Several years ago, when I renewed my Christian faith, my sister recommended a book to me, A Severe Mercy, by Sheldon Vanauken. The author and his wife were deeply in love, agnostic (or "pagan" in his words), and searching for truth. During his search, he started corresponding with C.S. Lewis. During this correspondence, his wife became a Christian. Sheldon accepted her decision, even following her with his own, yet always placed the marriage ahead of his commitment to God. The book details the early years of their faith, which ended with her death at a young age. Sheldon was devastated, yet came to understand that within that loss, God was calling him to come closer, that her death was "a severe mercy" given to him for his greater good.
Now, since I am about to talk about my cat, I must apologize in advance for equating my pet's death to the loss of a human life. I do so only for the sake of describing my feelings. I definitely believe that there is a wide gulf between the worth of a human life and that of the "beasts that perish", though that in no way excuses wanton acts of cruelty against animals.
When playing outside with my daughter Rebecca today, I was struck by how happy she is even though I have been so sad lately, even crying in front of her. I am encouraged by her energy, her playfulness, and her love for life. My pastor told me not to worry about her too much, for the will to live within a child is very great. They are not yet discouraged by the cares of this world.
I feel a new era is opening up in my life, one that is calling me away from giving my affection to pets, and giving it to God, my wife, and my daughter. This decision is not written in stone, but the way I feel now is that I will no longer have a pet in my house with my name on its collar - that time has past. Rebecca may choose a pet, and I will give it my love, but my affection belongs to my daughter now, and my first love must be for God.
I'm going to open this book "A Severe Mercy" again. I think it has a message for me, again.
Here's a verse that spoke to me today. Though the loss of a pet is not the context, it still comes across strong for anyone feeling great loss and wondering if God is there.
Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
My flesh and my heart fail;
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Ps 73:25-26 NKJV
I've just completed my second reading of this wonderful work by C.S. Lewis, the first reading done while I was a young teenager. It was almost like reading the whole series again, I had forgotten a lot. I remembered The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe pretty well, but had forgotten all the details of the other books, except for one chapter from The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Dragon Island.
I've got a new favorite in this series, no long The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, but now The Silver Chair. Why? I am Prince Rilian.
Read more below, but there are spoilers.
To recap:
Prince Rilian has been enchanted and taken away from the Kingdom of Narnia by an evil witch. Two schoolchildren, Eustace and Jill, are called by Aslan to rescue the Prince. They are given several signs to guide their way (and they mess these all up rather well, though they get the last and most important one right). Prince Rilian is released from his enchantment, but before escaping his underground prison, they all must face the evil witch for one last confrontation. They barely escape from another attack of evil magic, and Prince Rilian slays the witch. They escape back to Narnia and Prince Rilian sees his father, King Caspian, just before Caspian dies.
How does Prince Rilian's life describe me?
Prince Rilian's spell which holds him fast is unconfessed sin and doubt. In my case, it crept into my life when I began to doubt the truth of Christianity, and began to think of all religions and all points of view as valid searches for truth. I expressed that doubt by attending a church in a liberal denomination which prides itself on rejecting orthodox belief and replacing it with a "free and responsible search for truth and meaning". Now I respect that a little bit, but the way it is put into practice, in this worldview, one can't find the truth. It doesn't exist, or if it does exist, it only exists for oneself, and of course, since your search is never ending, one can always toss it aside and search for a different truth. Even the Principles and Purposes of this religion cannot be considered absolutes, but rather mere postulates.
Something happened in my belief system which told me that truth really does matter. How did it happen? Well, one author who had an effect on me was Ayn Rand, whose philosophy emphasized the existence of objective truth (though I have since rejected her atheism and extreme individualism). I realized that a search for truth should acknowledge the existence of a destination, and the willingess to stop searching (but not to stop learning and growing) when we get there. Otherwise one is just emulating Brownian motion, and not getting anywhere. I didn't think that was a good model for life. I've studied other religions and philosophies, and the one which seems to be most grounded in reality, is the one I believed in as a child, the one described by the Apostles' Creed, and by this creed I wrote after hearing a childrens' sermon on the First and Great Commandment.
Love God with all you've got.
Loving Jesus is loving God.
The Holy Spirit is God in us.
I recommitted my life to Christ just two years before the passing of my mother, and three years before the passing of my father. Reading through some of my mom's letters, I found out that one thing that made her very happy was my wife's decision to follow Jesus just a few months after my decision. I'm glad for the wisdom my parents passed on to me, and glad that we recognized its truth in time to share it with them.
Picking up the book again, I'm moving on to chapter 3, where the author interviews Jonathan Wells, of the Discovery Institute of Seattle (which is a think tank dedicated to much more than promoting Intelligent Design).
The subject of the chapter is Jonathan Wells' fisking of four icons of evolution:
The Miller Experiment
Jonathan Wells says that the significance of the Miller experiment depends on the accuracy of the recreation of earth's early atmosphere, and in this regard it fails. "Miller chose a hydrogen-rich mixture of methane, ammonia, and water vapor, which was consistent with what scientists thought back then. But scientists don't believe that anymore....The best hypothesis now is that there was very little hydrogen in the atmosphere because it would have escaped into space. Instead, the atmosphere probably consisted of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and water vapor." Strobel asks Wells what happens if you repeat the experiment with those components, and Wells tells him you'll get organic molecules, but not amino acids; what you'll get is formaldehyde, a toxic substance.
Going on from there, Strobel asks what if amino acids could be produced somehow - maybe we're wrong to throw out Miller's hypothesis; could amino acids produce life? Wells replies that it is a long way to go from a soup of amino acids to a living cell. He asks Strobel to think about what is involved by considering putting a single living cell in a sterile salt solution, and then poking a hole in it so that its contents leak into the solution. All the components of life are there, indeed more than the Miller experiment actually produced, but there is no life there; it's just a solution of molecules. It's not enough to have the molecules at hand, they have to be put together correctly, a mind-boggling task.
The bottom line of all this is that natural selection may offer an explanation of how life changes, but it is woefully inadequate in explaining how life first began. Strobel quotes another origin-of-expert, Walter Bradley, a former professor at Texas A&M University, "I think people who believe that life emerged naturalistically need to have a great deal more faith than people who reasonably infer that there's an Intelligent Designer."
Anoter way of perceiving the problem of life's beginning is to imagine yourself walking along the beach, and suddenly you see the words of Homer's The Iliad written in the sand. No reasonable person would conclude they were the product of random motions of waves on the sand - we recognize the vast improbability of that. We know that another person was there before us and wrote those words in the sand. The components of our cells, including our DNA, is much more complicated than words written in the sand, yet naturalists continue to deny that an intelligent being "wrote them down", insisting they are the product of random motions of molecules from a long time ago. (This example is from Lee Strobel's previous work, The Case for Christ)
The other topics from the list will be covered in future posts.
*****
A big thank you to David Heddle (He Lives), for providing me with a copy of a presentation he gave on Intelligent Design. His material complements Lee Strobel's book rather well.
Chapters 1 and 2 of Lee Strobel's book, The Case for a Creator, set up the framework for the discussion that follows, namely: is our universe the product of a designer or did it happen randomly? Is it possible to believe in what looks like a random process but was the work of a designer (theistic evolution).
Strobel introduces several quotes from scientists who think it is possible to believe in evolution and God, such as biology professor Kenneth R. Miller, of Brown University who declared that evolution "is not anti-God." Strobel goes on to say in opposition that that is not how evolution is presented. The foundation of natural selection theory is that it is by nature undirected, and that rules out a supernatural force directing the process. I've read works by Carl Sagan, Stephen J. Gould, and others who insist that there is no plan in natural selection, there are no morals in nature. This seems to be pretty hostile to the idea of a living, knowing Creator to me. Stephen C. Meyer, director of the Center for Science and Culture at the Discovery Institute confronts the contradiction, "To say that God guides an inherently unguided natural process, or that God designed a natural mechanism as a substitute for his design, is clearly contradictory."
It all comes down to one's worldview ultimately; is mankind here by accident or on purpose? In the book of Isaiah, the prophet testifies of the work of the Lord:
For thus says the Lord, Who created the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited: "I am the Lord, and there is no other.Is. 45:18 NKJV
I've been rereading Lee Strobel's book The Case for a Creator, and am finally going to start a multi-part review of it. I've been reluctant to start though, mainly because I feel so ignorant about so much of the creation / evolution / intelligent design discussion.
Rather than jumping right into the book, I'm going to talk a little about how my beliefs have changed. I've always respected science, believing that honest inquiry will always find the truth. The key word there is honest, of course. The search must be conducted without bias, and where bias is found it must be questioned. There was a time in my life where my beliefs caused me to doubt God's role in creation. There was a later time where I reevaluated that doubt and believed in God again. When I renewed my faith, evolution wasn't an issue. I came back to faith because I saw that faith in God strengthens the family. I was soon confronted with the evolution issue however. Since I believe in God - should I also believe in His testimony? in His works? If I believe the Bible, do I have to believe in a literal six-day creation process, or can it be six ages and a very old earth? Can I believe in both the process of natural selection and God? My beliefs have slowly been changing, and I am definitely being led away from the attitude that I can believe in natural selection and God, though I still believe in an old earth and that the days are actually long periods of time. The main reason for that is what naturalists claim - to paraphrase Stephen Jay Gould, there is no morality in natural selection. If that is the foundation for natural selection, I've got to reject it out of hand, because I believe in a God who created something He called "good", indicating a process with a goal, not random. I also find the argument for a natural origin of life to be very weak. Whether natural selection may be valid for explaining some changes to existing life, it does not explain how life was first formed.
(to be continued)
Ronald Bailey reviews Paul Ehrlich, unfavorably, asking "Why does anyone stilll listen to him?"
I recently posted on Joshua Claybourn's site on the subject of faith and doubt, posting some reflections on a recent sermon delivered in my church.
That sermon was based on Thomas and his initial unbelief in Jesus' resurrection. I'm currently reading a book called The Case for a Creator, by Lee Strobel. Lee Strobel, a former atheist, interviews several people who are knowledgable in both science and theology, and discovers that the evidence for a creator is actually pretty strong. He shows that it actually takes a lot of faith, in fact more faith, to believe that the existence of the universe was a random event.
So far, my favorite chapter is his interview with William Lane Craig, where Dr. Craig presents the kalam argument:
I'm really enjoying reading this book. I'm going to discuss more of it as I go through it.
In the meantime, here are two columns from Boundless magazine: William Lane Craig, on the importance of intellectual development for Christians, and J.P. Moreland, on how the human mind could not have been a product of natural selection.
"'Everywhere I go,' the novelist Flannery O'Connor said, 'I'm asked if I think universities stifle writers.' Frankly, she'd reply, 'they don't stifle enough of them.'"
So begins an article (not on-line) in the latest issue of Claremont Review of Books (Spring 2004) by Scott Walter entitled "The Strange Case of a Hillbilly Thomist." It's a review of a few books about O'Connor, including Flannery O'Connor: Spiritual Writings edited by Robert Ellsberg, and Return to Good and Evil: Flannery O'Connor's Response to Nihilism by Henry T. Edmondson III.
A Southerner, O'Connor wrote two novels and several collections of stories; she was a political and theological conservative, and a Catholic.
Once, after arriving at a famous literary soiree at 8 pm -- an evening that included Mary McCarthy and Robert Lowell -- (she later said) that by 1 am "[I] hadn't opened my mouth once, there being nothing for me in such company to say."
Then, at one point, conversation turned to the Eucharist and McCarthy said it was a lovely symbol. O'Connor spoke: "Well, if it's a symbol, to hell with it."
She was admired by the literati, even as she saw through them....
According to Walter:
"After Iowa [State University] she spent time at Yaddo, an artists' colony where she worked to finish her novel and socialized with other guests, including Alfred Kazin, Edward Maisel, and Robert Lowell. Her distrust of 'innerleckshuls' only deepened at Yaddo, as she observed that their self-indulgence in drugs, alcohol, and sex were matched with 'arty' phoniness and a cowardly conformity to secular leftism. Still, Yaddo allowed her to bear down on her novel [Wise Blood], and she gained her peers' respect. Kazin was impressed by her faith, 'so rare in America that it makes her stand out in every possible way. To me she is one of the few writers of that post-war generation who will live for a very long time.'"
Walter reports that O'Connor's views on education can be intuited from a letter of hers that reported on a conversation she had with the conservative philosopher and author of The Conservative Mind -- Russel Kirk:
"ME: I read old William Heard Kilpatrick died recently. John Dewey's dead too, isn't he?
KIRK: Yes, thank God. Gone to his reward. Ha ha.
ME: I hope there's children crawling all over him.
KIRK: Yes, I hope he's with the unbaptized enfants.
ME: No, they would be too innocent.
KIRK: Yes. Ha ha. With the baptized enfants."
She marked the following sentence in her copy of Kirk's book: "Abstract sentimentality ends in real brutality."
At one time O'Connor had written in an essay:
"If other ages felt less they saw more, even though they saw with the blind, prophetical, unsentimental eye of acceptance, which is to say, of faith. In the absence of this faith now, we govern by tenderness....[But when] tenderness is detached from the source of tenderness, its logical outcome is terror. It ends in forced labor camps and the fumes of the gas chamber."
What's interesting about her stories is their reality; her curious eyes recommend a bracing approach to life. A few pages can be an ordeal.
Walter quotes T.S. Elliot as saying of her stories -- "[I] was quite horrified by those I read. She has certainly an uncanny talent of a high order but my nerves are just not strong enough to take much of a disturbance." Walter goes on: "She sets the stories in her backwoods South and peoples them, as she readily confessed, with 'freaks.'...Puzzlement over their meaning can be lessened by reading the essays and letters. The latter brim with her humor and her steely-eyed insights into literature, religion, and the modern world."
Walter adds:
"O'Connor devoted her life to her art, and she devoted her art to a battle against relativism and the nihilism she saw had spawned it. She celebrated both reason and faith as part of an objective approach to reality and railed against the twin falsehoods of sentimentality and pornography. She decried the former wherever she found it -- in subjectivist philosophy, in best-selling novels, and, as Giannone quotes, in the 'sugary slice of inspirational pie' common in the popular piety of her day."
I'm a neo-conservative and don't always agree with the "traditional conservative" intellectuals -- holding that social change involving individual behavior is not always a threat to the order -- but still, I often I find myself intrigued by the wisdom and deeper philosophical vision in the writings of the Protestant and Catholic conservative thinkers.
The traditionalists point out certain inescapable truths: freedom and individuality are essential American values, yet despite the fact that leftist progressive or right-wing libertarian movements in the twentieth century have led to brave new thinking; the new secular plans of greater liberty: don't work. We still have a breakdown of morality, a conspicuous shattering of social bonds and family structures, and continue to experience shrinking codes of common decency and interpersonal mores. This happens even when the Right comes to political power. Why?
Here are a few deep books that deal with these subjects from a traditional perspective:
*** First, a book recommended to me by my cousin-in-law Mark Franz of Shafter, California; his son David has studied with the author: The Death of Character: Moral Education in an Age Without Good or Evil by James Davison Hunter (Basic Books, 2000). According to the back cover, the book: "traces the death of character to the disintegration of the moral and social conditions that make character possible in the first place." The author focuses on the problem of the education of character -- and how America hopelessly yearns to encourage character, but without realizing it is only the requisite limits and obligations on individuals which would make it work. Yet this seems impossible to realize since it contradicts American individualism.
Then, Eric Miller's article "Alone in the Academy" in the February 2004 issue of First Things provides three other books:
*** Conspicuous Criticism: Tradition, the Individual, and Culture in American Social Thought, from Veblen to Mills by Christopher Shannon (Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996). Shannon was one of Christopher Lasch's students at the University of Rochester. (Lasch wrote the 1979 best-seller The Culture of Narcissim: American Life in an Age of Diminishing Expectations.)
*** Alasdair MacIntyre's After Virtue: A Study in Moral Theory (University of Notre Dame Press, 1980; 2nd edition 1997). Miller says MacIntyre is "perhaps the dominant moral philosopher of the last third of the twentieth century," and that MacIntyre "had moved from Marxism to Thomism" by the publication of this book.
*** George Packer's Blood of the Liberals (Farrar Straus & Giroux, 2001) is not written by a Christian, but of which Miller writes: "George Packer’s beautifully crafted memoir...provides a poignant personal rendering of [these] development[s]. The grandson of a self-proclaimed Jeffersonian Congressman from Alabama and the son of a self-consciously liberal law professor (and a Stanford University provost during the late 1960s), Packer tells, with disarming frankness, a three-generational story about what has happened to a country that seems unable to bind itself together in ways that honor its venerable, organizing ideals of citizenship."
There you have it. A few more notes about each book, along with quotes, follows....
******* Concerning James Davison Hunter's The Death of Character: Moral Education in an Age Without Good or Evil, here are a few quotes from the opening section of the book -- called "Postmortem":
"Character is dead. Attempts to revive it will yield little. Its time has passed.
"The irony is sharp. The death of character comes at a time when the call to 'renew values' and to 'restore character' is especially loud, persistent, universal -- not to mention urgent....
"Even so, a restoration of character as a common feature within American society and a common trait of its people will not likely occur any time soon. The social and cultural conditions that make character possible are no longer present and no amount of political rhetoric, legal maneuvering, educational policy making, or money can change that reality. Its time has passed.
"Character is formed in relation to convictions and is manifested in the capacity to abide by those convictions even in, especially in, the face of temptation. This being so, the demise of character begins with the destruction of creeds, the convictions, and the 'god-terms' that made those creeds sacred to us and inviolable within us.
"This destruction occurs simultaneously with the rise of 'values.' Values are truths that have been deprived of their commanding character....The very word 'value' signifies the reduction of truth into utility, taboo, to fashion, conviction to mere preference; all provisional, all exchangeable. Both values and 'lifestyle' -- a way of living that reflects the accumulation of one's values -- bespeak a world in which nothing is sacred....
"We say we want a renewal of character in our day but we don't really know what we ask for. To have a renewal of character is to have a renewal of a creedal order that constrains, limits, binds, obligates, and compels. This price to too high for us to pay."
******* Concerning Christopher Shannon's Conspicuous Criticism: Tradition, the Individual, and Culture in American Social Thought, from Veblen to Mills, Eric Miller's article says Shannon is even more pessimistic than Lasch:
"The Culture of Narcissm...summed up and deepened a conviction shared by many that Americans were changing, becoming less able and willing to practice citizenship, exchanging the common life for, as he put it, 'purely personal preoccupations.' Lasch tied this historical shift in character to the ongoing advance of liberal capitalism, with its ever-colonizing market and ever-expanding state. 'The atrophy of older traditions of self-help has eroded everyday competence, in one area after another, and has made the individual dependent on the state, the corporation, and other bureaucracies,' he said. 'Narcissism represents the psychological dimension of this dependence.'
"It was a powerful argument. It was also precisely the type of argument -- a jeremiad -- that Shannon, two decades later, called at once understandable, monotonous, and futile. For Shannon, the ending of the American story was already scripted, and even a collective turning away from corporate capitalism wouldn't remove the fact that America's deepest (and sole) point of unity was the individual, and the individual alone -- a laughably weak foundation upon which to construct anything like a 'commonwealth,' 'republic,' or even a 'community.'"
Miller notes that:
"It was Shannon’s position as a Christian writing within the academy that helped to account for my own grateful and enthusiastic reception of his arguments. I suspected, as I made my way through his book, that Shannon felt as uncomfortable in the modern American university as I did, and his book seemed at least in part an effort to probe the roots of his unease and to explain his findings to his (uncomprehending) peers and colleagues. What provoked Shannon (and me) wasn’t simply a wrongheaded 'worldview,' or some other species of philosophical abstraction in the university. Rather, it was a way of life -- the actual living out by real people of this 'rational alternative to tradition.' By the century’s end this way of life was standard within the American university, where both Shannon and I, as fledgling Christian scholars, found ourselves uneasily living and moving and having our being.
"One obvious feature of this university-sanctioned-and-sustained way of life is its depleted understanding of marriage and sexuality, and its accompanying commitment to oppose any who would speak against this understanding. Although this received wisdom is conveyed in the language of liberation, I discovered that it provided cover for lives that were often full of hopelessness. One of my classmates was about to be married, and I remember hearing another student wisecrack to him about the divorce that was sure to follow -- a barren, ugly cynicism, rooted, sadly, in an all-too-intimate knowledge of the empirical evidence."
******* Concerning Alasdair MacIntyre's After Virtue: A Study in Moral Theory, Miller says:
"On MacIntyre’s view, having gradually abandoned the long-dominant Aristotelian tradition of virtue ethics, modern moral thinking had devolved into emotivism, which assumes as a matter of course that 'all moral judgments are nothing but expressions of preference, expressions of attitude or feeling, insofar as they are moral or evaluative in character' 'We live in a specifically emotivist culture,' contended MacIntyre, a culture that locates moral order not in a benevolent, overarching telos but solely within the individual self.
