One of the most famous lines in the gospel is “let the one who is without sin cast the first stone.” Jesus is alluding to Deuteronomy 13:9 and 17:7 (cf. Lev 24:14), from which the legal tradition of facing an accuser is based.
This verse is usually taken out of context and directed at judgmental Christians by people who are rather enjoying their sin. There is a presumption that religious leaders are stuffy, puritanical types who are out to punish other people who are committing the same sins they are committing in secret. In fairness, there is quite a bit of that sort of hypocrisy in the church. Someone like Fred Phelps has done a great deal of harm to the possibility of sharing the love and grace Jesus offers to people.
However, it is impossible for there to be no judgment of right and wrong at all. Some behaviors are wrong (most cultures rarely condone adultery, which is more than a sexual taboo!) Usually, sexual ethics are the problem. Few people have a problem called theft or murder a crime, brutality should condemned by everyone. But I am not sure I hear Christians harshly condemning financial fraud or violent crime quite the same way they do sexual sins. Did any Christians make an emotional condemnation of Bernie Madoff?
Instead of condemning people who live a lifestyle that contradicts what we believe biblical Christianity demands, it would be better to express our belief that the behavior is sinful while also showing that a person can be forgiven without being hateful. Telling someone they are a horrible sinner doomed for hell rarely works, and in most cases, it drives people further away from the Gospel.
The saying of Jesus is also a caution for those who condemn others for their behavior. We do more good by confessing our own limitations and struggles and helping people to recover from destructive lifestyles. Christians who deny they struggle with sin create an inauthentic situation, which further alienates those who need the gospel.
Jesus never denied fellowship to anyone around the table because they were thieves (tax collectors) or sexually sinning.
The common use of the phrase “cast the first stone” to silence condemnation of sin ignores the rest of the story. Jesus also tells the woman to “sin no more.” Jesus does demonstrate forgiveness and grace, but he also makes a clear statement that her behavior must change. Since her sin is self-destructive, to continue in it would be foolish.
In the past I have often struggled with judging the sins of others. I still struggle with it today, but I am becoming more aware of my unnecessary and condemning judgement. As we look to the story in John (not found in earliest manuscripts according to Kostenberger (p. 91)) that discusses the life of the adulterous women (John 8:1-11), we are provided with a prime example of how to interact with and love those who are struggling with sin. Every person struggles with sin, even Christians; sometimes our sin is seen and sometimes it is hidden. When our sin is seen by others, we need what Jesus offered this woman: grace and truth. First, Jesus discourages the judgement and hypocrisy of the Pharisee, then moves on to address the woman personally. Being full of mercy, Jesus shows grace to the adulterous women and does not condemn her, but Jesus continues on to say, “go and sin no more” (John 8:11). Jesus showed her grace but also shared the truth about her sin. The common phrase: “cast the first stone” should not be used by anyone but Jesus since he never sinned (1 John 3:5). If we say this phrase to one another, it immediately makes us a hypocrite! Rather than going around and judging others for their sin, we should offer the grace and forgiveness of God while also humbly offering the Truth of God and conveying His desires for our lives without sin.
I once heard someone say, “You won’t see someone come to know the Lord if you argue with them”. I can’t remember if those were the exact words, but the point is, arguing is not the answer if our mission is to lead others to the Lord. Today, our culture does a great job at arguing. Christian culture specifically can also do a great work when it comes to arguing, and as this post says, throwing judgement to others who are living in sin that is so-called “worse” than the sin of the stone thrower. I love how this post also mentions that there is a way to call someone out in their sin, while ALSO telling them that they can be forgiven! Correcting someone in their sin should not be a hateful thing. Instead, it should be a time of love and guidance toward the Lord. I have been on both sides of the line: I have thrown hateful, judgmental stones at others, and I have been hit with the same. From my experiences, I would agree with this post that believers actually benefit more when they confess their own sin and provide help for those who may be walking a similar path. To help others out of their sin is to know Jesus fully. He is the ultimate judge and we are his vessels. Knowing Jesus means praying that our lives would look like Jesus. In doing this, we are further away from being judgy Christians and instead, are Christians who first confess our own sin and then provide help to those who are also stumbling.
