Matthew 21:23-32

Geneva Notes on Matthew 21:23-32

Mt 21:23
21:23 {6} And when he was come into the temple, the chief
priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he
was teaching, and said, By what {k} authority doest thou
these things? and who gave thee this authority?

(6) Against those who neglect the doctrine and bind the calling
and vocation to an ordinary succession, going about by that
false pretext, to stop Christ's mouth.
(k) Or by what power.

Mt 21:24
21:24 And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you
{l} one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will
tell you by what authority I do these things.

(l) One thing, that is to say, I will ask you one thing
first before I answer your questions.

Mt 21:25
21:25 The {m} baptism of John, whence was it? from {n} heaven,
or of men? And they {o} reasoned with themselves, saying,
If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did
ye not then believe him?

(m) The preaching of John is called by the figure
"baptism" because he preached the baptism of
repentance, etc.; Mr 1:4 Ac 19:3.
(n) From God, and so it is plainly seen how these are set
one against another.
(o) Beat their heads about it, and mused, or laid their
heads together.

Mt 21:31
21:31 Whether of them twain did the will of [his] father? They
say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I
say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots {p} go
into the kingdom of God before you.

(p) They hurry to the kingdom of God and you go slowly, so
that you should at least have followed their example.
Mark then that this word, "go into", is improperly
taken in this place because none of them followed
Christ.

Mt 21:32
21:32 For John came unto you in the {q} way of righteousness,
and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots
believed him: and ye, when ye had seen [it], repented not
afterward, that ye might believe him.

(q) Living uprightly, being of good and honest behaviour;
For the Hebrews use this word "way" for life and
manners.