Lucas 20

¹ AndThe Pharisees, being overcome with the truth of Christ's doctrine, propose a question about his outward calling, and are overcome by the witness of their own conscience.it came to pass, [that] on one of those days, as he taught the people in the temple, and preached the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes came upon [him] with the elders,

² And spake vnto him, saying, Tell vs by what authoritie thou doest these things, or who is hee that hath giuen thee this authoritie?

³ And he answered, and sayde vnto them, I also will aske you one thing: tell me therefore:

⁴ The baptisme of Iohn, was it from heauen, or of men?

⁵ And they reasoned within themselues, saying, If we shall say, From heauen, he will say, Why then beleeued ye him not?

⁶ But if we shall say, Of men, all the people will stone vs: for they be perswaded that Iohn was a Prophet.

⁷ Therefore they answered, that they could not tell whence it was.

⁸ Then Iesus sayd vnto them, Neither tell I you, by what authoritie I doe these things.

⁹ It is nothing new for those who are knowledgable of the very sanctuary of God's holy place to be the greatest enemies of Christ, but in due time they will be punished.Then began he to speak to the people this parable; A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, and went into a far country for a long time.

¹⁰ And at the time conuenient he sent a seruant to the husbandmen, that they should giue him of the fruite of the vineyard: but the husbandmen did beate him, & sent him away emptie.

¹¹ Againe he sent yet another seruant: and they did beate him, and foule entreated him, and sent him away emptie.

¹² Moreouer he sent the third, and him they wounded, and cast out.

¹³ Then sayd the Lord of the vineyard, What shall I doe? I will send my beloued sonne: it may be that they will doe reuerence, when they see him.

¹⁴ But when the husbandmen sawe him, they reasoned with themselues, saying, This is the heire: come, let vs kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.

¹⁵ So they cast him out of the vineyarde, and killed him. What shall the Lord of the vineyarde therefore doe vnto them?

¹⁶ He will come and destroy these husbandmen, and wil giue out his vineyard to others. But when they heard it, they sayd, God forbid.

¹⁷ And he beheld them, & said, What meaneth this then that is written, The stone that the builders refused, that is made the head of the corner?

¹⁸ Whosoeuer shall fall vpon that stone, shall be broken: and on whomsoeuer it shall fall, it will grinde him to pouder.

¹⁹ Then the hie Priests, and the Scribes the same houre went about to lay hands on him: (but they feared the people) for they perceiued that he had spoken this parable against them.

²⁰ The last refuge the false prophets have to destroy the true prophets is to charge them with rebellion and treason against the state.And theyAn appropriate time to take him in.watched [him], and sent forthWhom they had hired deceitfully.spies, which should feign themselves just men,That they might latch on to something he said, and by this forge some false accusation against him.that they might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him unto the power andPut him to death.authority of the governor.

²¹ And they asked him, saying, Master, we know that thou sayest and teachest rightly, neither acceptest thou theYou are not moved by favour of any man: and by «person» he means outward circumstances, for if a man judges according to these, there will be those who are truly alike whom he will judge to be different.person [of any], but teachest the way of God truly:

²² Is it lawfull for vs to giue Cesar tribute or no?

²³ But he perceived theirCraftiness is a certain diligence and subtle knowledge to do evil, which is achieved by much use and great practise in matters.craftiness, and said unto them, Why tempt ye me?

²⁴ Shew me a penie. Whose image and superscription hath it? They answered, and sayd, Cesars.

²⁵ Then he sayd vnto them, Giue then vnto Cesar the things which are Cesars, and to God those which are Gods.

²⁶ And they could not reproue his saying before the people: but they marueiled at his answere, and helde their peace.

²⁷ The resurrection of the flesh is affirmed against the Sadducees.Then came to [him] certain of the Sadducees, which deny that there is any resurrection; and they asked him,

²⁸ Saying, Master, Moses wrote vnto vs, If any mans brother die hauing a wife, and hee die without children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise vp seede vnto his brother.

²⁹ Now there were seuen brethren, & the first tooke a wife, and he dyed without children.

³⁰ And the second tooke the wife, and he dyed childelesse.

³¹ Then the third tooke her: and so likewise the seuen dyed, and left no children.

³² And last of all the woman dyed also.

³³ Therefore at the resurrection, whose wife of them shall she be? For seuen had her to wife.

³⁴ And Jesus answering said unto them, The«The children of this world» refers here to those who live in this world, and not those that are wholly given to the world (and therefore contrary to the children of light), as above in (Luk_16:8).children of this world marry, and are given in marriage:

³⁵ But they which shalbe counted worthy to enioy that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry wiues, neither are married.

³⁶ Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being theThat is, men who partake in the resurrection: for as we truly say that they will indeed live who will enjoy everlasting bliss, so do those indeed rise who rise to life; though if this word «resurrection» is taken generally, it refers also to the wicked, who will rise to condemnation, which is not properly life, but death.children of the resurrection.

³⁷ And that the dead shall rise againe, euen Moses shewed it besides the bush, when he said, The Lord is the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Iacob.

³⁸ For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for allThat is, before him: a saying to take note of, for the godly do not die, though they die here on earth.live unto him.

³⁹ Then certaine of the Scribes answered, and sayd, Master, thou hast well sayd.

⁴⁰ And after that, durst they not aske him any thing at all.

⁴¹ Even though Christ is the son of David according to the flesh he is also his Lord (because he is the everlasting Son of God) according to the spirit.And he said unto them, How say they that Christ is David's son?

⁴² And Dauid himselfe sayth in the booke of the Psalmes, The Lord sayd vnto my Lorde, Sit at my right hand,

⁴³ Till I shall make thine enemies thy footestoole.

⁴⁴ Seeing Dauid called him Lord, howe is he then his sonne?

⁴⁵ Then in the audience of all the people he sayd vnto his disciples,

⁴⁶ We must avoid the example of the glory-seeking and covetous pastors.Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts;

⁴⁷ Which devour widows'By the figure of speech metonymy, «houses» is understood to mean the goods and substance.houses, and for a shew make long prayers: the same shall receive greater damnation.