What Sunday school missed about John 8 and the woman caught in adultery: the missing man, the legal trap, the writing in the dirt, and the textual history nobody explains.
I like how Jesus says that the first stone must be thrown by the one without sin. Nobody there realized it, but that meant he was the only one qualified to stone her. That makes His "Neither do I condemn you" even more powerful and also partially explain why He was the only one remaining.
Bible Question #3. Jesus Writing in the Sand on Shabbat: Some biblical scholars and commentaries, suggest that when Jesus wrote in the dust (John 8:6), he may have specifically chosen that medium because it was recognized as a non-permanent, and therefore technically "permissible" act on the Sabbath in that era.
Reflection #1 Yes, and often but typically the pastor/elder relies on traditional view. The church began a new sermon series titled: Creeds. Once that became clear, a little search brought me to the denominations "Manual" which absolutely 100% undergirded my view. It amazes me how little they knew about their own faith and positions.
Reflection #8 It deepens my faith. The reply to the Torah observers is exactly what I would expect from Jesus.
You've raised a couple of points that I never fully considered the implications of.
Mainly, the detail that the older men were the first to leave. I personally find this to be a pretty strong indicator that perhaps what Yeshua wrote in the dirt was, in fact, an enumeration of their sins. Which would also explain why he spent so long doing it.
It would make sense that, if that's the case, the older men would be the first to leave because they would see far more of their own sins written out than the younger men.
It's just speculation, obviously, but I find it fascinating.
This whole study reminds me a lot of what seems to come up in evangelical circles a lot though (in my own experience, at least). The religious folks like to use this story to hammer on about the "go and sin no more" line without paying any attention to the manipulation, the abuse of power, and the grace that is clearly in view here.
Yes!! I agree... the story is usually framed that way or it is used to show how "evil and conniving" the Pharisees and others were rather than looking at the rest of what it is demonstrating. They miss the entire point.
Good one! Thank you! harold
I like how Jesus says that the first stone must be thrown by the one without sin. Nobody there realized it, but that meant he was the only one qualified to stone her. That makes His "Neither do I condemn you" even more powerful and also partially explain why He was the only one remaining.
Excellent observation!!
Bible Question #3. Jesus Writing in the Sand on Shabbat: Some biblical scholars and commentaries, suggest that when Jesus wrote in the dust (John 8:6), he may have specifically chosen that medium because it was recognized as a non-permanent, and therefore technically "permissible" act on the Sabbath in that era.
Reflection #1 Yes, and often but typically the pastor/elder relies on traditional view. The church began a new sermon series titled: Creeds. Once that became clear, a little search brought me to the denominations "Manual" which absolutely 100% undergirded my view. It amazes me how little they knew about their own faith and positions.
Reflection #8 It deepens my faith. The reply to the Torah observers is exactly what I would expect from Jesus.
Thank you for this!
You've raised a couple of points that I never fully considered the implications of.
Mainly, the detail that the older men were the first to leave. I personally find this to be a pretty strong indicator that perhaps what Yeshua wrote in the dirt was, in fact, an enumeration of their sins. Which would also explain why he spent so long doing it.
It would make sense that, if that's the case, the older men would be the first to leave because they would see far more of their own sins written out than the younger men.
It's just speculation, obviously, but I find it fascinating.
This whole study reminds me a lot of what seems to come up in evangelical circles a lot though (in my own experience, at least). The religious folks like to use this story to hammer on about the "go and sin no more" line without paying any attention to the manipulation, the abuse of power, and the grace that is clearly in view here.
Yes!! I agree... the story is usually framed that way or it is used to show how "evil and conniving" the Pharisees and others were rather than looking at the rest of what it is demonstrating. They miss the entire point.