Luke 20:1-8

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Luke 20:1-8

In this passage of story nothing is added here to what we had in the other evangelists; but only in the Luke 20:1; where we are told, I. That he was now teaching the people in the temple, and preaching the gospel. Note, Christ was a preacher of his own gospel. He not only purchased the salvation for us, but published it to us, which is a great confirmation of the truth of the gospel, and gives abundant encouragement to us to receive it, for it is a sign that the heart of Christ was much upon... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Luke 20:1-8

20:1-8 One day, while Jesus was teaching the people in the Temple and telling them the good news, the chief priests and scribes with the elders came up and said to him, "Tell us, by what authority do you do these things? Or, who is it who gives you this authority?" He said to them, "I, too, will ask you for a statement. Tell me, was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?" They discussed it with each other. "If," they said to each other, "we say, 'From heaven,' he will say, 'Why did you... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 20:1

And it came to pass, that on one of those days ,.... According to the account of the Evangelist Mark, it must be the second day, or two days after his public entrance into Jerusalem; for on the evening of the day he made his entry, he went out to Bethany with his disciples; the next morning, as he returned from thence, he cursed the barren fig tree; and when he came to the temple cast out the buyers and sellers; at evening he went out again, either to Bethany, or the Mount of Olives; and the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 20:2

And spoke unto him, saying, tell us by what authority doest thou these things ?.... The Arabic and Ethiopic versions read, "this thing"; as if the sanhedrim only referred to his preaching the Gospel, which is mentioned in the preceding verse, and was what he was about when they came to him: but the Persic version reads, "all these things"; not only preaching, but working miracles; and particularly driving the buyers and sellers out of the temple, which especially affected them, they losing... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 20:3

And he answered and said unto them ,.... That is, Jesus replied to them, as the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Persic versions express it: I will also ask you one thing, and answer me ; when he also promised, that if they would give him an answer to his question, he would satisfy them in the point they interrogated him about: and as this was a prudent decline to avoid the snare they laid for him, so it was not an impertinent reply to them; since it led on to a proper answer to their... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 20:4

The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? This was a new ordinance, and John must have his authority for administering it either from God, or from men; and Christ is desirous to know from which he derived it in their opinion; suggesting, that by the same authority John, his forerunner, came baptizing, he himself came preaching and working miracles; See Gill on Matthew 21:25 . read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 20:5

And they reasoned with themselves ,.... Or "they thought with themselves", as the Syriac version; or "within themselves", as the Vulgate Latin, though they did not express it; or "one with another", as the Arabic version; they took counsel together, and debated the matter among themselves, and reasoned after this manner: saying, if we shall say from heaven ; which was what, in their own consciences, they believed to be true, he will say, why then believed ye him not ? in what he said... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 20:6

But and if we say of men ,..... Which they had a good will to, against the dictates of their own consciences: all the people will stone us ; meaning the common people, that were then in the temple about Christ, hearing him preach; who would be so enraged at such an answer, that without any regard to their character and office, they would rise and stone them. The Ethiopic version adds, "whom we fear"; see Matthew 21:26 for it seems that they had not so behaved as to have the good will... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 20:7

Whether from heaven, or of men; in this, no doubt, they told an untruth: but they chose rather to sacrifice their consciences than their interest, and pretend ignorance rather than profess the truth, when they saw they should be put to confusion, or be exposed to the resentments of the people. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 20:8

And Jesus said unto them ,.... Since they would not give him a direct answer to his question: neither tell I you by what authority I do these things ; nor was there any need of it; they might easily perceive by what he had said, from whence he professed to have received his authority, from God, and not men; See Gill on Matthew 21:27 . read more

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