26 [“1aBut if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions.”]

Jesus’ Authority Questioned

27 They * came again to Jerusalem. aAnd as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders * came to Him,

28 and began saying to Him, “By what authority are You doing these things, or who gave You this authority to do these things?”

29 And Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question, and you answer Me, and then I will tell you by what authority I do these things.

30 “Was the baptism of John from heaven, or from men? Answer Me.”

31 They began reasoning among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’

32 “But 1shall we say, ‘From men’?”—they were afraid of the people, for everyone considered John to have been a real prophet.

33 Answering Jesus, they * said, “We do not know.” And Jesus * said to them, “Nor 1will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”