Keith A. Mathison

This book is a triumph as it spans the whole Biblical witness to eschatology. Although by necessity only a survey of each book of the Bible, it wets your appetite to delve into the story even more. It shows that God has a particular narrative in Scripture, and that each part of the Bible contributes to God's plan. This is not to say that eschatology or end times is visible in every part of the Bible, but the direct line of God from creation to fall to judgement to reconciliation is show more definitely there.

The book covers so much ground but its treatment of Revelation was very detailed and very balanced. The author has a point of view, but he allows the text to speak for itself. A wealth of footnotes and bibliography add to the majesty of this work. A must read as an introduction to Reformed biblical eschatology. show less

Mathison's book is a detailed account of Calvin's doctrine of the Lord's Supper, which has been lost in Reformed churches since the late 17th century. Delving into Calvin's writings, Mathison shows the Calvinist "middle" position betweenn Luther and Zwingli. He traces the history of the doctrine, and how it was put aside by many who called themselves Calvinists.

The detail in this book and the research are astounding. However, I do not believe his scriptural discussions prove as much as he or show more Calvin think. The book gave me pause to think about new ways of looking at the Eucharist, but in the end I remain unconvinced by Calvin's doctrine. show less

This book contains a solidly biblical explanation of the topics it covers. It covers the doctrines of dispensationalism and also several key doctrines of Reformed Theology at a good introductory level. There are tons of scriptural references and also references to other books that help build up his points.

For a short book that is easy to read it has a good level of depth, but there is a ton more to cover and he lists dozens of books at the end for further reading on several topics. One book show more he didn't list that I expected to see was "The Holiness of God" by R.C. Sproul, I think that one would fit under the Total Depravity topic, but he did list other books by Sproul.

As Sproul said, this book is a great tool for the Laymen. Even if it won't convince your dispensational friends to change their minds, it gathers a lot of key scriptures into one place to help you build up an expository case against dispensationalism. These topics tend to be emotional for all sides though, so always remember to speak the truth in love above all else (Ephesians 4:15). God Bless show less

The title of this book caught my attention because for the first 30 years of my life I lived in a church/school culture which believed that dispensationalism was the best framework for understanding the Bible properly.

The subtitle — Rightly Dividing the People of God? — is a play on words:
1) Dispensationalism distinguishes itself from other theological grids by seeing a distinction between the Old Testament “people of God” (the nation of Israel) and the New Testament “people of show more God” (the Church)
2) Dispensationalism (like every other teaching over which there is no Christian consensus) divides God’s people

The book, published by Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing in 1995, consists of 160 pages and four major parts.

Part 1 defines dispensationalism and examines its roots in church history. Mathison helpfully defines dispensationalism in terms of what makes it unique among theological systems: it is “that system of theology which sees a fundamental distinction between Israel and the church.” Its roots go back to the late 19th century Bible Conference Movement.

Part 2 argues strongly for the unity of believers throughout all of history. Where dispensationalism sees a critical discontinuity between believers of the Old Testament and believers in the “church age,” Mathison sees an essential continuity.

Part 3 refutes “the dispensational doctrine of salvation” by defending point by point the Calvinist doctrine of salvation. It was here that I felt the book lost its focus a bit. While a semi-Pelagian view of salvation is no doubt common among dispensationalists, Mathison fails to prove that it is a necessary teaching of dispensationalism. As such, these 60+ pages dilute the impact of the book.

Part 4 argues against “the dispensational doctrine of the last things.” Mathison offers reasons why the dispensationalist teaching of the rapture is not correct. Additionally, he explains why the dispensationalist understanding of the Millennium is suspect.

I appreciated Mathison’s attempts throughout the book to prove his points with Scripture. Although he occasionally appeals to church history to support his arguments, he insists that Scripture trumps the church’s historical understanding of any given teaching.

Though I am sympathetic to many of Mathison’s viewpoints, and though this book provides helpful insight into areas that deserve concentrated consideration, I’m not convinced that Mathison’s overview of the subject proves as much as he thinks it does. His rhetoric at times seems stronger than his proof.

Mathison concludes the book with this exhortation: “True Christians are thus faced with a choice. The decision is whether to submit to the compelling witness of Scripture or to continue believing in a doctrinal system void of biblical basis simply because that system is what one has always been taught. I urge my dispensationalist brothers and sisters to consider this choice prayerfully, and to eagerly embrace the Word of truth.”

I suspect a sincere dispensationalist would offer similar advice at the end of a book defending dispensationalism. show less