Scofield Reference Bible Notes 1.0

The Scofield Reference Bible Commentary is a widely circulated study Bible edited and annotated by Cyrus I. Scofield, an American Bible student known for popularizing dispensationalism in the early 20th century. Published by Oxford University Press, this edition of the Bible features the entire text of the traditional, Protestant King James Version. Initially released in 1909, the author revised it in 1917.

The Scofield Reference Bible introduced several innovative features. Most notably, it included a commentary on the biblical text alongside the Bible itself, departing from the convention of separate volumes used after the Geneva Bible (1560). It also incorporated a cross-referencing system that connected related verses of Scripture, allowing readers to follow biblical themes across different chapters and books (referred to as "chain references"). The 1917 edition also attempted to date events mentioned in the Bible. Notably, it presented Archbishop James Ussher's calculation of the date of Creation as 4004 BC. This edition fostered discussions among fundamentalists about the nature and chronology of creation due to Scofield's notes promoting the "gap theory."

The publication of the Scofield Reference Bible shortly before World War I coincided with a shift in global perspective following the war's devastation, dampening previous cultural optimism about entering a new era of peace and prosperity. Then, following World War II, the creation of Israel as a homeland for Jews further lent an air of prophetic significance to Scofield's premillennialism. As a result, many individuals came to regard the dispensationalist scheme promoted by Scofield as validated. Sales of the Reference Bible exceeded two million copies by the end of World War II, solidifying its influence on fundamentalist Christians in the United States.

Scofield's notes on the Book of Revelation became a primary source for various timetables, judgments, and plagues discussed by popular religious writers like Hal Lindsey, Edgar C. Whisenant, and Tim LaHaye. The Scofield Reference Bible's success contributed to increased emphasis on eschatological speculation within twentieth-century American fundamentalism. Critics of biblical fundamentalism have taken issue with the Scofield Bible for its perceived authoritative stance in biblical interpretation, its alleged glossing over of contradictions, and its focus on eschatology.

The 1917 Scofield Reference Bible notes are now in the public domain, and the Bible remains consistently the best-selling edition of the Scofield Bible in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Oxford University Press published a revised version of the Scofield Bible in 1967. This edition features a slightly modernized KJV text and toned down some of Scofield's theological tenets. Recent editions of the KJV Scofield Study Bible have moved the textual changes made in 1967 to the margin. The Press continues to release editions under the title Oxford Scofield Study Bible, with translations available in French, German, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Features of the Scofield Reference Bible Notes app:

1. Bible Commentaries about books and chapters
2. Easy navigation between books and chapters
3. Beautiful design and excellent user experiences
4. Progress tracking for reading books
5. Capability to share meaningful verses with visually appealing background images
6. Inclusion of the King James Bible
7. Clickable links to KJV verses
8. Highlighting and underlining options for commentary sections
9. Note-taking and bookmarking functions