Matthew 6 shifts righteousness from the stage to the secret place, shaping giving, prayer, and fasting around the Father who sees. It reorders treasure, masters, and worry with a kingdom-first trust that frees the heart.
Bible Themes and Doctrines
This free resource includes detailed commentary on each book of the Bible (66) as well as a chapter-by-chapter study of each chapter of the Bible (1,189). The chapter studies are excluded from the normal search results and are best found by selecting from the list below.
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Genesis
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50.
Exodus
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40.
Leviticus
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27.
Numbers
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36.
Deuteronomy
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34.
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Joshua
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24.
Judges
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21.
Ruth
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4.
1 Samuel
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31.
2 Samuel
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24.
1 Kings
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22.
2 Kings
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25.
1 Chronicles
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29.
2 Chronicles
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36.
Ezra
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
Nehemiah
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13.
Esther
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
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Job
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42
Psalms
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150.
Proverbs
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31
Ecclesiastes
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.
Song of Songs (Song of Solomon)
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
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Isaiah
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66.
Jeremiah
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52.
Lamentations
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Ezekiel
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48.
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Daniel
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.
Hosea
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14.
Joel
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3.
Amos
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.
Obadiah
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1.
Jonah
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4.
Micah
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
Nahum
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3.
Habakkuk
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3.
Zephaniah
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3.
Haggai
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2.
Zechariah
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14.
Malachi
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4.
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Matthew
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28.
Mark
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16.
Luke
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24.
John
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21.
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Acts (of the Apostles)
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28.
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Romans
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16.
1 Corinthians
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16.
2 Corinthians
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13.
Galatians
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
Ephesians
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
Philippians
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4.
Colossians
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4.
1 Thessalonians
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
2 Thessalonians
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3.
1 Timothy
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
2 Timothy
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4.
Titus
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3.
Philemon
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1.
Hebrews
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13.
James
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
1 Peter
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
2 Peter
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3.
1 John
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
2 John
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1.
3 John
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1.
Jude
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1.
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Revelation
Overview or Chapter Studies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22.
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Here’s a plain-language orientation to Dispensational Theology—what it is, why I’m using it beneath the surface of these chapter studies, and how to spot its thread even when the label itself doesn’t appear.
At heart, dispensationalism is a way of reading the Bible that pays close attention to God’s unfolding plan across history, takes promises and prophecies at face value (according to normal grammar and context), and keeps Israel and the church distinct without breaking the unity of God’s salvation in Christ. It notices that God has administered His will in recognizable stages—each with revealed responsibilities, clarifying tests, and fresh light—yet salvation is always by grace through faith because there has only ever been one Savior. The approach expects real fulfillment of God’s covenants to Israel in the future, while recognizing genuine foretastes of the kingdom in the present through the Spirit.
The classic stages (“dispensations”) at a glance
Writers describe the stages with minor variations; the classic seven are:
The point of mapping these stages is not to box God into charts but to recognize how Scripture itself marks turns in the road—from Eden to exile to Pentecost—and to let each passage speak within its historical setting while tracing the one plan that moves toward Christ’s reign and renewal.
Think of these as the load-bearing beams you’ll see throughout my essays:
The Chapter Studies do not to use the word dispensational (or its variants) in the body of each chapter study. That’s intentional. Labels can distract; Scripture should lead. Instead, I’ll use plain phrases that carry the same freight: “stage in God’s plan,” “administration under Moses,” “future fullness,” “the King’s rule tasted now,” and so on. You’ll also see a dedicated Redemptive-Plan Thread woven through each essay—especially in the “Theological Significance” section—that quietly does this work:
Within the dispensational family there are intramural debates (e.g., timing of the rapture, certain prophetic sequences). Those questions matter, but the pillars above are the bedrock beneath my essays. Where timing questions arise, I’ll keep the focus on what the passage clearly teaches, majoring on the hope of Christ’s return, the integrity of God’s promises, and our present calling.
Dispensational Theology, as I’m using it, is not a grid pasted on the Bible; it’s a commitment to let the Bible’s own storyline, covenants, and categories stand as written, to hear every text in its time, and to follow the thread to Christ—the one Savior for all who believe. You’ll rarely see the label. You will see the fruit: context-honoring exposition, covenant confidence, present power by the Spirit, and durable hope in the King who will keep every promise.
Matthew 6 shifts righteousness from the stage to the secret place, shaping giving, prayer, and fasting around the Father who sees. It reorders treasure, masters, and worry with a kingdom-first trust that frees the heart.
Matthew 5 opens the Sermon on the Mount with blessing that forms identity and teaching that reaches the heart. Jesus fulfills Scripture and summons a people whose light leads others to glorify the Father.
Matthew 4 shows the faithful Son conquering temptation, light dawning in Galilee, and a call that refashions vocations for God’s kingdom. Teaching, proclamation, and healing reveal the King’s nearness.
Matthew 3 calls Israel to repentance as the kingdom draws near and reveals Jesus as the beloved Son anointed by the Spirit. It summons fruit, humility, and hope.
Matthew 2 traces Magi worship, Herod’s violent opposition, and a Spirit-led flight that fulfills Scripture. The promised ruler is preserved and honored.
Matthew 1 roots Jesus in Abraham’s and David’s promises and reveals his Spirit-conceived birth. It proclaims his saving mission and God’s nearness in Immanuel.
Shipwrecked on Malta, Paul finds kindness, healing, and a fresh road to Rome. Acts 28 ends with an open door: the kingdom proclaimed and Jesus taught “without hindrance,” inviting the church to carry on the same bold witness today.
Acts 27 traces Paul’s voyage into a violent northeaster, a ship broken on a sandbar, and a promise kept to the last person. It teaches promise-anchored prudence—pray, act, give thanks, and believe God in the dark.
Before Agrippa and Festus, Paul defends the gospel as true and reasonable. He recounts Damascus light, a commission to open eyes, and the hope of resurrection that brings light to Israel and the nations.
Acts 25 places Paul before Festus and Agrippa and frames the case around a single claim: Jesus is alive. Lawful appeal and civil process become God’s means to carry the witness toward Rome.
Before Felix in Caesarea, Paul answers flattery and accusation with truth, hope, and a clear conscience. The courtroom becomes a pulpit as resurrection, righteousness, and self-control confront a ruler who delays decision while God’s plan moves forward.
Acts 23 follows Paul from a fractured Sanhedrin to a night ride toward Caesarea under heavy guard. Scripture-shaped conscience, resurrection hope, and providence carry the witness forward to Rome.
Acts 22 recounts Paul’s testimony in Jerusalem—zeal confronted by Jesus, sins washed by calling on His name, and a mission aimed at the nations. The Lord’s providence and civil order preserve the witness for courts and kings.
Acts 21 traces Paul’s Spirit-led journey into chains and public witness. It models wise peacemaking, courageous obedience, and trust in God’s providence when rumor and rage threaten the church.
Acts 20 traces Paul’s Spirit-led journey to Jerusalem and his moving farewell at Miletus. It models humble service, full-counsel teaching, vigilance, and generous care for the weak.