Seed of Discrepancy #37
Two Gentile Churches
June 23, 1996
Heavenly Father, we know the disciples asked the Lord Jesus Christ
risen from the dead to abide with them at eventide, to spend the night
with them. And we know He revealed Himself in the evening-time hour. And
so, in the evening time there is light again. And, Lord God, we know
that this great Jehovah, Who is manifested in flesh, now here in the
Spirit, abides with us at this evening time and will not leave us until
the day breaks. And when the day breaks, Lord, we know we’ll be taken
away with Him, Who has created all things and is now doing all things.
And we pray at this time, Lord, you’ll renew our minds and give us
insight into Your Word and help us to know exactly the hour in which we
live and those things that are really true. For we know Thou art truth,
Lord, and in Thee is no darkness. In You is not ‘nay’ or ‘amen’,
but ‘yea and amen’, Lord, because You are all things, and all things
are from You and to You. We know we’re all things to You, also.
So, we commend ourselves this morning, Lord, for instruction and help
in righteousness, in the way of our God, in the truth as it is in this
hour, in those things which were set before us by the prophet. In
Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.
You may be seated.
1. Now, in the last message in this series, which was a little while
back, I dealt with a thought that is very pertinent to this hour, but I
merely glossed over it and did not bring out the ‘Alpha and Omega’
principle as should have been done, and thereby missed showing you how
perfectly we line up with Bro. Branham and his ministry, in and to this
Laodicean age, based on Scripture.
Now, what you have to realize there is that we are in the Laodicean age
which is ‘people’s rights’. And we understand there that there is
a… That’s like democracy—people wanting their rights. We see
women’s lib; they want their rights, whatever they are. They’re
certainly not in line with Almighty God. Not to say that the men are in
line either. But if you go back with me to Revelation 3 and you see the
Laodicean church, which is people’s rights, which does not come upon
the scene just of itself as though it were something like spontaneous
combustion, or people think, ‘Well, it just suddenly comes.’ But
even spontaneous combustion is something which takes place over a period
of time, heating up until the dry condition is there. As Jesus said,
“If they do this in the green tree, what will they do in the dry
tree?”
2. So, you’re looking at a condition that has moved up steadily for
two thousand years to get to the place where it is. And It says here
[Revelation 3] “Unto the Laodicean church”… the people’s rights
church, wherein the Nicolaitanes are running everything… And, of
course, the Nicolaitanes get in by popular vote, getting the people to
presume and believe that they’re going to do what the people want. And
the church today is a democracy, also, bringing in a vote where the
Catholic Church now wants to get back to where they elect their bishops
and cardinals and take it out of the hand of the pope. And all of these
things show you that we’re in this day of the mass mind, which is not
going to produce anything but what It says here in the Bible.
3. Now, the faithful and true witness is the faithful and true witness
to His Word. And all the time he has witnessed to His Word, and the
sheep hearing the Voice, they come in. So, there is a Bride through two
thousand years of Seven Church Ages. But He said, “I know your works
are neither hot nor cold. I would you were cold or hot.” Well,
that’s exactly where the church is today. If you examine the church,
it’s neither hot for God nor hot for the devil. And that’s a very
lukewarm condition. I know they’re hotter for the devil than they are
for God, but they do live in a state of compromise. And that’s exactly
why the Catholic Church, by the way, is going to eventually control all
religions, because their great spokesman for the Catholic Church, which
is, of course, Malachi Martin, [] mentioned that if you want to
understand intrigue and learn about intrigue, you come to the Catholic
church, because they’ve had two thousand years of it, and they’re
masters of it.
4. Well, the Catholic Church has been masters of compromise. And as I
mentioned different times, how the pope himself today, he tells you that
he’s sorry that the Catholic Church learned to compromise by allowing
various religions in the land which were extant at the time, (They went
in as missionaries.) and so the whole church is infiltrated with the
doctrines of devils, and everything else. Then the pope turns right
around, and he pats the witch doctor on the back in Haiti, and he said,
“We’re brothers.”
Why, I have no doubt that’s one hundred percent true.
And he said, “We have the same spirit.”
There’s no doubt that’s one hundred percent true. But, you see, the
Catholic Church will compromise. And this is how the Muslims and
everybody else comes in. The pope will say, “Well, just a minute. You
believe in Allah. What do we care what you call Him. There’s one
supreme God, hallelujah. I represent Him, and you represent over
here.” And pretty soon he’ll have them all sucked in. And especially
when their bellies are pinching, and, you know, they’re rubbing
against their backbone, (You can neither buy nor sell.) there’ll be no
trouble for the Catholic Church to take over everything. And this is the
situation we see in Laodicea. And the roots are way back in the
beginning of the First Church Age, which had seven representative
churches. And we’ll deal with two this morning.
5. And you’ll notice in here It says, “You’re just lukewarm.”
And that’s exactly the way the Roman Catholic Church went. It went
entirely lukewarm. And that lukewarm condition started out when they
began taking the Roman gods and giving them religious names, like St.
Peter and Paul, and all of these things, you know. They’re very adept
at it. And they’re a compromised, lukewarm church. And, of course, a
lukewarm church is like you’re drinking lukewarm water to make you
vomit. Now, that’s an old recipe, and it’s a pretty good one. If you
want to make it all the better, just put a little salt and soda in, and
you’ll bring your boots up. But it must be lukewarm water—can’t be
hot or cold. And they’ve got this lukewarm church that is making God
vomit and spew them out of His mouth.
6. Now, you notice the mouth, especially, because the mouth is where
people speak and articulate. And “out of the mouth proceedeth good and
evil,” because “out of the heart the mouth speaketh.” And so, this
people here are a people that have compromised the Word and compromised
God to the extent that God no longer allows the church under any
consideration to speak for them. And you’re going to see that as I
bring it out in the very first Church Age. You’ll see a compromised
church in the very beginning. And that’s what we want to look at,
because that gives us our ‘alpha’ to our ‘omega’ in the very
hour, and see the perfect picture where we’re at. And they say:
[Revelation 3]
(17) Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have
need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable,
and poor, and blind, and naked:
(18) I counsel you to buy of me gold tried in the fire (Now, you see,
they don’t have it. They think they have, but they don’t), that thou
mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, (They
don’t have it.) and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and
anoint thine eyes with eyesalve…
Now, this is a peculiar one, because It seems to suggest here, very
openly, that they have the eyesalve. They don’t have it! They should
come and get it. You see, what they’ve got is an anointing. And you
can have the anointing a thousand times a day, speak in tongues a
thousand times a day. Whereas Bro. Branham, not facetiously but
pointedly, said, (Though many people didn’t understand it.) “You can
be baptized with the Holy Ghost a thousand times a day, and still not be
born-again.”
7. So, I asked him. If you want to know what I asked him, I said,
“Bro. Branham, you were not talking about a genuine baptism; you were
talking about that anointing.”
He said, “Absolutely.”
Of course, I did that for an ulterior motive, because I still can’t
stand the guys that bothered me over those very things. I’m sorry, but
I get very irked, when it comes to coming against this Word. And it’s
not even my Word. I don’t have to protect It. I don’t have to defend
It. It’s like a man said many, many years ago, “The Word of God is
like a lion. Just turn him loose, you’ll find out who’s boss.”
And that’s what it is. And Paul said, “The Word of God is now
bound.”
So, I’m off my route where God put me, but I’m sorry; maybe the
Lord will deal gently with me in the long run. But, I’m very much
against all this—very, very, very much against it.
