Albert Barnes Commentary John 5:44

"How can ye believe, who receive glory one of another, and the glory that [cometh] from the only God ye seek not?" — John 5:44 (ASV)

Which receive honour one of another. Who are eager for praise and live for pride, ambition, and vainglory. This desire, Jesus says, was the great reason why they would not believe in him.

They were unwilling to renounce their worldly honours and become the followers of one so humble and unostentatious as he was. They expected a Messiah of pomp and splendour and would not submit to one so despised and of so lowly a rank. Had the Messiah come as they expected, with pomp and power, it would have been an honour, in their view, to follow him; as it was, they despised and rejected him.

The great reason why many people do not believe is their attachment to human honours, or their pride, and vanity, and ambition. These are so strong, that while they continue they cannot and will not believe. They might, however, renounce these things, and then, the obstacles being removed, they would believe.

Learn:

1. A man cannot believe the gospel while he is wholly under the influence of ambition. The two are not compatible. The religion of the gospel is humility, and a man who has not that cannot be a Christian.
2. Great numbers are deterred from being Christians by pride and ambition. Probably there is no single thing that prevents so many young men from becoming Christians as this passion. The proud and ambitious heart refuses to bow to the humiliating terms of the gospel.
3. Though while a man is under this governing principle he cannot believe the gospel, yet this proves nothing about his ability to lay that aside, and to yield to truth. That is another question. A child CANNOT open a trunk when he gets on the lid and attempts to raise his own weight and the cover of the trunk too; but that settles nothing about the inquiry whether he might not get off and then open it. The true question is whether a man can or cannot lay aside his ambition and pride, and about that there ought not to be any dispute. No one doubts that it may be done; and if that can be done, he can become a Christian.

Seek not the honour. The praise, the glory, the approbation of God. The honour which comes from men is their praise, flattery, commendation; the honour that comes from God is his approbation for doing his will. God alone can confer the honours of heaven—the reward of having done our duty here. That we should seek, and if we seek that, we shall come to Christ, who is the way and the life.