John 5:44 kjv
How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?
John 5:44 nkjv
How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?
John 5:44 niv
How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?
John 5:44 esv
How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?
John 5:44 nlt
No wonder you can't believe! For you gladly honor each other, but you don't care about the honor that comes from the one who alone is God.
John 5 44 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jn 12:43 | "for they loved human glory more than the glory that comes from God." | Direct parallel on loving human praise. |
| Mt 6:1 | "Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people to be seen..." | Warning against seeking human commendation. |
| Mt 6:5 | "And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love..." | Hypocrisy in prayer driven by desire for show. |
| Mt 23:5 | "They do all their deeds to be seen by others..." | Scribes' and Pharisees' outward display for show. |
| Mt 23:6 | "...they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in..." | Their pursuit of status and recognition. |
| Gal 1:10 | "For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God?" | Contrasting human approval with divine. |
| 1 Thes 2:4 | "but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel.." | Appealing to God's approval, not men's flattery. |
| 2 Cor 10:18 | "For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved..." | God's commendation is the only true approval. |
| Rom 2:29 | "His praise is not from man but from God." | True circumcision and praise from God. |
| 1 Cor 4:5 | "...Then each one will receive his commendation from God." | God alone grants true commendation. |
| Pro 29:25 | "The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe." | Danger of people-pleasing. |
| Jer 9:23-24 | "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom... but let him who boasts boast." | Boasting in knowledge of God, not human achievements. |
| Col 3:23-24 | "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men..." | Doing work for divine, not human, recognition. |
| 1 Pet 4:11 | "whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies..." | Ensuring glory goes to God through Christ. |
| Jn 3:19 | "light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than.." | Root cause of unbelief: love for sinful ways. |
| Rom 8:7 | "For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God..." | Spiritual inability rooted in carnality. |
| Ps 3:3 | "But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of..." | God as the ultimate source of glory. |
| Ps 62:7 | "On God rests my salvation and my glory..." | Affirming God as the fount of personal glory. |
| 1 Tim 1:17 | "To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor..." | Glorifying the singular, unique God. |
| Rom 16:27 | "to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen." | Adoration of God's solitary wisdom and glory. |
| Jude 1:25 | "to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory..." | Emphasizing God as the one, unique Savior. |
| Isa 29:13 | "This people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips..." | Hypocrisy where outward observance lacks inward truth. |
| Eze 33:31-32 | "they listen to your words, but they do not practice them..." | Listening without true intention to obey. |
| Mk 7:6-7 | "...This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from..." | External worship contrasted with heart condition. |
| Phil 3:19 | "...whose end is destruction, whose god is their stomach, and whose glory.." | Those focused on earthly things. |
John 5 verses
John 5 44 Meaning
This verse succinctly encapsulates a profound spiritual diagnosis delivered by Jesus to the unbelieving Jewish leaders. It states that their inability to believe in Him stems from a fundamental preference: they are preoccupied with gaining praise and honor from other people, rather than seeking the true, divine validation that comes exclusively from God. Their motives are human-centered, rendering them incapable of apprehending or accepting Jesus' divine authority and message.
John 5 44 Context
John chapter 5 begins with Jesus healing a man at the Pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath, triggering immediate conflict with the Jewish authorities. This healing on the Sabbath, combined with Jesus' command for the healed man to carry his mat, directly challenged their legalistic interpretations of the Mosaic Law. When questioned, Jesus further exacerbated the situation by declaring God His Father, making Himself equal with God (Jn 5:18). This verse (5:44) comes in the midst of Jesus' powerful discourse (Jn 5:19-47) where He asserts His divine authority, testifies to His unity with the Father, and condemns the Jewish leaders' unbelief. Jesus explains why they reject Him despite witnessing His signs and hearing His words, and despite their supposed devotion to the Scriptures that testify about Him. Their refusal to believe is not a rational decision but a spiritual incapacity rooted in their priorities. They prized their status, traditions, and human approval over the truth and honor from God.