8. And he said, here [Revelation 3]
(18) [Paraphrased] You come to me and get the eyesalve. You think
you’ve got it, but you don’t have it. (And that’s an ointment that
“you may see,” because they don’t see.)
(19) As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten…
Now, remember; “Love is not corrective only,” as Bro. Branham said,
(That’s true.) “but love is the essentiality of God Himself.” And
the essentiality of God, whether you know it or not, is manifested in
human bodies…because love is predestinated. Do you understand what
I’m saying? God has these children that are a part of Himself.
9. (19) (And) as many as I love… (My predestinated ones. He said,) I
rebuke and (I) chasten.
In other words, “I correct them.” Now, this bunch, here, cannot
stand correction, so they’re bastards. Now, what is a bastard? A
bastard is where you hybridize and mix. And right today they have an
anointing of the Holy Ghost upon people one hundred percent off the
Word. Well, if that’s not illegitimate, I don’t know what is. You
tell me what is, and I’ll listen to you. But I’m a hard guy to make
listen, because I’ve been hearing the prophet for a long, long time,
and hearing the Word of the Lord.
So, we have a condition at the end time that started in a certain
church. And you see the exact conditions there, are the exact conditions
today as we’ll go along.
Now, my thought was concerning two Gentile churches of the first Church
Age, that’s to get the ‘alpha and omega’ picture perfect, which I
did not do the last time, as perfect as I can get it. My thought was
concerning two Gentile churches of the first age, in which Paul was
deeply involved. And to see clearly what his involvement meant and the
results that came forth, we must go now then to the Book of Acts. And we
read the first-hand accounts, as set forth by the Holy Spirit in this
Bible here, through the hand of Luke.
10. So, let’s go to Acts 10, and we’ll see there the historical
account of these two churches. So, all right. Beginning then Acts 10 to
Acts 11, and about verse 18. (That’s a lot of reading.) [Acts 10]
(1) There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of
the band called the Italian band. (Now, of course, the “i-u-s” is
not Jewish; it is Roman.)
(2) A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave
much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.
(3) He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an
angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.
(4) And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it,
Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a
memorial before God.
(5) And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is
Peter:
(6) He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side:
he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do.
(7) And when the angel which spake unto Cornelius was departed, he
called two of his household servants, and a devout soldier of them that
waited on him continually:
(8) And when he had declared all these things unto them, he sent them to
Joppa.
(9) On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew near unto the
city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour:
(10) And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they
made ready, he fell into a trance,
(11) And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descended unto him, as
it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the
earth:
(12) Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild
beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.
(13) And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill and eat.
(14) But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that
is common or unclean.
(15) And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath
cleansed, that call not thou common. (Now, that’s referring to people,
of course.)
(16) This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into
heaven.
(17) Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had
see should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made
enquiry for Simon’s house, and stood before the gate,
(18) And called, and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, were
lodged there.
(19) While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him,
Behold, three men seek thee.
(20) Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting
nothing: for I have sent them.
You know, this is really marvelous when you consider how God moved. And
He’s the same yesterday, today and forever.
11. (21) Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from
Cornelius; and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause
wherefore ye are come?
(22) And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that
feareth God, and of a good report of all the nation of the Jews, was
warned from God by an holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to
hear words of thee.
(23) Then called he them in, and lodged them. And on the morrow Peter
went away with them, and certain brethren from Joppa accompanied him.
(24) And on the morrow after they entered into Caesarea. And Cornelius
waited for them, and had called together his kinsmen and near friends.
(25) And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his
feet, and worshipped him.
(26) But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man.
(27) And as he talked with him, he went in, and found many that were
come together.
(28) And he said to them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a
man that is a Jew to keep company, or to come unto one of another
nation; (which, it means Gentiles) but God hath showed me that I should
not call any man common or unclean.
Now, you notice here, that he’s got the revelation. It’s very, very
perfect and clear. But you’re going to see him backslide. He does; he
backslides on it.
12. (29) Therefore came I unto you without gainsaying (you know, without
questions or denying or anything), as soon as I was sent for: I ask
therefore for what intent ye have sent for me?
(30) And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour;
and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood
before me in bright clothing.
(31) And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in
remembrance in the sight of God.
(32) Send therefore to Joppa, and call hither Simon, whose surname is
Peter; he is lodged in the house of one Simon a tanner by the sea side:
who, when he cometh, shall speak unto thee.
(33) Immediately therefore I sent to thee; and thou has well done that
thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear
all things that are commanded thee of God. (You see, that’s real
faith, you know.)
(34) Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that
God is no respector of persons:
(35) But in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness,
is accepted with him.
(36) The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching
peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:)
(37) That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all
Judea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached;
(38) How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with
power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of
the devil; for God was with him.
Now, It doesn’t say he was God. It says “God was with him.” And
It doesn’t say he anointed himself. It said God anointed him. So,
anybody that can’t understand a ‘father’ and a ‘son’, and the
son is a legitimate child, the same as we are, having come only in a
different manner, which was simply this: that he did not bypass the
theophanic form before he got to this birth, which you and I have. So,
anybody that tries to make Jesus God and one God and Jesus-Only, they
are absolutely wrong. And there’s no way that they can defend
themselves. Otherwise you had better throw out your Bible, because they
are the truth and this is a lie. Well, I never saw Bro. Branham
vindicate anybody yet. And Bro. Branham would have to put his seal upon,
directed by God, upon anything or any man, anything ever said and done.
13. So, you see the terrible condition the church is in right today,
because they did not heed these words that Peter gave, and they are
identical to the apostle Paul.
(39) And we are witnesses of all these things which he did both in the
land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree:
(40) Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;
(41) Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God,
even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.
(42) And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that
it is he which was ordained of God (not God ordaining Himself) to be the
Judge of (the) quick and dead.
And even then, you know, you’re going to find that at the great day
there’ll be an incarnation. So, you’re right back to Jesus, the same
Jesus who never spoke, never said anything, unless God told him to say
it—never did a thing, unless God was in him doing it. So, you see, all
these things you have to keep in mind.
14. Now:
(43) To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name
whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
What if you believe wrong about him? If you can’t believe he’s the
Son of God, the elder brother, the High Priest, the kinsman, you know,
you’re lost. (See?) You’re into a false worship.
(44) While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them
which heard the word.
(45) And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as
many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured
out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
(46) For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then
answered Peter,
(47) Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which
have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
(48) And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then
prayed they him to tarry certain days.
15. [Acts 11]
(1) And the apostles and brethren that were in Judea heard that the
Gentiles had also received the word of God. (Now, notice what they put
there. They put the Word first, which is what you have to put.)
(2) And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the
circumcision contended with him,
(3) Saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with
them.
(4) But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning, and expounded it
by order unto them, saying,
(5) I was in the city of Joppa praying: and in a trance I saw a vision,
(and) a certain vessel descend, as it had been a great sheet, let down
from heaven by four corners; and it came even to me:
(6) Upon the which when I had fastened mine eyes, I considered, and saw
fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things,
and fowls of the air.
(7) And I heard a voice saying unto me, Arise, Peter; slay and eat.
(8) But I said, Not so, Lord: for nothing common or unclean hath at any
time entered into my mouth.
(9) But the voice answered me again from heaven, What God hath cleansed,
that call not thou common.
You know, it’s very strange he said, “It won’t enter my mouth.”