Throughout his life, Jesus sets a great example of balancing grace and truth when discussing sin in others’ lives. Jesus demonstrates this especially during his encounter with the woman in John 8. As Long mentions, Jesus shows grace and forgiveness; however, he does not fail to mention that her sin is destructive and she needs to change her ways of living in order to live the best life God has planned for her. Learning to balance grace and truth is something that Christians should strive to achieve in our conversations with others about sin. Living in today’s society, it can be difficult to bring up the subject of sin and tell others that their behavior is self-destructive, because a lot of people (especially in the U.S.) view disagreement or differences as personal hatred towards someone else. While some conversations about this topic can insinuate a hateful attitude, this is not always the case, nor should it be something that we imply. I couldn’t agree more that telling people that they are a horrible sinner and destined to spend eternity in hell will most likely push others away from the truth of Jesus and having a relationship with him. It is important to help others be aware that their sinful behavior is destructive to their lives, but we should not forget to include grace and forgiveness. Judging others is something that is easy to struggle with; however, we should first be self-aware and recognize the sin in our own lives before judging others (Matthew 7:1-5). When we realize that we, too, are sinners, it is easier to extend the same compassion and empathy to others that God provides to us. Ultimately, finding a healthy balance between grace and truth is what will lead others toward desiring a relationship with God, because people will not have a genuine relationship with him just out of fear of spending eternity in hell.
I couldn’t agree more with this post, especially when it comes to sharing Jesus with other people. While this passage is not found in the original manuscripts, according to Kostenberger, it is “just as valuable” to the narrative as the rest of the chapter (p.2039). I think that often this passage is misinterpreted in a way that almost “promotes” living a sinful life, or rathe, teaches people to accept sin, since we are all sinners. I disagree with this way of teaching, because as Long states, “The common use of the phrase “cast the first stone” to silence condemnation of sin ignores the rest of the story. Jesus also tells the woman to “sin no more.” Jesus does demonstrate forgiveness and grace, but he also makes a clear statement that her behavior must change. Since her sin is self-destructive, to continue in it would be foolish” (para 7). To dismiss a sin, because we cannot “cast the first stone” is not the message that Jesus was trying to get across to the people surrounding him. As stated, Jesus tells the woman to “sin no more.” On a similar note, I think that there is two dangerous actions when it comes to sin; condemning and completely accepting a sin– both are hazardous. As Long states, “The saying of Jesus also is a caution for those who condemn others for their behavior” (para 5). The lesson here requires a discerning and understanding heart. If we (christians) are to spread the good news of Jesus, we need to be willing to share our own shortcomings, not condemn someone for their own sins, to show them how Jesus saves those who fall short, which is everybody. What I gather altogether is to be genuine with people about the reality of sin, while also avoiding condemnation, and present the good news that Jesus saves us from our shortcomings and sins. It’s our as Christians job to present the full gospel, which includes the reality of sin and the salvation of Jesus.
This blog actually hit home with events that happened this past year. I met one of my best friends this past year and in the beginning as I was getting to know him, I figured out he was getting drunk on the weekends regularly and was also dating an unbeliever. Knowing he was a Christan and knowing that what he was doing was unbiblical I spent extensive time in prayer on how to best bring up conversations with him and talk about how what he was doing was technically not right in the eyes of the Lord. I spent an extensive amount of time in prayer because my past self would judge immediately, assume, and never give the person the time of day, but that is completely opposite of how Christ loved people. He met them where they were at. So, about a year and a half ago someone I really loved broke my heart and hide things from me that I would have judged them for back in the past, but because they were someone I truly loved, I learned what it meant to truly forgive, to truly give grace, and so when I met my best friend I then got to practice even more on what it looked like to give grace, and because of God working on my heart he was actually working on both of ours at the same time. He no longer gets drunk, and he ended that unhealthy, unbiblical relationship.
