Day in and day out, people throw stones at others, but stoning someone to death is unacceptable.
In case you are wondering why I made the statement above, the message behind the famous phrase, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone," will help you understand better.
As a believer, I have come to realize that many of the challenges we face originate internally. There is always that internal quest regarding who is right or wrong, and what should be done to whom, how, and why.
In the midst of it all, something important goes missing, and we will discover what that is in the process.
He Who Is Without Sin Cast The First Stone: The Verse
There is one verse of scripture containing the common saying, "He who is without sin cast the first stone," and the statement is attributed to the Lord Jesus Christ. That verse is John 8:7.
In the original Greek text, the word used for "without sin" is anamartētos. This is a powerful term that implies being entirely "guiltless" or "faultless."
I should also mention that most modern English translations of John 8:7 use the word 'throw' instead of 'cast.'
For instance, John 8:7 in the WEB (World English Bible, which I use most of the time) says:
“But when they continued asking him, he looked up and said to them, ‘He who is without sin among you, let him throw the first stone at her.’”
The phrasing using "cast" typically comes from the King James Version (KJV). However, it is common knowledge that "cast" is synonymous with "throw."
“So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” (John 8:7 KJV)
The Story Behind "Let He Who Is Without Sin Cast The First Stone" (The Pericope Adulterae)
In case you are not familiar with it, the story that led to Jesus saying, "He who is without sin should cast the first stone at her," is known by scholars as the Pericope Adulterae. It refers to the account of Jesus and the adulterous woman, which runs from John 7:53–8:11.
Switching over to the WEB version, let me share the story with you.
“Now very early in the morning, he came again into the temple, and all the people came to him. He sat down, and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman taken in adultery. Having set her in the midst, they told him, ‘Teacher, we found this woman in adultery, in the very act. Now in our law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. What then do you say about her?’
They said this testing him, that they might have something to accuse him of. But Jesus stooped down, and wrote on the ground with his finger.
But when they continued asking him, he looked up and said to them, ‘He who is without sin among you, let him throw the first stone at her.’
Again he stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground.
They, when they heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning from the oldest, even to the last. Jesus was left alone with the woman where she was, in the middle.
Jesus, standing up, saw her and said, ‘Woman, where are your accusers? Did no one condemn you?’
She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you. Go your way. From now on, sin no more.’” (John 8:2–11 WEB)
Is the Story Authentic?
A pericope is usually defined as a combination or set of verses that form a unit of thought. The Pericope Adulterae is believed by many to be a pseudepigraphical passage of scripture. This suggests that the story might have been attributed to the wrong author or inserted later.
Many scholars believe the story was an interruption to the flow of John’s Gospel. Here are two main reasons why:
- Manuscript Evidence: The story beginning in John 7:53–8:11 is missing from the oldest and most reliable versions of the Gospel of John. This suggests it was added later.
- Origin Theories: Some textual critics believe the story was taken from an apocryphal gospel or oral tradition rather than the original Canon Gospel of John.
However, the controversy surrounding the passage makes it even more intriguing. One might ask: Why was the passage added later if it was not in the original Gospel of John?
A closer look at the story presents a controversy rooted in the Law of Moses, which did not permit adulterers to live after being caught in the act, and how Jesus pardoned the woman so easily.
This leads to a counter-argument: perhaps the story was removed from early copies of John rather than added. Why? Could it be that some early scribes were uncomfortable with it? The tension between morality and upholding the strict Law of Moses seems to be a reason that holds water.
Regardless of the textual arguments, it is obvious that the story has a place in the canon. It blends perfectly into the account of Jesus' character. Without it, we lose the profound teaching: "I do not condemn you... Go and sin no more."
A moralist who is also a die-hard follower of Moses would see it as lawlessness or injustice to allow a woman condemned to death under the law to go scot-free. But they fail to pay attention to the fact that the one who said, "I do not condemn you," also said, "Go and SIN NO MORE."