But what about the stuff that enters your heart? You know, the Seventh
Day Adventists want to tell you, “Don’t eat pork.” Well, it’s a
smart thing not to eat pork. It’s a smart thing not to eat a lot of
things. But what about what is in your heart? The Seventh Day Adventists
have this law, the crazy idea: you keep the Sabbath, and everybody else
that doesn’t keep Saturday has already got the mark of the Beast.
Hogwash! Where do you find any place in the Bible keeping the Sabbath,
that seventh day, is of God? You can’t find it. That’s the one
commandment left out.
And Paul said, “One esteems one day above another, but we’re to
esteem every single day.” Why do we worship today? In memory of his
resurrection. They don’t have a memory of resurrection. You take that
that sixth day and you stop there, where do you go? You stay right with
the day of man. You know, it doesn’t work out. The whole thing is a
travesty against the Word of Almighty God.
16. (10) And this was done three times: and all were drawn up again into
heaven.
(11) And, behold, immediately there were three men already come into the
house where I was, sent from Caesarea unto me.
(12) And the spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover
these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man’s
house:
(13) And he shewed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood
and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname
is Peter;
(14) Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be
saved.
(15) And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at
the beginning.
(16) Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John
indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy
Ghost.
(17) Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us,
who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; (who) was I, that I could
withstand God?
(18) When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified
God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto
life.
Now, keep that in mind, because you’re going to find them backslide
over it, which is too bad that they do.
17. Now, we read Acts 11:1-8 and down further to verse 18. So now, we go
to Acts 18, and we’ve got to read there verses 1-11.
(1) After these things Paul departed from Athens and came to Corinth;
(2) And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come
from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had
commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them.
(3) And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and
wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers.
(4) And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the
Jews and the Greeks.
(5) And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was
pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.
(6) And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his
raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am
clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.
(7) And he departed thence, and entered into a certain man’s house,
named Justus, one that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the
synagogue.
(8) And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the LORD
with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and
were baptized.
(9) Then the Lord spoke to Paul in the night (in) a vision, Be not
afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace:
(10) For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee, for
I have much people in this city.
(11) And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of
God…
Now, you notice where he came. He was in Corinth, wasn’t he? All
right.
18. Now, with that we go to verse 24, and we keep reading. [Acts 18]
(24) And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent
man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus.
(25) This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent
in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord,
knowing only the baptism of John.
(26) And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and
Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, …expounded unto him the
way of God more perfectly.
(27) And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote,
exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped
them much which had believed through grace;
(28) For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publickly, shewing by
the scriptures that Jesus was Christ.
19. [Acts 19]
(1) And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth …
Now, you see, he had to leave where he was at to go down and get his
further understanding of the Word.
(1) … while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the
upper coasts came to Ephesus.
Now, you see, Paul was down there at Corinth; Apollos was up here at
Ephesus. Apollos goes down to Corinth because he doesn’t have the
truth; he just has a smattering of what is historically true from
prophecy. He doesn’t know too much. Now, Paul comes up to where
evidently Apollos was.
(1) And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having
passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain
disciples,
(2) He said…, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And
they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any
Holy Ghost.
(3) And he said unto them, Unto what then were you baptized? And they
said, Unto John’s baptism.
Now see, there’s the beautiful thing right there. If you’re
baptized correctly unto repentance, the Holy Ghost has to fall upon you.
People want to tarry and fuss around and make a big hard deal of it, and
pound themselves and pound everybody else and get them fasting and get
them doing everything, any type of spiritual gymnastics or anything they
can delude you with in order to get you into some kind of an experience.
This is ridiculous. It’s ridiculous. The blood of Jesus Christ
perfects until there be found no sin. It scatters till there be no
evidence. How could the Holy Ghost, then, not come in? I want to know.
See, I want to know.
The baptism and the rebirth is one and the same thing. And the whole
teaching of two thousand years has come to the place where no wonder God
is in a state of paroxysms of nausea. And he wants to just get rid of
the whole thing.
20. (4) Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of
repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him
which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
(5) When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord
Jesus.
(6) And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on
them; and they spake with tongues and prophesied.
(7) And all the men were about twelve. (So, let’s see; we’ll read a
little further.)
(8) And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of
three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the
kingdom...
(9) But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of
that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the
disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus.
(10) And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they
which dwelt in Asia (That’s Asia Minor.) heard the word of the Lord
Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.
21. So, we’ve read this. And this is pretty well our background.
Having read the historical account of the two Gentile churches of the
first age, Corinthian and Ephesian, we note that Paul was not the
original and sole founder of the Corinthian church. But he was
definitely the founder of the Ephesian, based on the fact that the
Ephesian church did not have a knowledge of Jesus Christ, Messiah, by
Apollos, but knew only of John, who foreran the Messiah.
So, Paul went down to Corinth, and there were already people there who
had come to the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and they
were Gentiles. But the people in Ephesus only knew that there was one
coming, and did not know that that one who was coming had already come
and gone, according to the Scripture. And now it was to them to believe
on Him and receive the in-filling or the baptism with the Holy Ghost,
which nobody at that time down there knew because no one was privy to
it.
22. So, on the other hand, it is very true that Corinth did have a
revelation and a knowledge through Peter of the Lord Jesus Christ, as we
read over in Acts 10:33-34, where Peter speaking opened his mouth, and
he said, “I perceive God is no respecter of persons.” And as he
preached on the work of the Lord Jesus Christ according to Scripture,
this one being the Messiah, who died and rose again, God having anointed
him to that end to prove Who He was, the Holy Ghost fell on them.
Now, this was quite a surprise to Peter, because he did not expect that
to happen. And you notice; no hands were laid on those people; they
simply received the Holy Ghost. But we read in Acts 19 that those
people, as I mentioned already, did not know the truth; they were
without it—not even as much as Peter would have given them. They were
simply there stranded with an understanding the Messiah was to come, and
they were baptized unto repentance, showing that they were recognizing
John as the forerunner, but did not recognize the runner. They just
didn’t have it. So, in Acts 19:1-9, we find Paul brings the same truth
as did Peter. So, Peter founded the Corinthian church, and Paul founded
the Ephesian church.
23. Now, let’s go to 1 Cor 3:9-11, and you’ll notice what It says
here:
(9) For we are labourers together with God: we are God’s husbandry, we
are God’s building. (We’re His planting; we’re His building.
Notice, there are two expressions there to give you an understanding, a
picture.)
(10) According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise
masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth there
on. …let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
(11) For another foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is
Jesus Christ.
Now, what I want you to notice there is that Paul does not recognize
any foundation that Peter laid. He does not recognize anything that
anybody else has done or said. And it is not that they are antagonistic
or in competition. It is not that at all. But Peter did not have the
revelation that Paul had, to go to the Gentiles. He merely turned the
key in the door and opened the door. And that’s exactly where he
stood, and he stood no further.
24. Now, keeping that in mind, we’re going to go to Galatians. And in
Galatians 2 we read:
(1) Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with
Barnabas, and took Titus with me also.
(2) And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel
which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of
reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.
(3) But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to
be circumcised:
(4) And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in
privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they
might bring us into bondage.
