But if we say, ‘From men,’ they were afraid of the people, because everyone truly considered John to be a prophet.
Here their second fear is revealed. They did not fear God, but they feared the people. For them, truth was determined not by responsibility before God, but by calculating the public reaction. The people regarded John as a prophet, and the leaders did not dare to openly reject him. Such fear is a sign of spiritual blindness. When a person takes people’s opinion into account more than God’s judgment, he becomes enslaved to his own reputation. This verse warns that seeking to please people can be just as dangerous as open unbelief.