Go and sin no more...

[Hermit Philosopher]

What did Jesus means when he told the adulteress to go and sin no more? Did that mean it was possible for her to live without sin?​

I think that though Man cannot free himself from sin, he can aim to live as sinless as possible. To do this, he must first know himself well enough to sincerely face his own weaknesses.

My strongest tendency to sin, for instance, was through ambition and arrogance.

Almost daily I fail, but every day I still try as though I will not.


Humbly
Hermit

 

[URAVIP2ME]

There is evidence that this story was not in the original gospel of John and is left out in some modern translations. However Jesus does say this to others also.
Jesus of course did not want people to sin and no doubt did not want them to sin and rely on being forgiven.

Yes, Not part of the original, but I am wondering where Jesus says this to others _______________________

 

[74x12]

What did Jesus means when he told the adulteress to go and sin no more? Did that mean it was possible for her to live without sin?​

I don't think it's possible but the command is still given. So in practice I would take it to mean she should try to live without sin. Also in context it could be taken to especially mean the specific sin she was accused of.

 

[Nakosis]

We can think that of sinning No more as: sin No more -> on purpose, deliberately, intentionally, wilfully
- Hebrews 10:26

Then is there willful sin and unwilful sin?

Sin we are not able to control?

 

[Nakosis]

I don't think it's possible but the command is still given. So in practice I would take it to mean she should try to live without sin. Also in context it could be taken to especially mean the specific sin she was accused of.

So whatever "sin" is, do you have the willfulness to choose not to do it. In some cases it would seem so, like to choose not to steal.
Is their sin we have no choice in? Sin we are not capable of choosing not to do?

 

[URAVIP2ME]

Then is there willful sin and unwilful sin? Sin we are not able to control?

I suppose one can reach a point of No return such as by committing the unforgivable sin of Matthew 12:32.
That would be the exception, whereas we can choose to sin on purpose or not.
Deliberate sin would be willful sin, sinning by accident would be unwillful sin or sin by mistake.

 

[JoshuaTree]

Romans 14:23
New International Version

23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.


What easier way for God to forgive sins than to instill faith that he is in control and you are part of his perfect plan? That's faith, and everything that doesn't come fromm faith is sin.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

Romans 14:23 New International Version
23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.
What easier way for God to forgive sins than to instill faith that he is in control and you are part of his perfect plan? That's faith, and everything that doesn't come from faith is sin.

Faith is: trust and confidence in God's Word (Scripture) - 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Plans can change, but God's purpose will Not change.
A person can plan a picnic but change plans because of rain, whereas God's purpose does Not ever change.
Paradise Lost (Eden) to Paradise Regained ( Jesus' coming 1,000 year governmental reign over Earth ) .
This is a reason why we are asked to pray the invitation of Rev. 22:20 for Jesus to come !
Asking in faith (confidence and trust) and Not doubting as James 1:6-8 says to us.

 

[Windwalker]

I agree attempting to suppress our desires can be unhealthy. However do you think we can lose our desire to harm and to hate?
Personally I think this is possible. If possible, would that be enough or is something else needed?

Yes, we can lose the energy behind rage. It's a matter of addressing the source of it in our lives and coming to terms with it, be those things like fear, or loss, and so on. Coming to terms is owning our shortcomings, owing our own pain. Usually, we don't like those and try to not face them or disown them. But the reality of it is, it's not nearly the monster it appears to us. Once we get behind the growl, it's just something from childhood we built this massive wall around and turned into the enemy. The devil we fear is the scared child in us. When we embrace it instead of hate and deny it, the energies behind the negative impulses drops away. The kid isn't clawing at you anymore. You took the claws out of the devil.

 

[PureX]

Ok, is it possible for us to get it right?

Of course it is, and I'm sure we do, sometimes. The point, though, is that it's about progress, not perfection. That's why forgiveness is so important. If we are not forgiven, then our efforts to do better would be pointless.

 

[RestlessSoul]

So I assume you think it is not possible to live without sin because sin is? What?

An inevitable consequence of innate self interest.

 

[Brian2]

Yes, Not part of the original, but I am wondering where Jesus says this to others _______________________

I looked it up and it seems John 5:14 when Jesus heals the man at the pool of Bethesda is the other time apart from John 8:11.
At Bethesda it goes more like this:
“See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.”

 

[URAVIP2ME]

I looked it up and it seems John 5:14 when Jesus heals the man at the pool of Bethesda is the other time apart from John 8:11. At Bethesda it goes more like this:
“See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.”

Thank you for taking the trouble to research.
John 8:11 is spurious, but John 5:14 isn't.
Do Not sin any more would be to avoid 'willful sin' (Hebrews 10:26-27) because it is deliberate sin that could result in something worse than sickness, which is: being destroyed forever - Psalms 92:7; Psalms 104:35.
We all have the choice where sin is concerned: sin on purpose or not, sin intentionally or not, sin by mistake or not.

 

[1213]

Jesus said unto him, “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.”

Even freedom from sin?

I believe person can be free form sin, at least with the help of God.

 

[PearlSeeker]

Actually, I'm curious if it is possible to be free from sin. However to know we are free from something, we'd need to know what that something is

In some languages "to sin" is the same verb as "to miss (the target)". It means to misuse free will for something that is not in line with our purpose. Or simpy an unethical act. Some sins can become habits (vices) as opposed to virtues.

Even if you can't be (completely) free of sin (in one lifetime) it's worth to cultivate virtues.

"A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at."
(Bruce Lee)

To suppress one's actions, ok but to suppress feelings as well?
Lust for example, is lust a sin?
Is the feeling of lust something we can control?

