Hoyte Nelson's 

Poems/ Reflections & Biblical Essays

Biblical Essays

Poems & Reflections

Essay

“Cutting A Straight Line,”

And the Scofield system - eschatology?

“Be diligent thyself approved to present to God a workman not ashamed, straightly cutting the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15, Greek lexicon, G. R. Berry).

In the days of my youth, the theme for our Baptist training materials “BYPU” (Baptist Young Peoples Union), published by the Southern Baptist Convention Sunday-School Board, was taken from 2 Timothy 2:15, KJV.

It was of particular interest for me to learn that the Old BYPU theme, “rightly dividing the word of truth,” read, in a Greek lexicon, “Be diligent thyself approved to present to God a workman not ashamed, straightly cutting the word of truth.” (Greek~English New Testament, by G. R. Berry). This was of particular interest to me because of my background as a farm boy. I knew that the concept of rightly dividing the Word of truth and the concept of “straightly cutting the word of truth were essentially different, one means “the parting of the ways;” whereas, the other means, “staying the course i.e., “Line by line, precept upon precept.”

Dr. C. H. Irwin’s commentary reads a follows:

“Rightly dividing. Lit., “cutting straight.” “...as a ploughman cutting a straight furrow,” “...cutting of cloth. He says, “...a preacher or teacher should be faithful and straightforward in the treatment and application of the Divine word.” Irwin’s Bible Commentary Edited by C. H. Irwin, M.A., D.D. (Copyright renewed, 1965).

I believe that all who holds to a conservative view of the scriptures would agree that all the prophecies of both the Old and New Testament, either has been, is being, or will be fulfilled according to the scriptures; nevertheless, we do not always agree on the when or where, or how these prophecies are, or will be fulfilled, and that brings me to another subject of interest.

Doctor C. I. Scofield, (1843-1921) who died one year before I was born, is often thought of as the father of dispensation/pre-millennial theology, did, in his day, write: “The Word of Truth, then has a right division, and it must be evident that, as one cannot be ‘a workman that needeth not to be ashamed’ without observing them, so any study of the Word which ignores those divisions must be in a large measure profitless and confusing.” [The introduction to rightly/dividing THE WORD OF TRUTH, R. V.].

I certainly would not for a moment question the integrity of this noble man of God, and I know that he believed that the translation from which he quoted was correct in the rendering of this passage; nevertheless, like others in passed years, it doubtless never occurred to him to question the R. V. translation.

Secondly, fundamental to Dr. Scofield’s systems of theology has to do with the thousand-year reign of Christ “upon this earth” as referenced in his writings as follows: “Man Under The Personal Reign of Christ – After the purifying judgments which attend the personal return of Christ to the earth, He will reign over restored Israel and over the earth for one thousand years. This is the period commonly called the millennium” (rightly~dividing THE WORD OF TRUTH, p.17).

I would assume that the reason that Dr. Scofield added the words, “over the earth” in the above statement was because there are references in the Old Testament Scriptures to the earth in references to a future Israel; however, the millennial passage does not make this claim (Revelation 20:4-6). 

Dr. Scofield’s statement: “He will reign over restored Israel and over the earth for one thousand years that troubles me. It is true that there is what is called “the golden age prophecies” concerning the restoration of Israel. The question is, when, where, and how will these prophecies to be fulfilled? I believe that the only way we one can properly understand these Old Testament prophecies concerning the restoration of Israel is through the apostolic affirmations given to us in the New Testament scriptures. That is, the OT prophecies that were not fulfilled prior to, or at the time of the first Advent of Christ, are now being fulfilled in the kingdom that now reigns in the hearts of born-again believers as the Church of Jesus Christ – to be consummated at His Second Coming: “And He [Jesus] said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! “Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures” (Luke 24:25-27).

In other words, there is no OT prophecy that does not have as it final fulfillment in the person of Jesus Christ! Dr. R. G. Lee has written, “The Jews and all who are not Jews need to lay hold upon and hold to the great truth that centuries and centuries of history do not culminate in a coincidence and the prophecies of the Old Testament do culminate in Jesus Christ.” IF I WERE A JEW, Robert G. Lee, PhD., D.D., LL.D., Litt.D., (p. 38).

John, having recorded the “Revelation,” said,  “Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he *said to me, “Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 19:10).

