Matthew 11:12
Since the kingdom of heaven is faith in Christ, it began from John’s preaching, who was pointing out the one being preached as leading through baptism into the kingdom. Those who force their way into the kingdom of heaven are the ones who renounce the old, empty custom of idolatry, and those who do not cling to the letter but are drawn over, as by a kind of force, through faith in Christ.
By saying the kingdom is seized by forcers he also hints at the malice of the Jews, who not only did not believe in Christ but also hindered others by threats and blows. Those who want to share the kingdom of heaven through faith in Christ had to prove firm in mind, despising the Jews’ threats. And the believer too, whenever he resists bodily and soul passions vigorously in order to enter the kingdom of heaven, is a God-loving forcer. “Until now” (Matthew 11:12) means until the ongoing time.
Greek
Ἐπειδὴ ἡ τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλεία ἐστὶν ἡ εἰς τὸν Χριστὸν πίστις, ἀπὸ τοῦ κηρύγματος Ἰωάννου ἤρχθη, ὃς ὑπεδείκνυ τὸν κηρυττόμενον διὰ τοῦ βαπτίσματος ἄγοντα εἰς βασιλείαν. ἐκεῖνοι δὲ βιάζονται εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν εἰσελθεῖν οἱ τῷ τῆς εἰδωλολατρείας ἀποταττόμενοι παλαιῷ καὶ εἰκαίῳ ἔθει καὶ οἱ τῷ γράμματι μὴ προσέχοντες, ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ἐκ βίας τινὸς διὰ τῆς εἰς Χριστὸν πίστεως μεθελκόμενοι. εἰπὼν δὲ ὑπὸ βιαστῶν ἁρπάζεσθαι τὴν βασιλείαν τὸ κακόηθες αἰνίττεται τῶν Ἰου δαίων, οἳ οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἐπίστευον εἰς τὸν Χριστόν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους διεκώλυον δι' ἀπειλῶν καὶ πληγῶν. καὶ ἔδει βεβαίους τῷ φρονήματι δειχθῆναι τοὺς θέλοντας διὰ τῆς εἰς Χριστὸν πίστεως μετασχεῖν τῆς τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείας καταφρονοῦντας τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἀπειλῶν. πλὴν καὶ ὁ πιστός, ὅταν εὐτόνως ἀνθίστηται πρὸς τὰ σωματικὰ καὶ ψυχικὰ πάθη πρὸς τὸ εἰσελάσαι εἰς τὴν τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείαν, οὗτος φιλόθεός ἐστι βιαστής. τὸ δὲ ἕως ἄρτι τοῦτ' ἔστιν ἕως τοῦ διηνεκοῦς.