Leaving the Message 4 - The Gospel of Divine Healing

Apologists who engage members of William Branham's cult of personality in attempts to convert them to Christianity are often surprised by the responses used to defend their faith. Examples of critical information about Branham and his prophecies, Bible teachings, moral standards, and honesty have little or no effect. Followers defend Branham by examples of his alleged power to heal, which is strongly linked to their view of the "Gospel". And rightfully so; Branham called it the "Gospel of Divine Healing" and advertised himself in the newspapers as "America's Voice of Healing".

For Christians who understand the Gospel as it is presented in the Bible, the word "Gospel" and its meaning are the core foundation of their faith. They have read the Old Testament and are aware of the Old Covenant, how it failed, and the Curse of the Law that resulted. They have also read the New Testament, understand the New Covenant, and the transition into the New Covenant is their greatest joy. When a person with this background engages cult members trained by Branham's teaching, it is difficult to understand how anything else could replace this core foundation and still be called "Christianity". Yet during the conversations, members of the "Message" will strongly affirm that they are, in fact, Christian.

Does this mean that members of Branham's cult of personality are not Christians? It's complicated.

Members of Branham's cult of personality believe in Jesus Christ, and that He died for their sins. But the "Message" is not a typical cult by any definition; over the years it has evolved into a collection of sub-cults. And each of those sub-cults has different cult leaders, each having differing views on what they consider to be the core foundation to their belief system, with one single point of intersection: William Branham. At the same time, they believe William Branham's person to be part of their core foundation, also having different views as to why, exactly, he was. Most members believe that Branham was the return of "Elijah" the prophet. Some members believe Branham's statements that the "Elijah of this day is the Lord Jesus Christ," "Not a man but God, in the form of a prophet". Others believe Branham's statements to be heretical, unaware that Branham himself made those claims. Others still believe that the leader of their sect was Branham's replacement since many of Branham's predictions did not reach fulfillment before his death, some of which were supposed to happen before. The vast majority of the sub-sects believe that faith in William Branham and/or his "Message" is required for salvation, disagreeing with 1 Timothy 2:5.

Understanding William Branham's "Gospel of Divine Healing" is critical to leaving the "Message". Similar to some Christians in mainstream Christianity who never read their Bibles, the irony is that a majority of the members in Branham's cult of personality do not study this "Gospel of Divine Healing". They are unaware of its history, its fame, its progression through time, its alterations, and its outcome. Truly, it was a different Gospel, and bore fruit that members find to be distasteful -- but they are unaware that it was Branham's "Gospel of Divine Healing" that produced that fruit.

In the early days of his ministry as a Post WWII Healing evangelist, Branham began proclaiming his new "gospel" to the world. His newsletter, of which he was the editor and primary feature, was called, "The Voice of Healing", and newspaper advertisements proclaimed the same. There were literally hundreds of ministers involved in the same movement, each having a stage persona very similar to Branham's, claiming to have "Gifts of healing". Though later versions of Branham's stage persona would condemn these same men as "false vines" to his "true vine", the early versions of Branham's stage persona supported, promoted, and even advertised these men. Why? They were all proclaiming his new "gospel".

Branham was aware that this new "gospel" was different from the Gospel of Jesus Christ as proclaimed in the Bible. He frequently referred to faith in Jesus Christ and accepting Him as a means to salvation. At the same time, William Branham said that his "Gospel of Divine Healing" produced the "same results" -- meaning salvation. Within the framework of this new "Gospel" was the Latter Rain's "Five-Fold Ministry", which Branham claimed to be given the title of "prophet". In other words, William Branham promoted himself as a "prophet" of the Gospel of Divine Healing, said that it produced the same results as the Gospel of Jesus Christ:

Now, the only way you can be saved is to accept what He’s already done. And He… By His stripes we were healed at Calvary. See? And you just have to accept what He’s done. Is that right? Now, the ministers, many of them preach the Gospel of Divine healing, you accept it, just the same results. But in there, God has set some in the Church apostles, and prophets, and gifts of healing, and so forth, faith, and… That’s to—to stimulate, other words, the Church.

William Branham strongly disagreed with Galatians 1:6-9, which is the main point to consider. It was a new "gospel", one which Branham himself created, understood, and proclaimed, and one in which many churches throughout the United States and Canada participated. The new "gospel" influenced American Christianity, and when it turned sour in the latter years of Branham's life, allowed bitter fruit to enter the churches. Those who did not reform still continue to bear that fruit, and ironically, are condemned by members of Branham's cult of personality. Yet Branham was the grandfather, cult leaders were their parents, and members of those same churches are today their siblings and cousins.