A passage that has caused many Christians and even some theologians to question Scripture is found in John 8:1-11. That passage reads, “¹ But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. ² Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them. ³ The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, ⁴ they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. ⁵ “Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?” ⁶ They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. ⁷ But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” ⁸ Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. ⁹ When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. ¹⁰ Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” ¹¹ She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.”

According to the Old Testament Law in the time of Jesus, the penalty for adultery was death. Leviticus 20:10 (NASB95): states “¹⁰ ‘If there is a man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, one who commits adultery with his friend’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.”

Deuteronomy 22:22 (NASB95) restates the same penalty for adultery: “²² “If a man is found lying with a married woman, then both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman; thus you shall purge the evil from Israel.”

Deuteronomy 22:23–24 (NASB95) expands the penalty even to a virgin who was engaged. Engagement in Judaism was much different than engagement in modern times. In our culture, engagement is a voluntary commitment looking to a future marriage. It can be discontinued at any time by either party. In Judaism in the time of Jesus, engagement was a covenantal agreement (a binding contract made before witnesses). The man and the woman were understood to be husband and wife even though the marriage may not have been consummated. (See Matthew 1:18-19) The Deuteronomy passage reads, “²³ “If there is a girl who is a virgin engaged to a man, and another man finds her in the city and lies with her, ²⁴ then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city and you shall stone them to death; the girl, because she did not cry out in the city, and the man, because he has violated his neighbor’s wife. Thus you shall purge the evil from among you.” Note that the girl is a “virgin engaged to a man” but she is considered to be his wife.

What was God’s reason for demanding such a severe penalty? Scripture clearly teaches in Deuteronomy 17:12–13 (NASB95) “¹² “The man who acts presumptuously by not listening to the priest who stands there to serve the Lord your God, nor to the judge, that man shall die; thus you shall purge the evil from Israel. ¹³ “Then all the people will hear and be afraid, and will not act presumptuously again.”

A holy, holy, holy God demands His people be holy and those who continue in their sin and disobedience of His Law must be removed from fellowship. That requirement continues in the New Testament era. Matthew 18:17 requires the sinner who refuses to repent and continues to disobey Scripture to be cut off from the fellowship of God’s people. Removal from the New Testament people of God does not require the shedding of blood as in the Old Testament. That is because our Lord Jesus Christ, in His perfect sacrifice of His own blood, has shed all the blood necessary to atone for the wrath of God against the sins of His people.

The passage suggests at least three questions. One, when Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground (twice), what was He writing? Two, why was only the man brought before Jesus? Three, why did Jesus not condemn the woman who was clearly guilty under the Law?

The answer to the first question is that Scripture does not tell us; therefore, we should not speculate about what Jesus wrote on the ground. We must not add anything to or take anything away from the Word of God.

Since the Law, in both Leviticus 20 and Deuteronomy 22:22, states that both the man and the woman involved in adultery shall be put to death, the second question is “Why was the man who was involved not brought to Jesus?” If the woman was “caught in adultery, in the very act” the man surely was also caught in the very act. Why did the scribes and Pharisees not bring the man? The passage states they were “testing (Jesus) so that they might have grounds for accusing Him”. Obviously, they wanted to catch Him teaching something contradicting the Law regarding adultery.

Jesus, as He did at other times, uses the Law to turn the table on His accusers. In verse 7, we are told that Jesus said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” In doing so, Jesus was reminding them of the Law. Deuteronomy 17:6–7 (NASB95) states “⁶ “On the evidence of two witnesses or three witnesses, he who is to die shall be put to death; he shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness. ⁷ “The hand of the witnesses shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.”

John also tells us that Jesus “Again stooped down and wrote on the ground after He stated this.” Since Scripture does not tell us what Jesus wrote, we should not speculate. However, John does tell us the scribes and Pharisees “began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman.”

At that point, Jesus asks “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” ¹¹ She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.”

The third and most important question is “Why did Jesus not condemn the woman?” She was surely guilty and multiple witnesses had brought her to Jesus to be judged for her sin. Many believe Jesus forgave the woman because He did not condemn her. Yet, He clearly stated her behavior was sinful. He commanded her to “Go. From now on sin no more.”

The answer to the third question is that Jesus was perfectly following the Law. Remember that Deuteronomy 17:6 teaches there must be two or three witnesses to confirm any charge requiring a death penalty. No one could be put to death on the testimony of only one witness. Since there were no other witnesses present to condemn the woman, Jesus, in perfect accordance with the Law, as a single witness, could not condemn her. Even though, as the God-man, Jesus knew the woman was guilty, there was not a second witness to convict her of a capital crime. Therefore, under the Law, she was free to go but from now on, to sin no more.