1. In The Footsteps Of The Master: The Life and Times of Jesus Christ The Woman Taken in Adultery John 7:53-8:11

2. Our Text John 8:1-6 –[ 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. www.FootstepsOfTheMaster.info 2

3. Our Text (cont.) John 8:7-11 – 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.”] www.FootstepsOfTheMaster.info 3

4. The Question Of Validity Are these verses part of the “original” Gospel of John? The question arises because we do not have the original documents—called “autographs” of any New Testament book. www.FootstepsOfTheMaster.info 4

5. How To Determine What is Authentic Known as “Textual Criticism” Three Sources: –Ancient Manuscripts –Ancient Translations –Ancient Lectionaries www.FootstepsOfTheMaster.info 5

6. Ancient Copies (Manuscripts) Many exist—more than 5000 Most are only fragments, but combined give great weight to evidence Some are very old—dating to approximately 135 A.D. By comparison, other ancient works, such as Homer’s Odyssey have less than twenty copies www.FootstepsOfTheMaster.info 6

7. Ancient Translations As the Gospel spread unto “all the world”, peoples in distant lands sought for the writings of the New Testament in their language. Some of these translations date back well into the third to fifth centuries. www.FootstepsOfTheMaster.info 7

8. Ancient Lectionaries Otherwise known as sermons. Early church fathers, in both their written teachings and in letters they would send, often quoted New Testament writers, just as preachers today occasionally quote Scripture. www.FootstepsOfTheMaster.info 8

9. CONCLUSION: We have a framework of certainty which cannot be denied. The questions we have regarding the authenticity of Scripture center on only a small handful of verses from the entire New Testament: most notably, Mark 16:9-20, Acts 8:37, and these verses, John 7:53-8:11. Oddly, while these verses have the least textual support of any, they also have the least challengers of any. Most scholars are like William Barcley, who said that while there is little support for them, they just sound too authentic to doubt. www.FootstepsOfTheMaster.info 9

10. My Question: Not did they happen, but when did they happen! My thought is that they are out of order in John’s writing. I place them later in Jesus’ ministry, probably at the time of the events recorded in Matthew 22. www.FootstepsOfTheMaster.info 10

11. Questions From The Event Motive: to trap Jesus Where is the man? What did Jesus write? What did he mean when he said, “Neither do I condemn you?” Who was this woman? Did she fall back into this sin later? www.FootstepsOfTheMaster.info 11