Matthew 16:2b–3 (the signs of the times) is a passage within the second and third verses in the 16th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. It describes a confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees and Sadducees over their demand for a sign from heaven. It is one of several passages of the New Testament that are absent from many early manuscripts. The authenticity of the passage has been disputed by scholars since the second half of the 19th century.