STUDY GUIDE TO ACCOMPANY VIDEO LESSONS
Written by Gregory Berkhouse
How to Use This Series
Thank you for choosing this 3-session video series by Paul Tripp Ministries! Our prayer is that this resource will be used by God to encourage a deeper study in his Word, which will by grace, transform your everyday life! If you have any questions, please contact our team: Teaching@PaulTripp.com
Mining for Treasure can be used by individuals, couples, and groups. If in a group setting, we recommend a minimum of 60 minutes for each gathering, so you have enough time to watch the video teaching together and spend time discussing. Of course, there is flexibility based on your circumstances, but this curriculum has been written for you to simply follow the "order of service" outlined in the Study Guide.
Each session would begin with Group Participation:
• Begin with How Did It Go Last Week? (Which you can skip the first gathering) This is an opportunity to share successes and challenges with the group, based on what was learned and applied from the previous session.
• Then, someone (or all together) will read aloud the Bible verses found in And God Said...
• Likewise, someone may then read aloud What is the Point?, identifying the main points in the video session about to come so participants are prepared for what Paul Tripp will be teaching.
• Together, everyone may pray the Petition, preparing hearts to receive the Word.
• Watch the video session, Hear the Word. Each lesson is approximately 25 minutes, which is why a 60-to-90-minute gathering is ideal to allow for robust discussion and prayer.
• After watching the video, spend the remaining time in your gathering using Let's Talk About That. We have intentionally provided a large number of discussion questions! You don’t need to use them all and can choose which may be most relevant for your group. Or, you can start with the first and see how far you get in your discussion time—because just a few questions may take up most of the time.
• After the gathering concludes and before the next group session, For Personal Application material has been provided for individuals or couples to use as "homework" or part of your devotional practices.
Transcripts Are Included!
You will notice that full transcripts of Paul's three video lessons have been included at the end of this Study Guide. This is to allow for a quick keyword search or a full reading of the sessions for those who desire it. If you plan to print off a hard copy of this Study Guide to distribute to your group, you may want to only print off the Sessions and exclude the transcripts!
S ESSION 1
What Is the Bible?
FOR GROUP PARTICIPATION
These elements of the study are best used with others in a group setting.
How Did It Go Last Week?
Share your successes and trials with the group. (10 minutes)
In the coming sessions, questions and topics will be provided here for group discussion of your experiences in putting into practice what you learned each week.
And God Said…
Read aloud 2 Timothy 3:14-17.
What is the Point?
Read these statements aloud and keep them in mind during the video. (5 minutes)
• The Bible is the story of God's Gracious redemption of broken humanity.
• Jesus is the hero of the Bible story.
• All of the Bible is God-breathed, therefore all of the Bible is profitable.
Petition
Pray this together aloud.
Father of all glory and grace, whose Word is a lamp of truth and the story of life: Give us to love your Word, to joy in reading and to work for understanding, and to be diligent doers of your Word and not hearers only, that, by your Spirit, we may be ever conforming to the one who is your Word, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Hear the Word
Watch the video. (25 minutes)
Let's Talk About That
Discuss these questions. (30 minutes)
1. Read aloud the following pairs of passages, noting the elements common to each passage in a pair:
• Genesis 1:1 and Revelation 21:1
• Genesis 2:16-17 and Revelation 21:4
• Genesis 3:17 and Revelation 22:3-4
2. Discuss how this collection of passages, taken from the beginning of the first book and the end of the last book in the Bible, suggests all by itself that the Bible is an epic story. What in these passages tells you that the plot of the story is redemption? Specifically, how does Revelation describe the blessedness of humanity in glory? Is it only humanity that will be redeemed, or does
God’s grace restore something else as well? Hint: read aloud Romans 8:18-25 and Revelation 21:1.
3. Every epic has a hero. Read aloud Exodus 12:1-3,5-7,13 (the institution of the Passover); Isaiah 53:4-8 (Isaiah’s prophecy of the coming redeemer); John 1:29 (John the Baptist speaking); and Revelation 5:6-10. In all these passages, what kind of animal is put forward to portray the hero in his role as redeemer? Discuss how this animal is an appropriate likeness for the redeemer in that role. So, who is the hero of the Bible epic? What act of heroism did he perform?
4. But now read aloud Revelation 5:1-6. What type of animal is the redeemer likened to in his role as victor? How can he be imaged by both kinds of animal at once? Discuss briefly* how these two animals present a helpful picture of the divine and human natures of our redeemer. [*Brief may prove difficult as it took the early Church 451 years to hash out this doctrine!]
