Luke 20:2

20:1-8 Men often pretend to examine the evidences of revelation, and the truth of the gospel, when only seeking excuses for their own unbelief and disobedience. Christ answered these priests and scribes with a plain question about the baptism of John, which the common people could answer. They all knew it was from heaven, nothing in it had an earthly tendency. Those that bury the knowledge they have, are justly denied further knowledge. It was just with Christ to refuse to give account of his authority, to those who knew the baptism of John to be from heaven, yet would not believe in him, nor own their knowledge.

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 their rents thereby: or who is he that gave thee this authority? God or man? See Gill on Matthew 21:23.

Luke 20:2 . εἰπὸν ἡμῖν : peculiar to Lk., makes the question pointed.— ταῦτα ought to refer to the preaching, not to the cleansing of the temple, which in Lk. is very slightly noticed.— τίς ἐστιν , etc.: a direct question introduced by ἢ , not dependent on εἰπὸν , not altogether distinct from the first question; an alternative form putting it more specifically and more pointedly than in parallels = who is it that gives, who can it be? Authority everything for the interrogants. Every Rabbi had his diploma, every priest his ordination (Farrar).

2 . by what authority ] Rather, by what kind of authority. The implication is ‘you are only called a Rabbi by courtesyyou are not a ‘pupil of the wise you are not a priest, or a scribe, or a political functionary. Yet you usurp functions which rather belong to Caiaphas, or the President of the Sanhedrin, or the Romans, or Herod. If you act as a Prophet shew us a sign. Practically it was the old taunt by which he had been grieved in Galilee ( Matthew 12:39 ; Matthew 16:4 ). who is he that gave thee this authority? ] Every recognised Rabbi had received his diploma; every Priest his ordination. Luke 20:2

Acts 10:34 . ἀνοίξας κ . τ . λ .: a solemn formula, cf. Acts 8:35 , Acts 18:14 , Matthew 5:2 ; Matthew 13:35 ; Hort, Judaistic Christ. , p. 57.— ἐπʼ ἀληθ .: used in Luke’s Gospel three times, Luke 4:25 , Luke 20:21 , Luke 22:59 , and in Acts twice, Acts 4:27 , Acts 10:34 , elsewhere only twice in N.T., Mark 12:14 ; Mark 12:32 ; the customary ἐν ἀληθείᾳ is altogether wanting in Luke.— καταλαμβ .: three times in Acts, not found in Luke’s Gospel; here = mente comprehendo, cf. Ephesians 3:15 , similar sense; so in Plato, Polybius, and Philo.— προσωπολήπτης , see Mayor on Jam 2:1 , πρόσωπον - λαμβάνειν . The actual word is not found in LXX (or in classical Greek), but for the thought of God as no respecter of persons see Deuteronomy 10:17 , Leviticus 19:15 , Malachi 2:9 , etc., etc., and Luke 20:21 , Galatians 2:16 (so too προσωπολημψία in N.T. three times). The expression πρόσ . λαμβ . is Hebraistic, not necessarily in a bad sense, and in the O.T. more often in a good one, but in the N.T. always in a bad sense, since πρόσωπον acquired the meaning of what was simply external (through its secondary signification a mask ) in contrast to a man’s real intrinsic character, but the noun and adj[242] always imply favouritism: see Lightfoot on Galatians 2:6 and Plummer on Luke 20:21 . Even the enemies acknowledged our Lord’s God-likeness at least in this respect, Matthew 22:16 , Mark 12:14 , Luke 20:21 . [242] adjective.

"hanged on him" ## THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE - Chapter 20 ## THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE - Chapter 20 - Verse 1 ## Verses 1-9. See this passage explained in the Notes on Matthew 21:23-27. See Barnes "Matthew 21:23, also Matthew 21:24-27. {a} "And it came to pass" Matthew 21:23; Mr 11:27 ## THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE - Chapter 20 - Verse 2 Verse 2. No Barnes text on this verse. {b} "by what authority" Acts 4:7-10; 7:27 ## THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE - Chapter 20 - Verse 3 Verse 3. No Barnes text on this verse. ## THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE - Chapter 20 - Verse 4 Verse 4. No Barnes text on this verse. ## THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE - Chapter 20 - Verse 5 Verse 5. No Barnes text on this verse. ## THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE - Chapter 20 - Verse 6 Verse 6. No Barnes text on this verse. {c} "for they be persuaded" Matthew 14:5 ## THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE - Chapter 20 - Verse 7 Verse 7. No Barnes text on this verse. ## THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE - Chapter 20 - Verse 8 Verse 8. No Barnes text on this verse. ## THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE - Chapter 20 - Verse 9 Verses 9-19. See Barnes "Matthew 21:33, also Matthew 21:34-45. {d} "A certain man" Matthew 21:33; Mr 12:1 {e} "planted a vineyard" So 8:11,12; Isaiah 5:1-7 ## THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE - Chapter 20 - Verse 10 Verse 10. No Barnes text on this verse. {f} "fruit" John 15:16; Romans 7:4 ## THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE - Chapter 20 - Verse 11 Verse 11. No Barnes text on this verse.

I fay, haft thou entertain d Jefus Chrift for thy lawyer, to plead thy Caufe ? Viead my Caufr^ O Gsdj faid David, ?fal 3 5.1, and again. Lord, plead thsu'my caufe P/T 43. i. This therefore is the firft tiring that I would propound to thee ; Haftrhou with David entertained him for thy Lawyer, or with good Hes^ekiah cried owr, O Lord, I aw oppieffed, undertake for me, Ifa, 3S. I4.wha: fay'ft thou, Soul ?. Haft thou been with himjand pray'd him4:o plead thy Caufe, and cried viviq \ot\ t^i u^^- dcrtA\efor thee ? This I C2i\\ entertaining hifn tq be thy Advocate. And Ichufe to follow the Similitude, both becaufe the Scripture feenas t;o fmil < upon fuch a way of difcourie, and becaufe the Queftion doth naturally lead me to it. Wherefore I ask again, Haft thou been with him ^ Haft thot entermin'd him, or delirM him to f lead thy Caufe i Anf. I afifwer, Art (hou fenfible that thou bad an A^ion commenced againft thee in that higb Court of Juftice that is above? I fay, Arc thoti fenfible of this ? for the Defendants (and all God's People are Defendants) do not ufe to entertain their Lawyers, but from knowledge that an hdor on either is or may be commenced againft ^em be* &re the God of Heaven. If t;hou fayft yea, ther I ask,who cold thee that choa.ftand^ft accus'd foe TranfgreiTibn befbr:C the Judgment-feat of God ? I fay, who told thee fo ? Hath the Holy Ghoftg hath the World, or hath thy Confcience ? for nothing elfe, as I know of, can bring fuch tidings to thy SouL