Luke 22:67
New International Version
“If you are the Messiah,” they said, “tell us.” Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe me,

New Living Translation
and they said, “Tell us, are you the Messiah?” But he replied, “If I tell you, you won’t believe me.

English Standard Version
“If you are the Christ, tell us.” But he said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe,

Berean Standard Bible
“If You are the Christ, tell us.” Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe.

Berean Literal Bible
"If You are the Christ, tell us." And He said to them, "If I should tell you, you would not believe,

King James Bible
Art thou the Christ? tell us. And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe:

New King James Version
“If You are the Christ, tell us.” But He said to them, “If I tell you, you will by no means believe.

New American Standard Bible
“If You are the Christ, tell us.” But He said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe;

NASB 1995
“If You are the Christ, tell us.” But He said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe;

NASB 1977
“If You are the Christ, tell us.” But He said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe;

Legacy Standard Bible
“If You are the Christ, tell us.” But He said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe,

Amplified Bible
“If You are the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), tell us.” But He said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe [what I say],

Christian Standard Bible
They said, “If you are the Messiah, tell us.” But he said to them, “If I do tell you, you will not believe.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They said, “If You are the Messiah, tell us.” But He said to them, “If I do tell you, you will not believe.

American Standard Version
If thou art the Christ, tell us. But he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe:

Contemporary English Version
They said, "Tell us! Are you the Messiah?" Jesus replied, "If I said so, you wouldn't believe me.

English Revised Version
If thou art the Christ, tell us. But he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Tell us, are you the Messiah?" Jesus said to them, "If I tell you, you won't believe me.

Good News Translation
"Tell us," they said, "are you the Messiah?" He answered, "If I tell you, you will not believe me;

International Standard Version
They said, "If you are the Messiah, tell us." But he told them, "If I tell you, you won't believe me,

Majority Standard Bible
“If You are the Christ, tell us.” Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe.

NET Bible
and said, "If you are the Christ, tell us." But he said to them, "If I tell you, you will not believe,

New Heart English Bible
"If you are the Christ, tell us." But he said to them, "If I tell you, you won't believe,

Webster's Bible Translation
Saying, Art thou the Christ? tell us. And he said to them, If I tell you, ye will not believe.

Weymouth New Testament
"Are you the Christ? Tell us." "If I tell you," He replied, "you will certainly not believe;

World English Bible
“If you are the Christ, tell us.” But he said to them, “If I tell you, you won’t believe,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
saying, “If You are the Christ, tell us.” And He said to them, “If I may tell you, you will not believe;

Berean Literal Bible
"If You are the Christ, tell us." And He said to them, "If I should tell you, you would not believe,

Young's Literal Translation
saying, 'If thou be the Christ, tell us.' And he said to them, 'If I may tell you, ye will not believe;

Smith's Literal Translation
Saying, Art thou Christ? tell us. And he said to them, If I tell you, ye would not believe:
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he saith to them: If I shall tell you, you will not believe me.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And he said to them: “If I tell you, you will not believe me.

New American Bible
They said, “If you are the Messiah, tell us,” but he replied to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe,

New Revised Standard Version
They said, “If you are the Messiah, tell us.” He replied, “If I tell you, you will not believe;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And they said to him, If you are the Christ, tell us. He said to them, If I tell you, you will not believe me.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And they were saying to him, “If you are The Messiah, tell us.” He said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe me.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
If you are the Christ, tell us. But he said to them: If I tell you, you will not believe;

Godbey New Testament
Saying, If thou art the Christ, tell us. And He said to them, If I may tell you, you will not believe:

Haweis New Testament
If thou art the Messiah, tell us. And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe:

Mace New Testament
and said to him, if you are the Christ, say so, but he answer'd, if I should tell you so, you will not believe it.

Weymouth New Testament
"Are you the Christ? Tell us." "If I tell you," He replied, "you will certainly not believe;

Worrell New Testament
"If Thou art the Christ, tell us." But He said to them, "If I tell you, ye will not believe.

