John 10:31

The Jews took up stones again to stone him.

Some "moderns," so-called, have alleged from this verse that the author of John was a stranger to the laws and customs of Judaea before 70 A.D. But as Richardson said, " Acts 7:58f records a case of mob stoning such as is said to have been impossible."[27]

Again ... indicates that the Jews had repeatedly sought an opportunity to stone Jesus (John 8:49; 11:8); and Hendriksen concluded from this that the Jews carried stones.[28] According to the law, blasphemy was punishable by stoning (Leviticus 24:16), but only after legal trial and sentencing. Such niceties as the legal requirements of the case, however, were no kind of deterrent to Jesus' foes. The commentators who fancy that legal prohibitions, either Jewish or Romans, cast any doubt on the truth of John's record have missed altogether the illegal and unscrupulous nature of the whole cabal against Jesus. Did such prohibitions prevent the same group of men from stoning Stephen to death? (Acts 7:58).

[27] Alan Richardson, op. cit., p. 135.

[28] William Hendriksen, Exposition of the Gospel according to John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1961), II, p. 126.