King James Bible
"And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then believed ye him not?"
The religious leaders deliberate privately, caught in Jesus' counter-question about John's baptism. Their internal debate reveals their primary concern is maintaining authority rather than seeking truth. They consider acknowledging John's divine authority, recognizing this as the theologically correct answer. However, this admission would validate John's ministry, which they had publicly rejected. They anticipate Jesus exposing their hypocrisy—if John's authority was from God, their rejection of him was rebellion against God himself. This fear of self-incrimination paralyzes their response.