Matthew 21:23-27 - Jesus' Authority Challenged

²³ When he entered the temple, the high priests and elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, "What authority have you for acting in this way? Who gave you this authority?"

²⁴ Jesus replied, "Well, I will ask you a question, and if you answer me, then I will tell you what authority I have for acting as I do. ²⁵ Where did the baptism of John come from? From heaven or from men?" Now they argued to themselves, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say to us, 'Then why did you not believe him?' ²⁶ And if we say, 'From men,' we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet." ²⁷ So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." He said to them, "No more will I tell you what authority I have for acting as I do.

²⁷ Once more they came to Jerusalem. And as he was walking within the temple the high priests and scribes and elders came ²⁸ and asked him, "What authority have you for acting in this way? Who gave you authority to act in this way?"

²⁹ Jesus said to them, "I am going to ask you a question. Answer this, and I will tell you what authority I have for acting as I do. ³⁰ What about the baptism of John? Was it from heaven or from men?"

³¹ Now they argued to themselves, "[What are we to say?] If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Then why did you not believe him.' ³² No, let us say, From men" ??but they were afraid of the multitude, for the people all held John had been really a prophet. ³³ So they replied to Jesus, "We do not know." Jesus said to them, "No more will I tell you what authority I have for acting as I do."

¹ One day, when he was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, up came the priests and scribes along with the elders. ² "Tell us," they said, "what authority you have for acting in this way? Who was it that gave you this authority?"

³ He answered them, "Well, I will ask you a question. Tell me, ⁴ did the baptism of John come from heaven or from men?"

⁵ Now they reasoned to themselves, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Why did you not believe him?' ⁶ And if we say, 'From men,' the whole of the people will stone us, for they are convinced John was a prophet."

⁷ So they answered that they did not know where it came from.

⁸ Jesus said to them, "No more will I tell you what authority I have for acting as I do."