Opus 2025-299: Trump or Follow Suit

You should be familiar with a statement of Jesus found in the Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 6:33 (KJV) But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

This is one of the key commands of Jesus.  How does that compare or contrast with one of Paul’s key statements,

Ephesians 2:8 (KJV) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Is Paul trumping Jesus?  I don’t know if you play cards, but in many card games, there is either one card that will take anything or one suit which will overpower all others.  Under certain circumstances, if hearts was played first, if you don’t have hearts, you can play a spade, which if it’s trump will defeat a higher card of hearts.  Is this what Paul does?  Or is he just taking the lead of Jesus and explaining it in greater detail?

One thing that we need to understand about this is that Jesus was speaking to a Jewish audience.  He was assuming that they were a part of the nation of Israel.  And that since they did not need to enter into the covenant, they should’ve already been there.  Leave aside the individual aspect of salvation that we emphasize and just look at this command.

This is a statement of obedience and action.  It is a statement of priorities.  It is a statement made to explain the responsibilities of being a part of the kingdom of God.  Paul’s statement on the other hand was about how you were to enter the kingdom.  Neither one rules the other out.  Both are scripture.  They give the two sides of the salvation coin which would be counterfeit if it only had one.

So believe and seek.

homo unius libri