6/4/23 A Note From Pastor Ben

Friends and Family,

It’s been a few weeks since we’ve been in the Gospel of John, so I’ve been eagerly anticipating jumping back in it. I have loved studying the book of John. D.A. Carson (who wrote one of the best commentaries on John) was once asked what book of the Bible he loves the most and his answer was, “The book I’m working through at the time.” That pretty much sums up my response as well therefore, my favorite book of the Bible right now is John. If you’ve been absent for much of our John study, here’s a video of D.A. Carson giving a big-picture overview of John’s Gospel - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W76UvbZb9q0

The section we’re unpacking this week demands great care in how we handle it. Your Bible probably has brackets around John 7:53-8:11 along with a note that reads, “The earliest manuscripts do not include 7:53-8:11.” I plan to briefly explain on Sunday how we are to handle this section. Basically, the inspiration of this text is in question because the earliest manuscripts don’t include this passage. If you would like to think through this idea a little deeper, below are a few resources:
1. For an easy-to-follow breakdown on why John 7:53-8:11 isn’t original to John’s Gospel, see John Piper’s sermon on the text - https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/neither-do-i-condemn-you--3
2. For a fuller understanding of canonization or any other lingering questions about the Bible’s authority and validity, see Michael Kruger’s essay on “The Biblical Canon” - https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/essay/the-biblical-canon/
3. For a brief explanation of textual criticism and this particular text, see R.C. Sproul’s lecture called “The Adulterous Woman” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXVeP9ni9Zc&t=22s


- Pastor Ben

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