When it comes to the sin struggles of modern-day Christian, I would argue that out of all the many sins, the sin of judgment of condemnation may be the one we struggle with the most. We live in this western Christian culture that has distorted the interpretation of scripture and has encouraged this self-serving cherry-picking of verses. Of course, as a life-long Christian, I’ve been guilty of this at some points in my life. And the infamous “purity culture” phenomenon that took the American church by storm at the turn of the 21st century, did not help this scripture reading movement either. Instead of living under law and grace, we’ve shown to have grace for ourselves but to come down hard with the law for everyone else. We’ve been taught to instantly condemn our brothers and sisters in Christ for their sin patterns when seldomly seriously examining our own sin patterns. I love how this blog post says: “it would be better to find a way to express our belief that the behavior is sinful and that a person can be forgiven without being hateful.” (Long, 2012). This sentence here nails it- it’s time for a heart change. We must fully examine Jesus’ heart, intention, and meaning when it comes to John 8:7. I believe we must not project and bring attention to the sins of others, rather we must walk in humility, and be compelled by the Holy Spirit to ultimately share the Gospel, and to share our story, which includes being vulnerable and sharing our sin struggles, to use those past experiences to point the life-changing power of the Gospel.
“let the one who is without sin cast the first stone.” Reading the words of Jesus we should fall to our knees. In our lives “stones” can be many things. One example could be words. In today’s society we do not stone people for their sins but we can publicly shame and make their lives a living hell because of what we say and expose about them. Many of us throw the first stone without even knowing. God is the only one that can truly judge perfectly and we are to not judge or ridicule others for their mistakes. This concept is displayed in Matthew 7:3-5 talking about removing our plank from our eye before our brothers. We ought to make sure we are walking with the Lord before we judge others for their struggles. The blog above makes a great point that we need to focus on “sin no more”. We need to focus on improving our walk with Christ and strive to “sin no more” like Jesus tells the woman. We as Christians need to be more transparent about our struggles and come alongside each other when we are struggling because we are all in it together. We all need the grace of God just as much as the other.
I have a famous saying, and I find myself saying it often to remind me not to judge, even though I find myself doing it without realizing it sometimes. I say that we have all fallen short of the glory of God and we all have sinned. It can be hard at times to try and help someone who is falling short without judging. As Christians we need to love unconditionally and help those without judging. I have witnessed many people help someone and then after it is over talk to the next person and judging that person at the same time. There are some people who can turn people away from the body of Christ. When we judge unbelievers, we aren’t helping them become a believer, but instead helping them turn away. That’s my understanding of this passage about casting the first stone. There is no way we can even think that we are over one person because of the sin that they commit. We are supposed to be loving and most importantly forgiving if the sin act was committed towards you personally. Jesus forgave us for all the sins that we have committed. The only person that can judge is our heavenly father who has never made a mistake or fallen short. We will forever fall short, but whole heartedly we try to be more like Christ. That has been something that has been on my heart, because I have struggled with judging and I realize that saying that we have all fallen short of the glory of God and have all sinned.
People, especially Christians struggle with being judgmental towards others because of their actions. For example, someone who does something you don’t agree with you may instantly think they are a bad person and make terrible life decisions. But in reality we shouldn’t judge others because Jesus didn’t judge others. We can not agree with them but we shouldn’t instantly push them away and tell them how bad of a person they are. That won’t help them in their life or help them grow closer to God. When non-Christians see how judgmental christians can be it can make them turn away from God. When someone does something you don’t agree with you don’t have to be rude about it. You can let them know that you don’t agree with what they are doing and still show them that you love and care for them and will help them through whatever they need if they want the help. This shows them that you still see them for who they are, not what they do. And they may be willing to talk with you about their struggles because they know you won’t judge them for it.
