Paul and Festus
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Was Paul accused of too much learning by Festus or did Paul accuse Festus. Did William Branham contradict scripture on this issue?
What the Bible says
The KJV relates the conversation of Paul and Festus:
- And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad. But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.[1]
What William Branham said
- He said, "Say, Reverend, I like you." He said, "If you ever go overseas," said, "you know, when you can't get these yellow fever shots, around here anywhere," said, "…?… He's the main doctor out there at the—at the post—at the—out at the what? Fort Knox." He said, "I will get you yellow fever or anything, just get it for you free, too, Reverend." I said, "Thank you…?… He has to say something about religion. So went on a little while...
- "Well," I said, "Doctor, you excuse me for talking to you like this, for you're a smart man." But I said, "You know, when the trees, in the garden of Eden there were two of them, and one of them was the tree of knowledge, and the other One is the Tree of Life. And man left this Tree to bypass of this tree," and I said, "when he took his first bite off the tree, let it be whatever it was… (I got my idea of that.) So whatever it was, when he tooken his first bite, he separated himself from his Maker. And ever since then, he's been biting off that tree. And every time he bites off that tree, he destroys himself." I said, "God destroys nothing. Man destroys himself by knowledge." And I said, "As Paul said to Agrippa, long ago, 'I think too much studying maketh thee mad.'" I said, "You read too many books." I said, "Doctor, you're trying to take them old ancient philosophies and things like that, and saying they're virgin birth and so forth, and comparing that with truth." I said, "One is indifference, and the other one is sublime." I said, "I know they have a mockery of it, just like everything and say they're of virgin birth, but there's not one bit of it can be proved." And I said, "I visited the country and the graves, nearly of every one of them founders." I said, "But tell me where Jesus lives today. Where is He buried at? Show me His bones."[2]
William Branham always tried to argue against reasoning, yet it was Festus that accused Paul. Why did William Branham want to be like Festus, and not like Paul?