Primer on Dispensationalism [Paperback]

John H. Gerstner (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 38 pages
• Publisher: P & R Publishing (June 1, 1982)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0875522734
• ISBN-13: 978-0875522739
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,261,225 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read, March 5, 2009

By 

J Duk (NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Primer on Dispensationalism (Paperback)

This little book is a must read for anyone concerned with the condition of today's evangelical churches and how they got to be in the sorry state they are in. Dr. Gerstner places the blame squarely on the advent of dispensationalism and the antinomianism that is taught along side it.

This book is not for everyone but, for those of you who know you are being taught dispensationalism and sense that something about the teaching just isn't right, like the rapture, this book is a must read.

If you are unable to secure a copy of, "Wrongly Dividing the Word of Truth", by Dr. Gerstner, this little primer is the next best thing. I urge anyone who is interested in the truth about the Truth to read this book and to share it with your church families. Hiding behind bad doctrine, wrong interpretation and worse eschatology does nothing to glorify God and ultimately, that is the reason His church has been become such a hypocritical mess that is indistinguishable from the world.

Get multiple copies and share them with those who love the Lord's word. His word says the Truth shall set you free and the false teaching of dispensationalism and the arrogant antinomianism that results are not the Truth and are the reason so many in the church today are still in bondage to their sin.

5.0 out of 5 stars A BRIEF CRITIQUE OF DISPENATIONALISM BY A NOTED REFORMED THEOLOGIAN, November 19, 2010

By 

Steven H. Propp (Sacramento, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Primer on Dispensationalism (Paperback)

John Gerstner (1914-1996) was a Professor of Church History at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and Knox Theological Seminary. He later (1991) wrote a much longer critique of dispensationalism (Wrongly Dividing the Word of Truth: A Critique of Dispensationalism (Second Edition), but this shorter piece has its usefulness.

He begins this 1982 book by saying, "I owe my salvation, under God, to a dispensationalist... My gratitude to that teacher, and to the whole dispensational school of theology which he represented, will linger with me through eternity. Nevertheless, I believe the theology of dispensationalism, though intending evangelicalism, is a serious deviation from biblical doctrine and even threatens its own evangelicalism. This primer will show the truth of that heavy charge."

Here are some quotations from the booklet:

"Radical scholars divide the Old Testament into different and conflicting documents with varying theologies. Dispensationalists do not go about their job in quite the same way, but they end up with very similar results. Just as there are radical radicals who split the biblical documents to smithereens, so there are ultra-dispensationalists who do the same." (Pg. 3)
"The vast proportion of Scripture is either obviously literal or obviously figurative, both sides admit. Only in a relatively few disputed areas does the question arise whether Scripture is to be taken literally or figuratively. We do not accuse dispensationalists of being absolute literalists, nor should they accuse us of being absolute spiritualizers." (Pg. 4)
"Dispensationalism is not, as it usually claims to be, Calvinistic or Reformed. This is an extremely serious fault inasmuch as the teaching of the Bible, we believe, is Reformed throughout." (Pg. 15)
"(T)he way dispensationalists conceive of the Old Testament believers is drastically different from the biblical way. According to dispensationalists, the Old Testament people are saved by believing in the coming of Christ while, in the biblical view, the Old Testament people are saved by believing in the Christ who is coming. In dispensationalism, a person is saved by anticipation; in the biblical system, a person is saved by Christ." (Pg. 28)
"Dispensationalism divides rather than preserves the unity of the Bible. It divides the people of God. It divides predestination from the people of God. It divides salvation from the people of God. It divides the people of God into the endless future. These things are incompatible with a sound interpretation of the Bible." (Pg. 35)

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good examination of dispensationalism, August 28, 2010

By 

Gedjalek (Pittsburgh) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Primer on Dispensationalism (Paperback)

ead book and thirsted for more from the late Dr. Gerstner, and was fortunate to find a series of talks he did on the book from a church back in the early 80's posted online for free download.

Very informative. This is something all christians need to read and understand, because the popular mass media buys into dispensationalism hook line and sinker without ever considering the full ramifications of the failed hermeneutics used to come up with this system of interpreting the bible. It could not be more obviously in error once you follow it's logic all the way through.

I was raised dispensational but never had it fully explained to me, mainly because most dispensationalists that I knew didn't have a real grasp of it in the first place. They were taught it just like me but never examined it thoroughly either. It's one of those deals where respectable people and authorities all believe something because everybody else believes it, but nobody realy knows much about it. The emperor's new clothes is more like it.

I further read other theologians takes on it and I can now say I fully understand dispensationalism, and I fully dis-avow it now as well, thanks to excellent covering of the subject by Dr. Gerstner, as well as others such as John Greer, Stuart Olyott, Malcolm Smith, Dick Lucas and a whole bunch of other good teachers.