According to the Pattern

by Jefferson David Tant

An interesting passage in Hebrews 8 contains a statement that has an important message for us today, even as it did when it was written thousands of years ago. It mentions the fact that God has a “pattern” that is to be respected and followed. It points out that even Christ could not have been a priest while on earth, as he did not meet the qualifications. So, if the Son of God respected God's instructions, what gives men the right today to change the patterns that God has given us in what was written to guide us today, the New Testament?

“Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since there are those who offer the gifts according to the Law; who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses was warned by God when he was about to erect the tabernacle; for, "See," He says, "that you make all things according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain" (Hebrews 8:4-5).

Consider God's pattern or instructions concerning man and woman in the Old Testament: “For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). That was God’s pattern for marriage, and nowhere was it accepted to depart from it and allow homosexual relationships.

Notice a few of God’s instructions concerning the garments for the priests in the Old Testament. "You shall make two rings of gold and shall place them on the two ends of the breastpiece, on the edge of it, which is toward the inner side of the ephod. You shall make two rings of gold and put them on the bottom of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, on the front of it close to the place where it is joined, above the skillfully woven band of the ephod" (Exodus 28:26-27). A priest was denied entrance into the temple because he was not appropriately dressed.

So, what’s the point of this article? It concerns the pattern God has given us in the New Testament concerning the church established on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2 and the many departures that are seen in men's denominations today.

Consider just a few examples where the pattern is discarded and not followed.

Women Pastors

It is well known that many denominations have women serving as pulpit ministers and other official duties. But what does the pattern have to say about this? “But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression" (I Timothy 2:12-14).

God had a reason for this. Women, by nature, have a more trusting nature. Who did Satan tempt in the Garden? The woman Eve. This nature enhances their vital role as mothers who nurture their children. Husbands and wives have different family roles. Do men give birth to babies? No! This does not make men any less worthy than women. They have different roles. And God ordained such in the church. Men and women have different roles. This does not mean that a woman cannot teach a man about God’s Word, for we have an example of Priscilla teaching a preacher who was mistaken about a matter. But she and her husband did it in private.

Apollos “began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately” (Acts 18:26).

Thus, every church that allows women pastors or similar leadership roles does not follow God's pattern.

Baptism by Immersion in Water

Many denominations practice baptism by sprinkling or pouring water; some even sprinkle rose petals. (I’m sure it smells nice.)

Let’s consider God’s revelation and see what it says about the mode of baptism. First, consider New Testament Greek, the common language then. The Greek for “baptize” is βαπτίζω (baptízō). It means "submerge" or "immerse." It is used only in the New Testament for ceremonial ablution, especially for the ordinance of Christian baptism. The word implies submersion or immersion, in contrast to sprinkling.

That is the Bible’s pattern -- a burial. Consider a Biblical example. "Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore, we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:3-4).

What happens when a person dies? He is buried. He does not have dirt sprinkled or poured on him.

The denominational practice of sprinkling or pouring was authorized in 1311. The Roman Catholic church admits baptism by immersion was practiced till 1311 AD:

• "Baptism took place by immersion in ancient times." [New Interpretation of the Mass, p. 120].
• "Catholics admit that immersion brings out more fully the meaning of the sacrament and that for twelve centuries, it was the common practice." [Question Box, p. 240].
• "Baptism used to be given by placing the person to be baptized completely in the water: it was done in this way in the Catholic Church for 1200 years." [Adult Catechism, pp. 56-57].
• "The church at one time practiced immersion. This was up to the thirteenth century. The Council of Ravenna, in 1311, changed the form from immersion to pouring." [Our Faith and the Facts, p. 399].

Who can deny that sprinkling or pouring is obviously “not according to the pattern?” By what authority do churches change the practice from immersion to pouring or sprinkling?

Interestingly, the Church of England, Presbyterian, and Congregational churches all used immersion until the Westminster assembly in 1643. Several bishops, seeing how much more convenient sprinkling was, came before Parliament, insisting that "the devil of immersion ought to be legislated out of the realm; it is so troublesome." The vote was 24 to 24. Dr. Lightfoot was chairman and cast the deciding vote to eliminate immersion. In 1644, Parliament repealed laws about immersion. Those who were not sprinkled were treated as outlaws. [Edinburg Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, p. 236]. Thus, God's will was overturned by a vote of humans who acted on their own authority rather than the authority of Christ.

