Comments on: Southern Baptists, Calvinism, and W. A. Criswell http://www.dennyburk.com/southern-baptists-and-calvinism-2/ A commentary on theology, politics, and culture Sun, 12 Feb 2012 03:54:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Kelly Keith Dunn http://www.dennyburk.com/southern-baptists-and-calvinism-2/#comment-66802 Kelly Keith Dunn Tue, 17 May 2011 16:38:44 +0000 http://www.dennyburk.com/?p=965#comment-66802 In my experience as a SBC pastor, most of the people in my care were misinformed about Calvinism. Most were not aware of the historic doctrines of the Southern Baptist Convention. If someone asked me I was a Calvinist - I would ask them what they meant by "Calvinist" before I would answer the question. In my experience as a SBC pastor, most of the people in my care were misinformed about Calvinism. Most were not aware of the historic doctrines of the Southern Baptist Convention. If someone asked me I was a Calvinist – I would ask them what they meant by “Calvinist” before I would answer the question.

]]> By: Dr. James Willingham http://www.dennyburk.com/southern-baptists-and-calvinism-2/#comment-66800 Dr. James Willingham Tue, 17 May 2011 16:14:55 +0000 http://www.dennyburk.com/?p=965#comment-66800 Correction "has" in the first line of my last comment Correction “has” in the first line of my last comment

]]> By: Dr. James Willingham http://www.dennyburk.com/southern-baptists-and-calvinism-2/#comment-66799 Dr. James Willingham Tue, 17 May 2011 16:10:40 +0000 http://www.dennyburk.com/?p=965#comment-66799 Belief in the doctrines of grace have a tendency to produce carefulness and a consideration for how best to represent and present the truth. Dr. J.P. Boyce, for example, was quite gentle in his teachings of the truth as was his childhood pastor, Basil Manly, Sr., who laid his hand on Boyce's head, when the latter was about 10 years of age, and said, "This young man will be a preacher." Even more to the point was Luther Rice who simply pointed out that Sovereign Grace is in the Bible and a minister had better preach it...which is what W.A. Criswell did. Dr. Criswell also put his beliefs in writings. When a text presented what some consider now to be an issue such as election (God's choice of individuals to be saved), Dr. Criswell simply told the truth as the Bible recorded it. That same book also records that whosoever will may come. The only thing hindering is in the person. Boyce in a sermon on Rev.3:20 presented the truth that the door is so tightly bound that no human hand can open it. As one whose heart was in such condition that the Lord had to do like He did in Lydia's case (whose heart the Lord opened - Acts.16:14). He opened my heart after knocking at it, because I could not and would not. Two verses that summarize my conversion experience, Rev. 3:20 (as an atheist I saw with my eyes Jesus knocking at my door, facing me) and, Acts 16:14, (He opened that door, when I ran from Him) are what I want on my tombstone. They display the inviting and effectual work of the Lord which saved this militant atheist. Belief in the doctrines of grace have a tendency to produce carefulness and a consideration for how best to represent and present the truth. Dr. J.P. Boyce, for example, was quite gentle in his teachings of the truth as was his childhood pastor, Basil Manly, Sr., who laid his hand on Boyce’s head, when the latter was about 10 years of age, and said, “This young man will be a preacher.” Even more to the point was Luther Rice who simply pointed out that Sovereign Grace is in the Bible and a minister had better preach it…which is what W.A. Criswell did. Dr. Criswell also put his beliefs in writings. When a text presented what some consider now to be an issue such as election (God’s choice of individuals to be saved), Dr. Criswell simply told the truth as the Bible recorded it. That same book also records that whosoever will may come. The only thing hindering is in the person. Boyce in a sermon on Rev.3:20 presented the truth that the door is so tightly bound that no human hand can open it. As one whose heart was in such condition that the Lord had to do like He did in Lydia’s case (whose heart the Lord opened – Acts.16:14). He opened my heart after knocking at it, because I could not and would not. Two verses that summarize my conversion experience, Rev. 3:20 (as an atheist I saw with my eyes Jesus knocking at my door, facing me) and, Acts 16:14, (He opened that door, when I ran from Him) are what I want on my tombstone. They display the inviting and effectual work of the Lord which saved this militant atheist.

