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William Branham and Arianism: Difference between revisions
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Arianism is effectively a belief in two gods, an uncreated and a created, a supreme and a secondary god, and thus is really heathen polytheism. It holds Christ to be a mere creature, and yet the creator of the world.<ref>Philip Schaff and David Schley Schaff, History of the Christian Church, vol. 3 (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1910), 649.</ref> | Arianism is effectively a belief in two gods, an uncreated and a created, a supreme and a secondary god, and thus is really heathen polytheism. It holds Christ to be a mere creature, and yet the creator of the world.<ref>Philip Schaff and David Schley Schaff, History of the Christian Church, vol. 3 (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1910), 649.</ref> | ||
Some followers of William Branham, in particular [[Vaylism|Lee Vayle and his followers]], preach a similar view of Jesus Christ. | Some followers of William Branham, in particular [[Vaylism|Lee Vayle and his followers]], preach a similar view of Jesus Christ. It is clear that Lee Vayle took his doctrine directly from the teachings of William Branham. | ||
=Did William Branham teach Arianism?= | =Did William Branham teach Arianism?= | ||
William Branham taught that Jesus Christ was a created being: | William Branham taught in numerous places that Jesus Christ was a created being: | ||
:''He was God manifested in a flesh of His creative Son. See? Now, that's, '''God created the Son'''. <ref>William Branham, August 4, 1963, Calling Jesus on the Scene </ref> | :''He was God manifested in a flesh of His creative Son. See? Now, that's, '''God created the Son'''. <ref>William Branham, August 4, 1963, Calling Jesus on the Scene </ref> | ||
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[[The Council of Nicaea]] in AD 325 was involved in resolving the dispute over Arianism. | [[The Council of Nicaea]] in AD 325 was involved in resolving the dispute over Arianism. | ||
=Lee Vayle's Arianism comes from William Branham's teaching= | ==Lee Vayle's Arianism comes from William Branham's teaching== | ||
Lee Vayle denied the deity of Jesus Christ and preached a form of Arianism. It is also clear that he took this teaching directly from William Branham: | Lee Vayle denied the deity of Jesus Christ and preached a form of Arianism. It is also clear that he took this teaching directly from William Branham: | ||
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:''...what I wanted to do was to bring to you the understanding that Jesus is not Deity. When Bro. Branham said, '''“He’s God, but he’s not God,”''' in our minds we placed that with the incarnation, and that is true. But, when you realize that in the incarnation, which is to come, when that Spirit that’s in our midst, and that’s the Spirit of God, He will become incarnate to us again.<ref>Lee Vayle, Godhead #14, The Man, Jesus Christ, Is Not Deity,August 6, 2000, para. 23</ref> | :''...what I wanted to do was to bring to you the understanding that Jesus is not Deity. When Bro. Branham said, '''“He’s God, but he’s not God,”''' in our minds we placed that with the incarnation, and that is true. But, when you realize that in the incarnation, which is to come, when that Spirit that’s in our midst, and that’s the Spirit of God, He will become incarnate to us again.<ref>Lee Vayle, Godhead #14, The Man, Jesus Christ, Is Not Deity,August 6, 2000, para. 23</ref> | ||
Lee Vayle also espoused this teaching as a means of describing William Branham as being similar to Christ: | |||
:''The Son was already there. The Son was there before Adam was. The Son was there before there was anything else. He was the first-born of God. And as Bro. Branham has said, “That light came forth, like a child playing around his Father’s doorstep.” He began to create. And God would say, “That’s good. That’s fine.” And Bro. Branham went through the whole process of creation, and formation, and so on. ...And God came down and dwelt in His Son, Christ Jesus, making Him God on earth. | |||
:''Now right in there you can see this body born, was born with a personality, the man, we call ‘Christ Jesus’, and at that time, God came in to his very being, and now, as Bro. Branham said, “You have a duality.” | |||
:''The Father and the Son. “He that has seen me has seen the Father. You’re looking at him now.” | |||
:''Remember, Bro. Branham was asked the question, “What does it mean, “I and my Father are one?” He said, “You’re looking at me, aren’t you?” | |||
:''“Oh, I don’t think I can take that.” | |||
:''Well, you don’t have to take it. Goodbye, it’s been nice knowing you, or not so nice knowing you. I simply don’t have pleasure in people that don’t believe Bro. Branham. I simply don’t. I’m back there in the Ephesian Church. I believe that God visited Paul. I believe He came down in a Pillar of Fire. I believe Bro. Branham said, “Just think, how wonderful. '''The same Pillar of Fire that brought the Word to Paul is here revealing It!”''' I believe that. And this is part of it. This is explaining Luke—the virgin birth. '''This is explaining God the Father, and not God the son, but the Son of God.''' This explains Emmanuel, how God became flesh and dwelt among us. And He did! And it was a duality! And the body He prepared for Himself was the same body He prepared for His Son.<ref>Lee Vayle, Godhead #2, Son and Virgin Birth, Delineating God and Son Using Bro. Branham’s Statements, October 3, 1999, para. 31</ref> | |||
Like Arius, Vayle asserted that the Son of God was a subordinate entity to God the Father. A similar doctrine is also taught by Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons: | Like Arius, Vayle asserted that the Son of God was a subordinate entity to God the Father. A similar doctrine is also taught by Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons: | ||