Topic: The church & ministry

Question

Will you please explain the “Body of Christ” in First Corinthians 12:27 and the “Bride of Christ” in Revelation 2:9—9. Is the new Jerusalem spiritual here in—spiritual here in Revelation? It—it—is this the spiritual discernment of the Church?

Answer

No! Now, let’s see if I get this first now, First Corinthians, right quick, First Corinthians the 12th chapter, all right, and the 27th verse. And ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. And then, where was the next Scripture? Revelation 2—21:9, Revelation in the 21st chapter and the...

Question

Brother Bill, please say something about both children and adults being so noisy in morn-…moving about during the service. This tabernacle needs some lessons in reverence.

Answer

Amen! Children, do you not know how to obey yourself in the house of God? Do you not know this is the sanctuary of God? God is in His holy temple, let everybody keep quiet. It’s the place of God where people are coming, meditating, trying to find salvation to the soul; trying to find the problems of...

Question

The two children, aged six to eight years, were here at the altar this morning. How soon is it advisable to have them baptized?

Answer

Just as soon as you can. “Repent immediately and be baptized,” that’s, in the Name of Jesus Christ. Now, that’s question number one. I would advise that. But we find out in the Scriptures… You say, “Is that Scriptural?” When Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost, three thousand souls were saved a...

Question

A minister friend of ours baptizes in the name of “Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” Would we be held responsible for not telling him of his error?

Answer

I believe, as a Christian, as a duty, and if he is a personal friend of yours…Not to pick an argument with him; if you do that, then you’re not right, your—your spirit’s not right. But if you love that brother, which you must, because you said, “A minister friend.” Then…No names is signed to any of...

Question

Can a Christian go to Heaven if he or she does not pay tithe?

Answer

Now, that’s one that I could not answer, Scripturally. Now, this “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,” if the minister is sincere, just let—let us know, you see, we’d be glad…Brother Neville and myself, or Brother Beeler, or Brother Collins, or any of these ministers here who are ordained to this ministr...

Question

Why do you baptize in the Name of Jesus Christ in place of the name of the “Father, Son, and Holy Ghost”?

Answer

Well, there is no such a thing as a name of “Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.” That’s the reason. There was nobody in the Bible ever baptized in the Name of “Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.” Every person in the Bible, or three hundred years this side the Bible, was baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ. Not...

Question

Brother Branham, don’t you feel that everyone who claims to be a Christian should pay tithes, pay their tithes into the storehouse of the Lord? Please give Scripture to this question.

Answer

All right, if you will…That is right, that the Bible said in Malachi, the 4th chapter, “Will a man rob God? And you say, ‘Where have’ you ‘robbed Thee?’ In tithe and offerings. Bring all of your tithe and offerings into My storehouse, and prove Me,” saith the Lord, “if I will not open up the windows...

Question

If there is—if there is already three messages gone out in unknown tongues in one meeting, then in the prayer line can there be more messages go out and still be in the spiritual order of the meeting?

Answer

Why, certainly. That’s right. Sure. I know where you’re getting to. There’s Paul, said, “If they was…You prophesy and speak in tongues,” something like that, Paul speaking of… Little later on, when you all…Brother Neville, when you all want to now, these people that’s got these spiritual gifts…Now,...

Question

Brother Branham, if these questions are out of line then just disregard them, and I won’t feel bad about it for I will know it was not the hand of the Lord. Question number one: Brother Branham, I have heard you…that it should—should be back in the…I—I—I have heard you say I should be back in the ministry, and I have thought upon it myself, but have waited upon some definitely word from Him about it. Up to date it hasn’t come. Now, since I know the end is so near, should I still wait for the Lord Jesus to—to speak to me? Or, would He be pleased to tell you what to tell me, since I know you are His spokesman for this day?

Answer

Well, now, brother, I’d…I got wrote down here my answer to it. God calling this brother, a call in life, now, there’s one great thing we could just take that as a text and preach all night on it, see, that one thing, “a calling.” “Make your calling and election sure,” see. We don’t want to be just w...

Question

Now, if our precious Lord should let me do a little thing for Him, should I go back to the communities where I have ministered partly in the…in error (of which I am sorry)…he has that in parenthesis…and try to tell them the Truth? They have been so—they have been so upon my hearts.

Answer

No, brother, I wouldn’t think it was necessary for you to go back into the same community. And I believe, brother dear, when the Lord calls you He may never let you go as you once was in a community, and you perhaps taught things or had things that wasn’t…that actually you see different on now, see,...

