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C.I. Scofield
C.I. Scofield (August 19, 1843 – July 24, 1921) was an American preacher, theologian, and author whose ministry and editorial work profoundly shaped dispensational theology through the creation of the Scofield Reference Bible. Born Cyrus Ingerson Scofield in Lenawee County, Michigan, to Elias Scofield, a sawmill worker, and Abigail Goodrich, he was the seventh child in a family disrupted by his mother’s death in childbirth and his father’s remarriage. Raised in Wilson County, Tennessee, he served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War (1861–1865), earning the Confederate Cross of Honor, before moving to St. Louis, Missouri, where he worked as a lawyer and politician, elected to the Kansas House of Representatives in 1871. Converted in 1879 at age 36 under the influence of YMCA worker Thomas McPheeters, he abandoned his legal career for ministry. Scofield’s preaching career began with ordination as a Congregational minister in 1882, pastoring First Congregational Church in Dallas, Texas (1882–1895), where he grew the congregation from 14 to over 500 members, and later Moody Memorial Church in Northfield, Massachusetts (1895–1902). His most enduring contribution came in 1909 with the publication of the Scofield Reference Bible, a King James Version annotated with dispensational notes that sold over 10 million copies, popularizing premillennialism among evangelicals. Married twice—first to Leontine Cerré in 1866, with whom he had two daughters (divorced 1883), then to Hettie Hall van Wark in 1884, with whom he had a son—he faced early controversy over alleged fraud and forgery, though he claimed redemption through faith. He died at 77 in Douglaston, New York, leaving a legacy as a key architect of modern dispensationalism.
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C.I. Scofield preaches on the importance of thorough spiritual cleansing and restoration to God, using the example of the cleansing of vessels in 2 Chronicles 29:18-31. The sermon emphasizes the need for deep searching of the heart, genuine confession, and separation from dishonorable practices to become vessels fit for God's use. It highlights the significance of acknowledging the eternal sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the resulting praise, worship, and readiness for service that follows a truly restored heart.
Hezekiah Opens the Temple
(2 Chr. xxix:18-31.) I. The Analysis. 1. Cleansing of the Vessels (verses 18, 19).—The special form of consecration here is the restoration to the divine service of that which belonged to Him. 2. Sacrifice in View of the Sin of Judah (verses 20-24). —The law required sacrifices such as these to be oft repeated—we have "one sacrifice for sins forever" (Heb. x:12). 3. The Praise of a Cleansed and Restored People (verses 25-28).—This is the order of Psalm li (see below). 4. The Worship of a Praising People (verses 29, 30.) — (See below.) 5. The Gifts of a People Right with God (verse 31).— (See below.) II. The Heart of the Lesson. So intimately connected are the parts of this precious lesson that they must be considered together. The lesson is all heart; and it is found in the moral order of the return to God of His own people who have become backslidden through sin. Very much superficial and therefore unsatisfying work is done along this line. Conscious of a loss of communion and so of joy and power, we come to God with general and indefinite confessions of coldness and sinfulness, but without deep searching of heart and exercise of conscience, and we find ourselves soon back on the old ground of failure. Here thorough work was done, and the divine order of restoration is here illustrated. Let us mark the steps. 1. Cleansing of the vessels. For the Christian this takes two forms, (1) The cleansing of the ways of the daily walk. This is illustrated by John xiii:4-10, and is performed according to 1 John i:9; for confession is just bringing the defiled feet to the Lord Jesus to be made clean. (2) The second form of cleansing is separation from vessels unto dishonor according to 2 Tim. ii:20, 21. This makes us "vessels unto honor, sanctified and meet for the Master's use." 2. The acknowledgment of the efficacy of the "one sacrifice for sins forever"—the restoration of the Cross to its right place as the sin offering which has settled forever the whole sum of our guilt and demerit before God; and the burnt offering in which Jesus Christ "offered Himself without spot unto God" in our stead and behalf. Faith, dimmed by backsliding and sin, once more sees that as all our demerit was borne by Christ, so all His glorious merit is accounted to us. What inevitably follows is:— 3. The praise of a cleansed and restored heart, now again rejoicing in God through Jesus Christ. In the tabernacle the incense which was burnt on the golden altar was kindled by a live coal from the brazen altar where sacrifice was offered, so true praise like true worship is set aflame by the sacrifice of Christ. Then follows something deeper, higher than praise:— 4. The worship of cleansed, restored, and singing hearts. Praise is vocal, expressive, a testimony. David said that many should hear his new song. Worship is "in spirit"; the bowing of the whole inner self in adoration, wonder and love before the Father. Note this order in 1 Tim. i:12-17. Paul breaks into praise in verse 12, into worship in verse 17, "Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, honor and glory forever and ever. Amen." 5. And now the heart, cleansed, restored, filled with the new song, and bowed in adoration, is ready for service. "Come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings unto the house of the Lord."
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C.I. Scofield (August 19, 1843 – July 24, 1921) was an American preacher, theologian, and author whose ministry and editorial work profoundly shaped dispensational theology through the creation of the Scofield Reference Bible. Born Cyrus Ingerson Scofield in Lenawee County, Michigan, to Elias Scofield, a sawmill worker, and Abigail Goodrich, he was the seventh child in a family disrupted by his mother’s death in childbirth and his father’s remarriage. Raised in Wilson County, Tennessee, he served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War (1861–1865), earning the Confederate Cross of Honor, before moving to St. Louis, Missouri, where he worked as a lawyer and politician, elected to the Kansas House of Representatives in 1871. Converted in 1879 at age 36 under the influence of YMCA worker Thomas McPheeters, he abandoned his legal career for ministry. Scofield’s preaching career began with ordination as a Congregational minister in 1882, pastoring First Congregational Church in Dallas, Texas (1882–1895), where he grew the congregation from 14 to over 500 members, and later Moody Memorial Church in Northfield, Massachusetts (1895–1902). His most enduring contribution came in 1909 with the publication of the Scofield Reference Bible, a King James Version annotated with dispensational notes that sold over 10 million copies, popularizing premillennialism among evangelicals. Married twice—first to Leontine Cerré in 1866, with whom he had two daughters (divorced 1883), then to Hettie Hall van Wark in 1884, with whom he had a son—he faced early controversy over alleged fraud and forgery, though he claimed redemption through faith. He died at 77 in Douglaston, New York, leaving a legacy as a key architect of modern dispensationalism.