F.F. Bosworth Recording: A Review of His Message on 'Mass Faith" and His Unchanging Belief in Divine Healing

By Roscoe Barnes III, PhD

Author, F.F. Bosworth: The Man Behind "Christ the Healer"
Copyright (c) 2020

#FFBosworth
#BosworthMatters

A 1954 audio recording of F.F. Bosworth shows his continued and unchanging belief in the availability of divine healing to all believers by simple faith in God’s word. This is a position that he held for decades, beginning with the early days of his ministry of healing. He experienced a turning point on the issue in 1920 during meetings in Lima, Ohio.  The audio recording features his message, “Mass Faith,” which was delivered on July 21, 1954, in Chicago. At the time, Bosworth was 77 years of age. He’d spent a number of years working with William Branham, Gordon Lindsay, and The Voice of Healing. In his later years of ministry, he seemed even more convinced of his position on divine healing.

Copies of the audio recording are available online, on YouTube, and through the 

Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center (iFPHC.org). An excerpt of the recording 

can also be found here.

“The Bible removes every bit of uncertainty from the mind of the person in need on any subject in the Bible where God’s will is revealed,” Bosworth said. “There are 3,827 promises, every one of which is a revelation of what God is eager to do beyond the power of any person to realize.” Bosworth said that he has proven many thousands of times that his message of faith in God’s word is true. He explained:

By the simple presentation of nothing but the written word, the Bible … any incurable man or woman, I say incurable from the standpoint of the human side, can by the simple presentation of the written word, be brought to the same state of certainty and assurance and freedom from fear, before anything happens, as any sinner can be brought to the same state of mind with reference of the healing of the soul. If that isn’t true, I never would preach on the subject of divine healing. Faith presupposes that the sick person has found foolproof reasons for what to expect.

Bosworth taught that divine healing is in the Atonementof Christ. He emphasized the belief that the Greek word for “saved” is “sozo,” and that it is the same word that is used for salvation for the soul and healing for the body in the New Testament. For him, it all boiled down to believing the promises of God and the provisions God has made for deliverance from sin, and from sickness and disease. The process for receiving divine healing is so true and simple, he taught, that people can be healed without the laying on of hands. They can also experience healing en masse, where thousands can be healed at one time by having simple faith in God’s promises. For him, “mass faith” can result in “mass healing.”

In addition to God’s promises, healing also involves the love of God, according to Bosworth. “The love of God is so far beyond our conception, only so far as we experience it, that it can’t be illustrated,” he said. “God is yearning to do what you want him to.” For this reason, there is no need for people to beg God for healing, he explained.

Some people say, “If I’ll just beg enough and pray earnest enough and get others to pray with me”… they think by ganging up on God, they can get him good enough to be interested. That is as far from the nature of God as you can go.

In Bosworth’s view, God’s love for humanity has not been fully understood or appreciated. “No man, no preacher ever was able to illustrate the intensity of God’s desire to do for everybody anything that’s right,” he said in his message. “The Bible tells what is right by His promises. So [we] can come to Him without entering into any uncertainty whatsoever. If God can have his way, every sick person would be healed tonight.”

Bosworth’s unwavering conviction on divine healing grew out of an experience he had following the death of his first wife, Estella. She died of tuberculosis in November 1919. In 1920, when Bosworth visited Lima, he was asked to preach on diving healing. That request became the impetus or nudge, if you will, for discovering God's will for his healing ministry. In my doctoral work on his life history, I described his experience as follows:

[Bosworth] apparently had been uncertain about the will of God to heal all believers of all sicknesses and diseases. However, after prayer and study of the Scriptures, he became convinced that it was God’s will to heal all. He came to believe that healing is a part of salvation and that it can be received in the same way that salvation for the soul is received (Perkins 1921 & 1927; Bosworth 1948). He became an apologist on the subject and insisted that divine healing was in the atoning work of Christ.

This epiphany in Lima was a significant moment for Bosworth. It shaped his theology and allowed him to become grounded in his beliefs on healing. The revelation he received became the cornerstone of his ministry and the central thrust of his preaching throughout his career. It also resulted in the publication of his classic, Christ the Healer (1924b & 1948) in which he offers instructions, and makes numerous arguments in favor of divine healing.

