The Authority of Jesus Challenged
23 sAnd when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what tauthority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” 24 Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you unot believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From man,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a vprophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
The Authority of Jesus Challenged
1 dOne day, as Jesus1 was teaching the people in the temple and epreaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up 2 and said to him, “Tell us by what fauthority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority.” 3 He answered them, “I also will ask you a question. Now tell me, 4 was the baptism of John from heaven or from man?” 5 And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why did you gnot believe him?’ 6 But if we say, ‘From man,’ all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was a hprophet.” 7 So they answered that they did not know where it came from. 8 And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
