Back to Main Page

THE LETTER KILLETH

MY.COMMISSION_ LA.CA SATURDAY_ 51-0505, E-13 And so then later on, It wou--it would come to me, and would speak to me, and tell me things that were going to happen. Well I stayed away from It. And after my conversion, my own church, in the Baptist church, I took it up with some of the ministers and so forth. And they advised me to stay away from it, and never have nothing to do with it, it's wrong. "So, if anything comes to you," said, "we... Them days of--of the supernatural... And that's on the other side." Said, "We live by the Word."

And I read one day where the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth Life. So I tried to push away. I recognized it. Set down and tried to consider it just in the best way that I could.

And I said, "Lord, if I've been wrong, forgive me."

ANGEL.OF.THE.LORD_ TOLEDO.OH WEDNESDAY_ 51-0718

E-10 Now, someone said not long ago, "Brother Branham, preach the Gospel..." A very noted radio evangelist, a friend. We belong to the same church. And he said, "Brother Branham, while you're on the West Coast here, preach the Gospel."

I said, "I do, Doctor."

And he said, "Not that Divine healing." He said, "Preach the Word."

I said, "The Word is what I preach, sir."

He said, "Look, Brother Branham," he said, "the Gospel is the Word of God."

I said, "Not altogether, brother. The Bible said the Gospel come to us not in Word only, but through power and demonstration of the Holy Ghost (See?) to preach the Word, The letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth Life." See?

It has got to be... Jesus said, "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature." Then interpret, it in Bible forms means go into all the world and demonstrate the power of the Word by the Holy Ghost. "And these signs shall follow them that believe."

I.AM.THE.RESURRECTION.AND.LIFE_ CHICAGO.IL SUNDAY_ 52-0810A, E-10 Now, the Word is right; this is God's way, of course. But just the Word, "The letter, killeth, but the Spirit giveth Life." See what I mean?

Now, and therefore, the enemy had to testify of God. In His ministry here He went forth, and things begin to happen. And then the church was all closed down on Him and said, "Now, if anybody goes over there to hear Him, we'll just get your... send your papers in. You'll have to go out. You're no more."

But there's some people by the name of Martha and Mary and Lazarus, brothers and sisters. And they heard Jesus, and they seen His miracles, so they didn't care whether He was... what the Orthodox said, what the church said, or nothing about it. They believed Him and they went with Him. And they believed Him, because they knew He was a Man of God. So He came to stay in their house, at--at Bethany.

SPEAK.TO.THIS.ROCK_ JONESBORO.AR TUESDAY_ 53-0512

E-5 Now, the Gospel is not altogether the Word. This is the Word of God, and all things must be based upon this Word. If it isn't, it isn't true. This is... But Jesus said, "Go ye in all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature." Now, He did not say "Teach the Word," He said, "Preach the Gospel."

So the Gospel consists more than teaching the Word, for Paul, confirming that, said, "The Gospel came to us, not in Word only, but through power." Demonstrations of the Holy Spirit would come and demonstrate the Gospel, bring the Word to a living reality.

If you just receive the Word by knowing the Word, that doesn't do you any good. "The letter killeth; the Spirit giveth life." Then you must be borned again, and then the Holy Spirit quickens the Word to you. In other words, like a grain of corn, if it's laying in my hand, it's just a grain of corn, it'll never be nothing else. But bury it, it comes contaminated, molds, and then it brings up another grain of corn just like it.

EARNESTLY.CONTENDING.FOR.THE.FAITH_ CONNERSVILLE.IN SUNDAY_ 53-0614A, E-13 And in order to preach the Gospel, before you can make it a Gospel preach, then you've got to have the power and demonstration of the Holy Spirit to prove the Gospel. "The letter killeth, the Word... the letter killeth, the Spirit maketh alive."

So it's not just a ritualistic affair, but it's absolutely a real, living reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, living among men. And that's the faith that I'm trying my best to contend for today; that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever and His power is unlimited.

