The Message is Greater than the Bible
This article is one in a series looking at the issue of whether the message of William Branham is a cult. You are currently in the article that is in bold:
It is clear that some followers of William Branham believe that he was Jesus Christ. Many followers of William Branham put his sermons above that of the Bible because they believe that he was infallible. These groups would include most of the followers of Joseph Branham.
But some message believers say:
- ...I have never put Brother Branham's teachings above the Bible! He told us that the Bible is our absolute and that is what I believe.
While such people may think that they place the Bible above William Branham's teaching, is this, in fact, the case?
This is an important question. One of the key characteristics of a cult, is that there is a religious leader whose authority is viewed as being equal to or greater than the Bible and whose teachings are in opposition to the doctrines of biblical and historic Christianity.
Whether the message is a cult turns on the issue of whether William Branham's teaching are viewed as being equal to, or greater than, the Bible.
The view of message followers
Message minister Tom Rae speaking at Cloverdale Bibleway stated:
- Amen, it's not just a story. This message has made the Bible come alive. You take this messenger away from the Bible, the Bible's a dead book. You tell me, "Where's the Moses-Exodus type?" You tell me, "Where's the Joshua going into the new land type?" You tell me, "Where's Elijah and on 400 on Mount Carmel with 400?" Every type this message types, take it away and you got a dead letter. You should be thankful this morning for a Living Word. Amen? That's come through a mouth of a prophet.”[1]
If the Bible is a dead book without William Branham's message, then it is at least equal to the Bible, if not greater, in the eyes of Tom Rae. Sadly, this is the view of virtually all message followers.
The message of William Branham must, therefore, be categorized as a cult.
Questions to ask message followers
Here is a list of questions that you can ask a follower of William Branham to test whether they put the message ahead of the Bible:
- Do you believe that William Branham was one of the greatest prophets of all time?
- Do you believe that as the seventh angel, William Branham could not make any significant doctrinal errors because the purpose of his ministry was to reveal all of the hidden mysteries of God?
- Is there anything that William Branham taught that disagreed with the Bible?
- Do you believe (as William Branham taught) that the only true evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is believing the Word for your hour? This refers specifically to the teachings of William Branham. As a result, if you think that William Branham's message has any significant errors, to a message believer this proves that you don't have the Holy Spirit. But if you believe what William Branham taught, then you have the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
- Do you believe that "the message is Jesus Christ"?
If they answer "yes" to any of these questions, they are actually putting William Branham's message above the Bible, whether they admit it or not.
How can we say that?
- Virtually all message believers will state that William Branham was one of the seven church age messengers and, therefore, at least the equal of Paul the Apostle. In addition, they generally believe that his ministry as the Seventh Angel puts him in a league above all the other church age messengers. This statement in and of itself is puts William Branham's message above the Bible.
- A message believer does not have the option of disagreeing with William Branham, except possibly in respect of a relatively few minor issues.
- Some message followers believe that to the extent that William Branham did make any significant errors, God corrected him before he died. This has resulted in the doctrine of Progressive Revelation, which basically states that if William Branham taught different things about a subject, one should rely on his last teaching on the issue. But almost all message believers would agree that William Branham did not make any doctrinal errors
- If presented with a clear teaching in the Bible that disagrees with William Branham, message followers will always accept William Branham's teaching and never that of the Bible.
As a result, it is clear that the vast majority William Branham's followers hold his teachings above that of the Bible.
In the Psalms 138:2, David says:
- I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.[2]
Anyone that exalts William Branham or his message above the Bible goes against God himself.
Examples of the Bible taking a back seat to William Branham
In a well known racist diatribe, Donny Reagan, the pastor of Happy Valley Church of Jesus Christ, stated publicly in a sermon that if Moses was alive today, he would have to follow William Branham's message. This comment clearly shows that Donny Reagan holds William Branham's message as superseding the Bible. He specifically makes this comment in respect of William Branham's teaching that biracial marriages are contrary to God's plan.
But what does the Bible say about biracial marriages?
- Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman.[3]
A Cushite is from Cush, a region south of Ethiopia, where the people are known for their black skin. We know this because of Jeremiah 13:23: "Can the Ethiopian [the same Hebrew word translated "Cushite" in Numbers 12:1] change his skin or the leopard his spots?""
In response to Miriam’s criticism, God does not get angry at Moses; he gets angry at Miriam. Then God strikes Miriam with leprosy. Why? Consider this possibility. In God’s anger at Miriam, Moses’ sister, God says in effect, "You like being light-skinned Miriam? I’ll make you light-skinned." So we read, "When the cloud removed from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, like snow" (Num. 12:10)
God says not a critical word against Moses for marrying a black Cushite woman.
So according to the Bible, there is no proscription on biracial marriages. William Branham preached against them. Donny Reagan's comments thus prove that he holds William Branham's message as a higher authority than the Bible.
The following video is a look at interracial marriages from a Biblical perspective by John Piper:
Footnotes