Question

How does one know their rightful position in the Body of Christ?

Answer

That’s a good one, very good, “How does…” That’d be the kind of question amongst many of us here tonight, “How do you rightfully know?” Now, I’m presuming that this brother wants to know “What position, what in Christ, what part of Christ do I play?” Now, for instance, I’d say like this, brother, t...

Question

In what order is tongues and prophecies to be used during the service (It is not to be used at all during the service! See?) to glorify God (Not at all!), and edify the church? I know the people say the spirit of the prophet—I know the—I—I know the…(p-…I guess that…No, I beg your pardon, it’s been “the Bible,” B-i-b-l-e. I started p-e-p-l-e or something like it. No.) the—the Bible says, “The spirit of the prophets is subject to the prophet.” (Exactly.)

Answer

Spiritual speaking in tongues and prophesying is to edify the church, but it has its service of its own. See? It isn’t to bother as long as the prophet of the church is…the meeting’s in order. See? It’s never to interrupt the meeting. Now, see, “the spirits of the prophets.” We—we got another quest...

Question

Now. Is it all right for a person to speak with tongues when praying for others about the altar [Blank spot on tape—Ed.] without interpretation? [Blank spot on tape.]

Answer

Let me see what I put down on that, I have to look. If there is no interpreter, let them hold their peace. In First Corinthians, the 1st chapter…the 14th chapter and the 28th verse. Who’s got a Bible? [A brother reads First Corinthians 14:28—Ed.] […if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in...

Question

In case we should have a prophecy or a message in tongues out of order, just how should we correct it?

Answer

Now, that’s a good case of emergency, see. See? Now, bless you, deacon who mentioned this, ’cause this is a good thing. You want to handle it with rubber gloves. Now, if you give a…If someone comes in in our congregation here and gives a message or a prophecy out of order, there isn’t hardly anythin...

Question

Is more than one permitted to speak a message in tongues without an interpretation?

Answer

No. They should come one by one. See? One give…One speak, and then give the interpretation. See? And then if another speaks, the interpretation; ’cause if you don’t, the interpreter won’t know what he’s doing because there’s two or three messages here banging on him at once, you see, and that would...

Question

Should or should not a local church take care of her own, of her—her local (own) responsibilites before taking care of foreign needs in other lands? However, after she…her…After she meets her needs, it is Scriptural for a local church to help in missionary work as she is able?

Answer

Yeah. Right. Charity begins at home, you see. We—we—we take care of our own needs here, ’cause we’d have…this is the church of God, or ever, your little church, the church of God. Now, if you can’t even pay your pastor, you can’t even get song books and things, you shouldn’t be sending it somewhere...

Question

How should a brother be condemned whose weakness is to take a place in church without being asked to do so? Oh, my! Well, suffer with him, I guess. See? How should a brother be condemned…(He shouldn’t be condemned!)…whose—whose weakness is to take place in a church without being asked to do so?

Answer

For instance, if he wanted to—to be a deacon. See? And he’s not asked to do so, yet he wants to be a deacon anyhow, see. Well, if a person’s like that, you know there’s a little something, you know, weak somewhere, anyhow, and so I’d just kind of deal with him in love. And, course, you never want t...

Question

At a communion service, a man came to the altar to pray. Brother Branham was standing behind the—the elements of communion as they were being administered, he said he “could not leave them to pray with the man at the altar.” Please explain.

Answer

I sent the associate, you see, Brother Neville. I remember the night when it taken place. I’m supposed to stay with that communion table, see, even when…Look here. Now, I ain’t got time to go into this. Somebody sitting here that asked, of course. Here’s what it is, brother. When—when you got the co...

Question

Brother Branham, is it right for ministers to make long pulls for money in their services, telling that God has told them that so many in the audience are supposed to give so much? If this is right, I want to know. Or if it is wrong, I want to know. This has disturbed me terribly.

Answer

Now, you see, friend, I’m going to tell you, I’m going to tell you what I think. See? Now, that don’t mean it right. I think it’s terrible. Now, I think this. God sent me on the field. I’ve seen the time where I looked like I would be at least…And I—I didn’t have no money at all. And I’d say, “Just...

Question

What about a Christmas play in a Holy Ghost church?

Answer

Well, if it’s about Christ, it might be all right. But if it’s about Santa Claus, I don’t believe in him. I—I done growed—I done growed away from that. I don’t believe in Santa Claus at all. See? And some of these little Christmas things they have, I think is ridiculous. And…But I think they’ve took...