Luke 20:4 kjv
The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men?
Luke 20:4 nkjv
The baptism of John?was it from heaven or from men?"
Luke 20:4 niv
John's baptism?was it from heaven, or of human origin?"
Luke 20:4 esv
was the baptism of John from heaven or from man?"
Luke 20:4 nlt
"Did John's authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human?"
Luke 20 4 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Matt 21:25-27 | “The baptism of John, where did it come from? From heaven or from man?”... They reasoned ... “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’” | Parallel account of Jesus' question and the leaders' dilemma. |
| Mark 11:31-33 | “Where did John’s baptism come from? From heaven or from men?” They discussed ... “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’” | Another parallel showing the leaders' fear of popular opinion. |
| Luke 20:1-2 | Chief priests, scribes, and elders came ... asking, “Tell us by what authority you are doing these things, or who it is that gave you this authority.” | Immediate context; the leaders' challenge to Jesus' authority that prompted Lk 20:4. |
| Luke 20:5-7 | They reasoned ... “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, for they are convinced that John was a prophet.” So they answered ... they did not know. | The leaders' response showing their dilemma and cowardice. |
| Matt 3:1-6 | In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness ... and were baptized by him in the Jordan. | John's public ministry and wide acceptance among the people. |
| Mark 1:4 | John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. | Confirms the nature and scope of John's divinely appointed mission. |
| John 1:6-7 | There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light. | Affirms John's divine commission directly. |
| John 1:19-27 | The Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” ... John replied ... “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know." | John's consistent testimony about his subordinate role to Christ and his divine mandate. |
| Mal 3:1 | “See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me.” | Old Testament prophecy interpreted as referring to John the Baptist as the forerunner. |
| Isa 40:3 | A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” | Another OT prophecy linking John to a divinely ordained preparatory ministry. |
| Gal 1:10 | Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. | Contrasts seeking approval from God versus men, which the leaders struggled with. |
| Prov 29:25 | Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe. | Illustrates the trap of fearing human opinion over divine truth, a core issue for the leaders. |
| John 5:41-44 | “I do not accept glory from human beings... How can you believe if you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the one God?” | Jesus critiques those who prioritize human praise over divine truth, relevant to the leaders' motives. |
| Dan 4:26 | As soon as you recognize that Heaven rules. | Heaven as a metonym for God's ultimate sovereignty and authority. |
| Matt 15:8-9 | “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’” | Jesus condemns the hypocrisy of prioritizing human traditions over God's commands, similar to the leaders' mindset. |
| Acts 5:29 | Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings.” | A direct statement on the necessity of choosing divine authority over human directives. |
| Neh 9:26 | “But they were disobedient and rebelled against you; they turned their backs on your law. They killed your prophets who admonished them... and they committed great blasphemies." | Historical pattern of Israel's leaders rejecting God's messengers and prophets. |
| Luke 7:30 | But the Pharisees and the experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John. | Highlights that these very leaders had already rejected John's divine baptism and ministry. |
| 1 John 4:1 | Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. | Emphasizes the importance of discerning the source of authority and truth. |
| Titus 1:16 | They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good. | Describes the kind of spiritual hypocrisy demonstrated by the religious leaders. |
| 2 Tim 3:5 | Having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. | Points to external religiosity without internal commitment or acknowledgement of God's true power and authority. |
| Jer 2:13 | “My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water." | Metaphorically illustrates the error of seeking truth/authority from human sources rather than divine. |
| Luke 16:15 | “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight." | Underscores the leaders' focus on outward appearances and human validation rather than God's approval. |
Luke 20 verses
Luke 20 4 Meaning
Luke chapter 20, verse 4, presents Jesus' counter-question to the religious leaders who challenged His authority. He asks them to declare whether John the Baptist's baptism and ministry originated from God ("heaven") or from human design and will ("men"). This question forces them into a profound theological and social dilemma, revealing their true motives and their inability to acknowledge divine authority when it contradicts their established views or jeopardizes their position.
Luke 20 4 Context
Luke 20:4 occurs during the last week of Jesus' earthly ministry, as He teaches in the Temple courts in Jerusalem (Lk 19:47). The previous verses (Lk 20:1-2) describe chief priests, scribes, and elders confronting Jesus, demanding to know by what authority He performed His actions, specifically cleansing the temple and teaching. This challenge was a direct attempt to undermine His ministry and perhaps find grounds for His arrest. Rather than directly answering their entrapment question, Jesus strategically turns the tables by posing a question back to them concerning the authority of John the Baptist's ministry. John's ministry was relatively recent, well-known, and had widespread public acceptance, especially among the common people, who regarded him as a prophet. The setting is highly charged, with Jerusalem bustling during the Passover feast, and religious authorities keen to maintain their control and suppress any perceived threats to their established order.
