Where did John’s baptism come from? From heaven or from men?” They began to argue among themselves,“ If we say,‘ From heaven,’ He will say to us,‘ Then why didn’t you believe him?’

约翰的洗礼是从哪里来的？是从天上来的？是从人间来的呢？”他们彼此商议说：“我们若说‘从天上来’，他必对我们说：‘这样，你们为什么不信他呢？’

约翰的洗礼是从哪里来的？是从天上来的，还是从人间来的呢？”他们彼此商议说：“我们若说‘从天上来的’，他会对我们说：‘这样，你们为什么不信他呢？’

约翰的洗礼是从哪里来的？是从天上来的，还是从人间来的呢？”他们彼此商议说：“我们若说‘从天上来的’，他会对我们说：‘这样，你们为什么不信他呢？’

约翰的洗礼是从哪里来的？从天上来的，还是从人来的？”他们便彼此议论说：“如果我们说‘是从天上来的’，祂一定会问我们，‘那你们为什么不信他？’

约翰的洗礼是从哪里来的呢？是从天上来的，还是从人来的呢？”他们就彼此议论：“如果我们说‘是从天上来的’，他会问我们‘那你们为什么不信他呢？’

约翰的洗礼是从哪里来的？是来自天上，还是来自人间呢？”他们就彼此讨论，说：“如果我们说‘是来自天上’，他就会问我们‘那么你们为什么不相信他呢？’

約翰的洗禮是從哪裏來的？是從天上來的？是從人間來的呢？」他們彼此商議說：「我們若說『從天上來』，他必對我們說：『這樣，你們為甚麼不信他呢？』

約翰的洗禮是從哪裏來的？是從天上來的，還是從人間來的呢？」他們彼此商議說：「我們若說『從天上來的』，他會對我們說：『這樣，你們為甚麼不信他呢？』

約翰的洗禮是從哪裏來的？是從天上來的，還是從人間來的呢？」他們彼此商議說：「我們若說『從天上來的』，他會對我們說：『這樣，你們為甚麼不信他呢？』

約翰的洗禮是從哪裡來的？從天上來的，還是從人來的？」他們便彼此議論說：「如果我們說『是從天上來的』，祂一定會問我們，『那你們為什麼不信他？』

約翰的洗禮是從哪裡來的呢？是從天上來的，還是從人來的呢？”他們就彼此議論：“如果我們說‘是從天上來的’，他會問我們‘那你們為甚麼不信他呢？’

約翰的洗禮是從哪裏來的？是由於天呢？還是由於人呢？』他們就彼此議論說：『我們若說「由於天」呢，他就會對我們說：「那你們為甚麼不信他？」

約翰的洗禮是從哪裡來的？是來自天上，還是來自人間呢？」他們就彼此討論，說：「如果我們說『是來自天上』，他就會問我們『那麼你們為什麼不相信他呢？』

約翰之洗自奚、自天乎、自人乎、眾竊議曰、若云自天、彼必曰、曷不信之、

約翰施洗、由天乎、由人乎、眾竊議曰、若云由天、彼必曰、曷不信之、

約翰之施洗何自、自天乎、自人乎、眾竊議曰、若云自天、彼必曰、然則何不信之、

夫如望之洗、何自而來、自天乎、自人乎？』若輩私議曰：

John’s baptism— where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?” They discussed it among themselves and said,“ If we say,‘ From heaven,’ he will ask,‘ Then why didn’t you believe him?’

Where did John’s baptism come from? Was it from heaven? Or did it come from human authority?” They talked to one another about it. They said,“ If we say,‘ From heaven,’ he will ask,‘ Then why didn’t you believe him?’

The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying,“ If we say,‘ From heaven,’ he will say to us,‘ Why then did you not believe him?’

“ Did John’s authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human?” They talked it over among themselves.“ If we say it was from heaven, he will ask us why we didn’t believe John.

Did John’s baptism come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” They discussed it among themselves,“ If we say,‘ From heaven,’ he will say to us,‘ Then why didn’t you believe him?’

The baptism of John was from what source: from heaven or from men?” And they began considering the implications among themselves, saying,“ If we say,‘ From heaven,’ He will say to us,‘ Then why did you not believe him?’