Now, notice; “false brethren” came in to tell them. They had to be
Jews. No doubt they are Jews. And these Jews are of the old system, but
they have embraced Christ. Why did they embrace him? You tell me why? To
turn people back to the devil. They didn’t have any real hope in this
Word. They had no real revelation. They had nothing, but they sure
claimed they had. Isn’t that the Laodicean church today? Now, answer
me. They claim it all and got nothing. But they’re going to tell you
how to do it. Now, this is serious, because this is ‘alpha’, and
‘alpha’ must have an ‘omega’. Now, these are false brethren,
brought in by trickery. Nobody really knew they were false. They were
the typical “wolves in sheep clothing”—false teachers. They
weren’t false prophets; they were false brethren; they’re false
teachers, false members of the congregation, who knows.
25. (5) To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour;
that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.
(6) But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it
maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man’s person:) (So, why
should I?)
These are the apostles who lived and slept with Jesus, ate with him,
were there at the crucifixion, on the road to Emmaus. He said, “They
don’t mean for nothing to me.” So, “Why, Paul, you’re a
disrespectful individual. You even apologized when you called the high
priest ‘a whited-wall’.” Oh, there’s a big difference there.
There’s a mighty, big difference. The high priest wasn’t pretending
to be somebody in the Bride. He had no use for the gospel of the Lord
Jesus Christ.
26. Now:
(6) … for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing
to me:
(7) But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the
uncircumcision was committed to me, as the gospel of the circumcision
was to Peter; (Now, he wasn’t to the Gentiles; he just opened the
door.)
(8) (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the
circumcision (Now, what was Peter called to? The apostleship of the
circumcision), the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:) (As what?
The apostle to them. That’s what he called himself.)
(9) And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars,
perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas
the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and
they unto the circumcision.
(10) Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I
also was forward to do.
Now, let’s jump over to verses 11-14.
(11) But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face,
because he was to be blamed.
Now, that’s pretty cheeky for Paul to stand up against the one to
whom was given the revelation, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the
living God,” and, “Flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee,”
and, “Upon this (revelation) I will build my church, and the gates of
hell cannot prevail against it.” Now, think it over. I said it repeats
today. This man had guts. But not just that, he had something in him
that was true to the Word, if it cost him life and every friend that he
had. If the chips fell where people didn’t like the chips falling,
that was just their tough luck. He wasn’t trying to make chips fly and
the sand fly. It’s just that they weren’t with it, and he wasn’t
going to tolerate anything that was against the truth: “Live, die;
sink, swim.” “Boil me in oil; that’s your business.” Now, he was
to be blamed.
27. [Galatians 2]
(12) For before that certain (people) came from James, he did eat with
the Gentiles: (He sure did!) but when they were come (from James), he
withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the
circumcision.
(13) And (when) the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; (They drew
away with him. Maybe that bunch that went down from Joppa, and so on.)
insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.
Now, will somebody please tell me plain outright flat, what is
‘dissimulation’? [Someone from the congregation speaks.] Thank you.
Hypocrisy! [Bro. Vayle, using a mocking tone, says: “O-o-o-h, he
shouldn’t be calling Peter a hypocrite.”
But he was! He didn’t get lost. He wasn’t a child of disobedience;
he was a disobedient child to the revelation. He had to get smacked
around. Hypocrites, carried away with their hypocrisy.
28. (14) But when I saw that they walked not uprightly (opposite of
hypocrites) according to the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before
them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and
not as do the Jews, (In other words, you’ve been soundly converted,
you know better, you’ve done better.) why compellest thou the Gentiles
to live as do the Jews?
“Why do you want them circumcised?” This is where poor, old
Barnabas got juggled around to where Paul said, “Hey! Forget it.”
This is the start of it. And he wanted to tell Paul how to run his
business and who to be with him: “I want you to take John Mark.”
Paul said, “Forget it!” He said, “Good-bye, Charlie.” He dumped
him. Oh, this guy’s a crud. He should have said, “Sweet little boy,
sweet little boy, sweet little boy.” No, he had a job to do. This
wasn’t a guy that kissed the pope’s toe. He respected the high
priest for his office and from God, as that which is ordained of God for
that hour, but not of God, according to true ministry. Like the
reprobates, they are written of, but their names are not in the books.
Huh? Beginning to see predestination a little better? and a few of these
things here?
29. And he said, here:
(15) We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,
(16) Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by
the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that
we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of
the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
(17) But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also
are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.
(18) For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a
transgressor.
Now, he’s gone from a hypocrite to a transgressor. That’s how it
grows. One little seed of a weed: fertilize it with the rain, give it
the good fertilizer, and you’ll see that the weed will manifest way
more than the wheat or the good crop.
30. Has anybody ever seen one of these organic fields like I’ve seen?
Unh? Let me tell you about it. The man that grows your organic
vegetables, he doesn’t pull the weeds out from between the vegetables.
They get all the rain; they get all the sunshine; they get all the
fertilizer, and they grow just like you can’t believe they grow. He
only cultivates in between. Leave them till the harvest, and we’ll
pull them all up. We’ll take one to market, and we’ll get fifteen
dollars for a quarter bushel of good organic onions, and we’ll burn
the weeds: transgressors.
31. Peter literally left his identification with the sheep to go to the
goats. Well, he paid his price for it, but he wasn’t lost. Didn’t
lose his apostleship, didn’t lose anything. Unh? Sheep can be a whole
lot ‘goatier’ than goats, at times, but they’re still sheep.
He’ll get corrected. He’ll never lose one. The Bible said, “They
hear the voice.” They see. They may have a few scales, a little bit
too much wax built up in the earballs; but the thing is, God’s got a
good cure for eyes that are veiled and ears that are full of wax. He
just unplugs them. Yeah, He knows how to do it.
32. Now, let’s go to 1 Cor 1:11. It says:
(11) For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them
which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.
(12) Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of
Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.
Ho man, is that a slew of people! Now, this is after Paul has been
there, and he had to work amongst them after the precedence that Peter
had set and left these people evidently to themselves to make out by
themselves. I haven’t heard of anybody going down there and doing too
much, except Apollos went down there, and Priscilla and Aquilla went
down there. And then Paul goes down. And Paul now finds that the church,
which was not an Ephesian church, is having some real problems because
they can’t identify. So, they said, “Well, I’m of Paul; I’m of
Apollos; I’m of Cephas.”
33. (13) Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye
baptized in the name of Paul?
(14) I thank God I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius;
(15) Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name.
(16) …I also baptized the household of Stephanus; besides, I know not
whether I baptized any other.
(17) For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not
with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ…be made of none effect.
Now, who is he hitting there? He’s not meaning… Now, Paul is not a
dirty writer. Now, Lee Vayle, he would be meaning this because he’s a
dirty guy. But Paul is hitting at Apollos, because all he knew was the
baptism of John. And Paul said, “I wasn’t come here to baptize,
though that’s part of it. I’m here to give you the truth.”
34. So, we go a little further. We go to 1 Cor 4:14, and we read these
verses.
(14) I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I
warn you.
Now, therefore; in this glue-pot, this mixing pot of various and
diverse elements of doctrine, presentation, acceptation, certain
cohesion amongst certain ones, but still divided, and… Listen to Paul.
So, he’s talking to these people.
(14) …but as my beloved sons I warn you. (That means ‘born-ones’
or ‘brought-forth-ones’.)
(15) For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye
not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the
gospel.
(16) Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.
“Not Apollos, not Peter, not this guy, not that guy; you’ve come
back to me.” Now, make no mistake herein. Paul did not go to the
Corinthians per se in the beginning. We have read that. What happened to
the Corinthians in the beginning? Let us go back and read It again, so
we do not find ourselves with mixed metaphors or mixed thoughts.
