20
When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once? ”
21
And Jesus answered them,
1“Truly, I say to you,
2if you have faith and
3do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain,
4‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea, ’ it will happen.
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And
5whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive,
6if you have faith. ”
The Authority of Jesus Challenged
23 7And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him
8as he was teaching, and said,
9“By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority? ”
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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,
10from where did it come?
11From heaven or from man? ”And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven, ’ he will say to us,
12‘Why then did you not believe him? ’
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But if we say, ‘From man, ’
13we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was
14a prophet. ”