]]> By: Marcia Hendricks http://www.dennyburk.com/southern-baptists-and-calvinism-2/#comment-66781 Marcia Hendricks Tue, 17 May 2011 00:33:25 +0000 http://www.dennyburk.com/?p=965#comment-66781 I'm having trouble with my computer, so don't know if this will get posted. But I'll try. Dr. Criswell was my pastor, and concerning Calvinism. Criswell said, "The 'elect' are the 'whosoever wills' and the whosoever wills' are the 'elect.'" Marcia I’m having trouble with my computer, so don’t know if this will get posted. But I’ll try.

Dr. Criswell was my pastor, and concerning Calvinism. Criswell said, “The ‘elect’ are the ‘whosoever wills’ and the whosoever wills’ are the ‘elect.’”

Marcia

]]> By: Dr. James Willingham http://www.dennyburk.com/southern-baptists-and-calvinism-2/#comment-58708 Dr. James Willingham Mon, 12 Jul 2010 21:46:22 +0000 http://www.dennyburk.com/?p=965#comment-58708 I was talking with a friend this past week, the Rev. Drew Garner, a retired minister, a graduate of Carson Newman and Southwestern. Drew said h us to go to Ridgecrest to hear W.A. Criswell preach. He said he asked Dr. Criswell What his views were on the issue of Calvinism and Dr. Criswell said: "MY THEOLOGY IS THE THEOLOGY OF JAMES PETIGRU BOYCE!" That pretty well says it all. Boyce was a solid Calvinist. Any Southern Baptist minister ought to have Boyce's Systematic Theology and his biography by Broadus. Also I rcommend P.H.Mell's ork on Predestination and Basil Manly, Sr's sermon on Divine Sovereignty and human responsibility along wth J.L. Dagg's theological work, J.M. Frost's writing, ad B.H. Carroll's works. The secret to Great Awakenings and Great Centuries of Mission is Sovereign Grace, the most intensely evangelistic and inviting theology the world has ever seen, the only one that really provides te transformation needed by the individual and by society. Good Sovereign Grace believers who really know their theology rejoice to know that Jonathan Edwards preached on Pressing into the Kingdom. My ordaining pastor, a hyper-calvinist, a supralapsarian, was noted for two evangelisic sermons, Why Sit Ye Here Till Ye Die, and The Great Supper. The theology is coming back, because we need it in order to have a Third Great Awakening and win the whole earth for Christ' sake. Life is getting interesting, exciting, joyful. I was talking with a friend this past week, the Rev. Drew Garner, a retired minister, a graduate of Carson Newman and Southwestern. Drew said h us to go to Ridgecrest to hear W.A. Criswell preach. He said he asked Dr. Criswell What his views were on the issue of Calvinism and Dr. Criswell said: “MY THEOLOGY IS THE THEOLOGY OF JAMES PETIGRU BOYCE!” That pretty well says it all. Boyce was a solid Calvinist. Any Southern Baptist minister ought to have Boyce’s Systematic Theology and his biography by Broadus. Also I rcommend P.H.Mell’s ork on Predestination and Basil Manly, Sr’s sermon on Divine Sovereignty and human responsibility along wth J.L. Dagg’s theological work, J.M. Frost’s writing, ad B.H. Carroll’s works. The secret to Great Awakenings and Great Centuries of Mission is Sovereign Grace, the most intensely evangelistic and inviting theology the world has ever seen, the only one that really provides te transformation needed by the individual and by society. Good Sovereign Grace believers who really know their theology rejoice to know that Jonathan Edwards preached on Pressing into the Kingdom. My ordaining pastor, a hyper-calvinist, a supralapsarian, was noted for two evangelisic sermons, Why Sit Ye Here Till Ye Die, and The Great Supper. The theology is coming back, because we need it in order to have a Third Great Awakening and win the whole earth for Christ’ sake. Life is getting interesting, exciting, joyful.

