1One day, as Jesus[1] was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up (太21:23; 可11:27; 路19:47; 徒4:1; 徒6:12)2and said to him, “Tell us by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority.” (出2:14; 约1:25; 徒4:7)3He answered them, “I also will ask you a question. Now tell me,4was the baptism of John from heaven or from man?” (路15:18; 路15:21; 约3:27)5And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’ (太21:32; 路7:30)6But if we say, ‘From man,’ all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was a prophet.” (太11:9; 约5:35)7So they answered that they did not know where it came from.8And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
The Parable of the Wicked Tenants
9And he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard and let it out to tenants and went into another country for a long while. (诗80:8; 歌8:11; 赛5:1; 太21:28; 太21:33; 太25:14; 可12:1; 可13:34)10When the time came, he sent a servant[2] to the tenants, so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. (代下24:19; 代下36:15; 尼9:26; 耶37:15; 耶38:6; 太5:12; 太22:6; 太23:34; 太23:37; 路20:9; 徒7:52; 林后11:24; 帖前2:15; 來11:36)11And he sent another servant. But they also beat and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. (太22:4; 路20:10; 徒5:41)12And he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded and cast out. (路20:10)13Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ (太3:17)14But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’ (王上21:19; 约1:11; 羅8:17; 來1:2)15And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? (來13:12)16He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they said, “Surely not!” (太8:11; 太21:43; 太24:50; 太25:19; 路19:27; 徒13:46; 徒18:6; 徒28:28)17But he looked directly at them and said, “What then is this that is written: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’?[3] (诗118:22; 可10:21; 徒4:11; 彼前2:7)18Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” (赛8:14; 但2:34; 但2:44; 羅9:32; 彼前2:8)
Paying Taxes to Caesar
19The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people. (路19:47)20So they watched him and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor. (王上14:6; 太22:15; 太27:2; 太27:11; 太28:14; 可3:2; 可12:13; 路11:54; 路14:1; 路20:26; 徒23:24)21So they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and show no partiality,[4] but truly teach the way of God. (徒10:34; 徒13:10; 徒18:25)22Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?” (太17:25; 路2:1; 路3:1)23But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them, (林前3:19; 林后4:2; 林后11:3; 林后12:16; 弗4:14)24“Show me a denarius.[5] Whose likeness and inscription does it have?” They said, “Caesar’s.” (太18:28)25He said to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” (羅13:7)26And they were not able in the presence of the people to catch him in what he said, but marveling at his answer they became silent. (路20:20)
Sadducees Ask About the Resurrection
27There came to him some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection, (太3:7; 太16:1; 太22:34; 徒4:1; 徒4:2; 徒5:17; 徒23:6; 徒23:8)28and they asked him a question, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, having a wife but no children, the man[6] must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. (申25:5)29Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and died without children.30And the second31and the third took her, and likewise all seven left no children and died.32Afterward the woman also died.33In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife.”34And Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, (太24:38; 路10:6; 路16:8; 路17:27; 路20:35)35but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, (太22:8; 可10:30; 路18:30; 路20:34; 徒5:41; 帖后1:5; 帖后1:11)36for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons[7] of the resurrection. (创1:26; 诗82:6; 路10:6; 羅8:19; 羅8:23; 林前15:52; 林前15:54; 來2:7; 來2:9; 启21:4)37But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. (出3:1; 出3:6; 出3:15; 路20:28; 徒7:32)38Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him.” (羅6:11; 羅14:7; 林后5:15; 加2:19; 帖前5:10; 來9:14; 彼前4:2)39Then some of the scribes answered, “Teacher, you have spoken well.” (太22:34; 可12:28)40For they no longer dared to ask him any question. (太22:46; 可12:34)
Whose Son Is the Christ?
41But he said to them, “How can they say that the Christ is David’s son? (太1:1; 太1:17; 太22:41; 可12:35)42For David himself says in the Book of Psalms, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, (诗110:1; 徒2:34; 林前15:25; 來1:13; 來10:13)43until I make your enemies your footstool.”’ (徒7:49)44David thus calls him Lord, so how is he his son?” (羅1:3)
Beware of the Scribes
45And in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples, (太23:1; 太23:5; 可12:38; 路11:43)46“Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, (路14:7)47who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” (太6:5; 太6:7; 路11:39; 路16:14)