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| Violent Christians? |
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Are you a passive Christian? In describing the kingdom of heaven in Matthew 11, Jesus talks about it forcefully advancing and violent people attacking it. The Greek here is difficult to interpret and there are about four different schools of thought on the specifics of what Jesus meant. However, one thing is very clear, that passive Christianity is not an option.
John the Baptist suffered violence and that is the context of Jesus saying that the kingdom of heaven suffers violence. In a world with increasing persecution of Christians and escalating pressure for Christians to become wishy-washy and weak-willed, it is a time for people of faith everywhere to stand up for their beliefs and be strong in the Lord. 11:12 From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and men of violence take it by force. 11:13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John; 11:14 and if you are willing to accept it, he is Eli'jah who is to come. 11:15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
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| Dennis, Was the book of Matthew written after John the Baptist's arrival and before Christ's ressurection? When did Christianity begin ? |
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Grant |
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March 12, 2008 at 9:33pm |
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You are certainly right to look at the words "until now" and ask the question as to whether or not that meant ONLY until John. So the natural question is whether or not that violence would also continue. I believe the answer comes in Jesus' next sentence, when he said that men of violence "take" it by force, not "took" it by force. In fact violence was done to Jesus on the cross, martyrs down through history, and continues with the greatest martyrdom in all history in our times.
The verb in the Greek is in the present active sense, not the past tense. As such, I believe it still applied when Jesus said it and as a principle still applies today. |
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Grant |
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March 12, 2008 at 9:36pm |
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| As far as Christianity not existing at that time, I suppose that depends on your definition of Christianity. If you define Christianity as the Church and church history beginning with Pentecost, then of course, you would be right. However, if you define Christianity as beginning with and being founded upon the teachings of the Christ, as I do, then we are definitely talking about Christ-ianity here, rather than merely the Church. |
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Grant |
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March 13, 2008 at 3:14pm |
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| I quite agree with much of what you say. However, you are speaking of the transition to the New Covenant and the birth of the Church, not Christianity in its entirety. If I took your definition, then NOTHING that Jesus taught would be relevant as teaching for the Christian church. Yet, when Jesus was about to suffer the cross, he taught his disciples to teach what he had taught them. As such, the TEACHINGS of Christianity after the cross are very much centered on what Jesus taught them BEFORE the cross, and as recorded in the mostly pre-cross Gospels. |
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Grant |
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March 13, 2008 at 3:46pm |
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| I too find it simple. Christ taught it and the disciples were required to teach what Jesus taught. End of story. Perhaps we'll just pass on the rest of this discussion for the sake of peace. Blessings! |
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