"Like Lasch, MacIntyre looked at the twentieth century and saw chaos; the old moral consensus of Europe and North America had dissolved. 'Each moral agent now spoke unconstrained by the externalities of divine law, natural teleology, or hierarchical authority; but why should anyone else now listen to him?'"
******* Concerning George Packer's Blood of the Liberals, Miller writes:
"Repelled by the tendency of twentieth-century liberals like his father to cut themselves off from their own 'blood' to serve the mind (he notes, for instance that his father gave the university 'all his energy, much more than he gave his family, because he believed in the high importance of the life of the mind'), Packer narrates his own journey through his family’s past, subtly intertwining his personal narrative with a broader argument about the direction of American history itself. His conclusion? 'The main problem of our time is a loss of belief in collective self-betterment.' The revolts of the sixties, he contends, may have changed a lot of lives but they 'didn’t leave behind a viable worldview,' making what he calls the post-sixties 'ruins of liberalism' at once understandable and pathetic. 'This was the face of American prosperity at the end of the twentieth century,' he writes, 'racially tolerant, environmentally conscious, and determined to wall itself off from the low-paid countrymen who cut its grass and wait on its tables and look after its children.'
"Packer is a leftist longing for a community that he can’t find. In his mid-thirties he goes so far as to investigate his aunt’s evangelical world, and even travels from his home in Boston to Washington D.C. to attend the massive 1997 Promise Keepers rally, in search of one single experience of social, interracial solidarity. Understanding 'religion' to be a 'challenge' to his 'liberalism,' he nonetheless senses that evangelicals have what he has been unable to locate on the left, 'something that can’t be summoned on demand: vitality.' At the end of his evangelical explorations, he sadly concludes that 'all the years of rational training at home had killed the nerves that might have been receptive to religious stimuli.'
"Packer was looking in the right direction -- cultus -- even if his own search ended in disappointment. The communities that will be forged in our midst will surely be religious in a self-conscious way, for actual religions -- our collective responses to the mystery that lies beyond and within our seeing and touching -- are what have historically made possible the sorts of communities that we in our time so struggle to achieve. Communities need God as children need parents: apart from the ordering presence of a religion, we fly apart and die alone."
Lord of the Rings fans have a lot of reading to do. Another of the many books coming out these days about Tolkien is reviewed on the Books & Culture website; the review entitled “The Doom of Choice: Fate, free will, and moral responsibility in Tolkien” by David O’Hara.
It’s a review of the book Following Gandalf: Epic Battles and Moral Victory in The Lord of the Rings by Matthew Dickerson.
(I’m partly mentioning this to draw attention to the incredible Books & Culture: A Christian Review -- one of the best intellectual “book review” publications around, and worth subscribing to. I spend hours with each issue.)
What stuck me most about the film trilogy Lord of the Rings was the emphasis on the relation between the difficulty of responsibility and the freedom of choice.
O’Hara’s review takes this subject on: “Following Gandalf is a timely and relevant exploration of how military conflict illustrates the profound inner conflict of moral responsibility. Its basic argument is that Tolkien's restraint in describing battles exalts heroism, not violence; and that heroism is an image of the universal human need to strive for moral victory, which is made possible by real freedom.”
A new translation of the Bible may be a gem; so claims Alan Jacobs in his article “A Bible for Everyone” in the December 2003 issue of First Things.
The King James Version (KJV) -- a hauntingly beautiful work of Shakespearian dimension -- was THE favorite for years. But in recent decades many new ones have appeared. The New International Version (NIV) has become the most popular version BY FAR across the country in evangelistic churches.
Scholars say the NIV is the MOST ACCURATE version. But I can’t keep it a secret any longer: I HAVE to say this: there’s something terribly wrong with the NIV! How can I put this?
AAAAAAGGGGHHHH!
No, wait a minute….How's this:
If you want one-dimensional style, flat expression, and stale word usage -- the NIV’s for you!
No….
The NIV reads like an OFFICE MEMO!
No….
The NIV READS LIKE A WAREHOUSE PACKING SLIP!
(OK, you get the point.)
WHY does the NIV take the word “garments” (in King James) -- referring to the clothing of the wealthy -- and render it “clothes”? CLUNK! The dry, ordinary word CLOGS the throat. THE RICH DON’T WEAR CLOTHES -- THEY WEAR GARMENTS, YOU (BLANK)...!
The NIV HAS NO POETRY!
(Alright, I’ll calm down. I’ve complained about this for years and I just get STEAMED when this comes up.)
The new translation sets out to change this. It’s called the ENGLISH STANDARD VERSION (ESV) and it's an attempt to merge excellent modern scholarship with beautiful prose.
Jacobs says: “It is the ESV’s balance of thorough, up-to-date scholarship and deference to the elders’ wisdom that makes it the best available English Bible. What this means, further, is that the ESV is the best candidate yet for the long-hoped-for ‘replacement’ of the KJV, the translation that bridges denominational gaps and strikes the right balance among the virtues of clarity, correctness, and grace.”
Jacobs explains why so many of the new translations are so boring: “When King James commissioned his Companies of Translators, the people most thoroughly educated in the various humanistic disciplines were also those most learned in the biblical tongues. The celebrated ‘poetic’ or ‘literary’ qualities of the KJV are a function of this long-lost union. But in the last two centuries the training of biblical scholars in what has come to be called the ‘grammatical-historical’ method has assumed a character alien to the literary and rhetorical education rooted in the schools of the Roman Empire. A model of Christian learning shared -- not altogether but to some degree -- by Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, and Calvin had virtually disappeared by the end of the eighteenth century….Thus C. S. Lewis’ complaint that a scholar whose ‘literary experiences of [the biblical] texts lack any standard of comparison such as can only grow from a wide and deep and genial experience of literature in general’ is not wholly reliable as a guide. ‘If he tells me that something in a Gospel is legend or romance, I want to know how many legends and romances he has read, how well his palate is trained in detecting them by the flavor.’”
Jacobs ends his article this way: “Everyone who grew up with the KJV feels the loss of a shared language, of particular words and phrases that resonated in the common ear -- words and phrases whose meanings could be tested, considered, deployed and redeployed in an infinitely varied set of contexts. I think now of all those generations of the English-speaking peoples separating the wheat from the chaff, lying down in green pastures, sometimes being weighed in the balance and found wanting but at other times fighting the good fight -- the whole vast array of discourse (much of it richly metaphorical) tells us that it is very difficult to share thoughts when we do not share language. And since Christians are counseled to be of one mind, they should be more attentive to the particular words that shape and form our minds. To have once again a widely shared English Bible -- ‘one principal good one’ -- would be a significant step towards that one mind in Christ.”
I use the georgeous New King James Version, or the succinct and bracing American Standard Version. The NIV gives me the willies!
I tried finding the new ESV at some Bible book stores recently in Southern California but they were sold out.
Check it out.
I finished Timeline pretty quickly, it was a fast read given that it's hard to put down when a character's life is on the line.
Treason was another matter altogether. I got about halfway through it, and just could not force myself to finish. The book was returned to the library yesterday. Maybe I'll pick it up later, it's hard to read this kind of book in the summer, when it's easy to fall asleep on the back porch while the cats cavort in the back yard, killing all the birds and squirrels they can catch (not really!! - my cats are fifteen years old, the birds and squirrels are too fast for them now)
About Treason: Ann Coulter is probably right in her assessment of Joe McCarthy as a great American patriot who was trying to save America from Communism. I do have a problem with believing that he did it flawlessly however. There were some innocent people who got hurt, along with many who probably deserved every bit of trouble they got, but the end result is that now if anyone says anything bad about people who support Communism, they get smeared with the label of McCarthyism. Too bad, because Communism seems to appeal to higher ideals without providing the means to achieve them, being thought up by an economic idiot.
I got far enough into the book to say that Lileks is right on in this post, (also see this Bleat from last year), Ann Coulter is a lumper, and lumps all Democrats under the treason label, disregarding the political views and actions of some who stood up to and question the Communist influence in our culture. Just to name one name, Ronald Reagan was a Democrat when he stood up to the Communist presence in the Screen Actors Guild. He switched parties later, but in his words, the party changed, not him.
I respect Ann Coulter's opinions for the most part. I think it is important to have people like her who forcefully argue conservative opinion. But she does have a tendency to speak carelessly sometimes. During the 2000 election recount, she claimed, on Hannity & Colmes, that a prominent judge on the Florida Supreme Court was a contributor to the Gore campaign. A clerk for the judge was on the show at the time and said no, he was a contributor to the Democratic Party, and all contributions ended when he became a judge, as Florida state law proscribed contributions from judges. Ann Coulter did not have a response to that, and that gave me the sense that the clerk was correct.
I really enjoyed Coulter's last book, Slander, which I think accurately described the liberal bias inherent in our media, especially elite opinion such as that found in The New York Times or The New Yorker. I particularly liked the way she skewered the myth of The Religious Right as an organized political entity. I wish Treason was written as well.
After all the introductions are complete, the pilgrims continue on their way. The conversation turns to the discussion of another pilgrim. Great Heart asks Old Honesty if he has ever heard of a pilgrim named Mr. Fearing. Honesty says he has, and knew him very well, though he was one of the most troublesome pilgrims he ever met. Great Heart says Honesty has described Mr. Fearing very well, and Honesty replies, "Knew him! I was a great companion of his! I was with him almost to the end. When he first began to think of what would come upon us hereafter, I was with him." Great Heart also replies that he was with Mr. Fearing from his Master's house to the Gate of Celestial City.
Honesty says that Great Heart must have found him a very troubling case, and Great Heart replies that it's all part of his job, "I certainly did, but I could bear it very well, for men of my calling are often entrusted with the conduct of such as he." Honesty asks Great Heart to describe how Fearing fared under his guidance.
Great Heart describes Fearing as a man who was always afraid of coming short of wherever he had a desire to go. He was in the Swamp of Despondence for over a month, not even accepting a hand when offered by the other pilgrims who passed him by. At the Gate, he stood by, unwilling to knock while others entered before him. At last, he gathered the courage to knock, and was granted welcome and blessing, and was then sent on his way. At the Interpreter's house, he stood outside the door for a very long time, even though he had a Note of Necessity for the master which would have granted him full access to the comforts of the house. Great Heart, who was in the Interpreter's house at the time, saw him outside and brought him in, though with much difficulty. When inside however, the Interpreter treated him most lovingly.
Great Heart served as escort for Mr. Fearing upon leaving the Interpreter's House, and Fearing seemed to make better progress from then on. At the Cross and Tomb, he lingered, but in such a way as was appropriate to the beauty of the place. The Hill of Difficulty and the lions were no problem, as Fearing's fear was of not being accepted. At the house Beautiful, Great Heart pushes Fearing in before he is willing to go, and though he is embarrased in the presence of the ladies who live there, he does appreciate seeing the ancient things.
Going on from there, in the Valley of Humiliation, Fearing seemed to thrive. Great Heart says, "he went down as well as I ever saw a man do in my life, for he didn't care how little or how low he was as long as he could be happy at last. Yes, I think there was a kind of sympathy between that valley and him, for I never saw him better in all his Pilgrimage than when he was in that valley."
In the Valley of the Shadow of Death, Great Heart is afraid he is going to lose his man, however. Fearing is ready to die from fear. Great Heart cannot shake him from this fear, and is even afraid that his crying out will attract the enemy. Great Heart notes that the valley is unusually quiet for their passing however, a sign of grace from our Lord.
Wrapping up the story, Great Heart says that Mr. Fearing was unusually full of zeal at Vanity Fair, ready to fight with every man in the place. He is also very alert on the Enchanted Ground, but when he reaches the river separating him from Celestial City, he is afraid to cross. Great Heart notes that while Fearing is crossing the river, the water is low, as low as he has ever seen it in fact. The water is not even above Fearing's shoes. They part ways and Fearing is accepted into Celestial City.
Returning to the current conversation, Honesty expresses gladness that Fearing wound up well at last. Great Heart says, "I never had a doubt about him. He was a man of a choice spirit; only he was always kept very low, and that made his life so burdensome to himself and so troublesome to others."
Honesty notes that Fearing was a very earnest man, "He didn't fear difficulties, lions, or the Vanity Fair at all. It was only sin, death, and Hell that were a terror to him, and that was because he had some doubts about his share in that Celestial Country."
The others also relate how their lives are similar to Fearing, also noting some particular differences. Christiana also felt fearful in the beginning of her pilgrimage, but her fear inspired her to knock all the louder at the gate and get on in the way as quickly as possible. Mercy says that Fearing's experience pretty much matches hers, she has always been more afraid of the lake and the loss of a place in Paradise than of any other thing.
James adds "No fears, no grace, although there isn't always grace where there is the fear of Hell, yet, to be sure, there is no grace where there is no fear of God." Great Heart concludes the discussion, "Well said, James. You've hit the mark, for 'the fear of God is the beginning of Wisdom.' "
(to be continued)
Thoughts on this chapter
Have you ever known a Christian, perhaps in your church, who was so humble or so self-abasing, that it was a pain to be around them? The experience that Great Heart shares with us tells us that the best way to deal with such people is with extreme patience. Maybe we should be looking at them for wisdom instead of impatience. God has such people in the church for a reason, and while they may not be claiming all the grace and fullness God has for them, they are beloved of Him all the more for it.
The next segment of this chapter deals with another individual, SelfWill, and he is a completely different character, in every way, than Mr. Fearing.
Great Heart, Christiana, Mercy, and the boys continue the journey, leaving the battle with the giant Maul. Leaving the Valley of the Shadow of Death, they come upon the point where Christian met up with Faithful. Christiana and her sons have some questions for Great Heart.
Christiana: "But weren't you afraid, good Sir, when you saw him come out with his club?"
Great Heart: "It's my duty to distrust my own ability so I might rely on Him who is stronger than all."
Matthew: "When you've all thought what you please, I think God has been wonderfully good to us, both in bringing us out of this valley and in delivering us out of the hand of this enemy. For my part, I see no reason why we should distrust our God anymore since He has now given us such a testimony of His love in such a place as this."
Going on, the party encounters a sleeping pilgrim, who wakes up, and is apparently ready to fight. Great Heart calms him down, claiming to be his friend, and the pilgrim says that he was afraid that the party was in the company of those who robbed Little Faith of his money.
Great Heart asks the pilgrim for his name, but the pilgrim is not willing to share it. He only claims his hometown, which is the Town of Stupidity, beyond the City of Destruction. Great Heart then guesses the pilgrim's name, which is Old Honesty. Honesty blushes, and says "I hope my nature will agree to what I'm called. But Sir, how could you guess that I am such a man since I came from that kind of a place?" Great Heart replies that He has heard of him, from his master, but expresses wonder "that anyone could come from your place, for your town is worse than what the City of Destruction is itself."
Mr. Honest replies, "Yes, we're farther away from the sun, so are more cold and senseless. But even if a man lived in a mountain of ice, if the sun of righteousness arose upon him, his frozen heart would feel a thaw; and this is how it has been with me."
Everyone is introduced, and Mr. Honest is especially enthusiastic about meeting Christiana, and has special blessings for her, her sons Matthew, Samuel, Joseph, and James, and Mercy, Christiana's companion from the City of Destruction.
(to be continued, this is a long chapter)
Thoughts on this chapter
This chapter begins a change of style in the narrative. From here on, we are going to be picking up more pilgrims until the entourage resembles a small church. Part Two is not the walk of a couple of individuals that Part One was. Three people are introduced today (though the last two are not actually encountered, just talked about). I'll add more comments when I finish this chapter.
The Pilgrims now descend into the Valley of Humiliation. They know of Christian's fight with Apollyon, and talk about it, expressing fear of a similar fate. Great Heart assures them that they will be safe. Christian's fight with Apollyon actually resulted from Christian's missteps as he descended into the valley. Great Heart goes on to say that the Valley is actually a very pleasant place, that our Lord actually had a country house here, and loved to walk and partake of the beauty of this place. Here is solitude and rest. They see the spot where Christian and Apollyon fought, and there is a pillar erected there to commemorate Christian's victory. Great Heart tells them that when Apollyon was defeated, he fled to the Valley of the Shadow of Death, their next destination.
Now they come upon the Valley of the Shadow of Death, and they have two advantages that Christian did not have: they enter the Valley in daylight, and they have Great Heart as their guide (as well as each other). The Valley is long and difficult still, and the boys are afraid. Great Heart gives them comfort from his experience. He has traveled this Valley many times, and this time is not as challenging as the worst of them, so he tells the boys to take comfort from the fact that he is still alive. One of the boys becomes ill, but Christiana applies some of the medicine obtained from the Physician at the Family's house, and he recovers. Christiana soon sees something fiendish and ugly approaching them from the front, and gathers the boys and Mercy around her, but as it comes closer, it vanishes as if they were passing through fog. Later, Mercy hears a lion roaring, and looks back to see a lion stalking them. Great Heart moves to the rear, and when the lion sees his drawn sword, stops the pursuit. Later they come upon an open pit, and cannot see the bottom for all the smoke and fire about it. Great Heart tells them this is like doing business on the Great Deep, or going down to the roots of mountains. He directs them to pray, and soon the hindrance is cleared and they are able to continue.
One last obstacle remains, the cave at the end of the valley. However, this time, they do not encounter Pope and Pagan, as Christian did, but a raging giant, Maul who demands that Great Heart stop his business with pilgrims. Maul is known for encountering Pilgrims with sophistry, subtle reasoning and deception leading to a skeptical view of the truth. Great Heart confronts Maul, saying they shall fight, but not until the Pilgrims hear the reason for the fight. Maul accuses Great Heart of robbing the country. Great Heart asks him to be specific in his accusations. Maul says, "You practice the craft of a kidnapper. You gather up women and children and carry them into a strange country to the weakening of my Master's kingdom." Great Heart replies, "I am a servant of the God of Heaven. My business is to bring Sinners to repentance...And if this is indeed the business of your quarrel, let us get to it as soon as you would like."
The giant has a club, Great Heart a sword. The giant strikes first, bringing Great Heart down to his knees, but he recovers and delivers a wound to the giant's arm. The fight is fierce and takes more than an hour. Eventually both have to stop to rest. Maul simply catches his breath, but Great Heart prays earnestly. The women and children stand nearby, huddled together, sighing and crying all through the battle. When the fight resumes, Great Heart knocks the giant down, whereupon the giant cries out "Stop, let me recover!" Great Heart stops and lets the giant get up. As soon as the giant is up, he delivers a blow which just barely misses breaking Great Heart's skull, but in the weak moment after the thrust, Great Heart pierces the giant's chest with the sword. The giant begins to faint, and Great Heart cuts off his head.
Thoughts on this chapter
The Valley of Humiliation, which many people view as a bad thing, is actually a desired place to be closer to the Lord.
The Valley of the Shadow of Death presents many dangers. Some of them are just illusions, figments of our imagination. Others are real, but thwarted with the strong defense of the sword of God's word. Others are more difficult to travers and require fervent prayer. Then there is the ever present chatter from those who would discourage Christians from going on their Pilgrimage or encouraging others to do so. Confronting them may be difficult, even violent (in spiritual terms), but we are called to take on the Pilgrimage boldly. It helps to have a guide with a sword to do the actual fighting, however.
Great Heart leads the Pilgrims to the Porter's Gate (we're at the House Beautiful now), and introduces them. He then begs leave of them in order to return to the Interpreter's house, his mission being fulfilled. Christiana expresses regret at his having to leave, and Mercy and James express similar sentiments. Great Heart replies that he has to be obedient to his Lord, but he would be willing to accompany them, if the Interpreter will send him. He then tells Christiana that she could have asked for this back when they were at the Interpreter's house -- but he has to return now, and will return if called for.
Christiana then identifies herself as Christian's widow, and the Porter leads everyone into the house where the Pilgrims are introduced to the family. They are greeted with joy and thanksgiving, a much easier reception than the one Christian received. After dinner, Christiana asks to have Christian's old room, and she shares the room with Mercy. Mercy has a dream that evening, where she is lamenting the hardness of her heart, and she sees someone with wings coming to her. Mercy is asked what troubles her, and when she tells her complaint, she is told "Peace be to you," and she is dressed in fine clothes, adorned with beautiful jewelry and a crown, and is led to One sitting on a throne, where she is welcomed. She laughs out loud in her dream, and Christiana asks her about the dream in the morning. Christiana assures her that the latter part of the dream will come true just as the first part.
Christiana and Mercy decide to stay with the Family for about a month, learning all they can from them. Prudence asks Christiana's permission to test hers sons. She asks James, "Can you tell me who saves you?" James replies, "God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit."
Prudence: "How does God the Father save you?"
James: "By His grace."
Prudence: "How does God the Son save you?"
James: "By His righteousness, death, blood, and life."
