1 One day as he was teaching the people in the temple area and proclaiming the good news, the chief priests and scribes, together with the elders, approached him
2 and said to him, “Tell us, by what authority are you doing these things? Or who is the one who gave you this authority?”
3 He said to them in reply, “I shall ask you a question. Tell me,
4 was John’s baptism of heavenly or of human origin?”
5 They discussed this among themselves, and said, “If we say, ‘Of heavenly origin,’ he will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’
6 But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ then all the people will stone us, for they are convinced that John was a prophet.”
7 So they answered that they did not know from where it came.