# That Scofield Bible!



## N. Eshelman (Oct 20, 2008)

I am wondering your thoughts on how much damage the Scofield Bible has done to the Reformed Faith and the Gospel? We can all agree that the Scofield notes are un-Reformed and have many errors, but can it be blamed on some of the troubles in American Christianity?


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## DMcFadden (Oct 21, 2008)

First you attack my Scofield. Next you'll be going after my Larkin charts out of _Dispensational Truth_!







Probably odd man out in this thread . . . but here goes. I have a soft spot for dispensationalists. Is the system wrong? No duh! But, I would rather try to teach a dispensationalist about Calvinism than a liberal mainliner about Calvinism.

There is a story (probably more true than apocyraphal) that students graduate from Moody Bible Institute (full disclosure: one of my sons is an adjunct there in Christian ed) and take all of about 1 semester to "convert" to full Calvinism (and/or Reformed Christianity) in a seminary even as "mixed" as Gordon Conwell. Show me an educated scoffer from even a "conservative" Christian liberal arts college who made the same move. I would much rather "convert" dispi folk to Calvinism than liberals to Christianity (let alone Calvinism!). There is something about honoring the Word of God as inerrant that lends itself to midcourse shifts and awakenings to truth. 

In an ideal world, I would rather people learn the truth out of the crib. However, in the actual world, dispensationalism is a kind of "training wheels" for learning theology. Just as many Calvinists today were converted under Arminian ministries, many Calvinists are ex-dispensationalists for the same reason.

If you want a list of errors . . . start with the Gap Theory in Genesis 1:1 in the original Scofield Bible and then check out the notes on Daniel (e.g., chapter 9), Matthew (especially the Sermon on the Mount), and Revelation. Some of the most egregious errors got purged or softened over the years, however.


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## Grymir (Oct 21, 2008)

That is so true!! I'd rather have a Church full of Scofield readers than Barth readers!!!

By the way, I have two of them. Leather. One even signed by John Hagee! (Before he went off the deep end). I bet it would get good money if I sold it to some of the dispensationalists! 

I think Scofield may have slowed it down, but didn't damage American Christianity like Liberals/Barthians did. I do like the dispensationalists high view of scriptures.


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## MLCOPE2 (Oct 21, 2008)

DMcFadden said:


> First you attack my Scofield. Next you'll be going after my Larkin charts out of _Dispensational Truth_!
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I know! That John MacArthur just really hasn't got it down yet. Hopefully soon he'll realize that he has no idea what he is talking about!


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## jwithnell (Oct 21, 2008)

Short answer, yes it has caused much damage. As a believer only a few days old, I walked into a book store and bought a Bible that was much in line with the Scofield thinking. The Bible is always right, isn't it? And look what _this_ one says!

OK, a longer answer that puts Scofield into a context I've been trying to think through lately. I haven't worked it out entirely, but I've been thinking of the effects of John Locke and the later enlightenment thinkers and the results in American and English theology. 

If certain truths are "self-evident" and morality can be discovered for oneself based on natural laws, then it makes sense that an individual can make a discovery of the gospel and "make a decision" for personal salvation. Since this doesn't square with the covenantal, Old Testament teaching, surely God must have changed his means.

Contrast that to God choosing for himself a people to call his own, then His relationship to us would be unchanging throughout all time.


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## LadyFlynt (Oct 21, 2008)

Ack! The Gap Theory! My stepdad believes a version of this. Only his includes, "In the NEW beginning"....

Blame also goes to Haley's Bible Handbook which was touted as something all Christian parents should give their publicly educated child (according to stepgrandma...guess who inherited this piece of junk...yes, I kept it for evidence LOL).


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## JohnGill (Oct 21, 2008)

nleshelman said:


> I am wondering your thoughts on how much damage the Scofield Bible has done to the Reformed Faith and the Gospel? We can all agree that the Scofield notes are un-Reformed and have many errors, but can it be blamed on some of the troubles in American Christianity?