John 5 44 Word analysis
- How can you believe (πῶς δύνασθε πιστεῦσαι, pōs dynasthe pisteusai): This is a rhetorical question, indicating an inherent spiritual impossibility rather than a lack of mental capacity. It points to a deep-seated obstacle preventing them from coming to faith. Their will and desires are aligned elsewhere, rendering them unable to genuinely accept Jesus.
- who receive (λαμβάνοντες, lambanontes): A present participle, indicating a continuous and active process. It describes their habitual practice of taking, getting, or accepting honor.
- glory (δόξαν, doxan): In its first appearance here, doxa (δόξα) refers to human praise, commendation, approval, or reputation. It signifies the esteem given by others.
- from one another (παρ’ ἀλλήλων, par’ allēlōn): Specifies the source of this "glory" as human and reciprocal. It suggests a closed system of mutual affirmation, where individuals grant each other honor and approval, creating a self-reinforcing social hierarchy.
- and do not seek (καὶ τὴν δόξαν οὐ ζητεῖτε, kai tēn doxan ou zēteite): This phrase highlights a direct contrast and a deliberate choice. Ou zēteite (οὐ ζητεῖτε) is a negative command or statement, signifying an active neglect or conscious refusal to pursue. It's not just a passive omission but an intentional disinterest.
- the glory (τὴν δόξαν, tēn doxan): Here, doxa takes on its profounder meaning: the honor, validation, and approval that originate from the divine realm, directly from God. It refers to God's favorable judgment and acceptance.
- that comes from (τὴν παρὰ, tēn para): Indicates the divine origin and nature of this true glory. It’s not something achieved by human effort but bestowed by God.
- the only God (τοῦ μόνου Θεοῦ, tou monou Theou): This emphatic phrase underscores God's unique singularity and exclusive nature. He is the sole, ultimate source of legitimate and enduring honor and approval. It emphasizes His monotheistic identity and supreme authority, from whom all true validation flows.
Words-group analysis:
- "How can you believe, who receive glory from one another": This phrase ties their current, corrupt motivational structure directly to their spiritual incapacity. Their inability to believe is a direct consequence of their preference for reciprocal human honor. They are so invested in this system of self-validation that their spiritual perception is blurred.
- "and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God": This half presents the stark contrast, revealing their misplaced priorities. They actively neglect the ultimate source of true honor and truth. Their choice to prioritize human opinion creates a barrier between them and divine faith. This highlights that unbelief isn't just about not knowing enough facts, but about a will opposed to God's glory.
John 5 44 Bonus section
The stark contrast between doxa (glory) sought "from one another" and doxa that "comes from the only God" is crucial. In the Greek world, doxa often referred to opinion or reputation. The verse exploits this duality: they crave the superficial "opinion" of fellow humans rather than the deep-seated "honor" and divine approval (God's opinion of them) which truly matters. This isn't merely a philosophical point but a profound theological challenge to their religious system, which, despite its outward piety, was inwardly corrupt because it prioritized the accolades of men over the righteousness and will of God. It's an indictment of self-centered religion.
John 5 44 Commentary
John 5:44 provides a critical insight into the nature of unbelief, not as a purely intellectual deficiency, but as a deeply entrenched spiritual problem stemming from corrupted motives. Jesus unveils the internal mechanism of their resistance: their desire for human approval eclipses any desire for God's approval. The "glory from one another" signifies a cycle of mutual admiration and social status-seeking that became an idol, effectively replacing God as the ultimate judge of worth. This spiritual blindness prevented them from recognizing God's own Son and His divine authority, even though they professed to serve the "only God." The implication is clear: true faith requires a singular focus on pleasing God, irrespective of human opinion. This challenges believers across all ages to examine their own motivations: is our service, our belief, and our pursuit of righteousness primarily aimed at pleasing people, or is it genuinely directed towards receiving commendation from the one true God?