What Does it Mean to Cast the First Stone?

In John 8, we read the story of a woman caught in the act of adultery, and she was brought before Jesus. The Pharisees said, Teacher, Moses commanded us to stone such women. What do you say? They were trying to trap him.

If he said, let her go, he'd be ignoring the law of Moses. But if he said, stone her, he'd be going against Rome, and that would get him in trouble with the Romans. Jesus responded by riding on the ground with his finger.

The Woman Caught in Adultery and the Trap for Jesus

When they continued to press him, he stood up and said, Let him who's without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her. Upon hearing this, the Pharisees left, and Jesus said, Woman, where are they?

Has no one condemned you? She said, No one, Lord. And he said, Neither do I condemn you. Now go, and sin no more. This story is commonly used to say, No one is without sin, therefore no one has any right to judge.

But Jesus just said a few verses before, to judge with right judgment. When Jesus said, Let him who is without sin be the first to cast the stone, he was saying, Which one among you is the dude she had adultery with?

Leviticus and the Requirement for Witnesses

According to Leviticus 20 .10, he's supposed to be stoned with her. Having been exposed that they were ignorant of the law, the Pharisees high-tailed it out of there. Jesus, the author of the law, represented by him riding on the ground with his finger, forgave the woman and told her not to sin anymore.

The Textual Problem with John 7:53–8:11

However, there's a problem with this story. John didn't write it, and your Bible will tell you that. John 7 .53 through 8 .11 didn't appear in any of the earliest manuscripts, and some put it in the book of Luke.

It's a nice story, but it doesn't belong in the Bible. The greatest story of love and forgiveness is found at the cross of Christ, when we understand the text.