5. Read aloud 2 Timothy 3:14-17. The Greek word theopneustos means literally “God (theos)breathed (pneuma, breath, wind or spirit).” The ESV and NIV Bibles translate the word literally, while some other versions interpret the word as “inspired.” But is Paul here saying anything about the writers of Scripture, or only about its ultimate source? What does the fact of Scripture’s Godbreathed-ness tell us about its authority? Its trustworthiness?
6. In the context of his letter, which large portion of the Bible does Paul describe as “sacred writings” and “Scripture”? And what are these writings “able to make [Timothy] wise” about? Does it surprise you that this portion of Scripture would so clearly teach that doctrine? Hold that thought—we will return to this compelling topic in the third session.
7. Discuss briefly the things that Paul says Scripture is profitable for (keeping in mind that his list is ad hoc and not exhaustive). How much of Scripture is profitable? Does this include the OT genealogies and the personal greetings in NT epistles? Discuss some ways in which each of these genres might be profitable. Also talk about books or parts of the Bible that you skip over or avoid completely—nobody judge, we’ve all done it! Maybe one has some knowledge about another’s skipped parts that will encourage all to read through?
FOR PERSONAL APPLICATION
These aspects of the study can be used in between group sessions on your own, either with your spouse or individually as part of your devotional and confession life.
Do Something
During the week ahead, turn your learning into doing.
Pick a book of the Bible, or a long passage or chapter, that seems tedious to you. Read the text entirely through, every word. Read slowly, and think about both the details and the big picture, constantly asking yourself why such things are included in the text. Read all the footnotes you encounter (all “reference Bibles” have them) and check also the cross-references for verses that seem particularly odd or unclear to you. Be sure to read from a valid translation of the Bible and not a paraphrase or “thought for thought” edition—the English Standard Version and the New American Standard Bible are excellent options.
Search Me, O God
For introspection during the coming week.
Do you enjoy reading the Bible? Do you read it because you want to, or because you feel you are supposed to? Are you interested and engaged in the text, or does your mind wander? Do you see yourself in the Bible, and receive God’s comfort, teaching and correction for yourself? Are you cognizant as you read that the redemption story is your story, that the Savior of the Bible came to save you?
Want to Know More?
This session’s final group discussion question mentions OT genealogies and personal greetings in NT epistles as parts of the Bible that may seem “unprofitable.” As it turns out, these often provide information that, while not foundational, is very helpful toward a better understanding of Scripture. Here is one example from each of those categories, with questions to assist in drawing out that information:
• OT genealogy. Read 2 Samuel 8:15-16,23:18-19,24. The brothers Joab, Abishai and Asahel were all mighty warriors in King David’s army (Joab was the commander). Throughout the David narrative, as in these verses, they are most often given the epithet “son(s) of Zeruiah.” Now read the genealogy at 1 Chronicles 2:1-17. Who is Zeruiah? Therefore, what is the relationship between David and the three brothers? Might this have some bearing on why David appointed them to chief positions in his army? Now read 2 Samuel 18: all, the sad ending of Absalom’s rebellion. Who is Absalom? What is the relationship between Joab and Absalom? Finally read 1 Kings 2:1-6, David’s dying instructions to his son, Solomon, who will replace David as king; read also vv28-35 in the same chapter, Solomon’s response. Although David does not here mention Absalom, how might Joab’s participation in Absalom’s death have figured into David’s directive? Overall, how does this relational knowledge inform your reading of the David narrative whenever you see “the sons of Zeruiah” mentioned?
• NT greetings. [By the way, personal greetings in letters of the NT period generally came at the end of the letter, just before the closing—witness most of Paul’s letters. The salutation— from whom and to whom—were placed at the opening.] Read Ephesians 6:21-24, Colossians 4:7-18, and Philemon 8-12,23-24. Compare the names of the couriers and lists of Paul’s
co-workers. [It would also be very helpful to read Ephesians and Colossians in full, to see the interesting similarities in the two letters.] Based on what you learn, what can you at least begin to speculate about the relative timing of Paul’s writing and sending these three letters? On a different matter, see in Colossians that after Paul names Aristarchus, Mark, and Jesus/ Justus, he says “These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God.” Then he names Epaphras, Luke—this is the same Luke who wrote the gospel—and Demas. Was Luke, then, a Gentile—the only non-Jewish author in the Bible? Does seeing this depth of information in mere greetings encourage you to read such things more carefully?