More than three decades following his epiphany in Lima, Bosworth’s conviction and teaching remained unchanged. He stayed the course in his theology and in his defense of divine healing. “I know what I’m talking about,” he said in the 1954 recording. “I don’t know much, but I know what I’m talking about on that subject, because we’ve taken time to find out what God’s word says.”

---------------------------

Reminder: "F.F. Bosworth History" is now on Twitter. Follow @bosworth_fred

Note: My book, F.F. Bosworth: The Man Behind "Christ the Healer," can be purchased here with a 25% discount. Use the discount code: BOSWORTH25.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Want to know more

about F.F. Bosworth? 

Follow the Bosworth Matters blog! 

You can start right here:

ffbosworth.strikingly.com

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

For more information:

Visit the F.F. Bosworth page here. Questions about the research and commentary on F.F. Bosworth may be directed to Roscoe Barnes III, Ph.D., via email at doctorbarnes3@gmail.com or roscoebarnes3@yahoo.com. For updates on F.F. Bosworth history, simply follow this blog or @bosworth_fred and @Roscoebarnes3 on Twitter. #ChristTheHealer #BosworthMention #BosworthMatters

Lester Sumrall's Mention of F.F. Bosworth

He recounts a meeting with the revivalist in 1954

By Roscoe Barnes III, PhD

Author, F.F. Bosworth: The Man Behind "Christ the Healer"
Copyright (c) 2020

#FFBosworth
#BosworthMatters

#LesterSumrall

Dr. Lester Sumrall
(1913 - 1996)

F.F. Bosworth was one of many famous healing revivalists that Lester Sumrall had the pleasure of meeting.

In his book, Pioneers of Faith (Harrison House, 1995), Sumrall includes a profile of Bosworth in a chapter titled, “Fred Francis Bosworth: A Man of Humility and Humor (1877-1958).” Sumrall recounts a meeting he had with Bosworth in 1954. It was when Bosworth visited his church in South Bend, Ind. Bosworth, who was in his 70s, was joined by Raymond T. Richey.

“I did not become intimately acquainted with Bosworth on the mission field, but in my own church in South Bend,” Sumrall notes. He writes that he was “ecstatic” to have Bosworth and Richey in his church.

As would be expected in a profile, Sumrall chronicles the life story of Bosworth, beginning with his birth in Nebraska. He covers his conversion, his healing of TB, his work with John Alexander Dowie in Zion City, his Spirit baptism, his call to the ministry, and his success as a healing evangelist. Most of what he provides is commonly known. However, he does make some interesting observations about the famous healing evangelist. A few of them are outlined below.

What Sumrall said about Bosworth

First, Sumrall comments on the success of Bosworth’s healing ministry. He asserts that Bosworth and Richey “were men who were getting more people healed than any other two people on the face of the earth at that time.” This claim, particularly as it relates to Bosworth, might be viewed as hyperbole, However, similar claims about Bosworth have been made by a number of historians and healing revivalists, including Gordon Lindsay.

Second, he describes Bosworth as a team player in his ministry with Richey. The two men “flowed beautifully together in speaking and praying for the sick,” according to Sumrall.  Richey was a few years younger than Bosworth. In some ways, their work was probably reminiscent of Bosworth’s time with his younger brother, B.B. Bosworth. Even so, Bosworth was known throughout his ministry as one who would defer to others by gracefully sharing the platform and spotlight. Sumrall’s depiction of him rings true, and it is no surprise that Sumrall describes him and Richey as “quite a team.”

Third, he views their ministry as representing two moves of the Spirit. “It was the old and the new moves functioning together,” he explains. “Richey came out of the nineteenth-century holiness move, and Bosworth was Pentecostal.”

Now this statement, in all honesty, is surprising, if not confusing. Why? Because both men came out of Zion City. Both served with the Assemblies of God and both served with the Christian and Missionary Alliance. Both of them also held successful healing revivals. Given these facts, it seems that Sumrall's comment could use some clarity.

