William Branham's Teachings on Water Baptism: Difference between revisions

What is clear is that, from the historical record, there did not appear to be an emphasis on the exact formula of baptism. thereby proving one of the fundamental doctrines of William Branham's message to be flawed.

In the sermon, The Revelation of Jesus Christ (Jeffersonville, December 4, 1960), William Branham stated:

However, William Branham's assertion that no one was baptized in the name of "Father, Son, Holy Ghost" is historically incorrect.  While it appears clear that the very earliest forms of water baptism in the Book of Acts do not reference the trinitarian formula, it is also clear that the use of the trinitarian baptismal formula does predate the First Council of Nicea by at least a hundred and fifty years or more.

The '''Didache''' or '''The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles''' (''Didachē'' means "Teaching") is a brief early Christian treatise, dated by most scholars to the late first or early 2nd century.<ref name=Draper2006>The Apostolic Fathers: The Didache, 2006, Draper, J. A., ''The Expository Times, Vol. 117, No.5, pp.177–81</ref> Some even date it as contemporary with the books of the New Testament (c. A.D.40-60).<ref name=Robinson1976>John A. T. Robinson, ''Redating the New Testament'' (SCM Press 1976)</ref>

:''And concerning baptism, thus baptize ye: Having first said all these things, baptize into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit...

Baptism has been in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit at least from the end of the 1st century. Some passages in Acts (2:38, 10:48, and 19:5) speak of Baptism ‘in the name of (the Lord) Jesus (Christ)’, but whether this formula was ever used has been questioned.<ref>F. L. Cross and Elizabeth A. Livingstone, eds., The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (Oxford;  New York: Oxford University Press, 2005), 151.</ref>

But what is the proof behind this statement?

''For, in the name of God, the Father and Lord of the universe, and of our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit, they then receive the washing with water.<ref>Justin Martyr, “The First Apology of Justin,” in The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus, ed. Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe, vol. 1, The Ante-Nicene Fathers (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Company, 1885), 183.</ref>

   

"After his resurrection he promises in a pledge to his disciples that he will send them the promise of his Father; and lastly, he commands them to baptize into the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost, not into a unipersonal God. And indeed it is not once only, but three times, that we are immersed into the three persons, at each several mention of their names" (Against Praxeas 26 - A.D. 216).  

"The Lord himself told his disciples that '''they should baptize all peoples in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit''' . . . for indeed, '''legitimate baptism is had only in the name of the Trinity'''" (Commentary on Romans 5:8 - A.D. 248).

''If there's a historian, a minister, any other person, on air, in tape, that can produce one Scripture or '''one speck of history, where anybody was ever baptized any other way than in the Name of Jesus Christ, till the Roman Catholic church at Nicaea, Rome, you're duty bound to bring it to me, let me apologize.''' There is no such thing. No. And every person that was baptized by immersing, that was not baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ, was commanded, before they could enter Glory, to come back and be rebaptized again. Now it's up to you.<ref>William Branham  63-0623E - The Flashing Red Light Of The Sign Of His Coming, para, 205</ref>