More Thoughts on Deconstruction
By Jonathan Mitchell

For those who have believed the Message about Jesus Christ, and what we know as being "the Gospel," but then enter into a process of deconstructing traditional, mainline Christian doctrines, they enter into an area of what seems to be unstable ground. Questioning traditions is always good, if our motives are pure, and we are honestly seeking truth. Jesus told the scribes and Pharisees,

"Abandoning (Sending off; Divorcing; Letting go) the implanted goal (impartation of the finished product within; inward directive) of and from God, you folks continuously keep a strong hold on the traditions of men (things given along or transmitted from people)....

"This is habitually invalidating (depriving of lordship; making void of authority) the Word of God (God's idea and blueprint; the message from God) by (or: in; with) your tradition which you folks deliver and pass along (or: handed down) - and you are constantly doing many such things of this kind (or: repeatedly performing many such similar [rituals] along this line)" (Mk. 7:8, 13).

This same situation is also recorded in the Gospel of Matthew. There, in chapter 15, Matthew records this version of Jesus' words:

7. "[You] perverse scholars who in micro-scrutinizing make decisions from a low position [see Mat. 6:2, JMNT]! Isaiah beautifully and aptly prophesies about (or: concerning) you folks, continually saying,

8.'This People habitually honor Me with [their] lips, yet it constantly holds their heart far away from Me (or: yet their heart continuously holds [itself] off, distant from Me).

9.'So they habitually revere Me and commit acts of devotion to Me in vain (to no profit; fruitlessly), repeatedly giving instruction concerning teachings [that are] directions coming from humans (or: constantly teaching for "[the] teachings" [the] results of inner goals and commands of people {or: man-made rules}).'" [Isa. 29:13]

Jesus was speaking into a specific issue of Second Temple Judaism purity codes. Yet, throughout the history of Christianity, many folks have raised the same issue in regard to some Christian traditions.

So, deconstruction can be a good thing, but we advise listening to the inner Voice of the Good Shepherd, (Who resides within His sheep) as we proceed in doing so. If we do not have a living relationship with Christ, we will very likely read the Scriptures as merely "the letter," and it may kill the measure of faith which we had. Paul instructs us about this, in 2 Cor. 3:6b,

"for it follows that the effect of letter habitually kills off (or: Scripture, the result of writing something into a text, repeatedly slays and puts away in death), yet the Spirit (or: the spirit; this Breath-effect; this Attitude) continuously produces Life (or: repeatedly makes alive; progressively forms life; habitually creates Life)!" [cf Rom. 7:6, 11; 8:2, 6; Gal. 3:10]

It has been heard, regarding this topic: "If you go through deconstruction without a shepherd you end up bewildered, distressed, dejected, helpless and hopeless."

Following a previous essay on deconstruction where the topic was the need for sheep to listen to the Good Shepherd's Voice during such investigation, we were pointed to the incident where Jesus was listening TO, and observing, the sheep, in Mat. 9:

36. Now upon seeing the crowds, He felt deep feelings, tender affection and compassion about them (was affected in the inward parts of His body, encircling them with His emotions), because they were (they continued being) folks having been skinned (or: flayed and lacerated; and so: harried and troubled) and hurled down or tossed out - as if [being] sheep not having a shepherd.

They were going through the valley of the shadow of death, without Yahweh shepherding them (Ps. 23). Christ's sheep need protection and direction, lest they be swept away by philosophies or human reasonings. In Col. 2:8, Paul admonished the called-out community about such things:

"Keep watching out for and beware that someone will not be the one progressively (or: repeatedly) carrying you off captive (after stripping you of arms and seizing your goods, proceed in kidnapping you as booty or a prey) through the philosophy and empty seduction (or: a deceitful trick having no content; vain speculation) being handed down from and being in line with the tradition of the people (or: corresponding to the thing handed along from humans), down from (or: in line with and corresponding to) the elementary principles (or: rudimentary teachings and fundamental assumptions; rudimentary stages) of the organized System (or: from the aggregate of humanity, or pertaining to the world of culture, religion, government, secular society or economy) - and not down from Christ (or: in accord with the sphere of, and in line with, Christ; or: corresponding to an Anointing)."

Specific examples of this are found in Titus 1:14,

"not habitually holding to (having [a propensity] toward; heeding and clinging in the direction toward) Jewish myths (or: fictions; fables; or, possibly: oral traditions) and to implanted goals (impartations of a finished product within; inward directives; commands) whose source and origin is people (or: human commandments; [cf Col. 2:20b-23]) [thus] continually being twisted and turned away from the Truth (or: Reality)."