Prudence: "And how does God the Holy Spirit save you?"
James: "By His illumination, by His renovation, and by His preservation."
Prudence commends Christiana for the quality of James' learning.
Prudence questions Joseph, "What is assumed by this word 'saved'?"
Joseph: "That by sin Man has brought himself into a state captivity and misery."
Prudence: "What is assumed by his being saved by the Trinity?"
Joseph: "That sin is so great and mighty a tyrant, that no one but God can pull us out of its clutches, and that God is so good and loving to people as to indeed pull them out of this miserable state."
Joseph is commended for learning well.
Prudence questions Samuel, "Why do you want to go to Heaven?"
Samuel answers, "So I may see God and serve Him without weariness, so I may see Christ and love Him forever, and so I may have a fullness of the Holy Spirit in me suc as I can't enjoy here."
Prudence commends Samuel, "You are a good young man, also, and one who has learned well."
Prudence now questions the oldest, Matthew, "What do you think of the Bible?"
Matthew: "It is the Holy Word of God"
Prudence: "Is there anything written in it that you don't understand?"
Matthew: "Yes, a great deal"
Prudence: "What do you do when you come across in it places that you don't understand?"
Matthew: "I think that God is wiser than I. I also pray that He will please let me know everything in it that He knows will be for my good."
Prudence: "What do you believe regarding the resurrection of the dead?
Matthew: "I believe the same people who were buried shall rise the same in nature but not in corruption. And I believe this for two reasons. First--because God has promised it. Second--because He is able to perform it."
Prudence then tells the boys that they must continue to learn from their mother, and to observe what the heavens and earth teach them, and to pay special heed to the Book which led Christian to become a Pilgrim.
Mercy has a gentleman caller while staying at the house, a man named Brisk, who has designs on marrying her. Mercy asks the girls of the family about him, and is told that he is a man who pretends to be religious, but is actually stuck very closely to the world. She wonders what to do, for she does not want to continue the relationship. She is told to do what is in her nature, and Brisk will stop calling. The next time Brisk comes by, he finds Mercy making clothes for the poor. He asks how much money she makes doing this, and Mercy replies that she is doing this out of compassion, there is no profit. Brisk is discouraged and leaves.
Now finally, the bad effects of Beelzebub's fruit is felt (back from when the boys picked up the fruit on the path, right inside the Gate several days ago). Matthew becomes very ill. A Physician is called for, and after some questioning the cause is found. A laxative is made, which is found to be too weak, so stronger medicine is called for, "Ex Carne et Sanguine Christi (you know, physicians give strange medicines to their patients)" A footnote on this passage, from Hazelbaker, says "This Latin phrase means 'of the flesh and blood of Christ.' John 6:53-58 Hebrews 9:14 [Bunyan's scripture reference] The medicine of the Law was not enough to cure the sickness. The blood and flesh of Christ is the only medicine strong enough to overcome the effects of sin. Romans 8:3" Matthew reluctantly takes the medicine and recovers. Christiana asks for some of this medicine to take with her. The Physician gives her some of it and she is told that she must administer it in the same fashion, or it will have no effect.
During the remaining part of the month, the boys have several questions to ask Prudence, and the Pilgrims are shown a few artifacts, such as the fruit that Eve ate from, and the altar, wood, and knife used by Abraham when he was told to sacrifice his son Isaac, and finally they are shown Jacob's ladder, with angels ascending and descending upon it.
They finally send for Great Heart, who returns to accompany them on their Pilgrimage, to the end this time, and they depart.
Thoughts on this chapter
This chapter is full of questions and answers on basic theology. I've included only some of them, the ones I felt to be most significant. Once again, Mercy is reassured that she will be welcome at the end of the Pilgrimage. The boys are growing in wisdom. We will see later that they are growing in stature as well, the Pilgrimage is an allegorical type of a full and entire Christian life, from childhood to adulthood. Christian's journey as described, seemed to be only several months long, in Part Two, it encompasses an entire lifetime.
Great Heart leads the Pilgrims from the Interpreter's house, and they soon reach the Cross, where Christian's burden fell off his back, and rolled into the tomb at the bottom of a hill, where it was seen no more. Christiana knows that the Cross is the means of pardon, in word by the promise of God, but she does not understand its fulfillment in deed. She asks Great Heart for an explanation. Great Heart talks of pardon by deed by the work of Christ, "And He has obtained it in this double way: He has performed righteousness to cover you and has spilled blood in which to wash you." He goes on to describe fully the nature of Christ and His righteousness, both as God incarnate, and as fully human Man. He talks of the necessity for a redemption from the curse of sin, "this is by The Blood of your Lord who came and stood in your place and stead, and who died your death for your transgressions....For the sake of this, God passes by you and will not hurt you when He comes to judge the world."
They go on to the point where Christian tried to wake Simple, Sloth, and Presumption. They are still here, but are not asleep on the ground. They are now hanged up in irons a short distance from the path. They talk for a while about how their sloth resulted in their confinement and how it now serves as a warning for others, though for a while, they turned many Pilgrims from the path, hence deserving their punishment.
Going on, the Pilgrims reach the Hill of Difficulty, and see the paths around the hill that Formal and Hypocrisy took, thereby becoming lost. They note that there are obstacles preventing access to the false paths, yet the foolish still insist on taking what seems to be an easier path. They go up the hill, and find it strenuous after a while. They soon desire rest, and Great Heart leads them to the Prince's Arbor, the place where Christian fell asleep and lost his Certificate. They rest, being wary of falling asleep. Great Heart asks James, one of Christiana's sons, what he thinks of the Pilgrimage now. James says that he almost lost heart, but thanking Great Heart for his guidance, he replies that his mother has told him that the way to Heaven is like a ladder, and the way to Hill is like down a hill. He'd rather go up the ladder to life, than down the hill to death. Mercy replies, "But the proverb is: 'To go down the hill is easy.' " James answers, "In my opinion, the day is coming when going down the hill will be the hardest of all." Great Heart commends the boy for his correct answer.
They resume their journey, and soon approach the place where Christian encountered Fearful and Mistrust, running away from the lions. There is now a platform there, and a plate engraved with a message warning those who would turn back from fear, and stating that Fearful and Mistrust were here punished for endeavoring to hinder Christian on his journey.
They are now in sight of the lions. The young boys are afraid, and fall back to the rear. Great Heart smiles and chides them gently, saying "How's this, my Boys? Do you love to take the lead when no danger approaches but love to take the rear as soon as the lions appear?" Great Heart draws his sword, even though the lions are chained. His sword is drawn wisely, for their is a new danger here. A giant appears, Grim, and claims that the Pilgrims are trespassing. Great Heart replies that the women and children are going on Pilgrimage, "and this is the way they must go. And go it they shall, in spite of you and the lions." Christiana affirms that she and her companions will walk through. A fight ensues between Great Heart and Grim, resulting in Grim's death. The party then walks on by the chained lions safely, though they are afraid of them.
Thoughts on this chapter
There is a long monologue in this chapter regarding the righteousness of Christ and how He accomplished our salvation. It is rather detailed and hard to repeat in this review, but it is certainly worth a second look for anyone wishing to look it up.
The lions are now reinforced by a giant who actively resists the progress of the Pilgrims. In Part One, the lions were harmless. They still are, as long as they are by themselves, but the giant presents quite an obstacle. He is no match for Great Heart however. We will see more giants slain later, some by the boys, for by the end of the Pilgrimage, they will be men.
Our party of Pilgrims head off from the Gate walking along a walled path. On the other side of the wall is Beezebub's land, on which several trees grow, whose branches hang over the path. Christiana's boys jump up and grab some of the fruit from the trees and eat. Christiana rebukes them for stealing what isn't theirs, but she does not stop them in time. (We will see consequences of their actions later, but not today).
Continuing on, they encounter two men who assault the women, and the women cry out. Since they are still close to the Gate, some individuals come out and find the men in a great scuffle with Christiana and Mercy. The boys are nearby, powerless to intervene. The man coming to help them attempts to take the ruffians, but they escape and climb over the wall. The author notes that the dog which threatened the Pilgrims now becomes their (the bad guys') protector.
The Reliever then asks the women how they are, and they say they are alright. The Reliever then says that he is amazed that they did not ask for a Guide to assist them in their journey. Christiana says she did not know they would face danger so soon, but since it would have been good to have a Guide, she wonders why one was not sent with them. The Reliever says that it is not necessary to grant that which is not asked for "lest by doing so, they become of little value." Christiana asks if they should go back and ask for a Guide, but the Reliever says that will not be necessary, for in all of the Lord's lodgings there are sufficient things there to equip them with everything they need.."But as I said, He will be asked of them to do it for them, and it is a worthless thing that is not worth asking for."
They continue on their journey, and Mercy expresses amazement that they have faced such violent danger so soon. Christiana says that she should have recognized the danger. The men were similar in appearance to the two she saw in her dream back in Chapter 20, the two who were wondering how to thwart her pilgrimage before she received her invitation from the King.
As they continue, they come to the house of the Interpreter (compare with Chapter 5). They stop at the door, and hear people inside talking about Christiana. The news has gone forth that she is on pilgrimage, and the Interpreter's household is rejoicing at the news. Christiana knocks at the door, and a young girl, Innocent answers. She asks who is calling, and Christiana identifies herself and her party. The girl is overjoyed, and rushes in to announce the visitors. The Interpreter comes to the door, and welcomes them into the home.
In the house, they are shown the same images which were shown to Christian earlier, plus some additional ones. They are shown an image of a man holding a muckrake [a muckrake is a rake used for moving heavy, moist earth, most usually mixed with manure. -Hazelbaker]. Above his head, an individual holds a celestial crown and offers to trade the man the crown for his muckrake. The man does not look up or regard it, but continues to rake the straw, sticks, and dust of the ground. This is a figure of a man of this world, and the muckrake shows his sinful mind. The fact that he disregards the one calling from above shows that Heaven is only a fable to some and that things here are accounted the only things substantial.
They are then led to a fine room of the house, and told to look for anything profitable there. They see nothing, but are asked to look again. Mercy then sees an ugly spider hanging by its hands upon the opposite wall. When asked if there is only one, they notice that there is indeed more than one spider, and venomous ones at that. This shows that no matter how much one is infected with the venom of sin, one may still lay hold of and dwell in the best room which belongs to the King's house above.
They are then led into a room with a hen and chicks, and asked to observe for a while. They see a chick drinking water, and as it drinks it lifts its head and eyes up to heaven. They note the way the hen takes care of her chicks. She has a fourfold manner-- first, she has a common call, and she has this all day long; second, she has a special call, only used occasionally; third, a brooding call; and fourth, an outcry of alarm. The King has a similar manner with His people: a common call by which He gives nothing; a special call by which He always has something to give; a brooding voice for those under His wing; and finally an outcry when He sees the enemy come.
They are then led into a room where a butcher is killing a sheep. The sheep is quiet, taking its death patiently. They are reminded to learn from the sheep to suffer and to put up with wrongs without murmurings and complaints. "Your King calls you His Sheep."
They are led outside to a flower bed full of many flowers; some more spectacular than others, yet there are no complaints heard from them, nor do they argue with one another.
They are then led to a field of grain, from which the tops have all been cut off so that only the straw remains. Christiana asks what should be done with the crop. She answers, "Burn some of it, and make compost of the rest". The Interpreter notes that fruit is the thing to be looked for, and for the lack of it, the field is condemned to be burned or be trodden under foot by men. "Beware that in this you don't condemn yourselves."
They are shown a robin with a spider in its mouth. Christiana notes that she is not used to seeing a robin this way, she is used to seeing them feed on crumbs of bread or other harmless matter. "I don't like him as much as I did." She is told that the robin is an emblem very suited to be likened to some professors of faith, who are pretenders in that they frequent the house of the godly and the appointments of the Lord, but when they're by themselves, they can gobble up spiders like the robin.
They are then led into dinner, where they are presented with many proverbs before dinner is served. A sampling of those presented in the book:
"He who lives in sin and looks for happiness thereafter is like him who sows cockleburs and thinks to fill his barn with wheat or barley."
"If a man intends to live well, let him fetch his last day to himself and make it always his companion."
"Whispering and change of mind prove that sin is in the world."
Dinner is served, and the Interpreter engages Christiana and Mercy in conversation. He asks Christiana about her motivation for her pilgrimage, and she tells of her feelings for her husband, her dream, and the invitation she received. The Interpreter asks her about opposition from her city, and she tells how Mrs. Fearful tried to talk her out of coming. She tells of their assault on the way to the Interpreter's house, and he notes that their beginning has been good, and their latter end will greatly increase. He asks Mercy about her pilgrimage, and Mercy again answers timidly, and states that her lack of experience makes her desire to be silent; she cannot talk of dreams and visions, she has none to talk about. The Interpreter presses on her for her reason for coming, and Mercy states that her heart burned within her as she listened to Christiana defend her reasons for pilgrimage against Mrs. Fearful. Mercy decided then that if Christiana would accept her as a companion, she would accompany her on the pilgrimage. The Interpreter gives her a special blessing, "Your leaving is good, for you've given credit to the truth. You're a Ruth, who for the love she had for Naomi and the Lord her God left father, mother, and the land of her birth to leave and go with a people whom she didn't know before. 'May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.' Ruth two, twelve"
Supper is over, and everyone goes to bed, but Mercy has trouble sleeping because of her joy, for her doubts are removed from her farther than ever before.
The next day, they prepare to go, but Innocent is told to take them to the garden for a final Bath, where they are all washed, then given a special Seal on their forehead, and given new garments. The Interpreter calls a manservant of his, Great Heart, and tells him, "Take Sword, Helmet, and Shield; and these, my daughters, and guide them to the house called Beautiful, where they will next rest."
Thoughts on this chapter
God knows our needs before we pray, yet He still wants us to pray, and ask Him for what we need. Why? So we will have a thankful heart and not take Him for granted. Christiana neglects to ask for a guide, yet a guide would have been handy so close to Beelzebub's castle. Don't try the Christian walk alone. We have help from God available, ask for it. Also seek fellowship in a God-fearing Church, where He is worshipped in Spirit and truth.
Mercy finally seems to understand that she is accepted by the King. She has no vision, no dream, to support her decision to come on the pilgrimage, but she finally understands that she is welcomed by the King. Many of us have no special conversion experiences, no shouting, no crying; just a simple, yet sincere, prayer of repentance and asking for God's forgiveness. Don't let the lack of feeling mislead you to think your prayer wasn't heard. Jesus does not turn anyone away.
Our party of Pilgrims come to the Swamp of Despondence, which Christian had fallen into before he entered the Gate. It is in worse shape than ever. Sagacity, the narrator, speaking to the author, says that the poor shape is due to laborers who claim to be serving the King, but secretly act to bring dirt and manure into the swamp instead of stones, and thus serve to mar rather than mend it.
Christiana and her boys stop to ponder the Swamp, but Mercy says, "Come, let's go on. But let's be careful." They look for the steps which lead through the middle of the swamp, and with several close calls make it over without falling off the steps. As soon as they reach the other side, they hear a voice, "Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"
Sagacity now leaves the author to tell of his dream with no further narration, and he sees Christiana, her sons, and Mercy approach the Gate. They agree that Christiana will speak for the entire group, so she goes up and knocks. But instead of being greeted by the gatekeeper, a fierce dog begins barking. They are frightened and confused; afraid to knock, yet afraid to turn back. Eventually, they choose to knock again, and knock much louder. The Gate Keeper answers this time, and asks who they are. Christiana tells him who she is, and their quest, and he lets her in, and says "Let the little children come to me." Mercy is left outside the gate however! Christiana realizes Mercy is missing and tells the Gate Keeper there is another desiring entrance, but as she is speaking, Mercy knocks again, so loud that Christiana is startled. The Gate Keeper asks who is there, and Christiana says that it is her friend. The Gate Keeper opens the Gate, but Mercy has fallen in a swoon. She had begun to believe that she would be left behind. The Gate Keeper tells her to get up, and tell where she is from.
Mercy says that she has come without an invitation from the King, that her only invitation is from Christiana. She expresses her fear of being presumptuous. The Gate Keeper asks if Christiana asked Mercy to accompany her, and she says that is so. The Gate Keeper brings her in, saying, "I pray for alll them who believe on me regardless of what brings them to me." All the Pilgrims ask the Gate Keeper, "We're sorry for our sins and beg of our Lord His pardon and further information about what we must do." The Gate Keeper grants His pardon and speaks many more good words to them. He then leads them to a summer parlor for conversation among themselves. They discuss their fortune for being united in their pilgrimage; Mercy is especially grateful. Mercy asks if the Gate Keeper was angry when she knocked so loudly. Christiana replies, "When He heard your lumbering noise, He gave a wonderfully innocent smile. I believe what you did pleased him well enough, for He showed no sign to the contrary. But I marvel in my heart why He keeps such a dog."
The Keeper comes back down, and Mercy asks him, timidly, why He has such a cruel dog. The Keeper answers, "That dog has another owner. He is also kept close by in another man's ground so my Pilgrims hear his barking. He belongs to the castle, which you see there at a distance, but he can come up to the walls of this place..." He goes on to say that the dog sometimes gets loose, and causes trouble for His Pilgrims and scares them away from the Gate, but He provides timely help for them. Mercy acknowledges the righteousness and integrity of the Gate Keeper, and with encouraging words everyone is sent on their way.
Thoughts on this chapter
Christiana knows of the steps in the middle of the Swamp of Despondence. We will see this pattern throughout Part Two -- Christiana has foreknowledge of the path based on her husband's experience. Perhaps Bunyan meant to imply that in real life, a real Christian man would not be divorced from a non-Christian wife, and the separation existed only in the fictional realm of the allegory. In any case, it is presented as if Christiana had seen Christian's walk all the way up to the River.
Mercy is afraid she will not be invited into the Gate, but the Keeper assures her that she is welcome. Unfortunately, she has to knock a second time, maybe because of her timidity at stepping forward when Christiana is first brought in. In Part Two, we will meet many more personalities, some bold, some afraid. We have seen, in Part One, Pilgrims who turned back in fear. In Part Two, we will also meet Pilgrims who are afraid, and choose to go forward anyway. Not all of us have the same courage and boldness as Christian and Christiana.
Christian faced the prospect of being shot at by arrows from Beelzebub's castle as he knocked at the gate. Christiana and Mercy face the prospect of being attacked by Beelzebub's dog. The Gate Keeper brings them all in however.
This chapter finds the author dreaming again, and he sees an aged gentleman, named Sagacity coming by him, and as he is walking in the same general direction, the author engages him in conversation, and they talk of Christian and his pilgrimage. Sagacity tells the author (they are overlooking the City of Destruction) that Christian has left this place, has succeeded in his pilgrimage, and is now highly commended wherever his name is heard, even in the city he departed. The author rejoices in Christian's reward, but he then asks, "Sir, do you hear anything of his wife and children? Poor things, I wonder in my mind what they're doing."
Mr. Sagacity replies, "Who? Christiana and her sons? They're likely to do as well as Christian himself.... They've packed up and have gone after him."
The author asks if that is really true, and Sagacity replies that he was there when it happened and saw it with his own eyes. He then proceeds to begin the tale of the Pilgrimage of Christiana, her sons, and a friend Mercy.
It seems that after Christiana's husband had crossed over the River, and she could not hear from him anymore, that her thoughts began to work upon her mind. She had lost her husband, and that cost her many tears, but that was not all; she began to wonder if her unbecoming behaviour toward him was one reason why she saw him no more. She became loaded with guilt. She remembered how she had hardened her heart against his appeals and persuasions, to her and her sons, to go with him. Then Christiana said to her children, "Sons, we're all undone. I've sinned away your father, and he is gone. He wanted to have us with him, but I wouldn't go myself, and I hindered you from receiving life." With that the boys all begin weeping and cry out to go after their father. Christiana expresses a regret that they did not follow him when given the original opportunity.
The next night Christiana has a dream, and in the dream she sees a broad parchment on which is recorded the sum of her ways. She is distressed by the sight of her deeds, and cries out, "God, have mercy on me, a sinner." After this, she thinks she sees two ugly beings standing by her bedside saying, "What shall we do with this woman? She cries out for mercy when awake and asleep. If she's allowed to go on like this, we'll lsoe her as we lost her husband. Therefore, we must by one way or another seek to take her thoughts off of what shall be hereafter, or else all the world won't be able to stop it, and she'll become a Pilgrim." Christiana wakes up in a sweat, and trembling, but eventually falls back asleep. She dreams again, and sees Christian in a place of bliss, worshipping One sitting on a throne.
