April 2, 2023 |
Sunday Morning
John 7:53-8:11 | Come As You Are, So You Don't Have to Stay As You Are
John C. Majors |
John 7:53-8:11
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Sunday Morning | April 2, 2023 | Speaker: John C. Majors | Louisville, KY | Sermon Only
This sermon focuses on the passage of John 7:53-8:11, which tells the story of how Jesus handles someone caught in adultery. Before discussing the passage, the speaker addresses the common objection that the Bible cannot be trusted due to the many copies and changes over the 2,000 years since it was written. However, the speaker argues that this passage actually builds confidence in the Bible by showing how carefully it has been handled over the years, despite the many differences between manuscripts. The passage itself illustrates how the religious leaders of the time mishandled the woman caught in adultery and the law, and how Jesus responds to their challenge. The speaker encourages the audience to teach this passage as Scripture, but also to remember that it should not be the only verse used to support doctrine, and that it should be used to illustrate but not determine theology and practice.
Additional Sermon Resources for John 7:53-8:11:
- Read this article from the "Text and Cannon" website about the manuscript evidence for John 7:53-8:11.
- View images of the passage (NTVMR and Cambridge) in the oldest known manuscript (Codex Beza) that includes the passage at this location.
- Read the NET Bible notes about the manuscript evidence on their website. Click here and scroll to footnote 140 (these notes are on the more technical end).
Additional Resources on the reliability of the Bible in general (not just John 7:53-8:11):
If you want to read more on the reliability of the Bible, there are two classic books that have a chapter each dedicated to the topic at a non-technical level.
- Josh McDowell dedicated chapter six (or 5, depending on edition) of More Than a Carpenter to the topic,
- Lee Strobel in the book The Case for Christ covers similar material in chapter three.
- I have copies of both books that I can lend out to those who are interested.