Fourth, he reports on the method of ministry used by Bosworth and Richey. He writes: “Bosworth usually gave testimonies from his past, and Richey laid hands on the people.” This first-hand observation lines up with an argument I have made about Bosworth’s method of defending divine healing. In the article, “F.F. Bosworth's Defense of Divine Healing: A look at his useof the 'Notable Data Argument' (NDA),” I presented the following:

Whenever F.F. Bosworth was challenged on the topic of divine healing, he used Scripture and divine healing cases/testimonials in what I term the “Notable Data Argument” or NDA (taken from Acts 4:16). I define NDA as the Pentecostal method of proving a point, establishing a supernatural claim -- or supporting a position -- by using trusted experiences that are widely accepted and validated by objective sources, such as medical professionals. The NDA concept, which is based on patterns identified in Bosworth's life history, was inspired by Acts 4:16: "What shall we do to these men? Because indeed a notable miracle has been done through them, as can be plainly seen by all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we can't deny it” (World English Bible).

Bosworth used healing testimonies in his sermons, books, magazines, newspapers, articles, letters, and in his debates. He also featured them on his radio broadcast. His use of them in Sumrall's church meeting fits a pattern of ministry that is seen throughout his career.

Fifth, he notes the legacy of Bosworth's book, Christ the Healer (1924), which he calls a "masterpiece." The book is Bosworth's manifesto on divine healing. It has been used as a textbook for many decades by many well-known healing revivalists. Sumrall adds: "Still available today, this book tells of the great healing power of God and influenced evangelist T.L. Osborn in his worldwide ministry.”

Sixth, Sumrall suggests Bosworth was a man of humor. During Bosworth's presentation, he apparently shared a few stories that made people laugh. One of the stories, according to Sumrall, related to his early years, when he worked as a jack-of-all-trades:

He once said he cooked for twenty-four boarders “and none of them died.” His sense of humor helped him stay humble and handle some of the persecution that came his way. When he told the story of his life, some of the highlights were the funny things that happened to him as he tried out these various jobs.”

Sumrall's description of Bosworth as a man of humor is the first that I have seen. William Branham recalled some of the amusing comments by Bosworth, and bits of humor can be heard in Bosworth's recorded sermons from the 1950s. Humor and sarcasm can be seen in his debates. But was he actually a man of humor? I suppose it's possible.

Sumrall's profile of Bosworth is an interesting piece of writing and a nice nonscholarly contribution to Pentecostal literature. In addition to Bosworth, he writes about a number of notable leaders in the Pentecostal movement. He includes Howard Carter, P.C. Nelson, Lillian Yeomans, Donald Gee, Carrie Judd Montgomery, Charles Price, and Smith Wigglesworth, among others.

Sumrall's book, according to his publisher, is a collection of stories in which he shares his "personal account of the lives and ministries of the men and women who led the twentieth-century outpouring of the Holy Spirit." It is good to see Bosworth featured among these important leaders and to see how their respective ministries intersected in such an important movement in church history.

---------------------------

Reminder: "F.F. Bosworth History" is now on Twitter. Follow @bosworth_fred

Note: My book, F.F. Bosworth: The Man Behind "Christ the Healer," can be purchased here with a 25% discount. Use the discount code: bosworth25.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Want to know more

about F.F. Bosworth?

Follow the Bosworth Matters blog!

You can start right here:

ffbosworth.strikingly.com

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

For more information:

Visit the F.F. Bosworth page here. Questions about the research and commentary on F.F. Bosworth may be directed to Roscoe Barnes III, Ph.D., via email at doctorbarnes3@gmail.com or roscoebarnes3@yahoo.com. For updates on F.F. Bosworth history, simply follow this blog or @bosworth_fred and @Roscoebarnes3 on Twitter. #ChristTheHealer #BosworthMention #BosworthMatters

Christmas Concert at Wilkinson Prison (December 2019)

Event held by The Sanctuary Choir

I’m here with the Rev. Wilsonni Johnson (left) and Deacon Frank Hill Jr. at the 2019 Christmas Concert at Wilkinson County Correctional Facility (WCCF). The annual event was held by The Sanctuary Choir of Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church in Natchez, Miss. Hill organized the program. Johnson was the guest speaker. The choir performed under the direction of Mr. Alvin Shelby.