35. So, we go to Acts 18, and in there you’ll notice:
(1) After these things Paul departed from Athens and came to Corinth:
(2) And found a certain Jew named Aquilla, born in Pontus, lately come
from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had
commanded all Jews to depart from Rome.)
And they were part of that original church; they had gone there. Now,
when they were kicked out, there was no light left in Rome. That’s why
Rome becomes the first organized church of hell and belongs to Satan.
That’s where the full corruption came in, because they had no one to
help them. That’s why when Polycarp went down there, he heard a voice
thunder from heaven, “Leave her alone. Ephraim is joined to his
idols.” And he could do nothing because they had entered into idolatry
using the name of Christ and all the rest of them. The church had sold
out to the state for money.
36. And this is where you get the Nicolaitanes starting—the laity
taking over for money. And they’ll teach and do any lousy thing for
money. And that’s what Satan has always done. He has always used the
things of God to his own end and to glorify himself and to aggrandize
himself and make a big kingdom. That’s always the devil. The Kingdom
of God is small and meek, but powerful, to the pulling down of the
strongholds of hell. And if you’ve got a great big outfit, you’ll
never pull down a stronghold of hell; you’ll just join them. And you
get an anointing upon you and speak in tongues.
37. What I can’t understand about the Branhamites is: they’ve got
these guys coming through here that they can’t even discern. They
can’t even prophesy. They’re not even correctly false anointed. And
yet people run to them! If any one of you ran there, I would give you
money to stay there. But I’ll see you down the road. And I’ll have
the last word. You won’t, because you’ve done left the Word.
Didn’t even know what the Word was in the beginning. Hog-caller, yeah.
Listen to a hog call you, or a goat. But no shepherd would ever do that.
38. Now, he’s down there…
(3) And because he was of the same craft (They were tent makers; they
dwelt together.)
(4) And (Paul) reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded
the Jews and the Greeks.
(5) And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was
pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.
(6) And when they opposed themselves…
Now, notice; they opposed themselves. They didn’t oppose Paul; they
didn’t oppose God. They opposed themselves. Like today, they crucify
to themselves the Son of God. Do you follow? Same picture. The same
thing. And who’s doing it? This Corinthian church “in the
beginning” did it. So, they oppose themselves, or crucify to
themselves.
39. (6) …blasphemed, he shook his (garment), and said unto them, Your
blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto
the Gentiles.
Now, notice; he’s leaving the platform that was built from 33 to 53
AD, and he’s laying foundations. And nobody else can do it, because he
said, “Other foundation can no man lay, than that is laid, which I
have laid.” In other words, he cut himself right off from everything.
He trampled it all down. He counted it all dung.
“Get out of here,” he said. “Get rid of it. I can’t take the
stench. I can’t take it.”
As Bro. Branham said, “Get away from that stuff!”
Are you willing to get away from it? What do you really want out of
life? People falling over? Spirit of hell, not the Spirit of God;
tongues and interpretations in the wrong place; confusion? You show me
they’re not confused, the people that wanted this. They’re so
confused, it’s pitiful. As I said, these guys can’t even present
anything. If God would allow it, (And thank God He won’t.) let ‘em
stand by me and see who can discern and tell it correctly. I couldn’t
do it if you paid me a million dollars. I wouldn’t know how to do it
anymore. I haven’t got a clue. It’s gone. Dead. It has become
carrion. (So, Bro. Branham could never stand the word ‘Karen’
because it sounded like ‘carrion’ to him—not that it’s a bad
name.) So, if that was stench in His nostrils, what ought it to be in
our nostrils? We can’t take it.
40. So, all right. We’re over here in Acts 18:1-11, going on. And It
says:
(8) And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord
with all his house; and many of the Corinthians (Now, you see what
you’re doing, you’ve got to the Gentiles. They) believed, and were
baptized.
(9) Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision. Be not afraid,
but speak, and hold not thy peace:
(10) For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for
I have much people in this city.
Now, see, there are a lot of people there. It’s the starting of a big
church, a big system. But there’s a lot of confusion amongst them.
Now, to them was brought the real Word. Now, he continued there.
41. Now, let’s go to Rom 15:15-21.
(15) Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in
some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the grace that is given to
me of God,
(16) That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles,
ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles
might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.
(17) I have therefore whereof I may glory through Jesus Christ in those
things which pertain to God.
(18) For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ
hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed,
(19) Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of
God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Ilyricum, I have fully
preached the gospel of Christ (absolutely vindicated).
Now, this man went to Ephesus; he went to Corinth. Ephesus was clear as
a piece of glass. Already Corinth coming out from what was the
foundation that Bro. Branham called, “a platform built in those
years,” Paul now comes and gives them the truth of the true foundation
of the church, which is Christ, the rejected cornerstone, who will
become the capstone. And he brought in the absolute truth of the
revelation God gave him. But they were all confused.
And let’s get this flat: you’d better believe that those people who
said, “I’m of Peter,” were not quoting Peter. They were liars. And
those that said they were quoting Apollos, “I believe the same,”
they were liars. And those that said they were quoting Paul are liars.
And those today who say they are quoting William Branham are still
liars! They’re not quoting and saying what he said; they’re putting
their own interpretation upon everything.
42. I got a letter the other day. A bunch that broke away from Coleman
and his seven thunders, and they’re saying right there: they said,
“The Seventh Seal is not opened.” And Bro. Branham said, “The
seventh seal definitely was Rev 10:1-7.” Then you tell me, what is the
Seventh Seal that’s not opened? Huh! For that prophet had to be on
earth the same time the mighty God came down from heaven. Take one
little quote! Certainly, the Seventh Seal was not opened to the public
at that time. Yet it was opened down the road when he told us exactly
what it was. The only thing of the Seventh Seal not opened is the Second
Coming himself: the Lord Jesus Christ in human flesh. We meet Him in the
air and, then, coming down to earth.
And no man knows the day and the hour. And why do you need to know the
day and the hour? For Bro. Branham categorically said the same thing
I’ve said for years, and that is, “If the good man of the house had
known what hour the thief was coming, he would have been prepared.”
Who cares when the thief comes! Knock him on the head! I’m ready for
him. Readiness is the secret. John came to get the prepared people
ready, and so did William Branham. They preach all this hogwash to make
the people not only nervous but to come running to them. Don’t come
running to me, or I’ll bop your puss in. If you can’t understand
plain English, don’t bother coming asking questions. I preach this as
clear as crystal. And if I don’t, God backs me in a corner till I come
and teach you over again and make it clear as crystal to you, like I had
to do the other day, three times in a row, to get the truth to you.
43. And Bro. Branham himself said, (It’s his own testimony.) “The
voice said, ‘Jehovah of the Old is Jesus of the New.’” William
Branham knew the one and true living God, but he didn’t know the true
revelation of Him. You bet. Paul knew the true revelation of one God,
but he didn’t know who He was.
“Tell me who You are. Identify Yourself for me for this hour, so I
have a ministry.”
That’s what you’re looking at. Paul said right here, he said,
“I’m vindicated.” Peter never came vindicated. Peter came with a
vision. And Cornelius had a vision. And I’m not against it. No! Paul
said, “If a prophet…” “I’m going to declare through a
prophet. I’ll give him visions and dreams. But my servant, Moses, is
not so. And my servant, Paul, is not so. And my servant, William
Branham, was not so. I speak to him in a Pillar of Fire—in ‘a
sign’” (as Bro. Branham, I believe, called It in one place),
face-to-face, mouth-to-mouth, as the saying is.
