Episode 56: Transformative Theology with Dr. Samuel Bierig of Spurgeon College

Summary

What does learning true biblical theology at a college level look like? In this episode, Robert sits down with Dr. Samuel Bierig. A Classical Conversations® dad, Sam is the vice president of undergraduate studies, college dean, and assistant professor of biblical studies at Spurgeon College, a private Christian college in Kansas City, Missouri. In this conversation, Sam discusses what it means to be a good shepherd, the importance of hermeneutics and exegesis, balancing multiple responsibilities, strategies for reading the whole Bible in one year, why a college degree is still worth the cost, and all things Spurgeon College—including degrees, core values, and the school’s focus on the true biblical theology. After the interview, Robert explains why thousands of new jobs are affecting the stock market and examines Bitcoin’s recent 13-month high.

Quote

“We try to embody [a life of sacrificial service] in our own students and try to train them in that kind of thinking. Our moniker is ‘for the kingdom’. . . . We want, whether they’re in the marketplace or in the ministry, that they are kingdom citizens.”

Dr. Samuel Bierig

Topics

• Intro to Dr. Samuel Bierig [0:44]
• Samuel’s definition of ‘truth’ [1:47]
• Truth vs. heresy [3:54]
• What is Spurgeon College [5:26]
• Why the college is named after Charles Spurgeon [7:31]
• How to balance multiple life responsibilities; is life getting more complex? [10:31]
• How Samuel’s faith influences his role as vice president of Spurgeon [14:00]
• What does it mean to be a good shepherd? [17:57
• Spurgeon’s core values and confessional [19:49]
• Defining our grammar: what are hermeneutics, exegesis, and biblical theology? [22:29]
• What Bible version should you read? [27:22]
• Strategies for reading the whole Bible in one year [28:12]
• Degrees offered at Spurgeon [31:51]
• Business as a ministry [34:49]
• Is college still worth the cost? College as a commodity and Samuel’s predictions for the future of college [35:41]
• The upcoming college enrollment cliff [42:52]
• Farewell to Samuel [43:40]
• “Current Events Discussion”: Nearly 500,000 new jobs created and market manipulation [45:15]
• Ad: Classical Learning Cohort: Sign Up Today! [48:49]
• “Classical Crypto”: Bitcoin reaches 13^th month high [50:24]
• Outro [54:13]

Mentions

• Spurgeon College
• Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
• Global Campus | Spurgeon Online
• Charles Spurgeon | Wikipedia
• Southern Baptist Convention
• Nashville Statement | A Coalition for Biblical Sexuality
• The Danvers Statement | The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood
• The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy | The Evangelical Theological Society
• Academics | Spurgeon College
• C12 Group
• “Looming Enrollment Cliff Poses Serious Threat to Colleges” | BestColleges
• Spurgeon College (@spurgeoncol) | Twitter
• Spurgeon College (@spurgeon_college) | Instagram
• Spurgeon College | Facebook
• Campus Visits | Spurgeon College
• “Private sector companies added 497,000 jobs in June, more than double expectations, ADP says” | CNBC
• “Bitcoin touches a 13-month high as the drumbeat for institutional demand grows louder” | CNBC