The Testimony of Alfred Pohl: Difference between revisions

=From "O Timothy" Magazine=

The following is an interview with Alfred Pohl from the February 21, 1990 edition of ''O Timothy magazine'':

'''O Timothy''': Now, did many claim to be healed, or did it seem that many were healed in the meeting?

 

'''Poh'''l: In the meetings? Ah, yes, there were those that claimed to be healed, and there were those people that thought they saw healings, or thought they saw miracles. But, when you were on the inside, you saw that some of those things that were supposed to be miracles, were not miracles at all. From the outside, you would think that something had really happened; but having been right close to Branham, and working right with him, I discovered that a lot of those supposed healings or miracles were really not miracles after all. ...

 

'''O Timothy''': Right. So there were many that he proclaimed healed?

 

'''Pohl''': Yes, yes. Practically every one as I recall, standing beside these various bedsides--practically everyone was pronounced healed. But the tragedy is that so many of those died after Branham was gone. So there was something wrong. ...

 

'''O Timothy''': There was a newspaper that tried to investigate the healings. Can you tell me something about that? What were they able to confirm as far as healings?

 

'''Pohl''': Yes, in Winnipeg. Branham came to Canada at that time and he preached at a number of Apostolic churches in Canada. The first church was the church of our moderator in Winnipeg, who brought him into Canada. And Mr. Branham had his campaign there. Then he came later on to Saskatoon.

 

When the campaign was in progress in Winnipeg, the newspaper (one of the large city newspapers) was giving considerable coverage to the meetings, and they indicated that there were a lot of people healed. They were favorable to this church, and advertised it and gave news reports that quite a few people were healed. But later on that same editor sent out some reporters to check on some of these people that they had written up in the paper weeks before. [The reporters were] to check up and see whether these people who were supposedly healed at that time, were still healed, were still alive, or whatever.

 

And when these reporters went back, they discovered that these people had died, or were in the same state or in a worse state than they were before. So, the editor then put it in the paper that these cases had turned out to be phonies, and that these people weren't healed after all, and there was something wrong with these so-called miracles and healings.

 

When the pastor of the church saw these reports in the paper, he went to the editor rather disturbed and not very happy about the situation, and he confronted the editor: “Why do you do this to our church? You're hurting the reputation of our church, and you shouldn't do that to us.”

And the editor said words something to this effect, “Well, pastor, if the healings are genuine, you don't have to worry, do you?”

I thought to myself later on when I heard this, well, that editor certainly had a lot of common sense, because if they're genuine, why worry? If they're not, well then they should be exposed--which is what the paper did.

 

And the editor said, “Pastor, we gave you good coverage when Mr. Branham was here.” The pastor had to admit they did. “Now,” he said, “we owe it to our people to give them the rest of the story.” And he said, “That's what we found.” He said to the pastor, “I'll tell you what I'll do, if you can bring me one genuine case of a genuine healing, I'll give you the front page.”

 

 

 

'''Pohl''': Not one. ... I stood beside bed after bed, person after person who was pronounced healed and yet, where were they? They passed away. So there was something very wrong with this type of healing.<ref>O TIMOTHY Magazine, February 21, 1990, David W. Cloud, Editor, Way of Life Literature, PO Box 610368, Port Huron, MI, 48061</ref>

 

 

Before we examine Scripture on this topic, I want to tell you of a healing campaign that I participated in vitally, in which the Lord opened my eyes to the deceptive practices that were employed. I went into that campaign a firm believer in the genuineness of the healer and his gift to heal. I did everything I could to help him. I was one hundred per cent for and behind him and encouraged sick friends to come long distances and be healed.

...Secondly, we should examine the results of modern healing campaigns and compare them with those of Christ and His apostles. '''What percentage of sick prayed for are really healed? Generally, according to what I have observed, the average is very low.''' Yes, there are some. There undoubtedly are some psychological healings, and then there are a few whose faith reaches out to Christ Himself. They, I believe, are healed in spite of the healer. But these are few in number. Don't be deceived by the number that you think you saw healed in the campaign. All that can be very deceiving. Caught up in the excitement and spirit of the meeting, you can easily be misled. I was privileged to be on the "inside" of this particular campaign, and had my eyes opened to some of the inner workings. I could, if time permitted, relate several instances where people in the audience thought that they saw a miracle when it was not so at all.

...But more importantly, the low percentage of those healed today compares very unfavourably with the biblical record. Of Christ Himself we read in Matt 8:16: "When the even was come, they brought unto Him many that were possessed with devils: and He cast out the spirits with His word, and healed all that were sick." Of the apostles we read, Acts 5:16: "There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits, and they were healed every one." No need to ask in those days, "Were there any who were healed?" No! For they were all healed! That was the real gift of healing.

...Besides, some of the modern healers seem to "specialize" in healing certain kinds of sicknesses. They shy away from the more difficult cases such as severely crippled people. But the healings performed by Christ and His apostles were not limited to certain diseases. Of the Lord Jesus we read that He healed "every sickness and every disease among the people" (Matt. 9:35). And as we read in Acts 5:16, the apostles "healed every one," obviously every sickness and disease was dealt with by them.<ref>17 REASONS WHY I LEFT THE TONGUES MOVEMENT BY ALFRED H. POHL (Three Hills, Alberta, July 3, 1982)</ref>