For
More from Paul
Tripp,
Read: Do You Believe?, Introduction: The Dangerous Dichotomy
Outline
SESSION 1
I. What Is the Bible?
A. A physical demonstration of the power and glory of the grace of your redeemer.
B. The story of God’s gracious redemption of broken humanity through Christ.
1. The story includes God’s theological explanations and applications.
2. The story has a plot:
a. Creation.
i. God is the maker, and therefore the owner, of all things.
ii. We are not the center of the story, God is.
b. Slavery: the entrance and results of sin in the world.
c. Redemption: God in Christ rescues you from you.
d. Restoration: God in Christ makes all things new.
3. The story has a hero: Jesus.
II. The biblical narrative is your narrative.
III. 2 Timothy 3:16: All of the Bible is God-breathed, therefore all of the Bible is profitable.
SESSION 2
I. Don't miss the good stuff!
A. Like an archaeologist: dig into the text for more details.
B. Like a detective: look for clues and connections to other parts of Scripture.Guilt.
II. Practical examples from John’s gospel:
a. John 1:47-51: “angels ascending and descending” connects to Genesis 28:10-17. Lasting change in your marriage will always travel through the pathway of the heart.
b. John 2:1-11:
i. John’s use of the word “sign” points to Christ.
ii. This sign specifically manifests Christ’s sovereign rule over everything.
c. John 2:23-25: Jesus knows “man,” Jesus knows you
d. John 6:23-35: Jesus is the fulfillment of OT sign of manna (Exodus 16, Numbers 11).
e. John 19-28-30: “hyssop branch” connects Jesus to the Passover in Exodus 12 (esp v22).
III. These details and connections throughout Scripture evince:
Transcript
SESSION 1
Well, what is the Bible? If you had to write a paragraph or two of what the Bible is, what would you write? That's a rhetorical question. You don't have to answer it. Well, I want to talk about some of the things that you have to understand in order to get the best out of the Word of God. Here's the first thing. It's very, very important to understand the glorious gift that you are holding in your hands when you hold your Bible. Your Bible is a physical demonstration of the power and glory of the grace of your redeemer. Because without that redemptive zeal that's unstoppable and inexhaustible, you would not have a Bible.
Between the already of our conversion and the not yet of our homegoing, what is a better gift to us other than a replacement of Jesus than this book? Imagine how lost and tragic our lives would be. Imagine how trapped in our own foolishness we would be. Imagine how captive to sin we would be. Imagine the state of human culture throughout history without the magnitude of this book. It's an amazing gift. So you have to think about that, that glory of that gift. There are so many believers who have a distant relationship with the Word of God because they just don't understand the glory of what God has recorded and preserved for them.
Here's a second thing. Contrary to popular opinion, your Bible is not a collection of stories. It's not a systematic theology book. It's not a compendium of wisdom for everyday living. It's not morals to live by. The Bible is none of those things, and if you approach the Bible that way, you'll miss the helpfulness, I should say the lifetransforming helpfulness of the Word of God.
The Bible is a story from Genesis to Revelation. In fact, you could say that the Bible is, like the old movie says, the greatest story ever told. It's the great redemptive story. It's the awesome, mind-bending, heart-rattling, life-altering story of how God rescued this broken world by his grace. How God harnessed the forces of nature and controlled the events of human history so that at a certain time his son would come and offer the hope of escape out of this mess to live in peace and righteousness and to reign with him forever. There's no better story than that.
And so when you read the Bible, all those things that seem like separate stories are all connected to the one great story of redemption. That means those names that you've gotten to know, Moses and Joshua and Daniel and Peter and Paul, they're not the hero of the story. In fact, if you know those men's lies very well, you know they're not heroes. They're broken, weak, failing human beings empowered by God to propel this plan that he set in motion, which is the main story of your Bible.
That's another thing you have to say about this. It's not just a grand story. It's a story with God's edits because God understands that we may not get the core of the story. So alongside the story are God's theological, explanatory and applicatory notes. It's beautiful the way we aren't left to interpret the story because God right next to the story interprets it for us.
It's like reading Dickens. Has anybody ever read anything by Dickens? You know those 900-page novels, and he spends 50 pages describing a character, and you get to the end of the description and you've forgotten what the plot is, well, that's what happens to the Bible, right? You get into some crazy moment in Numbers, you think, what is this about? And that's why God's designed it for scripture to interpret scripture so along the way, God has given you hints and clues and explanations so you'll understand why he's preserved what he's preserved and what he's doing in the story and why he's doing it.
And then the big question is, well, how is this supposed to help me? How am I supposed to live in light of this story? And so God gives us these wonderful applications of the story in his wisdom literature, in his command so we know what it means to make that story our story where we live every day. It's beautiful. God knows us. He knows our limits. He doesn't expect we're going to be able to interpret the story without his help, and so he meets us in the story and he walks with us through the story helping us to understand where we are in this grand move of redemption. It's beautiful.