I too think that this is a great line in the Gospel of John. This verse is a good reminder because it can be easy to look at other people’s sins without looking at your own. I really like Matthew 7:3 (ESV), which says, “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” There are a lot of people who are judgmental and look down upon people who do sinful things. Many of those judgmental people however judge without looking at the sinful things that they are doing. Like the blog talked about, some people see other sins, such as murder, as being worse than others, such as lying. However, they are both sin, which means if one person murders and another person lies, they are still both sinning, regardless of which one has the bigger consequences. I also really like John 8:10-11. We should not be condemning people for their sins. Jesus is the judge, not us. Instead, we should be helping them to stop their sinful tendencies. Condemning will make a lot of people less interested in hearing the Gospel, so we should avoid it.
“Let him who is without sin cast the first stone” is a phrase that Jesus said that Christians have widely adapted as an anti-judgement anthem. The message being clear that no man alive has not sinned and is guilty of something, there fore they have no right to condemn others. The sin the woman was being accused of was adultery, the crazy thing is that the man she was with was not being punished as well. The idea that a man would only be persecuted if he was engaging in the act with a woman that was betrothed or married to another. The story takes an interesting turn when Jesus does not respond to their accusations the way they wanted him to. If he would have condoned the stoning to death, he would have been saying that the woman’s sin was too bad that she could not be redeemed. If he let her go without punishment, he would be ignoring the laws. However, he makes a point to acknowledge that she has done wrong but encourages her to “go and sin no more”. By showing the encouragement to do good, he is showing he cares about her wellbeing. When you condemn someone in a direct way without compassion you are more likely to push them away permanently. Churches should be weary to not make people feel shame for fear they may never want to return there again.
So many people have shut themselves off from God, the body of Christ, and the Bible because people who claim to be members of the body of Christ have hurt them with judgment. Even though we may not agree with the choices/sins some people have made does not give us the right to treat them with disrespect and make them feel judged. In John 8 Jesus says to the Pharisees, “Let Him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her” (vs.7). During His sermon on the mount Jesus also says to take care of the plank in your eye before taking the speck out of your brother’s eye. We are not perfect and are not in position to judge others when we are just as sinful as they are. We are called to love other people in the way that God loves us. How are we supposed to live out the great commission when members of the church are hurting people and causing them to turn their backs to Christianity? We can love people and not agree with their lifestyle, and we can minister to people without being judgmental. People are broken and hurting and need to know about God’s love and grace. I’m not saying that we should leave out the need for repentance. What I am saying is that we can show God’s love and grace and explain and make known the need for repentance without casting judgment with harsh words. Jesus shows compassion to the woman in John 8 before He tells her to sin no more. In John 4 Jesus offers the woman at the well living water and makes her sinful lifestyle known. Pure judgment is not the answer and only focusing on God’s love and grace is also not the answer. We need to show people God’s love and grace while also showing them their need for Him to be their savior.
Mark 2:17 says “And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”” This is possibly the best metaphor that I can think of when explaining the sort of company Jesus kept when considering the sort of people he was surrounded with. On the other side of this people who are unwell also seek out physicians, so while a physician may choose to be with the sick, the sick also seek them out. So perhaps not only did Jesus dine with sinners, but they may have also knowingly or unknowingly sought him out to meet their needs. With this interaction with the woman caught in adultery Jesus models this sort of behavior for us again. He is being a good physician to someone who is sick and need, and he demonstrates excellent bedside manner. For us however, we need to remember that we are not the physicians nor the judges in either of these stories, we are among the sinners and the sick, and have no place to condemn or diagnose.
This story teaches an important principle if it is not taken out of context. God is the only one who can be the judge of sin as He is blameless and without fault. James 4:12 says, “There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?” We all have our faults and have made mistakes because of our sinful nature, so we should not hate on or harshly judge others. This is God’s role as He is the judge. However, as Christians we should also hold each other accountable to bring them back into fellowship with the Lord. Galatians 6:1 says, “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.” It is important to be gentle and loving, making sure are motives are right. As Long suggests, we should not condemn others and be harsh as that usually drives a wedge further between them and God. Remind others of biblical truths and stand firm in those beliefs, but also be loving and forgiving toward others.
