Apparently Scofield did, in fact, teach that..
Here's a segment from someone else's work on that:
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Salvation by Works
The Scofield footnote on
JOH 1:17 makes the following statement: “As a dispensation, grace begins with the death and resurrection of Christ. The point of testing is no longer LEGAL OBEDIENCE AS THE CONDITION OF SALVATION (emphasis added), but acceptance or rejection of Christ, with good works as a fruit of salvation.” The obvious teaching of this statement is that prior to the death of Christ, men were saved by keeping the law. Here again, it is Scofield versus the word of God. Scripture rather teaches that men were eternally saved before the death of Christ exactly as they have been saved since that death, and that is BY GRACE! Paul settled this fact once and for all when he wrote:
“But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.” (
ROM 11:4-6)
In this passage Paul quotes
1KI 19:18 in which God told Elijah that He had reserved seven thousand men to Himself. God had a remnant of faithful souls in Elijah’s time. Elijah’s time was most certainly BEFORE the death of Christ. Paul then proceeds to show that “EVEN SO at this present time ALSO there is a remnant.” The key words in this passage are “even so....also.” When the word “even” refers to manner, as it does in this passage, it is frequently followed by such words as “as,” “thus,” and “so.” In such a case, the word “even” means “exactly, precisely, just” (The Compact Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary, p.906). Paul is plainly teaching that God has a remnant in this present time in exactly the same manner as He had in Elijah’s day. And what is that manner? It is “according to the election of grace.” God had a remnant according to the election of grace in Elijah’s time BEFORE Christ’s death. In exactly the same manner, He ALSO has a remnant according to the election of grace in this present time AFTER Christ’s death. Had God’s people been saved by works before the death of Christ, then that would have been according to the election of works. However, Paul teaches that they were elect in exactly the same manner as the remnant in this present time, that is, according to grace, not works! Hence, Scofield’s teaching that men were saved by legal obedience prior to Christ’s death is utterly false. Paul said: “If there had been a law given that could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law” (
GAL 3:21). But there was not a law given that could give life as Paul affirmed in
ROM 3:20: “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall NO FLESH (neither before nor after the death of Christ) be justified in his sight....”
At this point the editors of the New Scofield abandon Dr. Scofield. In explaining how sinners were saved prior to the cross they state: “Prior to the cross, man’s salvation was through faith, being grounded on Christ’s atoning sacrifice, viewed anticipatively by God; now it is clearly revealed that salvation and righteousness are received by faith in the crucified and resurrected Savior.” Observe that the editors of the New Scofield maintain that salvation BEFORE and AFTER the cross is by faith, whereas Scofield himself held that salvation prior to the cross was by legal obedience. These editors have taken a position contrary to Dr. Scofield and yet have attached his name to it forty-six years AFTER his death. How is that for honesty?
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Note: if you have a New Scofield Bible, this reference won't occur. So, they revised the teachings of Scofield.
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