Scripture Reference Window
Browser "Back" or "Alt+Left_Arrow" to return.
As you consider these scriptures, remember: John came before Jesus appeared, telling people Messiah was coming. John then identified Jesus as that Messiah. (John 1:25-29) The hypocritical Jewish leaders were not interested in learning the truth from Jesus, but in protecting their control over the people. Their concern was to keep everyone else from listening to the truth of the Bible [from listening to what Jesus taught]. Don't allow modern religious leaders to misdirect you away from the Bible (by replacing it with their religious study aids).
Luke 20:1-8 CEV
(1) One day, Jesus was teaching in the temple and telling the good news. So the chief priests, the teachers, and the nation's leaders
(2) asked him, "What right do you have to do these things? Who gave you this authority?"
(3) Jesus replied, "I want to ask you a question.
(4) Who gave John the right to baptize? Was it God in heaven or merely some human being?"
(5) They talked this over and said to each other, "We can't say that God gave John this right. Jesus will ask us why we didn't believe John.
(6) And we can't say that it was merely some human who gave John the right to baptize. The crowd will stone us to death, because they think John was a prophet."
(7) So they told Jesus, "We don't know who gave John the right to baptize."
(8) Jesus replied, "Then I won't tell you who gave me the right to do what I do."
Luke 20:1-8 NWT
20 On one of the days while he was teaching the people in the temple and declaring the good news, the chief priests and the scribes with the older men came near, 2 and they spoke up, saying to him: "Tell us by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority." 3 In reply he said to them: "I will also ask you a question, and you tell me: 4 Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?" 5 Then among themselves they drew conclusions, saying: "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say, 'Why is it you did not believe him?' 6 But if we say, 'From men,' the people one and all will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet." 7 So they replied that they did not know its source. 8 And Jesus said to them: "Neither am I telling you by what authority I do these things."
Luke 20:1-8 BBE
(1) And it came about on one of those days, when he was teaching the people in the Temple and preaching the good news,
(2) That the chief priests and the scribes and the rulers of the people came to him and said, Make clear to us by what authority you do these things and who gave you this authority.
(3) And in answer he said to them, I will put a question to you, and do you give me an answer:
(4) The baptism of John, was it from heaven or of men?
(5) And they said among themselves, If we say, From heaven; he will say, Why did you not have faith in him?
(6) But if we say, Of men; we will be stoned by the people, for they are certain that John was a prophet.
(7) And they made answer that they had no idea where it came from.
(8) And Jesus said, And I will not make clear to you by what authority I do these things.
Please use browser back arrow to return to previous page. | Home
You will note the reference windows often include more than one translation of the Bible. The reason is to strive to gain the best possible understanding of the original Hebrew and Greek. Since we don't speak those languages, we rely on those who have come before and made the effort to translate those texts into English for us. Considering several translations gives the benefit of the understanding of several translation committees or individuals.
The Translations we quote are:
ALT - Analytical Literal Translation
ASV - American Standard Version (by the American revision committee in 1897).
Darby - 1889 Darby Bible
DRB - 1899 Douay-Rheims Bible
BBE - 1965 Bible in Basic English
LITV - Literal Translation of the Holy Bible
KJV - King James Version
MKJV - Modern King James Version
NWT - New World Translation
Webster - 1833 Webster Bible
RV - Revised Version
YLT - Young's Literal Translation