W A Criswell's Library Video Presentation

[RamistThomist]

I have long regarded Dr Criswell as a personal hero. He rescued me from the whore Liberalism. I have found him to the the finest example of Baptist Oratory. Here is him walking through his library and showing how he makes a sermons.

Criswell walks through his library

 

[pastorway]

cool!!

One of the best preachers and pulpiteers in America!

Also on that site you can read or listen to many of his sermons.

The Criswell Legacy

Phillip

[Edited on 9-24-05 by pastorway]

 

[RamistThomist]

Originally posted by pastorway
cool!!

One of the best preachers and pulpiteers in America!

Also check out his sermons online at The Criswell Legacy.

Phillip

His two addresses to the SBC Convention--"Whether we live or Die" (1985) and his 1973 address bordered on the Age to Come.

 

[bond-servant]

Originally posted by pastorway
cool!!

One of the best preachers and pulpiteers in America!

[Edited on 9-24-05 by pastorway]

Absolutely!

 

[Puritanhead]

Who?

**Puritanhead is dumb**

 

[Bladestunner316]

Ive never heard of him either?

 

[bond-servant]

I can't imagine never hearng of Criswell.. but then, I had far over 10 years in a southern Baptist church! LOL.

Really, he is one of the best preachers and most solid theologians I've ever heard/read.

He preached out of 1st Baptist Dallas forever. He's with the Lord now.
He was also editor of the "Baptist Study Bible" which has EXCELLENT commentary if you can over look the pre-trib stuff...

Here's what his website says:
Dr. W. A. Criswell served over 50 years as Pastor of the 28,000 member First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas. As Chancellor of The Criswell College, he gave his later years to preparing young preachers to preach the Word of God. He taught these students, "A sermon is designed to take the Truth and make it flame; make it live. Preaching is the Truth expressed through personality. Preaching is a living experience."



Dr. Criswell received the M.A. and D.D. degrees from Baylor University and the Th.M. and Ph.D. degrees from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He authored 54 books and traveled extensively to preach on the mission fields of the world.

 

[RamistThomist]

Originally posted by joshua
He was an SBC Stalwart who stood strong against liberalism. He claimed to be a Calvinist and, in many cases, sounded so...but would ultimately say Election was based on foreknowledge, even after quoting men such as Spurgeon and Broadus, etc. Nonetheless, as in Jacob's case, he denounced liberalism in the SBC churches and was, I'm sure, instrumental in many cases like Jacob.

According to Paige Patterson in Theologians of the Baptist Tradition, he was a four point Calvinist. Anyway, he stood the line when few would. Where I come from he was slandered by moderates, never giving him a fair hearing. He was the finest preacher I have heard.

 

[RamistThomist]

Originally posted by joshua
Yes, I wasn't meaning to insult you. Just trying to help Ryan and Nathan with their knowledge of him. As noted, at time he sounds Calvinistic, but turns it around with language in other places.

I'm insulted!
Just kidding. I know what you meant.

Ironically, although he preached pretribulationally through the book of revelation, his "Whether we live of die" sermon ended in overtly postmillennial tones:

<insert thick texas accent>

The way of God is always onward, forward, and upward. The Holy Spirit always announces that there is a greater day coming. The burden of the prophets and the marvelous beckoning light of biblical revelation are ever and always the same. Our mighty God is marching on. It is the message of the first page of the Bible. It is the message of the second page of the Bible. It is the message of the first book of the Bible. It is the message of the second book of the Bible. It is the message of the last page and the last book of the Bible. A glorious triumph is coming. The Lord never recedes. He necessarily advances. His creation is followed by redemption. His redemption is followed by sanctification. His sanctification is followed by glorification.

There is no formal conclusion to the book of Acts. It is open-ended. God means for the story of Pentecostal power and revival to be prolonged after the same manner. God does not do a great thing and then an increasingly smaller thing. God does not build a portico of marble and finish the temple with brick. Our greatest days are yet to come. There was a time when the Holy Spirit was as a heavenly fire, was a mysterious presence flashing like lightning from the skies, we knew not whence or whither. Coming now upon a Moses and again upon an Elijah, sometimes appearing in the burning bush in Horeb, sometimes falling in awesome mystery upon the altar of sacrifice of Mount Carmel, sometimes striking out in Israel´s camp in destroying fury, sometimes appearing as the Shekinah glory in the temple´s holy of holies, the strange sign and symbol of Jehovah´s presence and power.

Since Christ´s ascension, and in the fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel 2:28-32, the Holy Spirit has been poured out upon all flesh. John 3:34 confirms that God giveth not the Spirit by measure. He is with us, within us, for us, for power, for conquest, for glory. Since Pentecost, there is no age, no century, no era, no time without the marvelous outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The soul-saving experience continues. Darkness and death and decay may reign in one place, but always light, life, and salvation will reign and vigorously abound in another.

The church at Jerusalem fell into Ebionitic legalism, but the church at Antioch experienced the greatest revival of Gentile converts the first century ever knew. When waning of piety began to empty the churches at Antioch, the churches at Ephesus and Rome and at Milan were waxing mighty in the work of the Lord. When the churches of Alexandria and Carthage were falling into empty philosophical dissertations, the churches of Gaul were winning all western continental Europe to the Lord.

While Rome was pursuing vain and sterile rituals, the churches of Ireland were baptizing the whole nation and their many tribes into the faith. While Mohammed was destroying the faith in North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia Minor, the scholars of Iona were going forth to evangelize the Northumbrians, the Scots, the Picts, the Anglo-Saxons, our ancestors.

