pharisees in advance. Oddly, this intense preparation left out something crucial.

The Pharisees will point to Old Testament law, which required the death penalty for adulterers (Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22). They will fail to mention that the Law did not require that they stone such women. It said they should stone both guilty persons. If this woman was caught in the middle of an act of adultery, that means the adulterous man was caught as well. While trying to prove their own allegiance to the Law, these men fall drastically short of it: they have not brought the guilty man as well!

The underlying challenge here is nearly identical to other paradoxes and conundrums with which Jesus was presented (Matthew 16:1; 19:3; 22:35; Luke 10:25; 11:53–54). If Jesus agrees to stone this woman, it will greatly damage His reputation for being a friend of sinners (Matthew 11:19). Also, it would probably give them an excuse to turn Jesus in to the Romans for breaking the law (John 18:31). On the other hand, if Jesus rejects the law of Moses, the scribes and Pharisees can write Him off as a heretic and prove their accusations against Him.

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.