The Woman Caught in Adultery: Can We Trust John 7:53–8:11?

Many Bibles include a note stating that the earliest manuscripts do not contain the story of the woman caught in adultery. What are Christians supposed to do with that? Does it undermine confidence in Scripture? How did the New Testament come to us in the first place? In this episode, we explore the doctrines of inspiration and preservation, explain how textual criticism works, and examine the evidence surrounding John 7:5-–8:11. We then consider what this famous story teaches us about sin, mercy, and the grace of Jesus.