The story of the woman caught in adultery, as told in the Gospel of John is a powerful story of mercy, forgiveness and divine authority.
In the official textbook Chinese Professional Ethics and Law, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has used the story as an illustration but the plot has been heavily altered to better adapt to its philosophy.
In the textbook, the modified passage now reads: “The crowd wanted to stone the woman to death as per their law. But Jesus said, ‘Let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone.’ Hearing this, they slipped away one by one. When the crowd disappeared, Jesus stoned the sinner to death saying, ‘I too am a sinner. But if the law could only be executed by men without blemish, the law would be dead.
’”This malicious distortion seriously misrepresents and defiles the image of Jesus Christ in Christianity.
The textbook infers that if only people without sin can enforce the law, the law will become powerless. It implies that because illegal behaviours of Chinese judicial officials in law enforcement are unavoidable, they should be tolerated.
Christians in China are protesting against the textbook.
The CCP has pressured the Christian community in China for years, trying to reinterpret the biblical doctrine and theology to conform to the socialist values Xi Jinping advocates. Until now, however, Chinese officials rarely, so openly presented an altered biblical passage in an official textbook.
Sources: China Aid, Open the Word
- Ask the Lord to strengthen His church and to guard it against subtle and blatant heresies of any kind.
- Ask God to use this shocking distortion of His Word to encourage people to examine the Gospel for themselves.
- Pray the nation of China will be flooded with His precious Word and the transforming power it brings.
Post your prayer in the comments below.
I continually pray that God will use His word even with the terrible distortions that are being introduced, and that by His Holy Spirit He will teach His people the truth.
leaders of China. if u have anything 2 do with d changing of d words of God as stated in d news excerpt above, know this n b sure that d God of d bible
will cause u 2 answer b4 His hearing in His court of law. Jesus encouraged us, when u r being taken 2 court, on d way there u should make peace with your accuser. [God is accusing u of wrong]. if not, u’ll handed 2 d jailers n u
will have 2 pay 4 it by being punished accordingly….
The Lord Jesus Himself rebuke you Chinese Communist Party, ay He Himself personally rebuke you from straight out of His holy heaven, except you repent to the uttermost. c.f. Jude v, 9
Lord you said in your Word that it will never pass away. Lord the world has changed your story in so many blasphemous ways, and this is evidence of just one more way. Lord may those who know you, and know this is not what your bible says, be willing and able to teach the truth of your Word to others. May those who did this blasphemy have a revelation of your Love, forgiveness, grace and mercy and see what you did at the cross was for them too, so they can come to know you and humbly repent and find salvation.