The Authority of Jesus Questioned^(A)

²⁷ They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him. ²⁸ “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you authority to do this?”

²⁹ Jesus replied, “I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. ³⁰ John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or of human origin? Tell me!”

³¹ They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ ³² But if we say, ‘Of human origin’ …” (They feared the people, for everyone held that John really was a prophet.)^(B)

³³ So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”

Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

³¹ Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him,^{(A) 32} but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?”

³³ “We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”^(B)

³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law,^(C) ‘I have said you are “gods”’^[a]?^{(D) 35} If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God^(E) came—and Scripture cannot be set aside^(F)— ³⁶ what about the one whom the Father set apart^(G) as his very own^(H) and sent into the world?^(I) Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’?^(J)