Teks -- John 5:44 (NET)

5:44 How can you believe, if you accept praise from one another and don’t seek the praise that comes from the only God?

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per frasa)

Robertson: Joh 5:44 - How can ye believe?

How can ye believe? ( pōs dunasthe humeis pisteusai ).

Emphasis on "ye"(humeis ), ye being what ye are. They were not true Jews (Rom 2:29; Est 9:28) who cared for the glory of God, but they prefer the praise of men (Mat 6:1.; Mat 23:5) like the Pharisees who feared to confess Christ (Joh 12:43).

Robertson: Joh 5:44 - From the only God

From the only God ( para tou monou theou ).

B and W omit theou which is certainly meant even if not genuine here. See Joh 17:3; Rom 16:27; 1Ti 6:15.

Vincent: Joh 5:44 - Ye believe

Ye believe

Again the emphatic ye , the reason for the emphasis being given in the succeeding clause.

Vincent: Joh 5:44 - Which receive

Which receive ( λαμβάνοντες )

Literally, receiving (as ye do): seeing that ye receive.

Vincent: Joh 5:44 - Seek not the honor that cometh from God only

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 seek not . Not God only , which entirely overlooks the force of the definite article; but the only God . Compare 1Ti 6:15, 1Ti 6:16; Joh 17:3; Rom 16:27.

Wesley: Joh 5:44 - While ye receive honour

That is, while ye seek the praise of men rather than the praise of God. At the feast of pentecost, kept in commemoration of the giving the law from Mount Sinai, their sermons used to be full of the praises of the law, and of the people to whom it was given. How mortifying then must the following words of our Lord be to them, while they were thus exulting in Moses and his law!

JFB: Joh 5:43-47 - if another shall come, &c.

How strikingly has this been verified in the history of the Jews! "From the time of the true Christ to our time, sixty-four false Christs have been reckoned by whom they have been deceived" [BENGEL].

JFB: Joh 5:44 - How can ye believe, &c.

(See on Joh 5:40-41). The "will not" of Joh 5:40, and "cannot" here are just different features of the same awful state of the human heart.

Clarke: Joh 5:44 - How can ye believe, which receive honor, etc.

How can ye believe, which receive honor, etc. - The grand obstacle to the salvation of the scribes and Pharisees was their pride, vanity, and self-love. They lived on each other’ s praise. If they had acknowledged Christ as the only teacher, they must have given up the good opinion of the multitude; and they chose rather to lose their souls than to forfeit their reputation among men! This is the ruin of millions. They would be religious, if religion and worldly honor were connected; but as the kingdom of Christ is not of this world, and their hearts and souls are wedded to the earth, they will not accept the salvation which is offered to them on these terms - Deny thyself: take up thy cross, and follow Me. It is no wonder that we never find persons making any progress in religion who mix with the world, and in any respect regulate their conduct by its anti-Christian customs, maxims, and fashions

Clarke: Joh 5:44 - From God only?

From God only? - Or, from the only God - Παρα του μονου Θεου . Two of the ancient Slavonic versions read, From the only begotten Son of God.

Calvin: Joh 5:44 - How can you believe?

44.How can you believe? As it might be thought harsh to say that those who were from their childhood the trained disciples of the Law and the Prophets, should be charged with such gross ignorance and declared to be enemies of the truth, and as this might even be thought to be incredible, Christ shows what it is that hinders them from believing. It is because ambition has deprived them of sound judgment; for he speaks, in a peculiar manner, to the priests and scribes, who, swelled with pride, could not obey God. This is a remarkable passage, which teaches that the gate of faith is shut against all whose hearts are preoccupied by a vain desire of earthly glory. For he who wishes to be somebody in the world must become wandering and unsteady, so that he will have no inclination towards God. Never is a man prepared to obey the heavenly doctrine, until he is convinced that his principal object, throughout his whole life, ought to be, that he may be approved by God.

But it may be thought that the wicked confidence, by which hypocrites exalt themselves in the presence of God, is a greater obstacle than worldly ambition; and we know that this was also a disease with which the scribes were deeply infected. The answer is easy; for Christ intended to tear from them the false mask of sanctity, by which they deceived the ignorant multitude. He therefore points, as with the finger, to the grosser vice, by which it may be made manifest to all that nothing is farther from their true character than what they wished to be reckoned. Besides, though hypocrisy exalts itself against God, still, in the world and before men, it is always ambitious; nay, more, it is this vanity alone that swells us with false presumption, when we rely more on our own judgment, and that of others, than on the judgment of God. He who in reality presents himself before God as his Judge, must, of necessity, fall down humbled and dismayed, and finding nothing in himself on which he can place reliance. ¹¹³ So, then, in order that any man may seek glory from God alone, he must be overwhelmed with shame, and flee to the undeserved mercy of God. And, indeed, they who look to God see that they are condemned and ruined, and that nothing is left to them in which they can glory but the grace of Christ. The desire of such glory will always be attended by humility.

