Journey of Faith: Insights from Bunyan's Allegory

I think the this is a very appropriate question uh for the times in which uh we are living uh because we've seen uh A A Renewed interest in fantasy literature uh Lord of the Rings Hobbit uh Nan Chronicles and so on uh and in some ways uh although although Pilgrims Progress is strictly an allegory rather than fantasy literature there are similarities in the genre so the fact that Christians uh are all over the place are reading books like The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings or The N Chronicles makes it a somewhat easier cell uh to uh suggest that uh they make a 17th century uh book about the Christian Life namely bunan Pilgrims Progress uh part of their of their reading. [00:02:58]

I do think I do think that Pilgrim's Progress uh in in a way that that the Nan of Chronicles and and possibly the Lord of the Rings only tangentially uh speaks to the Christian Life basically in terms of morality happy ending good triumphing over evil a kind of Messianic figure uh but Pilgrim's Progress is an allegory in that it teaches on on every almost every conceivable aspect of the Christian Life uh in in terms of what is um well it's a road trip and uh it it begins at a certain point and ends at a certain point and it's uh it's a it's a story. [00:04:40]

Bunyan goes into all the nooks and crannies of the Christian Life from conversion to Assurance to prayer to facing trials and difficulties battles with the poon uh and so on and and and touching things like friendship uh in the second in the second part you know I I like to say and this and this may put some people off but I like to say it's it's the woman's story uh because it's the story of Christianity actually it' be fairer to say that it's the family story. [00:15:27]

I think bunan was a very warmhearted generous funloving individual I I think if you spent some time with bunan I I think you know for a man who spel who spent 12 to 13 years in prison for for no other reason than the state was persecuting him for preaching the gospel he he Bears no resentment for it afterwards whatsoever and he just comes across as a very gregarious happy man who loved his food uh when you look at pictures of bunan there are pictures of him in his 50s after his imprisonment and he he is well proportion and I think having having survived 12 years in prison in in which time he probably didn't eat well at all would have been dependent on folk from Bedford bringing him food and and his wife in particular uh probably on a daily basis and then and then probably fairly meager meager food at that when when he leaves prison I think I think he makes up for it. [00:16:06]

I think it says to me that banan viewed friends uh mentors uh Brothers uh disciplers uh as as very important and and maybe because of the loneliness of imprisonment uh when he when he writes Pilgrim's Progress he sees the value of Christian companionship uh you know we we we think of of that in terms of maybe maybe uh you know guys uh going off to the hunting and and and stuff and doing guys thing and and abandoning their responsibilities with their wife and family very often and that's that's a distorted view of of male discipleship in my opinion uh bunan has a much more biblical understanding of the role of of brothers and friends in your discipling. [00:18:31]

I think reading Pilgrim's Progress gives you an understanding of why foran uh scripture and scripture truth must shape every dimension of life now bunan of course is uh a hard noosed uh Unapologetic calvinist uh he's a he's a he's a Baptist in the 1650s and 60s when the Baptist Church was still relatively new uh there was still especially in the early years some intolerance towards the Baptist Church um and uh but as far as the Theology of John buan is concerned it it is the 1689 Baptist confession it is uh it is Westminster Confession 1645 so he's he's he right smack in the middle uh of uh the the calvinistic debates of the 17th century. [00:20:23]

Bunan understands that the Christian Life and this is one of the lessons that interpreter wants him to understand before he sets out on his journey that the Christian Life is beset by all kinds of Trials and difficulties and opposition and things that will put the fire out things that will make you want to give up um but behind the scenes uh that you can't see with your visible eye is the Holy Spirit who who calls who quickens who Regen generates who assures who strengthens and uh enables uh for the journey uh and that's just one of seven different little cameos uh that Christian is given at the very beginning of his journey. [00:24:08]

My own view is that banan is not giving us an allegory that covers every Christian Life he is actually giving you an autobi an autobiography because this is the way he came to Jesus and he was under conviction of sin for several years possibly three years before he experienced the Assurance of losing his burden so I think we need to be fair to buan particularly when you read part two of the story where where that doesn't happen and Christiana loses her burden straight away right so so buan buan I think buan is saying that he becomes a Christian the moment he enters that narrow way. [00:25:22]

Bunan bunan goes uh stratospheric for a couple of paragraphs um uh describing the Theology of double imputation uh in a way that almost loses the allegory and and becomes like the the Theologian for a second uh as if he's forgotten the allegory that he's telling um but for for banan and this is uh this is a 17th century reformed West minian 1689 Baptist confession understanding here of what it means to be a Christian our sins are imputed to Christ and he Bears the Judgment of them and his obedience his active and passive obedience his The Obedience of Jesus's entire life to all the demands of the law and also his obedience to the punishment of the law in terms of his death um that that uh our sins are imputed to Christ his righteousness is imputed to us. [00:31:43]

I do think I do think that Pilgrims Progress needs to be understood I mean you can read it just as a story and it and it's a great story Ju Just on a on a literary level it's a it's it's a cracking good yarn uh with lots of interesting characters and fight scenes battle scenes and a love story and uh it's wholesome and it's just a good read but if if you delve a little deeper it is also for buan a theological Tool uh to describe the nature of Christian discipleship and godliness and the shape of it for bunan is family centered and church centered and you must not miss that you might miss it because because it's an allegory but there are certain there are certain places you know there are ins that he stays in along the journey and and those ins and places of of residence where he describes fun and and and talk into the night and and lots of food but actually he's talking about the church. [00:38:10]

The key had been given to Christian way back in the narrative and and it's easy it's a it's a beautifully written literary device you know this this thing comes into the picture just like you read any piece of fiction and you think what's the significance of this and then it's immediately forgotten only it's going to be picked up again and then you you have that aha moment oh yes I remember now he was given this key and in doubt castle and that's a very graphic description by the way in doubting Castle uh particularly of the meanness uh of the Castle's owner and his wife uh and the torture through which Christian goes and it's it's shocking that bunan introduces at that point uh the contemplation of suicide on the part of of Christian for the 17th Century that was that was a fairly uh risky thing to do to introduce That Into You know what what you might view as a children's story but it it's not it's an adult story of course but bunan you know and and and bless him for it I mean bunan understood and and you get a little window whil I think bunan was a very happy man 12 years in prison you know gives you a lot of time to think a lot of things and and it just may be that bunan thought about the issue of suicide and I think for for some Christians who struggle with depression uh the the the fact that other Christians like John bunan can introduce this into the narrative in such an ordinary sort of way I I just found that so pastorally encouraging um and then he suddenly remembers you know this key uh is the key called prayer and that's what the key represents prayer uh and as soon as he as soon as he uses this key of course he escapes from from doubting castle and giant Despair and and and his wife and so on um but buan is teaching uh the importance of prayer have we trials and temptations is there trouble anywhere you should never be discouraged uh take it to the Lord in prayer. [00:41:31]

The answer is always uh to do exactly what buan tells us in this allegory and that is go to the Cross uh it's at the hill called Calvary uh that Christian uh uh loses his burden and it disappears rolls down the hill and disappears into the tomb into the Seer which is the Seer of of Christ and the way to experience uh the removal of the burden of our sin uh is is always you know run to Jesus and trust in him and in him alone uh not by your works or your efforts or by your doing or by your profession of being this or that or the other but it's always to run to Jesus. [00:45:19]