Scofield's Book and Dispensationalism's Delusion: A Biblical Critique
In "The Incredible Scofield and His Book," Joseph M. Canfield undertakes a biographical assault on Cyrus I. Scofield, the architect of the Scofield Reference Bible, which entrenched dispensationalism within evangelical circles. Canfield meticulously documents Scofield's numerous personal failings—divorce, neglect of family, alleged fraud—and insinuates external manipulations, including Zionist influences, to discredit both the man and his theological system.
Published under the auspices of Christian Reconstructionist Rousas Rushdoony, the book champions postmillennialism as an antidote to what Canfield derides as dispensational "defeatism." While dispensationalism indeed errs by positing a future earthly inheritance for ethnic Israel apart from Christ—contradicting the fulfillment of all promises in Him (2 Cor. 1:20)—Canfield's work falters as a persuasive tool for truth. It prioritizes ad hominem attacks and conspiratorial narratives over scriptural exegesis, ultimately advancing a postmillennial agenda that subverts the sovereignty of God's Word no less than the system it opposes.
Canfield's core strategy is character assassination, devoting chapters to Scofield's moral lapses and questionable associations, such as his entry into elite clubs possibly orchestrated by figures like Samuel Untermeyer. This approach persuades through sensationalism, implying that Scofield's flawed life invalidates his theology. Yet Scripture commands discernment based on doctrine, not personal history: "Test all things; hold fast what is good" (1 Thess. 5:21). The apostle Paul, once a persecutor, authored inspired epistles; King David, an adulterer and murderer, penned psalms under the Spirit's guidance.
To effectively assess and dismantle dispensationalism, one must engage the Bible directly, not Scofield's biography. Dispensationalism errs precisely because it fragments God's redemptive plan, assigning a separate future to Israel that Scripture reserves for the true seed of Abraham—those in Christ by faith (Gal. 3:29). Israel rejected its priestly calling in Exodus 19:6 through idolatry and culminated in crucifying Messiah (Matt. 27:25), but Christ fulfilled it as the eternal High Priest (Heb. 4:14-16). Canfield's fixation on Scofield's sins distracts from this biblical reality, reducing critique to gossip that edifies no one (Eph. 4:29).
Moreover, Canfield weaves in conspiratorial threads, suggesting Zionist cabals funded and directed Scofield to promote a pro-Israel eschatology. While Zionism is indeed idolatrous—elevating national Israel above Christ's universal kingdom (Col. 1:13)—such claims venture into speculation unmoored from God's Word. The devil masquerades as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14), deceiving through systems that promise earthly glory apart from submission to Christ. But proving dispensationalism's error requires no hidden agendas; it collapses under exegesis.
Romans 11 speaks not of a restored Jewish state but of branches grafted into the olive tree through faith in the Messiah Israel rejected. The fullness of inheritance is in Christ alone (Eph. 1:11), not geopolitical blessings. By emphasizing shadowy influences, Canfield risks aligning with the very deceit he decries—leaning on human understanding (Prov. 3:5) rather than the sufficiency of Scripture. If Scofield had been a morally upstanding man, it wouldn't have resolved the inherent flaws and countless failures of dispensationalism.
Compounding these flaws, Canfield's postmillennial bias permeates the text, portraying dispensationalism as a "failing church syndrome" that hinders kingdom-building on earth. He advocates a triumphant church ushering in millennial glory through cultural dominion, echoing Reconstructionist ideals. This mirrors the heresies Scripture warns against: attempts to establish God's rule via human systems, akin to the New Apostolic Reformation or Christian Nationalism, which subvert the church's role as witness amid a rebellious world (John 18:36).
Postmillennialism optimistically envisions progressive victory, but Jeremiah 17:9 exposes the heart's deceit; humanity's towers of Babel persist until Christ's return (Rev. 19:11-16). The church gathers, grows, gives, and goes (Matt. 12:30; Eph. 4:15-16; Acts 1:8) not to conquer society but to proclaim the gospel that regenerates through the Spirit, not reforms. Canfield's alternative thus replaces one error with another, both falling short of the glory revealed in Christ crucified and risen.
Ultimately, "The Incredible Scofield and His Book" persuades only those content with partial truths laced with error. Dispensationalism must be rejected, but on biblical grounds: Christ fulfilled the law and prophets (Matt. 5:17), embodying the priest-nation Israel forfeited (1 Pet. 2:9). True heirs are those regenerated in Him, not ethnic lineages or earthly kingdoms. Don't trust in Canfield's flawed polemic to substantiate the inerrant Word of God; test all against its glorious light and truth (2 Tim. 3:16-17). In this, God's true children, born not of blood, nor of the desire or will of man, but born of God, find knowledge, wisdom, and correction, not condemnation through human judgment.
Blessings & love,
Kevin M. Kelley
Pastor
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