The Last Stone: A Biblical Contextual Study of the Pericope Adulterae

Abstract

This article examines the Pericope Adulterae (John 7:53–8:11) through a combined textual-historical and theological-exegetical approach. Rather than attempting to resolve the longstanding debate concerning the passage’s original place in the Gospel tradition, the study investigates how the pericope has been transmitted, received, and interpreted within Christian tradition. After surveying major manuscript witnesses and patristic references, the article offers a narrative and theological reading of the passage in its canonical Johannine location. Particular attention is given to the themes of judgment, mercy, repentance, and moral responsibility. The analysis argues that the narrative redirects attention from the legal status of the accused woman to the moral condition of her accusers, thereby framing divine justice in relation to self-examination and repentance. The narrative also highlights the role of a marginalized figure who becomes the recipient of divine mercy and transformation. The study concludes that the Pericope Adulterae functions as an important locus theologicus for reflecting on the relationship between justice and mercy in Christian thought and ecclesial practice, offering a paradigm of ethical discernment that retains profound resonance within both historical and contemporary theological discourse.