The baptism of John— where was it from? From heaven or from men?” And they reasoned among themselves, saying,“ If we say,‘ From heaven,’ He will say to us,‘ Why then did you not believe him?’

The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven or from men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why then did ye not believe him?

The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?

Where did John’s baptism come from? From heaven or from people?” They discussed this among themselves, saying,“ If we say,‘ From heaven,’ he will say,‘ Then why did you not believe him?’

The baptism of John, where was it from? From heaven or from men?” They reasoned with themselves, saying,“ If we say,‘ From heaven,’ he will ask us,‘ Why then did you not believe him?’

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: Look, I am sending My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way.A voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way for the Lord; make His paths straight!John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were flocking to him, and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River as they confessed their sins.John wore a camel-hair garment with a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey.He was preaching:“ Someone more powerful than I will come after me. I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of His sandals.I have baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John.As soon as He came up out of the water, He saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending to Him like a dove.And a voice came from heaven: You are My beloved Son; I take delight in You!

“ I did tell you and you don’t believe,” Jesus answered them.“ The works that I do in My Father’s name testify about Me.But you don’t believe because you are not My sheep.

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Wilderness of Judeaand saying,“ Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near!”For he is the one spoken of through the prophet Isaiah, who said: A voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way for the Lord; make His paths straight!John himself had a camel-hair garment with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.Then people from Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the vicinity of the Jordan were flocking to him,and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River as they confessed their sins.When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to the place of his baptism, he said to them,“ Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance.And don’t presume to say to yourselves,‘ We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones!Even now the ax is ready to strike the root of the trees! Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.“ I baptize you with water for repentance, but the One who is coming after me is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to remove His sandals. He Himself will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.His winnowing shovel is in His hand, and He will clear His threshing floor and gather His wheat into the barn. But the chaff He will burn up with fire that never goes out.”

( John testified concerning Him and exclaimed,“ This was the One of whom I said,‘ The One coming after me has surpassed me, because He existed before me.’”)

They discussed it among themselves:“ If we say,‘ From heaven,’ He will say,‘ Why didn’t you believe him?’

Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the One and Only Son of God.

during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, God’s word came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.He went into all the vicinity of the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah: A voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way for the Lord; make His paths straight!Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be made low; the crooked will become straight, the rough ways smooth,and everyone will see the salvation of God.He then said to the crowds who came out to be baptized by him,“ Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance. And don’t start saying to yourselves,‘ We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones!Even now the ax is ready to strike the root of the trees! Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”“ What then should we do?” the crowds were asking him.He replied to them,“ The one who has two shirts must share with someone who has none, and the one who has food must do the same.”Tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they asked him,“ Teacher, what should we do?”He told them,“ Don’t collect any more than what you have been authorized.”Some soldiers also questioned him:“ What should we do?” He said to them,“ Don’t take money from anyone by force or false accusation; be satisfied with your wages.”Now the people were waiting expectantly, and all of them were debating in their minds whether John might be the Messiah.John answered them all,“ I baptize you with water, but One is coming who is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to untie the strap of His sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.His winnowing shovel is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and gather the wheat into His barn, but the chaff He will burn up with a fire that never goes out.”Then, along with many other exhortations, he proclaimed good news to the people.But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him about Herodias, his brother’s wife, and about all the evil things Herod had done,added this to everything else— he locked John up in prison.

I tell you, among those born of women no one is greater than John, but the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”( And when all the people, including the tax collectors, heard this, they acknowledged God’s way of righteousness, because they had been baptized with John’s baptism.But since the Pharisees and experts in the law had not been baptized by him, they rejected the plan of God for themselves.)“ To what then should I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like?They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to each other: We played the flute for you, but you didn’t dance; we sang a lament, but you didn’t weep!For John the Baptist did not come eating bread or drinking wine, and you say,‘ He has a demon!’The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say,‘ Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’Yet wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”

So they came to John and told him,“ Rabbi, the One you testified about, and who was with you across the Jordan, is baptizing— and everyone is flocking to Him.”John responded,“ No one can receive a single thing unless it’s given to him from heaven.You yourselves can testify that I said,‘ I am not the Messiah, but I’ve been sent ahead of Him.’He who has the bride is the groom. But the groom’s friend, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly at the groom’s voice. So this joy of mine is complete.He must increase, but I must decrease.”The One who comes from above is above all. The one who is from the earth is earthly and speaks in earthly terms. The One who comes from heaven is above all.He testifies to what He has seen and heard, yet no one accepts His testimony.The one who has accepted His testimony has affirmed that God is true.For God sent Him, and He speaks God’s words, since He gives the Spirit without measure.The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hands.The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who refuses to believe in the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him.

