Scofield Reference Bible, page 1115. This page includes Scofield's note on John 1:17.
The Scofield Bible had several innovative features. Most important, it printed what amounted to a commentary on the biblical text alongside the Bible instead of in a separate volume, the first to do so in English since the Geneva Bible (1560).[2] It also contained a cross-referencing system that tied together related verses of Scripture and allowed a reader to follow biblical themes from one chapter and book to another (so called "chain references"). Finally, the 1917 edition also attempted to date events of the Bible. It was in the pages of the Scofield Reference Bible that many Christians first encountered Archbishop James Ussher's calculation of the date of Creation as 4004 BC; and through discussion of Scofield's notes, which advocated the "gap theory," fundamentalists began a serious internal debate about the nature and chronology of creation.[3]
The first edition of the Scofield Bible (1909) was published only a few years before World War I, a war that destroyed a cultural optimism that had viewed the world as entering a new era of peace and prosperity; then the post-World War II era witnessed the creation in Palestine of a homeland for the Jews. Thus, Scofield's premillennialism seemed prophetic. "At the popular level, especially, many people came to regard the dispensationalist scheme as completely vindicated."[4] Sales of the Reference Bible exceeded two million copies by the end of World War II.[5]
The Scofield Reference Bible promoted dispensationalism, the belief that between creation and the final judgment there would be seven distinct eras of God's dealing with man and that these eras are a framework for synthesizing the message of the Bible.[6] Largely through the influence of Scofield's notes, many fundamentalist Christians in the United States adopted a dispensational theology. Scofield's notes on the Book of Revelation are a major source for the various timetables, judgments, and plagues elaborated on by popular religious writers such as Hal Lindsey, Edgar C. Whisenant, and Tim LaHaye;[7] and in part because of the success of the Scofield Reference Bible, twentieth-century American fundamentalists placed greater stress on eschatological speculation.
Later editionsedit
Notes in the 1917 Scofield Bible
The 1917 Scofield Reference Bible notes are now in the public domain, and the 1917 edition is "consistently the best selling edition of the Scofield Bible" in the United Kingdom and Ireland.[8] In 1967, Oxford University Press published a revision of the Scofield Bible with a slightly modernized KJV text, and a muting of some of the tenets of Scofield's theology.[9] Recent editions of the KJV Scofield Study Bible have moved the textual changes made in 1967 to the margin.[10] The Press continues to issue editions under the title Oxford Scofield Study Bible, and there are translations into French, German, Spanish, and Portuguese. For instance, the French edition published by the Geneva Bible Society is printed with a revised version of the Louis Segond translation that includes additional notes by a Francophone committee.[11]
In the 21st century, Oxford University Press published Scofield notes to accompany six additional English translations.[12]
Referencesedit
^The title page listed seven "consulting editors": Henry G. Weston, James M. Gray, W.J. Erdman, A.T. Pierson, W. G. Moorehead, Elmore Harris, and A. C. Gaebelein. "Just what role these consulting editors played in the project has been the subject of some debate. Apparently Scofield only meant to acknowledge their assistance, though some have speculated that he hoped to gain support for his publication from both sides of the millenarian movement with this device." Ernest Sandeen, The Roots of Fundamentalism: British and American Millenarianism, 1800-1930 (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1970), 224.
^Gordon Campbell, Bible: The Story of the King James Version, 1611-2011 (Oxford University Press, 2010), 26. The Scofield Bible was the predecessor of the "very successful marketing trend" of orienting Bible study tools to average laymen. Mangum & Sweetnam, 172.
^Ussher's dates and the gap theory are "not completely congruous with one another," Ussher's dates implying a young earth, and the "gap" between the first two verses of Genesis—as well as Scofield's allowance of the day-age theory—suggesting the possibility of an old earth. Mangum & Sweetnam, 97.
^Mangum & Sweetnam, 201. The text of King James Version remains under Crown Copyright.
