27They came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple complex, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him [11:28] and said to him, "By what authority are you doing these things? Or who gave you this authority to do them?" [11:29] Jesus said to them, "I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. [11:30] Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men? Answer me." [11:31] They discussed it among themselves, saying, "If we say 'from heaven,' he will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?' [11:32] But if we say 'from men' —" They were afraid of the crowd, for everyone held that John was genuinely a prophet. [11:33] So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."
MRK 11:27-33
Jesusʼ Authority Challenged
In the world it was spoken into
In 1st-century Judea, the temple in Jerusalem was the central religious and political institution, controlled by the chief priests, scribes, and elders. These groups derived their authority from their roles in maintaining temple worship and interpreting Torah, often aligning with Roman oversight to preserve order. When Jesus enters the temple and acts disruptively (e.g., overturning tables), these leaders challenge His (authority), questioning the legitimacy of His actions. In their worldview, authority was hierarchical and granted by recognized institutions or divine sanction. Jesus’ response shifts the focus to John the Baptist, whose ministry was widely regarded as prophetic by the people but contested by the elite. By asking whether John’s baptism was from heaven or men, Jesus traps them in a dilemma: affirming John’s divine authority undermines their own, while denying it risks alienating the populace. This exchange highlights the tension between institutional authority and prophetic claims in Second-Temple Judaism.
›See the receipts
How other translations render this
MRK 11:27
- KJV
- And they come again to Jerusalem: and as he was walking in the temple, there come to him the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders,
- BSB
- After their return to Jerusalem, Jesus was walking in the temple courts, and the chief priests, scribes, and elders came up to Him.
- Koinōnos
- They came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple complex, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him
MRK 11:28
- KJV
- And say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things?
- BSB
- “By what authority are You doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave You the authority to do them?”
- Koinōnos
- and said to him, "By what authority are you doing these things? Or who gave you this authority to do them?
MRK 11:29
- KJV
- And Jesus answered and said unto them, I will also ask of you one question, and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.
- BSB
- “I will ask you one question,” Jesus replied, “and if you answer Me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
- Koinōnos
- Jesus said to them, "I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.
MRK 11:30
- KJV
- The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? answer me.
- BSB
- Johnʼs baptism—was it from heaven or from men? Answer Me!”
- Koinōnos
- Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men? Answer me.
MRK 11:31
- KJV
- And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him?
- BSB
- They deliberated among themselves what they should answer: “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will ask, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’
- Koinōnos
- They discussed it among themselves, saying, "If we say 'from heaven,' he will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?
MRK 11:32
- KJV
- But if we shall say, Of men; they feared the people: for all men counted John, that he was a prophet indeed.
- BSB
- But if we say, ‘From men’...” they were afraid of the people, for they all held that John truly was a prophet.
- Koinōnos
- But if we say 'from men' —" They were afraid of the crowd, for everyone held that John was genuinely a prophet.
MRK 11:33
- KJV
- And they answered and said unto Jesus, We cannot tell. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.
- BSB
- So they answered, “We do not know.” And Jesus replied, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”
- Koinōnos
- So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.
Translator's notes
MRK 11:27
- temple:The word translated 'temple' here refers to the entire temple complex, including its courtyards and surrounding buildings, not just the sanctuary where sacrifices were offered.
MRK 11:28
- authority:The term translated 'authority' implies not just the right to act, but also the power and ability to carry out that action, often with a sense of delegated power.
MRK 11:32
- for:The word translated 'for' here is a common verb meaning 'to have' or 'to hold,' but in this context, it functions idiomatically to express a strong belief or conviction held by the people.