Translation & sermon by Nate Wilson for Christ The Redeemer Church, Manhattan, KS, 19 May 2013
21:23 Now, after He had come into the temple,
the chief priests and the elders of the [Jewish] people came up to Him while He was teaching.
“By what authority are you doing these things?” they said, “And who gave this authority to you?”
21:24 And in answer, Jesus said to them, “And as for me, I will ask y’all one thing
which, if y’all talk to me, I also will tell by what authority I am doing these things.
21:25 From where did John’s baptizing come – from heaven or from men?”
Well, those guys were discussing among themselves saying,
“If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will ask us, ‘Then why didn’t y’all believe him?’
21:26 and if we say, ‘From men,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for all treat John like a prophet.”
21:27 So, in answer to Jesus they said, “We don’t know.”
And as for Him, He said, “Neither am I myself telling y’all by what authority I am doing these things.
21:28 “Now, what do y’all think? A man had two children,
and as he approached the first he said, ‘Son, go on today and work in my vineyard.’
21:29 But he, in answer, said, ‘I don’t want to.’
But later, after feeling [differently about it], he went.
21:30 Then coming to the second, [the man] spoke likewise,
and he, in answer, said, ‘I[’m available], sir!’
Yet he did not go.
21:31 Which of the two did the will of his father?”
They said to Him, “The first.”
Jesus said to them, “Really, I’m telling y’all that
the tax collectors and the prostitutes will go ahead of y’all into the kingdom of God,
21:32 for John came to y’all in a way of righteousness
and y’all did not believe him,
but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did believe him.
Even after seeing, y’all did not feel differently later concerning believing him.
Sometimes a choice must be made, but you don’t like either option, so you put it off. We had a situation like that with a neighbor’s house that I’ve been taking care of while the neighbor was deployed. The septic tank backed up and flooded the basement with sewage. Bad news. The sewer company came out and said that the septic tank had collapsed. Well, the options were 1) for the people renting the house to stop using the bathroom or 2) to shell out thousands of dollars to put a new septic tank in. I talked with the owner, and he didn’t like either option. Surely we could just punt on the decision. Well, we talked it over and decided to brace up the collapsed part of the septic tank and cover it back up and hope for the best. That worked for five months, but then the septic tank collapsed again after a heavy rain and we were back to our original two choices of putting down a bunch of money on a new tank or losing the tenants who, for some reason, didn’t like sewage flooding the basement. Putting off the decision didn’t make things better.
As Jesus taught, He forced people to decide for themselves who He was. Even today, it is not o.k. to remain undecided on this point. Everyone has to decide what to do with Jesus:
During the Passover week that Jesus spent in Jerusalem, He spent much of His time teaching in the temple. This, by the way sets the example for the church to make their assemblies places of prayer and of teaching. As Matthew Henry put it in his Bible commentary, “To make up communion with God, we must not only speak to Him in prayer, but hear what He has to say to us by His word; ministers must ‘give themselves both to the word and to prayer’ (Acts. 6:4).”
21:23 Now, after He had come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the [Jewish] people came up to Him while He was teaching. “By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave this authority to you?” they said.
Και ελθοντος αυτου[1] εις το ‘ιερον προσηλθον αυτω διδασκοντι ‘οι αρχιερεις και ‘οι πρεσβυτεροι του λαου λεγοντες Εν ποια εξουσια ταυτα ποιεις; και τίς σοι εδωκεν την εξουσιαν ταυτην;
21:24 And in answer, Jesus said to them, “And as for me, I will ask y’all one thing which, if y’all talk to me, I also will tell by what authority I am doing these things.
Αποκριθεις δε ‘ο Ιησους ειπεν αυτοις Ερωτησω ‘υμας καγω λογον ‘ενα ὃν εαν ειπητε μοι καγω ‘υμιν ερω εν ποια εξουσια ταυτα ποιω
21:25 From where did John’s baptizing come – from heaven or from men[3]?”
Well, those guys were [reasoning] discussing among themselves saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will ask us, ‘Then why didn’t y’all believe him?’
το βαπτισμα [4] Ιωαννου ποθεν ην; εξ ουρανου η εξ ανθρωπων; ‘Οι δε διελογιζοντο παρ’[5] εαυτοις λεγοντες Εαν ειπωμεν Εξ ουρανου ερει ‘ημιν Δια τί ουν ουκ επιστευσατε αυτω;
21:26 and if we say, ‘From men,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for all treat John like a prophet.”
Εαν δε ειπωμεν Εξ ανθρωπων φοβουμεθα τον οχλον[6] παντες γαρ εχουσιν τον Ιωαννην ‘ως προφητην.
21:27 So, in answer to Jesus they said, “We don’t know.”
And as for Him, He said, “Neither am I myself telling y’all by what authority I am doing these things.
Και αποκριθεντες τω Ιησου ειπον[8] Ουκ οιδαμεν. Εφη αυτοις και αυτος ουδε εγω λεγω ‘υμιν εν ποια εξουσια ταυτα ποιω.