Worsley New Testament
and said to Him, Art thou the Messiah? tell us. And He said unto them, If I should tell you, ye would not believe:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jesus Faces the Council
66At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and scribes, met together. They led Jesus into their Sanhedrin and said, 67“If You are the Christ, tell us.” Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe. 68And if I ask you a question, you will not answer.…

Cross References
John 10:24-25
So the Jews gathered around Him and demanded, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” / “I already told you,” Jesus replied, “but you did not believe. The works I do in My Father’s name testify on My behalf.

Matthew 26:63-64
But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to Him, “I charge You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God.” / “You have said it yourself,” Jesus answered. “But I say to all of you, from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

Mark 14:61-62
But Jesus remained silent and made no reply. Again the high priest questioned Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” / “I am,” said Jesus, “and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

John 8:25
“Who are You?” they asked. “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,” Jesus replied.

John 18:19-21
Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about His disciples and His teaching. / “I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus answered. “I always taught in the synagogues and at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret. / Why are you asking Me? Ask those who heard My message. Surely they know what I said.”

John 5:39-40
You pore over the Scriptures because you presume that by them you possess eternal life. These are the very words that testify about Me, / yet you refuse to come to Me to have life.

John 8:12-14
Once again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.” / So the Pharisees said to Him, “You are testifying about Yourself; Your testimony is not valid.” / Jesus replied, “Even if I testify about Myself, My testimony is valid, because I know where I came from and where I am going. But you do not know where I came from or where I am going.

John 9:35-37
When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, He found the man and said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” / “Who is He, Sir?” he replied. “Tell me so that I may believe in Him.” / “You have already seen Him,” Jesus answered. “He is the One speaking with you.”

John 10:30-33
I and the Father are one.” / At this, the Jews again picked up stones to stone Him. / But Jesus responded, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone Me?” ...

John 12:44-46
Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in Me does not believe in Me alone, but in the One who sent Me. / And whoever sees Me sees the One who sent Me. / I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in Me should remain in darkness.

Isaiah 53:3
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.

Psalm 2:2
The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together, against the LORD and against His Anointed One:

Isaiah 6:9-10
And He replied: “Go and tell this people, ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ / Make the hearts of this people calloused; deafen their ears and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

Jeremiah 5:21
“Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear.

Ezekiel 12:2
“Son of man, you are living in a rebellious house. They have eyes to see but do not see, and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious house.


Treasury of Scripture

Are you the Christ? tell us. And he said to them, If I tell you, you will not believe:

Art.

Matthew 11:3-5
And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? …

Matthew 26:63
But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.

Mark 14:61
But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?

If.

Luke 16:31
And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

John 5:39-47
Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me…

John 8:43-45
Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word…

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Belief Believe Christ Jesus Won't
Luke 22
1. The leaders conspire against Jesus.
3. Satan prepares Judas to betray him.
7. The apostles prepare the Passover.
19. Jesus institutes his holy supper;
21. covertly foretells of the traitor;
24. rebukes the rest of his apostles from ambition;
31. assures Peter his faith should not fail;
34. and yet he should deny him thrice.
39. He prays in the mount, and sweats blood;
47. is betrayed with a kiss;
50. he heals Malchus' ear;
54. he is thrice denied by Peter;
63. shamefully abused;
66. and confesses himself to be the Son of God.














If You are the Christ
This phrase is a direct challenge to Jesus' identity as the Messiah, the Anointed One. The term "Christ" comes from the Greek "Christos," which is equivalent to the Hebrew "Mashiach," meaning "Anointed One." In the Jewish tradition, the Messiah was expected to be a divinely appointed leader who would deliver Israel from oppression and establish God's kingdom. The religious leaders' question here is not one of genuine inquiry but rather a test, as they seek grounds to accuse Jesus. Historically, the expectation of the Messiah was deeply rooted in Jewish eschatology, with prophecies throughout the Old Testament, such as Isaiah 53 and Daniel 9, pointing to a coming Savior. This moment is pivotal, as it underscores the tension between Jesus' true identity and the leaders' refusal to accept Him as the fulfillment of these prophecies.

tell us
The demand "tell us" reflects the leaders' insistence on a direct and unequivocal claim from Jesus. This is not a request for information but a coercive demand for a confession that could be used against Him. The Greek word used here, "eipon," implies a command rather than a polite request. This reflects the adversarial nature of the encounter, as the religious authorities are not seeking truth but rather a reason to condemn. In the broader scriptural context, this moment is reminiscent of other instances where Jesus is tested or questioned by those who oppose Him, such as in Matthew 22:15-46, where the Pharisees and Sadducees attempt to trap Him with questions.