^Mangum & Sweetnam, 201. "The continuing popularity of the 1917 notes may reflect the preference of the purchasers for the original and full-strength Scofield." Mangum & Sweetnam suggest the popularity of the 1917 edition may also reflect a strong commitment to the KJV translation. Scofield was accused of promoting "two ways of salvation" with a dispensation of works before the death and resurrection of Christ and a dispensation of grace afterwards. In the revision of 1967, Scofield's note on John 1:17 "was rewritten, and now seemed to say the opposite of Scofield's original." Gordon Campbell, Bible: The Story of the King James Version, 1611-2011 (Oxford University Press, 2010), 246-47.
^The Scofield Study Bible III, KJV: How to use this study Bible. Oxford University Press. 2003. ISBN9780199723874. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
^Mangum & Sweetnam, 202-03. Some of the notes have also appeared in Korean and Polynesian.
Arno C. Gaebelein, The History of the Scofield Reference Bible (Our Hope Publications, 1943)
William E. Cox, Why I Left Scofieldism (Phillipsburg, N.J.: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., 1975) ISBN0-87552-154-1
R. Todd Mangum and Mark S. Sweetnam, The Scofield Bible: Its History and Impact on the Evangelical Church (Colorado Springs: Paternoster Publishing, 2009)
Donald Harman Akenson, The Americanization of the Apocalypse: Creating America's Own Bible (New York: Oxford University Press, 2023)
External linksedit
The KJV Scofield® Study Bible III 2003
The Scofield reference Bible. The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments 1917
Scofield Reference Bible Notes at Wikisource
Searchable text of the 1917 version of the Scofield Reference Bible reference notes.
December 15, 2023
scofield, reference, bible, widely, circulated, study, bible, edited, annotated, american, bible, student, cyrus, scofield, which, popularized, dispensationalism, beginning, 20th, century, published, oxford, university, press, containing, entire, text, traditi. The Scofield Reference Bible is a widely circulated study Bible edited and annotated by the American Bible student Cyrus I Scofield which popularized dispensationalism at the beginning of the 20th century Published by Oxford University Press and containing the entire text of the traditional Protestant King James Version it first appeared in 1909 and was revised by the author in 1917 1 Cover of a 1917 edition of the Scofield Bible presented as a gift in 1941 Contents 1 Features and legacy 1 1 Later editions 2 References 3 Further reading 4 External linksFeatures and legacy edit nbsp Scofield Reference Bible page 1115 This page includes Scofield s note on John 1 17 The Scofield Bible had several innovative features Most important it printed what amounted to a commentary on the biblical text alongside the Bible instead of in a separate volume the first to do so in English since the Geneva Bible 1560 2 It also contained a cross referencing system that tied together related verses of Scripture and allowed a reader to follow biblical themes from one chapter and book to another so called chain references Finally the 1917 edition also attempted to date events of the Bible It was in the pages of the Scofield Reference Bible that many Christians first encountered Archbishop James Ussher s calculation of the date of Creation as 4004 BC and through discussion of Scofield s notes which advocated the gap theory fundamentalists began a serious internal debate about the nature and chronology of creation 3 The first edition of the Scofield Bible 1909 was published only a few years before World War I a war that destroyed a cultural optimism that had viewed the world as entering a new era of peace and prosperity then the post World War II era witnessed the creation in Palestine of a homeland for the Jews Thus Scofield s premillennialism seemed prophetic At the popular level especially many people came to regard the dispensationalist scheme as completely vindicated 4 Sales of the Reference Bible exceeded two million copies by the end of World War II 5 The Scofield Reference Bible promoted dispensationalism the belief that between creation and the final judgment there would be seven distinct eras of God s dealing with man and that these eras are a framework for synthesizing the message of the Bible 6 Largely through the influence of Scofield s notes many fundamentalist Christians in the United States adopted a dispensational theology Scofield s notes on the Book of Revelation are a major source for the various timetables judgments and plagues