The Kingdom of Heaven Suffereth Much Violence!
Q: Dr. Mike, over the years, I’ve heard preachers say that Matthew 11:12 is tell us to “Take back with force, what the Devil has stolen from us!” Is that true?
A: [Finally] with gratitude, we’re seeing a number of Christians (with the heart and mindset of the Bereans, who searched the scriptures daily to see if the things that Apostle Paul and others were saying, were true), spend quality time in sacred Scripture, searching for the ‘hidden’ jewels, that are throughout the Word of God. And what I’m now beginning to hear, more-and-more, are saints saying, “That verse can’t mean that, in relation to what so-and-so said in …”
The passage starts by giving us a foundation to build off of: from the time that John the Baptist began to preach, to this present time, the ‘Gospel’ of the Kingdom of Heaven (which included the teachings of John, then of Christ our Lord, and finally of the apostles) suffereth violence.
When scholars included the same passage from the Gospel of Luke 16:16, they ended up with two schools of thought; thus, Jesus could be saying in one instance, “The Kingdom of God suffers violence, and violent men take hold of the [physical] kingdom by force (persecution).” And in another instance, He could be saying, “The Kingdom of Heaven is forcing its way into the world and crowds of people are eager to get in the kingdom.”
In conclusion: The one single fact that I draw from both interpretations is, people have been serious about the ‘GOSPEL – either to promote it or oppose it;’ and those who promote it, have come with earnest zeal to obtain God’s blessings, as if they were pressing in on every side, to take it by violent force. [In no way does the passage make reference to ‘individual’ sinners coming to obtain salvation, but more so ‘multitudes’ of people pressing in to hear the ‘GOSPEL’ from the time of John, to Jesus, and finally the apostles.]