]]> By: Dr. James Willingham http://www.dennyburk.com/southern-baptists-and-calvinism-2/#comment-56216 Dr. James Willingham Thu, 01 Apr 2010 20:19:23 +0000 http://www.dennyburk.com/?p=965#comment-56216 I preached my firt sermon in 8-58 and was ordained 5-20-62. My ordaining pastor was supralapsarian, a hyper-calvinist, frmer associate to R.G. Lee at Bellevue, and the one person named in Dr. Lee's will to preach his funeral. In '63 I began doing research in Baptist History. Imagine my surprise when cound out that the SBC was founded by Sovereign Grace believers, that they wrote it into the history of their churches, associations, that it was not until the 1900s that an Arminian would be elected prsident of the SBC. The theology of the First and Second Great Awakenings and of the launching of the Great Century of Missions was Sovereign Grace. Since 1973 I have been praying for the Third Great Awakening. That is why, I believe, the theology is coming back - so we can have the awakening that that kind of theology produces. I think it is almost upon us, the time of the singing of the birds is come, we might be about to witness the very shaking of Heaven spoken of in Hebs.12. Surely, it would be a shaking of Heaven to have it brought down to earth. C.S. Lewis sad it well in his sci/fi work, That Hideous Strength, "they pulll down deep Heaven upon their heads." And that is what I found about the awakenings: Such a presence of Heaven that hearts were melted into submission., the answer to multitudes of prayers to that end for over 1700 years. O ys, read Spurgeon's Evening Devotions for Aug.6 and Dec.24, where he prays for the conversion of the whole earth. And think of William Cary and Dr. John Thomas going out to win sinners to Christ with the TULIP doctrines as invitations of the most intense, inviting, winsome, attractive, wonderfully winning kind. I preached my firt sermon in 8-58 and was ordained 5-20-62. My ordaining pastor was supralapsarian, a hyper-calvinist, frmer associate to R.G. Lee at Bellevue, and the one person named in Dr. Lee’s will to preach his funeral. In ’63 I began doing research in Baptist History. Imagine my surprise when cound out that the SBC was founded by Sovereign Grace believers, that they wrote it into the history of their churches, associations, that it was not until the 1900s that an Arminian would be elected prsident of the SBC. The theology of the First and Second Great Awakenings and of the launching of the Great Century of Missions was Sovereign Grace. Since 1973 I have been praying for the Third Great Awakening. That is why, I believe, the theology is coming back – so we can have the awakening that that kind of theology produces. I think it is almost upon us, the time of the singing of the birds is come, we might be about to witness the very shaking of Heaven spoken of in Hebs.12. Surely, it would be a shaking of Heaven to have it brought down to earth. C.S. Lewis sad it well in his sci/fi work, That Hideous Strength, “they pulll down deep Heaven upon their heads.” And that is what I found about the awakenings: Such a presence of Heaven that hearts were melted into submission., the answer to multitudes of prayers to that end for over 1700 years. O ys, read Spurgeon’s Evening Devotions for Aug.6 and Dec.24, where he prays for the conversion of the whole earth. And think of William Cary and Dr. John Thomas going out to win sinners to Christ with the TULIP doctrines as invitations of the most intense, inviting, winsome, attractive, wonderfully winning kind.

]]> By: Patrick http://www.dennyburk.com/southern-baptists-and-calvinism-2/#comment-52193 Patrick Wed, 09 Sep 2009 21:15:25 +0000 http://www.dennyburk.com/?p=965#comment-52193 Those of us that do believe in God's freedom in sovereign electing grace, need to realize the importance of paths the church has taken and church history. It is those like Finney and Sunday who have filled the churches with circus-like-antics and extra-biblical methods. This is the natural path for Arminianism, because it is based on influencing a man to make a decision, instead of preaching the word faithfully and relying on God to work through the Holy Spirit to save them. We need to look at church history and without being pragmatic, look at the results. You don't find a widespread branch of heresy coming from the Calvinist camp. It is the Arminian camp that has birthed "Word-Faith", Charismata, Faith Healers, the "Pentecostal" movement, "Spiritual Outpourings", and other extra biblical events in Chrisendom. It is because that is the path Arminianism will take a person. If man has any part in salvation, other than being a vessel of God's use, then he gets some credit. If God does it all, then He gets ALL the glory, and we cant use hoop-jump methods not in the bible, we just preach the Word and let God work. I encourage you to listen to Jeff Noblit's sermon in 2007 of November, "Calvinism, A Cause For Rejoicing". Those of us that do believe in God’s freedom in sovereign electing grace, need to realize the importance of paths the church has taken and church history. It is those like Finney and Sunday who have filled the churches with circus-like-antics and extra-biblical methods. This is the natural path for Arminianism, because it is based on influencing a man to make a decision, instead of preaching the word faithfully and relying on God to work through the Holy Spirit to save them. We need to look at church history and without being pragmatic, look at the results. You don’t find a widespread branch of heresy coming from the Calvinist camp. It is the Arminian camp that has birthed “Word-Faith”, Charismata, Faith Healers, the “Pentecostal” movement, “Spiritual Outpourings”, and other extra biblical events in Chrisendom. It is because that is the path Arminianism will take a person. If man has any part in salvation, other than being a vessel of God’s use, then he gets some credit. If God does it all, then He gets ALL the glory, and we cant use hoop-jump methods not in the bible, we just preach the Word and let God work. I encourage you to listen to Jeff Noblit’s sermon in 2007 of November, “Calvinism, A Cause For Rejoicing”.

