Legalism to What Point?
William Branham obviously taught
on the need for women not to cut their hair and for them to not wear pants. But
what is very interesting is he would develop loop holes in his doctrine when
asked direct questions. And even admitted when asked about one verse of
scripture in particular that it was a cultural thing for those (Bible) times.
Questions And Answers #2
was delivered on Sunday evening, 23rd August 1964 at the Branham Tabernacle in
Jeffersonville, Indiana, U.S.A.
1041-Q-319
319. Brother Branham, is it all right for a--a young child to wear slacks and
shorts?
How young? Just let you be the judge of that; if you're a Christian. A little
girl or any little bitty kid, I imagine, I don't know, I... Only thing I know,
the Bible says it's an abomination for a woman to wear a garment that's--that
pertains to a man. See? "A woman," didn't say, "a child."
But now, I just... You just suit yourself about that, I... For my part, I see
nothing wrong with a little bitty kid, little bitty girl four or five years old
with a... When they're little fellows, you know how I mean, they'll run around
out there in the yard. If she's wearing, what you call slacks or whatever, is a
little bitty kid, I--I don't see nothing wrong with it. Maybe...
See, I'm just telling you what the Word says. It's an abomination for a woman to
wear a garment that pertains to a man.
Questions And Answers #3
was delivered on Sunday morning, 30th August 1964 at the Branham Tabernacle in
Jeffersonville, Indiana, U.S.A.
1101-Q-343
343. When they cut it in... Is long--is
long hair when they cut it in front? (Huh. Now, wait a minute; let me get this
here. I...) Is long hair when they...
Well, I--I--maybe they mean this: "Is it long hair any longer when they cut
it in front?" Not any longer; they've cut it off. See? But like the man
that had the trousers cut them off three times and still too short. What say?
What say? [Brother Branham has conversation with
someone in audience--Ed.] Oh, that's what they're talking about. As I
tease my little girl, she said... The "booms" I call them, you know,
bangs, or whatever it is, you know, across the front here.
Well, I imagine those kids that's cutting their hair in front... You--maybe your
mother could tell you about that (See?), if she wants you to do that way. I
think it'd look kinda--kinda a little bit like a woman was looking through the
rear view if she passed about twenty-five years old and wanted to cut them off
in front like that, look like some little kid. Look on out here where you're
going, sis, not where you've been. See?
1102-186
And now, but cutting the hair, I--I--I'll tell you this. I can't--I--I ain't got
no--no Scripture to say that you can cut so much of it and can't do the other.
I--I haven't got no Scripture for that; I--I couldn't tell you that, sister, or
brother, ever who it is.
I say one thing. I wished... Now, I know my kids has done that too, Rebekah and
Sarah, I seen when they cut their hair off here in front, and plait it back here
in the back, and make these things across the front, like this. I--I don't,
I--I... Now, not holding them. See? No, sir. To me, I wished they didn't even
put a scissors on their hair at all. But when they got all long, hanging down
like this, and just cut the front of it out of their eyes, little kids maybe.
I--I wouldn't know whether that'd be wrong; I wouldn't think so. See? But when
you get... If you can, I--for you sisters, I'd just let it the way the Lord made
it. See?
1102-188
And of course, I know women wants to look pretty; that's nature; and
that--that's what they should be. See? They should be that way. And so, that's
fine, but just don't--don't; otherwise like this, don't look like the world
(See?); don't pattern after the world. Things wrong... You want it cut off, like
that, but don't cut your hair now. If you got the braids hanging down, or--or
whatever it is in your hair, you leave it long. Don't cut it like it's going to
look like the world. If you're just them little girls...
1102-189
My uncle used to have a little girl up there in--in New York. She had the
prettiest hair. It's kind of dark brown and she'd wear her plaits... My mother
used to be able to... Her plaits hit down here in the back of her knees. And
this little girl had plaits like that too; her name was Jacqueline. And she had
combed part of it down like this and cut it off like this. And now, it's been
about fifteen, eighteen, twenty years ago. And I used to wonder, why didn't she
just comb the whole thing back, it'd look prettier than having it just like, off
here like these modern Beatles they have now days, you know. And a... Oh, that's
right, I don't believe I'd do it. Anything look like them Beatles, that looks
like out of the world, so let--now, just leave that alone. Yeah.
Questions And Answers #1
was delivered on Sunday morning, 23rd August 1964 at the Branham Tabernacle in
Jeffersonville, Indiana, U.S.A.
959-Q-251
251 Brother Branham, does this I Timothy
2:9 mean a woman cannot braid her hair? Does "broid" hair mean
"braided" hair?
Now look, sister, now this... I'm--I'm glad that followed this. I never fixed it
there, but it just--it followed that good.
Notice, a braided hair in that day was the sign of a street woman; that's what
she done, braided her hair. And Paul said to the Christians, "Now, that
adorning, not let it be of a braided..." (or 'broided' and 'braid' is the
same thing)--to braid their hair, because it looked like the rest of the world.
Now, you're supposed not to look like the world or act like the world. See? The
women are supposed to be different there. See? No, now, braiding hair... Now,
today braided hair is pretty, and it's a long ways from the fashion of the
world. Now, you see the women, the way they do their hair today... Just keep
your hair in any way; just don't look like the world. See? Don't look or dress
like it. If they wear shorts, you wear a dress. If they--if they do their hair
all--cut it all off and bob it, and do them ever... You--you--you just let yours
alone. See?
959-175
And the braid--but braid... The question was: Does "braided"
mean--"broided" mean "braided"? Yes, that's right. And now,
on the street...
Now, I looked that up to find out years ago what the "braided" hair
meant. See? The women, actually, the women of old, they just pulled their hair
back and tied it, more like in a ponytail today. And they went around... They
had robes on like that, but the women of the street took their hair and braided
it all across their heads, and wrapped it around like that, and put flowers in
it and things like that, and that was kind of the--the flapper on the street;
just like we would see the flapper today, the way she dresses. I'm saying
flapper, 'cause you know I'm an old man; so that's what they's called them in my
days. What is it they call them today? I... My, I don't know. Chicks or
something or another. So... Ever what it is. Give them any kind of a name, they
like it.
Just remember
Dear Dr. Laura:
Thank you for doing so much to educate people
regarding God’s Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and I try to
share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend
the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22
clearly states it to be an abomination.
I do need some advice from you, however,
regarding some other specific Biblical laws and how to follow them.
- When I burn a bull on the altar as a
sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord (Lev.
1:9). The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to
them. Should I smite them?
- I would like to sell my daughter into
slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you
think would be a fair price for her?
- I know that I am allowed no contact with a
woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanness (Lev.15:19-24).
The problem is, how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take
offense.
- Lev.
25:44 states that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and female,
provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine
claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify?
Why can’t I own Canadians?
- I have a neighbor who insists on working on
the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I
morally obligated to kill him myself?
- A friend of mine feels that even though
eating shellfish is an abomination (Lev.
11:10), it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don’t agree. Can
you settle this?
- Lev.
21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in
my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have
to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle room here?
- Most of my male friends get their hair
trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is
expressly forbidden by Lev.19:27. How should
they die?
- I know from Lev.
11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I
still play football if I wear gloves?
- My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev.
19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by
wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester
blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary
that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone
them? (Lev.24:10-16) Couldn’t we just burn
them to death at a private family affair like we do with people who sleep
with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)
I know you have studied these things
extensively, so I am confident you can help. Thank you again for reminding us
that God’s word is eternal and unchanging.
