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Vital Doctrines of The Scriptures Simplified and Explained
Note (August 6, 2025): This page is currently under construction and the PDFs will be live again soon. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Note to Reader,
The ministry of Spiritual Research Network seeks to equip Christians with a biblical worldview and sound doctrinal principles. The main purpose of including Major Bible Themes on our site is to help individuals become grounded in the basics of biblical doctrine. It is a straightforward handbook on foundational doctrines of the Christian faith.
Sadly, while at the same time that many other religions are systematically and effectively training their own disciples in false doctrine, many in the Christian Church are arguing over things that the human mind and spirit are simply incapable of understanding. Our goal here is to provide a basic and balanced overview of theology, not lead believers into fruitless infighting and division.
To assist you in your study of the Holy Bible, the 1926 First Edition of Major Bible Themes, by Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer, can be found below. These chapters have been are posted here to help you clearly understand the major themes of the Bible and thus have a balanced perspective on Scripture and Christian living. As a literary document, Major Bible Themes is premillennial, pretribulational, and dispensationalist.
When studying the Bible, many patterns throughout Scripture can be clarified significantly through a Jewish Midrashic perspective of biblical interpretation. Understanding Scripture clearly and clarifying the authors' original intent in writing should be the focus. Therefore, balance is encouraged, not theological extremes.
Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer was known internationally as a Bible teacher, lecturer, and Professor of systematic theology. His works are still recognized today amongst many balanced evangelical Bible preaching ministers and ministries. Dr. Chafer alone should receive the due credit for his authorship. These documents are in the Public Domain and we have tried to keep any formatting changes to a bare minimum from the original text. Also, these documents do not contain any Spiritual Research branding or logos. This is so that they may appeal to a much wider range of people, both for personal study and for small group settings.
Lastly, there is a newer revised edition of Major Bible Themes it titled, Major Bible Themes: 52 Vital Doctrines of the Scriptures Simplified and Explained (Copyright 1974) ISBN: 0 - 310 - 22390 - 3. This 1974 Revised Edition by has reworded many of the chapter titles and is actually 52 chapters, not 49 as in the original text above.
Chris Lawson
Major Bible Themes - Table of Contents
Lewis Sperry Chafer, First Edition, Copyright 1926
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Download by Chapter
1. The Bible: The Word of God (PDF)
3. The Bible: Its Subject and Purpose (PDF)
4. God the Trinity: His Person and Deity (PDF)
6. God the Son: His Pre-existence (PDF)
7. God the Son: His Incarnation (PDF)
8. God the Son: His Substitutionary Death (PDF)
9. God the Son: His Resurrection and Ascension (PDF)
10. God the Son: His Priestly Ministry (PDF)
11. God the Son: His Coming for His Saints (PDF)
12. God the Son: His Coming with His Saints (PDF)
13. God the Holy Spirit: His Personality (PDF)
14. God the Holy Spirit: His Advent (PDF)
15. God the Holy Spirit: His Anointing (PDF)
16. God the Holy Spirit: His Ministry (PDF)
17. God the Holy Spirit: His Baptism (PDF)
21. Satan: His Personality and Power (PDF)
22. Satan: His Work and Destiny (PDF)
25. Sin: Its Character and Universality (PDF)
26. Sin: God's Remedy for It (PDF)
28. Salvation from the Guilt and Penalty of Sin (PDF)
29. Salvation from the Power of Sin (PDF)
30. Four Aspects of Righteousness (PDF)
35. The Church: Her Membership (PDF)
36. The Church: Her Mission (PDF)
38. The Lord's Day and the New Creation (PDF)
44. Prophecy in the Old Testament (PDF)
45. Prophecy in the New Testament (PDF)
46. Judgment of the Believer's Works (PDF)
47. Judgment of the Nations (PDF)
48. Judgment of the Wicked (PDF)
49. The Eternal Estate of the Redeemed (PDF)
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try [test] the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”