HAVE.FAITH.IN.GOD_ NEW.YORK.NY 54-0900

E-11 People today are not watching... As we're going into India now... They... We was told by the authorities, some of the great authorities from India, don't come over saying we're missionaries. We've got all your tracts and know more about it than you do. See? They had religion before America was ever born. They had Jesus Christ. Said, "What we want is somebody who can make the Word manifest. That's what we want to see it, someone who can make the Word be alive. The letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth Life." See? So the Word manifest is what we need today.

SECOND.COMING_ PHOENIX.AZ SUNDAY_ 55-0220A, E-24 The Gospel is not, "Go out and teach them the Bible." That isn't the Gospel. It said in the Scriptures that the Gospel didn't come to you just in Word only, but through the power and demonstration of the Holy Spirit. The Gospel, that is the Word... But the letter killeth; the Spirit giveth Life.

Now, a seed laying here on the...?... pulpit here, is just a seed until it dies and becomes germitized--germitized and dies, it'll never do anything. So the seed... The Word here has to be made manifest in order to be of God.

He said, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

Now, to people...?... that the Word was... To take a word is the expression of thought. It has to be a thought before it can be a word. So God, in the beginning, gave the thought of what would be, spoke the Word what for; we see, we receive the Word, and it produces what God thought was. The Word is the Gospel in seed form.

TRUE.VINE.AND.THE.FALSE.VINE_ MACON.GA TUESDAY_ 55-0607

E-51 "I will restore, saith the Lord." Amen. Brother, I feel good enough to preach right now, almost. I will tell you, I really feel good. Why, think of it: what a day that we're living in, when God is here and we are seeing the things brought up. That's not mythical. Read the Bible. Follow them Scriptures and see if it's right.

There it come out of Genesis. Here it comes out of Genesis. This one here, fundamental, this one here fundamental, but God's vindicated this one all the way along with signs and wonders. He's still a vindicating His Church with signs and wonders. "These signs shall follow them that believe, to the end of the world. In My Name they shall cast out evil sprits; lay hands on the sick and they shall recover." There will be a people that will recognize it, and know it as long as there's a God in heaven that sent down a Holy Ghost upon people. Amen.

Oh, it's a real thing brother, when you stepped off of just... "The letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life," That's right. The letter's all right. But what good will the seed do if it's just a seed? Bury and let it rot out? It'll bring forth life and a whole ear of corn. Shall we pray.

HIDDEN.LIFE.WITH.CHRIST_ MINNEAPOLIS.MN MONDAY_ 56-0213

E-77 Want to ask you a question: How many members of your family, how many members of your church tonight, if that Angel passed by and seen those people so consecrated to God that the lost souls was on their hearts day and night, they just cried and sighed for the abominations done in Minneapolis here, how many would He seal tonight? Just think of it just a moment. See? It's a great thing to think of. And remember, that's the Word of the Lord.

And it's upon my heart, as I've went across the places in the world and watched people, when the anointing comes with the discernment, and it's breaking right forth on me right now. I'm not a fanatic. That's right. No, God forbid. And I never take a little gift like that and try to exercise it in any way, only to the glory of God, and knowing what I'm speaking of, and know where I stand tonight in the Presence of God, knowing this, that I've seen people who absolutely went about, tossed about, thought they were right. And to see the church in a place where it's just emotionally, and maybe in another estate, a educated church, that just thinks, "Well, we've got the Word." 'The letter killeth; it's the Spirit that giveth Life." No matter how straight and orthodox you may be, if you've never been in that Presence, to refresh your soul before God, you don't know what real victory is. That's right.

MARK.OF.THE.BEAST_ JEFF.IN SUNDAY_ 56-0715, E-49 The little womb here in your heart, with the seed this morning falling into it... Won't you open your eye? Won't you let it fall? Not from your mind, down into the womb of your heart. Men and women alike, there's neither male or female in this now; both of you has got a heart. Let it fall down here and say, "Well, sure, that's the truth." Look. The Bible said don't act like the heathen, the unbelievers. Don't yoke yourself with them. Come out from among them. Don't be a this way. If you love the world or the things of the world, the fashions... That word came from the Greek word "Kosmos," which means "the fashions of the world." If you love the world or the things of the world, the love of God's not even in you yet. You've never been born. Then let the Male, Christ Jesus, our Lover, with His Seed in your heart... He comes to His Seed to make it alive. The word... The letter killeth; the Spirit giveth Life. The letter alone kills. But when the Holy Spirit comes down through the cleansing Blood into this womb, a germ takes on.