44. Oh yes, he went to Corinth, and he wrote them two letters which we
have in the Bible. But he was not the originator. He was not the first
one there. But as an apostle, he laid a foundation. And as an apostle
when the church got out of order, away from the Word, he came back to
correct the error and set the church in order. But there is nothing in
Scripture that I know, or in any place, that they ever got in order. Yet
Paul with his vindication went on to tell them over here in the same
Book of Corinthians because they weren’t believing him. They were
arguing; they were denying the position that God gave him. We can find
that in 2 Corinthians, also. But in 1 Cor 14:36, It says:
(36) What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you
only?
(37) If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual (and that
goes for Peter, James and John and the whole bunch,) let (them)
acknowledge that the things that I write…are the commandments of the
Lord (to the Gentiles).
Let them do it! (See?) Oh, they didn’t like Bro. Branham’s tough
stand, “I come here and I’m taking full authority.” And he proved
it. Let there be five million people—taking every spirit under his
control for the glory of God—and proved it—vindicated. Oh, they
didn’t like it. Ah, they still don’t like it. Who cares what they
like. I love it! The fact of the matter was that Paul, Peter and Apollos
were of one accord as to reality. But the people divided themselves, as
It says in Acts 20. Yeah, they want to make themselves somebody.
45. You watch these guys that want to be leaders. That’s one reason
I’m glad I’m off the road. The more you’re on the road, people
gravitate, they look at you, “Oh, here comes a big-shot!”
Pbbtt! Big-shots. Don’t talk about big-shots when God Himself is
present. Great people? when the great One is here? What are they talking
about? Gyration? Look at creation! Some little thing that somebody comes
along…even Moses and even Paul. Look at creation! Stand there and be
awed. People don’t even appreciate the Creator. Haven’t got a clue.
What a travesty.
46. Okay. The church was in utter confusion. We go to 1 Corinthians 3.
(Well, we haven’t got time to read It all. We’ve been through it
anyway.) So, all right. So, we see Paul was their apostle and prophet
and sent by God to them to set their church in order and keep it in
order, which order they evidently repudiated, even as some repudiate
today. As we saw in 1 Cor 1:10-17, they were divided. And we saw also in
1 Cor 2:4-5.
(4) And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of
man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
(5) That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the
power of God.
In other words: “Look at that as the evidence and vindication that my
word is the Word of God. We have one Word. I have God’s Word. I’ve
got the vindication,” said Paul. Did Peter come with vindication? No.
He came with a vision. And Cornelius had a vision. Thank God, it was of
God! But no revelation came up to Paul’s. Now, that staggers you.
“Well, these men are of great repute. Look at these great men. Look at
them. They were with Him. They were there.”
Who cares! Who cares! Do you see why I preach vindication and “THUS
SAITH THE LORD?” I’ve seen a lot in my eighty-two years. I’ve
seen, I believe, the greatest. And I was with one of the men–Moses,
Paul, William Branham—as the confidant. So, who needs personalities?
Hogwash.
47. The fact of the matter was that Paul, Peter and Apollos were all of
one accord. But those that were causing the dissention were as those in
Acts 20, because they wanted to bring disciples unto themselves. And
they surely did. So, the dissension could have come from them, but quite
possibly, (I’m just softening my words.) if not actually, from the way
the church started, which was manifestation that followed the Word. They
never had, as I said, manifestation that preceded the Word, to prove
they were on the right track. They had that which came out of the Word.
So Peter saw It, and he quoted the Word. And that’s very good. It was
the truth; I’ve no fault with it. But he could not have been the
prophet-apostle to the Gentiles, otherwise how could Paul withstand him
and be vindicated by God? Come-on, let’s get the picture! Why do they
have a showdown in the bull ring and see which Matador could pull …
take up the bull’s ear and wave it to the crowd, “Olé, olé?” God
is not in a circus or a bull ring or some carnival. Paul came on the
scene. He said, “From Jerusalem to Illyricum, and everywhere I’ve
gone, I’ve preached in the power of God, manifesting before I even
spoke a word.” Like Jesus began to do and to teach, he did before he
taught. And so do the Word-prophets of God: Moses, Paul, William
Branham.
48. Oh, men like Bose said I was wrong.
“What a tragic thing I did. I encouraged Bro. Branham to preach, and
now he’s out there preaching, and he’s preaching it all wrong.”
Did the man forget that William Branham at the age of about
twenty-three was preaching to three to six thousand people? Before 1946
and the gift came, the manifestation came, as to whom he was? The man
knew nothing. Oh, I’ve no problem with the guy. My problem is
personal, but no problem.
49. So, we look at how it started. Cornelius had a vision. Peter had a
vision. The two visions came to pass. Very good, but not “THUS SAITH
THE LORD” according to Deuteronomy 18. There is no doubt these visions
were of God and came to pass as Numbers 12 said, “I’ll give them
dreams and visions. But when I speak to my man” (Moses, Paul, William
Branham ), “it would be face-to-face, even apparently, in a sign.”
People who were born into the Body are bride of Christ. But there is no
record of Peter setting the church in order by the Word, as it was with
Paul in 1 Cor 2:1-16, where he tells you he established it through the
working of the Holy Ghost. And those people who came in under that were
a part of the same Word, the same household of faith, which is of God in
Christ Jesus our blessed Savior—part of that Word, part of that
Spirit, and all one, because, “By all one spirit we are baptized into
one Body.” And the point is this: if you didn’t have the Holy Spirit
to begin with (that little thing in your soul), you wouldn’t have
gotten that body, because the Holy Spirit wouldn’t have come to you.
And it certainly wouldn’t have been the refuge and body of the Lord
Jesus Christ, if you had some other seed in there. It’s either God or
not God.
50. Like Bro. Branham said, “God doesn’t take a cat cell and add a
dog’s cell to it.” Now, science does, and they get a dog-cat. You
know, as I’ve said before, they’re looking to breed these cells
together in a man from an animal, and they’ll get a slave. They’ve
already got him; he’s serpent seed. He’s a hybrid. My, people pick
their ears up when I phone around the odd time and I say, “Did you
know that Bro. Branham said that we’re scientifically proven today,
this Message, like serpent-seed: one mother, two fathers?”
“Oh, where did they get that?”
They don’t even know what’s going on. Don’t know what’s going
on. And, that’s their business, not mine. I wasn’t called to teach
the world, or anything for the world.
51. Now, but these people seemingly looked back to Pentecost. Now,
remember; there are Bride there, because he said in 2 Corinthians 11,
“As a virgin Bride I betrothed you to Christ.” But (he said) “I
find there is a lot of error coming in now. And you’ve got Satan’s
seed sown in you.” Now, what was that seed that Satan sowed in Eve?
False word. Corrupt word. Satan didn’t have a word of his own. He
didn’t say, “This is not the Word of God.” Don’t you believe It.
He said, “Did God say such a thing? Oh, He said It. Let me tell you
about It.”
52. Well, what if Paul said, “Let me tell you about It?” What if
William Branham said, “Let me tell you about It?” Now, if I ever
give that expression to you guys that there’s some secret or something
coming—sh, sh, sh—you’re going to say, “Lee, I thought you
weren’t a hypocrite, but, my God, you’re even worse than a
hypocrite. You’re nothing but a sleazeball, because there are no
secrets.”