I certainly must agree at the idea of sexual sin being far more stigmatized and more heavily condemned than other sins committed in the church. For centuries, sexuality has been viewed as something little more than a moral evil, with many individuals choosing to live as monks or nuns in order to stay as far removed from sexuality as possible, thereby believing this act brings them closer to God. A modern day example of this extremity is that of the purity culture movement. In this movement, youth were taught that sexual sin was the worst type of sin that they could commit, as it was a sin against both God and themselves. Youth were taught that if they engaged in premarital intercourse that they would be “impure”, and therefore “ruined” for their future spouse. This teaching went beyond sex itself, and into dating boundaries. Young couples and singles were encouraged to save their first kiss for their wedding day, and go so far as to abstain from any physical contact, even hand holding. Any physical contact could lead to temptation, and into sin. No other sin brought such extreme teachings as sexual sin. While this movement began with what could have been pure intentions, it bled into something much more radical and extreme. This is why it is important to look at the teachings of Jesus, and how he handled sin. I appreciated the point that Jesus never denies anyone around the table because of their sin. Jesus did not tell the woman in John 8 that because her sin was sexual, her sin was much more severe. Instead he simply tells her to “go, and sin no more.” This is an important message to keep in mind to prevent us from radicalizing certain sins.
I certainly agree with this statement. Growing up my father’s message to me as I was coming into my own personal walk was to never forget where God has brought you from. To me that statement hit home because I understand what it is like to be judged for something that others are doing in secret or have done before. On the other hand I have also found myself in the same shoes as those who were judging me. What I took from this post and those lessons from my father was that your walk with God will never be perfect no matter how long you have been a christian, even in the text God asked those same people are you without sin ? While God doesn’t excuse the sin he still shows grace to the women and tells her “sin no more”, We can take a lot from this statement because even in the women’s transgression Jesus shows us the example of grace and mercy while also still correcting sin. I believe sometimes we as a people can tend to forget grace when we have encountered someone who has fallen. It was funny because today I had heard a podcast discussing levels of Grace with your partner and the emphasis that he was making was to make sure to be a team player with your spouse and I believe this can be said also for christian, It is important for us to be team players and not throw someone under the bus because of bad choice.
A lot of Christians, not all but some like to let their friends get away with living in sin because they don’t want to be judgmental or push them away from God in the first place. I have lived in sin and some of those I have battled through and overcome. Still, one of the best things that set me straight during those times and really made me realize what I was doing was wrong was that I had good friends who prayed for me and confronted me about the life and habits I was living in, they didn’t judge me, but they told me they wanted and knew I could do better. As a brother in Christ we should have enough respect for the people we love to let them know that they can do better, but before even letting them know we should spend time in prayer asking God for guidance in what i am about to say and asking God to lead them to the right path.
This story reminds of the verse Judge not, Judge not, that you be not judged (Matt.7:1) and how so many people tend to forget the next two verses are meant to be read after it, For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye (Matt.7:2-3). Many people use verse one to when someone reminds them that they are doing something wrong but they forget the next two verses. These three verses remind us to check our own lives for sins before we check another’s life. It is not saying that we should judge but to be careful of how we do it because we are also sinners.
The story tells us that we should be willing to call out sin when we see it but be willing to forgive them because we have sinned and will still be dealing with sin. That is what Christians are called to do, not because they deserve it but because Jesus forgave us even when we didn’t deserve it. Which reminds of a verse, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”(Romans 5:8).
Unfortunately, I feel that a lot of people do get condemned due to their sin as much as it should not be that way. No matter of someone’s sin we should work to bring them to the Gospel instead of pushing them out because of their poor choices and behavior. Everyone sins and while some may sin less than others, we should still stand together to bring the Gospel to all.
Also thinking about this in a way of grace, we want to be forgiven for our sin. I believe we should extend the same courtesy to others who are currently sinning or have sinned. Instead of being quick to judge we as Christians should place more value in forgiving as Jesus did not judge the sinners, he invited them to eat with him, or he talked to them when no one else would. Overall, I think this is something that all people need to sit with as forgiveness can go a long way and let’s not be judgmental.