Keith does a wonderful job approaching such a huge and arduous task with a good attitude and open eyes. Behold the Pattern by Goebel Music is a classic work displaying the most extreme Christian conservatism and launches attacks on various church of Christ ministers. I will keep most of my opinions to myself. Keith says it better anyway. Here is the link.
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Matt Dabbs
April 10, 2024
3 Responses
I was born in Little Rock and my family attended the church that Goebel Music preached at until I was 7. In fact, he baptized my Dad.
When the book first came out while I was in college, I picked up a copy for my Dad. Dad only made it about half-way through before giving it up in sadness and disgust and saying, “I can’t believe that Goebel wrote this.”
Of course, I don’t remember what he was like because I was too young. But my parents insist that the man they knew must have gone through something that changed him before he wrote that.
It’s just sad to me that anyone can have such a small view of the Creator of the universe. I commend Keith for getting all the way through it…that’s some fortitude on his part.
Thanks for the kind words, Matt!
I won’t get into grave the problems with Mr. Music’s scholarship. One passage in Behold the Pattern, however, shines brightly and memorably:
“Preach boldly, preach negatively, preach as if you were expecting a response, preach to move the people, preach to rebuke and reprove, preach to the elders, yea, preach on specific sins, preach on the New Testament charge of discipline, etc., etc., and when you do, preach with your bags packed as you will have stirred the people and those under whom you serve!”
For all his faults, he’s dead-on target about that one.