Failed Salvation in Branham's Ministry

Faith and salvation

Through the doctrinal mentoring of former Zion cult elder F. F. Bosworth, William Branham taught that healing and salvation came in the same package. But it wasn’t simply that people were healed once they were saved with the “Message” version of salvation; since they were part of the same package, Branham taught the other side of the argument: if they were not healed, then it must also mean that they were not saved.

As a leader in John Alexander Dowie’s Christian Catholic Church in Zion, Bosworth was familiar with people who were allegedly healed and either continued to suffer, worsen, or die after their so-called healing. Newspaper and court records describe several people in Dowie’s care who died after their “healing”, and dead bodies were whisked away from the cult commune under cover of night. By combining salvation with healing, leaders in the faith healing cults were able to convince their victims to scorn those who were living (and dead) examples of the failure in their methods. As the number of failures in Branham’s revivals increased, Branham was forced to discuss the growing problem: failures in healing. In some cases, Branham said that their failure was due to a “lack of understanding”.

The other problem both Branham and Dowie faced was the anger of participants who actually thought they were healed in the meetings only to go home “healed’ and return to their suffering. During the religious frenzy of the revival, many people hyped themselves up to the point of convincing themselves that they were healed. A few days later, when they came to their senses, it was difficult to deny their condition. Like Dowie, Branham claimed that their condition was due to their lack of faith — which also implied a lack of salvation — and they, too, were scorned as “unbelievers”.

You can learn this and more on william-braham.org

Quotes:

These people, if they are not healed, they are not saved. They’ve come on the same basis. How many out there believes they’re healed? Raise your hand and say, “Praise the Lord.” You’re healed. Now, let this audience, here at the altar, turn towards them out there in the audience as you accept your healing just like you did your Saviour. Well, turn around this way and face the audience with your hands up to let them know that you believe Jesus Christ has now healed you and made you well.
53-1111 - Preparation
Rev. William Marrion Branham
http://table.branham.org

And now, then, I want to try, I believe the Lord has somehow give me a little insight on the reasons why there is some people are not healed. And I—I believe it’s lack of understanding. And I—I believe, maybe, we’ll speak on that, Sunday morning, the Lord willing.
63-0717 - A Prisoner
Rev. William Marrion Branham
http://table.branham.org

Many times the weakness of it is the part of the lack of faith after the people are healed. On the platform, here before the Divine gift, it will deliver anything. Any…No matter how bad they’re crippled, blind, twisted; they’ll be healed here at the platform. 6 But now, it’s been throwed to me many times that…how long does it last? They say, “Well, in a few days, most of them cases go right back in their conditions.”
50-0711 - Ministry Explained
Rev. William Marrion Branham
http://table.branham.org