Because he said so
The method used by most fundamentalist or evangelical churches is the belief of "Scriptural Inerrancy." Ironically, this is the same belief proclaimed by Branham cult pastors -- at least until the publication of this article. Many ministers that have proclaimed Scriptural Inerrancy for the past fifty years have now changed their tune: they claim that because their bibles have error, William Branham was justified in his wrongdoing.
The points of contradiction raised by Voice of God Recordings are these:
- That the book of Matthew was in error when it claimed there was an earthquake
- That the book of Mark was in error when it claimed that there was only one angel (or ANGLE as the newsletter misprinted)
- That the book of Luke was in error when it stated that there were three women at the tomb
- That the book of John was in error when it stated that Jesus instructed Mary to go and tell the disciples
Those who believe in Scriptural Inerrancy would have no issue discussing these claims to reconcile. In fact regardless of which methodology used to defend the faith, most apologists would simply tell Voice of God Recordings that most of these are not even contradictions. Because one witness felt necessary to describe an earthquake, while others awe-struck that God's only Son had risen did not write about it, is that really a contradiction? Even a non-Christian historian would tell you that this is simply a detail that one account includes and the others do not. The rest of the points Voice of God Recordings attempts to convince their following are "contradictions" are much the same. Those who believe in Scriptural Inerrancy will tell you that one single woman visited the tomb, and returned with more women. And they will tell you that Voice of God Recordings was a bit mistaken about the "two men versus the two angels" -- most Christian ministers interpret the two "men in white" as angelic beings.
But not all Christians use Scriptural Inerrancy in defense of the faith. Other Christians believe that the Bible can be inspired by God while NOT inerrant. This group of Christians would argue with Voice of God Recordings that these were four .. separate .. witnesses testifying to the same event. And any who have watched a court trial calling witnesses to describe an event will bear different results, each from the perspective of the witness. Maybe Matthew was the only one who remembered the earthquake! Maybe Luke, shocked to hear of angelic beings walking the earth, recorded three women instead of two. Does that make his witness testimony of Christ's Resurrection any less valid? The deceptive strategy used in this section by Voice of God Recordings is to lead the reader to believe that because they question the Gospels written by four different men, we should not question the accounts given by one single man: William Branham.
But what if this publication, "Because He Said So," were instead published about William Branham? What if instead of Matthew's "one angel" and Luke's "two angels," we had the "Gospel according to William Branham" verses the "Gospel according to William Branham?" And William Branham claimed that he remembered both one angel AND two angels, two women AND three women, an earthquake and NOT an earthquake?
In reality, these are the types of contradictions found in the ministry of William Branham. One man, multiple versions of each story. Not multiple men with a few minor details differing. Those in the cult following of William Branham must ask themselves: Why did Voice of God Recordings change from stressing Scriptural Inerrancy when the public became aware that William Branham contradicted himself multiple times and about multiple unforgettable events? And why have the pastors done the same? Why is it so important to uplift the man, William Branham, that they would start questioning the Gospels proclaiming the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ?
Are they proclaiming Jesus Christ? ... or are they proclaiming William Branham?
Footnotes