A similar admonition is found in 1 Tim. 4:7,

"Now you must constantly refuse, shun and avoid (decline and excuse yourself from) profane (non-sacred; open to be walked on, and accessible to all) and old-womanish, anile myths, yet habitually be training and exercising yourself, as in gymnastic discipline, toward reverence (or: standing face to face, in awe of wellness, with adoration; with a view to healthful devotion and virtuous conduct of ease, in sacred responsibility and true relation to God)."

The advice of refusing senile myths may seem anachronistic in our day of "enlightenment" and "the scientific method," but the scholarly study of ancient myths is quite prevalent, in our day. We should remain open to new insights on ancient literature, but we should also remain aware that scholars usually view texts through their preferred lenses (I will not go so far as to say "prejudiced" lenses). If they deconstruct sacred texts while remaining deaf to the "shepherd" of those texts - no matter to what religion the text belongs - then they will simply be dissecting corpses.

If our process of deconstruction does not have in mind a process of reconstruction, then it will likely end in our abandoning the object of our investigations. This can often lead to a state of inner spiritual loss, as what were once thought to be treasures wind up on our rubbish heaps. Paul had encountered and experienced something far greater than what he had previously held, and so we read in Phil. 3:

7. But to the contrary, whatever things (or: things which) were being gains (advantages; assets) to, for, or in, me, THESE things I have esteemed and now consider (or: regard) as a loss (a penalty; a forfeit; disadvantage; a bad bargain; a detriment) because of the Christ (or: on account of the Anointed One [= the Messiah] and the Anointing).

8. But further - indeed, then, as a matter of fact - I even am habitually considering (or: regarding; deeming) all things (all; everything) to be a loss (a disadvantage; a bad bargain; damage; a forfeit; a penalty) because of (on account of; for the sake of) the thing that is constantly holding things above and thus having all-surpassing value and superiority: that which pertains to and comes from the experience of the intimate knowledge of my Lord, Jesus Christ (or: personal insight of, from and which is, Christ Jesus, my Owner; [cf Jn. 17:3]) - because of, on account of, and for the sake of, Whom I undergo loss of (experience the forfeit of; receive as a disadvantage) all things (or: everything; the whole life-experience, environment and possessions) - and I continue considering (or: regarding; deeming) them to be [either] a lot of refuse and filth (pieces of dung; a pile of manure; excrement) [or] things that are cast away from the table to the dogs (garbage), to the end that I may have the advantage of Christ (or: could maintain the gain of [the] Anointing; enjoy the assets of and profit from [the Messiah]),[cf vs. 2, above; Isa. 53:11; 2 Cor. 5:2, 4; Rom. 5:9]

9. and can be found (or: would be discovered to actually be) within Him (or: in union with Him; centered in Him) - not continuing having (or: holding) my [previous] pointed-out way (my fairness and equity; my relationships; my basis for what is right; my own righteousness) from out of the Law or custom [cf Ps. 143:2; Isa. 64:6; Rom. 10:3] - but to the contrary, this [Way pointed-out which was a rightwising deliverance] through means of Christ's faithfulness (or: the trust-conviction which is Christ; the faith of and from [the Messiah]): the rightwising, eschatological deliverance into the new covenant fairness and equity of rectified relationships within the Way pointed out [which is] forth from out of the midst of God as a source (or: the just Act from the midst of God), based upon that Faithfulness (or: [Christ's/God's] loyal allegiance; or: the Trust and confident faith), [cf Gal. 2:16; 2 Cor. 5:3, 8; 2 Pet. 1:1]

10. and from this, to come to intimately, and with insight, experientially know Him, and this Ability - even the Power (means of Influence, natural Faculties, and inherent Properties) - of, and from, His resurrection, and also this (or: the; [other MSS: a]) common existence (equally-belonging participation; common Being; shared partnership, associated sharing and fellowship; contribution) of the results, and from the effects, of His experiences [note: these include good times/feelings and passions, as well as sufferings] - being a person that is being continuously conformed by (being progressively brought together with the form of; being habitually configured to) His death,[cf Col. 1:24; 1 Pet, 4:13]

11. since this is how I can fully meet face-to-face, commensurately participate in, and reach down into the midst of (or: if, as is the case, in some way I would attain the level [to be] into the midst of; or: if in fact, by any means I may arrive and meet with the corresponding sphere that has a view to) the full resurrection (or: the arising and standing back up again from out of the midst; or: the out-resurrection) - the one [arising] forth from out of the midst of dead folks. [cf Dan. 12:2-3; 1 Cor. 15:41-42; 2 Cor. 4:14; 5:4; Heb. 11:35]

Rejection of what we had before should be because of the greater value of what we now have - even if that only be truth, in place of fiction or someone's imagination. But to know truth, we must always be listening to the inner Voice of Who we know ourselves to be a part.

Jonathan

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