Deacon Frank Hill Jr. speaking.

Minister of Music Alvin Shelby speaking.

Gordon Lindsay: An Overview of His Life and Ministry (Preprint)

By Roscoe Barnes III, PhD
Author, F.F. Bosworth: The Man Behind "Christ the Healer"
Copyright (c) 2020

#FFBosworth
#BosworthMatters
#GordonLindsay

Gordon Lindsay
(1906 - 1973)

Note: This article, a preprint, has been submitted and accepted for publication in 'Brill's Encyclopedia of Global Pentecostalism.'

---------------------

Gordon Lindsay (1906-1973) was a Pentecostal pastor, revivalist, and prolific writer who documented the Post-World War II healing revival that was spearheaded by The Voice of Healing. He is probably best known for his work with William Branham and as the founder of Christ for the Nations Institute in Dallas, TX.

The author of more than 200 books, Lindsay played a vital role in the ministry success of scores of healing evangelists during the 1940s and 1950s. He also assisted in the establishment of 100s of churches in various countries. Over the years, he created international outreach programs for the distribution of Christian literature and support for foreign missionaries. He believed that it was in God's providence that "The Voice of Healing was used to spearhead apostolic ministry in many nations." (Lindsay, 1992)

Lindsay was born on June 18, 1906, in Zion City, Ill. His parents, Thomas and Effie (Ramsey) Lindsay, were devoted followers of John Alexander Dowie, the controversial faith healer who founded Zion City as a Christian community. When Zion City went into bankruptcy, Lindsay's family moved to Idaho, and later to California and then, Portland, Ore.

Lindsay, while still a teenager, converted to Christ under the preaching of Charles Parham. The preaching occurred in a church pastored by John G. Lake, who was known as a famous healing evangelist and the founder of healing rooms in parts of the United States.

Lindsay attributed his spiritual experiences to his mother's prayers. Shortly after his conversion, he received the baptism in the Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. When he surrendered his life to Christ, he felt a call to the ministry. He experienced a passionate interest in apostolic ministry with a longing to reach multitudes for Christ. After a period of time in prayer, he began preaching as an evangelist.

In the early 1930s, Lindsay was preaching a revival in Oregon when a young lady, Freda Schimpf, attended the service and surrendered her life to Christ. Four years later, she and Lindsay began a casual friendship that led to their marriage on November 14, 1937. The couple spent a number of years ministering as evangelists. In July 1944, they received a call to pastor an Assembly of God Church in Ashland, Ore.

In the spring of 1947, Gordon received a letter from his friend, Jack Moore, telling him about the unusual ministry of William Branham. Moore invited Gordon and Freda to attend a Branham service in Sacramento, Calif. It was during that service that Gordon and Branham felt led of the Lord to work together as a team. Gordon, who perceived Branham to be divinely gifted, but very simple and unassuming, agreed to manage his meetings. Gordon would use his networking skills, along with his writing and business acumen to introduce Branham to interdenominational audiences in citywide campaigns.

Realizing the power of literature, Gordon and Moore began publishing The Voice of Healing Magazine as the official organ of Branham’s ministry. The first issue appeared in April 1948. However, in July of that year, Branham announced he would be taking a break from the ministry because issues related to his health. Gordon was shocked and disappointed, but after prayer, he decided to use the magazine as a promotional tool for other evangelists with healing ministries. The Voice of Healing evolved into a loose association of ministers with a set of guidelines and regular conferences. As the circulation of the magazine grew, having up to 30,000 monthly subscribers in 1949, it featured many of the most prominent names in the movement, including Oral Roberts, Jack Coe, David Nunn, T.L. Osborn, W.V. Grant, A.A. Allen, and F.F. Bosworth.

By the late 1950s, the healing revival had started to wane, but that did not damper Gordon's passion for writing. His literary output was nothing short of extraordinary. His book, William Branham: A Man Sent from God, was a popular title that helped to catapult Branham to international fame.

