Mark 11:27-33

New King James Version

Jesus’ Authority Questioned^(A)

²⁷Then they came again to Jerusalem. ^(B)And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him. ²⁸And they said to Him, “By what ^(C)authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority to do these things?”

²⁹But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things: ³⁰The ^(D)baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men? Answer Me.”

³¹And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ ³²But if we say, ‘From men’ ”—they feared the people, for ^(E)all counted John to have been a prophet indeed. ³³So they answered and said to Jesus, “We do not know.”

And Jesus answered and said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Read full chapter

Luke 20:1-8

New King James Version

Jesus’ Authority Questioned^(A)

20 Now ^(B)it happened on one of those days, as He taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel, that the chief priests and the scribes, together with the elders, confronted Him ²and spoke to Him, saying, “Tell us, ^(C)by what authority are You doing these things? Or who is he who gave You this authority?”

³But He answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, and answer Me: ⁴The ^(D)baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men?”

⁵And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why ^[a]then did you not believe him?’ ⁶But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, ^(E)for they are persuaded that John was a prophet.” ⁷So they answered that they did not know where it was from.

⁸And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Read full chapter