“Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? It is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ, and all for your upbuilding, beloved.” 2 Corinthians 12:19 ESV
Reflection: how can tearing down be part of building up?
You might recognize the picture of downtown Boise, only from a few years ago. The city looks very different in 2025 than when we moved to Idaho over 35 years ago. In 1989, Boise was still somehow unknown, a quaint downtown with a few restaurants and stores. Most people you ran into were in Idaho because they either grew up there, or had moved because they loved what the city and state had to offer – a simple city life, close to nature, far away from the busyness of the big cities on the coast. Now, fast forward to 2025, taking a trip downtown Boise you will find something very different. The city and the state is no longer “unknown”. It has been discovered by people from the big cities, and large financial interests, which are transforming the city landscape. Large buildings, even a few high rises, have been constructed. And, as a lover of architecture, I must say that even with this growth, they have been able to keep the Boise vibe. It feels like a small big city, full of Idaho charm.
But, with all the new architecture and buildings, the changes to downtown, city planners and builders had to decide where they could construct a new building. What that would look like in the city landscape. And, of course, before starting any new construction, the old buildings had to be demolished. Taken completely down, including the old foundations. A new foundation had to be constructed, based on the new building needs and code. Can you image if they tried to build a new high rise on top of an old, deteriorating foundation that was made for something completely different? It would all come down. It might be difficult for us to think about demolition being an essential part of the building process. To see the old being torn down.
But demolition is necessary for the new to come.
Towards the end of his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul tells them something interesting “It is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ, and all for your upbuilding, beloved.” 2 Corinthians 12:19b ESV. To build them up? Even all his harsh words to them? Now, you might recall back to chapter 10 of this letter, where Paul talked about demolition, about tearing down strongholds. “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 ESV
Part of our journey, our purpose through this world, is to build heavenly structures, not based on anything old and crumbling. It must all be built on Christ, our cornerstone. Paul talked about this all the way back in the beginning of the first letter to the Corinthians, “According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 3:10-14 ESV.
This design and building process been the same since the beginning, even Abraham knew that only God could construct the right building “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.” Hebrews 11:8-10 ESV
There is a deep and important point here for each of us to consider. The word of God is clearly given to us to build up new, heavenly structures. But, do we also let the word of God first tear down, demolish those old worldly structures, down beyond their foundations so that God can construct all new? Or do we like to keep the old, perhaps for sentimental reasons, asking God to build His structures on top of the old?