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Bro Branham taught that God sovereignly places five ministering gifts in the Church: apostles (or missionaries), prophets, teachers, evangelists, and pastors. These are foreknown and set by God for the perfecting of the saints. Evidence: [THE MINISTRY EXPLAINED — 56-1001: ¶13–¶14]; [WHAT IT TAKES TO OVERCOME ALL UNBELIEF: OUR FAITH — 60-0729: ¶29b–¶33].
He explained that once believers are in the Body of Christ, nine spiritual gifts operate in every local church body. These include gifts of healing, prophecy, speaking in tongues, interpretation of tongues, wisdom, knowledge, miracles, discernment, and faith. Believers are to pray for these gifts so the Spirit can work through them in the local assembly for the perfecting of the Church. Evidence: [THE MINISTRY EXPLAINED — 56-1001: ¶14–¶15]; [EXPECTATIONS — 50-0810: ¶9b–¶11a]; [CHURCH ORDER — 58-1007: ¶11–¶13].
Bro Branham described how the nine gifts operate: they circulate through the Body by one Spirit, falling upon different individuals at different times rather than making any one person a fixed office. For example, the gift of prophecy or healing might rest on one person one night and another the next. They must be judged by two or three spiritual judges before being received by the church, and they are for edification, not confusion or vain repetition. In church order, those with paired ministries (such as tongues and interpretation) should meet privately beforehand to wait on the Lord together. Evidence: [EXPECTATIONS — 50-0810: ¶9b–¶11a]; [CHURCH ORDER — 63-1226: ¶30–¶32; ¶37–¶38]; [A SECONDHANDED ROBE — 56-1206: ¶11–¶14].
He related the nine gifts to the five-fold ministry by noting that the five are sovereignly placed offices while the nine are gifts believers pray for and that operate within the local body to keep the Church clean, rebuke sin, and prepare it for the Lord’s coming. Both work together: the five-fold offices perfect the saints while the nine gifts confirm the Word and build up the local assembly. Evidence: [WHAT IT TAKES TO OVERCOME ALL UNBELIEF: OUR FAITH — 60-0729: ¶29b–¶33]; [THE MINISTRY EXPLAINED — 56-1001: ¶13–¶15].
Bro Branham distinguished the gifts of the Spirit from the fruit of the Spirit. The gifts (such as tongues, prophecy, and healing) are manifestations that operate through the Body for edification and signs, while the fruit (love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance) is the evidence of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling life and character. He stressed that one can operate gifts without fruit, but true spiritual maturity requires both, with fruit being primary as the life of the Vine producing character in the branches. Evidence: [THE RESTORATION OF THE BRIDE TREE — 62-0422: ¶155–¶160; ¶187–¶191; ¶204–¶208]; [THE POSITION OF A BELIEVER IN CHRIST — 55-0227A: ¶38–¶39].
Main sermon references drawn from the evidence include THE MINISTRY EXPLAINED (56-1001), EXPECTATIONS (50-0810), CHURCH ORDER (58-1007 and 63-1226), WHAT IT TAKES TO OVERCOME ALL UNBELIEF: OUR FAITH (60-0729), THE RESTORATION OF THE BRIDE TREE (62-0422), and A SECONDHANDED ROBE (56-1206).
“Then when you become in the Body of Christ, then there’s nine spiritual gifts that goes in ever local church body. And those are gifts that you’re to pray for…Pray for the gifts of healing, and pray for the gifts of miracles, and so forth. That’s the ones that you pray for, and the Spirit comes on and works in each local assembly to—in the perfecting of the Church.”
[THE MINISTRY EXPLAINED — 56-1001: ¶14]
“There’s nine spiritual gifts in the church. They operate anywhere in the church…Gifts of healing, gifts of prophecy, it might fall upon someone here tonight, this lady setting here, this man, or this man…It’s in the church—the body. Now, those are the nine spiritual gifts that’s in the body now. They work through the body. But then there is gifts and callings without repentance.”
[EXPECTATIONS — 50-0810: ¶10–¶11]
“It’s bearing nine spiritual gifts…They’re healing the sick. They’re speaking in tongues. They’re casting out devils…Now let’s picture a big Tree, of God’s Tree. It’s bearing nine spiritual gifts.”
[THE RESTORATION OF THE BRIDE TREE — 62-0422: ¶187; ¶204]
“Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, goodness, meekness, gentleness, patience, there’s the fruit of the Spirit…You’re going after the gifts in the stead of the Giver.”
[THE POSITION OF A BELIEVER IN CHRIST — 55-0227A: ¶38–¶39]
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