Dr. W.A.Criswell

America has lost one of its pulpit giants. This passionate expositor will be sorely missed. May God raise up men to take his place.

 

I couldn't believe what I was reading. . ... what a shocker.

 

I met Dr. Criswell at FBC Dallas several years ago at a Wednesday night service. I was impressed how down to earth and friendly he was to us visitors and taking time to talk with everyone. He will be missed.

[ January 11, 2002: Message edited by: Kiffin ]

 

My heart goes out to Dr. Criswell's family and friends in their loss. His death cause many mixed emotions for me, though. Listening to portions of his sermons reminded me of how ferociously he and other conservatives attacked those who disagreed with him on all parts of the Bible being literally true. I was particularly disturbed when I listned to his speech in San Antonio from 1988(?). Although I am sure that Dr. Criswell won many souls for Christ, I am saddened that his enormous gift for preaching was sometimes squandered on attacking others inside our denomination. I wonder if he had lived longer, would he have changed his mind on the purging of the convention as he did on integration?

 

I loved that sermon you mentioned of Criswell though I think it was 1985 (?) at Dallas (???)

 

Kiffin, as rhetoric it was wonderful. The man's gift for oratory was undeniable (I'd like to emulate it in my closing arguements), as was his devotion to our Lord. I guess what saddened me was he could have channelled the energy it took to attack his collegues into something more productive for God, i.e., saving the lost (which he knew how to do) and helping the saved grow in their faith.

 

The world lost a great man and heaven gained one! I met Dr. Criswell when he preached at my church several years ago.

I don't want to detract from this thread paying homage to Dr. Criswell, but David Cooke, what part of the Bible do you disagree with Dr. Criswell as being literally true? If you would, please start a thread in the Theology forum on that.

 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--What was W.A. Criswell's most important sermon?

Criswell, in a personal letter to Jerry Sutton, author of "The Baptist Reformation," singled out his sermon, "Whether We Live or Die," at the June 1985 Pastors' Conference in Dallas prior to the Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting there, attended by more than 45,000 Baptists.

Sutton, pastor of Two Rivers Baptist Church in Nashville, Tenn., recounts that Criswell said he thought it was his most important sermon because, as Sutton puts it, the sermon "set forth the two directions and the implications of those directions in the Southern Baptist Convention."

"Whether We Live or Die" can be accessed at http://www.wacriswell.com/Transcripts.cfm?sermon=1517 in the Criswell Sermon Legacy Project of the W.A. Criswell Foundation in Dallas.

 

Brother John Wells,
I'll try to start a different thread later this week (I'm starting a trial this week that I need to prepare for, and btw, I could use everyone's prayers. I'm prosecuting a mother for forcibly prostituting out her daughter until the poor girl got AIDS. This case is really trying my soul so please remember me).
As for which parts of the Bible are literally true, its not so much that I insist some parts are not; In the light of the scriptures taken as a whole, it was wrong and a waste of considerable talent to attack others for not believing EVERY WORD is literally true. For example, today we studied Mark. Mark says in 1:2 " As it is written in Isaiah the prophet.." then he proceeds to quote MALACHI 3:1, not Isaiah!
There are other verses that I would point out, but I need to prepare for my trial. My point was: Dr. Criswell was a great man with considerable gifts, it just saddened me that he wasted some of those gifts attacking MANY decent God-fearing Jesus-believing men and women (Jesus being the true WORD made flesh) just b/c they weren't willing to say every word of the Bible was literal truth.
I'll try to get back to y'all later in the week. Feel free to e-mail me if you like. Please remember this poor girl I'm trying to get justice for and pray justice will be done. Thank You.