The woman caught in adultery in view of the relationship between Law and Grace: an exegetical and theological study of John 7: 53-8:11

Abstract

This thesis attempts to address the issue of the relationship between law and grace from the perspective of the story of the woman caught in adultery. The study seeks to highlight that justice and mercy are congruent and interdependent terms as opposed to being antagonistic. Also it is argued in this research that the pericope adulterae (that is the passage of the adulteress) is inspired, canonical, Johannine and smoothly fitting in its traditional position. However, this does not suggest being oblivious to the challenges surrounding the passage’s absence in some early manuscripts. The abbreviation PA will be used from now onward to refer to pericope adulterae. An exegetical and theological study of the PA is the method used in this research. Hence the observations that ensued are that the way Jesus dealt with the accusers and also with the adulteress has a bearing on the link between law and grace. Jesus did not antagonize Moses’ Law as was planned by His accusers, instead He upheld it. This Christ did by allowing them to have the sinless (non-malicious) one among them to cast the first stone. In the same vein, He uplifted the Decalogue by acknowledging the woman’s guilt and instructing her not to continue in sin. Similarly, it has been noted that Jesus pardoned the woman caught in adultery, thus showering her with undeserved mercy. Therefore, the injunction given to the adulteress by Jesus showed how one who is saved is required to keep the law. Jesus, in this pericope, solved the jigsaw puzzle of how both law and grace met in Him. Being under grace does not necessitate libertinism, instead one lives according to the dictates of the commandments as a result of being saved not as a precursor of the same. In conclusion, it has been pointed out how crucial it is in the modern day not to dichotomize justice and mercy or law and grace, but show them as they are: complementary and intertwined terms. It is recommended that the PA be freely used in researches, sermons and lessons as any other inspired text.