I just don't see how the "KINGDOM" is suffering violence - I would understand if he said the "church" suffers violence.
Hey Eugene.
If you are truly of the church of God and being called and chosen and faithful unto the end, then would you not believe that the kingdom of God is within you...now?
Eph 1:13 In whom [Him]
ye also trusted, after that
ye heard the
word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed,
ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Eph 1:14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
Luk 17:20 And when he[Christ] was demanded of the Pharisees,
when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God
cometh not with observation: Luk 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold,
the kingdom of God is within you.Was not the suffering[violence]that Jesus went through for His kingdom,church [elect] the same violence[suffering] that we must all go through in being crucified with Him daily?(Joh 6:63...the words that I speak unto you,they are spirit...) Does not being seized and pressed daily by virtue of dying to self from the fire above,living for the Christ,cause one to be drawn[dragged] violently away from ones own 'self-righteous' evil ways?
By dying to self we will suffer the violence needed [to be seized and pressed...in suffering for Him...by the killing of that beast within] to enter into His kingdom, now,by the dying of our old man adam,and the putting on the new man,that is [Christ in us],thus bearing the fruit that leads to aionion life,which is His Spiritual fruit in us...now.
Mat 12:33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for
the tree is known by his fruit.
Joh 12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat
fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but
if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.Php 1:29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also
to suffer for his sake;
Gal 2:20
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but
Christ liveth in me: and the
life which I now live in the flesh
I live by the faith of the Son of God,Luk 18:16 But Jesus called them unto him, and said,
Suffer little children to
come unto me, and
forbid them not: for of
such is the kingdom of God.
1Co 3:15 If any man's work
shall be burned, he shall
suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as
by fire.
2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man
be in Christ, he is a
new creature: old things are passed away; behold,
all things are become new.
1Jn 4:17 Herein is
our love made perfect, that
we may have boldness in the day of judgment[condemnation]:
because as he is, so are we in this world.We become that new man in Christ when we learn obedience, by the things which we suffer, unto salvation.
Heb 5:8 Though he were a Son,
yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; Heb 5:9 And being
made perfect, he
became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
because we can now...
Col 1:24 ...
rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the
afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake,
which is the church:
Hope this helps some.
Peace...Mark