Matthew 21:24-26
21:24 Jesus 1 answered them, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things.
21:25 Where did John’s baptism come from? From heaven or from people?” 2 They discussed this among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’
21:26 But if we say, ‘From people,’ we fear the crowd, for they all consider John to be a prophet.”
1 tn Grk “answering, Jesus said to them.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
2 tn The plural Greek term ἀνθρώπων (anqrwpwn) is used here (and in v. 26) in a generic sense, referring to both men and women (cf. NAB, NRSV, “of human origin”; TEV, “from human beings”; NLT, “merely human”).
sn The question is whether John’s ministry was of divine or human origin.