Most people here want short quick fix answers it seems. Problem is, is that most things can’t be answered in this way.
On the stoning. We all know John 8.7. I always saw this as a criticism for the judgemental behaviour of the Scribes and Pharasees. Looked it up in Catena Aurea. Some interesting stuff there. Augustine says:
He did not say, Stone her not, lest He should seem to speak contrary to the law. But God forbid that He should say, Stone her; for He came not to destroy that which He found, but to seek that which was lost. What then did He answer? He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. This is the voice of justice. Let the sinner be punished, but not by sinners; the law carried into effect, but not by transgressors of the law
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He did not say, Stone her not, lest He should seem to speak contrary to the law. But God forbid that He should say, Stone her; for He came not to destroy that which He found, but to seek that which was lost. What then did He answer? He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. This is the voice of justice. Let the sinner be punished, but not by sinners; the law carried into effect, but not by transgressors of the law
There is a continual motion or flow with this verse on the woman:
9 When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. 10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”
11“No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”
All verses are very important to the reader, however, it is in the last verse, “Go and sin no more” - that Jesus tells the woman that the scribes and the Pharisees can not condemn her any longer - her guilt is cleared/clean/written off. This verse should be based on the word - teshuvah (repentance) and read further, as leaving one’s sin behind (
Genesis 19:26 - as Lot’s wife turned to look back, and she became a pillar of salt. (it is a metaphor to the description of sin) - if we look back or return back, something worse will happen because God had redeemed that person, and if the sin returns “how” many other sins will return with it! ),
“the Go and Sin no more!” verse - should (also) be based upon the word Kapparah, which means: “forgiveness or withdrawal of claim. This is a legal concept, borrowed from the laws of property. Just as one may release his fellow man of a debt owed to him, so may God absolve one of penalty to which he is liable due to sin. Kapparah removes the need for punishment.”
teshuvah (repentance) and kapparah (acquittal) man puts a protective covering between himself and the punishment for his sin. According to Rashi, the words “kapparah” (acquittal) and “kofer” (indemnity payment) are derived from the same Hebrew root "kfr”] and have a common signification. Punishment is not a self‑negating phenomenon–an indemnity must be offered and paid in order to withdraw the liability claim. That indemnity payment is made through teshuvah (repentance) itself. Kapparah (acquittal) is the result of the payment of this “ransom” which releases and redeems man from punishment. All this concerns the liability incurred by the sinner. The moment acquittal is granted and punishment wiped from the books,
man’s liability is terminated.
So Christ, who offers prayers and supplication on our behalf before the Father, acquits us and we are pardon, with the thought of Him strengthening us to not sin, the same sin twice!
Remember Nehemiah prays and recalls the sins and how many times God forgave them - "And I said, "I beseech You, O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God, Who keeps the Covenant and loving-kindness to those who love Him and to those who keep His commandments. ( In all that we do, how many times must we forgive our brother)
- Let Your ear now be attentive and Your eyes open to listen to the prayer of Your servant, which I pray before You today, day and night, concerning the Children of Israel, Your servants, and I confess the sins of the Children of Israel, which we sinned against You; and I and my father’s house have sinned."
These prayers from the prophets are very strong because of their plea to God, comes from the faith deep inside: “Moses was beseeching the Jewish people to reciprocate in kind, by rededicating themselves to God for all times as His chosen people—even when it becomes increasingly difficult to do so. Even in circumstances when it is not rationally beneficial…”
Remember Christ wept over the Jerusalem and the people, …as well as Jesus wept for Lazarus - in the same breath. He then came to the tomb and told the people to remove the stone covering the tomb, prayed aloud to his Father, and ordered Lazarus to come out, resurrecting him before the mourners. - it is with this loud cry that we are heard and God responds, Christ is our benefactor in heaven.
It is with this thought, in prayer, that the soul and spirit brings us back to God - with tears and sorrow, but as they say, you have clear out all the stones and debris in the field before laying the seed for the harvest, out of pain comes the joy!
Blessing
Mary
? I do not know about it.
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