Any good quality edition of the Bible will include a note at John 7:53-8:11 saying something to the effect of, “The most ancient authorities lack 7:53-8:11” (NIV).
A great number of scholars are of the opinion that John 7:53-8:11 is an interpolation and not originally part of John’s Gospel. There are compelling reasons as to why a majority of scholars hold this belief. The reasons are based upon external and internal evidences.
External Evidence for the Addition of John 7:53-8:11
The external evidence that suggests that John 7:53-8:11 is inauthentic is overwhelming. First, important manuscripts lack this story. This story of the Woman Caught in Adultery is absent in reliable manuscripts such as P66, P75, Codices Sinaiticus, Vaticanus and a host of other manuscripts. Codices Alexandrinus and Ephraemi Rescriptus are defective at this point but a number of scholars agree that it is likely they did not contain this story.
This passage is also absent in several Old Latin manuscripts, the Old Syriac, the best Peshitta manuscripts, the Old Gregorian version as well as the Gothic version. Significantly, no Greek Church father within the first 1,000 years of the church refers to this story of the Woman Caught in Adultery.
The earliest manuscript to have John 7:53-8:11 is the fifth century Codex Bezae Cantabrigiensis. This Codex differs considerably to the accepted Johannine text. For many variant readings, scholars consider this text unreliable.
In some manuscripts, this story is found at various different places. For example, in one manuscript it has been found after John 7:36. In another manuscript it is inserted after John 21:24. This story has also been found in Luke’s Gospel in chapter 21. This has led some scholars to believe that the author of Luke’s Gospel is the person responsible for this story.
Finally, many manuscripts that contain John 7:53-8:11 have asterisks or obeli attached to it. These are symbols used by scribes to indicate the questionable nature of the reading. Ancient scribes were no more confident of the authenticity of this text than modern scholars.
Internal Evidence of The Story of the Woman Caught in Adultery's Inauthenticity
Some words and phrases of this story are different to what is found in the rest of John’s Gospel. Unique words and phrases not common in John’s Gospel include “the Mount of Olives” (8:1), “The Scribes” (8:3) and “I condemn” (8:11), all of which are more commonly found in the Synoptic Gospels.
Some words and phrases are more common to Luke than John. “All the people” (8:2) and “the Scribes and the Pharisees” (8:3) are a couple of phrases more common to Luke. However, despite the fact that there are Lukan words in this story, there are also non-Lukan phrases which suggest a non-Lukan text. This suggests that this story is no more Lukan than Johannine.
There are unique words not found anywhere else in the Gospels. Such terms include “in the act” (8:4), “sinless” (8:7) and “he was left” (8:9). The language of this story makes it unique within the New Testament.
Finally, it appears that this story does not fit comfortably into the immediate context of John’s Gospel. John 7:52 flows much more easily into 8:12 than 7:53. Biblical scholar Francis Moloney states that “this synoptic-like story, which does not relate to the broader context of the Gospel and interrupts the already complex thought of 7:1-8:59, disturbs the storyteller’s systematic account of Jesus’ presence at the feasts of ‘the Jews.’”
External and internal evidences gives good reason to question the authenticity of this Biblical story. It appears that this story was circulating orally and scribes did not want this story to be lost.
Sources:
- Metzger, B. M., The Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament. Stuttgart: United Bible Societies, 1975.
- Moloney, F. S. The Gospel of John. Collegeville: Liturgical Press: Sacra Pagina, 1998.
- NIV Bible
- Westcott, B. F. The Gospel According to St. John.Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1881, 1954 ed.