Brother Branham said, “There are no secrets; there are no parables;
there are no mysteries.” It’s over. What mystery am I going to show
you? I’m just taking history here from the Bible and trying to show
you something. And at the same time, let me tell you something: the
Corinthian church (if you read all of this book here) you’re going to
find, Paul points to history. Not with Ephesians. He takes you right
from when you were a spark of God to where the Holy Ghost comes in today
and takes over and gets you out of here perfected by a five-fold
ministry, which I’ll read from Bro. Branham’s own lips. And people
deny a five-fold ministry. And I can tell you why they do it, but I’m
not going to waste my time. It’s really simple.
53. These people seemingly look back to Pentecost, (Now, you’ll
notice, I’m using those words carefully because I don’t want to jar
anything.) because they spoke in tongues and in anointed speech,
glorified God. You say, “Why did you put that in there?” Because
Bro. Branham said, “Most of Pentecostal just have anointed speech.”
Where did it start? Had to start back there somewhere, didn’t it?
Could it have been in the first church age? or not been? and we have it
today? Hogwash! You’ve got to have a seed for everything. And there
are all kinds of weed seeds, and not just one.
They spoke in tongues, anointed speech, and glorified God. They carried
on from there, ignoring the revealed Word by Paul, and went into error
and divisions. And 1 Corinthians 15 is an example, because they didn’t
even believe in a future resurrection; they said it was over. And they
didn’t have a clue to immortality and the Rapture.
And if you’ve read (And I’m not going to take time today.) chapters
12 and 14 of 1 Corinthians (not forgetting chapter 13, which is about
the Holy Ghost: God is love), and you’d see all of those things in
there without God Himself. They are merely gifts. And they ignore Romans
12, where Iranaeus said there are hundreds of gifts in the Body of
Christ. They take only nine, and there’s hundreds.
54. Look at Romans 12, where It talks about the renewing of the mind.
Get your mind off the Corinthian church; get it on to the truth. And he
said [Romans 12]
(6) Having then gifts differing… (We’ll prophesy.)
(7) (Ministering, we’ll minister. We’ll teach.)
(8) (Exhort, we’ll exhort. And) he that giveth…with simplicity; he
that ruleth, with diligence; he that showeth mercy, …cheerfully.)
Those are gifts. Would you sooner be a tongue-talker? Prophesy vaguely,
foolishly? Not even prophesy, just drivel? Would you sooner be a
cheerful giver, a cheerful forgiver? I’d sooner be a cheerful forgiver
than perhaps anything I know. You can have all the prophecy; I’ve had
it. You can have even discerning, which is illegal to us; be my guest.
I’ve had word of knowledge, insights, everything else, right down the
line. People would come and say, “Bro. Vayle, I’m making a trip.
Prophesy.”
And I’d tell them what’s going to happen. Oh, God, that’s
horrible. Never again.
55. Well, if you’re going to stick your neck out, stick it out, and
hold your chin up. [Bro. Vayle makes a cutting sound.] They get you
right across the jugular. Do all speak with tongues? Certainly not! Then
why try to make them? They must have been doing it back there, for when
Joe Styles came along, he said to everybody (He was a brilliant student,
a doctor of something or other in the university of California, way back
before the 50’s even.) and he said, “Paul said, ‘You all may speak
in tongues.’ Let’s all speak in tongues. Now Paul also said, ‘If
you speak in tongues, pray you interpret.’ We’ll all interpret. But
Paul also said, ‘Greater is he that prophesied.’ We’ll all
prophesy.”
Like the first church age guy called Marcus, who was an absolute
heathen, but got in the church, and the foolish women he’d come to,
he’d say, “Prophesy.” And they would say, “What shall we
prophesy?” And he’d say, “Whatsoever cometh into thy mind.”
Hogwash. Stupid junk. I’ve been all through it, and seen it done.
Some guys can do it.
56. I discerned one time. I told you. If I couldn’t see my little
vision, I couldn’t feel, and so on. I said, “I’ll open my mouth,
and I’ll tell them.” And I open my mouth and tell them.
Do you know what I’m telling you today, if you’ve got an ounce of
brains? That you can use any anointing and gift from God and defile that
gift and defile God and yourself and the people, and give them a false
hope, and lead them into wrong things.
And when all those things begin to drop off, when the Word begin to
come, I lost my popularity. Nobody wanted Lee Vayle from that time on.
Well, so be it.
57. So, today we have an omega Corinthian church which is Laodicean,
where they claim to be Bride but repudiate the church order by the Word.
They claim to be Pentecostal according to experience. But notice
Ephesus: do you tell me they weren’t Pentecostal? Do you tell me they
weren’t full of the Holy Ghost? You’d better not tell me that,
because they’re seed. And because you’re seed, God gives you the
Holy Ghost. Huh?
58. But notice Ephesus: the gifts are not even mentioned, because the
church was in order, and they looked, as we do now, to Ephesians 4. And
in Ephesians 4 you see this marvelous truth that Bro. Branham brought to
us. And here It is. He tells you here, beginning about verse 9.
[Ephesians 4]
(9) (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first
into the lower parts of the earth?
(10) He that descended is the same that ascended up far above all
heavens, that he might fill all things. (And Bro. Branham said,
“We’re all things to God,” by the way.)
(11) And he gave some apostles; and some, prophets; and some,
evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
(12) For the perfecting of the saints, (That’s the equipping of the
saints.) for the work of the ministry (even), for (to build up) the body
of Christ (to bring it in):
(13) Till we all come in the unity of the faith, (That’s once
delivered to the saints.) and of the knowledge of the Son of God (the
knowledge of who He really is), unto a perfect man, unto the measure of
the stature of…Christ.
(14) That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and
carried about with every wind of doctrine (not over there in Hebrews,
where they couldn’t even come to Melchisedec), by the sleight of men,
and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive. (And they
lie, and they lie when they get you.)
(15) But speaking (or holding) the truth in love, may grow up (unto) him
in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
(16) From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by
that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in
the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying
of itself in love.
And he said way over here in Ephesians, “Listen, I’m going to tell
you in a nutshell: the day is coming when God Himself is going to come
down and make that all possible.”
59. And what did Bro. Branham say over here? He said, in Southern Pines,
North Carolina, where I got him to go down there with me. I invited him
down, and I was instrumental in getting him down there. Now, he says
here in 1962 in “Perseverance”, he said:
[E-94] Now I believe…there’s a church coming into…perfection…
(And he said… What did he say? He said,) “There was a virgin church
born in 19… Was it ’55, when those five stars came in confluence?
Didn’t they? 1955? That’s right. And the Hindus and everybody said
the world’s going to end. And even some goofy Pentecostals, I guess,
were in on it. I know one guy that was kind of funny. And it’s going
to end… It wasn’t going to end. What it was, a Bride church, an
infant.
And that’s what happened in Corinth, here. Paul came into this
situation, and there’s an infant Bride there, all in there, lying all
messed up with the rest, but has got to come out by the Word.
60. Now, listen. He said:
[E-94] I believe…there’s a church coming into that perfection…,
where the offices were apostles, prophets, teachers, pastors (and)
evangelists for the perfecting of the church. Them pastors, …teachers,
…so forth, will be so with the Word, until the whole thing will work
right up to the coming of the Lord – right to the rapture. I believe
that, and I believe we’re nearing that time now. I believe it’s so.
Huh? [Bro. Vayle now paraphrases what Bro. Branham meant.] Now, we know
Jesus said and taught all through Scriptures that the works he did would
be done also. Now my brethren, I hope that if they disagree with me it
will be on a friendly basis. Because, I’m going to tell them, I’m
the guy. I’m going to stand with Paul and with Moses. I’m here to
set the church in order with a five-fold ministry—one Word now, one
Word with God because of the stand.