21:28 Now, what do y’all think? A man had two children,
and as he approached the first he said, ‘Son, go on today and work in my vineyard.’
Τί δε ‘υμιν δοκει; Ανθρωπος [9] ειχεν τεκνα δυο και[10] προσελθων τω πρωτω ειπεν Τεκνον ‘υπαγε σημερον εργαζου εν τω αμπελωνι [μου[11]].
21:29 But he, in answer, said, ‘I don’t want to.’ But later, after feeling [differently about it], he went.
‘Ο δε αποκριθεις ειπεν Ου θελω[12] ‘Υστερον δε[13] μεταμεληθεις απηλθεν.
21:30 Then coming to the second [son], [the man] spoke likewise,
and he, in answer, said, ‘I[’m available], sir!’ Yet he did not go.
προσελθων δε[15] τω δευτερω[16] ειπεν ‘ωσαυτως. ‘Ο δε αποκριθεις ειπεν Εγω κυριε. Και ουκ απηλθεν
21:31 Which of the two did the will of his father?”
They said to Him, “The first.”
Jesus said to them, “Really [verily, solemnly, truly], I’m telling y’all that the tax collectors and the prostitutes will go ahead of y’all into the kingdom of God,
Τίς εκ των δυο εποιησεν το θελημα του πατρος; Λεγουσιν αυτω[17] ‘Ο πρωτος. Λεγει αυτοις ‘ο Ιησους Αμην λεγω ‘υμιν ‘οτι ‘οι τελωναι και ‘αι πορναι προαγουσιν ‘υμας εις την βασιλειαν του θεου,
21:32 for John came to y’all in a way of righteousness and y’all did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did believe him. Even after seeing, y’all did not feel differently later concerning believing him.”
ηλθεν γαρ προς ‘υμας Ιωαννης εν ‘οδω δικαιοσυνης και ουκ επιστευσατε αυτω, ‘οι δε τελωναι και ‘αι πορναι επιστευσαν αυτω. ‘Υμεις δε ιδοντες ου[21] μετεμεληθητε ‘υστερον του πιστευσαι αυτω
We must also ask ourselves if we have acted decisively regarding Christ:
First, there is a decision: Will you believe what John the Baptizer said about Jesus, that He is the “Son of God” who “came” to “take away [your] sin” and “baptize [you] with the Holy Spirit?” (Jn. 1:29-34)
Secondly, we must ACT in accordance with that decision:
Isaiah 2:3 “Come, let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, to the house of the God of Jacob, so He may teach us from His ways and we may walk in His paths.”
[1] The majority of Greek texts (although none of the earliest ones) render this genitive absolute in the dative case (ελθοντι αυτω). It doesn’t make a difference in translation. Parallel passages in Mark 11:27 and Luke 20:1 also contain a genitive, rather than dative, absolute.
[2] They asked pretty much the same question at the first temple cleansing in John 2:18. Similar treatment had been given to other prophets of God, such as Micaiah (1 Kings 22:24) and Jeremiah (ch. 20) of old.
[3] Interesting that Gamaliel’s argument in Acts 5:38-39 regarding the authenticity of the apostles’ message turned on the same hinge; perhaps he was one of the chief priests who had confronted Jesus. (M. Henry)
[4] Although not in the majority of Greek manuscripts (including D, L, W, Θ, and f13), a definite article appears in a few early Greek manuscripts (א, Β, C, Z, and f1), so Critical editions of the Greek New Testament carry on that textual tradition. It makes no difference in English because we don’t use definite articles with proper nouns.
[5] Three Greek Uncial manuscripts (B, L, and Z) have the synonym εν instead of par, causing the Critical editions to depart from the majority (including א, C, D, W, Θ, f1, and f13) by switching para with en, which is a more regularly-used way of expressing “among themselves.” The parallel passages in Mark 11:31 and Luke 20:5 have para.
[6] The KJV, NAS, and NIV translation “the people” might be misleading, in that the English word “people” is generally used to translate a different Greek word (laos), which means “nationality,” as in, “the Jewish people” (v.23). The word here, however, is the word for a “crowd” or “multitude,” and inasmuch as we use the phrase “the people” in Latin-based languages to mean “the crowd” it’s o.k. The Majority of manuscripts of the two parallel passages in Luke 20:6 and Mark 11:32 use laos.
[7] Mark 1:4 John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. (cf. Luke 3:3) Acts 19:4 Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus." (cf. Acts 13:24) (NASB)
[8] Critical editions depart from the spelling of the majority of Greek manuscripts to use a more standardized spelling of the 3rd person plural aorist (ειπαν), but it means the same thing.
[9] Several Greek manuscripts (C, Δ, Θ, f1, f13) depart from the majority by adding the indefinite relative article tis, which would translate “some man” or “a certain man,” not changing anything about the story.