As these men went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John:“ What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind?What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothes? Look, those who wear soft clothes are in kings’ palaces.But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and far more than a prophet.This is the one it is written about: Look, I am sending My messenger ahead of You; he will prepare Your way before You.“ I assure you: Among those born of women no one greater than John the Baptist has appeared, but the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been suffering violence, and the violent have been seizing it by force.For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John;if you’re willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who is to come.Anyone who has ears should listen!

So they asked him,“ Why then do you baptize if you aren’t the Messiah, or Elijah, or the Prophet?”“ I baptize with water,” John answered them.“ Someone stands among you, but you don’t know Him.He is the One coming after me, whose sandal strap I’m not worthy to untie.”All this happened in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said,“ Here is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!This is the One I told you about:‘ After me comes a man who has surpassed me, because He existed before me.’I didn’t know Him, but I came baptizing with water so He might be revealed to Israel.”And John testified,“ I watched the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He rested on Him.I didn’t know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water told me,‘ The One you see the Spirit descending and resting on— He is the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’I have seen and testified that He is the Son of God!”

They came again to Jerusalem. As He was walking in the temple complex, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders cameand asked Him,“ By what authority are You doing these things? Who gave You this authority to do these things?”Jesus said to them,“ I will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.Was John’s baptism from heaven or from men? Answer Me.”They began to argue among themselves:“ If we say,‘ From heaven,’ He will say,‘ Then why didn’t you believe him?’But if we say,‘ From men’”— they were afraid of the crowd, because everyone thought that John was a genuine prophet.So they answered Jesus,“ We don’t know.” And Jesus said to them,“ Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

There was a man named John who was sent from God.

Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has visited and provided redemption for His people.He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David,just as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets in ancient times;salvation from our enemies and from the clutches of those who hate us.He has dealt mercifully with our fathers and remembered His holy covenant—the oath that He swore to our father Abraham. He has given us the privilege,since we have been rescued from our enemies’ clutches, to serve Him without fearin holiness and righteousness in His presence all our days.And child, you will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare His ways,to give His people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins.Because of our God’s merciful compassion, the Dawn from on high will visit usto shine on those who live in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.The child grew up and became spiritually strong, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

Even though He had performed so many signs in their presence, they did not believe in Him.But this was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet, who said: Lord, who has believed our message? And who has the arm of the Lord been revealed to?This is why they were unable to believe, because Isaiah also said:He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so that they would not see with their eyes or understand with their hearts, and be converted, and I would heal them.Isaiah said these things because he saw His glory and spoke about Him.Nevertheless, many did believe in Him even among the rulers, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, so they would not be banned from the synagogue.For they loved praise from men more than praise from God.

You have sent messengers to John, and he has testified to the truth.I don’t receive man’s testimony, but I say these things so that you may be saved.John was a burning and shining lamp, and for a time you were willing to enjoy his light.“ But I have a greater testimony than John’s because of the works that the Father has given Me to accomplish. These very works I am doing testify about Me that the Father has sent Me.

How can you believe? While accepting glory from one another, you don’t seek the glory that comes from the only God.Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom you have set your hope.For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, because he wrote about Me.But if you don’t believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”

An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense.When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and overcome with fear.But the angel said to him: Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John.There will be joy and delight for you, and many will rejoice at his birth.For he will be great in the sight of the Lord and will never drink wine or beer. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit while still in his mother’s womb.He will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God.And he will go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to make ready for the Lord a prepared people.

“ But I tell you: Elijah has already come, and they didn’t recognize him. On the contrary, they did whatever they pleased to him. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.”Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them about John the Baptist.