Samuel Bierig (Ph.D, Midwestern Seminary) serves as Vice President of Undergraduate Studies, Dean of Spurgeon College, and Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies at Spurgeon College. Dr. Bierig teaches Hermeneutics and Biblical Theology and gives oversight to the many and varied programs, teams, and curriculum that comprises Spurgeon College. Sam has served as an elder at Liberty Baptist Church where he and Mallory are church members and was a Student Pastor for six years in Arkansas. He has written a devotional on Jonah, a book for pastors titled No Neutral Words: The Pastor’s Investment and Stewardship of His Most Precious and Powerful Tool, and a book for student pastors titled Fulfill Your *Student Ministry: A Manifesto and Field Guide. He is a regular contributor at ftc.co.He and Mallory have four children: Abby, Levi, Owen, and Piper.
MBTS: Can you tell us more about Spurgeon College and the desire to equip students for the Kingdom?
Sam Bierig: Spurgeon College is a growing Christian college in the Midwest historically known for missions, discipleship, athletics, and a Christ-centered, soul care-oriented culture. We value excellence in all of life and inhabit an environment where students can thrive both in and after college as they seek to glorify God anywhere they find themselves in His Kingdom. We are trying to prepare people for the Kingdom. What’s unique about us is our values; we’re trying to prepare a whole person for a whole calling.
MBTS: What influence does Charles Spurgeon have on the undergraduate education at Spurgeon College?
Sam: Like Charles Spurgeon, Spurgeon College’s bread and butter is the Bible. Spurgeon was a Bible man, and the Bible is the core of everything we do here as a college. Charles Spurgeon was also a man who loved the gospel and taking the gospel to the nations. Our Fusion program is an embodiment of that missions spirit we see in the great 19th century preacher, and we pray many of our students would advocate for and spend their lives reaching the nations.
Finally, our mission for the Kingdom is seen in the life of Charles Spurgeon through the many mercy ministries he helped initiate and launch. Spurgeon was first and foremost a Kingdom man. He’s known for his preaching, but he also had a heart for what God was doing in the world, and that’s what we’re trying to do. At Spurgeon College, every student is a Kingdom citizen. From our athletics teams to pastoral cohorts, we try to imbibe this value in every new initiative and program. The aim of Spurgeon College is to run on concurrent paths as Charles Spurgeon himself. The commonalities between the man and the college are intentional, and we pray that our college continues to look more and more like all the great qualities Charles Spurgeon had.
MBTS: You’ve helped train many preachers at Spurgeon College to faithfully serve the Church. What are some key preaching principles from Charles Spurgeon that are especially relevant for our cultural moment today?
Sam: The first principle I must mention is his Christ-centered preaching. Spurgeon refused to not preach Christ. His Christ-centered preaching is not a mere over-spiritualization of the text—it’s rooted in his belief that all of Scripture is Christ-shaped, compelling the preacher to preach Christ from every text. Spurgeon’s sermons were theologically driven. He believed the whole Bible belonged to the Lord and that He had a message to give us, which is ultimately Christ. Because of this, Spurgeon didn’t have a problem with what we might call allegory. He was governed by the canon and the doctrinal dictates handed down to us from the tradition. So, first and foremost, Spurgeon teaches us of the need to preach Christ from every jot and tittle of the Scriptures.
Secondly, Spurgeon was a doctrinal preacher. He never stopped talking about the gospel and the doctrines that made the gospel possible, such as the doctrine of God, the Son assuming flesh, how people change, how people are saved, and the like. He heralded the great things of the text, which is what preaching should be, rather than focusing on the obscure or tertiary issues. He always stayed on the right points.
A third mark of Spurgeon’s preaching is its consistency with a life lived worthy of the gospel. He is remarkably evergreen, landing on the right side of so many important issues, revealing a remarkable depth of knowledge and intimacy with the Lord. In an age where major flaws in ministry leaders seems common, Spurgeon’s life and ministry seems to stand the test of time. His life backed up his preaching. Sometimes, a worthy life can make up for lousy preaching. But in Spurgeon’s case, a life and preaching that are consistent with each other, robust and full, results in an abundance of fruit from and for the Lord. These three things together make for a Prince of Preachers.
MBTS: Why is studying the life of Charles Spurgeon important for the Kingdom and for the Church?
Sam: Spurgeon is a titan of church history. Looking through the ranks of historical theology, I believe he’ll be named in the same breath as Augustine, Anselm, and Calvin for centuries to come. But he’s distinct. He’s primarily known for his preaching and local church ministry. Some of the distinction may be due to his context in post-Reformation England, but I think we should study him as one of the truly great minds, theologians, and preachers of all of church history. For the same reasons one should study historical theology in general is why one should study Charles Spurgeon. In Spurgeon, you’ll find a life wracked with difficulties, consternation, and impasses that he continued to push through for the glory of Christ. He refused to be held back despite his melancholy and state of his soul. He fights through so much to preach the gospel and meet with people at such a high level. Spurgeon is a model of strength and weakness.
