Why John 8 and the Woman Caught in Adultery Is a Bad Defense for Celebrity Preachers

In a recent interview, Kris Vallotton of Bethel Church in Redding, California, drew a comparison between those calling for accountability in leadership and the religious leaders who dragged a woman caught in adultery before Jesus (John 8:1-11), hoping to murder her. Vallotton shared:

“When the woman was caught in adultery and brought to Jesus, it’s interesting Jesus did not say, ‘You who have never committed adultery, throw the first stone.’ He said, ‘You who've never sinned throw the first stone.’ And the point is … that our culture has relative righteousness. We [say] ‘I've never sinned like them and therefore I am worthy of stoning them. And I'm like no, Jesus said if you've never sinned…’”

You can listen to the full interview, which—overall—was thoughtful and helpful in many areas. Vallotton gave sound advice to young leaders seeking purity and spiritual maturity. However, his perspective on those on social media calling for accountability is exaggerated. He sees them as an angry mob with pitchforks—when in fact, most are just calling for New Testament values to be upheld.

When it comes to his application of John 8, the analogy simply doesn’t hold. Using this passage to describe the grassroots response to the exposure of high-profile leaders who committed clergy sexual abuse, as well as those who sought to cover up their sin to protect the leaders or the institutions they lead, is not only a theological misstep but an ethical one. Here's why.

1. John 8 Is About Benevolence for the Broken, Not Protection for the Powerful

The woman caught in adultery was a voiceless, powerless person publicly shamed and used as bait by corrupt religious leaders. She had no platform, no PR team, no patrons.

Using John 8 to shield celebrity leaders with global platforms turns the text on its head. They are not the vulnerable party—it’s the victims who are.

Jesus stood between a powerless woman and a hypocritical mob, hoping to trap him into sentencing her to death. They did not actually want to kill her; it was a ruse. Jewish leaders did not have the authority under Roman rule to exact capital punishment. That was the trap: if Jesus upheld the Torah by calling for her to be stoned, He could be accused of defying Roman law; if He refused, He could be accused of disregarding the Law of Moses.¹ Applying that story to high-profile leaders accused by multiple witnesses of misconduct is a distortion of the narrative.

2. The Story Is Not About the Absence of Justice—It’s About Hypocrisy

Jesus didn’t excuse adultery. He confronted the hypocrisy of leaders who condemned her while hiding their own sin. He told the woman, “Go and sin no more” (John 8:11). 

Today, most who speak out are not self-righteous Pharisees—they are victims, whistleblowers, or believers calling for justice within the Church. They are seeking to be a voice for people like the woman in John 8. In fact, if we follow the analogy, the modern-day “mob” may be the leaders protecting their own reputations at the expense of victims. They could be those who overlook clergy sexual abuse to protect their precious institutions (jobs, influence, power, etc). When protecting institutions takes precedence over protecting God’s sheep, we have lost the heart of God. The religious leaders in John 8 could be compared to those who are condemning the whistleblowers and victims for speaking out.

The hypocritical leaders in John 8 mirror those who today protect each other from accountability, not those pleading for justice.

3. It Shuts Down Needed Accountability in the Church

Misusing John 8 often silences legitimate concerns:

• “If you speak up, you’re like the Pharisees.”

• “Only the sinless can confront sin.”

This logic undercuts biblical protocols for justice and correction. Jesus outlines the process in Matthew 18 for confronting sin. Paul instructs Timothy to take accusations seriously and to rebuke sinning leaders publicly (1 Tim. 5:19–20). The goal isn’t shame—it’s restoration and protection of the flock.

Condemning those who speak out is in itself unbiblical, as God calls us to defend the powerless against injustice.

“Speak up for the people who have no voice,

    for the rights of all the misfits.

Speak out for justice!

    Stand up for the poor and destitute!” (Prov. 31:8-9, The Message)

4. It Ignores Clear Biblical Instructions for Leaders

Scripture holds leaders to a higher standard, not a lower one:

• “Let not many of you become teachers…” (James 3:1)

• “Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that others may take warning.” (1 Tim. 5:20)

John 8 doesn’t override clear apostolic teaching on how to confront sin in a leader. Vallotton bemoans that he can bear social media quoting James to him about leaders being held to a higher standard, only to conclude that they are correct—but then rebuke them for wanting to exile the fallen preacher “to Mars.” That is what we call a strawman argument—when someone misrepresents an opposing position to easily refute it, rather than addressing the actual argument.

