Last Sunday we continued looking at Stephen’s defense of the faith in Acts 7:38-50. Stephen made no attempt to satiate the wrath of his accusers. They hated the Christ of him, and so he declared Christ to them. They accused Stephen of blaspheming Moses and God, claiming he spoke against the law and the temple and so he demonstrated from the Scriptures Christ as the fulfilling significance of both. One would have to reject Moses in order to reject Christ, for Moses declared Him. One would have to massively misunderstand and misuse the temple to oppose Christ, for it was His own shadow. Stephen demonstrated from the Scriptures how Israel’s ancestors and his present day accusers, the Sanhedrin, were thoroughly idolatrous. Their fathers were idolatrous, rejoicing in the work of their own hands. The Sanhedrin were idolatrous rejoicing in the work of their own hands, the gold-covered temple they so proudly protected. Did they not boast of this to Jesus? “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” John 2:20
Stephen’s defense of the faith necessarily involved a refutation of his opponents’ position. While some Christians may be concerned that such sustained confrontation will not be constructive, it is actually right and good to pursue deconstruction. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. There is a time for building up and tearing down, a time for gathering stones together and casting stones away. Jude 1:3, Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. It matters, of course, how we earnestly contend. It matters how we proceed in deconstructing every high thing exalted against the knowledge of God. There is a fitting way to demolish a stronghold and many unfitting ways. Proverbs 26 contains many sentences which describe that which is fitting and that which is not fitting. Proverbs 26:3-5 A whip for the horse, A bridle for the donkey, And a rod for the fool’s back. 4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Lest you also be like him. 5 Answer a fool according to his folly, Lest he be wise in his own eyes.
If we play the fool with the fool, this is unfitting. It is not profitable to respond to a fool with folly of our own. Deconstruction of an opponent’s claims is the realm of jesters, cynics and prophets. The jester is the mocker, the scornful scoffer. There is no engagement with arguments, merely airhorns, raspberries and name-calling. The cynic applies a hermeneutic of suspicion to everything disagreeable to him. By applying critical theory and post-structural thought, the cynic seeks to destabilize, disrupt and problematize his opponent’s claims. In this fashion the cynic pursues the same end as the jester. The Jester and the Cynic deconstruct, but their demolition consists of IEDs and carpet bombing. There is no effort for controlled demolition, removal of debris and the construction of something good. The Prophet does deconstruct in this fashion and for this purpose. “Prophetable” deconstruction is according to truth, not the shouting down of truth or the sacrifice of truth. The prophet unravels terms, shatters definitions, exposes fallacies and accuses his opponents with their wrongs, but does so according to God’s Word, seeking the submission of all opposition to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. This approach answers the fool as his folly deserves, and seeks for repentance, the clearing away of the old so that the new can be built.