]]> By: Kelly Keith Dunn http://www.dennyburk.com/southern-baptists-and-calvinism-2/#comment-51030 Kelly Keith Dunn Sun, 19 Jul 2009 03:21:04 +0000 http://www.dennyburk.com/?p=965#comment-51030 Personally, I find all this banter quite disturbing. There are many presumptions floating around this discussion. I work in a Homeless Shelter, I share the gospel on a daily basis and I am a Calvinist, not a Four Point Calvinist (Arminian) a Southern Baptist Credentialed, Five Point Calvinist. Stop the bickering and go into all the world and make DISCIPLES! Personally, I find all this banter quite disturbing. There are many presumptions floating around this discussion. I work in a Homeless Shelter, I share the gospel on a daily basis and I am a Calvinist, not a Four Point Calvinist (Arminian) a Southern Baptist Credentialed, Five Point Calvinist. Stop the bickering and go into all the world and make DISCIPLES!

]]> By: J W Majors http://www.dennyburk.com/southern-baptists-and-calvinism-2/#comment-41916 J W Majors Tue, 22 Jul 2008 23:20:00 +0000 http://www.dennyburk.com/?p=965#comment-41916 Free will can get you in,but can't get you out. Getting in is dependent on man's undependable will,but staying in is dependent on God's dependable will. Maybe Southern Baptists fear going to hell more than they dislike God distributing his grace in a way that will maximize his glory rather than sinners. Amusing thing is when they pray for God to save those they are interested in. They should be praying to the sinner,but logic and truth is in short supply when one hates the Sovereignty and Freedom of the Potter. In the end,Calvinism wins. Nobody is going to tell God that his free will got him in. You wouldn't dare. Free will can get you in,but can’t get you out. Getting in is dependent on man’s undependable will,but staying in is dependent on God’s dependable will. Maybe Southern Baptists fear going to hell more than they dislike God distributing his grace in a way that will maximize his glory rather than sinners. Amusing thing is when they pray for God to save those they are interested in. They should be praying to the sinner,but logic and truth is in short supply when one hates the Sovereignty and Freedom of the Potter. In the end,Calvinism wins. Nobody is going to tell God that his free will got him in. You wouldn’t dare.

]]> By: Greg Alford http://www.dennyburk.com/southern-baptists-and-calvinism-2/#comment-26189 Greg Alford Wed, 05 Dec 2007 01:34:51 +0000 http://www.dennyburk.com/?p=965#comment-26189 Brett, A man does not have to be alive today for you to be guilty of slandering him before God… You have made some pretty serious accusations against Calvin… Unless you are in possession of original documents that prove that what you have said about Calvin is true, and not just that these things are what the enemies of Calvin (mostly Catholic Apologists) have said… then you are guilty of slandering a Christian Brother. Brother, you need to be very careful here… Brett,

A man does not have to be alive today for you to be guilty of slandering him before God…

You have made some pretty serious accusations against Calvin… Unless you are in possession of original documents that prove that what you have said about Calvin is true, and not just that these things are what the enemies of Calvin (mostly Catholic Apologists) have said… then you are guilty of slandering a Christian Brother.

Brother, you need to be very careful here…

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