A review of his blistering critique of the evangelists in the Post-World War II healing revival
By Roscoe Barnes III, PhD
#ErnBaxter
In a 1978 interview with New Wine Magazine, Ern Baxter spoke about an article he wrote
that made him anathema among the healing revivalists of the 1950s. At the time,
Baxter was an active member of the Voice of Healing organization. For several
years, he had worked with William Branham, Gordon Lindsay, and F.F.Bosworth. After being intimately close to the preachers who boasted of having
great healing ministries, Baxter apparently saw things that
were inappropriate. He reportedly saw error, sin, and deception. He also believed the preachers were more concerned about “competition,”
fame, and money, than they were about pleasing God. So he wrote an article to
express his concerns. The article, which was titled, “The Case of Carnal Comparisons,” appeared in the June 1951 issue
of The Voice of Healing. Baxter said
in his New Wine interview that he wrote the piece out of his “conviction and
concern.” He said that in his article, he noted “there was a good deal of
Corinthianism already in the healing movement.” If things did not improve “by
the healers to remedy it, this movement would self-destruct,” he cautioned.
In the article, Baxter
used Paul’s writings to the Corinthians to support his argument. He
acknowledged that God was doing a wonderful thing in the post-World War II
healing revival. He suggested as much in his opening paragraph:
We
thank god for such visitations of His power and blessing as are being
experienced throughout the world at the present time. Entire cities are being
stirred by great revival efforts which overflow the largest auditoriums, and in
some instances, require the erection of special buildings to contain the
crowds. The Gospel is the world’s only hope, and we pray that these great
Gospel efforts will continue to enlarge in power and influence until the whole
world feels the influence of the Spirit of God.
Despite all the good that
was being done, he explained, there were serious issues that put certain ministries
(or the movement) in jeopardy. These issues were of such significance that he
felt compelled to issue a warning. He wrote:
There
is, however, a great danger in such mighty movements where individuals are
catapulted into places of prominence as leaders. Instead of humbly recognizing
the hand of God in the whole, and the grace of God in equipping men for
leadership, and thus giving all the glory to God, there is a tendency to
humanly evaluate leaders, and compare and pick and choose favorites. Such an
attitude indicates a limited vision. This robs God of His glory, is unfair to
the leader, and contributes to the party spirit among Christians, which God so
evidently deplores, as indicated in His word.
The reaction to Baxter’s article, for the most part, was
not positive. “As a result of that article I was persona non grata from there
on as far as the healers were concerned, so I confined myself to [William] Branham,”
he said. “Tragically, as these men violated the principles of plurality, each
of them had his turn at the pinnacle of fame, but most of them were easily
picked off by the enemy. Satan’s aim is good.”
Because his article appeared on the pages of The Voice
of Healing, one must assume that Gordon Lindsay, the magazine's editor, agreed
with Baxter’s assessment. Other sources, such as Freda Lindsay and David E. Harrell Jr. have reported on Gordon's frustration and disgust with the men in
the movement. Freda recalled how some of the evangelists actually “used” Gordon to their
advantage. When they became big, they cast him aside. When they got into
trouble, they came to him for help. Each time, she said, in loving humility,
Gordon stepped in to help those in need. Still, he was disappointed.
In her memoir, My Diary Secrets (Christ For The Nations
Inc., 1976), Freda recounted:
As Gordon and I reflected on the
gradual change that became apparent, I recall his summing it up this way: “When
ministers become successful and have large crowds, too often they forget to
wait on the Lord daily and study His Word. They depend on their reputation. And
instead of being men of God they become showmen.”
A copy of Baxter’s article is printed below.
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The Voice of Healing
(June 1951, pages 10-11)
The Case of Carnal Comparisons
2 Cor. 10:12 – “For we dare not make ourselves of the number,
or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measure
themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not
wise.”
1 Cor. 3:4 – “For while one saith, I am of Paul; and
another of Apollos; are ye not carnal?”
We thank god for such visitations of His power and
blessing as are being experienced throughout the world at the present time.
Entire cities are being stirred by great revival efforts which overflow the
largest auditoriums, and in some instances, require the erection of special
buildings to contain the crowds. The Gospel is the world’s only hope, and we
pray that these great Gospel efforts will continue to enlarge in power and
influence until the whole world feels the influence of the Spirit of God.
Such moves as we refer to are, in most cases, spearheaded
by certain men, obviously God-blessed and God-ordained for the task. It is our
duty to pray for such men that they will be sustained in spirit, soul, and
body, that they might be at their best constantly in this greatest of all
battles.
There is, however, a great danger in such mighty
movements where individuals are catapulted into places of prominence as
leaders. Instead of humbly recognizing the hand of God in the whole, and the
grace of God in equipping men for leadership, and thus giving all the glory to
God, there is a tendency to humanly evaluate leaders, and compare and pick and
choose favorites. Such an attitude indicates a limited vision. This robs God of
His glory, is unfair to the leader, and contributes to the party spirit among
Christians, which God so evidently deplores, as indicated in His word.