The vast majority of those calling for accountability also believe in repentance, forgiveness, and restoration—just not automatic return to public ministry. Vallotton speaks as if there is a mob calling for repentant offenders to be removed from society. This is not the case. The concern is for the unrepentant offenders who target their victims afresh to keep them silent. An offender personally told me that if I spoke out on his issue, my soul and future ministry would be in jeopardy.

5. It Misapplies Mercy in Place of Justice

Mercy is essential. But it is for the repentant, not the unaccountable, the evaders, and the fraudsters. Paul instructs Timothy to rebuke sinning leaders not just for justice’s sake, but for the sake of the flock (1 Tim. 5:20). Mercy for unrepentant predators often translates into cruelty for future victims. To frame covering abuse as ‘mercy’ is to confuse mercy with injustice.

True mercy doesn’t bypass consequences. Forgiveness doesn’t negate the need for transparency, protection, or discipline. This is why I appealed to Kris Vallotton in a recent video—he does not accurately understand or portray those who are expressing concern.

Conclusion: Jesus Defends the Powerless—Not Predators

John 8 is not a blanket statement against confronting sin. It is about rebuking hypocritical, abusive leaders who had little regard for the powerless—the woman caught in adultery. Let’s not forget: you cannot commit adultery alone. Where was the man? His absence suggests the religious leaders were protecting the powerful—just as some church leaders are doing today.

Jesus defends the voiceless (Prov. 31:8). The Church must do the same. That includes making our spaces safe from spiritual predators and unsafe for abusers.

Yes, the tone of some online criticism can be harsh. But the overwhelming majority of believers raising concerns are not unforgiving haters—they’re reformers.

• They’re asking for accountability, justice, and integrity in God’s house.

• They’re asking us not to silence victims in the name of misplaced mercy.

• They’re asking that we prioritize the people of God over our institutions, platforms, and reputations.

Dr. Diane Langberg, with decades of experience in treating victims of sexual trauma, writes, “We do not serve survivors well when we use grace and forgiveness to shut down their voices and uphold the structures that crushed them.” To clarify, she is referring to the misuse of grace and forgiveness, not their biblical application. When leadership tells parents whose child was molested not to go to the police because it will ruin the life of the offender, we fail.²

For those who would throw around recklessly the phrase, “accuser of the brethren,” at those seeking accountability and justice, please understand that Satan is not the one calling for accountability in the Church—I can promise you that. He’s the one whispering to victims and whistleblowers, ‘You’re doing more harm than good.’” And sadly, he has found support from influential voices within the church.

We are all reformed sinners. And we all long to extend forgiveness and fellowship to those who repent. But repentance is not just words—it’s a process. It’s marked by brokenness, truth-telling, and a willingness to step away from public ministry when trust has been breached.

Let’s not twist John 8 into a shield for the powerful. Let’s let it remain what it is: a sword against the hypocrite and a shelter for the crushed in spirit.

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[1] “If Jesus said she should be stoned, he could be reported to the Romans as subverting their authority, since the death penalty had been taken away from Jewish courts (cf. John 18:31). If he said she should not be stoned, he would be violating the Law of Moses.” — D.A. Carson, The Gospel According to John, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1991), 336.

[2] Boz Tchividjian writes, “I often encounter professing Christians who struggle with whether they should first report suspected child abuse to the civil authorities. A church elder once told me that if he received a disclosure of child sexual abuse, his first response would be to interview the alleged victim. His rationale was that he wanted to ‘be sure that the allegations are legitimate before reporting to the police and ruining the man’s reputation.’ When asked what training he had to conduct a child forensic interview, the man was silent.

The elder had no authority to conduct such an interview as there are mandatory reporting laws in place. Furthermore, he had no training. He was out of his sphere of authority according to Romans 13.