Questions & Answers
Questions 158 (COD Page 677)
Brother Branham, please explain–please make clear if women should testify or speak in tongues in the assembly.
161 Well, I believe that if the woman is a–a preacher in the assembly, she isn’t supposed to be a preacher. But if she has a gift of tongues and speaks in the assembly, where there are–there are prophets and–and the gifts are gathered together, I believe she has a right to do that. Because in the Bible we find out that they had prophetesses like Miriam and them, and they wasn’t–they had no jurisdiction...If I get to my little sermonette here, I–I’ll get that in there. See?
162 But the women, if they are gifted...Now, the correct way that I believe that when we come together pretty soon...When our church gets settled a little bit more...And–and by the way, there’s a new group, a new–another church is going to unite and...?...come with this church as soon as we get room here for them and things. Another church is going to come and unite with this church, not no organization, just come as a body, in a group, to the church. And–and they are a bunch of gifted people.
163 And now, when it comes together, the things to do, is these gifted people must get together on certain times for themselves, and see what the Spirit says to them. And then it could be given out from the platform. And the people...It’s for the edification of the church.
164 Now, if you speak with tongues, and you know, nobody interprets it...And then when you’re in the meetings, sometimes it’s so irreverent, you know. You find sometimes...I’ve been standing in my congregation making an altar call, and someone would raise up and break the altar call speaking in tongues. Now see, now the person might’ve been speaking in tongues correctly; that might been the Holy Spirit, but see, without being taught to know what to do, how to hold that...
165 I’ve set right on the platform and hear a preacher preaching and see him get to a spot...My, I wanted to get up and help him so bad I didn’t know what to do. And you’ve done the same thing; all of us do that. But what is it? That’s irreverent. Sit down. Regard my brother.
166 I heard–I heard Brother Neville preaching, and he’s heard me preaching when we’d, no doubt, we’d...Brother J. T. here and all of them, or–and all of them, we can hear one another preaching, we think, “Oh brother, I believe I’ll get up to help him out.” See? You just feel the Spirit pouring on you, but what do you do? Hold your peace. See? Cause spirit of the prophets is subject to prophet. See? That’s right, hold your peace. See? You do that.
167 But I believe if the woman...The question was if the woman has got a gift of tongues and she wants to speak, I believe that when that time comes on, she has a right to speak out in a gift of tongues, but not to preach or to usurp any authority over man. When she’s a preacher, of course she is over man.