"Hold Fast The Pattern"

There are some members of the Lord’s church who hold to the antinomianism concept that we not under law — any law, but are solely under God’s grace. They openly dismiss the New Testament teaching of “pattern theology.”

However, the inspired apostle Paul did not support the antinomianism concept when he wrote:

“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).

This “pattern” not only includes a law (cf. 1 Corinthians 9:21; Gal. 6:2; James 1:25; James 2:8), but a "rule" or standard as well (Gal. 6:16).

Thus the inspired Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:16) contain the divine pattern, rule, or standard by which we as Christians are to “pattern” or “model” our lives after (Titus 2:7-8; cf. 1 Timothy 4:9-16).

—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets

Related Articles:

• Pattern Theology
• Does The New Testament Contain a Pattern? (1)
• Does The New Testament Contain a Pattern? (2)
• Does The New Testament Contain a Pattern? (3)
• Is Christian Worship Regulated by New Testament Law?
• The Divine Pattern of Acceptable Worship – Part 1
• The Divine Pattern of Acceptable Worship – Part 2
• Use God's Pattern
• The New Testament Pattern of “Giving”
• The Restoration of First-Century Christianity