Moses built the tabernacle according to the pattern that God showed him on Mount Sinai (Exodus 25:40). It was the pattern for a tabernacle, priesthood, and all the various regulations for service to the God of the Mosaic covenant with Israel. Hebrews chapters 8-10 explain the significance of this pattern, which had to be exact because it was a copy and shadow of heavenly things. The intent of the Holy Spirit was to teach Israel two things. First, the copy was not the reality but foreshadowed the reality of a better and perfect covenant relationship with God. Second, the copy and the reality demonstrated two different ways of approach in worship and service to God. The copy symbolized an inherit fault in the Mosaic way and the perfection of the new and living way. The whole point of the exhortation in Hebrews is: why continue to serve God according to the ways of the copy when you now have the reality by the fulfillment of the promises of God through God’s designated High Priest, His own Son?
If the intent of the Holy Spirit was to use the Mosaic example as a grant of authority to discern a new earthy pattern of regulations for worship and service to God, then Hebrews would have been the letter to address this issue. Instead, after describing the furnishings of the tabernacle, the writer of Hebrews stated: “Of these things we cannot now speak in detail” (Hebrews 9:5b). Would this not have been the opportunity to correct the errors of the apostates in the way that modern restorationists would; to describe the New Testament pattern of earthly organization, worship and service to God? Now I do accept the New Testament as authoritative for the faith and practice of the Christian church. Therefore, I understand and accept the authority of the message in Hebrews, that the pattern is obsolete and the true form of these heavenly realities should command the attention of our faith and practice. Indeed, we do embrace forms that are of the faith and practice of the early church; yet I question whether the true form has been fully embraced as the defining form of the Christian faith. The true form of the true tabernacle or temple is the new and living way based on the heavenly image and not the formalities of regulation.
The quest of some restorationists has been to treat the New Testament as the source for a new pattern, a Christian system of regulations for the earthly organization, worship and work of the church; that replaces the Mosaic system, except where the Mosaic regulations appear to support their method, i.e. the example of Nadab and Abihu (See Essay on Christian Unity). Recall, that in the Old Testament, the tabernacle was the portable, wilderness edition of the pattern. Later with God’s blessing the pattern was constructed as Solomon’s temple; and then it was reconstructed by Zerubbabel after the Babylonian exile of Israel. Before the days of Jesus on earth, King Herod totally remodeled and expanded the temple; and then Roman legions destroyed it in 70 A.D. Modern restorationists are not doing the great work of Zerubbabel who was guided and blessed by God; but they are doing the work of that Edomite, Herod, who totally disassembled the temple of Zerubbabel, remodeled it and reconstructed it to fit his own vision to bring glory to himself. This is what is being done to the New Testament. It is being disassembled stone by stone, remodeled and reconstructed to fit the vision of certain restorationists who glory in their systematic pattern of the church.
How do I know they glory in the version of their pattern? They judge faithfulness to the new covenant by the interpretations, teachings and practices set forth in even the minute details of their pattern. They also cannot feel comfortable with the person who is like the person in Mark 9:38-41 or with any very committed and mature disciples of Jesus who reasonably differ in opinion from their canonized pattern; until and unless they first convert the person to their way of thinking about sound doctrine. Do they never look at the form of doctrine in Hebrews to see that by embracing the reality foreshadowed by the ancient pattern; that the Christian serves God with eternal security. The strong warnings of apostasy in Hebrews are directed to avert Christians from forsaking and rejecting through sins of unbelief that which gives them what God promised. The surety of the promises is their High Priest forever in the new and living way; and He is the Messiah, Jesus the Son of God.