Gordon authored about 250 books on various teachings of the Bible; he also penned several biographies that included such figures as John Alexander Dowie and John G. Lake. In keeping with Gordon’s new focus on global missions, the name of his magazine was changed to World-Wide Revival. The magazine and the Voice of Healing ministry later became known as Christ for the Nations Inc. In 1970, Gordon and Freda founded Christ for the Nations Institute as an interdenominational charismatic Bible college.

Gordon lived to see only the early years of his school. On a Sunday afternoon, on April 1, 1973, he died unexpectedly while sitting on the platform during a worship service at Christ for the Nations Institute. He was 66. The day after his funeral, the ministry’s board voted unanimously to make Freda president of the ministry.

Further reading:

Burgess, Stanley M., and Gary B. McGee, eds. 1988. Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements. Grand Rapids, MI: Regency Reference Library/Zondervan.

Harrell Jr., David Edwin. 1975. All Things Are Possible: The Healing and Charismatic Revivals in Modern America. Bloomington and London: Indiana University Press.

Lindsay, Gordon. 1992. The Gordon Lindsay Story. Dallas, TX: Christ For The Nations.

Lindsay, Gordon. n.d. William Branham: A Man Sent From God. Jeffersonville, IN: William Branham.

Lindsay, Mrs. Gordon. 1976. My Diary Secrets. Dallas. TX: Christ For The Nations.

---------------------------

Reminder: "F.F. Bosworth History" is now on Twitter. Follow @bosworth_fred
Note: My book, F.F. Bosworth: The Man Behind "Christ the Healer," can be purchased here with a 25% discount. Use the discount code: bosworth25.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Want to know more
about F.F. Bosworth?

Follow the Bosworth Matters blog!

You can start right here:
ffbosworth.strikingly.com

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

For more information:
Visit the F.F. Bosworth page here. Questions about the research and commentary on F.F. Bosworth may be directed to Roscoe Barnes III, Ph.D., via email at doctorbarnes3@gmail.com or roscoebarnes3@yahoo.com. For updates on F.F. Bosworth history, simply follow this blog or @bosworth_fred and @Roscoebarnes3 on Twitter. #ChristTheHealer #BosworthMention #BosworthMatters

F.F. Bosworth: An Overview of His Life and Ministry (Preprint)

By Roscoe Barnes III, PhD
Author, F.F. Bosworth: The Man Behind "Christ the Healer"
Copyright (c) 2020

#FFBosworth
#BosworthMatters
#BosworthMention

F.F. Bosworth
(1877-1958)

Note: This article, a preprint, has been submitted and accepted for publication in Brill's Encyclopedia of Global Pentecostalism.

-----------------------

Fred Francis (“F.F.”) Bosworth (1877-1958) was a Pentecostal pioneer, musician, and famous healing evangelist whose ministry spanned several decades, beginning in the early years of the 20th century. He played a prominent role in the Pentecostal movement in the United States in the early 1900s; he also worked with the healing evangelists of the Voice of Healing during the post-World War II revival.

Bosworth was a founding minister and one of the first executive presbyters of the General Council of the Assemblies of God. In the 1920s and 1930s, he held citywide revival meetings that drew thousands of people in single services throughout the United States and Canada. It is believed that more than a million people came to Christ through his ministry. In addition to being a pioneer in radio broadcasting, he was the author of the widely-read book, Christ the Healer (1924). He was considered by some historians to be one of the most successful healing revivalists of his generation.

Bosworth was born on January 17, 1877, to Burton and Amelia Bosworth on a farm near Utica, Neb. As a child, Bosworth discovered his talent for music, and he learned to sell. He was a teenager when he became a Christian. While still a youth, Bosworth contracted Tuberculosis. Believing he would soon die, he travelled to Fitzgerald, Ga., to say farewell to his family. While there, he attended a service in a Methodist church that was held by Evangelist Mattie Perry. She prayed for him and he was healed of his TB.

Later, after learning about the healing ministry of John Alexander Dowie, Bosworth and his wife, Estella Hyde, moved north to live in Zion City, which was founded by Dowie as a Christian community. Dowie hired Bosworth to be his band director.

In 1906, Pentecostal pioneer Charles Parham visited Zion and shared the Pentecostal message. On October 18 of that year, Bosworth received the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. It was during that time that he received his call to preach. He and his family later moved to Dallas, Texas, where they established a church that would become known as the First Assembly of God Church.