The next morning, she awakes and prays and someone knocks on the door. She calls out, "If you come in God's name, come in!" A Visitor responds "Amen!" and enters. He greets Christiana, "Peace to this house! Christiana, do you know why I've come?" Christiana blushes and trembles and she feels warm to this gentleman's errand. He goes on, "My name is Secret. I live with those who are high. It is talked of where I live that you have a desire to go there. Also, there is a report that you're aware of the evil you've formerly done to your husband in hardening your heart against his way and in keeping your babes in their ignorance. Christiana, the Merciful One has sent me to tell you that He is a God ready to forgive and that He takes delight in multiplying the pardon of offenses. He also wants you to know that He invites you to come into His presence, to His table, and that He will feed you with the fat of His house and with the heritage of Jacob your father." He goes on to say that Christian is there, along with many others, and they will all be glad when they hear the sound of her feet step over "your Father's threshold." Christiana is confounded and bows her head. The Visitor then gives Christiana a letter, brought to her from her husband's King. The letter tells her that the King desires her to do as Christian has done. Christiana asks Secret to accompany her. Secret declines, telling her she must set out the same way as Christian has done, and go to the Narrow Gate. He also tells her to keep the letter next to her heart, to read it, memorize it, and present it at the end of her journey.
Christiana then gathers her sons and tells them they are going to follow their father. The boys burst into tears for joy, and they all prepare for the journey. As they are about ready to leave, another knock is heard on the door, and Christiana again invites the visitor to come if they come in God's name. This time the visitors are taken aback by these words. The eldest of the two visitors is Mrs. Fearful, the daughter of the man giving up his journey for fear of the lions (back in Part One). Mrs. Fearful tells Christiana she is taking her sons into grave danger, and that for their sakes', she should not go. Christiana disregards her advice, remembering her dreams and the tender invitation from the King. Mrs. Fearful tries again, telling Christiana of all the dangers her husband faced, the lions, Apollyon, the Shadow of Death, Vanity Fair, and many other things. Christiana urges Mrs. Fearful to stop tempting her as her mind is made up. Mrs. Fearful then turns to her companion and says, Come, neighbor Mercy, let's leave her in her own hands, since she scorns our counsel and company." Mercy is thinking of taking Christiana's pilgrimage as her own, however, and resists Mrs. Fearful. She says, "I think I'll walk a short distance with her this sunshiny morning to help her on her way." She actually intends to travel with Christiana, but is too timid to admit it to Mrs. Fearful. Mrs. Fearful leaves in a huff, and goes to her friends to discuss Christiana's foolish endeavor.
Christiana extends an invitation to Mercy to travel with her, extending the King's invitation to her friend. Mercy is not sure if she'll be accepted, however. She does not have an engraved invitation, as does Christiana. Christiana urges Mercy to travel with her to the Narrow Gate, and there she will inquire on Mercy's behalf. They set out, and Mercy begins to weep. Christiana asks what troubles her. "Alas!" exclaimed Mercy, "How can I keep from sorrowing when I rightly consider what a state and condition my poor relatives are in -- those who yet remain in our sinful town. And what makes my grief even more heavy is that they have no instructor or anyone to tell them what is to come." Christiana answers, "Feelings of compassion befit a Pilgrim...I have hope, Mercy, that these tears of yours won't be lost, for the Truth has said, 'Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.' "
Thoughts on this chapter
Christian's life serves as witness to Christiana and she follows in his path. God calls us to be witnesses, using words if necessary. Are we letting the power of our walk with God serve as a witness to others of His grace, truth, power, and compassion?
We've now covered Part One of the Pilgrim's Progress, which covered the pilgrimage of Christian from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City. I'm going to take two days off the blog so I can travel out of town with Amy, and I'll resume Part Two on Sunday. Here's a little preview.
The pilgrim in Part Two is Christian's wife, who will be called Christiana. She travels with her sons, and a companion, a neighbor of hers. Along the way, they meet many other pilgrims on the path (and talk about many others as well), and the size of the group grows considerably. They also have a guide for the entire duration of the journey (except for a short duration at the beginning). We'll be discussing the significance of these differences, and others, as we cover the next fourteen chapters.
The Pilgrims finally get over the Enchanted Ground and enter beautiful land, the country of Beulah, where the air is pleasant and sweet. Birds sing, flowers bloom, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in the land (The Song of Solomon is quoted several times in describing this land). The sun always shines, and the land is out of reach of villains such as Giant Despair or the monsters lurking in the Valley of the Shadow of Death. They are also within sight of the City where they are going, though the glory is so great they cannot look directly at it. Inhabitants of the country are met, Shining Ones who walk here because it is next to the border of Heaven.
They meet a Gardener who tells them that the beautiful vineyards and gardens are the King's are are planted there for His own enjoyment and for the comfort of Pilgrims, so they refresh themselves with delicacies from the gardens. They get to sleep finally, and when they awake, they purpose to go straightway to the City, and on their way, they meet two Shining Ones who wish to accompany them. The Shining Ones inquire about their journey, as has happened so often before, but the Shining Ones have words for them, "You have only two more difficulties to experience, and then you are in the City."
Christian and Hopeful ask the men to travel with them, and the men are willing to do so, but state that their goal must be obtained by their own faith. They go on until they are in sight of the gate. Before them is a River. There is no bridge over it, and the River appears to be deep. The Pilgrims are astounded, and they are told, "You must go through, or you can't arrive at the gate." The Pilgrims ask if there is another way, but are told that only two men have ever entered the city without going through the River, "nor shall there be until the Last Trumpet shall sound." Then the Pilgrims, especially Christian, begin to despair. They ask if the River is always the same depth, and are told no, but are denied any further help in the matter. "For you shall find it deeper or shallower as you believe in the King of the place."
Christian enters the water, and begins to sink. He cries out to Hopeful, "I'm sinking in deep waters! The breakers go over my head! All the waves go over me." Hopeful responds, "Be of good cheer, my Brother! I feel the bottom, and it is good." Hopeful's encouragement doesn't help Christian as he is overcome with a great darknes and horror. He is afraid he will die in the river, and never enter the gate. He doesn't remember the events of his pilgrimage and has troublesome thoughts of the sins he has committed. Hopeful holds Christian's head above the water, with much difficulty, and endeavors to comfort him, telling him he sees the gate and people to welcome them. Christian is sure they are waiting only for Hopeful, but Hopeful says, "These troubles and distresses that you go through in these waters are no sign that God has forsaken you, but they're sent to try you, to see whether you will call to mind that which you've received before of His goodness and depend upon Him in your distresses." Christian listens, seeming to get it finally. Hopeful adds, "Be of good cheer! Jesus Christ makes you whole!" Christian cries out with a loud voice, "Oh! I see Him again! and He tells me, 'When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.' " They both take courage, and soon find solid ground to stand on. The rest of the River is shallow.
On the other side, the two Shining Ones are already waiting for the Pilgrims. They admit their role in waiting, "We're ministering spirits sent to serve those who wil inherit salvation." The City stands upon a mighty hill, but they climb with no difficulty due to the assistance of the two men. The mortal garments (which I think means Christian's armor as well) were left behind in the river, and they emerge without them. They all talk about the glory of the place they are going to, "You are now going to the Paradise of God, in which you'll see the Tree of Life and eat of the never-fading fruits of it. And when you arrive there, white robes shall be given you, and every day your walk and talk shall be with the King, even all the days of eternity. You'll not see there again such things as you saw when you were in the lower region upon the earth -- that is, sorrow, sickness, affliction, and death, 'for the old order of things has passed away.' "
The Pilgrims then ask what they must do in the City, and are told that they must receive comfort for all their toil and joy for all their sorrow. They will wear crowns of gold, and enjoy the perpetual sight and vision of the Holy One, 'for we shall see Him as He is'. They will serve Him with praise, shouting, and thanksgiving, and will be delighted in seeing Him. They will enjoy the company of friends who have gone before them, clothed with glory and majesty. When He comes with the sound of a trumpet in the clouds, they will come with Him. When He passes sentence on the workers of iniquity, they will have a voice in that judgment because "they were His and your enemies."
As they draw near the gate, a company of the Heavenly Host come out to greet them. The Pilgrims are introduced by the two Shining Ones, and the Heavenly Host cry out, "Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!" The King's Trumpeters come out to meet them. Everyone travels together with much shouting, rejoicing, the salutes of trumpets. They reach the gate. Above the gates are written, "Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city." Shining Ones look down from above, Enoch, Moses, Elijah, and others.
The Pilgrims present their Certificates (yes, Hopeful had one too), and the Certificates are taken to the King, who orders the gates opened that the righteous may enter. In they go, and as they enter, they are transfigured and given new robes to wear. They break out into praise, singing with a loud voice, "To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!"
Now the gates are shut, and the narrator expresses the wish to be among those inside, but as he turns his head (in his dream), he sees another approaching the city, Ignorance. Ignorance approaches alone, with no guides to help him, but finds easy passage across the river, as a ferryman named Vainglory shows up with a boat. Ignorance walks up to the gate and knocks. Men look down on him from above and ask him who he is and what he wants, and then ask for his Certificate. Ignorance fumbles in his coat but produces nothing. When the King is told there is one at the door without a Certificate, He orders that Ignorance be bound and taken away. The Shining Ones who assisted Christian and Hopeful carry him to the door in the side of the hill (seen at the Delightful Mountains), the way to Hell.
Thoughts on this chapter
We're home at last! Do you ever think about Heaven, how great it is, how great it will be? I saw an episode of Touched by an Angel, where the angels were helping a family whose father was dying. The angels were trying to tell them that their father's death was actually a blessing, that it was only a transition. The quote I remember is that our lives are only a preparation for eternity. One objection to Christianity I've heard from skeptics is that we're too concerned with "pie-in-the-sky" stuff, not concerned enough with the here-and-now. Well, that may be a valid concern, or not, for about seventy to a hundred years, but we all die someday. Will that be a valid concern a thousand years from now? Think of yourself a thousand years from now, wherever you may be, looking back at your life. Are you going to be glad for the decisions you made, or regretting them?
Christian and Hopeful see Ignorance following up behind them, and they decide to wait for him in order to engage him in conversation. A heated discussion results over what constitutes true conversion, a true manifestation of God's grace in one's being. Christian says that intellectual belief is not enough, one must repent and be sorrowful for one's sinful nature. Ignorance claims that belief in Christ and having a good heart are enough, that His grace will make one's intentions and good actions meritable. Hopeful adds to the discussion by saying that no one can be saved unless God the Father extends to him a revelation of His Son.
Ignorance falls back, preferring to walk alone, and Christian and Hopeful start a new discussion on the mechanics of backsliding. They are almost out of the Enchanted Ground.
Thoughts on this chapter
This is a deeper and longer chapter, and it is rather awkward to detail the entire conversation, hence the shorter post tonight. This is a chapter which merits more study, and I don't think I can do it complete justice without more time. As far as I understand it, it seems that Ignorance thinks that if he thinks he is doing good, his heart is good, and God would have no choice but honor that goodness. It's based on good feelings and intentions, but is not built on solid rock.
Tomorrow is the end of Part 1. Part 2 will follow starting on Sunday, as Amy and I are going to be traveling this weekend. As a result of skipping four days, I will have fourteen days to cover fourteen chapters before Easter. I'm still going to do that, maybe I'll have some shorter posts some days and double them up, so I can have a day or two of rest before Easter.
Christian and Hopeful walk into an area where the air makes them drowsy, and Hopeful suggests they lay down to take a nap. Christian will have none of it, and reminds Hopeful of the Shepherds' warning regarding the Enchanted Ground. Hopeful thanks Christian for his wisdom, and admits he would have run the danger of death if he had been alone. "Two are better than one".
Christian suggests they have a good discussion in order to stay alert. Christian starts first with a song, then asks Hopeful, "How did you at first come to think of doing as you now do?"
Hopeful responds, "Do you mean, how I at first came to look after the good of my soul?"
Christian answers, "Yes, that's what I mean."
Hopeful gives his testimony to Christian, telling how he lived a sinful life involved in all the enjoyment of things seen and sold at Vanity Fair. "All the treasures and riches of the world, also I enjoyed orgies, carousing, drinking, swearing, lying, impurity, Sabbath-breaking, and so on..." He says that the testimony of the two Pilgrims, Christian and Faithful, told him that "those things result in death" Christian asks if Hopeful fell under the power of this conviction right away. Hopeful says that it took a long time, that he resisted it at first. Christian asks how it was that he responded like this until God's Holy Spirit moved him.
Hopeful replies with four reasons: first -- He was ignorant that this was the work of God, second -- sin was still very sweet to him and he hated to leave it, third -- he didn't know how to part with his old companions, and fourth -- the times when he felt the convictions were very troublesome and heart-frightening hours. Christian replies that it sounded like he sometimes got rid of his troubles, and Hopeful replies, "Yes, of course, but it would come into my mind again, and then I would be as bad -- no, even worse -- than I was before."
Christian asks what brought his mind around to thinking about sin again, and Hopeful lists several things that reminded him of it: meeting a good man in the street, hearing anyone read from the Bible, physical pain (using a headache as an example), a neighbor being sick, a bell tolling for the dead, thinking of dying, hearing of sudden death, and especially thinking about the inevitability of arriving at Judgment.
Christian then asks Hopeful how he dealt with the conviction then. Hopeful replies that he departed from sinful company and started paying heed to religious duties: praying, reading, weeping for sin, speaking the truth, and so forth. Christian asks if that helped, and Hopeful says that it did for a short while, but the trouble returned. Christian asks how that happened, since Hopeful was now reformed. Hopeful replies that such sayings as "all our righteous acts are like filthy rags" continued to convict him of sin, as well as knowing that no one can observe the entire Law. He uses the example of being in debt to a store owner. Even if he resolves to pay for all his future purchases, he still has to repay the old debt. Hopeful also realizes that despite his best efforts, he continues to see new sin in his life.
Christian asks, "And what did you do then?" "Do!" exclaimed Hopeful, "I couldn't tell what to do until I shared my thoughts with Faithful. He and I were well acquainted, and he told me that unless I could obtain the righteousness of a Man who had never sinned, neither my own nor all the righteousness of the world could save me."
Christian asks if Hopeful thought that Faithful spoke the truth, and Hopeful says that if he had heard that earlier on, he would not have believed it, but given his frustration at his attempts for personal reformation, he now realized the truth of it. Christian asks if Hopeful thought there was such a Man to be found. Hopeful says he was at a loss until Faithful told him of Jesus: "Yes, and he told me it was the Lord Jesus, who dwells on the right hand of the Most High. And Faithful said this: 'You must be justified by Him, even by trusting in what He himself did during His life on earth as He suffered when He was hanging on the Tree.' I asked him further how that Man's righteousness could be so powerful as to be able to justify another person before God. And he told me He was the mighty God, and did what He did, and also died the death not for himself, but for me to whom His works---and the worthiness of them---would be ascribed if I believed on Him."
Hopeful then tells how Faithful invited him to go to Him and see, and Hopeful replied that that would have been presumptuous on his part, and then Faithful gave him a book containing the words of Jesus. Hopeful asked Faithful what he was to do when he arrived, and Faithful told him to ask the Father to reveal Him. "What should I say?" Faithful said to pray like this:
"God be merciful to me a sinner, and make me to know and believe in Jesus Christ, for I see that if His righteousness had not been, or I have not faith in that righteousness, I am utterly cast away. Lord, I have heard that You are a merciful God and have ordained that Your Son Jesus Christ should be the Savior of the world, and moreover, that you are willing to bestow on such a poor sinner as I am---and I am a sinner indeed---Lord. Take therefore this opportunity, and magnify Your grace in the salvation of my soul through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen."
Christian asks Hopeful how that affected his spirit. Hopeful tells how he became aware of the state of condemnation of the world, and how God the Father, though He be just, can justly justify the coming sinner. The revelation made him ashamed of his vileness of his former life, and made him love a holy life and long to do something for the honor and glory of the name of the Lord Jesus.
Thoughts on this chapter
Bunyan emphasizes praying through until one receives a revelation of Christ. This is no mere repeating a one-paragraph prayer from the last page of a religious tract. Bunyan also emphasizes being truly repentant and abhorring one's former sinful state; there is no salvation prayer with fingers crossed.
Underline this
"unless I could obtain the righteousness of a Man who had never sinned, neither my own nor all the righteousness of the world could save me."--Christian, speaking to Hopeful on the futility of being saved by one's own righteous acts.
Christian and Hopeful walk on until they reach a fork in the road and it is not obvious which way they should go. Soon a man wearing a light-colored robe comes up, and the Pilgrims ask him the way. The man says, "Follow me, that is where I'm going." Christian and Hopeful follow the man on a path which turns ever so slowly away from Celestial City until they are actually going away from their destination. Soon their guide leads them into a net which has been prepared for them and they are trapped. The man removes his robe, and they see him for who he really is. Christian says, "Didn't the Shepherds warn us to beware of the flatterers? As is the saying of the Wise Man, we have found it to be so this very day: 'Whoever flatters his neighbor is spreading a net for his feet.' " Hopeful also laments the fact that they did not think to consult the map given to them by the Shepherds
Christian and Hopeful remain trapped in the net for a while, until a Shining One approaches them with a whip made of small cord in his hand. He asks them where they came from and where they are going, and when he is told of the man trapping them in the net, the Shining One says, "It is Flatterer, a False Apostle who is masquerading as an angel of light. Follow me, so I may set you in your way again."
The Shining One also asks them where they stayed the previous night, and when told they stayed with the Shepherds of the Delightful Mountains, he asks them if they were given a Map of the Way.
"Yes," they answered.
"Did you take out your Map and read it?"
"No"
"Why?"
"We forgot"
He asked further if they were warned to beware of the Flatterer, and they admit to that, but also that they didn't imagine that such a fine-spoken person could have been he. The Shining One orders Christian and Hopeful to lie down, and when they do so, he chastises them severely. "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent." Afterwards, he tells them to go and pay particular attention to the warnings of the Shepherds. So off they go, thanking him for his kindness and singing.
Christian and Hopeful then meet up with a man walking the wrong way, named Atheist. When Atheist hears that Christian and Hopeful are going to Celestial City, he starts laughing. "I laugh to see what ignorant persons you are to take upon yourselves such an exhausting journey, and yet you're likely to have nothing but your travel for your pains."
"Why, Man?" asks Christian. "Do you think we won't be received?"
"Received!" exclaimed Atheist. "In all this world there is no such place as you dream of."
Atheist goes on to tell how he left his home twenty years ago to search for Celestial City and has never found it. He is returning home to refresh himself with the things he had cast away for the sake of the journey.
Christian asks Hopeful if what Atheist says might be true. Hopeful says to take heed, Atheist is one of the Flatterers. He also says that Christian should be teaching him the lesson he is delivering to Christian, and urges Christian to not believe anything Atheist says. Christian replies that he was not saying that as an expression of doubt on his part, but was speaking in such a way as to test Hopeful. Christian and Hopeful turn away from Atheist and continue their journey. Atheist continues back to his original home, laughing at our Pilgrims.
Thoughts on this chapter
Christian and Hopeful trust an untrustworthy guide, and are ensnared. They are delivered, yet chastised for not heeding wisdom which would have spared them from danger. After the chastisement, they express no guilt or grief, they are glad and give thanks for the deliverance, and will remember the experience for good if the situation should arise again.
Atheist gives up on his journey, yet Celestial City was in view, though dimly, when Christian and Hopeful looked through the lens back at the Delightful Mountains. I'm reminded of a nineteenth century explorer, John Wesley Powell, who was the first man to traverse and map the Grand Canyon. As no one had done this before, no one knew how big the Canyon really was. He and his companions were traveling through the Canyon on the Colorado River. They were short on supplies, but Powell was determined to go on. There weren't enough supplies to make it back the way they came anyway. One day several members of his team decided to give up. They decided to leave the party and hike out of the canyon back to civilization. They didn't make it. They were killed at the hands of Shivwits Indians. What happened to Powell and those who remained with him? They reached the end of the canyon two days later.
Today's chapter is a transition chapter, consisting mainly of a conversation between Christian and Hopeful about another Pilgrim who is otherwise not in the story.
The chapter begins with our Pilgrims walking along, when to their left, another path merges into their own, and that path comes from the Country of Conceit. Along that path comes another pilgrim, Ignorance. Just as Formality and Hypocrisy did earlier, this character thinks he can just saunter onto the Path without going in through the gate. Christian asks, "But how do you think you'll get in at the gate? For you may find some difficulty there." Ignorance answers, "As other people do." "But what do you have to show at that gate in order for it to be opened to you?" "I know my Lord's will, and I've lived a good life. I pay every man what I owe him; I pray, fast, pay tithes, and give offerings; and I've left my country to go where I'm now going."
Christian tells Ignorance that he will be considered a thief and a robber when the day of reckoning comes. Ignorance shrugs off the rebuke, saying, "Gentlemen, you are absolute strangers to me. I don't know you. Be content to follow the religion of your country, and I will follow that of mine. I hope all will be well. And as for the Gate that you talk about, all the world knows that it's a great distance away from our country. I can't imagine that anyone in all our parts even so much as knows the way to it. Nor does it matter whether they do or not since, as you see, we have a fine pleasant green lane coming down from our country the next way into it."