Denominational Books of Doctrine

Every organization has a set of rules that determine its practices. The United States Government has the Constitution. The Boy Scouts has The Boy Scout Handbook, crafted to equip young men to become resilient leaders of tomorrow. The Salvation Army Handbook of Doctrine explores the Eleven Articles of Faith guiding that denomination. And so with the Standard Manual for Baptist Churches, the Methodist Discipline, the Roman Catholic Catechism, and so on for the thousands of denominations. All these books teach doctrines and practices that contradict and differ from the other denominational creeds, as well as conflicting and differing from God’s Word, the Bible. If they taught the same thing as the Bible, God’s Word, we wouldn’t need them, for we all have access to Bibles, and that’s all the early Christians had for many years.

God’s Book of Doctrine

God’s power and wisdom have given us directions on how to serve Him, live in His world, and prepare ourselves for an eternal home in heaven, which will be far different from the fires of hell.

Consider Christ’s words about the Old Testament scriptures that were still in force until His resurrection when the New Testament was written. "For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:18-19).

Now note what God has said concerning “according to the pattern,” what is written in the New Testament. “I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book” (Revelation 22:18-19).

Consider Christ’s words about men’s doctrines then: “You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you: 'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far away from me.' 'But in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men'" (Matthew 15:7-9). And those words are still relevant today.

Who was He talking about? The Jewish denominations of His day--the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Zealots, the Herodians. They all claimed to be Jews, but they were the denominations of men and were not authorized by God. They all had their creeds and doctrines that differed from God’s word, the Old Testament. There was only one group against which Christ did not speak. “Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!" (John 1:47).

That’s all God wanted them to be in the Old Testament — Israelites! Not Sadducee Israelites, nor Pharisee Israelites, etc. And today? All God wants is for us to be Christians, not Baptist Christians, Methodist Christians, etc. The Baptist Manual disagrees on some points with the Methodist Discipline. And so with every denominational creed. They differ not only from one another but also from God’s Word, the New Testament. If they all agreed with the Bible, we wouldn’t need them, for we already have what God gave us, His Word. The evidence is that God will reject the thousands of differing denominational creeds today just as he rejected the denominational creeds of the Sadducees and Zealots thousands of years ago.

Now, think about it. Is God OK with the Catholic Catechism? And what about the Baptist Manual? If God approves of these denominational creed books, there is a severe problem. These books, and thousands of others, all disagree with one another and disagree with the Bible. These confusing and contradicting books of doctrine cannot be the product of the mind of God, “for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints” (I Corinthians 14:33). Wouldn’t you say that 42,000 different doctrines are confusing? Then God is not the author of this confusion.

A Final Thought

Suppose you wanted to build a house that would fit your needs. You hired an architect to draw up the blueprint that included your desires—how many bedrooms, the size of the kitchen, including a fireplace in the living room, etc.

In time, the architect presented you with the blueprint you had described. Then, you hired a builder and gave him the blueprint. After some weeks spent building the house, he called for you to come and inspect it. And guess what? The builder had not followed the blueprint. The house had only two bedrooms instead of three. There was no fireplace in the living room, etc., etc.

What would your reaction be? Would you say, “That’s OK. You didn’t follow the blueprint, but I’ll take the house anyway.”? Probably not!

So, what do you think Christ’s attitude is towards those who ignore the pattern, the blueprint He has given for His church? Do you remember His words in Matthew 16:18? When Peter acknowledged that Christ was the Son of God, Christ said “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.” Where can we find this church's instructions, pattern, or blueprints? Obviously, in the New Testament.

The apostle Paul then warns about the spiritual kingdom, the church, which is built on the foundation of Jesus Christ.

“According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (I Corinthians 3:10-11).

Let us be careful that we follow the instructions in God's blueprint, the pattern revealed in God’s Word, the New Testament. It’s still vital that we “make all things according to the pattern.”

The plea of this writer is for men to put away the doctrines, creeds, names, and practices of the churches of men and become Christians only, following only the teaching of God’s Word. Let us do “all things according to the pattern.” If you have any questions, feel free to ask.