Violence is another word for hostility. John was not well recieved by the people around him. If you read the full verse you will see this.
We have a hostility in our culture even within the church. Violence done against the kingdom of God when a individual trys to force the truth on another.
Iv done it and seen it done. The corner. When you corner a individual and force truth upon them. You see it in their eyes that they want out but we dont allow them to leave because we know how to keep them engaged.
We out of our own zeal bring violence against Gods Kingdom when we proclaim the truth void of love and genuine care for the individuals own free will to listen or reject.
We call it zeal but really we force because we cant bear to recieve the rejection of what we have to offer. We take the rejection personally.
Until we graduate to understanding the motives of our own hearts we to will bring violence against the Kingdom of God.
Luke 16:16 The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it
When John the Baptist came, he began preaching the Kingdom of heaven and many began receiving the message. In other words, there was a mad dash if you will to get into the Kingdom. Many were converted by John's preaching.
But it was not coming from the Pharisees or the Scribes, the Chief priest and the elders. Those seeking forcible entry into the Kingdom were the violent
Who are the violent? They were the wicked such as the publicans and harlots. They were the ones pressing with great force for John's Gospel and not the religious leaders.
Matt 21
23 And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?
24 And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things.
25 The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?
26 But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.
27 And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.
28 But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.
29 He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.
30 And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.
31 Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.
32 For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him
14 O God, the proud are risen against me, and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul; and have not set thee before them.
Psalm 140:1-3
King James Version (KJV)
140 Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man;
2 Which imagine mischiefs in their heart; continually are they gathered together for war.
3 They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders' poison is under their lips. Selah.
Proverbs 16:29
King James Version (KJV)
29 A violent man enticeth his neighbour, and leadeth him into the way that is not good.
Ecclesiastes 5:8
King James Version (KJV)
8 If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they.
Psalm 73:6
King James Version (KJV)
6 Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment.
Isaiah 59:6-8
King James Version (KJV)
6 Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works: their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands.
7 Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths.
8 The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.
Amos 3:10
King James Version (KJV)
10 For they know not to do right, saith the Lord, who store up violence and robbery in their palaces.
Zephaniah 3
King James Version (KJV)
3 Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city!
2 She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the Lord; she drew not near to her God.
3 Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.
4 Her prophets are light and treacherous persons: her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.
5 The just Lord is in the midst thereof; he will not do iniquity: every morning doth he bring his judgment to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame.
Matthew 23:34-39
King James Version (KJV)
34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:
35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
I think it is the religious leaders that Jesus was referring to. Until John, the religious leaders really had no opposition to their rule that they weren't able to silence through violence. When John and Jesus showed up, it became almost an obsession of the Pharisees to silence them as well. They had already taken God's chosen people captive, and they did not want them released. John and Jesus came to do just that, to set the captives free, and many were following them. The religious leaders were determined to take back their gains with force and violence, which culminated with the murder of Jesus. They thought they were the oracles of truth, and when prophets came to show them the true way, they hated and killed them. God himself came to show them the true way, the same way that the prophets before Him had been trying to show them, and they killed Him as well.
The Key verse that helps with understanding is Luke 16:16. Here is the verse translated from two other versions as well as the KJV
16 The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.
16 The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing their way into it. NIV
16 The law and the prophets [were] until John: from that time the gospel of the kingdom of God is preached, and every man entereth violently into it. ASV
Now let me show one more thing. The word being used here in both Luke 16:16 and Matt 11:12 is only used in these two passages. This word is:
Here is an explanation from Robinison: "Here the meaning clearly is that everyone forces his way into the kingdom of God, a plea for moral enthusiasm and spiritual passion and energy that some today affect to despise."
And another from Hort: The preaching of John "had led to a violent and impetuous thronging to gather round Jesus and his disciple
Sorry Jacquie, I was half awake when I answered you the first time this morning. It was off the top of my head (my very tired head) and based on my previous studies of this passage. I should have probably provided some additional reference sources but I wanted to get a response up there because of the other that had been left. My apologies.
To the readers: The first explanation offered up by"prophet" LetThisMind2 is an excellent illustration of "leaning to one's own understanding". Believing that one has a "revelation" from the Spirit and literally murdering the actual text.
His conclusion is that we do violence to the Kingdom of God by "zealously proclaiming the Truth of the gospel/word of God in opposition to another person's "free will".
I was literally tortured by even having to read that pile of dung.
" think it is the religious leaders that Jesus was referring to. Until John, the religious leaders really had no opposition to their rule that they weren't able to silence through violence. When John and Jesus showed up, it became almost an obsession of the Pharisees to silence them as well. "
I agree,
What I was doing was bringing it home to us, How often have we acted just like the religious men of his day?
Now then, the burden of proof is on you again. Please prove from Scripture that the Pharisees/religious men of Jesus day were ever "zealous to proclaim the Truth of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God in opposition to the "free will" of the people" thereby, doing "violence to the Kingdom" Show an instance where one of them "cornered an individual in the temple and attempted to force the Truth upon them"