Christian whispers to Hopeful, "There is more hope for a fool than for him". They decide to walk ahead and leave Ignorance alone. They'll talk to him again later, if he can stand it.
As they all continue, they enter a dark lane, and come upon a man bound with seven strong cords, being carried by seven evil spirits to the door they saw in the side of the hill in the previous chapter [the door to Hell]. Christian tries to see if he can recognize the man, perhaps he is Turn Away from the Town of Apostasy but the face is shrouded, but as they all pass each other, Hopeful can read on his back a paper which says, "Wanton professor and damnable apostate".
Now Christian and Hopeful start talking about another Pilgrim who walked this way earlier, named Little Faith, from the Town of Sincere. Little Faith sat down to rest and fell asleep. Three hoodlums happened to come down the path, Faint Heart, Mistrust, and Guilt; and with threatening language, Faint Heart ordered him to stand and hand over his money. Little Faith was slow to respond, and Mistrust runs up pulls a bag of silver out of the victim's pocket. Little Faith cries out "Thieves! Thieves!" and Guilt knocks him out with a blow to the head. The thieves hear someone coming, and thinking it might be Great Grace from the City of Good Confidence, they run off. Little Faith eventually comes to, and struggles on.
Little Faith had not lost everything he owned, however. He still had some Jewels and his Certificate, by good providence. All of his spending money was gone, as he did not dare part with the Jewels, so for the duration of his journey to Celestial City, he was forced to beg to keep himself alive.
Hopeful says that it was a good thing that the Thieves did not take Little Faith's certificate, but Christian replies that Little Faith should have taken care to use it more often (when Christian got his at the Cross, he was told to read it regularly and take comfort from it). Indeed, for the rest of Little Faith's journey, he rarely looks at his Certificate, being so upset over the loss of his money. He is so upset in fact, that his conversation from that point on is full of complaints of his loss.
Hopeful then asks Christian why Little Faith could not have sold or pawned his Jewels. Christian replies that in the country where he was robbed, the Jewels were of no importance, but if Little Faith had not had them when he reached Celestial City, he would have been excluded from an inheritance. "But Little Faith -- though it was his lot to have only a little faith -- was kept by his little faith from such wastefulness and made to see and prize his Jewels more than to sell them as Esau did his birthright..."
Hopeful then comments on the character of the three robbers and asks why Little Faith did not respond with a greater heart. Christian tells him it is easy to talk that way apart from the event "and should they appear to you as they did to him, they might cause you second thoughts." Also, they serve under the King of the Abyss, who will come to their aid if called, so dealing with them is no trivial matter. Christian tells of an encounter he himself had (which is not otherwise mentioned in the book) and how he survived only being clothed with proven armor. Hopeful replies that the robbers ran off when they supposed that Great Grace was coming, and Christian agrees, but also says, "All the King's subjects are not His champions, nor when tried can they do such feats of war as he. Is it right to think that a little child should handle Goliath as David did, or that there should be the strength of an ox in a bird? Some are strong; some are weak. Some have great faith; some have little. This man was one of the weak, and therefore, he was pressed to the walls." Christian also replies that even for Great Grace, a fight with these robbers and their king would provide quite a challenge, and "Whoever looks close upon Great Grace's face will see those scars and cuts there that will easily demonstrate what I say..."
Christian also tells Hopeful to not be overconfident and to never desire to meet with an enemy nor "brag as if we could better when we hear of others who have been foiled..." He tells of Peter who "would stand up for his Master more than all men. But who was so foiled and run down by these villains as he?" "Therefore, when we hear that such robberies are committed on the King's Highway, it behooves us to do two things; First -- to go out equipped, and to be sure to take a shield with us;.....Second, it's also good that we desire of The King that He give us an escort. Yes, that He go with us himself...."
Thoughts on this chapter
Ignorance represents the belief that any religion is as good as any other. He practices good works, but has not entered the gate. Even though he claims to "know my Lord's will", he has no idea who the Lord is. We will spend more time with him later.
Little Faith is robbed by Faint Heart, Mistrust, and Guilt, and loses all his spending money. His journey is made more difficult, and with much complaining, but he does not sell his inheritance, and he continues on the way. Guilt can still waylay us, even though our sins have been forgiven. It can interfere with our walk with God if we let it fester. Remember what Christ did for you and claim that forgiveness again. If you've been holding out from God on some disobedience, confess it and get right with Him. If you're holding resentments against someone else, forgive it and let it go.
Christian tells us to be prepared; carry a shield. The shield of course, is our faith as Paul says in Ephesians 6. We also need a sword, the word of God, to provide an offensive weapon in our spiritual warfare. We also need an escort, provided by the Lord Himself. He, of course, is the Holy Spirit, who indwells the believer, leading and guiding us, and making our way straight. In Part 2 of The Pilgrim's Progress, which we will be covering soon, our second set of Pilgrims will have an actual escort on their journey.
And one more thought: Having just a little faith doesn't condemn you -- it may make your Christian discipleship a bit more difficult for you (and for those around you), but it doesn't mean that God doesn't love you any less, or is concerned for you any less. That love is great, marvelous, and steadfast. It is not dependent on the size of your faith.
Oh, how great is Your goodness, Which You have laid up for those who fear You, Which You have prepared for those who trust in You In the presence of the sons of men! You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence From the plots of man; You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion From the strife of tongues. Blessed be the LORD, For He has shown me His marvelous kindness in a strong city! For I said in my haste, "I am cut off from before Your eyes"; Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications When I cried out to You. Oh, love the LORD, all you His saints! For the LORD preserves the faithful, And fully repays the proud person. Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the LORD. Psalm 31:19-24 NKJV
Christian and Hopeful walk on and their next stop is at the Delightful Mountains, which Christian saw earlier from a distance when he stayed at the home of the Family (Chapter 8). Here they find rest and encouragement from Shepherds who tend their flocks there. The Pilgrims approach the Shepherds and ask "whose Mountains are these?" to which the Shepherds reply, "These mountains are Immanuel's Land, and they're within sight of His city. The sheep are also His, and He laid down His life for them." Christian asks, "Is this the way to Celestial City?" "You're in the Way", reply the Shepherds. "How far is it to there?" "Too far for anyone except those who indeed get there." The conversation is a little mysterious, but the Shepherds are actually sizing up the Pilgrims, gauging their understanding. When the Shepherds realize that the Pilgrims are indeed wayfaring men, they open up and start speaking freely, including asking Christian and Hopeful all about their journey
The Shepherds' names are Knowledge, Experience, Watchfulness, and Sincerity. They offer refreshment to the Pilgrims and ask them to stay there for a while and obtain rest. The next day, the Shepherds show Christian and Hopeful a few things. First they are led to the top of a hill called Error, which is very steep on the far side. They look to the bottom and see the bodies of several men dashed to pieces. They are told these are the bodies of those who were "caused to err by listening to Hymenaeus and Philetus concerning the faith of the resurrection of the body" (2 Timothy 2:17-18)
They are then led to the top of another mountain called Caution and asked to look far off in the distance. They see blind men walking up and down among the tombs that were over there. Christian asks what this means. The Shepherds answered, "Didn't you see a short distance below these mountains a set of steps that led into a meadow on the left hand side of this way?" "Yes", they replied. The Shepherds then tell about how a false path leads over those steps to Doubting Castle, where Giant Despair captures Pilgrims who stray onto the false path, imprisons them, and after a time, puts out their eyes and sets them among the tombs, where they are doomed to wander forevermore, so that the words of the Wise Man might be fulfilled, "A man who strays from the path of understanding comes to rest in the company of the dead." Christian and Hopeful look at each other with tears streaming from their eyes, but they do not tell the Shepherds of their prior ordeal.
The Shepherds then lead the Pilgrims to another place in the valley where a door is in the side of a hill. The door is opened and sounds of torment and the smell of burning sulphur come forth. The Shepherds say, "This is an entrance to Hell,through which hypocrites go, such as those who sell their birthright with Esau, such as those who sell their Master with Judas, such as those who blaspheme the gospel with Alexander (1 Timothy 1:18), and who lie and pretend with Ananias and his wife Sapphira. (Acts 4:32-5:10)"
Hopeful asks, "I suppose each and every one of these presented a show of going on the Pilgrimage just as we are now on, didn't they?"
"Yes," said a Shepherd, "and stayed on the Pilgrimage a long time, too."
"How far could they have gone on the Pilgrimage in their day if they had not been so miserably cast away?" asked Hopeful.
"Some farther, " said the Shepherd, "and some not as far as these mountains."
The Pilgrims express the need to cry out to The Strong for strength, and the Shepherds reply, "Yes, and you'll have need to use it when you receive it, too."
Now the Pilgrims feel the need to move on, but the Shepherds have one more sight to show. They all go to the top of another hill called Clear, and are given the opportunity to look through a lens to see Celestial City in the distance. The Pilgrims cannot hold the lens still as they are shaken up by seeing the entrance to Hell, nevertheless, they think they see something like the gate and some of the glory of that place.
Now it is time to go, and one of the Shepherds gives them a Map of the Way, another tells them to beware of The Flatterer, the third tells them not to sleep upon the Enchanted Ground, and a fourth bids them God Speed. The Pilgrims depart singing a song of thanksgiving for the mysteries revealed by the Shepherds.
Thoughts on this chapter
Good news, Bad news. We're getting close to the destination, but we are also told that disaster can befall a Pilgrim at any time along the Path. Christian and Hopeful catch a glimpse of what may have befallen them had not Christian discovered the Promise Key in the breast pocket of his coat back in Doubting Castle. They also see that Pilgrims advanced on the Path can also find themselves in Hell. This opens up huge theological questions, and I think, based on this chapter, that Bunyan did not believe that salvation is a permanent state of grace. I said in a previous chapter that I believe that God forgives all of our sins, past, present, and future when we receive His grace, but I'm also not sure (I don't want to test this either) if that would still hold true if someone were to turn away from the Path via unbelief. Of course, as we saw earlier, and will see again, Pilgrims who enter the Path without going through the gate (except for Hopeful - the allegory isn't exact here) are in for a big surprise when they find out the Lord never knew them.
Christian and Hopeful walk along the river, and not too far along, the Way and the river part, which disappoints them. The path becomes rocky and difficult, and they start grumbling, wishing for a more comfortable path. Soon they see a fenced meadow to their left, and a set of steps over the fence, and a comfortable path on the other side. Christian suggests they walk in the meadow. Hopeful is not sure, thinking they could be led out of the Way. Christian dismisses his concern, he points to the path and notes its parallel to their own. So off they go.
In the meadow, they meet another pilgrim named Vain Confidence. Christian and Hopeful ask him where the new-found path leads, and he assures them it goes to Celestial City, so being reassured, they all go along, Vain Confidence leading the way. Nighttime comes, and it becomes hard to see the path, when suddenly Vain Confidence falls into a deep pit. The pit has been placed there on purpose, they are all in grave danger. Vain Confidence is gravely injured, and does not answer when Christian calls out for him. Christian realizes that he has placed Hopeful's life, and his own, by his foolish decision to leave the path. Hopeful regrets listening to Christian's advice, but after a few harsh words between them, Christian asks for, and receives, Hopeful's forgiveness, and they agree to turn back and get back on the path as fast as they can. The path back is more difficult however. Not only is it dark and it begins to rain. The water rises, and they cannot make it back to the steps over the fence that night, so they stop to rest under whatever shelter they can find. What else can go wrong?
Not far from them is a castle called Doubting Castle, home of Giant Despair and his wife Diffidence, and they are the owners of the property where Christian and Hopeful have been trespassing. When Giant Despair awakes the next day and walks through his fields, he catches Christian and Hopeful, and takes them to his dungeon, where they are left without food or water for several days. Giant Despair tells his wife about the new prisoners, and she urges him to beat them without mercy, so he gets himself a crab tree club and beats them until they cannot move. The next night, Diffidence tells her husband to suggest to the prisoners that they kill themselves, so he goes to them and suggests they might be happier if they commit suicide. He then attempts to attack them in order to motivate them to do so, but suffers a fit so that he cannot control the use of his hand, so he withdraws and leaves them alone.
Christian and Hopeful discuss suicide, but Hopeful is firm -- the Lord has prohibited murder, and murder against one's own self is most egregious, killing the body and soul in one fell swoop. Giant Despair returns again, and is enraged that the prisoners are still alive, but refrains from attacking them again. Diffidence tells her husband to show them the bones and skulls in his courtyard of all his previous victims -- surely that will make the prisoners lose all hope. This he does, and tells Christian and Hopeful their bones will join them within the next ten days. He then returns them to the dungeon with another beating.
That night, as Giant Despair and his wife discuss the prisoners, he expresses dismay that he hasn't been able to finish them off. Diffidence is afraid they may receive help or pick the lock. Giant Despair says he will search them in the morning. Christian and Hopeful spend the night in prayer, and just before dawn, Christian is inspired, "What a fool I am! To lay here in a stinking dungeon, when I could just as easily walk at liberty! In my coat, next to my heart, I have a Key called Promise. I'm persuaded it will open any lock in Doubting Castle." They use the key, and sure enough, the dungeon door creaks open. It makes such a loud sound, that Giant Despair is awakened and rises to pursue his escaping prisoners. He is so enraged that he suffers one of his fits again, so Christian and Hopeful are able to make their escape.
At the steps over the fence, Christian and Hopeful erect a pillar in order to warn future pilgrims: "Over these steps is the way to Doubting Castle, which is kept by Giant Despair, who despises the King of the Celestial Country and seeks to destroy His holy Pilgrims."
Thoughts on this chapter
Christian foolishly leads Hopeful off the path, and into Doubting Castle they go. This chapter is rather personal to me, for I grew up as a Christian, and went off the path about the time I graduated from college. I was in a state of serious doubt for twenty years, denying my faith. Why did I do it? Looking back at it, I was disappointed in some things my church was doing. This was 1982, and the Moral Majority was in the news all the time. I had more leftist views then, and I listened to the media's criticism of the Moral Majority and believed all of it, and slowly began to resent some activities my church was sponsoring, such as protests at abortion clinics. Rather than discuss my concerns with my pastor, I let my unhappiness fester until I couldn't stand it anymore and I walked away. I didn't even consider going to another church that would have ministered in another way. My mind had been poisoned to the point where I thought evangelical Christians were the bad guys, and even the mainline ones were just a waste of time.
What led me back? It's hard to identify one thing really. From a political point of view, events in the last half of the 1990s led me to think that all the leftist spiel I had believed was a flat out lie. I began to reconsider all the criticism of "The Religious Right" I had believed for so long. Now I still have some concerns about how Christianity is presented by such groups. For one thing, when the main emphasis is on morality instead of grace and forgiveness, I don't think there is much there to attract sinners to repent. They're going to look at religion the same way I look at a plate of liver and onions and snub it. But getting back to the point -- I reconsidered my doubts, and I started reexamining my lifestyle and my beliefs. I didn't think my lifestyle would support my marriage over the long haul. Sure Amy said she loved me and supported me, but when I looked at our religious environment (we were Unitarian Universalists back then) and what I was giving to the marriage, I doubted that we had a solid rock that our marriage would stand on for the next fifty years or more. I looked at Christianity as a faith that could save my marriage, and I didn't want to wait till there was a real crisis to depend on it. It took a while, but I could detect God doing things in my life. In 2000 I started praying again, though I was still hanging on to some independence from God. In the summer of 2001, I decided to repent and give up my last bit of resistance, and I let Him have me. The difference in my life that day was as sudden as if I had pulled a key out from my coat pocket and unlocked a prison door.
Christian walks alone for only a short while, for immediately upon leaving Vanity, he comes upon another pilgrim named Hopeful, who is one of the people whose heart was moved by the testimony of Christian and Faithful in their trial detailed in the previous chapter. Hopeful joins up with Christian and they journey together, Hopeful even tells Christian that there are many others like him back in Vanity who will undertake the journey shortly.
The pilgrims meet another man on the path, named ByEnds1, who tells them he is from the town of Fairspeech and also going to Celestial City, though he does not divulge his name, even after he is asked for it. Christian resumes the conversation by commenting of the town of Fairspeech, saying he is familiar with it, that it is a wealthy place. ByEnds agrees, "Yes, I'll assure you it is, and I have very many rich relatives there." Christian asks who his relatives, and ByEnds replies "Almost the whole town," and lists a number of them: the honorable Mr. Time Server, Mr. Fair Speech, Mr. Smooth Man, Mr. Facing Bothways, Mr. Anything, and the pastor, Mr. Two Tongues. Christian asks if ByEnds is married, and it turns out that yes, indeed he is, and his wife is a very virtuous woman, and is the daughter of a virtuous woman. ByEnds sounds like a very socially respectable fellow, but Christian says, in an aside to Hopeful, "It crosses my mind that this is a certain Mr. ByEnds of Fairspeech. If it is him, we have as great a rascal in our company as lives in all these parts." Hopeful says, "Ask him, I wouldn't think he'd be ashamed of his name." So Christian asks, and ByEnds reveals that that is not his true name, but a nickname given to him by people who do not like him.
Christian asks ByEnds if he might have done anything to deserve the nickname, to which ByEnds replies, "Never! Never! The worst I ever did to give them a reason to give me this name was that I always had the luck to look ahead when making judgments regarding the state of the times--whatever the decisions--and my fate was to get wealth through them. But if things are bestowed upon me, let me count them a blessing, and don't let malicious people load me up with reproach because of it."
Christian hears ByEnds defense of his character, and replies, "I thought you were surely the man I'd heard of. To tell you what I think, I'm afraid this name belongs to you more properly than you would like to have us believe."
Christian then tells ByEnds that if he wants to continue in their company, he must be willing to go against wind and tide, and Christian anticipates that this will not sit well with ByEnds. Sure enough, ByEnds refuses to go with any restrictions on his liberty, so Christian and Hopeful continue without him. Now three individuals approach ByEnds and talk with him, Mr. Holdtheworld, Mr. Moneylove, and Mr. Saveall. They are all old friends from youth, and engage in a long conversation about using religion to get wealthy, getting in a few jabs at Christian and Hopeful, who are still in sight as they proceed up ahead. They decide to engage Christian and Hopeful in the conversation, and move to catch up.
When they catch up, Mr. Holdtheworld presents a question to Christian, one which had been asked by ByEnds in their previous discussion, "Suppose a man, a minister, a tradesman, or such should see before him the favorable possibility of getting good things from this life. And suppose there is no way he can obtain them without at least in appearance becoming extraordinarily zealous in some points of religion with which he has no experience. May he not use this means to attain his end and yet remain a perfectly honest man?" Christian sees through the ruse and replies, "Even a babe in religion may answer ten thousand such questions. If it's unlawful to follow Christ to obtain loaves, as shown in John six, how much more abominable is it to make of Him and religion a stalking-horse2 to get and enjoy the world? Nor do we find anyone but heathen, hypocrites, devils, and sorcerers who hold this opinion..." He goes and lists several examples from Scripture of people who used religion to get dishonest gain, such as Hamor and Shechem (from Genesis - the man who wanted to marry Dinah, Jacob's daughter, he and his countrymen agreed to be circumcised in order to share in Jacob's prosperity); the Pharisees who prayed long prayers in public, but whose intent was to gain the houses of widows; Judas, who betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver; Simon, the sorcerer, who wanted the gift of the Holy Spirit, so he could add miracles to his repertoire of magic. Everyone is speechless at Christian's answer, so Christian and Hopeful continue on while the other four stay behind, dumbfounded.
Christian and Hopeful soon pass through a smooth plain called Ease, which they quickly pass through, and then come upon a hill called Lucre, and hear a man called Demas calling out, "Hey! Turn aside here, and I'll show you something." Christian and Hopeful ask what it is that is worthy of their attention, and Demas tells them there is a silver mine in the hill. If they will just turn aside, everyone can get rich. Hopeful says, "Let's go see", but Christian stops him--saying he has heard of this place and it is very dangerous. Many have slipped on bad ground and killed themselves by falling into the mine. "Besides, that treasure is a snare to those who seek it, for it hinders them in their Pilgrimage." Christian confronts Demas, "Isn't that place dangerous? Hasn't it hindered many in their Pilgrimage?" Demas replies, "Not very dangerous, except to those who are careless" But he blushes as he speaks. Hopeful reminds Christian of the others behind them in the path, and predicts they will turn aside for the mine. After a few more exchanges with Demas, Christian and Hopeful walk on. Then, sure enough, ByEnds and his friends turn off the path at the first call of Demas. They are never seen again.
Christian and Hopeful proceed on, soon passing a pillar in the shape of a woman. They read an inscription on the pillar which says, "Remember Lot's Wife". They then talk about the temptation offered by the silver mine and Hopeful expresses sorrow at his desire to turn off the path, and that he deserved the same fate as Lot's wife. Christian tells him to learn from the example, and be glad they were not made to be an example for others themselves.