Oh yeah, that’s what you’re looking at. Yes, sir! It was a Word
church, not an experience-church: that’s Ephesus. They also had
tongues and prophecy and, no doubt, all gifts according to Acts 19,
because they spoke in tongues and prophesied, but also Romans 12:
hundreds of gifts.
61. And so, today, the Bride church is a Word-church, and the gifts
which are many-numbered are in subjection to the Word so that any gift
is now complementary to the Word ministry of a five-fold minister, and
in no way has precedence over the vindicated church order. Put them in a
room or shut up, not a preacher saying… That guy from down in
Tennessee kept coming here all the time till I said, “Hey, I just
can’t hack it anymore.”
So, he goes down to Tennessee, and he tells the folks, “Look (he
said), if I prophesy, and it doesn’t come to pass, don’t wash me
out.” He said, “How many times did Babe Ruth go to bat before he
made a home run?” How would you like me to prophesy…[unclear word]
Bro. Evans, what would you like me to say, and I can prophesy to you
and…He ain’t going to get it, though, bud. You might as well shut up
and sit there and take your lumps. Ain’t going to get it. I’ve got
nothing to prophesy. Nothing to tell. It’s already been told. I’m
just talking about it. See? All right.
With all the Pentecostals’ sublime and emphatic (or, you know,)
inspired talk of how all Christians should seek the Giver and not the
gifts, they have forgotten the Giver, because He is here. And they
turned Him down for gifts.
62. What do you think Junior Jackson’s church did when they all pulled
out, and Bro. Branham said, “Let’s go in a little room. I’ll go
with you”? My God, I wish I had been there to go into that room with
him. I’d have said, “Bro. Branham, let’s you and I go in.”
He would have said, “Lee, what’s the use. We’re ministers.”
Well, it could have been for my use. I was not a pastor. Where were the
pastors that could have gone in? Where were the people? They ran off
where there was no judgment. And the people that thought, after Bro.
Branham deceased, and they had the gifts in order, so-called, where are
they today? [Unclear group of words.] But the Word of the Lord endures
forever, see.
63. See, everything is gifts to them. They know nothing about Eph
1:17-23. Paul has taken, in fourteen verses of Ephesians 1, the whole
truth from God, and nothing, not even an atom, related to us to the very
end of where there’ll be no more of God’s children. He hasn’t any
more. They’re all manifested. We’re talking about Bride, now; not
the foolish virgin. And in verse 15, the Holy Ghost runs out in verse
14, the baptism. [Ephesians 1]
(15) Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus,
and love unto all the saints (lots of love),
(16) Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my
prayers,
(17) That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may
give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of
him:
Now, come-on, that’s God Himself. That’s God Himself, see. God,
Himself. Even when God has a spokesman, it is God Himself. See?
(18) The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know
what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his
inheritance in the saints,
(19) And what (also) is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward
who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
(20) Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and
set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places…
In other words, the sign of the resurrection, the power of God would be
in our midst here, God Himself coming to the Gentiles, because this is a
Gentile church.
64. And it fulfills Matthew 4 and Matthew 12, where it’s…
(21) …above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and
every name that is named… (Baptist, Presbyterian, Communism,
Socialism, Democracy, you name it; kingdoms, you name it. All that) is
to come:
(22) And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head
over all things to the church,
(23) Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
And that’s the time the true, five-fold ministry steps in and brings
a Bride to its peak. Why? Because the Bible said so.
65. You say, “Well, I don’t think that about the five-fold ministry.
See, that’s putting too much upon them.”
Why don’t you talk to God about it? Why don’t you rip out Ephesians
4? then stand back and say, “Well, Bro. Branham is our prophet; he’s
our apostle; he’s our teacher; he’s our evangelist. I’m the
pastor. So, we’ve got a five-fold ministry. But nobody else in the
five-fold ministry.”
They keep on talking about revelation: “You can’t give a
revelation.”
Is that a fact? Then William Branham lied, because he gave us a
revelation! No way would we believe, except God was in it. But you do
give a revelation by teaching it. And if they don’t get it, they were
never meant to. Don’t give me all this stuff about revelation,
revelation that you talk to yourselves and your friends, and you’ve
got this little revelation.
66. Bless God, I preach every single thing from this Message I know from
the Word and Bro. Branham’s sermons, hiding nothing. If I’ve hid
anything, I don’t know what I’ve hidden. But I have no secret
revelation, no secret rendezvous with God, no secret chamber, no secret
prayer, no secret nothing! I’m as transparent almost as glass. I am
when it comes to this. I don’t tell you one thing and believe another.
And you’ve heard me come back and correct things. If you haven’t,
there’s something wrong with your head. Better get yourself a new pair
of ears because they’re tin ears, and they never will get the
resonance from Almighty God.
67. Now, that’s enough. It’s an hour and a half. So, next time I get
back, (whenever that is,) we’ll go right to page 27, and we’ll bring
to your attention…because I’m going to bring the final words. I do
stay with Bro. Branham: eighty percent of the time the presence of God
in vindication. But notice, at the end time what did he preach, preach,
preach, preach? “Anointed Ones of the End Time;” Anointed ones of
the end time. So, now we have it: vindication of the Presence, the pure
Word of God, the rejection, and the anointed ones of the end
time—anointed ones of the end time. Unh? Is that right? That’s
right.
Let’s rise and be dismissed.
Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your time of grace and the strength
You gave us to bring us these things to the people here. We believe,
Lord, they haven’t been in vain, believing, Lord, that this is a truth
that the seeds of the church today that would not take the apostle Paul,
who came in their midst, gave them the Word, turned him down, went back
to gifts and things, which I believe they did. I don’t know of
anything where they came out. Paul never told us that they came back to
virginity. But, bless God, we know there’s a virgin Bride in the end
time who accepts no seed, except the seed in her mind and heart which is
planted by the Word, which has been revealed to the prophet, and he
taught it to us, and thereby, it is our revelation from You. And we know
people don’t get it. And they never will get it, if they can’t
accept the fact of the true vindication of who William Branham was:
prophet of Almighty God, right akin to Paul and to Moses, and standing
there in the three.
And, Lord, we believe that. What else could we believe? There’s
nothing else to believe. There’s nothing out there. We’ve seen it
all, the best we can. And what could we take against what we have seen
in this last hour? Therefore, unto Thee be praise and glory, O God. Even
if we do not make Bride, there’s a Bride out there somewhere, and by
the grace of God may we cheer her on. I hope we do, Lord. May we be
right there cheering her on and blessing Your great and holy Name,
because, Lord, You said every knee should bow, and every tongue would
confess—and we want to do it ahead of time—that Thou art Christ for
the glory of Almighty God. And the Lord God, Jehovah, reigneth supreme.
And all things are at His command and will. And He is God forevermore.
So, Father, we thank You for the truth You’ve given us. And by this
Word, which we take this Message for our healing, may the sick amongst
us be healed. May they progress unto greater health and strength, Lord,
for one purpose and reason only: to conform to the Word, and be Your
blessed servants, and walk in love one to another, and build each other
up in Christ until we come unto that very Headship, and are caught up
out of here in the Resurrection and Rapture.
Now, unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only-wise God, be
all power and honor and glory, through Jesus Christ our blessed Savior.
Amen and amen.
‘Take the Name of Jesus with You.’
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