THE INCREDIBLE SCOFIELD by Joseph M. Canfield goes through some of the damage done by the Scofield notes upon American Christianity. I think it is more than just that dispensationalism in the notes. It is also the pre-tribulational rapture nonsense. With Christians waiting for the Great Escape, why should they be bothered to exercise the dominion of Christ over every area of their lives? You don't polish brass on a sinking ship after all. That aspect of the notes coupled with the derogatory remarks made about the law of God in the Scofield notes, I believe did a lot of damage. How often do you hear the refrain, I'm not under the law but under grace. Generally said when you have pointed out that they are engaged in some sin. The implication of course is that they don't have to obey the law.


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## LawrenceU (Oct 21, 2008)

You think Scofield is bad, look at a Dakes! They both have helped to hamstring the Church in this country.


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## JM (Oct 21, 2008)

Yah, Scofield is better then Dake...but Dake copied a lot from Bullinger's Bible.


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## JohnGill (Oct 21, 2008)

JM said:


> Yah, Scofield is better then Dake...but Dake copied a lot from Bullinger's Bible.



E. W. Bullinger Booklets (from raptureready.com) - E. W. Bullinger

The Great Escape comes up again.


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## Presbyterian Deacon (Oct 21, 2008)

Ah...Scofield, Larkin, Halley, Ryrie, et al! Some old "friends." I have a couple of shelves full of this stuff. Doesn't get much use anymore.

Dennis' point is well made. Though great error has been, and is espoused by the Dispensational system--it is not nearly so damaging as mainline liberalism.

An excellent book to look at is Vern S. Poythress, Understanding Dispensationalists. Chapter 2 deals specifically with Scofield's Dispensationalism.


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## tellville (Oct 21, 2008)

The new Scofield III Bibles are really sexy. I think half the reason they are so popular is because Oxford actually takes more than 10 seconds in making them. The font is perfect, the space for personal notes is there, no real bleed through, high quality covers and binding, built to last. Unless you get a custom binding they are the best Bible you can get and they are quite cheap too! 

If you read the HCSB or ESV the Scofield versions of these Bible are by far the best produced, especially for the price. 

I also find the cross references and chapter headings quite useful. As for the notes, I never read them.


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## JM (Oct 21, 2008)

tellville said:


> The new Scofield III Bibles are really sexy. I think half the reason they are so popular is because Oxford actually takes more than 10 seconds in making them. The font is perfect, the space for personal notes is there, no real bleed through, high quality covers and binding, built to last. Unless you get a custom binding they are the best Bible you can get and they are quite cheap too!
> 
> If you read the HCSB or ESV the Scofield versions of these Bible are by far the best produced, especially for the price.
> 
> I also find the cross references and chapter headings quite useful. As for the notes, I never read them.



I agree. The Old Scofield I bought is one of the nicest Bibles I own for the price.


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## TimV (Oct 22, 2008)

> I would much rather "convert" dispi folk to Calvinism than liberals to Christianity (let alone Calvinism!). There is something about honoring the Word of God as inerrant that lends itself to midcourse shifts and awakenings to truth.



But is the Word of God inerrant if it doesn't apply to this dispensation?

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Scofield's notes and reference
I dare not trust this Thompson's chain
But wholly lean on Scofield's fame

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Scofield's notes and reference
On Scofield's notes and reference

It taught me to divide the truth
By reading James and chucking Ruth
It lets me chose which laws are right
Which helps me in my daily fight

refrain again

Now someone add another verse.


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## Pilgrim (Oct 22, 2008)

TimV said:


> > I would much rather "convert" dispi folk to Calvinism than liberals to Christianity (let alone Calvinism!). There is something about honoring the Word of God as inerrant that lends itself to midcourse shifts and awakenings to truth.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Here's the way I've heard it: 

My hope is built on nothing less 
Than Scofield's notes and *Moody Press*


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