As the chapter ends, Christian and Hopeful find the path going by a river, what David called the "river of God", and John called the "river of the water of life". There are fruit-bearing trees here, bearing medicinal fruit, and a pleasant meadow. Christian and Hopeful rest here for several days.
Thoughts on this chapter
Prayer of Jabez? - NOT! The Reverend Bunyan tells us ever so sternly that those who think walking with God will guarantee prosperity are not fit to call themselves Christians. Also, those who would leave the life of Christian discipleship in order to pursue riches are not fit to be called Christians.
Again, just as yesterday, the concepts that Bunyan presents are challenging. Is it ok for a businessman to do business with a fellow church-member? I'd be inclined to say yes, but if the businessman is using the church directory for a calling list, I'd say he's gone too far. Another example cited in this chapter is a minister who becomes more religious in order to receive a greater salary. I've got a little disagreement with that. Ministers generally aren't paid a lot of money, many of them probably deserve more than they get, and I see no problem with someone becoming better educated and well-trained in order to be worth more in their career market. If it improves their ministry, great. On the other hand, for those who use deception and showmanship, such as what many associate with televangelists, I've got no respect at all.
Definitions of some archaic terms used in this chapter:
1 ByEnds: an object lying aside from the main one; a subordinate end or aim; especially a secret selfish purpose, a covert purpose of private advantage.
2 stalking-horse: a horse trained to allow a hunter to hide behind it while hunting. Bunyan presents the idea of an individual using religion and the person of Christ to hide behind while pursuing worldly gain.
Christian and Faithful emerge from the wilderness and see a town before them, the notorious Vanity, home of the Vanity Fair, a year-end market of ancient origins, where everything sold or that comes there is meaningless, as in the saying of the Wise, "Everything to come is meaningless".
The origins of the fair are ancient, founded almost five thousand years ago, as Pilgrims going to Celestial City were observed going along this path. Recognizing that the path went through this town, Vanity, Beelzebub, Apollyon, and Legion and their companions conspired to set up this fair which would sell all sorts of worthless things, and would always be open. All sorts of merchandise are sold, such as "houses, lands, businesses, places, honors, promotions, titles, countries, kingdoms, desires, pleasures, and delights of all sorts such as prostitutes, brothels, wives, husbands, children, masters, servants, lives, blood, bodies, souls, silver, gold, pearls, precious stones, and so forth". There are also all sorts of games, cheats, fools, and rascals, and all sorts of thefts, murders, adulteries, and perjury. There are many streets here, named after the nations and kingdoms of the world, such as Britain Avenue, French Avenue, Spanish Avenue (and others).
One day, the Prince of princes Himself, came to this fair, and Beelzebub personally invited Him to purchase the meaningless things of the fair, and would have made Him Lord of the fair if He would only have worshipped him. The Blessed One had no desire for the merchandise and left the fair.
So, returning to Christian and Faithful: they have to go through the fair, so in they go, and the whole town is in a hubbub for several reasons -- first, that Christian and Faithful are wearing strange clothes (remember Christian's armor); second, they talk funny, speaking the language of the land of Canaan (the language of the land of promise), and third, they regard the wares of the fair as utterly unimportant and worthless. One merchant, particularly perturbed that our Pilgrims refuse to buy asks, "What do you intend to buy?" They reply, "We buy the truth."
At that, mocking and taunting break out in the mob and a great uproar ensues, so great that the great one of the fair is called, who appoints some of his friends to take and interrogate the Pilgrims. They are asked where they came from and where they are going, and why they are there in such strange attire. They reply that they are pilgrims and strangers in this land, and going to their own country, the Heavenly Jerusalem. They deny doing anything to the men of the town to deserve such abuse, except maybe for saying "We buy the truth." They then ask to be allowed to continue their journey.
Christian and Faithful are not believed to be anything other than lunatics, so they are beaten and put in cages to make a public spectacle. But their patience and forbearance move many in the crowd to check and blame the meaner ones among them for their abuse. This results in fighting amongst the crowd as the meaner ones attack the ones urging better treatment for the pilgrims.
Christian and Faithful are then brought before the examiners again, where they are beat again, and have irons hanged upon them, and are led through the streets in chains. Again, Christian and Faithful face their persecution with meekness and patience, so that some in the crowd are moved in their behalf. However, this puts the rest of the crowd in such a rage that they decide that the pilgrims should die for the outrage they had done and for deluding the people of the fair. Christian and Faithful are returned to their cages to await trial. The pilgrims then take comfort from the words of Evangelist, and comfort each other with the knowledge that he whose lot it is to suffer death would have the best of it.
The trial begins: they are brought forth before their enemies and arraigned. The judge's name is Judge Hate Good. They are charged with being "enemies of and disturbers of the town's trade; they had made commotions and caused divisions in the town, and in contempt of the law of the town's ruler they had won over a number of individuals to their own most dangerous opinions."
Faithful offers his defense, "And as for the disturbance, I didn't cause any being myself a man of peace. Those who were won to us were won by acknowledging our truth and innocence, and they have only been turned from the worse to the better. And as for the king you talk of, since he is Beelzebub, the enemy of our Lord, I defy him and all his angels."
Witnesses are called to testify against the pilgrims; three come in, Envy, Superstition, and Gainglory. Envy accuses Faithful of being "one of the vilest men of the country. He does not regard either ruler or people, or law or custom, ...and I heard him once declare that Christianity and the customs of our town of Vanity were diametrically opposite and could not be reconciled." Superstition accuses Faithful of saying that the town's religion was nothing, and tells the judge that he must know what follows his reasoning. Gainglory accuses Faithful of making critical remarks of the town's noble ruler, Beelzebub, and his honorable friends, "the honorable Mr. Old Man, the honorable Mr. Carnal Delight, the honorable Mr. Luxurious, the honorable Mr. Desire of Glory, my old master Mr. Lechery, Mr. Having Greedy, together with all the rest of our noble leaders."
When the witnesses are finished, Judge Hate Good asks Faithful, "You Renegade, Heretic, and Traitor, have you heard what these honest gentlemen have testified against you?" Faithful replies that he has and asks to speak in his defense. Judge Hate Good replies that Faithful deserves to be put to death immediately, but "so that all men may see our gentleness toward you, let us hear what you have to say."
Faithful replies, to Envy's testimony, that he only said that what is opposed to the Word of God is also diametrically opposed to Christianity. To Superstition's testimony, he replies that divine faith is required for worship of God, and divine faith requires a revelation of the will of God. Whatever is thrust into the worship of God that is not subject to divine revelation is an invention of human faith, "and that is faith that will not gain anyone eternal life." In reply to Gainglory's testimony, Faithful says, "I say that the ruler of this town, with all the riffraff--his attendants who were named by this gentleman--are more fit for being in Hell than in this town and country. And so, the Lord have mercy on me."
The judge then instructs the jury and they return a guilty verdict. Faithful is condemned to the most cruel death that could be invented. They whip him, beat him, lance his flesh with knives, stone him with stones, prick him with swords, and burn him at the stake.
John Bunyan, speaking as the narrator, then says "Now I saw that behind the multitude there stood a chariot and a team of horses waiting for Faithful, who as soon as his adversaries had taken his life was taken up into it and immediately carried up through the clouds with the sound of a trumpet. He was taken by the nearest way to the Celestial gate."
Christian is returned to prison, but He Who Rules Over All Things, turns things around so that Christian can escape, as as he goes, he sings:
Well, Faithful, thou hast faithfully profest
Unto thy Lord, with Him thou shalt be blest;
When faithless ones, with all their vain delights,
Are crying out under their hellish plights.
Sing, Faithful, sing, and let thy Name survive;
For tho' they kill'd thee, thou are yet alive.
Thoughts on this chapter
Vanity Fair represents the world and all the things it presents to us to keep us from seeking God. Christian and Faithful confront the world, say the truth, and are persecuted. Faithful is executed, and is sent home. His journey is complete. Christian continues alone, for now.
Vanity Fair reminds me of Renaissance Fairs that I've gone to, a popular summer attraction around the United States. I haven't been to one in a long time, but they are a lot of fun. You can pick up a lot of interesting, yet useless, things at these fairs. They also sell a lot of occult paraphernalia. I won't be buying any of that, nor should you. Actually, come to think of it, at the last fair I attended, I don't think I bought anything except food and drink. Thinking of this chapter will give me a new perspective the next time I attend one.
This chapter is challenging--it is critical of a market where goods are bought and sold in freedom (and license), a system of capitalism. Should we take it literally as saying that capitalism is wrong? I don't think so, even though I wonder if Bunyan does. As long as one seeks to know and do God's will, handles all their transactions honestly and without any intention to defraud or injure others, and does not limit their own wealth to their own benefit, I don't see them as being enslaved by the wares of Vanity Fair. That's consistent with the Two Great Laws: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your soul. Love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:37,39)
Christian and Faithful are now walking along a fairly peaceful part of the path when they come upon another Pilgrim, named Talkative. Faithful engages him in conversation, and Talkative agrees, even seeming to know some considerable knowledge of the Bible and points of doctrine. Some of his character is revealed, however, when he says things like "what is more pleasant and more profitable than to talk of the things of God?" Faithful is impressed with his conversation, but begins to wonder about something -- why Christian is so quiet and walking several feet away, as if he is avoiding Talkative. Faithful approaches Christian and speaks about Talkative, "What a fine companion we've got here...", but Christian has another opinion, "This with whom you're so impressed will beguile with his tongue twenty people who don't know him." He continues to say that Talkative is from their town and has a reputation for being all talk, but very rude and ugly in his behaviour, especially to those closest to him. He is like a painter whose work looks beautiful from afar, but when looked at up close, is more unpleasant. "Just as he talks with you now, he'll talk when he's sitting on the bar stool. And the more drink he has in his head, the more of these things he has in his mouth. Religion has no place in his heart, or house, or lifestyle. Everything he has lies in his tongue, and making a noise with it is his religion."
Christian and Faithful continue talking about true religion and mere talking (the tone is similar to the book of James and his passage on the tongue, including some quotations from that passage). Faithful then wonders how they can get rid of their unfavorable companion. Christian says, "Take my advice and do as I suggest. You'll find that unless God touches his heart and changes it, he'll soon be sick of your company, too. Why, just go up to him and begin some serious discussion about the power of religion. After he has approved of the conversation, for he surely will, then ask him plainly if this thing can be found in his heart, house, or lifestyle."
Faithful does as Christian suggests, and engages Talkative in conversation on the topic "How does the saving grace of God reveal itself when it is in a person's heart?" Four pages later, Faithful asks Christian's suggested question, Talkative is insulted, and after some argumentative words and accusations, says good-bye. Christian is pleased with Faithful's straightforward style, saying "It was a good thing you talked to him plainly as you did, there's not much of this straight dealing with people these days, and that's what makes religion stink in the nostrils of men the way it does...I wish that everyone would deal with them as you've done. Then they would either be made to conform to religion, or the Fellowship of Saints would be too hot for them to remain."
Christian and Faithful now enjoy their own company, and have light hearts, but the path is becoming more difficult as they are now going through a wilderness. An individual comes up behind them, and Christian and Faithful both recognize him; he is their old friend Evangelist (Evangelist is the one who directed Faithful to the Gate, just as he did for Christian). Evangelist asks them all about their journeys, and says, after hearing their tales, "I'm so glad, not that you met with trials, but that you've been champions and have continued in the Way to this very day regardless of your many weaknesses" He goes on with many more exhorting words, but Christian and Faithful, knowing that Evangelist is also a Prophet ask to hear of things that will happen to them and how to deal with them.
Evangelist reminds them that Pilgrims "must enter into the Kingdom of Heaven through many hardships, and again that prison and hardships face you in every city. You can't expect, therefore, to travel far on your Pilgrimage without them in some form or other...Therefore, you will soon enter into a town that you will in time see before you. In that town you'll be severely besieged by enemies who will try hard in their attempts to kill you, and you can be sure that one or both of you must seal with blood the testimony that you hold" He urges them to be faithful to the point of death, and says that it is actually advantageous for the one who faces death, as that fate will complete his journey, while the other will still face many other hardships ahead.
Thoughts on this chapter
Yakkity, yakkity, yak..... Do any of you know anyone like this, or maybe appropriately, Christians like this? All talk, no action? Or worse, all talk in church, then rudeness and arrogance the rest of the week? Maybe everyone can ask themselves a more important question: Am I like this? Maybe I was thinking ahead when I put an update on an earlier post, back in Chapter 9, part 2 , when I said that maybe if someone professed faith but didn't have any works to show for it, I might have cause to doubt their status as a Christian, though, as I said, be careful going there -- But on the other hand, is it ever appropriate to confront someone like this? Christian says it is, and is glad that the deadwood is gone.
It is good to see an old friend again, but unfortunately, his prophecy carries a warning of trouble and death ahead. The town of danger ahead is perhaps the most famous symbol in allegorical Christian literature, Vanity Fair.
Underline this
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. -- 1 Corinthians 4:20 (NIV)
Christian is now out of the Valley of the Shadow of Death. An incline just off the path ahead enables Christian to get a good view of the terrain ahead, and as he looks, he sees another Christian, Faithful, walking ahead. Christian calls out for Faithful to wait, but Faithful refuses to stop, saying, "No! I''m concerned for my life and the avenger of blood is behind me." Christian summons his strength and runs to catch up, but runs so fast that he passes Faithful, stumbles, and is not able to get up until Faithful arrives to give him a hand. The terrain here allows them to proceed in peace and pleasant conversation (though Bunyan does not elaborate on Faithful's previous statement on the 'avenger of blood' -- maybe he was still afraid of the Valley he just escaped from).
It turns out that Faithful left the City of Destruction after Christian. He tells Christian about the fate of Pliable, who turned back after slipping into the Swamp of Despondence. Pliable has lost his reputation and is "seven times worse than if he'd never gone out of the city".
Christian and Faithful then talk about Faithful's journey from the City of Destruction. Faithful successfully escapes falling into the Swamp of Despondence, and arrives at the Gate without danger, but meets with a woman named Wanton, who tempts Faithful with all kinds of contentment if he turns aside with her. Christian says it was good that Faithful escaped her, to which Faithful replies, "No, I don't know whether I completely escaped her or not", and then relates how he remembered an old writing "Her steps lead right to the grave", shuts his eyes and avoids her temptation. She then hurled insults upon him, and he goes on his way.
At the foot of the Hill of Difficulty, Faithful meets up with an old man Adam the First, from the Town of Deceit. Adam offers Faithful employment (the work called Many Delights) and a promise to become his heir if Faithful will live with him. As a further incentive, Adam offers his three daughters for marriage: Lust of the Flesh, Lust of the Eyes, and Pride of Life. Faithful finds himself inclined to take the man up on his offer, but then sees a warning on the man's forehead: "Put off the old man and his deeds", and a burning thought enters his mind, that if he accepts the old man's offer, he will be sold off as a slave. He refuses the offer, and turns to go away, but suddenly the old man grabs him by the back and gives him a good jerk back, so strong that Faithful replies "What a wretched man I am!" Adam threatens to send another individual after Faithful who will make his journey bitter.
As Faithful climbs the Hill of Difficulty, another man comes running up after him, who knocks him down. When Faithful comes to, he asks the man the reason for the violent blow, and the man replies that it was for his inclination to follow after Adam, and then he knocks Faithful flat again. When Faithful recovers a second time, he asks the man for mercy, to which he replies, "I don't know how to show mercy!" and knocks him flat a third time. The man would have made an end to Faithful except for another man who comes up and causes him to stop. Christian asks who the second man was, and Faithful says "I didn't know Him at first, but as He went by, I saw the holes in His hands and in His side. Then I concluded that He was our Lord. After this, I went up the Hill." Christian realizes that the first man is Moses, and Faithful says "I know it very well, it wasn't the first time he met with me. He was the one who came to me when I lived securely at home and told me he would burn my house down on my head if I stayed there."
Faithful does not stop at the palace Beautiful, as Christian has done, because it is daylight, the lions are asleep, and Faithful wants to make good time while the going is good. (This is how Faithful passed Christian, as Christian was in that house for three days) Christian then relates to Faithful how there were many good things to be obtained in the house, but doesn't dwell on it very long, as the conversation then proceeds to the Valley of Humiliation.
In the Valley of Humiliation, Faithful meets up with a person going the wrong way, named Discontent, who claims that the Valley is completely without honor. He also says that to proceed is to "disobey all my friends, such asPride, Arrogance, Self Conceit, Worldly Glory, and others". Faithful dismisses their value as friends and says he would "rather go through this valley to receive honor that was accounted so by the Wisest."
Faithful also meets a man named Shame in the Valley, but Faithful thinks that he is misnamed. Shame objects to religion in general, saying that it is a pitifully low and deceptive business for a man to give attention to religion. He also objects to the inferior and low estate and condition of most of those Pilgrims of the times in which they lived, and objects to their ignorance and understanding of the natural sciences. Shame goes on and on, and Faithful can think of nothing to say in reply, but eventually realizes that Shame is telling him everything about Man, but nothing about God. Also, Faithful realizes, "I thought that at the Day of Doom we will not be sentenced to either death or life according to the domineering spirits of the world therefore, that what God says is best, even though everyone in the world may be against it." Faithful sends Shame away, but not without some difficulty, as Shame is a very persistent talker.
As for the Valley of the Shadow of Death, Faithful relates that his trek through that Valley was not so bad; he walked through it all in broad daylight!
Thoughts on this chapter
Two pilgrims meet, and in order to bring the two pilgrims' tales together, this chapter serves as a catching-up of what happens to Faithful on his trek. Bunyan presents us with several images of our enemies; Wanton, The Old Man-Adam, the Law (represented as Moses), Discontent, and Shame. All of them work to get Faithful off the Path and into a state guaranteeing his destruction. Wanton is sexual immorality. The Old Man is living for the pleasures of the world. Moses is the same threat as was presented to Christian back when he was tempted by Mr. Worldly Wiseman to go off the Path to the town of Morality. Discontent represents those who may claim the name "Christian" for a time, but when humility is required, balk and return to worldly living (I know this one well - I'm glad God gave me a second chance - actually, many of them). I'm sure we've all met a lot of 'Shames' in our lives, especially those who try to witness on a university campus, or have an anti-religious professor for one of their classes.
Faithful misses out on some good things by not stopping at the palace Beautiful. Alert readers will note that he is traveling without armor and without a sword. He would have been in quite a pickle if he had met up with Apollyon!
Faithful's experience in the Valley of the Shadow of Death is not nearly as unpleasant as Christian's. Maybe Bunyan is telling us that each Christian's trial is unique, that they are not equally bad, even though we all have to go through that Valley. In Part 2 of the book, when another set of Pilgrims make their way to Celestial City, we will see more differences in this Valley, as well as other sites along the Way.
Christian now enters a second valley, the Valley of the Shadow of Death, which actually presents more danger to him than the previous encounter with Apollyon. As Christian enters the valley, two men come back warning him of grave dangers ahead, dangers they are not willing to face. They describe the valley as dark, with a continual howling and yelling coming from the pit, as of people under unutterable misery. Satyrs, hobgoblins, and dragons are about. Clouds of confusion hang over the valley, and death spreads its wings over it. It is a completely dreadful place. They are abandoning their pilgrimage, just as Fearful and Mistrust abandoned theirs due to the lions. Christian ponders what he is getting himself into, but decides that the danger of turning back is greater and proceeds, sword drawn.
Christian proceeds down the path, which becomes very narrow in the valley. On his right is a ditch, into which the blind lead the blind; on his left is a quagmire, into which, if one falls, there is no bottom for one's foot to stand on. Christian walks on in the dark, unsure of his footing. To make matters worse, the Mouth of Hell is in the pit, and flames and sparks come out of it in such abundance that Christian is forced to put up his Sword and resort to prayer, "Oh, Lord, save me!"
Soon Christian hears the voices of fiends approaching him. He again ponders turning back but resolves to go forward. When the voices are almost upon him, he says, "I will go in the strength of the Lord God." The voices back off and come no farther. Christian is confused in the valley, and Wicked Ones (evil spirits) approach Christian from behind, whispering blasphemies in his ear. Christian's state of confusion is such that he cannot tell the difference between his own thoughts and the whisperings of the spirits. He continues in this condition for a considerable time, and then hears a voice ahead saying, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me." Then he is glad for he realizes that there are others in the valley who also fear God as well as himself, also that God was with them even in that dark and dismal condition, and also that he hoped to be able to catch up with them and have fellowship with them.
