How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?
Seeking approval from other people while failing to seek the approval that comes from God alone makes it impossible to truly believe. Jesus spoke these words to the scribes and Pharisees who wanted honor from one another, and because they clung to that honor they rejected Him though He came in His Father's name, while remaining ready to receive one who came in his own name. Their professed trust in Moses condemned them, for Moses wrote of Christ, so that truly believing Moses would have led them to receive Jesus, and rejecting Him proved they believed neither Moses nor Him. Those who know they are children of God and joint heirs with Christ find human approval of little worth, for faith in Him drives out selfishness, pride, coldness, laziness, and cowardice. His followers are therefore to refuse to chase human praise and instead love only God's honor, living in humble dependence and self-denial with their eyes fixed on what is eternal.
Setting and Original Rebuke
The question belongs to the instruction found in the fifth and sixth chapters of John, which is the mystery of godliness, to be studied and made a part of life with its teaching brought into daily experience, for only in that way does it give the knowledge that enables distinguishing the true from the false in days of peril. It was spoken to the scribes and Pharisees who sought honor and approval from one another instead of the honor that comes from God alone, and that seeking of human recognition obstructed and prevented faith in Christ. Jesus came in His Father's name and they rejected Him, yet they were willing to receive one who came in his own name, and receiving one another's honor while rejecting Christ left them unable to believe.
It was applied to people who rejected Jesus while searching the Scriptures for evidence of His coming, yet who would accept another claimant, for their desire for human honor and approval kept them from recognizing and receiving Him. The warning stands joined to the prediction that deceivers would claim to be the Christ, showing the need not to be led astray by them. It exposes those whose professed trust in Moses condemned them, because the writings of Moses testified of the Messiah and His coming, so that truly believing Moses would have led them to welcome Jesus, and rejecting Jesus despite that testimony showed they truly believed neither the writings of Moses nor the words of Jesus.
It exposes priests and rulers who were ambitious for earthly riches and glory and unwilling to come to Christ for light, whose seeking of human praise instead of honor from God kept them from believing in Christ. Those who waited for such leaders to acknowledge Christ before accepting Him would never accept Him.
Faith Versus Human Honor
Receiving honor from one another while not seeking the honor that comes from God alone makes believing impossible, and this holds especially for those who have received great light yet do not follow in humility and contrition after being honored by God without reflecting His glory. Seeking approval from people instead of honor from God prevents belief in Christ, because human praise cannot take the place of love for God or faith in Jesus. Seeking honor from people instead of honor from God is incompatible with faith, for human approval has little value to one who knows he is a child of God and co-heir with Christ, shares His love, and is accepted by God through Jesus. Where faith in Christ is present selfishness is displaced, and spiritual coldness, laziness, pride, and cowardice cannot remain.
Seeking honor from people instead of honor from God obstructs faith because all human ability comes from God, so praise and honor belong to Him, and giving to people the place due to God turns praise into a means of opposing Him. The great mass of people with ability and talent do not choose the Christian road because they spend all their powers in the service of evil to gain honor and flattery from men while despising the honor that comes from God, counting their talent too precious to devote to the Lord of heaven and earth. Disciples must not seek human honor and praise but love the honor that comes from God alone, which means denying self and living in humble dependence. Seeking honor from others rather than humility before God keeps people from believing, for desire for human approval makes them unwilling to accept affliction or disgrace for God's people, while the call is to meekness and to set attention on what is eternal.
Seeking honor from people instead of the honor that comes from God turns the heart from Jesus toward the world, as when churches let love shift from Jesus to the world and seek worldly honor and riches rather than honor from above and treasure in heaven. That condition is marked by hypocrisy, darkness, and spiritual death. Seeking God's honor rather than people's praise means being content with the honor that comes from God, which is worth more than human applause, and refusing to win admiration and worldly approval by costly display through spending wealth on dress, ornaments, houses, or other luxuries.