So far as relates to the present passage, Christ’s meaning is, that there is no other way in which men can be prepared for receiving the doctrine of the Gospel, than by withdrawing all their senses from the world, and turning them to God alone, and seriously considering that it is with God that they have to do, that, forgetting the flatteries by which they are accustomed to deceive themselves, they may descend into their own consciences. We need not wonder, therefore, if the Gospel in the present day find so few persons willing to be taught, since all are carried away by ambition. Nor need we wonder if many apostatize from the profession of the Gospel, for they are hurried away by their own vanity and fly off. So much the more earnestly ought we to seek this one thing, that, while we are mean and despised in the eyes of the world, and even overwhelmed within ourselves, we may be reckoned among the children of God.

TSK: Joh 5:44 - can // which // and

can : Joh 3:20, Joh 8:43, Joh 12:43; Jer 13:23; Rom 8:7, Rom 8:8; Heb 3:12

which : Mat 23:5; Gal 5:19-21; Phi 2:3

and : 1Sa 2:30; 2Ch 6:8; Mat 25:21-23; Luk 19:17; Rom 2:7, Rom 2:10,Rom 2:29; 1Co 4:5; 2Co 10:18; Jam 2:1; 1Pe 1:7

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Poole: Joh 5:44

It is evident that by receiving honour from one another is here to be understood the seeking and pursuing of honour and applause from men, without regard to the praise of God: so also Joh 12:43 . For otherwise it is lawful for parents to receive honour from children, masters from servants, princes and other magistrates from people. But for men to be ambitious of honour and applause from men, in neglect of the honour and praise of God, this is highly sinful; and it cannot be expected that any such persons should so far deny themselves, and renounce their own works of righteousness, as to accept of Christ and his righteousness, and rely upon him alone for life and salvation. It is said, Joh 12:42 , that among the chief rulers many believed; yet it is added, Joh 12:43 , For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. But those words, Joh 12:43 , seem rather to refer to the Pharisees, mentioned in the latter part of Joh 12:42 , where a reason is given why, though many great rulers believed, yet they did not confess Christ, because of the Pharisees. Or if those words, Joh 12:43 , be to be applied to those of whom it is said, they believed, Joh 12:42 , we must distinguish concerning believing, which in Joh 12:42 signifieth no more than an assent given to him as a great prophet, upon the miracles they saw wrought by him; in this place, a true and lively faith, receiving Christ as our Mediator and Saviour.

Gill: Joh 5:44 - How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another // and seek not the honour that cometh from God only

How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another?.... As the Scribes and Pharisees did, who were ambitious of honour and respect from one another, as well as from the common people; doing all they did to be seen of men, and to gain applause among them: choosing the uppermost rooms at feasts, and chief places in the synagogues, and delighting in the pompous title of Rabbi, Rabbi; and were in expectation of the temporal kingdom of the Messiah, when they hoped to be advanced to places of great honour and profit; and all this was an hinderance to them from believing in Christ, who appeared in such an abject form, and made so mean a figure; whose doctrine was so unsuitable to their carnal minds, and whose followers were so poor and contemptible; and besides it was made a law among them, that those who professed him to be the Messiah, should be cast out of the synagogue: hence many who were convinced that he was the Messiah, durst not confess him, lest they should lose their honour and respect among men, which they preferred to the praise of God:

and seek not the honour that cometh from God only; or "from the only God", as the Vulgate Latin; or "from the one God", as the Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions render it: the honour that comes from him is, that of being born of him; of being a son or daughter of his, having that new name, which is better than that of sons and daughters of the greatest princes on earth; of being made all glorious within, and clothed with gold of Ophir, with raiment of needlework, with the robe of righteousness, and garments of salvation; of being translated into the spiritual kingdom of Christ, and made kings and priests unto God by him; of being set on the same throne with Christ, having on a crown of life and righteousness, and enjoying a kingdom and glory; being heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; which honour all the saints have, or shall have, and which these men cared not for.