While the pontifical court of Avignon was engrossed in seeking political power, the cities of Germany were learning the heavenly ways of the Lord Jesus. When the darkness of night and superstition were covering the churches of France, the morning stars of the Reformation were rising in England. When Italian fields were turning into useless stubble, Bohemia was alive with the converting Spirit of Christ.

When the Unitarian defection destroyed the evangelizing spirit of the congregations of New England, the pioneer preachers were advancing beyond the Alleghenies to build churches and Christian institutions in the heartland of America. And while elitism, and liberalism, and spiritual indifference are decimating the churches in the West, great revival is being experienced in Korea, and South America, and in central Africa. Why not America, and why not now? (applause)

Our own and our ultimate destiny lies in the offing"”and with us, the world. Seemingly, we stand at the continental divide of history, at the very watershed of civilization.

</insert thick Texas accent>

 

[RamistThomist]

More victorious, triumphalistic language:

No battle was ever won by retreat, or submission, or surrender. When Alexander the Great lay dying, they asked him, "œWhose is the kingdom?" And he replied, "œIt is for him who can take it!" It will be we, or somebody else.



Bring me my bow of burning gold:

Bring me my arrows of desire:

Bring me my spear; O clouds unfold!

Bring me my chariot of fire.

We shall not cease from battle strife,

Nor shall the sword sleep in our hand

Till we have built Jerusalem

In this fair and pleasant land.



God grant it! Amen.

 

[pastorway]

Was he a Calvinist - I think so!

Consider:

"That´s Calvinism. And I am a Calvinist. That´s good old Bible doctrine. And I believe the Bible. These things are in God´s hands. And ultimately, and finally, He purposed it and executeth all of it." - WA Criswell, 1955

http://www.wacriswell.org/index.cfm/FuseAction/Search.Transcripts/sermon/1821.cfm


"When a man is saved, he's an Arminian, always. Arminius was a Dutch theologian who flourished in 1600. And he was the great champion of freedom of the will, freedom of choice. When you are saved, you're an Arminian. 'I did it. I repented of my sins. I came down that aisle. I gave the preacher my hand. I accepted the Lord as my Savior. I turned and looked to Jesus and He saved me.' You're an Arminian. You did it. You can tell the day and the hour and the preacher and the service. You're an Arminian. 'I did it.' But I don't care who you are, as you grow in grace and the days multiply, you'll become a Calvinist. Calvin flourished in 1550 and was the great exponent of the elective purposes of God in the earth. And, as you grow older and as you experience His love and mercy in your life, the day will come when you avow, 'God did it. He touched my heart. He wooed me and sought me and bought me and brought me. God did it.'" - WA Criswell, 1987

http://www.wacriswell.org/index.cfm/FuseAction/Search.Transcripts/sermon/640.cfm

 

[Poimen]

Originally posted by Puritanhead**Puritanhead is dumb**

[Edited on 9-25-2005 by poimen]

 

[Pilgrim]

Since I've never been a SBCer I'm not real familiar with Criswell (other than that he was a stalwart defender of the faith) and have heard only one or two sermons, although I thought those were quite good. Actually my attempt to shoehorn myself into the SBC over the past year or so caused me more anguish than probably anything else since I've been a Christian. But this Criswell stuff Jacob posted is dynamite.

Jacob, I'm thinking you wouldn't agree with Criswell's thesis of St. Patrick being a Baptist Preacher in the sermon that's posted front and center on BaptistFire :bigsmile:



[Edited on 9-25-2005 by Pilgrim]

 

[Bladestunner316]

to Rev. Daniel !!!!

 

[RamistThomist]

Originally posted by Pilgrim


Jacob, I'm thinking you wouldn't agree with Criswell's thesis of St. Patrick being a Baptist Preacher in the sermon that's posted front and center on BaptistFire :bigsmile:



[Edited on 9-25-2005 by Pilgrim]

Of course not! But the very fact that he is thinking along these lines (ie, Celtic stuff) is really encouraging. While the term "vicious hatred" might be too hard to describe Baptist Fire, I really dislike the site!

 

[pastorway]

Criswell would never have approved the use of his material on sites like Baptist Fire - I assure you!

Phillip

 

[Pilgrim]

Originally posted by Draught Horse

Originally posted by Pilgrim


Jacob, I'm thinking you wouldn't agree with Criswell's thesis of St. Patrick being a Baptist Preacher in the sermon that's posted front and center on BaptistFire :bigsmile:



[Edited on 9-25-2005 by Pilgrim]

Of course not! But the very fact that he is thinking along these lines (ie, Celtic stuff) is really encouraging. While the term "vicious hatred" might be too hard to describe Baptist Fire, I really dislike the site!

Yeah, Jack Graham is their new poster boy and it looks like they'll be carrying his sermons following his recent attack on Calvinism. Baptist Fire's treatment of Calvinism is about as scholarly as Dave Hunt's, although considering Hunt's latest, I think saying that might be insulting Baptist Fire. I don't think the webmaster there has ever said that consistent Calvinists are damned, but that's basically what Hunt says in the Sept. Berean Call. I will post more about this in another thread.

Yeah, I doubt Criswell would associate with such. It sounds like Criswell was somewhat Calvinistic, but undoubtedly like most SBCers of his day (and ours) he used altar calls/invitations. I've noticed that some SBC preachers sometimes preach like Calvinists but give altar calls like Finney. Quite frankly I was more comfortable in an old-time Wesleyan church that had expository preaching and did not use Finney's methods. My former Wesleyan pastor was more interested in genuine conversions than in high pressure appeals that often constitute psychological manipulation. As Lloyd-Jones pointed out, neither did John Wesley give a public invitation of that sort. What some Calvinists often denounce as Arminianism bears little resemblance to historic Wesleyanism.