OTP! A Few Words About Convictions

2007-06-20 02:27:10 AM
The term "convict" and its cognates appear in the Bible only one time,
and that one time is problematic. In older English translations it is
in John 8:9, "And they . . . being convicted by their own conscience,
went out one by one . . . ."
This passage has an interesting history, though. Many if not most
scholars of Biblical languages and Biblical texts agree that it was not
originally part of John's Gospel but was added later (because of its
pedagogical value?). Running from John 7:53 to 8:26, it's the story of
a woman caught in adultery who was brought for Jesus to determine what
should be done to her (the prescribed punishment was death by stoning).
Instead of answering his questioners, Jesus wrote something on the
ground which caused the leaders to go away leaving her with him, and he
sent her away telling her not to sin again.
Now, according to the scholars the word "conviction" is not even in the
best attested text of the non-authentic passage. And "convict" and its
cognates are not used anywhere else in the Bible.
So one could reasonably conclude that:
1>God and the Bible aren't big on convicting folks
2>God and the Bible don't support the idea of folks going around
deciding who's convicted and who isn't
3>The best traditional Christian theology stresses taking care of one's
own weaknesses and transgressions, not prying into the lives and
thoughts of other folks
--
Don Kirkman
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