>>14779719 (lb)

When he said that to the crowd, he already knew that there was no one standing before him, who had not done that or its equivalent, ergo was saying, as the Jesus character said in Last Temptation, "aren't you afraid that the hand that lifts that stone will wither, and lose all strength?" So my words are following his own. As to an adulteress, I would also follow his lead, and say, "Neither do I condemn thee." But what did he say next? "Go, and sin no more," i.e. you broke explicit rules that were established for good reason, but I forgive you this one time. Don't let me see this again.

Meanwhile the people as a whole were often likened to an adulterous woman, so there was also that aspect to his crowd challenge. ALL of you are spiritual adulterers, not yet covered by the blood. He also said that if you even look at a woman (or by extension, a man) while married, and have lust in your heart, you have committed the sin. That is to say, spiritually. So the people who were about to do the stoning were all guilty of spiritual adultery in relation to their Lord, and many of them also of spiritual adultery by not controlling their vital thoughts, and many also guilty of physical adultery.