# W A Criswell's Library Video Presentation



## RamistThomist (Sep 24, 2005)

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


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## pastorway (Sep 24, 2005)

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]


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## RamistThomist (Sep 24, 2005)

> _Originally posted by pastorway_
> cool!!
> 
> One of the best preachers and pulpiteers in America!
> ...



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


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## bond-servant (Sep 24, 2005)

> _Originally posted by pastorway_
> cool!!
> 
> One of the best preachers and pulpiteers in America!
> ...



Absolutely!


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## Puritanhead (Sep 24, 2005)

Who?

**Puritanhead is dumb**


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## Bladestunner316 (Sep 24, 2005)

Ive never heard of him either?


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## bond-servant (Sep 24, 2005)

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.


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## RamistThomist (Sep 24, 2005)

> _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.


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## RamistThomist (Sep 24, 2005)

> _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.
> 
> ...



</insert thick Texas accent>


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## RamistThomist (Sep 24, 2005)

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.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## pastorway (Sep 24, 2005)

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
> 
> ...


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## Poimen (Sep 24, 2005)

> _Originally posted by Puritanhead_**Puritanhead is dumb**









[Edited on 9-25-2005 by poimen]


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## Pilgrim (Sep 24, 2005)

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]


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## Bladestunner316 (Sep 24, 2005)

to Rev. Daniel !!!!


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## RamistThomist (Sep 25, 2005)

> _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:
> ...



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!


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## pastorway (Sep 25, 2005)

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

Phillip


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## Pilgrim (Sep 26, 2005)

> _Originally posted by Draught Horse_
> 
> 
> > _Originally posted by Pilgrim_
> ...




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.


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