One may ask, Why let her go in the first place when, according to the law, she was supposed to be stoned? You can imagine why Christ was hated by the religious sects of His day.
This reminds me of the time Jesus was preparing to go to Jerusalem and decided to send messengers ahead of Him into a village in Samaria. The scripture says:
“They didn’t receive him, because he was traveling with his face set towards Jerusalem. When his disciples, James and John, saw this, they said, ‘Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from the sky, and destroy them, just as Elijah did?’ But he turned and rebuked them, ‘You don’t know of what kind of spirit you are. For the Son of Man didn’t come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.’ They went to another village.” (Luke 9:53–56 WEB)
Meaning of "Let He Who Is Without Sin Cast The First Stone"
Now, what did Jesus mean when He said, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone at her"? Historically, the phrase meant that justice cannot be served by unjust judges.
When Jesus spoke these words, He wasn't just giving a moral lesson; He was defusing a trap. To see exactly how this trap was set, let's look at the key facts of the story:
- They came with a woman caught in the act.
- According to the Law, Moses commanded them to stone her, but they didn't do it immediately.
- Instead, they brought her to Jesus to test Him.
Hold on, something seems to be missing here! If she was caught "in the very act," it means there were two of them. What did they do with the man? The text gives no details.
It seems the reason for bringing the woman before Jesus Christ was purely to trap Him. They missed the mark of justice entirely. The Law of Moses actually says:
“If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then they shall both of them die, both the man that lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou put away evil from Israel.” (Deuteronomy 22:22 WEB)
If they were truly upholding the law, they would have presented both the man and the woman caught in the act.
Because they didn't, we know their goal was not justice. It was to find something to accuse Jesus of, without any care for the woman’s life.
When Jesus bent over and wrote on the ground, He acted as if He didn't hear them. But when they persisted, He stood up and delivered the famous line, convicting them in their conscience. They left one by one, from the eldest to the youngest.
The Meaning for Us Today
While the Pharisees used the law as a weapon to destroy, the lesson for us today is that we must use the truth to build up.
When I look at this story, I see that love was missing on the part of the accusers. Only Jesus Christ introduced love into the scene.
When He stood up again and saw her accusers were gone, He did not condemn her. He told her to go and not continue in sin. That, my friend, was a radical act of grace.
We can see that Jesus Christ came to save even the "chief of sinners," as Brother Paul puts it, not to destroy them.
“The saying is faithful and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” (1 Timothy 1:15 WEB)
We must do likewise. We must put love for humanity before religious tradition.
In essence, as believers, we should understand that it is not in our place to condemn to death, but to correct in love. Let love lead in our hearts.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)What is the simple meaning of "He who is without sin cast the first stone"?Simply put, it means that before you judge or condemn someone else for their mistakes, you should look at your own life first. Jesus was reminding the accusers that since they were also sinners, they had no moral right to execute judgment on someone else. Where in the Bible is the story of the woman caught in adultery?You can find this story in the Gospel of John, specifically John 8:1–11. The famous quote itself is found in John 8:7. However, scholars call this passage the Pericope Adulterae because it wasn't in the earliest manuscripts of the Gospel. Did Jesus say stoning was wrong in this story?Jesus didn't explicitly rewrite the Law of Moses, which commanded stoning for adultery. Instead, He shifted the focus from the law to the judge. By asking for a "sinless" executioner, He stopped the stoning without breaking the law, effectively showing that mercy and self-reflection are more important than harsh punishment. Why is John 7:53–8:11 missing from some Bibles?This section is often marked with brackets or footnotes in modern Bibles. That is because the oldest and most reliable ancient manuscripts do not contain these verses. Most scholars believe the story was part of oral tradition that was added to the Gospel of John later, but it is still widely treasured as an authentic reflection of Jesus' character. What happened to the man caught in adultery?That is the big question! The Law of Moses (Deuteronomy 22:22) required both the man and woman to be stoned. Since the religious leaders only brought the woman, it proves they were not interested in true justice. They likely let the man go and used the woman as a trap to test Jesus. |
