John 5:44
How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The core issue isn't just seeking praise from people; it's the lack of seeking glory from the "only God." This points to a deeper idolatry where people are making gods of each other by giving and receiving honor, completely bypassing the One true God.
Jesus is responding to the religious leaders who are furious because He healed a man on the Sabbath and then claimed God as His Father, making Himself equal with God. He has just explained that He only does what He sees the Father doing, and that the Father has entrusted all judgment to Him. This verse comes as Jesus directly confronts their inability to believe Him because they are more concerned with the approval of other people than with the approval of God.
Ever find yourself doing things just to impress others? Christ points out a major reason why we struggle to truly believe.
Jesus confronts the religious leaders with a deep-seated issue: their reliance on human approval.
The Cycle of Seeking Praise
There's one source of honor that truly satisfies. Why is it so hard to pursue, and what does it mean to seek it?
Jesus brings focus to the singular, ultimate source of honor: God Himself.
The Unique Glory of the Only God
Understand the original words
doxa · Greek Noun
In this context, refers to human praise, reputation, or honor sought from others rather than the honor that comes from God. It is often contrasted with the humility required for true faith.
pisteuō · Greek Verb
Trust, reliance, or confident assurance in God and His revelation. In the Johannine context, it is a relational and active commitment to Jesus as the Son of God.
This passage describes people who believed in Jesus but didn't confess Him because they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God, directly echoing the core issue Jesus raises in John 5:44 about seeking human glory.
Matthew 6:1-6Jesus teaches here about the danger of performing religious acts to be seen by others, contrasting it with doing things for God's glory, which directly parallels the warning against seeking glory from one another.
1 Thessalonians 2:4This verse speaks to the motivation of ministry – not to please people but to please God, who tests our hearts. This aligns with Jesus' challenge to the leaders about whose approval they truly sought.
Romans 2:28-29Paul contrasts outward religious observance with the circumcision of the heart, noting that true praise comes from God, not from human approval, which strongly resonates with the verse's theme.
1 Samuel 2:30God declares that those who honor Him, He will honor, but those who despise Him will be lightly esteemed. This highlights the ultimate source of true honor, which is God alone, contrasting with the superficial glory sought from people.
vincentJohn 5:44: "How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?"
Ye believeAgain the emphatic ye, the reason for the emphasis being given in the succeeding clause.Which receive (λαμβάνοντες)Literally, receiving (as ye do): seeing that ye receive.Seek not the honor that cometh from God only (καὶ τὴν δόξαν τὴν μόνου Θεοῦ οὐ ζητεῖτε)The Rev. gives it capitally, following the Greek order: and the glory that cometh from the only God ye…
bensonJohn 5:44: "How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?"
John 5:44 . How can ye believe which receive honour one of another — That is, while ye seek the praise of men, rather than the praise of God? In other words, “How can such persons as you believe in me, whose character and station are entirely different from what you have all along told the people the Scriptures teach concerning the Messiah? This confession of your own ignoran…
The core issue isn't just seeking praise from people; it's the lack of seeking glory from the "only God." This points to a deeper idolatry where people are making gods of each other by giving and receiving honor, completely bypassing the One true God.
Jesus is responding to the religious leaders who are furious because He healed a man on the Sabbath and then claimed God as His Father, making Himself equal with God. He has just explained that He only does what He sees the Father doing, and that the Father has entrusted all judgment to Him. This verse comes as Jesus directly confronts their inability to believe Him because they are more concerned with the approval of other people than with the approval of God.
Jesus is responding to the religious leaders who are furious because He healed a man on the Sabbath and then claimed God as His Father, making Himself equal with God. He has just explained that He only does what He sees the Father doing, and that the Father has entrusted all judgment to Him. This verse comes as Jesus directly confronts their inability to believe Him because they are more concerned with the approval of other people than with the approval of God.
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"How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?" — The core issue isn't just seeking praise from people; it's the lack of seeking glory from the "only God." This points to a deeper idolatry where people are making gods of each other by giving and r…
