Mark 11:27-33
International Standard Version
Jesus’ Authority is Challenged(A)
27 Then they went into Jerusalem again. While Jesus[a] was walking in the Temple, the high priests, the scribes, and the elders came to him 28 and asked him, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority to do them?”
29 Jesus told them, “I’ll ask you one question.[b] Answer me, and then I’ll tell you by what authority I’m doing these things. 30 Was John’s authority to baptize[c] from heaven or from humans? Answer me.”
31 They began discussing this among themselves. “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he’ll say, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 32 But if we say, ‘From humans’…?” They were afraid of the crowd, because everyone really thought John was a prophet.
33 So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”
Then Jesus told them, “Then I won’t tell you by what authority I’m doing these things.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Mark 11:27 Lit. he
- Mark 11:29 Lit. one word
- Mark 11:30 Lit. John’s baptism
Mark 11:27-33
Lexham English Bible
Jesus’ Authority Challenged
27 And they came again to Jerusalem. And as[a] he was walking in the temple courts,[b] the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came up to him 28 and said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority that you do these things?” 29 So Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question. Answer me and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 30 The baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men? Answer me!” 31 And they began to discuss[c] this[d] with one another, saying, “What should we say?[e] If we say ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 32 But if we say, ‘From men’”—they were afraid of the crowd, because they all looked upon John as truly a prophet.[f] 33 And they replied to Jesus saying, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Mark 11:27 Here “as” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“was walking”)
- Mark 11:27 *Here “courts” is supplied to distinguish this area from the interior of the temple building itself
- Mark 11:31 The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to discuss”)
- Mark 11:31 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- Mark 11:31 Some manuscripts omit “What should we say?”
- Mark 11:32 Literally “that he was truly a prophet”
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