The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men?
Parallel translations
- WEB the baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men?”
- BSB John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or from men?”
- NKJV The baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men?”
- NASB Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?”
- NLT “Did John’s authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human?”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jesus asks whether John's baptism was from heaven or from men. He ties the question of his own authority to their response to John.
Overview
John the Baptist had pointed to Jesus, so to judge John rightly is to judge Jesus rightly. The question forces the leaders to confront the divine origin of John's ministry, and by implication Jesus's. Their answer would reveal whether they were willing to submit to God's appointed messengers.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Luke 15:18I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
- Matt 11:7–19And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?
- Luke 7:28–35For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.
- Matt 21:25–32The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?
- Matt 17:11–12And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.
- Dan 4:25–26That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
- John 1:19–28And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?
- John 1:6There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
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Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 20:4 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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