Jesus’ Authority Challenged

20 And it happened that on one of the days while[a] he was teaching the people in the temple courts[b] and proclaiming the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes approached together with the elders and said, saying to him, “Tell us, by what authority you are doing these things, or who is the one who gave you this authority? And he answered and[c] said to them, “I also will ask you a question, and you tell me: The baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men? And they discussed this[d] with one another, saying, “If we say ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us to death, because they are convinced that John was a prophet.” And they replied that they did not know where it was from. And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 20:1 Here “while” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“was teaching”)
  2. Luke 20:1 Here “courts” is supplied to distinguish this area from the interior of the temple building itself
  3. Luke 20:3 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“answered”) has been translated as a finite verb
  4. Luke 20:5 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation

20 · kai One heis · ho day hēmera, as Jesus autos was teaching didaskō the ho people laos in en the ho temple hieron and kai preaching euangelizō the gospel , the ho chief archiereus priests and kai the ho scribes grammateus, along with syn the ho elders presbyteros, came up ephistēmi and kai spoke legō to pros him autos, saying legō, “ Tell legō us hēmeis by en what poios authority exousia you are doing poieō these houtos things ; or ē who tis it is eimi who ho gave didōmi you sy · ho this houtos authority exousia?” He answered apokrinomai, · de saying legō to pros them autos, “ I kagō will also kagō ask erōtaō you hymeis a question logos, and kai you must give legō me egō the answer : The ho baptism baptisma of John Iōannēs, was it eimi authorized from ek heaven ouranos or ē did it come from ek men anthrōpos?” They ho · de reasoned syllogizomai among pros themselves heautou, saying legō, “ If ean we say legō, ‘ From ek heaven ouranos,’ then he will say legō, ‘ Why dia tis did you not ou believe pisteuō him autos?’ But de if ean we say legō, ‘ From ek men anthrōpos,’ all hapas the ho people laos will stone katalithazō us hēmeis to death , because gar they are eimi convinced peithō that John Iōannēs was eimi a prophet prophētēs.” So kai they replied apokrinomai that they did not know oida where pothen it was from . Then kai · ho Jesus Iēsous said legō to them autos, “ Neither oude will I egō tell legō you hymeis by en what poios authority exousia I do poieō these houtos things .”

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