Many false teachers think that the Lord has no pattern for the modern church. They may justify this opinion on the basis of the imperfections of the first century congregations described in the NT. Since no church is perfect, they conclude, Christians must serve God as they think best or as modern culture dictates. The important thing is to be loving and compassionate like Jesus.       

This line of reasoning is flawed, though. The NT most certainly does uphold a pattern. In his epistle to the Romans, Paul thanked God that his readers had “become obedient from the heart to the standard [tupon] of teaching to which” they “were committed” (Rom. 6:17). The Greek noun tupos means “mold” or “pattern.”       

If, in effect, God pressed the Romans into a prescribed doctrinal mold, we should be able to find biblical evidence suggesting that the apostles taught the same things in every place. This, indeed, is the case. Paul told the Corinthians: “Therefore I sent to you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church” (1 Cor. 4:17).       

Even the imperfections in the early church testify to this doctrinal consistency. False teachers inadvertently admit this when they identify the flaws. How can anyone maintain that early churches were imperfect unless there is a perfect standard by which to make this judgment? Strife in the Corinthian church was wrong (1 Cor. 3:1-4). And how do we know this? Because Paul urged unity as the ideal (1:10). The church’s frivolous observance of the Lord’s Supper was wrong (11:17-22). And how do we know? Because Paul demanded that the church make this weekly memorial a solemn remembrance of the Lord’s death (11:23-26).       

The suggestion that the NT contains no pattern for the modern church is really just another way of refusing to come to God on his terms.