[10] Due to the omission of this conjunction in three ancient Greek manuscripts (א , L, and Z), Nestle omitted it from his Critical edition originally, but it is to be found in current Critical editions. It makes the story read more smoothly by separating two clauses, but otherwise makes no difference in meaning.
[11] Although “my” is in the majority of Greek manuscripts (including some of the earliest known – B, W, and Z) – and in early translations into Latin, Egyptian, and Ethiopian, there is a significant number of early manuscripts (א, C, D, K, L, Δ, Θ, f1, f13, cf. Syriac translation) which omit this word, and Critical editions of the GNT follow that tradition. For this reason, the ESV, NAS, and NIV translations read “the vineyard” whereas the KJV reads “my vineyard.” Without the word, the ownership of the vineyard might be in question, but this detail is not important to the story. The definite article can carry the force of a possessive, so it can still be translated “my vineyard” with integrity, whether or not the mou is the original text, so I did.
[12] Nestle’s early Critical GNT (and thus an early edition of the NASB) switched the order of the two sons (and the correct answer in v.31), based on B, Θ, and f13, but it doesn’t change the story.
[13] Omitted in א and B, but included in Critical editions. Doesn’t change meaning.
[14] Classical Greek expert, Marvin Vincent commented in his Word Studies, “Μεταμέλομαι, as its etymology indicates (μετά, after, and μέλω, to be an object of care), implies an after-care, as contrasted with the change of mind denoted by μετάνοια. Not sorrow for moral obliquity and sin against God, but annoyance at the consequences of an act or course of acts, and chagrin at not having known better. ‘It may be simply what our fathers were wont to call hadiwist (had-I-wist, or known better, I should have acted otherwise)’ (Trench)… Thus it is used of Judas, when he brought back the thirty pieces (Mat. 27:3); of Paul's not regretting his letter to the Corinthians (2Cor. 7:8); and of God (Heb. 7:21)… (2Cor. 7:10) is noteworthy. “Godly sorrow worketh repentance (μετάνοιαν) unto salvation,’ a salvation or repentance ‘which bringeth no regret on thinking of it afterwards’ (ἀμεταμέλητον).”William Hendriksen adds, “…it is especially the emotional element that is stressed in metamelomai.”
[15] Majority reading (including early Greek manuscripts C & W) is και “and,” but the Critical editions read de, based on a fair amount of manuscript support (א, B, D, L, Z, Θ, f1, and f13, cf. Vulgate, Egyptian, and Ethiopian versions). It’s not a significant difference in meaning, though, as the two conjunctions are almost interchangeable in Greek.
[16] Critical editions of the GNT read ‘ετερω “other” here, which is the reading of the NIV and ESV, and which doesn’t create a different meaning to the story. The Majority text above is supported by early Greek manuscripts (B, L, Z, and f1), and, surprisingly, the NASB also reads “second.”
[17] It appears that because several early Greek manuscripts (א, B, D, L, Θ, f13) omit this word, it is omitted in the Critical editions. The Majority (including C, W, and f1) include it. The context implies that the son’s reply was directed to his father, so it means the same with or without the word.
[18] Genesis 22:1 Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am."
Genesis 22:7a Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son."
Genesis 27:18 Then he came to his father and said, "My father." And he said, "Here I am. Who are you, my son?"
1 Samuel 3:5-8 The LORD called yet again, "Samuel!" So Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he answered, "I did not call, my son, lie down again."
1 Samuel 14:7 His armor bearer said to him, "Do all that is in your heart; turn yourself, and here I am with you according to your desire."
1 Samuel 14:43b Jonathan told him and said, "I indeed tasted a little honey with the end of the staff that was in my hand. Here I am, I must die!"
1 Samuel 22:12 Saul said, "Listen now, son of Ahitub." And he answered, "Here I am, my lord."
2 Samuel 15:26 "But if He should say thus, 'I have no delight in you,' behold, here I am, let Him do to me as seems good to Him."
Isaiah 6:8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I. Send me!"
Isaiah 58:9a "Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; You will cry, and He will say, 'Here I am.'
In the majority of cases where this word is used in the O.T., however, it is in the context of God demanding the attention of people, “Behold, I am about to ….”
[19] What about all the men who kept those prostitutes in business? No mention of them…
[20] Just like their forefathers in Exodus 19:8, cf. Ex. 32:1ff
[21] On little more than the strength of two early Greek manuscripts (B, Θ), Critical editions add a conjunction (de) to this word. That conjunction already exists earlier in the text, so I think the addition of a second adds confusion to the grammar, although it does not change the meaning of the text.
[22] 2 Peter 2:21, however, seems to refer back to this passage in Matthew.
[23] Calvin: “…meaning that John’s teaching was pure and approved, as if to say that they had no cause to reject it.”
[24] Note also that with those who would not believe what He said, Jesus pointed them to the scriptures, “Have you never read?” and let them speak authoritatively for themselves.