The Waldensian tradition, informed by textual criticism and Reformed scholarship, recognizes that John 7:53–8:11 (the Woman Caught in Adultery) is not found in the earliest and most reliable Greek manuscripts. The passage appears suddenly in later Byzantine manuscripts and is absent from virtually all early witnesses. The story also interrupts the flow of John's narrative.

While the Waldensians acknowledge that the passage expresses themes consistent with Gospel truth (Jesus' compassion, the call to mercy over judgment), they deny that the passage has the authority of Johannine writing. The textual evidence is decisive: the passage is a later addition, not part of John's Gospel.

The Waldensian commitment to fidelity to the authentic canonical text prioritizes manuscript evidence over later ecclesiastical tradition. The themes of the passage can be found in undisputed Gospel material, so the loss of this particular passage does not diminish the Church's testimony to Gospel grace.