Christianity is sometimes seen as a religion of universal forgiveness. In support of this view, people point to John's account of the woman “caught in adultery,” whom Christ, as the story is often interpreted, forgives unconditionally. Yet His forgiveness is by no means unconditional...
Christianity is sometimes seen as a religion of universal forgiveness. In support of this view, people point to John's account of the woman “caught in adultery,” whom Christ, as the story is often interpreted, forgives unconditionally. Yet His forgiveness is by no means unconditional: “Go, and sin no more.” That is a substantial condition. But what actually happened? And why does Jesus let the woman go? From a formal standpoint, everything is simple and clear: precisely because there is no formal accusation. Nor are there any formal accusers.
The Torah requires an accusation of a crime punishable by death to be proved by at least two witnesses, and their testimony must be given in a specifically and strictly formal manner. That is why Jesus calls for witnesses from the crowd: “everyone saw it” is not an argument in procedural terms, at least when judicial proceedings conform to the Torah's standards. Moreover, under the Torah's rules, when a criminal sentenced to death was stoned, the witness for the prosecution had to cast the first stone himself, in person.
Evidently, no witnesses came forward. This was also, of course, because Jesus had said: let the one without sin cast the first stone. The assembled crowd consisted of religious people who took their religion quite seriously. They were not, of course, thinking of all their sins, and certainly not of original sin: Judaism simply has no such concept. In Judaism, sin is always a specific violation of a specific rule of the Torah, not an abstract “sinfulness.”
And “without sin” in this case meant committing no wrong as a witness. That meant having seen everything in person. Oneself. Having been present at the adultery; otherwise, it would be a matter of slander. Evidently, no such witnesses were found. The woman, of course, knows all about herself. And the crowd gathered to stone her knows too. In general terms. From hearsay. But nothing specific.
So what then: leave sin unpunished? From the Torah's standpoint, yes: an unproved crime is not a crime; one cannot punish on the basis of rumors and suspicions, even if the rumors have spread widely and the suspicions are very substantial. Yet Jesus' judgment is not an ordinary human judgment. And He says: are there no accusers? Then neither do I accuse you. Only do not sin again. What is this—forgiveness? Yes, of course. But on condition that she refrain from sin in the future.
At least from voluntary and conscious sin, as adultery usually is. A kind of suspended sentence, deferred until the day of the final Judgment. And therefore a new chance: a suspended sentence may never actually be carried out. One can live in the Kingdom in this way too, under a suspended sentence. That is how we all live in it, for each of us has our own sin. But there is a chance that the sentence will remain suspended—provided, of course, that our faithfulness to Christ and the Kingdom proves unconditional.
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8:5 Moses hath commanded us to stone such - If they spoke accurately, this must have been a woman, who, having been betrothed to a husband, had been guilty of this crime before the marriage was completed; for such only Moses commanded to be stoned. He commanded indeed that other adulteresses should be put to death; but the manner of death was not specified. Deu 22:23.
8:6 That they might have to accuse him - Either of usurping the office of a judge, if he condemned her, or of being an enemy to the law, if he acquitted her. Jesus stooping down, wrote with his finger on the ground - God wrote once in the Old Testament; Christ once in the New: perhaps the words which he afterward spoke, when they continued asking him. By this silent action, he,
8:7 He that is without sin - He that is not guilty: his own conscience being the judge) either of the same sin, or of some nearly resembling it; let him - as a witness, cast the first stone at her.
8:9 Beginning at the eldest - Or the elders. Jesus was left alone - By all those scribes and Pharisees who proposed the question.But many others remained, to whom our Lord directed his discourse presently after.
8:10 Hath no man condemned thee? - Hath no judicial sentence been passed upon thee?
8:11 Neither do I condemn thee - Neither do I take upon me to pass any such sentence. Let this deliverance lead thee to repentance.