Where is the man caught in adulterous acts with the woman they wished to cast stones at?
Dear VictoryinJesus,
My post will be a little long because there is some background information that is necessary to be able to understand the message that Christ is teaching in the story.
The story of the woman caught in adultery is a "type" which teaches a spiritual message. It is not a story simply about forgiveness. It is a story about the pathway to salvation.
So why is only the woman accused of adultery?
First, I need to explain how the spiritual symbol "woman" is used in scripture.
A "woman" is used in three different ways in three analogies:
1). The marriage analogy where she represents the Bride of Christ
2). The birthing analogy where she represents "mankind" who gives birth to the child of God.
3). The analogy where she represents mankind's carnal nature.
To understand the 3rd analogy, we must go back to the creation of Adam and Eve and understand what Adam and Eve represent.
MIND + SPIRITUAL NATURE = A LIVING SOUL OR "ONE FLESH"
This formula is the same as:
ADAM + EVE = A LIVING SOUL OR "ONE FLESH"
It can also be understood as:
MAN + WOMAN = A LIVING SOUL OR "ONE FLESH"
The terms I used in the formulas are synonymous with each other.
Here is one more point that needs to be stated before I explain the spiritual message of the "woman taken in adultery":
When Adam was created, he was given a "weak" spiritual nature. It other words, it was "marred":
Jer 18:4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.
Because Adam's spiritual nature was weak, his body of flesh soon governed it, making his spiritual nature "carnal". Because Adam's spiritual nature became carnal, so did Adam's mind. Now mankind's formula looks like this:
CARNAL MIND + CARNAL NATURE = A LIVING SOUL OR "ONE FLESH"
When Satan came to Eve in the Garden of Eden, he did so to show that Satan tempts mankind through their carnal nature (symbolized by Eve, the woman).
NOTE: When a believer is converted, their carnal nature will be destroyed and replaced with a new spiritual nature that is governed by the Holy Spirit and not the flesh. The Holy Spirit is powerful and will not give into the desires of the flesh. When Christ came into the world, He came in a physical body exactly like Adam's but His spiritual makeup was different. Christ came with the "full measure" of the Spirit which made His spiritual nature strong and only desiring to please His Father. That is why Christ said:
John 8:29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.
Because Christ was always lead by the Spirit of God that was within Him, Christ never gave into the temptations of the flesh or those of Satan. This is why Christ never sinned. But since mankind has a carnal nature, we sin frequently.
Now back to Adam and Eve; when Eve (carnal nature) gave into sin, she caused Adam (mind) to sin as well.
This takes us to the 1st analogy (marriage analogy) I presented above. When Adam was created in the Garden of Eden, he was married to Christ. But after Adam gave into his carnal nature (which gave into the temptation of Satan) and sinned, Christ divorced Adam because he committed adultery with Satan.
These verses relate to this concept:
1Cor 7:33 But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife.
1Tim 2:13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman (carnal nature analogy) being deceived was in the transgression. 15 Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing (the birthing analogy), if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.
Because mankind's carnal nature (the woman) is the one who was deceived, the carnal nature (the woman) is the one who is guilty of the transgression (sin). Since the penalty of sin is death, mankind's carnal nature must die. This death will happen from Christ's judgment. But before that death occurs, Christ will give us a new spiritual nature governed by the Holy Spirit. This is what makes us a "new creation" and is what it means to be "born again". After we have a new spiritual nature, our carnal mind will slowly die and be replaced with the mind of Christ.
John the Baptist is a "type" for the Old Man (the head, the mind). He said this:
John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
This change from the carnal mind to the mind of Christ is a slow process and occurs as we increase in the knowledge of God and from Christ's chastisement of us. This happens after we are converted when the old carnal nature is destroyed and replaced with a new spiritual nature.
This verse below applies to the chastisement of Christ:
Isa 26:9 With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the (new) earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.
The symbol "earth" is a synonymous term with "woman" (carnal nature). The old earth represents the carnal nature and the new earth represents the new spiritual nature of the Holy Spirit. In the verse, it is talking about the new earth in a converted person. The chastisements of Christ come from the new earth (Holy Spirit) and those judgments will teach the mind (new heaven, mind of Christ) of the person righteousness. After the Old Man (carnal mind) is completely destroyed, the person will be like Christ and will only walk by the Spirit. This is the "first resurrection" mentioned in Rev 20:5.
Back to Adam and Eve:
Spiritual adultery happens when we believe Satan over Christ. In other words, we take on a new head.
This formula applies:
CHRIST (HEAD) + MANKIND (BODY) = ONE FLESH/CHILD OF GOD
But after we sin, it changes to this:
SATAN (HEAD) + MANKIND (BODY) = ONE FLESH/CHILD OF THE DEVIL
That's should be enough background information. I will now present the spiritual message that the story of the woman taken in adultery teaches. I will do so in my next post.
Joe