A question similar to this was asked of me the other day. I felt the answer might be beneficial to others.

First off, there are many of our readers who might not know what “Sola Scriptura” means. Stated as simply as possible, the theological concept “Sola Scriptura” means Scripture Alone. A snippet from Wikipedia:

“Consequently, sola scriptura demands only those doctrines are to be admitted or confessed that are found directly within or indirectly by using valid logical deduction or valid deductive reasoning from scripture. However, sola scriptura is not a denial of other authorities governing Christian life and devotion. Rather, it simply demands that all other authorities are subordinate to, and are to be corrected by, the written word of God. Sola scriptura was a foundational doctrinal principle of the Protestant Reformation held by the Reformers and is a formal principle of Protestantism today”

So, what it basically is saying is that Scripture is the foundation of faith. There are those who claim that Bro Branham was NOT Sola Scriptura. What they mean is, that they don’t believe Bro Branham relied on scripture alone, but on visions and other such things to form his doctrine.

Let’s analyze some of the things Bro Branham has said.

60-1113 CONDEMNATION.BY.REPRESENTATION_ JEFF.IN SUNDAY_
230 I’m going to say this. Listen to it. Say, “Brother Branham, your ministry is not compared nowhere in the world of its supernatural.” Great men (I could call their names, if it wasn’t for this tape.) called me, come, go with them. “Your ministry’s the only thing that’ll save the world.” Why is that not somewhere else? Come back to the Word. God can only build upon that foundation; then if I’m so firmly wrong in the way I baptize people, and the way I talk of the Holy Ghost, and the things that I do, then why does God honor it? Produce something like it? See? Why is it? I don’t say that for myself, that would be wrong; but I’m trying to say because I stand on the Truth, the Word and the Word alone.

So Bro Branham attributed his success to his standing upon the WORD and the WORD alone. So, I’d say that’s Sola Scriptura right there.

He often quoted

GALATIANS 1:8
» 8 † But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

And what he meant was exactly what it said. If he preached different than Saint Paul, he felt he would be accursed according to this scripture. Men, questioning him on his doctrine, would tell him they would believe him if he told them the Angel told him his doctrine was correct. His response was this scripture. If his doctrine wasn’t correct based on the Bible, he didn’t care if the angel agreed with him or not. It had to be Biblical. It had to be Sola Scriptura

He also often quoted:

MATTHEW 5:18
» 18 † For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

He was for EVERY WORD of the Bible. No more, no less. He exhorted people to believe the entire Word of God. That’s Sola Scriptura. If Bro Branham was, those that follow him should be as well.

People might be quick to point out that some of the followers of Bro Branham’s teachings don’t seem to be Sola Scriptura. They quote from his sermons a lot. This is akin to the people of the Apostle Paul’s day reading his letters.

To be honest, most of Bro Branham’s followers have never even heard of “Sola Scriptura”, but I can tell you they believe the Word of God as it was written in the Bible, or they really don’t believe what he said.

As Bro Branham said it “I have preached the same Word he [Paul] did, just exactly stayed with the same Gospel.” and we all can truly say “We’re resting on that!”