Bosworth suffered hardships in Dallas. On one occasion a white mob held him at gun-point and brutally beat him because of his ministry at a black camp meeting.

In 1912, Evangelist Maria Woodworth-Etter came to his church for a six month revival meeting. During that time, Bosworth unleashed a flurry of press reports about conversions, miracles of healing and unusual events that occurred during her ministry. The news of the meetings attracted some of the biggest names in the Pentecostal movement. For several years, the meetings continued to grow. However, a conflict arose over the issue of speaking in tongues. While many in his assembly believed speaking in tongues was the initial sign of Spirit baptism, Bosworth believed speaking in tongues was only one of the signs of Spirit baptism. He also opposed the view that the tongues spoken in Acts were separate and distinct from the gift of tongues in First Corinthians. Because of his disagreement, Bosworth resigned from the Assemblies of God denomination and became an active minster in the Christian & Missionary Alliance.

A few months following his resignation, Bosworth said farewell to his wife, Estella, who succumb to TB. In spite of his grief, he continued to pray for the sick and preach divine healing. In 1920, he held successful healing campaigns in Lima, Ohio, and Pittsburg, Pa.

In the 1920s, Bosworth’s ministry saw unprecedented growth. His biography, Joybringer Bosworth, appeared in 1921, and his book, Christ the Healer, in 1924. His 1924 campaign in Ottawa, Canada reportedly drew a massive crowd in which 12,000 sought salvation. This was also the decade in which he married Florence Naomi Valentine and launched his magazine, Exploits of Faith.

In the 1930s, Bosworth embraced the teachings of British Israelism and fell out of fellowship with his denomination, the Christian & Missionary Alliance. However, in the 1940s, he recanted his views and was welcomed back into fellowship.

Bosworth had all but retired when he learned of the healing ministry of William Branham, which was managed by Gordon Lindsay. After attending one of their meetings, Bosworth joined their staff. Although 71 years of age, he taught and served as an advisor to Branham and other healing revivalists who were members of The Voice of Healing organization.

Bosworth spent his final years of ministry as a missionary evangelist. He ministered in South Africa, Germany, and Japan, among other places. On January 23, 1958, he died of a heart attack in his home in Miami, Fla. He was 81. His brother, B.B. Bosworth, died on Feb. 17, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Further reading:

Barnes III, Roscoe. 2009. F.F. Bosworth: The Man Behind ‘Christ the Healer.’ Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

Bosworth, F.F. 2008. Christ the Healer. Grand Rapids, MI: Revell.

Harrell, David Edwin Jr. 1979. All Things Are Possible: The Healing and Charismatic Revivals in Modern America. Bloomington and London: Indiana University Press.

King, Paul L. 2006. Genuine Gold: The Cautiously Charismatic Story of the Early Christian and Missionary Alliance. Tulsa, OK: Word & Spirit Press.

Perkins, Eunice M. 1921. Joybringer Bosworth: His Life Story. Detroit, MI: John J. Scruby.

---------------------------

Reminder: "F.F. Bosworth History" is now on Twitter. Follow @bosworth_fred

Note: My book, F.F. Bosworth: The Man Behind "Christ the Healer," can be purchased here with a 25% discount. Use the discount code: bosworth25.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Want to know more

about F.F. Bosworth?

Follow the Bosworth Matters blog!

You can start right here:

ffbosworth.strikingly.com

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

For more information:
Visit the F.F. Bosworth page here. Questions about the research and commentary on F.F. Bosworth may be directed to Roscoe Barnes III, Ph.D., via email at doctorbarnes3@gmail.com or roscoebarnes3@yahoo.com. For updates on F.F. Bosworth history, simply follow this blog or @bosworth_fred and @Roscoebarnes3 on Twitter. #ChristTheHealer #BosworthMention #BosworthMatters

Bosworth Memes for Bosworth Matters: New Promotion Idea for 2020

By Roscoe Barnes III, PhD
Author, F.F. Bosworth: The Man Behind "Christ the Healer"
Copyright (c) 2020

