A Look At Patterns

There are those in the religious world who show great disdain for pattern theology. However, when we look up the word “pattern” in the New King James version of the Bible, we see the word mentioned thirteen times, it‘s meaning determined by the context.

When we look up the word “pattern” in the dictionary, we see the following words with the same idea in mind: Design; style; model; form; arrangement; guide or diagram. Looking in a Thesaurus, we see the following terms associated with the word “pattern”: Diagram; guide; figure; mold; plan; template.

When God commanded Noah to build an ark because He was going to destroy the earth with water, He gave him specific instructions — a “pattern” or “blueprint” or “design” as to how the ark was to be constructed, along with its measurements (Genesis 6:13-17). God commanded Moses to build the tabernacle, and everything in the tabernacle according to the “pattern” He revealed to him (cf. Exodus 25:9,31-40; Numbers 8:4; Acts 7:44; Hebrews 8:5).

My father was the owner/operator of a television repair business for over forty years. In the repairing of televisions, he had to have a schematic “diagram” for every particular model of television, in order to properly trace the problem it had back to its source.

There are those in the church who allege that we do not have a “pattern” or “standard” of law to follow — that we are simply under the umbrella of God’s grace, and that the New Testament is simply a series of “love letters.” However, Paul told Timothy something different when he stated: “Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 1:13).

Beloved, we are indeed living under the New Testament "law to Christ" (1 Corinthians 9:21 ASV) — God’s “pattern” or “guide” or “rule” for successfully living the Christian life — the “pattern” that will guide us safely into eternity (2 Peter 1:1-11 NET).

—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets