Church Fathers Commentary Matthew 21:23-27

"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 authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one question, which if ye tell me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven or from men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why then did ye not believe him? But if we shall say, From men; we fear the multitude; for all hold John as a prophet. And they answered Jesus, and said, We know not. He also said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things." — Matthew 21:23-27 (ASV)

Pseudo-Chrysostom: The priests were tormented with jealousy because they had seen Christ entering the Temple in great glory. Unable to master the fire of jealousy burning in their hearts, they broke out in speech.

St. John Chrysostom: Since they could not discredit His miracles, they found reason to blame Him for forbidding the selling of goods in the Temple. It was as if they had said, "Have you assumed the seat of authority? Have you been anointed Priest, that you exert this power?"

Pseudo-Chrysostom: When they add, "Or who gave you this authority?" they show that there are many sources of power for men, whether physical or spiritual. It was as if they had said, "You have not come from a priestly family; the Senate has not conferred this power on you, nor has Caesar granted it." But if they had believed that all power is from God, they would never have asked, "Who gave you this authority?" For every man judges others by himself. The fornicator thinks that none are chaste; the chaste does not readily suspect anyone of fornication; he who is not a priest of God thinks no man's priesthood comes from God.

St. Jerome: In these words they raise the same objection as before, when they said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the prince of demons" (Matthew 12:24). For when they say, "By what authority do you do these things?" they are doubting God's power and implying that the things He does are from the devil. But when they add, "Who gave you this authority?" they most clearly deny the Son of God, whom they suppose works miracles not by His own strength, but by another's.

The Lord could have refuted the slander of His tempters with a simple answer, but He asked them a question so skillfully devised that they would be condemned either by their silence or by their answer. Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one question."

Pseudo-Chrysostom: He did not ask this so that they would answer it and then hear Christ's answer to their own question, but so that, being puzzled, they would question Him no further. This was according to the precept He had given earlier, "Do not give what is holy to the dogs" (Matthew 7:6). For even if He had told them, it would have accomplished nothing, because the darkened will cannot perceive the things of the light. We ought to instruct one who inquires, but we should overthrow one who tests us with a stroke of reason, not reveal the power of the mystery to him.

The Lord thus presents them with a dilemma in His question. So that they could not evade Him, He says, "If you tell me, I in turn will tell you by what authority I do these things." His question is this: "The baptism of John—where did it come from? From heaven, or from men?"

St. Augustine of Hippo: John received his authority to baptize from Him, whom he afterwards baptized; and that baptism which was committed to him is here called the baptism of John. He alone received such a gift; no righteous man before or after him was entrusted with a baptism to be named after himself. For John came to baptize with the water of repentance to prepare the way for the Lord, not to give the inward cleansing that mere man cannot perform. ¹

St. Jerome: The malicious thoughts of the priests are shown when he adds, "But they reasoned with themselves." For if they had replied that it was from heaven, the question was inevitable: "Why then were you not baptized by John?" But if they replied that it was a human invention with nothing divine in it, they feared a riot among the people, for all the assembled crowds had received John's baptism and therefore considered him a prophet.

This godless party therefore answers, and with a false humility, they confess their ignorance to hide their treacherous intentions. They answered Jesus and said, "We do not know." In saying they did not know, they lied. It might have followed that the Lord would also say, "I do not know," but truth cannot lie, and therefore it follows, "And He said to them, 'Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.'"

This shows that they knew the answer but would not give it, and that He also knew but would not answer them, because they refused to speak what they knew.

Origen of Alexandria: But someone will object to this, saying that it was absurd to ask by what authority Jesus did these things. For He could not answer that He did them by the devil's authority, and He would not tell them the truth—that He did them by His own power. If it is said that the rulers asked this question to deter Him from His actions—just as we might say to someone handling our property in a way we dislike, "Who told you to do that?" meaning to stop him—if we take it this way, what does Christ's answer mean: "You tell me this, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things"?

Perhaps, therefore, the passage should be understood as follows. Generally, there are two opposing powers: one on the side of God and the other on the side of the devil. But there are many particular powers, for it was not one and the same power that worked in all the prophets to enable them to do miracles, but one power in some and another in others; perhaps a lesser power for lesser things, and a greater power for greater things. The chief priests had seen Jesus perform many miracles, and so they wanted to know the specific degree and character of the power that worked in Him. For others who have performed miracles did so at first with one power, and later, when more advanced, with another, greater power; but the Savior performed everything with one power: the one He received from the Father. But because they were not worthy to hear such mysteries, He gave them no answer; instead, He asked them a question.

Rabanus Maurus: There are two reasons why the knowledge of truth should be withheld from those who ask: either when the one asking is unfit to receive it, or when, because of his hatred or contempt for the truth, he is unworthy to have his question answered.

1. in Joan. Tr., v. 4