#FFBosworth
#BosworthMatters
#BosworthMention

I am excited about the work I’ve done on the life history of F.F. Bosworth, and I’m always looking for new ways to share this work with others. For the last couple of years, I’ve used blogs, hashtags, social media platforms, images, academic websites, etc. Now I'm testing the waters with the popular online images known as memes. At the moment, my plan is to use Bosworth’s image with his name and a sentence or two presenting a claim or discovery from my research. The claim, which will be shown as a quote, will be followed by my name. The hashtag #BosworthMatters (the name of my blog) will appear at the top of the meme and my website, ffbosworth.strikingly.com, will appear at the bottom, under the quote. This is an experiment and I welcome input from my readers. As with most things in the making, it will likely require  testing and tweaking to get it right.

Earlier this week I used a Bosworth meme in Facebook Stories. It seemed to fit perfectly. The “story” appeared long enough for one to read the content on the image. I will probably share the memes once a week as a soft promotion of my Bosworth research. At some point, I will probably do the same with my work on Anne Moody and Ernest Hemingway.

---------------------------

Reminder: "F.F. Bosworth History" is now on Twitter. Follow @bosworth_fred

Note: My book, F.F. Bosworth: The Man Behind "Christ the Healer," can be purchased here with a 25% discount. Use the discount code: bosworth25.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Want to know more

about F.F. Bosworth?

Follow the Bosworth Matters blog!

You can start right here:

ffbosworth.strikingly.com

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

For more information:
Visit the F.F. Bosworth page here. Questions about the research and commentary on F.F. Bosworth may be directed to Roscoe Barnes III, Ph.D., via email at doctorbarnes3@gmail.com or roscoebarnes3@yahoo.com. For updates on F.F. Bosworth history, simply follow this blog or @bosworth_fred and @Roscoebarnes3 on Twitter. #ChristTheHealer #BosworthMention #BosworthMatters

My First Fossil is More than 330 Million Years Old

The brachiopod was discovered in riprap limestone at Wilkinson County Park in southwest Mississippi

By Roscoe Barnes III, PhD

Copyright © 2020

#Fossils
#Brachiopod

The shell imprint can be seen here just above
my thumb. The other one is below my thumb.

The rock I found near the lake at Wilkinson County Park, Woodville, in southwest Mississippi, is a fossil of a brachiopod. The rock is made of limestone and is derived from a rock formation dated approximately 335 million years old, according to Paleontology Curator George Phillips of the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science in Jackson, Miss.

I sent Mr. Phillips images of the rock via email. After reviewing the images, he said the rock is a “revetment stone,” a rock used to stabilize the banks of rivers, lakes, etc.—basically as erosion prevention. Collectively, rocks of this kind are commonly known as “riprap.” It is not naturally occurring in southwest Mississippi, which means it was brought to the area from another location. In this case, he explained, this type of stone was mined along the Tennessee Valley in northwest Alabama. He said the rock probably came from Tuscumbia Formation of that region, the name being derived from the town where Helen Keller was born.

In this image, the small shell can be
seen protruding from the rock.

While there are gravel deposits in Mississippi containing fossils of the same age, this is not a gravel fossil, according to Mr. Phillips. He said collecting fossils in gravel deposits is a popular past time in our state. Gravel fossils in Mississippi have been documented in a 2008 publication by the Mississippi Office of Geology called “Rocks And Fossils Found In Mississippi’s Gravel Deposits”—available as a free download online.

In this image, two shell imprints can be seen.

Mr. Phillips said another creature commonly found this this type of rock is the crinoid, commonly known as the “sea lily.” He explained: "Fragments of crinoid stems are a rather common and conspicuous occurrence in our gravel deposits and, because of their cylindrical shape, have often been mistaken for Native American beads.”