Luke 20 4 Word analysis
- The baptism of John (τὸ βάπτισμα Ἰωάννου - to baptisma Ioannou):
- τὸ βάπτισμα (to baptisma): "The baptism," referring to the specific and well-known practice of John. `Baptisma` signifies immersion or ritual washing, particularly a non-sacrificial cleansing for repentance, distinct from other Jewish purifications.
- Ἰωάννου (Ioannou): "Of John," referring to John the Baptist. He was a highly influential and recognized figure, regarded as a prophet by the common people, though often viewed with skepticism or hostility by the religious elite (Luke 7:30).
- Significance: Jesus singles out a specific, tangible, and widely discussed ministry. Its public nature meant the religious leaders could not easily evade a direct opinion without exposing their hypocrisy or fear of public reaction.
- was it from heaven (ἐξ οὐρανοῦ - ex ouranou):
- ἐξ (ex): "From, out of," indicating source or origin.
- οὐρανοῦ (ouranou): "Heaven," functioning here as a metonymy for God Himself. In Jewish discourse, "Heaven" was often used to respectfully refer to God, to avoid directly pronouncing the divine name. It implies divine sanction, origin, authority, and commission.
- Significance: To confess that John's baptism was "from heaven" meant acknowledging that John was a divinely sent prophet, whose message (including the coming Messiah) should have been believed and accepted. This would implicate the leaders for their earlier rejection of John (Lk 7:30) and implicitly, their rejection of Jesus, for John testified about Him (John 1:29-34).
- or from men (ἢ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων - e ex anthrōpōn):
- ἢ (e): "Or," presenting a stark, mutually exclusive alternative.
- ἐξ (ex): "From, out of," again indicating source or origin.
- ἀνθρώπων (anthrōpōn): "Men, human beings." This refers to something initiated or conceived solely by human will, wisdom, or authority, devoid of divine inspiration or command. It implies a ministry based on human tradition, self-proclamation, or popular appeal, rather than divine mandate.
- Significance: To claim John's baptism was "from men" would mean declaring him a false prophet, acting without God's authorization. This carried the risk of alienating or infuriating the common people, who largely believed John to be a prophet (Lk 20:6).
- Words-Group Analysis:
- "The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men?": This complete question is a masterclass in strategic rhetoric and divine wisdom. Jesus does not allow His adversaries to frame the debate on their terms (His authority) but redirects it to a prior, related issue (John's authority) on which they have already taken a practical stance. This question functions as an ultimate dilemma, exposing their moral and spiritual bankruptcy. It demonstrates Jesus' ability to penetrate their hypocrisy and expose their true motivations – not a search for truth, but a desire for control and a fear of both divine judgment and human opinion. Their eventual answer of "We do not know" (Lk 20:7) reveals their evasion and lack of genuine spiritual discernment.
Luke 20 4 Bonus section
This incident underscores a recurring biblical theme: the rejection of God's messengers by those in positions of power. Just as prophets throughout the Old Testament were opposed by unfaithful leaders (e.g., Jer 20, Neh 9:26), John the Baptist, and subsequently Jesus, faced similar resistance from the Jewish authorities. This passage also highlights the contrast between discerning truth by God's leading versus evaluating it based on human tradition, popularity, or fear of reprisal. Jesus' question challenges not just their knowledge but their very integrity and their true allegiance—whether to God or to their own reputations and systems.
Luke 20 4 Commentary
Jesus' question in Luke 20:4 is a brilliant strategic move against the cunning religious leaders who sought to discredit Him. By asking about the source of John the Baptist's authority, Jesus corners His interrogators. If they acknowledged John as being from "heaven" (God), they would condemn themselves for not believing him and by extension, for not accepting John's testimony about Jesus. If they dared to say John's ministry was "from men," they risked a violent reaction from the crowds who universally revered John as a prophet. Their inability to answer truthfully (Lk 20:7) highlights their fear of people more than their fear of God, exposing their intellectual dishonesty, spiritual cowardice, and hypocrisy. This exchange profoundly illustrates Jesus' divine wisdom in navigating entrapment and simultaneously unmasking the hearts of His adversaries. It serves as a reminder that true spiritual authority is validated by God, not by human recognition or political expediency.