In John 8: 1-11 the story of the adulterous woman is told: when Jesus was on the Mount of Olives, the Pharisees and scribes brought him a woman who had been caught in adultery. According to the law of those times, every woman in that situation had to be stoned to death. Jesus was a cultured man, who enforced the laws, as long as they were just (correct).
What is Adultery?
In the Bible, adultery generally refers to the voluntary sexual intercourse of a married person, whether male or female, with someone other than their partner. (Job 24:15; Proverbs 30:20) Adultery is something detestable in the eyes of God. In ancient Israel, the penalty was death. (Leviticus 18:20, 22, 29) Jesus taught that his followers should refrain from adultery. – Matthew 5:27, 28; Luke 18: 18-20.
What was the reaction that everyone expected from Jesus in the story of the adulterous woman?
Moses in the law commanded that adulterous women be stoned. Jesus was “the most just of men”, surely they imagined that because of this condition he would support them, and would have to order the woman to die from the blows of the stones of each one of those who were there.
The safest thing is that when Jesus was writing on the ground, they must have thought that he was plotting the way to stone her, or coming up with ideas so that this woman would be caught between the crowd and their judgments. But was this the reaction that Jesus Christ really had?
How did Jesus react?
When these people repeatedly began to tell him to make a decision regarding this woman who had failed the statutes that were in effect at that time, he straightened up and told them a phrase that is very famous: “whoever is free from sin, Cast the first stone”.
Again he bent down and wrote on the ground. And those who heard it, being condemned by their own conscience, came out one by one, beginning with the oldest, to the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the middle. Has no one condemned you? She said: No man, Lord. Jesus said to him: Go and commit no more sin.
During Jesus’ time on earth, he was continually challenged as to his authority and what he taught the people. The Pharisees and other spiritual leaders tried many times and with many different traps to discredit him, but Jesus always managed to escape these traps, from their point of view.
Jesus was nearby and a woman was caught in the act of adultery at that time. The Law transmitted by Moses clearly stated that she should be stoned to death, but as a territory of Rome, the only ones capable of condemning to death were the Roman leaders.
When the Pharisees brought the woman to Jesus, the judgment for her belonged to Jesus alone; his decision was final. Jesus’ response must have drained all of their blood. He did not say to execute the woman or spare her life.
He gave a unique and unexpected answer to such a serious matter. “He who has no sin among you, let him first throw a stone at him.” How many people actually considered throwing the first stone before their conscience overcame them? How long would you have held onto the stone? Would you have thrown the stone or would you have dropped it to the ground?
Adultery is a terrible sin
Adultery is a terrible sin, and there is even a passage in the Bible that talks about it: “Then you will be freed from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her soft words, who abandons the companion of her youth and forgets the covenant of his God; because his house sinks to death, and his ways to the dead; none of those who go to it return, nor do they regain the paths of life. ” Proverbs 2: 16-19.
It says here that no adulterer “regains the ways of life.” Solomon compiled the proverbs of this chapter (Proverbs 1: 1). He knew very well that not all adulterers without exception “sink to death.” Because he was the son of a marriage that began as an adulterous affair. His father, David, committed adultery with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11), who later became Solomon’s mother.
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Sin is the way to death
Live a holy life and don’t allow sin to keep you from God. Adultery, like any sin, leads to death. The Bible is clear about this: “the unjust will not inherit the kingdom of God”
Do not be deceived: neither the immoral, nor the idolaters, nor the adulterers, nor the men who practice homosexuality, nor the thieves, nor the greedy, nor the drunkards, nor the rebellious, nor the swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. “(1 Corinthians 6: 9-10).
An example of adultery in the bible
We know that David deeply regretted his adultery (and the murder it led to). He openly acknowledged his guilt and asked the Lord for forgiveness. That is not an easy thing for a king to do! But after he repented of his sin, he wrote Psalm 51: 2:
“Wash me completely from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin!” We know that God never refuses to grant forgiveness to those who repent of their sins and turn to Him. The rest of David’s life confirms this. He served again. God.
So why is there still this passage in the Bible? It is important that we understand the nature of Proverbs. It is what we call a “book of wisdom.” That means it contains God’s wisdom on how to lead our lives.
What can be learned from the history of the adulterous woman
Adultery is a very strong sin in the eyes of men, however, for God, sins have no hierarchy, therefore, if you steal a coin or a bill from a person, you are exactly the same as the adulterous woman before them. eyes of our lord.
In the bible, there are only two sins that are not forgiven: “blaspheming the holy spirit ” and “suicide.” Jesus Christ came to change the era of law for that of grace, and no one has to be stoned for sin, since Jesus Christ died on the cross so that our transgressions could be forgiven.
We can learn many things from this story, but among the most outstanding is the fact that no one has the right to judge another person, because we are all sinners and we need God’s grace to be saved.
A second thing that helps us to reflect is what Jesus said to him “go and sin no more”, this confirms God’s desire to see us away from sin. Sin separates us from God, and only by believing in him, and in the sacrifice of Christ, we are accepting to be part of this reason why Jesus died on the cross.
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Does adultery end the marriage union?
The Bible says that if there can be divorce in the event that one of the spouses is adulterous or unfaithful. (Matthew 19: 9) This means that after an act of unfaithfulness, the innocent partner has the right to decide whether to stay with the unfaithful partner or seek a divorce.
On the other hand, in the eyes of God, marriage is a sacred bond for life. (1 Corinthians 7:39) God hates when a person seeks a divorce that is based on trivial reasons, such as simply not being satisfied with a partner. Therefore, a decision about divorce should not be taken lightly. – Malachi 2:16; Matthew 19: 3-6.
Is adultery unforgivable to God?
No. The Bible says that God shows mercy to those who repent and turn from their sins, including adultery. (Acts 3:19; Galatians 5: 19-21) In fact, the Bible speaks of men and women who stopped committing adultery and then became friends with God. – 1 Corinthians 6: 9-11.
God’s mercy was shown in the case of King David of ancient Israel. David committed adultery with the wife of one of his army officers. (2 Samuel 11: 2-4) The Bible clearly says that “what David had done was very unpleasant” to God.
How to act if you have committed adultery
If you have fallen into the clutches of adultery, you should ask forgiveness from both God and your spouse. (Psalm 51: 1-5) Learn to hate adultery as God does. (Psalm 97:10). Make up your mind to avoid pornography, sexual fantasies, flirting, or anything else that may lead you to have a sexual interest in someone other than your partner. Matthew 5:27, 28; James 1:14, 15.
If you have been the victim of your partner’s adultery, rest assured that God understands your feelings. (Malachi 2:13, 14) Ask for his tender comfort and guidance, and “he will sustain you.” (Psalm 55:22). If you choose to forgive your partner and continue your marriage, both of you will have to work hard to rebuild the marriage bond.
