We MUST ardently purse the deeper things, and that takes effort and persistence!
Agreed, not saying any is right or wrong,
Addressing the OP only. I understand your concern, but the bible is a openly sealed book. meaning it cannot be understood by human effort alone, unless accompanied by the one who has broken, or loosed the seal to understand it. no one smarts/Education or the lack of education can understand on their own. scripture,
Isa 29:9 Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.
Isa 29:10 For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.
Isa 29:11 And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:
Isa 29:12 And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.
so the educated and the un-educated are in the same boat, we all need the Master help. but fear not, the bible interpret itself, if you let it. in your first example, "
the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence ... ". just look somewhere else and you'll have your answer.
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.
here the Kingdom of God that is preached is the Gospel, (KNOWLEDGE, and UNDERSTANDING). the "
press into it" is to be sway, which is another word for "press", and to be swayed is to be Persuaded, meaning To demand earnestly or pressingly. so let's see it clearly. 2Cor 5:11 "Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord,
we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences". there it is in a nut shell.
Now the “
suffereth violence”. using the old Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary of American English, “violence”, here used as a verb means, To assault; to
injure; also, to bring by violence. What’s another word for injure? “DESTROY”, scripture, Hos 4:6 My people are
destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast
rejected knowledge,
I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
Hos 4:7 As they were increased,
so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame".
so the Kingdom of Heaven is preached, or at hand, meaning the Gospel suffered or was
rejected by men until John where as Men are persuaded/compel to enter in.
what was promised now needs compelling. but those who believe the "violent", (once sinners), here which is a noun, and not the verb, are converted, and enter in, (take it by Force), or by persuasion, (meaning pressed into it, they repented). supportive scripture,
Matt 21:28 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.
Matt 21:29 He answered and said,
I will not:
but afterward he repented, and went.
Matt 21:30 And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir:
and went not.
Matt 21:31 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.
Matt 21:32
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.
That persuasion of the Gospel allowed them, the “violent” to REPENT, and enter into the Kingdom.
PICJAG