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Theology: Difference between revisions
→=William Branham's system of theology
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:''How would God let me tell something wrong, and stand up with my very message. These things are only to indicate a Divine a vindication that '''my theology is right'''. That's exactly right. The Word of the Lord came to the prophets. <ref>BE.NOT.AFRAID CHAUTAUQUA.OH 60-0609 </ref> | :''How would God let me tell something wrong, and stand up with my very message. These things are only to indicate a Divine a vindication that '''my theology is right'''. That's exactly right. The Word of the Lord came to the prophets. <ref>BE.NOT.AFRAID CHAUTAUQUA.OH 60-0609 </ref> | ||
=William Branham's system of theology= | |||
William Branham's theological system is an example of the "if-you’re-a-hammer-everything’sa-nail" syndrome. His approach to Biblical texts is to find and quote only those that support his theological beliefs—his status as a prophet, serpent seed, Larkin's dispensationalism, the message dress code, etc. This may or may not be appropriate based on the text(s) under consideration. | |||
What is the Bible in the message context? It is a depository for proof-texts. A proof-text is a biblical statement or citation that (purportedly) does not require a context in order to be coherent and meaningful. Its function has nothing to do with the overarching biblical story in which it is embedded or in the specific genre in which it is found. Also, the function of a proof-text is assigned by an extra-biblical structure: the system of doctrine. The Bible exists primarily to support the message.<ref>Michael R. Emlet, Crosstalk: Where Life & Scripture Meet (Greensboro, NC: New Growth Press, 2009).</ref> | |||
A text without a context is a pretext for a proof text. In other words, the failure to consider the context of a passage may become a pretext for perverting a text into a proof text. This is common in William Branham;s theology. He takes a passage, ignores everything that is said around it and makes his whole case out of that.<ref>D. A. Carson, “Kingdom of Heaven: Jesus, Christian, Law,” in D. A. Carson Sermon Library (Bellingham, WA: Faithlife, 2016), Mt 5:17–48.</ref> | |||
=Examples of William Branham's theology (message theology)= | =Examples of William Branham's theology (message theology)= | ||
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||'''[[Eternal Sonship]]'''. An example of William Branham's lazy theology is his approach to the concept of the eternal sonship of Christ. Why lazy? Because he believed that God was the eternal Father... | ||'''[[Eternal Sonship]]'''. An example of William Branham's lazy theology is his approach to the concept of the eternal sonship of Christ. Why lazy? Because he believed that God was the eternal Father ...but to be a Father, don't you have to have a Son? | ||
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=Quotes of William Branham= | |||
''But now, Moses has a personal experience. That's what the church needs tonight, is just stop studying so much theology, and get down to the altar, and pray until a personal experience burns down into the human heart, and burns out all the dullness, and gives a new vision.<ref>William Branham, 54-0724 - A Personal Experience With God, para. 13</ref> | |||
''Moses had done give up hopes. Was back on the backside of the desert, herding his father-in-law Jethro's sheep, when one morning, back on the backside of the desert, he saw a bush burning. He got in the presence of this bush, though '''Moses was a theologian''', because he was trained in the wisdom and all the learning of the Egyptians, been told by his mother that he was called for a purpose, and all of his theological experience became nothing to him.<ref>William Branham, 61-0205M - Expectation, para. 79</ref> | |||
'''''Moses was a great theologian'''. He was taught in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. Well, certainly, '''there was nothing Moses didn't know.''' <ref>William Branham, 61-0207 - Expectation, para. 31</ref> | |||
''Now, we'll take another one: Moses. '''Moses, oh, he was a trained theologian.''' He really knew, 'cause he could—he could teach the Egyptians wisdom. He was so smart. And he knew that he was born, raised up to be a deliver of Israel. So '''he thought he could take his theological training''' and really go out there and do it. But he found out he was a failure. <ref>William Branham, 61-0308 - Expectations, para. 46</ref> | |||
'''''Moses, a great, highly polished theologian''', great man, borned to be a prophet; yet, in all of his theology and his—his book knowledge of God, could not deliver the children of Israel by knowledge. You see, the prophet cannot go by knowledge. He's got to go by inspiration. Inspiration!<ref>William Branham, 64-0120 - His Unfailing Words Of Promise, para. 49</ref> | |||
< | ''Now '''there isn't a theologian under the skies that can deny this Message that we're preaching''', but what It's exactly the Word of God right in time. God has a vindicate it, in everything that's been said or done. He's proved It to be right.<ref>William Branham, 65-0418E - Does God Ever Change His Mind About His Word?, para. 120</ref> | ||
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