a mere housewife
Not your cup of tea
'And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
'For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
'And if you will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.
'He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.'
I tried to ask about this in another thread, but it was properly off topic. I was thinking of these verses today and there is so much in them that still puzzles me. It seems like there is a movement through these verses where the kingdom is first passive in connection with the activity it invites -- through to the hearer as passive in the possession of ears? (Though the kingdom is offered 'if you will' to all within hearing, and the one who already -- apparently passively? -- has received ears is commanded to 'hear'.)
I understand that somehow this relates to the shift from the Old Testament ministry to the fulfillment in Christ. But I don't understand quite how. I have looked this up in Calvin and Matthew Henry but I can't fathom all the relations better: perhaps I am just not understanding something that would make it all plain.
'For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
'And if you will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.
'He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.'
I tried to ask about this in another thread, but it was properly off topic. I was thinking of these verses today and there is so much in them that still puzzles me. It seems like there is a movement through these verses where the kingdom is first passive in connection with the activity it invites -- through to the hearer as passive in the possession of ears? (Though the kingdom is offered 'if you will' to all within hearing, and the one who already -- apparently passively? -- has received ears is commanded to 'hear'.)
I understand that somehow this relates to the shift from the Old Testament ministry to the fulfillment in Christ. But I don't understand quite how. I have looked this up in Calvin and Matthew Henry but I can't fathom all the relations better: perhaps I am just not understanding something that would make it all plain.