PATTERNISM TEARING ITSELF APART
Some believers treat the New Testament as though it is a complicated blueprint for worship and church life, and if only they can uncover the “pattern,” they will have perfect faithfulness. This is patternism: the belief that Scripture contains a precise, human-decodable formula, like a puzzle, and that deviation from this formula is sin. At first glance, it seems careful, reverent, and devout. But when examined closely, patternism collapses under its own contradictions and inconsistencies.
Consider how patternists select which New Testament “patterns” to follow. They elevate certain practices to absolute rules while ignoring others entirely. For example, the holy kiss, commanded multiple times in the New Testament (Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:26), is virtually ignored in most circles. Likewise, the instructions for widows who are to be cared for by the church (1 Timothy 5:3-16) are often dismissed, while other customs—like the “right day” for gathering or the “right order” for rituals—are elevated as if heaven itself depends on them. Patternism is selective; it treats the New Testament like a menu instead of a living word, picking the dishes it likes and leaving the rest to gather dust.
Patternism also struggles with morality and culture. The New Testament offers principles for love, unity, and justice. Yet, patternists often turn a blind eye to racism, social inequities, or exclusion, even while claiming perfect fidelity to Scripture. They meet in lavish buildings or spend money on programs while ignoring the simplicity of early gatherings in homes (Acts 2:46). They emphasize outward conformity while missing the inward transformation the Spirit brings. How can one claim the authority of a divine “pattern” when the application is inconsistent, selective, and sometimes deeply unjust?
The obsession with “patterns” often leads to human control rather than Christ-centered freedom. Attendance, ritual performance, musical style, or “order of service” are elevated above discipleship, compassion, and evangelism. Leadership becomes about enforcing a checklist, not shepherding souls. People are trained to fear deviation instead of being taught to love Jesus and walk in the Spirit. The patterns they cling to are more about human authority than God’s guidance, more about appearances than obedience, more about maintaining a system than nurturing hearts.
Even the practical contradictions are glaring. Patternists insist on some rules while ignoring others: they build million-dollar facilities, yet insist they are following the “pattern” of house churches; they enforce certain rituals, yet ignore the very elements the New Testament emphasized repeatedly. They claim historical continuity, yet their choices are selective, culturally influenced, and often inconsistent with the moral and spiritual weight of Scripture. By picking and choosing, patternism undermines its own claim to divine authority.
The truth is simple and radical: the New Testament does not give a rigid blueprint to be decoded, it gives a living Word to be obeyed in Spirit and truth (John 4:23). Christ, not a pattern, is the center. Love, faith, and obedience flow from Him, not from checklists or selective rules. Patternism promises certainty, but delivers confusion, inconsistency, and pride. It looks faithful but often misses the heart of God.
If there is any lesson here, it is that rigidly chasing “patterns” is a trap. It elevates human judgment over the Spirit, emphasizes performance over transformation, and ignores the richness, flexibility, and depth of the gospel. The New Testament calls us to a living faith, empowered by the Spirit, rooted in Christ, and expressed in love. There is no secret formula to decode, no perfect pattern to replicate. The obsession with patterns may make some feel holy, but in reality, it makes us blind to what Scripture truly intends: hearts surrendered, lives transformed, and souls drawn into the freedom and power of Jesus Christ.
Patternism, in all its selectivity, rigidity, and contradictions, cannot withstand the light of the gospel. The time to abandon the puzzle, the checklist, the self-appointed rules, and the pretense of perfect conformity is now. Christ does not need human formulas—He needs living faith expressed in love. All the rest is noise.
BDD