--------------------------------------

ROSCOE BARNES III, Ph.D., is a writer, chaplain, historian, and former newspaper reporter. He is the author of more than a dozen books and Gospel tracts. For more information about his work and history, see his Personal Profile here or visit his website: Roscoebarnes.net. Connect with him on Twitter (@roscoebarnes3) or by email: roscoebarnes3@yahoo.com or doctorbarnes3@gmail.com

F.F. Bosworth Mentioned in Daniel J. Simmons' Thesis, 'They Shall Recover'

Paper notes enduring legacy of 'Christ the Healer'

By Roscoe Barnes III, PhD
Author, F.F. Bosworth: The Man Behind "Christ the Healer"
Copyright (c) 2019

#FFBosworth
#BosworthMatters
#BosworthMention

Evangelist F.F. Bosworth
(1877 - 1958)

"F.F. Bosworth’s 1924 Pentecostal classic Christ the Healer was widely distributed and revered in classical Pentecostalism" -- Daniel J. Simmons

-------------------------

Daniel J. Simmons is one of a growing number of researchers who acknowledges the significance of F.F. Bosworth's role as a Pentecostal pioneer. He believes, like many historians and theologians, that Bosworth matters, especially in discussions about divine healing and Pentecostal church history. Simmons noted Bosworth's contributions in his excellent honors thesis, They Shall Recover: Towards a Pneumatological and Eschatological Understanding of the Atonement in Pentecostal Healing (Southeastern University - Lakeland, Florida, 2015). On the subject of divine healing, Simmons wrote:

The impact of F.F. Bosworth’s Christ the Healer has not subsided since its first publication in 1924. Bosworth captured the essence of divine healing of both early Pentecostalism and the post-Azusa Pentecostal schisms splintering themselves for organization. Bosworth’s standardization of divine healing is validated in not only its influence on the healing revivals following World War Two, but also on the ideologies of modern Pentecostalism globally.

Simmons is accurate in his assessment, and his analysis is revealing. After all, Bosworth's influence on the healing revivalists of the 1940s and 1950s is well documented. The fact that his book has remained in print to this day, and is frequently quoted, is indicative of its impact on today's generation of believers. As noted in the article, "F.F. Bosworth's Defense of Divine Healing," his book, Christ the Healer, is his crowning argument and, undoubtedly, his classic manifesto on the subject of divine healing.

In the abstract to the thesis, Simmons explained that his aim was to identify "the ideologies of the Christian church surrounding divine healing with an emphasis upon the Pentecostal outbreak of the Azusa Street Revival." In addition to taking a close look at the teachings of divine healing in and through the Atonement, Simmons analyzed the Atonement model's ability "in adequately capturing Pentecostal thought regarding divine healing." He then examined "pneumatology and eschatology within the purview of divine healing in order to criticize the validity of the Atonement model."

In Chapter One, where he discussed "The History of Divine Healing and the Atonement," Simmons described Bosworth's Christ the Healer as a "Pentecostal classic" that "was widely distributed and revered in classical Pentecostalism." Noting the book's strong emphasis on healing through the Atonement, Simmons suggested it also offers "ample support in other theological and anthropological matters needed to comply with an Christological model for healing." Simmons included a concise summary of some of Bosworth's core claims about divine healing. 

Related articles:

F.F. Bosworth’s Endorsement of T.L. Osborn’s Most Famous Book: Letter of Support Appeared in 'Healing the Sick and Casting Out Devils.' See here.

F.F. Bosworth Mentioned in T.L. Osborn Biography: Book recounts origin of 'mass miracle' concept. See here.

F.F. Bosworth and Kenneth Hagin Jr.: A Look at the Similarities in Their Writings on the Past Tense of God’s Word. See here.

---------------------------

Reminder: "F.F. Bosworth History" is now on Twitter. Follow @bosworth_fred

Note: My book, F.F. Bosworth: The Man Behind "Christ the Healer," can be purchased here with a 25% discount. Use the discount code: bosworth25.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Want to know more

about F.F. Bosworth?

Follow the Bosworth Matters blog!

You can start right here:

ffbosworth.strikingly.com

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

For more information:
Visit the F.F. Bosworth page here. Questions about the research and commentary on F.F. Bosworth may be directed to Roscoe Barnes III, Ph.D., via email at doctorbarnes3@gmail.com or roscoebarnes3@yahoo.com. For updates on F.F. Bosworth history, simply follow this blog or @bosworth_fred and @Roscoebarnes3 on Twitter. #ChristTheHealer #BosworthMention #BosworthMatters