Unfortunately the weight and importance of the real fulfillment of the pattern in Hebrews has been skewed and diminished by the notion that what is meant is a system of doctrine and practice for the earthly and provisional organization and functions of the church. Although the New Testament does provide instruction and examples about such things, these things are not the essence of the real tabernacle: heaven and the heavenly things of the new and living way. Ponder this: In the new and living way we have come to all that is of heaven now and comes to us from heaven: the high priestly ministry of Christ who serves in the power of an indestructible life; the heritage of righteousness by faith in God’s promises and reward; the joyful heavenly assembly and worship that includes the church; the spirits of the righteous made perfect and the reign of Christ and his saints; and the blood of Jesus and the altar that provides the fellowship meal for our source of strength to endure and share in the sufferings of Christ (See Hebrews 11-13 and Revelation 4-5). Hear the admonitions in Hebrews 10 and draw near!
Cite as: Buttram, Bryan. In Hermeneutics: In Search of Pattern or Reality (Part I). Bryanbuttram.wordpress.com: 2008/01/07
10 Comments
January 8, 2008 at Tuesday, January 8, 2008
I wrote a little about reading acts today in my blog. I appreciate your work on this topic too.
http://www.matthewsblog.waynesborochurchofchrist.org
January 8, 2008 at Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Thank you Matthew,
Sometimes the topics we write about are challenging to readers. I encourage the noble-mindedness of searching the scriptures. Also I would hope individuals would comment or inquire about anything they want to explore further or help to build a better understanding about. As Christian brothers and sisters, we are on God’s holy mountain, so we encourage diligent and honest inquiry in the word of God without creating or promoting the kind of suspicion that results in hurting or harming on God’s holy mountain. The result of the increase of the knowledge of the Lord through the earth is peace. Isaiah 11:9.
I also refer interested readers to read your blog just before the one on Acts, linked below.
The Desire of Easy Theology
January 9, 2008 at Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Bryan,
Thanks for your writing on Hebrews. My wife and I were discussing this topic yesterday morning because we are in a Sunday morning Bible class covering Hebrews. I must say that our conversation was…shall we say….not as eloquent but even so, along the same lines. The problem is, where do we go from here? What strides should be made to accomplish the thought we should be getting from Hebrews. We rotate teachers in our class and one of the recent teachers said we could be convicted more for a crime of “churchianity” than christianity.
January 9, 2008 at Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Capncaveman,
“Where do we go from here?” Was it Hamlet that said: “That is the question.” That is also why I made this discussion Part 1. I woke up much earlier this morning than the usual, and not being sleepy I spent time praying, and much of the pray was seeking for more understanding on your very question. It encourages me that your question is being asked, and I am drafting at least one or two more blogs to deal with that very question. But here is a taste to ponder. Much (not all) of what we do as church was adapted from synagogue meetings, except the realization and confession that Jesus is the Messiah makes all the difference in our mission and the expressions of our heart. I think the new and living way is the same thing that is referred to as the new way in the Spirit and not the old way of the written code. To enter the new and living way is what it really means to enter the kingdom of God, that invisible realm of God’s authority and rule that invaded this world through our King Jesus. When these spiritual realities are described in the New Testament, the emphasis is not so much on the synagogue observances that the church continued; but rather on the life of faith in the promises of God, the life of Christ within us, and our conformity to the reality not the pattern. The reality is Christ, who is the perfect image of the being of God. These are all things we know but when we enter the new and living way, by faith we rely on the atonement and sanctification of our High Priest, but we are also priests who are called to priestly ministry in the holy places. If our ministry is conducted in the realm of the flesh rather than the Spirit, promoting and enforcing a regulated way as if by that way we could stand before God with confidence; then we have no better or more glorious ministry than what the priest had under the Mosaic system. Just as I have experienced the fullness of God’s redeeming and cleansing grace in Christ, I want to experience the fullness of Christ’s better ministry as he rules and ministers as High Priest at the right hand of the throne of God. I want to know what it is to imitate the faith of those who delivered the word of the new covenant to us, and I want to know Jesus who is the same yesterday, today and forever. I want to know the power of his resurrection; and yet to know that I must conform to his death. Our selfishness, pride, legalism, immorality, desire to always live in comfort and convenience, and many other sins that we refuse to die to, I think prevents us from the fullness of this fellowship with Christ. For further reflection read 2 Corinthians 3-4 and Ephesians 1-3. Please be patient as I try to develop this. Understand that I am not advocating throwing out the the way of church worship, organization and service that is taught in the New Testament. I only think that the focus on those things as if they are the new and living way has distorted our ability to really see the heavenly reality of the new and living way. If we live for Christ with the right focus then the teachings and practices of the early church can be properly taught and valued without turning it into a legal-like system, bolstered by sectarian distinctives by which fellowship is measured. Blessings to you for asking the question!
