Woman caught in adultery

 

The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" (John 8:3-5)

 

Very problematic story. Firstly, this story known as The Pericope de Adultera is missing from the earliest manuscripts of the New Testament. Secondly, even if the story did hold any credibility it makes no sense. The scribes and pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery? Wait since when did the scribes and pharisees go out hunting for woman committing adultery? How do they know she committed adultery where was the man who participated with her?

 

Why bring the woman alone leaving the man out? How do they know she was not a prostitute since prostitution was common during that time, even Jesus himself made mention of them and even praised them. whats worse some Catholics say Mary Magdelene was a prostitute herself before she became a follower.

 

Jews said "the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women" but that’s not what the law says.

And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death. (Leviticus 20:10)

 

Also, according to the Talmud the ruling is, if both man and woman are caught in adultery are executed by strangulation not stoned. Why then did Jesus say cast the first stone when that was not the execution procedure?

The Law says both man and woman must face the same punishment. The question is, where was the man and why didn't Jesus correct the what the law said and ask where is the man and those who witnessed it? Remember for such a big allegation there must be witnesses Yavamot 24b so, where were they?

 

This could not have been a fair trial in any shape of form and does not fit the Judaic legal system based on the written and oral law. The whole story is a joke and cannot be taken seriously. No Jewish scribe, Pharisee would bring a random woman to a man they did not take as authority.

The fact Jesus not correcting them says a lot.

 

• The man was not present.

• The woman alone cannot be tried

• The law requires witness's

• Jewish legal procedure must take place in front of a judge in court

 

The story is a shamble. Unhistorical and baseless.

--------

 

But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5:28)

 Lust is part of our natural biological processes and the human instinct to procreate. its human nature to have Hormones like testosterone, pheromones to work together when we see the opposite sex. Saying you committed adultery in your heart by lusting shows the ignorance of the speaker.

 Let’s look at it from another angle. When a man (Christian) goes out searching for a wife, whether at a bar, club, church or maybe in the streets, naturally he would approach a woman he is attracted to. Unless his human instinct to procreated does not ring a bell, he won’t find that attraction towards the opposite sex. He must look at her before making a choice, in other words, he would first lust over the woman he finds attractive before he makes the call to approach her. Are you saying every man (Christian) whilst searching for the right spouse committed adultery in his heart before he even married her?

So, before he even married her, he committed adultery his heart due to his natural biological nature prompting him to lust, since he has no control over it. Also, what is the punishment for committing adultery in your heart? Can you keep lusting considering Jesus never made it clear the consequence of lusting in your heart? It just gets worse. And why should you get punished for something out of his control. If Jesus was god like Christian’s claim, shouldn’t he haven known about that, after all he came in flesh to understand the human better right.