Jesus answered
Jesus' response is significant, as it demonstrates His wisdom and authority. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus often responds to challenges with profound insight, turning the tables on His accusers. The Greek word "apokrinomai" used here for "answered" suggests a thoughtful and deliberate response. Jesus' answers often reveal deeper truths and expose the hearts of those questioning Him. In this context, His response is not just a defense but a revelation of His divine nature and mission. This moment is a testament to His role as the ultimate teacher and prophet, fulfilling the words of Isaiah 11:2, which speak of the Spirit of wisdom and understanding resting upon the Messiah.

If I tell you
This phrase highlights the futility of the situation. Jesus acknowledges that even if He were to give them the answer they seek, their hearts are hardened, and they would not believe. The conditional "if" indicates the leaders' unwillingness to accept the truth, regardless of the evidence or testimony presented. This reflects a recurring theme in the Gospels, where Jesus encounters disbelief and rejection, as seen in John 12:37-40, where despite performing many signs, people still did not believe in Him. This phrase serves as a poignant reminder of the spiritual blindness that can afflict those who are unwilling to see the truth.

you will not believe
Here, Jesus points out the leaders' obstinate unbelief. The Greek word "pisteuo," translated as "believe," implies trust and faith, not just intellectual assent. The religious leaders' refusal to believe is not due to a lack of evidence but a willful rejection of Jesus' identity and mission. This unbelief is a fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah 6:9-10, where the people's hearts are described as calloused, their ears dull, and their eyes closed. In a broader theological context, this highlights the necessity of faith and the openness of heart required to truly understand and accept Jesus as the Christ. This moment serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of unbelief and the importance of seeking truth with a sincere heart.

(67) Art thou the Christ?--St. Luke passes over the earlier stages of the trial, the false-witnesses that did not agree, the charge of threatening to destroy the Temple, and the silence of Jesus until solemnly adjured.

If I tell you, ye will not believe.--The answer is reported only by St. Luke. It is interpreted by what we find in St. John. Our Lord had told them (John 8:58; John 10:30), and they had not believed.

Verse 67. - Art thou the Christ? tell us. And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe. In his answer Jesus evidently refers to something which had preceded this interrogation on the part of the Sanhedrim He referred, no doubt, to that night examination before Caiaphas and certain chosen members of the council - the meeting passed over by St. Luke, but recounted by SS. Matthew and Mark. In this earlier trial, which we (see above) term the second, a similar question had been put to Jesus, but, as Lange and Stier point out, now the political significance of the charge, the claim to Messianic royalty, is brought into prominence. They were desirous to formulate an accusation which they could bring before the Roman tribunal of Pilate. The words, "Son of God," which the fury of jealous anger had wrung from Caiaphas (Matthew 26:63), is here left out of sight, and is only brought forward again by the fierce Jewish wrath excited by the Lord's quiet words telling of his "session at the right hand" (vers. 69, 70). If I tell you, ye will not be-liege. If you, who have seen my life, have heard my words, and seen my works, believe not, to what end is it to say it again now?

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
“If
Εἰ (Ei)
Conjunction
Strong's 1487: If. A primary particle of conditionality; if, whether, that, etc.

You
σὺ (sy)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

are
εἶ (ei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

the
(ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Christ,
Χριστός (Christos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5547: Anointed One; the Messiah, the Christ. From chrio; Anointed One, i.e. The Messiah, an epithet of Jesus.

tell
εἰπὸν (eipon)
Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.

us.”
ἡμῖν (hēmin)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

[Jesus] answered,
Εἶπεν (Eipen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.

“If
Ἐὰν (Ean)
Conjunction
Strong's 1437: If. From ei and an; a conditional particle; in case that, provided, etc.

I tell
εἴπω (eipō)
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.

you,
ὑμῖν (hymin)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

you will not believe.
πιστεύσητε (pisteusēte)
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4100: From pistis; to have faith, i.e. Credit; by implication, to entrust.


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