| Disputation | Reference | Summary | Focus |
| Disputation 1 | 1:2–5 | Malachi defends God’s love for Israel. The proper response to his love is covenantal obedience and sincere worship. | Israel must remember the Law of Moses (4:4). |
| Disputation 2 | 1:6–2:9 | Malachi exposes offenses related to worship and criticizes the priests for allowing them. |
| Disputation 3 | 2:10–16 | Malachi condemns marriage to an unbeliever as unfaithfulness to Israel’s covenant with God. He also condemns unjust divorce as a violation of the marriage covenant between husband and wife, to which the Lord is witness. |
| Disputation 4 | 2:17–3:5 | Malachi promises that God will demonstrate his justice. He will do so when “the messenger of the covenant” comes to judge the wicked and purify his people. | Israel must remember the promise of Elijah and the coming day of the Lord (4:5–6). |
| Disputation 5 | 3:6–12 | Malachi returns to the subject of Israel’s wicked offerings. The difficulties the people are experiencing are punishment for their sin. |
| Disputation 6 | 3:13–4:3 | Malachi assures the people that evildoers, who seem to escape divine justice, will be judged. The Lord will deliver his people. |
| Summary | 4:4–6 | Malachi summarizes the main points of his prophecy: keep God’s law (the focus of disputes 1–3), and remember the promise of a coming prophet like Elijah and the coming day of the Lord (the focus of disputes 4–6). | |