Soon Day breaks, and Christian is able to turn around and see what he has just passed through. He sees the Ditch and Quagmire on the sides of the path he has just traversed. He also sees the Dragons, Hobgoblins, and Satyrs of the pit. He is much affected by his deliverance from these dangers, but there is more to come. The sun rising at this time is a mercy to Christian, for the path becomes "full of snares, traps, and nets up here" and "pits, pitfalls, deep holes, and ledges down there." In this light, Christian finally comes to the end of the valley.
At the end of the valley, Christian sees laying there the blood, bones, ashes, and mangled bodies of Pilgrims who had gone this way earlier. A short distance away, he sees a cave where two giants lived in days past. Their names were Pope and Pagan, and it is by their power and tyranny that those Pilgrims had been put to death. Pagan has been dead a long time, but Pope is now a senile old man who is no threat. Christian passes by and is not harmed.
Thoughts on this chapter
This valley represents a long period of trial, much deeper than a single fear as the lions represented earlier. I think it may represent a struggle with issues of unbelief, hanging on to sins we don't want to confess or repent from, or dealing with long-lasting trials and tribulations, such as that (but probably not as serious as) experienced by Job.
I don't like Bunyan's description of Pope; I think his portrayal of Pope as a senile old man is just rank anti-Catholicism. I guess Bunyan's Separatism was different enough from the Catholic church that they considered it a heresy, but I don't believe that myself. I agree with Mark Byron's analysis. Fundamentalists, Evangelicals, main-line Protestants, Orthodox, and Catholics may have different doctrines, but I basically believe that anyone who can recite the Apostle's Creed without crossing their fingers (that's a quote for which I cannot find the source-sorry, I think I saw it at blogs4God) has a basic understanding Christian doctrine. If one says they know the Lord, and they believe He died for their sins, and rose from the dead, it's not my place to doubt them. [UPDATE: I suppose if one said they loved the Lord, but then didn't have any kind of works to show for it, I'd have cause to doubt them, but one has to be real careful when going there]
I disagree with Bunyan's description of Pagan, too. Pagan is not dead, he is just as alive and well as ever. Maybe there was a time between say about 500-1900 when Paganism was not a popularly-practiced religion, but from the twentieth century to now, it has resurfaced and is becoming more popular. Wicca and goddess worship are now accepted in liberal congregations such as the Unitarian Universalist Association, and some of the more liberal main-line Protestant denominations.
I'm going to blog tomorrow in order to catch up. Tomorrow, Two Pilgrims Meet!
Up to now, Christian has been in relative safety. His most urgent danger faced so far has been from Mr. Worldly Wiseman, though Christian's worst fear was of the lions, though they turned out to be harmless. Today's chapter turns violent, and Christian faces real danger for the first time.
Christian is now in the Valley of Humiliation. He goes only a short distance when he sees a disgusting fiend named Apollyon approaching him. Christian considers fleeing, but realizes that he is defenseless if he does so, as his armor does not cover his back. He resolves to stand his ground. Apollyon is hideous, covered with scales like a fish (his pride). He has wings like a dragon, feet like a bear, and out of his belly come fire and smoke, and his mouth is like the mouth of a lion.
He approaches Christian and questions him, "Where did you come from, and where are you going?"
Christian answers, "I've come from the City of Destruction, which is the Place of all Evil, and I'm going to the City of Zion."
Apollyon responds, "By this, I perceive you're one of my subjects, for all that country is mine, and I am the prince and god of it. How is it then that you've run away from your king? If it were not for my desire to have you serve me longer, I would now strike you down to the ground with one blow."
The following dialog is full of subtleties. I'm going to try to describe it accurately without quoting it verbatim, as it's rather long, but the lessons here are profound.
Christian then admits being born in Apollyon's empire, but also says that serving him was difficult, and the wages weren't all that good either, 'for the wages of sin is death'. Christian admits that when he reached maturity, he did the only wise thing and searched for a 'way to renew myself'. Apollyon then lays into Christian for his act of desertion, promising him mercy if he returns. Christian turns down the offer, but then Apollyon renews it, saying that it is common for those in Christian's position to return to him. Christian again turns down the offer, saying, "How can I then go back from this and not be hanged as a traitor?" Apollyon then says that Christian is already a traitor and all will be forgiven if he just returns to him. Christian again turns down Apollyon's offer, saying the benefits of following his new Lord and Prince are much better than those he knew before. Apollyon then counters by saying that most pilgrims come to an ill end, and that Christian's Lord has done little or nothing to save them. Christian replies that His (the Lord's) forbearance at such times is on purpose, to try their love, to see whether they will serve Him to the end; and as for the bad end, that is most glorious to their credit. Apollyon then accuses Christian of being unfaithful to his Lord, to which Christian replies, "And how, oh, Apollyon have I been unfaithful to Him?" Apollyon then lists all of Christians missteps during the way: the Swamp of Despondence, his departure from the path towards the town of Morality, his sleeping on the Hill of Difficulty and losing his Document, his fear in facing the lions, and even his pride for being in the path in the first place! Christian admits that his accuser speaks the truth, but that his Lord has forgiven him all these faults.
All hell now breaks loose. Apollyon breaks out into a rage, saying, "I'm an enemy of this prince! I hate his person, his laws, and his people. I've come here to opose you!" Christian warns Apollyon, "Beware of what you do, Apollyon, for I'm in the king's Highway, the Way of Holiness. Therefore, take heed to yourself." Apollyon then straddles the whole breadth of the Path, and says, "I'm void of fear in this matter. Prepare yourself to die, for I swear by my infernal abode that you wil go no farther. I will spill your soul here!"
Apollyon then shoots a flaming arrow at Christian's chest, but Christian deflects the arrow with his Shield. Christian draws his Sword as Apollyon charges him with a volley of arrows as thick as hail. Christian defends himself vigorously, but is wounded in his head, hands, and feet. Apollyon attacks more vigorously as Christian falls back. The fight goes on for over half a day, and eventually Apollyon forces Christian's sword out of his hand, but as Apollyon prepares for his final blow, Christian skillfully reaches out his hand and grasps his sword, saying, "Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise." Christian then exerts a deadly thrust, which makes Apollyon back off as if he had received a mortal wound. Christian attacks again, and Apollyon spreads out his dragon's wings and flees.
Christian then pauses to give thanksgiving and praise, and a Hand appears, holding some of the leaves of the Tree of Life. Christian is healed. He stops to eat some bread and drink from his bottle, and after feeling refreshed, continues his journey with his Sword drawn.
We are only halfway through Chapter 9, but I'm going to have to stop it here, as it is getting late. I will have to exploit another make up day later. In the second half of this chapter Christian proceeds through the Valley of the Shadow of Death. That will be the subject of tomorrow's blogging.
Thoughts on this chapter
Apollyon's biggest danger is his deception. He tempts Christian to abandon his quest. Christian is sure of himself, however; so the temptation is turned down. Other pilgrims may have taken Apollyon up on his offer, especially if they were not armed as Christian was. After Apollyon's temptation is rejected, half-truths and accusations flow forth from Apollyon's mouth in order to weaken Christian's resolve, even to the point of accusing him of pride for being on the path!
Christian's shield is the shield of faith, and his sword is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:16-17). His wounds to his head, hands, and feet represent setbacks in his understanding, faith, and Christian walk. [Bunyan]
When we ended Chapter 7, Christian was facing the prospect of passing the two lions ahead of him at the top of the Hill of Difficulty. Having lost several hours due to an untimely nap, and losing his Document and having to retrieve it, he was now proceeding in twilight, and wondering if he might have to face the lions in the dark. Looking up he sees a magnificent palace.
Christian proceeds toward the palace, and soon sees the lions in the path. Christian pauses, afraid to continue, and seriously considers turning back. A voice calls out from up ahead, "Is your strength so small? Don't fear the lions, for they're chained. They're placed there for the trial of faith, to find out where it is and to reveal those who have none. Stay in the middle of the path, and no injury will come to you." The voice comes from the Porter, whose name is Watchful. Christian heeds the Porter's advice and walks, trembling, past the lions, who roar at him but cannot touch him.
Christian arrives at the gate where the Porter is, and asks about the house and if he can stay. The Porter says that the house was built by the Lord of the Hill for the safety and security of pilgrims. The Porter asks Christian the nature of his business, his name, and why he is arriving so late. The Porter calls a beautiful and serious-looking girl, Discretion from the house, and tells her about Christian and asks her to talk with him and deal with him according to the laws of the house. Discretion asks Christian for all the details of his journey, which he supplies, and then she calls for three more members of her family to join the conversation, Prudence, Piety, and Charity. At this point he is invited to come into the house, meeting several other members of the Family at the threshhold. While they are waiting for supper, Piety asks Christian all sorts of questions: his reasons for becoming a pilgrim, how he found the way, about the house of the Interpreter, the Cross and the shining individuals who gave him the Document and his coat, about his journey. Prudence then takes up the questioning: whether he thinks of his old country, the things he left behind, why he is going to Mount Zion. Charity then asks him about the family he left behind, why they weren't going on the pilgrimage with him, and what sort of witness Christian provided for them.
Supper is served, and it is the girls' turn to tell Christian of the Lord of the Hill, what He did, why He did it, and why He had built the house. They described Him as a great warrior who fought with and slayed the one who had the power of death, and did it by shedding a great deal of blood. Some in the Household said they had seen and spoken with Him since He died on the Cross. They also said that He had stripped Himself of His glory to serve the Poor, that He would not live in the Mountain of Zion alone, and that He had made many Pilgrims into princes even though they came from humble origins. They talk into the night, and then Christian is shown to his room where he retires for the night.
The next day Christian is led to see all the excellent things stored in the house. Christian is led into the study where he is shown records of great antiquity showing the lineage of the Lord of the Hill, how he was the Son of the Ancient of Days. He is shown the accounts of the Lord's acts and the acts of hundreds whom He had taken into His service. They read records both ancient and modern, together with records of deeds past, and prophecies and predictions of things that are certain to be fulfilled.
The next day Christian is led to the Armory where they show him all kinds of equipment that the Lord has provided for Pilgrims. Christian sees the Sword, Shield, Helmet, Breastplate, Prayers, and Shoes that will not wear out. There is enough equipment to serve as many people as there are stars in the sky. They also show him weapons of times past: Moses' Staff, the jars, trumpets, and torches used by Gideon to vanquish the armies of Midian, the sling and stone used by David to slay Goliath.
The next day, Christian is ready to travel on, but the Family desires him to stay yet another day to show him the Delightful Mountains. He is led to the top of the house, and told to look south. He sees a pleasant looking mountainous region, "made beautiful with woods, vineyards, fruits of all kinds, flowers, springs, and fountains." Christian asks the name of the country, and is told that it is called Immanuel's Land, and it is just as common for Pilgrims to walk there as it is for them to walk on this hill (the Hill of Difficulty), and when he gets there he will be able to see the gate of Celestial City.
Now Christian is ready to go, but first he is taken to the Armory and outfitted with armor and a sword so that he would be prepared in the event he might be assaulted in the Way. At the Porter's gate, he asks the Porter if any other Pilgrims have passed this way. Christian is told of another Pilgrim just ahead of him, named Faithful. Christian recognizes him as a former neighbor from his old city, and asks how far ahead he is; apparently Christian desires to catch up with him. He is told that Faithful is not too far ahead. Discretion, Piety, Charity, and Prudence accompany Christian to the foot of the hill, continuing their previous discussions. Christian notes that it is just as dangerous going down as it was going up. Prudence replies that it is very difficult to go down into the Valley of Humiliation without losing one's footing, therefore they are accompanying him. Christian loses his footing a couple of times, but they reach the bottom of the hill safely, where Christian is given bread, wine, and raisins to sustain him and then he proceeds from there alone.
Thoughts on this chapter
The lions are chained! They present no danger to Christian as long as he stays in the middle of the path, though at first he could not see the chains. He is fortunate that someone called out to him to proceed. Did that voice advise Fearful and Mistrust as well, but not penetrate their fear? Perhaps there are people calling out for us to proceed in our walk with God in spite of the lions we face. Are you listening to them?
The palace Beautiful is the Church. Christian is offered fellowship here, but not before being presented with questioning, showing that while the Church's mission is to minister and encourage, it is also up to the Church to exercise discretion and examine the sincerity of the traveler. The Apostle Paul faced such discretion after his conversion. The study represents the Bible and all its lessons for us, as well as all the historical records of Christians who have traveled before us. The Armory represents the armor of God as described by Paul in Ephesians 6:10-18.
Pilgrim, Hypocrisy, and Formality continue to the foot of a hill called Difficulty. There is a spring at the bottom, along with two other paths that seem to go around the hill. The straight and narrow path which Pilgrim has been told to follow goes straight up the hill. Christian drinks from the spring and continues. Hypocrisy and Formality take the other paths, thinking they will all meet on the other side. One of those paths, Danger, leads into a vast forest, the other, Destruction, leads into an area of dark mountains. They are lost and never heard from again.
Christian proceeds slower and slower as he proceeds. Eventually he is crawling on the ground, the hill is so steep. About halfway up the hill, there is a resting area, put there by the Lord of the Hill, and Christian pauses to rest. He takes out his Document and reads for awhile, then pauses to examine his fine coat, but as he dawdles, he becomes drowsy and falls asleep. As he sleeps, the Document falls from his hand. Later, an unknown individual comes by and awakens Christian, urging him on, similar to how Christian tried to wake the three sleeping, shackled fools encountered earlier. Christian jumps up and runs along quickly, forgetting his Document.
At the top of the hill, two men, Fearful and Mistrust come running toward him going the wrong way. Christian asks them why they are running from the City of Zion, and Fearful says that the further they go, the more danger they meet, and therefore they are going back. Mistrust then tells Christian of two lions that lie in the path up ahead. They think they will be torn to pieces by the lions. Christian pauses to consider their words, but realizes that destruction awaits him if he goes back as well. He thinks, "I must continue, for to go back means nothing but death. To go forward is the fear of death, but beyond it is life everlasting. I'll keep going forward."
Christian reaches in his coat for his Document for some reassurance, and then realizes that it is missing. He is greatly distressed and doesn't know what to do, but in a few minutes he gathers himself, and realized that he must have dropped the document where he was resting. He goes back to retrieve it, but has only harsh words for himself along the way. He finds the Document where he left it, and his sorrow is turned to joy, yet the sun sets before Christian reaches the top of the hill and Christian again begins to grieve himself. He remembers Fearful's and Mistrust's report of the lions and begins to feel more and more afraid. He continues however, and while lamenting his unhappy circumstances, he looks up and sees before him a very stately palace, named Beautiful by the side of the highway.
Thoughts on this chapter
When I read this chapter, I was reminded of a hill in the Smokey Mountains going up to Clingman's Dome. I was in the Smokey Mountains back in the summer of 2001, just a few days after recommiting my life to Christ. Seeing the mountains in this state was completely different than the year before when I was in a state of unbelief (though I think the previous year's trip had a role to play in my moving out of that state of unbelief). Clingman's Dome is the second highest point east of the Mississippi River, and the trail going to the top is short but very steep. There are about six rest areas on a trail about a half mile in length. So I picture Christian struggling up this steep hill, unable to understand why it is so hard to go such a short distance. Stopping to rest, he succumbs to the temptation to sleep, and the footnote on this passage says, "The journey calls for diligence. God provides places and times for rest, but allegorically speaking, there is no time for sleep." [Hazelbaker]
The two lions represent anything that causes us to fear and not trust God to deliver us in the time of difficulty. The lions are there on purpose, however (as will be revealed in the next chapter). What lions exist in your life that cause you to fear and not trust God to be your strength and deliverance? Some lions that exist in our life right now are worries about how war will affect our adoption. Will we be able to travel to China and adopt a child next year? We gave the adoption to God when we started however. It's in His hands, if it is His will, it will happen.
I will love You, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies. Psalm 18:1-3 NKJV
UPDATE: For another story of someone who had some serious lions to face in his life, read this.
Christian proceeds with difficulty due to the burden on his back. The path is bordered by a wall called Salvation. Soon he reaches a place which is somewhat elevated. Up above him is a Cross, at the bottom is a Tomb. As Christian approaches the Cross, his burden comes off his back, and rolls down into the Tomb, and is seen no more. Christian stops to look at the Cross for a while, surprised that the sight of it should relieve his burden in this way. "He has given me rest from my sorrow and life through His death." As he continues to look at the Cross, he begins to weep. Three angels appear to him, and say "Peace be to you!". One says "Your sins are forgiven", the second one strips off the rags he is wearing and clothes him with rich garments, and the third sets a mark on his forehead and gives him a Document with a seal on it. Christian is instructed to look at the Document as he continues and to present it at the Celestial Gate. Christian leaps for joy and continues on the path, singing a song of praise and thanksgiving.
At the bottom of the hill, he sees three men with shackles on their feet, fast asleep a little way off the path. They are named Simple, Sloth, and Presumption. He tries to wake them, but they disregard his warnings of danger. Christian decides they are not worth the trouble and continues alone.
As Christian is pondering the three lazy fools, he sees two men Formality and Hypocrisy climb over the wall. Christian asks where they are from and where they are going. They reply in unison, "We were born in the Land of Boasting and we're going to Mount Zion for praise." Christian asks why they didn't come in at the Gate. They reply that it is too far for them to come in that way; that people from their country just find a shortcut and climb over the wall, as they had done. Christian asks if it wouldn't be considered a trespass to enter the Path that way, but the two men say that they don't worry about such details, as theirs is an established tradition, done for over a thousand years. Such traditions would surely be admitted as a legal thing by an impartial judge. "And besides," they say, "if we get into the pathway, what does it matter which way we get in? If we're in, we're in. You're in the Way--as we understand--by just coming in at the Gate, and we're also in the Way by coming over the Wall. How is your condition better than ours?"
Christian warns them that the Lord of the Way considers them to be thieves, and says he doubts that they will be found worthy at the end of the Way. They have nothing to say to this, but just advise Christian to take care of himself. They then go on in silence, except that the men soon tell Christian that they are just as conscientious to keep laws and ordinances as Christian is. Then they say, "we don't see how you differ from us except for the coat on your back, it was probably given to you by some of your friends to hide the shame of your nakedness."
Christian then replies, "You'll not be saved by laws and ordinances since you didn't come in through the Door. And as for this coat on my back, it was given to me by the Ruler of the place where I'm going. And, as you say, it is for the purpose of covering my nakedness. Furthermore, I take it as a token of His kindness toward me; for I had on nothing but rags before. And besides, as I go, I comfort myself with the thought that when I come to the gate of the City, the Ruler of the City will easily recognize me since I have this coat on my back--a coat He freely gave me the day He stripped me of my rags. In addition, I have a mark in my forehead, which perhaps you haven't noticed. One of my Lord's closest associates placed it there the day my burden fell off my shoulders. Furthermore, I'll tell you I was given a sealed Document to comfort me by reading it as I travel in the Way. I was also instructed to present it at the Celestial Gate as a token of the certainty of my entrance. I doubt you even want all these things, since you didn't come in through the Gate."
Formality and Hypocrisy have no response except to look at each other and laugh. Christian continues the journey in front, talking with them no more. He often reads his Document, and is renewed by it.
Thoughts on this chapter
Bunyan places the Place of Deliverance apart from the Gate because he wants to emphasize that those who are newly-born-again may not understand the workings of the Cross, even though they are saved. Christian carries the burden of his sin even past the Interpreter's house, and the burden comes off his back, through no effort of his own, once he sees the Cross. He then understands what price was paid to free him of his sin.
The scripture reference for being clothed with a fine coat is Zechariah 3:1-5. The scripture reference for the Document with the seal is Ephesians 1:13-14. "Bunyan draws attention to the work and presence of the Holy Spirit with his reference to both the seal placed upon Christian's forehead and the sealed document given to him." (from the footnotes by L. Edward Hazelbaker)
Formality and Hypocrisy represent those who disregard the Cross of Christ, who believe that following rules, traditions, or ceremony will suffice just as well. Now this isn't to say that traditions and rules are inherently wrong; just that they are meaningless unless one begins with the Cross.
This is a longer chapter, full of symbolic imagery intended to teach basic truths about the Gospel. I wonder if the images in this chapter are culled from the Rev. Bunyan's sermons.
Our Pilgrim travels on to the house of the Interpreter, knocks and is let in by a butler. The Interpreter is called, and Christian is led into a private room, where a picture of a serious person is on the wall. The man is pictured with the "Best of Books" in his hand, the "Law of Truth" written upon his lips, the world behind his back, and a crown of gold hung over his head. The depiction is meant to show that "his work is to know and reveal to sinners things hard to understand." The Interpreter continues, "Now, I've shown you this picture first because the man whose picture you see is the only man authorized by the Lord of the place where you're going to be your guide in all the difficult places you may encounter within the Way. Remember well, therefore, what I've shown you and apply your mind seriously to what you've seen lest in your journey you meet with individuals who pretend to lead you correctly but whose ways lead to death." Christian is then led to various rooms within the house where he is shown various things intended to teach him basic truths.
