John 7:53–8:11 — "The Woman Caught in Adultery"

Whether the Pericope Adulterae (the story of the woman caught in adultery), absent from early manuscripts, is considered an authentic part of John's Gospel.

Overall consensus69/100

Christian Reformed Church in North America

Christian Reformed Church in North America

Evangelical

Nuanced

Passage absent earliest MSS; later addition; theological principle affirmed

The CRC acknowledges that John 7:53–8:11 is not found in the earliest and most reliable manuscripts and appears to be a later interpolation. However, the theological principle it teaches—Christ's mercy toward the repentant and his judgment on self-righteousness—aligns perfectly with reformed soteriology. The passage is read reverently in liturgical contexts but with awareness of its textual history. The CRC applies similar principles of textual criticism and theological judgment to this passage as to other disputed texts, maintaining confidence in Scripture's overall trustworthiness while being scholarly honest about manuscript evidence.

Key Distinctions

Textual status:
absent earliest MSS; later interpolation
Canonical status:
theologically affirmed; textually secondary
Pastoral value:
Christ's mercy and judgment on self-righteousness

Scripture References

Sources

  • CRC Statement on Biblical Canon
  • Christian Reformed Church Doctrinal Standards