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Tuesday, April 7th, 2026
Tuesday in Easter Week
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Read the Bible

New Life Version

Luke 20:4

Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?"

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Baptism;   Instruction;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Heal, Health;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Capital Punishment;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Consciousness;   Liberty (2);   Organization (2);   Questions and Answers;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Chief parables and miracles in the bible;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
was the baptism of John from heaven or of human origin?”
King James Version (1611)
The Baptisme of Iohn, was it from heauen, or of men?
King James Version
The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men?
English Standard Version
was the baptism of John from heaven or from man?"
New American Standard Bible
"Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?"
New Century Version
When John baptized people, was that authority from God or just from other people?"
Amplified Bible
"The baptism of John [the Baptist]—was it from heaven [that is, ordained by God] or from men?"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?"
Legacy Standard Bible
Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?"
Berean Standard Bible
John's baptism-was it from heaven, or from men?"
Contemporary English Version
Who gave John the right to baptize? Was it God in heaven or merely some human being?"
Complete Jewish Bible
the immersion of Yochanan — was it from Heaven or from a human source?"
Darby Translation
The baptism of John, was it of heaven or of men?
Easy-to-Read Version
When John baptized people, did his authority come from God or was it only from other people?"
Geneva Bible (1587)
The baptisme of Iohn, was it from heauen, or of men?
George Lamsa Translation
The baptism of John, was it from heaven or from men?
Good News Translation
did John's right to baptize come from God or from human beings?"
Lexham English Bible
The baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men?
Literal Translation
The baptism of John, was it from Heaven, or from men?
American Standard Version
The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men?
Bible in Basic English
The baptism of John, was it from heaven or of men?
Hebrew Names Version
the immersion of Yochanan, was it from heaven, or from men?"
International Standard Version
Was John's authority to baptizeJohn's baptism
">[fn] from heaven or from humans?"
Etheridge Translation
the baptism of Juchanon, from heaven was it, or from the sons of men ?
Murdock Translation
The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
The baptisme of Iohn, was it from heauen, or of men?
English Revised Version
The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men?
World English Bible
the baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men?"
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And they reasoned among themselves,
Weymouth's New Testament
"was John's baptism of Heavenly or of human origin?"
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Was the baptym of Joon of heuene, or of men?
Update Bible Version
The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men?
Webster's Bible Translation
The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men?
New English Translation
John's baptism—was it from heaven or from people?"
New King James Version
The baptism of John--was it from heaven or from men?"
New Living Translation
"Did John's authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human?"
New Revised Standard
Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?"
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
The immersion of John, Of heaven, was it, or of men?
Douay-Rheims Bible
The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men?
Revised Standard Version
Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?"
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
The baptyme of Iohn: was it from heaven or of men?
Young's Literal Translation
the baptism of John, from heaven was it, or from men?'
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The baptyme of Iho was it from heauen, or of men?
Mace New Testament (1729)
tell me, the baptism of John, was it a divine or a human institution?
Simplified Cowboy Version
did John baptize because the Boss told him to or was it just something he came up with on his own?"

Contextual Overview

1 As He was teaching and preaching the Good News, the religious leaders and the teachers of the Law and the elders came. 2 They said to Him, "Tell us, by what right and power are You doing these things? Who gave You the right and the power?" 3 Jesus said to them, "I will ask you one question also. You answer Me. 4 Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?" 5 They said to themselves, "If we say, ‘From heaven,' He will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?' 6 But if we say, ‘From men,' then all the people will throw stones at us because they believe John was one who spoke for God." 7 They said that they did not know where John's baptism came from. 8 Jesus said to them, "And I will not tell you where I get the right and the power to do these things."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

baptism: Luke 7:28-35, Matthew 11:7-19, Matthew 17:11, Matthew 17:12, Matthew 21:25-32, John 1:6, John 1:19-28

from: Luke 15:18, Daniel 4:25, Daniel 4:26

Reciprocal: Luke 14:18 - all

Cross-References

Genesis 19:24
Then the Lord poured fire from the heavens upon Sodom and Gomorrah.
Genesis 20:6
Then God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know that you have done this with a heart of honor. And I kept you from sinning against Me. I did not let you touch her.
Genesis 20:17
So Abraham prayed to God. And God healed Abimelech, his wife and the women who served him, so that they gave birth to children.
Genesis 20:18
For the Lord had stopped all births in the house of Abimelech because of Abraham's wife Sarah.
2 Samuel 4:11
How much worse it is when sinful men have killed a man who is right and good, on his bed in his own house! Should I not now punish you for his blood and destroy you from the earth?"
1 Chronicles 21:17
David said to God, "Was it not I who said that the people must be numbered? I am the one who has sinned and done a very bad thing. But what have these sheep done? O Lord my God, I beg You, let Your hand be against me and my father's house. But do not let the trouble be upon Your people."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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;

:-.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See this passage explained in the notes at Matthew 21:23-27.


 
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