STAND.STILL_ SASKATOON.SK SATURDAY_ 57-0518, E-48 Now, notice. Christ the Son of God died, and rose again, and ascended on high, and tonight is a High Priest of our confession, setting at the right hand of the Majesty of God, making intercession on our confession. Is that right? Everyone knows that.

Now, if He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and the Bible says that He's a High Priest that can be touched by the feeling of our infirmities, then, brother, look. Christ never said, "Go ye into all the world and teach the Word." The Bible doesn't say that. He said, "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel," not teach the Word, preach the Gospel. The letter killeth; the Spirit giveth Life.

But we've went and taught the Word and made It to suit our own program. But what is the Gospel? Paul said, "The Gospel come not in Word only but through the power and demonstrations of the Holy Spirit."

And then immediately He said after that, Mark the 16th chapter following, He said, "These signs shall follow them that believe." See? We just read part of it; don't leave the rest of it out.

HEBREWS.CHAPTER.4_ JEFF.IN HEB SUNDAY_ 57-0901E, 155-214 Up in the audience to another little woman, she went and got and brought in there. Said, "You are a dope addict." How He discerns the thoughts of the mind.

And great big aristocratic ministers setting there, who has worldwide evangelism, with their hands folded back in T-shirts, thought we didn't know them, like they could set under a meeting like that and God wouldn't reveal who they were... Setting there looking different, like they were somebody else. The Holy Ghost knowed who they was. And they set there, and in their hearts thought It was mental telepathy: know no more about God than a Hottentot would know about Egyptian knight. That's right. They know It by letter, but not by Spirit. The letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth Life. That's it; that's the idea. "Quicker, more powerful than a two-edged sword, a Discerner of the thoughts of the heart."

HEBREWS.CHAPTER.5.AND.6_ JEFF.IN HEB SUNDAY_ 57-0908M

167-18 And it was the same in the Old Testament. But Paul, being well trained and knew the Scriptures by the Word... But, you see, the Scriptures, no matter how well you know them, if the Spirit doesn't quicken them, then the letter killeth. The Spirit giveth Life. See, it must be quickened or made alive by the Spirit. If the Spirit doesn't liven the Word and make It a reality to you, then the letter is just intellectual. That's where we have so many confessed Christians today, or professed Christians, is a intellectual conception of Christ.

MISSIONARY.TALK_ MIDDLETOWN.OH SUNDAY_ 58-0330A

E-11 Now what is the Gospel? The word, "Gospel," means "good news." The good news is the Bible, but the Bible is the letter. "The letter killeth, and the Spirit giveth life." So Paul said, "The Gospel come not through Word only, but through the power and the manifestation of the Holy Spirit."

Now notice, the only way that the Gospel could be preached then, would be to manifest the power of the Holy Spirit. Then what's the next quotation? "And (a conjunction) these signs shall follow them that believe." Not these signs may follow them, they ought to follow them, but they shall follow them that believe. Then strictly speaking, a man cannot qualify himself as a believer until this has happened.

No church can have the right of calling themselves a believing church until these signs has followed them. That's what Jesus said. What is it doing? It's making the Word manifest.

HAVE.FAITH.IN.GOD_ PITTSFIELD.MA SATURDAY_ 58-0510

E-32 Moses was taught in all the wisdom of the Egyptian. And he had had forty years of teaching under his mother, and he could even teach the masters of Egypt. But it taken God just forty years to get that all beat out of him on the backside of the desert.

And one day while he was herding Jethro's sheep, running from Egypt, running from the task, and thought he'd just go back to work, and let it all go, because he'd tried in himself without having any experience. Teaching's all right, but the letter killeth. The Spirit giveth Life. And in the presence of that burning bush, he knowed more about God in five minutes, than he'd been taught in forty years.

What was it? It was an experience. He just didn't have a letter to read, or the laws to read, or the books to read, he had an experience, that God still lived. The God of Abraham was just as live in that day, in that foreign land, as He was when He talked to Abraham or Adam.