I don't think temptation is the same as sin although it can lead to sin. You can't control emergence of such thoughts/passions but you have some control how to deal with it. You can: A) calmfully accept it but don't give in or B) you can willfully intensify it, indulge in it (watching porn for example)...

 

[PearlSeeker]

It was said of an old man that for fifty years he had neither eaten bread nor drunk wine readily. He even said, 'I have destroyed fornication, avarice and vain-glory in myself.' Learning that he had said this, Abba Abraham came and said to him, 'Did you really say that?' He answered, 'Yes.' Then Abba Abraham said to him, 'If you were to find a woman lying on your mat when you entered your cell would you think that it is not a woman?' 'No,' he replied, 'But I should struggle against my thoughts so as not to touch her.' Then Abba Abraham said, 'Then you have not destroyed the passion, but it still lives in you although it is controlled. Again, if you are walking along and you see some gold amongst the stones and shells, can your spirit regard them all as of equal value?' 'No,' he replied, 'But I would struggle against my thoughts, so as not to take the gold.' The old man said to him, 'See, avarice still lives in you, though it is controlled.' Abba Abraham continued, 'Suppose you learn that of two brothers one loves you while the other hates you, and speaks evil of you; if they come to see you, will you receive them both with the same love?' 'No,' he replied, 'But I should struggle against my thoughts so as to be as kind towards the one who hates me as towards the one who loves me.' Abba Abraham said to him, 'So then, the passions continue to live; it is simply that they are controlled by the saints.'

(The Sayings of the Desert Fathers)

 

[stvdv]

Says your religion of not eating meat. I think you're just attempting to change the subject into an argument about vegetarianism. Judaism has meat eating in it. They literally have to occasionally eat meat if their temple is ever rebuilt. Some few believe they must do so anyway even without the temple. Christians don't have to eat meat, but our apostle (Paul) specifically allows for it, everything except human meat. Hindus don't like this, but we're talking about Christian religion and how what Jesus means when he says "Go and sin no more" to the Samaritan lady. We don't have a story of Jesus eating beef, but we definitely have a story of him eating fish and of his parents sacrificing doves as part of his birth rituals. That is killing and eating meat. Fish meat is no better for one's teeth and beef is and might be even worse for teeth.

The horror of killing is real, and cows are of course vegetarians who hold very little threat to humans. I understand this and why you view this as an evil. I empathize, but for a Christian its either not a sin or a very minor one such as any other dietary choice. To us its merely one more kind of protein even though we are aware that it comes through killing. We don't hate the cows. We eat them, but its not out of hate. We are also not proud of eating them and don't enjoy slaughtering. We consider ourselves to be part of their natural cycle of birth and death.


That is a difficult argument to sustain. In Genesis 3 Abel's animal sacrifice is approved of by the L-RD. In Genesis 9 it says Noah is told that the animals will be food for him. That isn't far from chapter 1. It is debatable whether the author of Genesis thinks Adam is wrong to eat the fruit and to become knowledgeable as gods about good and evil. Therefore it is debatable whether a Christian must consult another being about whether it is wrong to eat meat.

If I were to generalize about Christianity and sin: Everything is a sin, but its not a sin to choose the lesser of sins. Sitting on your backside doing nothing is a sin. Doing something good is not as good as doing something better. Even sleeping is a sin, because you could be dying for God's glory instead; but its less of a sin than killing yourself. etc. There's nothing you can do in Christianity to not sin except to choose lesser sinful ways.

That's what I think.

Okay, I am fine with those words "that is what I think"

In short: I replied with "Not brushing your teeth is not a sin"
When you quoted from the Bible that "not brushing your teeth is a sin"

You wrote it in a generalizing way, hence I replied that it's not true (for all)

 

[Brickjectivity]

When you quoted from the Bible that "not brushing your teeth is a sin"

To clarify: I did not quote from the Bible anything about brushing teeth. No book in the bible speaks on this topic, and my point was that any error of any kind is a sin in christian scripture, sin of various classes, though perhaps not in your scripture of your religion.

 

[stvdv]

To clarify: I did not quote from the Bible anything about brushing teeth. No book in the bible speaks on this topic, and my point was that any error of any kind is a sin in christian scripture, sin of various classes, though perhaps not in your scripture of your religion.

The NT does not make this clear but there are different classifications of sin. For example: murder is not in the same class as forgetting to brush your teeth.

You said "the NT does not make this clear"
Then continued with
"but there are different classifications of sin. For example: murder is not in the same class as forgetting to brush your teeth"
Which I read as
"but there are, according to the Bible, different classifications of sin. For example: murder is not in the same class as forgetting to brush your teeth"

So, indeed you did not quote directly from the Bible, but indirectly you meant that "not brushing your teeth is a sin according to the Bible", as you gave "not brushing your teeth" as an example in this context, and now you added that "any error of any kind is a sin in Christian Scripture". Hence my reply was quite to the point and I interpreted quite well what you wrote.

And to be clear, I have no problem with Christians believing that way. And you are right that this does not apply to me (my religion), hence my objection

 

[Brickjectivity]

So, indeed you did not quote directly from the Bible, but indirectly you meant that "not brushing your teeth is a sin according to the Bible", as you gave "not brushing your teeth" as an example in this context, and now you added that "any error of any kind is a sin in Christian Scripture". Hence my reply was quite to the point and I interpreted quite well what you wrote.

I see you have a point. It was not my intention to say that the bible had something specific about brushing teeth. The only thing about rinsing teeth or washing teeth is an ironic passage that I cannot interpret and so will not mention, so I am sorry for any confusion my statement has caused.