Matthew 21:23-27 - Jesus' Authority Challenged

²³ Now after Jesus entered the temple courts, the chief priests and elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching and said, "By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?"

²⁴ Jesus answered them, "I will also ask you one question. If you answer me then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. ²⁵ Where did John's baptism come from? From heaven or from people?" They discussed this among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say, 'Then why did you not believe him?' ²⁶ But if we say, 'From people,' we fear the crowd, for they all consider John to be a prophet." ²⁷ So they answered Jesus, "We don't know." Then he said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

²⁷ They came again to Jerusalem. While Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the experts in the law, and the elders came up to him ²⁸ and said, "By what authority are you doing these things? Or who gave you this authority to do these things?"

²⁹ Jesus said to them, "I will ask you one question. Answer me and I will tell you by what authority I do these things: ³⁰ John's baptism -- was it from heaven or from people? Answer me."

³¹ They discussed with one another, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say, 'Then why did you not believe him?' ³² But if we say, 'From people -- '" (they feared the crowd, for they all considered John to be truly a prophet). ³³ So they answered Jesus, "We don't know." Then Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things."

¹ Now one day, as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts and proclaiming the gospel, the chief priests and the experts in the law with the elders came up ² and said to him, "Tell us: By what authority are you doing these things? Or who it is who gave you this authority?"

³ He answered them, "I will also ask you a question, and you tell me: ⁴ John's baptism -- was it from heaven or from people?"

⁵ So they discussed it with one another, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say, 'Why did you not believe him?' ⁶ But if we say, 'From people,' all the people will stone us, because they are convinced that John was a prophet."

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

⁸ Then Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by whose authority I do these things."