GOD.CALLED.MAN_ JEFF.IN V-2 N-27 SUNDAY_ 58-1005E

6-3 And God has made a promise: "If the people that are called by My Name shall assemble themselves together and pray, then I'll hear from heaven."

And so, we tonight, want to think on that, and remember that in the midst of all this cry, God cannot send a revival until He's got man in shape to take it. We cannot have a revival until we get men--God called men, God trained men, that's not trained up in the schools of theology and of education, but rugged men of faith that God has brought up in the school of His rugged training, men who are not afraid to face the fire, men who has come in the Presence of God and knows His power, and knows His omnipotence, and knows His healing power, some men that's trained to know the living God. It's all right to train them by the Word, but the letter killeth; the Spirit giveth Life.

PHILADELPHIAN.CHURCH.AGE_ JEFF.IN ROJC 373-423 SATURDAY_ 60-1210, 58 They opened up many doors during that age: the door to the Gospel, the door to the mission fields, the--the--the door back to Christ; and everything was opened up during that age. And you can see what they did, their brethren done a great job out of it.

And from John Wesley, the star after the Sardis age, after he come over waking them up from the Sardis age, for the past hundred and fifty years great missionaries (like of no other time or age before) has covered the entire earth. Think of that. Every nation under the heavens has heard the Word. It completed many, many, many years ago (See?), but not the Gospel, just the Word, "The letter killeth but the Spirit giveth Life." See?

SPOKEN.WORD.ORIGINAL.SEED_ JEFF.IN V-3 N-1 SUNDAY_ 62-0318M, 21-1 A seed must have water to grow. Now, you put a seed in the ground and if there's no moisture in the ground, it's dust, and it won't grow in the dust: can't. It's got to have a certain percent of moisture or it won't grow. Is that right? The letter killeth; the Spirit giveth it Life. See? Now, it must have moisture to grow.

His Word is a Seed. Now, to prove that, let's turn to Luke the 8th chapter, the 11th verse and see if this is true or not, if--if the Bible says His Word is a Seed. Luke the 11th chapter--or the 8th chapter rather and the 11th verse. And we'll see what God said about it: 8th chapter, 11th verse. Now, He goes ahead and begins to tell. There's much things to say about it. Let's start at the 4th and just read.

And when much people were gathered together, and there come unto him out of every city, he spake by... parables:

A sower went out to sow his seed--to sow his--sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.

And some fell upon... rock; and... soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.

PUTTING.ON.THE.WHOLE.ARMOUR.OF.GOD_ S.PINES.NC THURSDAY_ 62-0607

E-43 Just like the Word in the beginning was spoken to us in the garden of Eden, spoken Word. And the second time it was made flesh and dwelt among us. And the third time it become part of us when the Holy Ghost dwelling in us, God coming into the man. First spoke the Word; the enemy tore it down. Then the Word was made flesh; He was crucified. But now (Amen.), there's a difference in the Word. The Word is become the church, and the church is the Word. God... All that God was He poured into Christ. All Christ was poured into the church: the Holy Ghost. Now, the enemy's got something. See, then he isn't fighting something back here.

Many people just taken the letter. "The letter killeth. The Spirit giveth life," See, see? And they take these creeds and so forth, still killeth. But when you are taking the Spirit, that's God, Himself. How do you know it's God? Because He's taking the Word and manifesting It. See? Then it's God, Himself. Oh, my, spoken Word. See? Yes, sir. Oh, my.

FROM.THAT.TIME_ SPOKANE.WA FRIDAY_ 62-0713, E-60 I'll tell you, a genuine Holy Spirit experience will punctuate every sentence of that Bible with a "Amen." Right. Regardless of what anybody else says, it'll certainly do it, because It's the Spirit of God, the Writer of the Bible. And the Spirit--the Spirit of the Word is the Holy Spirit. That's what quickens It. The letter killeth, the Spirit giveth It Life (See?), gives the letter, just the printed letter, Life, makes It manifest, brings It to pass exactly what God promised.

Abraham was a changed man, strong, all the time giving praise to God. No matter how much he did, he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief. Why? He met God. He was a changed person.

II CORINTHIANS 3:6

6 ¶ Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

 
  Back to Main Page