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NASB | Matthew 11:12 "From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 11:12 "From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violent assault, and violent men seize it by force [as a precious prize]. |
Bible Question:
Regarding the passage - Matthew 11:12, "From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force." I'd like to know what these passages mean and how they might apply. |
Bible Answer: Hi Charles45, I read the other threads and liked #45212 by Mommapbs the best. How about you? I looked up violence in the dictionary and meditated on which meaning fit the context best. Consider #5: a twisting or wrenching of a sense, phrase, etc. so as to distort the original or true sense or form [to do violence to a text] When Matthew talks about just who is the One about whom it is written; we realize that the text has been distorted, the message is misunderstood, they were looking for the wrong person, they were looking for the wrong Prophet. They were looking at the messenger instead of the One for whom he was preparing a way. In Luke the Pharisees were perhaps looking at the kingdom as a way of making money, which is certainly giving violence to the message. I also think of the person that wanted to buy the gift of God with money. He wanted the power that the believers had and thought that he could buy his way into the kingdom. I think of John 14:6, "Jesus said to him, "I am the *Way, and the *Truth, and the *Life, no one comes to the Father, but through Me." I think of John 6:14,15, "When therefore the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, "This is of a truth the Prophet who is to come into the world." Jesus therefore perceiving that they were intending to come and TAKE HIM BY FORCE, to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone." From the heart, Ray |