Preservation of Scripture and the Adulterous Woman Narrative

Turn to the narrative of the adulterous woman: John 7:53-8:11.

Wait a minute. What’s happening here? Some of you may have found the entire story missing. If your Bible includes it, you might find a note or bracket stating: The earliest and most reliable manuscripts do not have John 7:53-8:11.

What’s happening here?

The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the Word of our God stands forever. Is 40:8 NKJV.

The Holy Spirit authored sacred Scripture. The Lord God Almighty has entrusted us with it, and by His design, we’ve preserved it. It is trustworthy.

Down through the annals of time, we have taken great pains to preserve, protect, and present it. There’s a mystery behind the place where the narrative of the adulterous woman fits.

The earliest and most reliable manuscripts do not have it, but the Holy Spirit does not want it omitted, so here it is.

In the next article, we will dig deeper into the narrative to discover why. But for now, let’s not be so quick to discard it or question the validity of Scripture.

It’s Holy

Have you ever wondered how such an ancient document as your Holy Bible could have survived for hundreds of thousands of years?

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever. Isa 40:8 NKJV.

The Lord knew on this day, at this hour, we would read His word illuminated by the Holy Spirit. He ensured its preservation so we would know His heart, ways, will, and the very words He’s breathed.

God set aside and separated the Holy Bible for His good purposes, which is why we call it holy. It is sacred: written, preserved, and authoritative.

Written Down

Moses was the first to write it down for future generations. God, in His infinite wisdom and enduring love, prevented the loss of His word through “word-of-mouth.”

Moses spoke with God as a man speaks to man.

They were together for 40 days and 40 nights on Mount Sinai (Jabal Musa, Mountain of Moses). God gave him instructions, history, and so much more. The finger of God wrote out the Ten Commandments on stone.

Moses recorded what he learned from the breath of God. Moses also dedicated more time to the Tent of Meeting (the Tabernacle), the place where the glory of the Lord appeared.

God breathes all Scripture out for us.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Tim 3:16 NIV.

God is the ultimate Author, while the Holy Spirit moved human authors to record His words.

The Process

The process was simple – men spoke from God as the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:20-21) carried them along. This includes Moses, the Prophets, and the Apostles.

Human wisdom did not teach the message; the Spirit of God taught it (1 Cor 2:12-13). Throughout Scripture, you will find these words: “Write this down and the word of the Lord came to…”

The Lord God Almighty will not leave His people ignorant or misinformed. The words of the “Covenant” are clear. God’s word, written, preserved, bound in a book, and available to all, is no coincidence but the gracious hand of God.

God breathed the Word as a witness for the future.

Sacred Scripture is holy – a product of divine inspiration, not human initiative. Human authors wrote, led by God.

The preservation process

It is true that none of the originals, known as autographs, have survived. The Lord wisely gave scribes the ability to copy each word painstakingly into manuscripts. They took great care to preserve the sacred Scripture lovingly by copying it.

The Holy Spirit is all over this process.

At the Museum of the Bible, I had the privilege and honor of watching a scribe copy the Torah in Hebrew. He wrote each word slowly, with meticulous attention to detail. He joined the scribes of old.

A part of me envied him as I watched. Here he was taking the God-breathed word into his soul as he copied word for word. What an honor. His heart must have burned within him.

Ancient Manuscripts

Copying and recopying the Bible continued until the middle of the 15th century CE. These older, handwritten copies of the Word, known as ancient manuscripts, were very fragile. Papyrus rotted quickly when exposed to dampness.

People found the manuscripts that have survived to this day in dry lands or caves. The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls reinforced our trust in the Holy Bible.

Then the printing press!

By the middle of the 15th century CE. The printing press arrived in Europe. The handwritten manuscripts were very expensive. The printed copies were not only affordable but also made more Bibles available to more people.

“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is My word that goes out from My mouth: it will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Isa 55:9-11.

Now, something amazing happens. The Lord puts it into the hearts of men to make the Word available to every tongue and language.

Not just preserved, but translated

The gift of God is to get the word translated so that as many people as possible can know Him and receive their salvation. The power of the Holy Spirit to teach, guide, and help us continues today.

As of 2026, the full Bible is translated into over 700 languages! It’s a moving train with new translations continuing.

There are over 7,400 spoken or signed languages in the world. Although the Bible is by far the most translated book in history, there is no stopping the men and women who are “on mission” to translate more.

God has entrusted us with His word, and it is trustworthy.

Our relationship with the author matters

Who is wise? Let him understand these things. Who is prudent? Let him know them. For the ways of the LORD are right; the righteous walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them. Hosea 14:9 NKJV.

To the estranged, the Bible is merely words on a page. He or she could read the whole of it and still live unwise and unlearned.

Yet the long-distant gains nothing but shadows of revelation here and there. They breathe the breath of God through a mask. Sadly, a little knowledge here and there, and just a bit of wisdom, appears to satisfy them.

… humbly accept the word planted in you… James 1:9b NIV.

Not so the intimate. As they read the Word, the Holy Spirit illuminates the Word. The yielding soul breathes it in completely. Truth upon truth, the Spirit helps them receive it until breathless awe takes hold. The unknown becomes known, mysteries unfold, and the wise grow wiser. Our hearts burn within us as we’re refreshed, restored, and honestly discipled.

Through God’s treasured word, the redeemed of the Lord gain His thoughts and discover His ways.

The echoes of the Holy are real.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. Isa 55:8-9 NIV.

What now?

In summary, we came to the narrative of the adulterous woman and had to take a pause. Why is it in some Bibles and not in others? Why is it lost in the most reliable transcripts? It’s a mystery. But we can trust the God of the Bible and see it was His purpose all along to entrust it to us. By so great a trust, we preserved the word until we have it treasured in our hearts. We should trust the narrative of the adulterous woman.

For some unknown reason, it was not in the original script. But we can trust the Author. God, in His infinite wisdom and enduring love, wanted us to encounter Christ in this narrative.

It’s not there just because translators of this narrative cherished the story. It’s not there out of whim or fancy. The Lord wanted it there because it’s the secret and hidden wisdom of God.

The Spirit has something to say about Jesus. He judges the souls of men and women rightly.

Curious?

Good. Then the next article will dig deeper until we capture the rhema word.

I believe the Word is ours as the greatest gift next to salvation. Although hidden to the estranged and barely there to the long-distant, I will continue to ask the Lord to open my eyes to see and ears to hear.

My call to action? Read it prayerfully and reverently. It is the breath of God. These words are freely given – so freely receive.

God’s Word is the amazing spiritual truth prepared for those who love Him. Stop to listen – lean in to learn.

…“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him” 1 Cor 2:9 NIV.

Until we meet again, “May the Lord bless and keep you; make His face shine on you and be gracious to you, and turn His face toward you and give you peace.”