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.”

²¹ And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells^(A) in it. ²² And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.^(B)

²³ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth^(C) of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness.^(D) You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. ²⁴ You blind guides!^(E) You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

²⁵ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish,^(F) but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.^{(G) 26} Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.

²⁷ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs,^(H) which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.

³ Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled^(A) in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas,^{(B) 4} and they schemed to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him.^(C)

The Authority of Jesus Questioned^(A)

20 One day as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts^(B) and proclaiming the good news,^(C) the chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders, came up to him. ² “Tell us by what authority you are doing these things,” they said. “Who gave you this authority?”^(D)

³ He replied, “I will also ask you a question. Tell me: ⁴ John’s baptism^(E)—was it from heaven, or of human origin?”

⁵ They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’ ⁶ But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ all the people^(F) will stone us, because they are persuaded that John was a prophet.”^(G)

⁷ So they answered, “We don’t know where it was from.”

⁸ Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

⁴⁰ And no one dared to ask him any more questions.^(A)

² and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus,^(A) for they were afraid of the people.

¹⁸ For this reason they tried all the more to kill him;^(A) not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.^(B)

¹⁸ For this reason they tried all the more to kill him;^(A) not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.^(B)