Rightly Dividing The Word Of Truth
Review – April 2012 – Grace & Truth Magazine
Rightly Dividing The Word Of Truth
By C. I . Scofield
Publisher: Grace & Truth, Inc.
Address: 210 Chestnut Street, Danville, IL 61832 USA
www.gtpress.org
Format: Paperback, 40-page booklet
Cyrus I. Scofield (1843-1921) was a well-known American evangelist, teacher and pastor who devoted the last quarter of his life to writing Bible book introductions, notes, a subject chain reference, a concordance and other study aids to the King James Version of the Bible. In 1909 his work appeared as the Scofield Reference Bible.
His booklet, Rightly Dividing The Word Of Truth, presents the main themes of the Bible which were developed in his notes to the Bible. Its title comes from his favorite verse: “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15 KJV). As a new believer, Scofield discovered that study meant more than reading and memorizing God’s Word. Understanding was also needed to make the workman approved.
In his introduction to the booklet, Scofield wrote: “The purpose of this pamphlet is to indicate the more important divisions of the Word of Truth. Enough is given to enable the diligent student to perceive the greater outlines of truth and something of the ordered beauty and symmetry of the Word of God which, to the natural mind, seems a mere confusion of conflicting ideas.”
The divisions which Scofield saw as “important” to understanding the Bible are: Jew, Gentile and the Church; the seven dispensations; the two resurrections; the five judgments; law and grace; the believer’s two natures; the believer’s standing and state; salvation and rewards; true believers and mere professors.
Trained as a lawyer, Scofield’s method of presenting his case for rightly dividing the Word of Truth was to “let the evidence speak for itself.” If you desire to know the Bible so well that you can teach it to others, this booklet will be a big help.
Reviewed By Larry Ondrejack