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

William Branham's Teachings on Water Baptism (view source)

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The question is whether this is true from a biblical perspective.
The question is whether this is true from a biblical perspective.


=The Challenge from William Branham=
William Branham invited people to prove him wrong when he stated in 1957:


:''Nowhere was we ever commanded to baptize, "In the name of the Father, and in the name of the Son, and name of the Holy Ghost," not nowhere in the Scriptures. It's a Catholic creed, and it's not for the Protestant church. '''I'll ask anybody to show me one Scripture where any person was ever baptized any other way than in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Come, show it to me, and I'll put a sign on my back, "A hypocrite, and a false prophet, a false teacher," and go through the streets.''' There's no such a thing. Never was anybody baptized that way. It's a Catholic creed, and not a Protestant doctrine.<ref>William Branham, Hebrews Chapter Two, Jeffersonville, Indiana, August 25, 1957</ref>
=Scriptures referring to how baptism was conducted in the New Testament=
 
So there is the challenge laid down by William Branham - Find one scripture where any person was ever baptized any other way than in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
 
Actually that challenge is quite easy to meet and we would '''challenge''' message believers to '''find us one scripture where anyone was actually baptized in the triune name of the Lord Jesus Christ.'''
 
The Bible should be simply understood and therefore it seems quite obvious that William Branham has interpreted the scripture to say something that it clearly doesn't.  The phrase "Lord Jesus Christ" appears 6 times in the book of Acts so it would have been very easy for Luke to have stated clearly that people were to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.  But since he didn't, it is not possible to make that claim.
 
==Scriptures referring to how baptism was conducted in the New Testament==


In Matthew 28, Jesus told his disciples:
In Matthew 28, Jesus told his disciples:
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What is clear is that, from the historical record, there did not appear to be an emphasis on the exact formula of baptism.  
What is clear is that, from the historical record, there did not appear to be an emphasis on the exact formula of baptism.  


===Oneness Theology - Titles versus Name===
==Oneness Theology - Titles versus Name==


Oneness Pentecostals believe that "Jesus" is the name of God revealed in the New Testament and that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three manifestations or titles of the one God.  They explain that the command in Matthew 28:19 is correctly fulfilled by baptizing "in the name of Jesus Christ". They also believe that baptism "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" is invalid because Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are not names but titles.  Alternatively, the name of the Son is Jesus, so it is argued the actual name Jesus should be used; Jesus is the name of the Son, and arguably also the name of the Father and Holy Ghost.
Oneness Pentecostals believe that "Jesus" is the name of God revealed in the New Testament and that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three manifestations or titles of the one God.  They explain that the command in Matthew 28:19 is correctly fulfilled by baptizing "in the name of Jesus Christ". They also believe that baptism "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" is invalid because Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are not names but titles.  Alternatively, the name of the Son is Jesus, so it is argued the actual name Jesus should be used; Jesus is the name of the Son, and arguably also the name of the Father and Holy Ghost.
=What William Branham taught=


William Branham stated:
William Branham stated:


:''Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are just titles. They are not names. That is why we baptize in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, for that is a name, not a title. It is the name of those titles, just like you take a new born baby who is a son and name him. Baby is what it is, son is the title, then you name him, John Henry Brown. You just don’t baptize in “Jesus Name.” There are thousands of Jesuses in the world and have been even before Jesus, our Saviour. But there is only one of them born the Christ, “Lord Jesus Christ.”<ref>William Branham, An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages - 1 - The Revelation Of Jesus Christ</ref>
:''Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are just titles. They are not names. That is why we baptize in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, for that is a name, not a title. It is the name of those titles, just like you take a new born baby who is a son and name him. Baby is what it is, son is the title, then you name him, John Henry Brown. You just don’t baptize in “Jesus Name.” There are thousands of Jesuses in the world and have been even before Jesus, our Saviour. But there is only one of them born the Christ, “Lord Jesus Christ.”<ref>William Branham, An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages - 1 - The Revelation Of Jesus Christ</ref>
=The Challenge from William Branham=
William Branham invited people to prove him wrong when he stated in 1957:
:''Nowhere was we ever commanded to baptize, "In the name of the Father, and in the name of the Son, and name of the Holy Ghost," not nowhere in the Scriptures. It's a Catholic creed, and it's not for the Protestant church. '''I'll ask anybody to show me one Scripture where any person was ever baptized any other way than in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Come, show it to me, and I'll put a sign on my back, "A hypocrite, and a false prophet, a false teacher," and go through the streets.''' There's no such a thing. Never was anybody baptized that way. It's a Catholic creed, and not a Protestant doctrine.<ref>William Branham, Hebrews Chapter Two, Jeffersonville, Indiana, August 25, 1957</ref>
So there is the challenge laid down by William Branham - Find one scripture where any person was ever baptized any other way than in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Actually that challenge is quite easy to meet and we would '''challenge''' message believers to '''find us one scripture where anyone was actually baptized in the triune name of the Lord Jesus Christ.'''
The Bible should be simply understood and therefore it seems quite obvious that William Branham has interpreted the scripture to say something that it clearly doesn't.  The phrase "Lord Jesus Christ" appears 6 times in the book of Acts so it would have been very easy for Luke to have stated clearly that people were to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.  But since he didn't, it is not possible to make that claim.
thereby proving one of the fundamental doctrines of William Branham's message to be flawed.


=Another Challenge from William Branham=
=Another Challenge from William Branham=
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