Seeking approval from other people while failing to seek the approval that comes from God alone makes it impossible to truly believe. Jesus spoke these words to the scribes and Pharisees who wanted honor from one another, and because they clung to that honor they rejected Him though He came in His Father's name, while remaining ready to receive one who came in his own name. Their professed trust in Moses condemned them, for Moses wrote of Christ, so that truly believing Moses would have led them to receive Jesus, and rejecting Him proved they believed neither Moses nor Him. Those who know they are children of God and joint heirs with Christ find human approval of little worth, for faith in Him drives out selfishness, pride, coldness, laziness, and cowardice. His followers are therefore to refuse to chase human praise and instead love only God's honor, living in humble dependence and self-denial with their eyes fixed on what is eternal.
Setting and Original Rebuke
The question belongs to the instruction found in the fifth and sixth chapters of John, which is the mystery of godliness, to be studied and made a part of life with its teaching brought into daily experience, for only in that way does it give the knowledge that enables distinguishing the true from the false in days of peril. It was spoken to the scribes and Pharisees who sought honor and approval from one another instead of the honor that comes from God alone, and that seeking of human recognition obstructed and prevented faith in Christ. Jesus came in His Father's name and they rejected Him, yet they were willing to receive one who came in his own name, and receiving one another's honor while rejecting Christ left them unable to believe.
It was applied to people who rejected Jesus while searching the Scriptures for evidence of His coming, yet who would accept another claimant, for their desire for human honor and approval kept them from recognizing and receiving Him. The warning stands joined to the prediction that deceivers would claim to be the Christ, showing the need not to be led astray by them. It exposes those whose professed trust in Moses condemned them, because the writings of Moses testified of the Messiah and His coming, so that truly believing Moses would have led them to welcome Jesus, and rejecting Jesus despite that testimony showed they truly believed neither the writings of Moses nor the words of Jesus.
It exposes priests and rulers who were ambitious for earthly riches and glory and unwilling to come to Christ for light, whose seeking of human praise instead of honor from God kept them from believing in Christ. Those who waited for such leaders to acknowledge Christ before accepting Him would never accept Him.
Faith Versus Human Honor
Receiving honor from one another while not seeking the honor that comes from God alone makes believing impossible, and this holds especially for those who have received great light yet do not follow in humility and contrition after being honored by God without reflecting His glory. Seeking approval from people instead of honor from God prevents belief in Christ, because human praise cannot take the place of love for God or faith in Jesus. Seeking honor from people instead of honor from God is incompatible with faith, for human approval has little value to one who knows he is a child of God and co-heir with Christ, shares His love, and is accepted by God through Jesus. Where faith in Christ is present selfishness is displaced, and spiritual coldness, laziness, pride, and cowardice cannot remain.
Seeking honor from people instead of honor from God obstructs faith because all human ability comes from God, so praise and honor belong to Him, and giving to people the place due to God turns praise into a means of opposing Him. The great mass of people with ability and talent do not choose the Christian road because they spend all their powers in the service of evil to gain honor and flattery from men while despising the honor that comes from God, counting their talent too precious to devote to the Lord of heaven and earth. Disciples must not seek human honor and praise but love the honor that comes from God alone, which means denying self and living in humble dependence. Seeking honor from others rather than humility before God keeps people from believing, for desire for human approval makes them unwilling to accept affliction or disgrace for God's people, while the call is to meekness and to set attention on what is eternal.
Seeking honor from people instead of the honor that comes from God turns the heart from Jesus toward the world, as when churches let love shift from Jesus to the world and seek worldly honor and riches rather than honor from above and treasure in heaven. That condition is marked by hypocrisy, darkness, and spiritual death. Seeking God's honor rather than people's praise means being content with the honor that comes from God, which is worth more than human applause, and refusing to win admiration and worldly approval by costly display through spending wealth on dress, ornaments, houses, or other luxuries.