For example: The Old Testament Prophecies, which were not filled before the first advent of Christ, will either be fulfilled in the future eternal, or, are now being fulfilled in Christ and His church today, not in the millennium. It is interesting that Jesus never mentioned the millennium in all of his teaching, yet the gospel writers often referenced the prophets as the foundation for all His teaching.

Apostolic Revelation of Old Testament Prophesies:

I. Abraham, and the Abrahamic Covenant:

1).  The prophecy: “Now the Lord said to Abram, Go forth from your country...,To the land which I will show you; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Genesis 12:1,3).

2). The prophecy fulfilled: “Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as referring to many, but rather to one, “And to your seed,” that is, Christ. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise” (Galatians 3:16,29)

II. Moses, and the Mosaic Covenant:

          1). The prophecy: “Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God and walk in all His ways and keep His commandments and hold fast to Him and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Joshua 22:5).

          2). The prophecy fulfilled: “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:17) “But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:25,26).

III. David, and the Davidic Covenant:

1). The prophecy: The Lord has sworn to David A truth from which He will not turn back; Of the fruit of your body I will set upon your throne” (Psalm 132:11).

2). The prophecy fulfilled: “Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. “And so, because he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to seat one of his descendants on his throne, he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that He was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did His flesh suffer decay. “This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses.

 “Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. “For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says:

‘The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.’”

 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified” (Acts 2:14-16,21,29-36). So, David’s Throne is now occupied forever!

The apostle Paul affirmed this same truth when he said to the Jews at Antioch of Pisidia saying, “Men of Israel, and you that fear God, listen, ...from this man’s seed [David], according to the promise, God raised up for Israel a Savior – Jesus – And we declare to you glad tidings – that the promise which was made to our fathers, God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm, ‘You are My son, Today I have begotten You, And I will give you the sure mercies of David (Acts 13). Praise God, every prophecy made concerning the Davidic Covenant is now fulfilled in the resurrection of Jesus and His enthronement at the right hand of God.

IV. The Temple restored - more glorious and eternal:

1). The prophecy: “The Lord said, “I will remove Judah also from My sight, as I have removed Israel. And I will cast off Jerusalem, this city which I have chosen, and the temple of which I said, ‘My name shall be there” (2 Kings 23:27).

2). The prophecy fulfilled: Remember at the Jerusalem conference, the apostle Paul had given his testimony about the conversion of the Gentiles, and the apostle Peter had shared the account about the vision at Joppa where he was called to witness to Cornelius, and where he and his family were saved (Acts 10). Then the apostle James responded, saying, “Brethren, listen to me. “Simeon [Peter] has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name. “With this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written, ‘After these things I will return, [prophesying about the first advent] And I [Jesus] will rebuild the tabernacle of David which has fallen, And I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord. And all the Gentiles who are called by My name,’ Says the Lord, who makes these things known from long ago” (Acts 15:12).

Therefore, the apostles, at “the Jerusalem conference,” believed that the “Tabernacle of David” had, at that time, been restored as the Jew and the Gentile became one “in Christ” as the Temple of the living God just as Jesus had prophesied: “Jesus answered them [the disciples], “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. The Jews then said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days, But He was speaking of the temple of His body” (John 2:20,21). The apostle Paul also confirms this truth as he wrote: “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). The old Temple made of wood and stone, as glorious as it might have been, is no more. However, a better one, a more glorious one, is now restored as the body of Christ, waiting for the New Heaven, and the New Earth, about which we have been told by the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 65:17). [See 2 Peter 3: 10-14,18]

In conclusion:

The scriptures teach that there is going to be a time when Jesus returns, bringing with Him the spirits of the departed souls to be united, not only with the resurrected glorified bodies, but also to be joined “together” with redeemed now living here upon this earth, who themselves, will be changed as in a “twinkling of an eye,” and we shall, “together,” ever be with the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

If, as the apostle Paul has written, there is a day (an unspecified period of time) when both the just and the unjust to receive their rewards, then all the scripture references to the end-time will be consummated “on that day”  when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed—for our testimony to you was believed” (Thessalonians 1:1-10).

Now, “to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen” (Ephesians 3:21).

{See: <www.christianessays.org>} The Victorious Church under: “Last Things.”