The women of Samaria

Jesus and the woman of Samaria

We read in the gospel of John  a very interesting passage which narrates the conversation between Jesus and a woman of Samaria.. Now this story is often preached in churches to prove that Jesus was a recognised messiah! However this paper is not to refute the fact Jesus was the messiah, but to show problems that lie within the texts of this chapter.

Now Christians often defend the idea that God doesn't rest or get tired, yet explicit texts of such notions are found in the bible, Such as :

"It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.'" (Exodus 31:17)

-----------------

Back to the story of Jesus and the woman of Samaria. Funny enough we read Jesus was very tired he had to rest on the well of Jacob. Sufficient to prove Jesus is not God, that is if we accept that God does not rest or get tired.

Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.( John 4:6)

Point two Jesus speaks to the woman tells her to bring her husband she replies she doesn't have a husband, but tells her she has had 5 PREVIOUS HUSBANDS and the man she is with now is not her husband?

Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” (John 4:16-18)

Here’s the million dollar question, why didn't Jesus admonish the woman for living with a man she's not married to? Doesn’t this fall under fornication, and what's worse she's had 5 previous husbands. why didn't Jesus make a commentary about that. It's kind of bizarre in Matthew 5:32 we read whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. Why didn't Jesus preach to her, what stopped him.

The third problem comes from the woman of Samaria, after her conversation with Jesus about her husbands, she questions him that her ancestors have been worshiping on this mountain where Jesus was residing. how could he suggest Jerusalem is the place of worship? 

The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.”  (John 4:19-20)

What interesting about the above statement, if we read the context from the beginning of the chapter nowhere did Jesus say Jerusalem is the place of worship. so, where did she get that idea from? Was there a missing conversation that the author forgot to write? 

To sum it all up, Jesus did not admonish the lady for living with a man she wasn’t married to. Can we conclude living with a unmarried person is permissible? also, there is no such statement which Jesus made about worshipping in Jerusalem.

-------------------

The early manuscripts have some twenty different sayings about divorce. I’ll list just a few of them. All of them are different versions of the same passage:- Matthew 19:9 They give different teachings about whether a man can remarry or whether a man can marry a divorced woman.

Codex Sinaiticus, Codex Ephraemi, Codex Regius Whoever divorces his wife, except for fornication, and marries another commits adultery.

Codex Purpureus Petropolitanus Whoever divorces his wife , except for fornication, makes her an adulteress and the person marrying a divorced woman commits adulteryHere there is no prohibition on a man remarrying, but there is a new prohibition about marrying a divorced woman.

Freer Gospels, Koridethi Codex Whoever divorces his wife , except for fornication, and marries another commits adultery and the person marrying a divorced woman commits adulteryBoth prohibitions have been combined

Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus (Original Version) Whoever divorces his wife , except for fornication, and marries another makes her an adulteress and the person marrying a divorced woman commits adulteryThe prohibitions on a divorced man remarrying has been removed , but the part saying 'makes her an adulteress' has been added.

How does one rely upon such dubious texts! there is absolutely no moral teachings behind such narrations.