Cast the first Stone or Show Mercy...which?

by ISP 4 Replies latest jw friends

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  ISP

  *** Rbi8 John 8:1-8 ***
  8 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 At daybreak, however, he again presented himself at the temple, and all the people began coming to him, and he sat down and began to teach them. 3 Now the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught at adultery, and, after standing her in their midst, 4 they said to him: “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of committing adultery. 5 In the Law Moses prescribed for us to stone such sort of women. What, really, do you say?” 6 Of course, they were saying this to put him to the test, in order to have something with which to accuse him. But Jesus bent down and began to write with his finger in the ground. 7 When they persisted in asking him,

  he straightened up and said to them: “Let the one of YOU that is sinless be the first to throw a stone at her.”

  What point was being made by Jesus, regarding those who were clearly worthy of condemnation?

  What application does this have with those who would hither to make condemnatory judgements of their fellowmen, i.e. congregational elders?

  What does this account mean to you?

  What does it/should it mean to the WTS?

  Any thoughts?

  ISP
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  larc

  As you probably know, the Catholics believe that Jesus' mother Mary was without sin, just like Jesus. When this account happened, Jesus said, "he who is without sin, caste the first stone." All of a sudden, a large stone was hurled towards the adultress. Jesus turned and said, "Mother, I told you to stay home today."

  Sorry for the innappropriate humor, but I couldn't resist.
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  philo

  GOOD QUSTIOHN. I would be interested in reading answers to your question, rather than answering it myself. But I do wonder why the NWT put this passage in small text.
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  Thirdson

  ISP and Philo,

  This account means a lot to me. The NWT prints the passage in small print with the comment that it is excluded from certain manuscripts and hence is unreliable. However, much of John's gospel is unique and equally unreliable as to whether the events in the life of Jesus actually happened or are part of a tradition of "nice stories" that were accumulated in the decades after Jesus lived.

  As far as I can remember the WTS has never quoted this passage in recent years (since 1950 - CD-ROM source) choosing not to do so because it is unreliable but more importantly it raises difficult questions about forgiveness and mercy.

  As for me, it is as real an image of the man Jesus as any other gospel account. I'd like to believe Jesus really said and meant that. It is certainly well within the character of the man who taught love and forgiveness.

  THirdson

  'To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing'
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  Skimmer

  Hello philo:

  The first part of the eighth chapter of John (and also the last verse of the seventh chapter) is thought by many not to have been in the original manuscript and was instead a relatively early addition. Some ancient copies of the New Testament have this material placed in Luke instead of in John.

  The WTBTS sometimes prints the above section in small type because it has doubts about its authenticiy. Perhaps they have a secondary reason in that the material is not usually observed in the WTBTS itself.

  There is a similar case in the book of Mark. There are a couple of separate endings and each has some support in the ancient NT copies.

  The study edition of the New American Bible has some good explanatory notes on the above.

  Few commentators have said much about what it was that Jesus was writing in the sand in John:8. My guess is that it was the names of all the illicit sexual partners of the would be stone throwers.