What do you think of Jesus' words in this bible passage....how do YOU interpret them?

Question

John 5:44
How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God ?

Answer 1

Many people who refuse to accept the love of God will join together with others who do the same and together they affirm one another's errant beliefs, even to their ultimate destruction.

Jesus was speaking to people who had seen His miraculous works, which testified of His authority to forgive Sin, yet they refuse to believe in Him. Instead, they babbled meaningless excuses among themselves, straining at gnats and swallowing camels.

These kinds of people exist today and some of them participate in Yahoo Answers. We see them everyday.

The "praise" that is being spoken of is that kind that is sought out to affirm an error as truth in order to avoid accepting the fact that you are wrong, even though you know you are wrong. You have to be willing to admit you are wrong before God can give you the true praise that only comes from Him.

You twist the scriptures to your own destruction.

Answer 2

Praising is a form of bribery. What is meant is that one should not accept bribe from anyone except from the almighty, the lord the god. And believe me, that does not come that easily as you may desire. Prayer, celibacy, concentrated faith and stuff like that would do the trick.

Answer 3

A perfectly valid point about how the rewards we seek clearly identify where our loyalties lie! In this case, if you seek the praise of other people, but don't seek praise from God, that's a pretty strong indicator of what you really believe is important!

If I accept a job from an employer but never seek to gain his approval...instead, I seek to gain the approval of my co-workers or worse, the employee's of my employer's major competitor...how could I claim to believe in the employer's goals?

Answer 4

You need to read the whole chapter for the full understanding
Jesus healed on the Sabbath Day

16And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.

Jesus sought no honor on this earth

He was of the Father and did the works of the Father
the Jews were all about the law


17But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.

18Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

19Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

20For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.

21For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.

22For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:

23That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.

24Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

25Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

26For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;

Answer 5

The Pharisees should have known from their studies that Jesus was the promised Messiah. But to admit that would bring them reproach in the eyes of the other Pharisees. So their prejudice against Jesus stumbled them.

Answer 6

John 5:39-44

The Jews considered that eternal life was revealed to them in their Scriptures, and that they had it, because they had the word of God in their hands. Jesus urged them to search those Scriptures with more diligence and attention. to �Ye do search the Scriptures, to � and ye do well to do so. They did indeed search the Scriptures, but it was with a view to their own glory. It is possible for men to be very studious in the letter of the Scriptures, yet to be strangers to its power. Or,

to �Search the Scriptures, to � and so it was spoken to them in the nature of an appeal. Ye profess to receive and believe the Scripture, let that be the judge. It is spoken to us as advising or commanding all Christians to search the Scriptures. Not only read them, and hear them, but search them; which denotes diligence in examining and studying them. We must search the Scriptures for heaven as our great end; For in them ye think ye have eternal life. We must search the Scriptures for Christ, as

the new and living Way, that leads to this end. To this testimony Christ adds reproofs of their unbelief and wickedness; their neglect of him and his doctrine. Also he reproves their want of the love of God. But there is life with Jesus Christ for poor souls. Many who make a great profession of religion, yet show they want the love of God, by their neglect of Christ and contempt of his commandments. It is the love of God in us, the love that is a living, active principle in the heart, which God

will accept. They slighted and undervalued Christ, because they admired and overvalued themselves. How can those believe, who make the praise and applause of men their idol! When Christ and his followers are men wondered at, how can those believe, the utmost of whose ambition is to make a fair show in the flesh! (Jn 5:45-47)

Answer 7

That's not exactly what it says, but close.

It is condemning the listeners, who seek approval from each other, that it's incredible to conceive that they could be believers of God because they don't seek God's praise.
Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Therefore, Jesus was speaking of their faith and condemning their outward displays.

Answer 8

You cant be a true believer if you are more motivated by what people around you say, rather than what God says.

Answer 9

I think they were sort of "Grandstanding it" They wanted people to look at them and think how smart, good, and nice people they were. They hoped to receive honor, integrity, and accolades from the people. They were more interested in how people viewed them than in giving God thanks, honor, and how God looked at them.

Answer 10

The guy writing the bible got tired of writing so he made up a reason for jesus to stop talking.