elaborated on by popular religious writers such as Hal Lindsey Edgar C Whisenant and Tim LaHaye 7 and in part because of the success of the Scofield Reference Bible twentieth century American fundamentalists placed greater stress on eschatological speculation Later editions edit nbsp Notes in the 1917 Scofield BibleThe 1917 Scofield Reference Bible notes are now in the public domain and the 1917 edition is consistently the best selling edition of the Scofield Bible in the United Kingdom and Ireland 8 In 1967 Oxford University Press published a revision of the Scofield Bible with a slightly modernized KJV text and a muting of some of the tenets of Scofield s theology 9 Recent editions of the KJV Scofield Study Bible have moved the textual changes made in 1967 to the margin 10 The Press continues to issue editions under the title Oxford Scofield Study Bible and there are translations into French German Spanish and Portuguese For instance the French edition published by the Geneva Bible Society is printed with a revised version of the Louis Segond translation that includes additional notes by a Francophone committee 11 In the 21st century Oxford University Press published Scofield notes to accompany six additional English translations 12 References edit The title page listed seven consulting editors Henry G Weston James M Gray W J Erdman A T Pierson W G Moorehead Elmore Harris and A C Gaebelein Just what role these consulting editors played in the project has been the subject of some debate Apparently Scofield only meant to acknowledge their assistance though some have speculated that he hoped to gain support for his publication from both sides of the millenarian movement with this device Ernest Sandeen The Roots of Fundamentalism British and American Millenarianism 1800 1930 Chicago University of Chicago Press 1970 224 Gordon Campbell Bible The Story of the King James Version 1611 2011 Oxford University Press 2010 26 The Scofield Bible was the predecessor of the very successful marketing trend of orienting Bible study tools to average laymen Mangum amp Sweetnam 172 Ussher s dates and the gap theory are not completely congruous with one another Ussher s dates implying a young earth and the gap between the first two verses of Genesis as well as Scofield s allowance of the day age theory suggesting the possibility of an old earth Mangum amp Sweetnam 97 Mangum amp Sweetnam 179 Gaebelein 11 Magnum amp Sweetnam 188 195 Historically speaking The Scofield Reference Bible was to dispensationalism what Luther s Ninety five Theses was to Lutheranism or what Calvin s Institutes was to Calvinism 195 Mangum amp Sweetnam 218 Mangum amp Sweetnam 201 The text of King James Version remains under Crown Copyright Mangum amp Sweetnam 201 The continuing popularity of the 1917 notes may reflect the preference of the purchasers for the original and full strength Scofield Mangum amp Sweetnam suggest the popularity of the 1917 edition may also reflect a strong commitment to the KJV translation Scofield was accused of promoting two ways of salvation with a dispensation of works before the death and resurrection of Christ and a dispensation of grace afterwards In the revision of 1967 Scofield s note on John 1 17 was rewritten and now seemed to say the opposite of Scofield s original Gordon Campbell Bible The Story of the King James Version 1611 2011 Oxford University Press 2010 246 47 The Scofield Study Bible III KJV How to use this study Bible Oxford University Press 2003 ISBN 9780199723874 Retrieved 10 December 2015 Mangum amp Sweetnam 202 03 Some of the notes have also appeared in Korean and Polynesian Campbell Bible 248 Further reading editArno C Gaebelein The History of the Scofield Reference Bible Our Hope Publications 1943 William E Cox Why I Left Scofieldism Phillipsburg N J Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co 1975 ISBN 0 87552 154 1 R Todd Mangum and Mark S Sweetnam The Scofield Bible Its History and Impact on the Evangelical Church Colorado Springs Paternoster Publishing 2009 Donald Harman Akenson The Americanization of the Apocalypse Creating America s Own Bible New York Oxford University Press 2023 External links editThe KJV Scofield Study Bible III 2003 The Scofield reference Bible The Holy Bible containing the Old and New Testaments 1917 Scofield Reference Bible Notes at Wikisource Searchable text of the 1917 version of the Scofield Reference Bible reference notes Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Scofield Reference Bible amp oldid 1174311301, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