Each of these leaders, indeed every minister in the Church
of God, has some distinctive features which makes him to differ from every
other minister, and unless the great principle of ministerial oneness is
recognized, there exists the constant danger of dividing God’s people into as
many groups as there are ministers to give them leadership.
“There is no new thing under the sun,” and this seems
especially true when considered in terms of error and defection among
Christians. We can think of no modern system of error or trend of defection in
the realm of professed Christian religion that had not appeared at least in
germ form in the days of the apostles, and which was not given apostolic
treatment in the sacred writings of the New Testament. The subject with which
we are dealing received extensive attention from the Apostle Paul in the
Corinthian epistles, as well as being referred to in other epistles. Although
the directions given in the Corinthian epistle are intended primarily to meet
the local conditions, they, nevertheless, are applicable on a body-wide scale.
The apostle declares the condition that exists in the
Corinthian church by saying, “It hath been declared unto me of you, my
brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions
among you. Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of
Apollos; and I of Cophas; and I of Christ.” (I Cor. 1:11, 12). There certainly
had been a good deal of carnal comparison indulged here. Paul mentions himself
first, for a group in the Corinthian church had chosen him as their preferred
preacher, quite evidently without any encouragement from him. Paul indicates
his sincerity in deploring and attempting to correct this party spirit by
placing his name first on the list, and thus being the first to be demoted as a
sectarian leader. No doubt, the Gentile believers clung to Paul as their
leader, as against those Jews which preferred Peter with his background.
Then there were those who were followers of Apollos,
described in the Scripture as “an eloquent man, and might in the Scriptures”
(Acts 18:24). Apollos was an Alexandrian Jew, distinguished for literary
culture and eloquence, and it is probable that the more highly educated among
the Corinthian Christians were his peculiar followers.
Then there were the Cephasites, the followers of Cephas,
or Peter, He, of course, had an apparent priority over the others, being one of
the first followers of Jesus. His apostleship was well established, there being
no argument as in the case of Paul. He was a “senior minister,” and there were those
who felt that he deserved a superior place, and so were quite prepared to
battle for his leadership.
Finally, Paul mentions the Christ party. This may at
first seem strange, for we should all be “of Christ.” It has been suggested,
however, that “this sect of Christ probably rejected the apostles, and
professed to be admirers and followers of the traditional sayings of Jesus.
They approved His ethics, but rejected the doctrines outlined in the Gospel, and
more fully expounded in the epistles. Possibly, the apostle had this group in
mind when he wrote, “Henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we
have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we Him no more.” (II
Cor. 5:16)
The apostle counters this condition with three pertinent
questions, the first one being, “Is Christ divided?” Of course, the answer to
this is an emphatic “No!” The body of Christ is one, and knows but one head,
the risen and glorified Lord Jesus Christ. The one head governs the body,
instructing the various members concerning their duty, and appointing the
various tasks for the individual parts of the body. Thus, instead of individual
members of the body setting up an independent centre of government and control,
they must at all times adhere to the authority of the head. The structure of
the human body contains the equipment for controlling and directing the various
functions of the body. It has the advantage as the highest part of the body of
seeing the farthest, and thus from its high place being able to intelligently
instruct and direct the action of those members which live on a lower plane,
and are depending upon the head for direction.
If the body is to function normally, the authority of the
head must be constantly recognized. This is true of every member of the body,
and especially true of those who are ministers in the body. Such ministers may
be likened to those parts of the body, such as the hands and feet which are
most active, and play such a prominent part in the functioning of the body in
its varied activities. Such members are tempted to think that they are
indispensable, and thus can set up a new center of authority. This, of course,
produces confusion.
True ministry gifts, being those men ordained by God to
minister to His people, are the gifts of the risen Head to the body, for it is
written, “When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts
unto men … He gave some apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists;
and some, pastors and teachers,” (Eph. 4:8, 11). Such men are God-gifted and
appointed. They are not placed in the body to further some certain division or
sect, and use their God given abilities to enlarge a segment of the whole, but
they are placed in the body “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of
the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,” (Eph. 4:12). Their interest
is body-wide, they are affectionately disposed toward all God’s people, and are
obliged by reason of the nature of their calling to seek to build up the whole
body of Christ.
No, Christ is not divided! His body is one. There is but
one head of the body, and that is the risen Christ. Thus, every attempt to promote
a group of God’s people as a segregated section as opposed to all the rest of
the people of God is to work at cross purposes with the diving programme.
“Was Paul crucified for you?” is the second question. Who
deserves our first loyalty? All our fellow humans, much as we esteem and love
them, must never come between our undivided loyalty to Christ and His word.
Many of those who would divide and rend the body of Christ are certainly not
prepared to die for anybody, and before we take a hand in promoting some injurious
division, let us remember that those whom we are influencing are the purchase
of Jesus blood.
The final question of the trio is, “Were ye baptized in
the name of Paul?” If these party leaders were so important as to create a
division among God’s people, then why did they take in public confession at
their baptism a place of identification with the Lord Jesus? The argument is
overwhelming. There is no place for the exaltation of human leaders, and much
harm is done all around when such exaltation is promoted.
