Jesus’ Authority Challenged
1 And it happened that on one of the days [while] he was teaching the people in the temple [courts] and proclaiming the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes approached together with the elders
2
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?
3
And he answered [and] said to them, "I also will ask you a question, and you tell me:
4
The baptism of John--was [it] from heaven or from men?
5
And they discussed [this] with one another, saying, "If we say 'From heaven,' he will say, 'Why did you not believe him?'
6
But if we say, 'From men,' all the people will stone us to death, because they are convinced [that] John was a prophet."
7
And they replied [that they] did not know where [it was] from.
8
And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these [things]."