First, he is led to a room full of dust because it was never swept. The Interpreter calls for someone to sweep the room, but as the room is swept, the dust begins to fly, and Christian is almost choked by it. The Interpreter then tells a girl standing by, "Bring water here and sprinkle the room". When she does so, the room is easily swept and cleaned. The dry, dusty room is the heart of a man that was never sanctified by the Grace of the gospel. The first sweeper represents the law, which instead of cleansing the sinful heart, actually empowers and increases sin in the soul. The girl who brought and sprinkled the water is the Gospel.
In the second room, Christian is shown two boys, Passion and Patience. Passion is very discontented, but Patience sits very quietly. The Interpreter says, "Their guardian wants them to wait until the beginning of next year to receive his best things. Passion wants to have it all now, but Patience is willing to wait." Someone then brings a bag of treasure to Passion, who gathers it up, rejoices in it while laughing at Patience, but then squanders it all away and is left with nothing but rags. Passion is explained as representing the people of this world, while Patience represents the people of the world to come. Christian cites two reasons for Patience having the best Wisdom: "One--because he waits for the best things; and two--because he will have the glory of his possessions when the other has nothing but rags." The Interpreter adds a third, "the glory of the next world will never wear out, but other glories are soon gone. Passion, therefore, didn't have as much reason to laugh at Patience--because Passion had his best things first--as Patience will have to laugh at Passion--because Patience had his best things last. First must give place to last because last must have its time to come, but last gives place to nothing, for there is nothing more to follow. So he who has his portion first must of necessity have a time to spend it, but he who has his portion last must have it permanently. Therefore it is said of Dives [the traditional name of the rich man referred to in Luke 16:19-31], 'In your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.' "
In the third room, Christian sees a fire burning next to a wall. A man in the room is continually throwing water on the fire in order to put it out, yet the fire burns higher and hotter. The Interpreter explains the fire as the work of grace working in the heart. The man throwing water on the fire is the Devil. Christian is led to the other side of the wall, where the secret of the fire's burning hotter is revealed. Another man, standing behind the wall, is secretly pouring oil upon the fire. The Interpreter explains, "This is Christ, who continually maintains the work already begun in the heart by applying the Oil of His Grace. Because of this, the souls of His people remain full of grace in spite of what the Devil can do. In that you saw the man standing behind the wall to keep the fire burning, that's meant to teach you that it's hard for those tempted to see how this work of grace is continued in the soul."
Next, Christian is led to a pleasant place where a stately palace had been built. People standing on the wall of the palace are all dressed in gold. The Interpreter leads Christian toward the door of the palace where a large group of people are wanting to go inside, but dare not do so. A man seated at a nearby desk has a book and pen to take the name of any individual who has intentions of going in through the door. Armored men stand in the doorway to block the entrance, intending to inflict pain and injury upon the people who would enter the door. After the first group of people leave the door out of fear of the armed men, Christian sees a strong man approach the man at the desk who says, "Write down my name, Sir." After this he draws his sword, puts on a helmet, and rushes the door, and presses forward into the palace. Voices from above say, "Come in, come in! Eternal glory you will win." Christian smiles and says, "I think I actually know the meaning of this."
In the next room, Christian is shown a man locked in an iron cage. The man used to be an honest and flourishing professor of faith, but testifies, "I stopped being alert and self-controlled. I let loose the reigns of my desires. I sinned against the Light of the Word and the goodness of God. I've grieved the Spirit, and He is gone. I tempted the Devil, and he has come to me. I've provoked God to anger, and He has left me. I have so hardened my heart that I cannot repent." Christian asks the Interpreter if there is any hope for him. The Interpreter replies, "Ask him". After Christian asks, the bound man replies, "No, none at all". The Interpreter warns Christian, "Remember this man's misery, and let it be an everlasting caution to you."
Christian is just about ready to proceed on his journey, but the Interpreter wishes to show him one last thing. Christian meets a man, getting out of bed trembling. Christian asks why the man is trembling. The man explains that he had a dream of the sky growing dark, thunder and lightning, clouds rising and stretching, followed by the sound of a trumpet. He sees a Man sitting upon a cloud, accompanied by the thousands of Heaven, and he hears a voice, "Arise, you Dead, and come to judgment!" The Man sitting upon the cloud then opens a book and summons the world to draw near, and hears a proclamation, "Gather together the tares, chaff, and stubble and cast them into the burning lake." The Bottomless Pit opens at the dreamer's feet, and he hears another proclamation, "Gather my wheat into the barn". With that, he sees people caught up and carried away, but he is left behind. He tries to hide, but the Man sitting upon the cloud fixes His gaze on him and his conscience constantly accuses him. With that, the man awakes. The man explains that his trembling is due to his fear at being left behind, and the affliction from his conscience.
The Interpreter then asks if Christian has considered all these things, and Christian replies, "Yes, and they cause me both to hope and to fear." "Good," replies the Interpreter. "Keep these things in your mind so they may act as prods in your sides to poke you and cause you to go forward in the way you must go." Christian begins to prepare to leave, and the Interpreter gives him one last benediction, "May the Counselor always be with you, good Christian, to guide you in the way that leads to the City."
Thoughts on this chapter
The Interpreter is a well-qualified preacher or teacher who quickly teaches our Pilgrim, who has just entered through the Gate, what he needs to know in order to proceed on his way. Most of the images are self-evident in their meaning, but I will comment on two of them.
The strong man attacking the door of the palace: Christian thinks he knows what this means, but I wish he would have explained it! I've heard this metaphor somewhere else, but I can't remember where. I wonder if it has anything to do with Christ's words in Matthew 11:12, "And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force."
The man bound in the iron cage: I think this means that Bunyan believed that someone could lose their salvation through loss of self-control, because he certainly implies that this man was saved once, and now is not. I believe that God's forgiveness covers all our sins, including those in the future, however I wonder if someone can forfeit that forgiveness through unbelief.
Pilgrim gets to the gate finally, and knocks several times, and expresses his desire that the gate be opened for him, though he is an unworthy Rebel. At last, a serious looking person, Goodwill comes, asks who is at the Gate and what he wants. Pilgrim repeats his request to Goodwill, saying he is escaping from the City of Destruction and going to Mount Zion. Goodwill replies, "I'm willing with all my heart," and opens the gate. Just as Christian is stepping in, Goodwill reaches out and pulls Christian in. Christian is surprised by the quick motion and asks "Why did you do that?" Goodwill says that a short distance away, there is a castle ruled by Beelzebub, from which he and those with him shoot arrows to those who come to the Gate.
After Christian is inside the Gate, he and Goodwill converse over many things. Why did Christian come alone? Did anyone try to prevent his journey? Why did Pliable fall away? Nothing is withheld; Christian even refuses to judge Pliable for falling away, as he tells how he, himself, fell away from the path after his encounter with Mr. Worldly Wiseman, and his attempt to go up the mountain to the town of Morality. Goodwill says it was good that Christian escaped being smashed to pieces by the mountain. He also says "In spite of everything people have done before they come here, we make no objections against anyone. No one will ever be driven away. Therefore, Christian, travel awhile with me, and I'll teach you about the way you must go. Look in front of you. Do you see that Narrow Road? That is the way you must go. It was constructed by the Patriarchs, Prophets, Christ, and His Apostles; and it is as straight as a ruler can make it. This is the way you must go." Christian asks if there are any twists or turns to watch out for, and Goodwill says there are, but he can always judge the true path because it is the only one that is straight and narrow.
Christian then asks if anything can be done about the burden on his back. Goodwill tells him, "Concerning your burden, be content to bear it until you come to the Place of Deliverance, for there it will fall from your back by itself." Goodwill then tells him that he will soon come to the house of the Interpreter, and that he should stop there in order to be shown some excellent things. With that, Goodwill bids him God speed, and Christian continues his journey.
Thoughts on this chapter
The footnote on the sentence where Goodwill pulls Christian through the Gate says that this is meant to show how God is active in bringing people into the safety of His care. It is the good will of God that causes Him to take the first step in the salvation of every soul. Beelzebub is introduced as the enemy of pilgrims at this point. Up to now, all Christian's enemies were his peers. Now he faces the prospect of supernatural opposition, though Goodwill protects him from it for now.
This is an important chapter, very deep and full of substance. It comes very close to the tone of Paul's letter to the Galatians.
Christian struggles along the path alone, feeling the heavy weight he carries on his back. A man named Mr. Worldly Wiseman approaches and meets him on the path. Worldly engages Christian in conversation with the intent of turning him from the path. At first Christian talks encouragingly of his journey to the gate, but Worldly distracts him by asking about his family. Christian deflects the question, but when Worldly offers him advice, Christian agrees to listen to it and continue the conversation. Worldly asks how Christian came to be with his burden and who sent him in the path, and Christian tells him about Evangelist and his book. Worldly curses Evangelist for offering Christian foolish advice which will result in his death. He lists ten dangers facing Christian on the road ahead, ending in his death. As for the book, Worldly says, "I thought so, it has happened to you as to other weak men who suddenly fall into such distractions by meddling with things too high for them. Those distractions not only strip men of manliness, as I perceive they have done to you, but also cause them to undertake desperate ventures to obtain things they know nothing about." Now that Christian's confidence in Evangelist, his book, and his own intelligence have been shattered, Worldly moves in for the kill. He asks Christian why he should seek this way to ease his burden when there is another way which would be much easier, and which would result in safety, friendship, and contentment. Christian replies, "Please, sir, reveal this secret to me."
Worldly tells Christian of a nearby village called Morality, where a gentleman named Legality lives. If Legality is not home, he has a son named Civility who will serve just as well as his father. He also tells Christian he can call for his family to come and join him there and they can live with honest neighbors in favor and style. Christian asks, "Sir, which is the way to this honest man's house?" Worldly directs Christians attention to a high hill and says that Legality's house will be found there.
So Christian departs from the Way and proceeds to Mr. Legality's house for help. But the path quickly becomes treacherous, the hill is so high. There is also such a high overhang over the path that Christian begins to fear for his life. Flashes of fire come out from the hill, and Christian becomes paralyzed with fear.
At this point, Evangelist appears and says to Christian, and asks, "What are you doing here, Christian? Christian is speechless. Evangelist asks, "Aren't you the man I found crying outside the walls of the City of Destruction?" "Yes, Sir, I'm the man", admits Christian. "Didn't I advise you of the way to the small Narrow Gate?", asks Evangelist. Christian then stammers out the story of how he met Mr. Worldly Wiseman, and how he was turned from the way. Evangelist's tone then becomes very serious as he explains Christian's error, "Pay more careful attention to the things I tell you. I'll now show you who deluded you and who it was also to whom he sent you..."
He continues, "Now there are three things in this man's counsel you must absolutely despise. First--his act of turning you out of the Way; second--his work to render the Cross offensive to you; and third--his way of setting your feet in the path that leads to the administration of death." Evangelist then proceeds to elaborate on these three points, and then proceeds to tell Christian the character of the people he was going to meet.
"He to whom you were sent to find ease is named Legality. He is the son of the 'slave woman' that now exists and who is in bondage with her children. The slave woman is symbolic of Mount Sinai--this mountain you feared would fall on your head. Now, if she and her children are in bondage, how can you expect to be made free by them? Therefore, Legality is not able to set you free from your burden. No one has ever been delivered from his burden by him; no, nor is it ever likely to happen. You can't be justified by the works of the law, for no one living can be loosed from his burden by the deeds of the law."
Evangelist then cries out to heaven to confirm his words and the mountain replies, "All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: 'Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law."
Christian, very shaken by his error, asks if it is too late for him. Evangelist says that his sin is very great, but that the man at the gate will receive him, as he favors mankind. He warns Christian to not depart from the path again, however, or he will perish from the Way. Christian then hurries back to the Path, ignoring any he passes lest they distract him from his purpose.
Thoughts on this chapter
The mountain is Mount Sinai of course. Christian is distracted by that doctrine which says that we will be fine if we are just good enough, taught by every religion on earth, including those Christian churches who emphasize good works over The Cross of Christ. Evangelist's tone mirrors that of Paul in his letter to the Galatians,
O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Have you suffered so many things in vain if indeed it was in vain?
Galatians 3:1-4 (NKJV)
Underline this
Evangelist: "I say, therefore, when anyone works to persuade you that following God's instructions will cause your death, when the Truth has said you cannot have eternal life without doing so, you must despise that person's doctrine."
No posting tomorrow, see you Monday, at The Gate finally!
This chapter begins with Christian and Pliable walking toward the gate mentioned in Chapter 1. Pliable, not knowing what he is getting himself into, asks Christian several questions, related to the goal of their quest, and whether the words in Christian's book are actually true. Pliable seems to be encouraged, and asks to proceed faster, whereupon Christian replies that he cannot because of the burden on his back.
No sooner than he has said this they come suddenly upon a swamp, the Swamp of Despondence, and not paying attention to the ground beneath their feet, they both fall in. Christian, being weighted by his burden, begins to sink, and Pliable asks "Ah, Christian, where are you now?" Christian replies, "To tell the truth, I don't know" Pliable then reacts impatiently saying, "Is this the happiness you've been telling me about all this time? If we make such poor progress at the beginning of our travel, what can we expect between here and our journey's end? If I get out alive, you will enter the fine country without me!" He then struggles back to the side of the swamp closest to his home, and returns back to his own home.
Christian struggles to the other side of the swamp, and as he approaches solid ground, a man named Help approaches him, and asks what he is doing there. Christian relates the story of being sent by Evangelist, and how he fell in the swamp. Help asks, "Why didn't you look for the steps?" Christian says he was so afraid he didn't think to look for any steps, and then Help lends him a hand and pulls Christian up to solid ground.
Christian then asks Help why this swamp exists where it does since it lies directly in the path between the City of Destruction and the Gate. Help replies, "This muddy swamp is the kind of place that cannot be mended. It's the low place into which the scum and filth that accompanies the conviction of sin run continually. It is therefore called the Swamp of Despondence; for commonly as the sinner is awakened about his lost condition there will rise up in his soul many fears, doubts, and discouraging apprehensions, which all flow together and settle in this place. And that's the reason for the worthlessness of this ground."
Help continues by saying that the King is not pleased by the existence of this swamp, and two thousand years' worth of attempts have been made to repair it, but still it remains the Swamp of Despondence. However, steps have been built through the very center of the swamp, but they are not always noticed by troubled travelers. He ends with an encouraging word however, "But the ground is good when they have once gone through the Gate."
Pliable, who abandoned Christian in the swamp, returns home, both to praise for coming to his senses and mockery for considering the quest at all. He soon settles back into his normal life in the City of Destruction, and the author never hears of him again.
Thoughts on this chapter
The swamp is a very prominent threat to one's progress at the beginning of the journey, and I wonder what Bunyan meant by putting it before the gate, that seems to be intentional. It may refer to one attempting to be a Christian by good works, and then suffering from guilt when it becomes obvious that is not the way to go. It may also refer to the conviction of sin one experiences before one throws himself upon the Grace of God. In any case, Help comes in order to get one's feet back on solid ground and continuing on the journey.
The story begins with John Bunyan asleep in a cave (actually his jail cell), and the story comes to him in a dream. He sees an unnamed man, dressed in rags, holding a book, with a heavy burden on his back. He is troubled after reading from the book in his hand, and exclaims "What must I do?" After going home, he tries to tell his wife and children of the upcoming destruction of their city, but they do not believe him, and send him to bed to shut him up. He cannot sleep as the destruction foretold in the book is too strong in his mind. Subject to his family's derision, he withdraws from them for prayer, often going into a nearby field to pray and read the book. Several days later, he cries out, "What must I do to be saved?" A man named Evangelist approaches and asks why he is troubled, whereupon the man recounts the destruction foretold by the book. Evangelist asks "Why are you standing here?" The man answers, "I don't know where to go!" Evangelist points to a distant gate and tells the man that is where he needs to go. The gate is not visible, however, so Evangelist tells the man to go toward the shining light, it will direct him to the gate, and he will then be told what to do.
Our man thereupon starts running toward the light, but his family and neighbors will not let him go unmolested. Two ruffians, Obstinate and Pliable, are sent out to bring him home by force. They catch up to our man Christian (and it is here that the man's name is first disclosed) and attempt to talk him into giving up his quest. Christian is not deterred however, and Obstinate decides to call off the chase and return home. Pliable however, seems sympathetic to Christian's quest and decides to go along. Obstinate goes home alone.
Thoughts on this chapter
The gate is a prominent symbol mentioned throughout the book. Christian is told that he must start the journey at the gate, but he is identified as Christian before he enters the gate. I think this is symbolic of John Bunyan's early Christian life. Having a rough character to reform, and being married to a religious woman, it was likely that he was a dedicated church member before understanding salvation by grace. Later in the book, Christian meets people who enter the path by climbing over the wall instead of entering by the gate, and ...well, I'm getting ahead. Read John 10 for Jesus' description of such people, and you can anticipate what their end is in the book.
Christian leaves his family for this quest. I'm not sure that one should leave a spouse behind, as in divorce, to become a Christian. The most important question is one's salvation of course, but I think God can use us to bring others with us. Bunyan cites Luke 14:26 where Jesus says "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple." (NKJV) Given the symbolic nature of the quest, where going means becoming a Christian, and staying means not becoming one, it is obvious that Christian is doing what he must do.
When I chose to become a Christian in June 2001, Amy had not made up her mind to do so, though she has told me since that she felt God moving in her life. It was a real concern for us and we talked about it a lot. Was it going to drive us apart? What relationship would we have with our former Unitarian Universalist congregation, where Christianity was not respected? Things changed after September 11 2001, however. Our anniversary is September 17, and we were at a bed and breakfast (the one with the alpacas), and due to the extremely troubling mood at the time, we decided to go to church (it was the first Sunday after 9/11, I think 9/16). We went to a nearby Methodist church where a friend of Amy's goes, and she had an experience with God I'd have to let her explain to you, but she was moved. We've been going to church together ever since. One thing Amy told me later was that after 9/11, I seemed to be pretty much at peace with what happened (See Psalm 4:8 for what I said at bedtime every night for a very long time after that terrible day). I was upset of course for all the people who died, but I don't remember breaking down and crying until almost a month had passed. As far as the buildings go, I used to walk through those buildings every day on my way home from work, and I'm going to miss the view of all those lights going up into the sky as I looked up from the Winter Garden, but I also realized that they were just works of man.
Others may give up blogging for Lent, but I've decided to increase my blogging instead. The idea came from my minister, who has asked us not to give something up, but to take something up instead. So I'm taking up an increased pace of blogging, as well as redirecting the focus of the blog. By the way, I am not going to rename the blog, as I think that could cause some confusion. Just bear in mind that many posts will be of a journal-type nature during Lent. I am going to provide large boldface titles to make the Lent posts stand out from the rest of the blog.
I am going to be reviewing John Bunyan's classical masterpiece The Pilgrim's Progress. It is a thirty-four chapter work, which fits well in the forty days of Lent. So I'm going to handle one chapter a day except Sundays (which are not counted in the forty days anyway) and Wednesdays, when I'm going to be at my church's Bible Study, and blogging will be a distraction that day. In the process of this review, I am going to reread the book (the chapters are not long), and post each evening. I'm reading a "translation" of the book into modern English, by L. Edward Hazelbaker; the chapters seem to be a lot longer when read in seventeenth-century English.
First some background:
Who was John Bunyan, and why did he write The Pilgrim's Progress?
John Bunyan was a Puritan, or Separatist preacher in England. In 1660, freedom of worship was taken away from the English Puritans, and Bunyan was imprisoned for twelve years. Refusing a release conditioned on his giving up his preaching, he wrote Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners in 1666. He may have written the first half of The Pilgrim's Progress at this time as well. He was released in 1672, but after a renewal of persecution, was imprisoned again for six months in 1677. He wrote the second half (if not all) of The Pilgrim's Progress from this second period in prison.
Why read The Pilgrim's Progess?
Quoting from the appendix: "The Pilgrim's Progress has been translated into many languages and is held in high regard around the world. There was a time when there was hardly an English-speaking Christian household without a copy. Next to the Bible, this classic allegory has been the best-selling Christian book and the leading allegory in all of English literature. Its influence can be seen in Christian writing, preaching, literary criticism, commentary, and song lyrics spanning the centuries since its writing."
I'm looking at changing the subject matter of this blog during Lent, maybe even changing its name (but not the url). I'm responding to a plea from our pastor to not give something up for Lent, but to do something new. I'm considering letting this blog be a journal during this Lenten season, maybe even reading a classic Christian work, such as St. Augustine's Confessions, John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progess, or one of C.S. Lewis's works, such as Mere Christianity. If anyone has a suggestion, I'd be glad to consider it, as long as it's a book I can check out from the library or find pretty easily at a book store. The three books I've already mentioned are already in my possession. Part of the deal is that I re-read the book as I review it here.