The divine ideal is beautiful, and we dare not despise it
by saying, “It will not work.” Let us listen to it humbly as God’s pronounced
desire for His people – “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions
among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the
same judgment.” (I Cor. 1:10)
That this condition of division is serious is clearly
stated by the apostle as he continues his instruction, writing, “I, brethren,
could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto
babes in Christ … For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying,
and strife, and divisions are ye not carnal, and walk as men? For while one
saith, I am of Paul, and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?” (I Cor.
3:1,3,4) It is evident therefore, that party-spirited people are incapable of
receiving mature instruction, and will always be found singing the praises of
human leadership, making pretty comments on pulpit mannerisms, and the personal
appearance and personality niceties of preachers. They have little or no time
for an industrious study of God’s Word, or a diligent seeking after the Lord.
They are God’s undeveloped children, for while they are not babes in the matter
of years of professed salvation, they are “as babes” in the mater of
understanding and conduct. They have not developed normally with the years, and
are a heartache to the Father. We can imagine the constant pain in a mother’s
heart as she watches her growing child, noticing physical development, and yet
aware that the mind is not developing with the body. How our Heavenly Father,
too, must look with sorrow upon us as we go from year to year developing in
religious activity and church attendance, and yet undeveloped in our knowledge
of His will through the Word.
Paul, having dealt with the sin of schism and having
scored it as being wrong, now proceeds to deal with the true evaluation of the
minister and his ministry. “Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos,” he says, “but
ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?” These men
who lead you to Christ and serve you in the ministry of the Word are “but ministers”
which means “servants,” and if they are able to help you, it is because “the
Lord gave to every man (each one).” Each one of these ministers received their
ability and particular ministry from God, and so Paul goes on to say, “I have
planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.” As in gardening, one
plants the seed, another waters it, and the unseen forces of growth give the
increase; so in the field of Christian service, one minister plants, another
waters, and God, like the unseen forces of growth, gives the increase.
“So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither is
he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.” Compared to God, ministers
are nothing. When the true power in Christian service is readily understood,
then the ministry fades into insignificance. It is a human trait to always look
at the things seen. God is everything. He is the One who imparts eternal life
to believing sinners. He alone is to be recognized and worshipped as leader.
Furthermore, rather than ministers being competitors and
leaders of individual groups, the apostle says, “He that planteth and he that
watereth are one.” They are not rival leaders, each boasting of his particular
sect. True ministry usually becomes divided when God ceases to be the supreme
motive for service. When a denomination or a creed takes the place of God, then
the ministry ceases to be experimentally one. It is decidedly wrong therefore,
to speak of ministers as rivals, and is a sign of carnality.
“Every man shall receive his own reward according to his
own labor.” One minister is not better than another, and each shall be rewarded
according to his labor. The humblest ministry will be as abundantly rewarded as
the more popular type. Let this serve as a warning to all who seek for fame and
applause. God will reward ministers according to their labor, not according to
what is generally considered success.
“It is required in stewards that a man be found faithful.”
The minister need not fret and worry about his popularity with the crowd as
compared to the popularity of his fellow-ministers. If he is faithful to Christ
and His Word, he can enjoy the incomparable inner rest that comes from knowing
that he is being a true servant, faithful to his Master, and faithful to his
task.
Rather than treating the people’s opinion of himself as
something important, Paul says “that to me it is a very small thing that I should
be judged by you.” He was doing the best he knew, and as he observed his
labors, was able to say, “I know nothing against myself … However, I am not
hereby justified.” The people’s opinion of him, and his opinion of himself was
not the final opinion. The final word was the Lord’s. “For,” says Paul, “he
that judgeth me is the Lord.” And the day is coming when the Lord will indeed
judge our service, not on the basis of apparent success, but on the basis of
our motives, for in that day He “will make manifest the counsels of the hearts.”
This is a very solemnizing fact, and ought to bring preacher and people alike
to their knees in humble heart-searching to ascertain our motives and make sure
that we are working on sound principles.
No minister has a right to boast, “For who maketh thee to
differ from another? And what hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if
thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it?”
Let us not indulge in carnal comparisons, but receive with thanksgiving every
gift of God, thanking Him for His appointed evangelists, and pastors and
teachers, and as they seek to feed us the Word of God, and thrill our hearts
with their exhortation and comfort, let all the glory be His, Who is the head
of the body, and the Lord of His church, and the King of His Kingdom.
Related articles:
What Ern Baxter Really Thought of William Branham: A look
at his 1978 interview with New Wine Magazine. See here.
Why Ern Baxter Left the Ministry of William Branham: A
Look at Problematic Concerns About Faith and 'Borderline Psychic' Phenomena.
See here.
When F.F. Bosworth Joined the Branham Party: A Look at
His Contributions to The Voice of Healing and the Post-WWII Preachers with
Healing Ministries. See here.
Donald Gee's Unflattering Mention of F.F.
Bosworth. See here.
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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.
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