That of the Scribes
Approximately a millennium before Christ, David divided the priests into twenty-four courses. The chief priests were the heads of these courses, while the elders were the heads of cities. It was these chief priests and elders who told the Savior at the Twenty-First of Matthew that they could not tell whether the baptism of John was of Heaven or of men. They had reasoned that they would incriminate themselves before the Lord for their disbelief if they said John’s baptism was of Heaven and incriminate themselves among the people if they said John’s baptism was of men. As religious leaders of the day, they had incriminated themselves in either case. When the Savior concluded His Sermon on the Mount, it is no wonder the people were astonished that both His doctrine and the authority with which He taught it exceeded that of the scribes.
Written by David Hayes Prophater