Bryan
January 9, 2008 at Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Need I say, Amen?!!! I believe (based on experience) that there are many dimensions to knowing God and living in the heavenly reality. Exploring God and the life He calls us into is like diving in the Atlantic; it’s deep and exotic. Concepts like legalistic hermeneutics prevent us from poking our head under water; we are trapped on the surface and ignorant to the wonder expressed by those who’ve swam to the bottom.
January 11, 2008 at Friday, January 11, 2008
That’s a great illustration, Ben — thanks.
January 15, 2008 at Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Bryan,
I believe we need to focus what changed the word in the NT. It wasn’t some pattern. God didn’t say…DO THIS AND DON’T DO THAT. It was about the heart. It was about showing love to others, faithfulness, mercy, kindness, goodness, patience, all the things that are oposite the world. All the charactoristics of Christ we should have in our lives. If we live out the function, the function of the 1st century christians we will turn this world upside down for Jesus Christ. People today want authentic Christianity. They are hungry for it. Are going to give them junk food of what we call “Pattern” or are we going to give them authentic Christianity Steak and Patatoes….The function “By this all men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another?” Here we are fighting over stupid stuff. Spliting here and there and everywhere. Come on…. Let get real! It is time to get real! The time is now! There is no greater time than now when we are the 3rd largest mission point in the world. I hope this helps. Love your blog. I will visit it regularly. Love for you to visit mine anytime. God bless you brother.
January 18, 2008 at Friday, January 18, 2008
Preacherman,
I do visit your blog often directly from my blog roll and comment from time to time; and I appreciate your insights, especially since I have not specifically addressed the distinction and relationship between function and form. Nevertheless, in efforts to correct Israel the prophets and Jesus did draw sharp distinctions, and got straight to the heart of the issue (pun intended). Just for clarification, in this particular blog I was using the word “form” in the sense it is used in Hebrews 10:1, to refer to the good things and heavenly realities that exist and that we enjoy in Christ, in contrast to the shadows of the old covenant that pointed to these things. Within that context we should be able to see why the prophets and Jesus drew such strong distinctions between form and function, to move people away from the religious trappings of the rudiments of paganism and legal codes, toward fully embracing and living in the new and living way. The Lord willing, in future blogs on this topic (the near future I hope); my intent is to address the problem of the pattern matrix as it has been applied to the New Testament, and then to show what it means in a positive way to read the New Testament as the revelation of the new and living way. I also want to show the correct understanding and use of those words in the New Testament that are translated as pattern, form, image, rule and the like; i.e. the usual proof texts used to justify a pattern that measures fellowship on all marks. This I think is the burden we feel; and you are right, “The time is now!” — and long overdue. I thank you also for reading and commenting on my blog.
Bryan
January 21, 2008 at Monday, January 21, 2008
I cannot help but to see some similarities between the contemporary patternistic approaches and the rich man in Luke 18 who thought God was pleased simply by checking off the items on the list. If we look at Luke 18.18-29 as two approaches to Christianity, which does Jesus prefer?
I am preaching on Luke 18.18-29 this comming Sunday as part of a mini-series titled “Re-Converting the Church.”
Grace and peace,
Rex
Ithaca Church of Christ
Ithaca, NY
January 23, 2008 at Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Great title, and I’m sure a challenging series. I like the “check list” metaphor. It suggests that approach is linear and mostly external. On one comment on my blog on “Clapping”, I think, BrotherBob described the approach as “paint by numbers.” Thank you!