Introduction Week 1
John Bunyan was born in Elstow, England in 1628. He was from a poor family and had limited
opportunity for education. His spiritual life seems to have begun around the
age of twenty-five. He was baptized and
joined a Baptist church. Three years
later he was encouraged to preach at this same church. Bunyan preached for six years before he was
arrested and placed in prison for not conforming to worship as prescribed by
the Church of England and for preaching the gospel without a license. Bunyan wrote Pilgrim’s Progress during the twelve years he was in
prison. Upon being released from prison,
he continued writing and became the pastor of a church in Bedford.
John Bunyan wrote Pilgrim’s Progress as an allegory, which
is the expression by means of symbolic fictional figures and actions of truths
or generalizations about human existence or experience.
Questions for discussion on Chapters 1
2.
When Graceless meets Evangelist and is asked
“Why not willing to die, since this life is attended with so many evils?” the
man shows himself to be under the conviction of the Spirit of God as he feels
the insupportable burden of sin upon his back and the dread of God’s wrath
against sin. Do you believe that these
two elements are often absent in today’s presentations of the gospel in
evangelistic efforts? Explain.
3.
What do you believe the shining light
represents?
Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my
path”
2 Peter 1:19 “And we have the word of the prophets made more
certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in
a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.”
Note that right
after Evangelist points our Pilgrim to the light Obstinate and Pliable catch up
with him and he is now called Christian.
We find out later that his name up to this point was Graceless.
Questions for discussion on Chapter 2
4.
What does the Slough of Despond represent? Is passing through it a natural part of
Christian Maturity? Or to phrase it another way, can a Christian mature without
this kind of struggle?
5.
Note that Pliable had no burden on his
back. What does the burden represent and
did that have any bearing on Pliable’s reaction to the Slough?
6.
Help rescues Christian from the Slough of
Despond. Who is he?
Reference Psalm
40:1-2
Questions for discussion on Chapter 3
7.
What belief system does Mr. Worldly Wiseman
represent? Can you give some examples?
8.
Mr. Worldly Wiseman does not like that Christian
has been reading the Bible. Where does he send Christian and what view of
salvation does this represent?
Week 1 Summary
As Christians we need to examine our lives daily
by the light of the Scriptures to see if there is any part of the spirit of this
world hiding in our hearts. All of
creation points to the existence of a Creator, but an understanding of who he
is and of his plan of salvation can only be gained through the special
revelation contained in the Bible.
Without the written Word to show us an absolute standard of right and
wrong, we are lost in a sea of relativism.
I think it’s interesting that Evangelist does not try to persuade the
man that his fears are groundless by presenting a view of God that is
unbalanced, a view that presents the love and mercy of God but leaves out his
holiness and justice (Exodus 34:7). We
must approach God on Christ’s merit and not in any part on our own merit. I pray that you take an honest look at what
is central in your life right now and ask if it is Christ on his throne, or
something else. Are you spending time in
the word to know what that perfect will is, or are you traveling the way of Mr.
Worldly Wiseman? If a change needs to be
made, what is stopping you from making it now?
[i]
The Pilgrim’s Progress Study Guide by Maureen L. Bradley. Published in 1994 by the Presbyterian and
Reformed Publishing Company.
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