Biastēs (βιαστής) refers to a violent or forceful person — one who uses force to achieve their ends. It appears only in Matthew 11:12: "forceful men lay hold of [the kingdom]." Depending on the interpretation of the verse, these "forceful ones" are either the passionate disciples who press into the kingdom with great zeal, or violent opponents who attack the kingdom.
The biastai of Matthew 11:12 represent a spiritual posture of urgent, wholehearted pursuit of God's kingdom. In the most constructive reading, Jesus describes those who, like determined soldiers breaking through enemy lines, refuse to let any obstacle stand between them and the kingdom. This is the spirit of the persistent widow (Luke 18:1–8), the man selling everything for the pearl of great price (Matthew 13:46), and Jacob wrestling until blessing came. Half-hearted religion is the opposite of biastēs discipleship.