Season 5 Podcast 19 John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress Ch 1 B "The Beginning of the Journey."

Season 5 Podcast 19 John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Pilgrim’s Progress is an allegory; therefore, the names are types or symbols. For example, Pliable who agrees to accompany Christian symbolizes all those who are agreeable and easy to manipulate. They are unreliable and take the easiest way. They do not lead. They follow. Pilgrim’s Progress reads much like a very long sermon. The model, of course, is taken from the Bible itself, which Christian refers to as ‘The Book.’ Evangelist teaches strictly from The Book. In Pilgrim’s Progress we will meet characters, such as Wordly Wiseman who give advice contrary to The Book as well as other characters such as Help who give advice in harmony with The Book. Worldly Wiseman is very persuasive because he bases his advice on logic unencumbered by religious dogmatism. He sounds very logical. Christian told Worldly Wiseman that he is carrying a heavy burden. Worldly Wise simply said, “Put it down.” In other words, you don’t need to go through the steps of repentance. Simply get rid of the guilt. Use counselling if necessary. Use mediation. Use the legal system. Pilgrim’s Progress is ingenious but not subtle. It is didactic not ironic. Anyone familiar with the Holy Bible is well aware of its generous use of simile, metaphor, analogy, allegory, and parables. For example, in the story of the fall of the house of Gideon, Abimelech, a son of Gideon born to a concubine from the tribe of Shechem. Abimelech conspires with fellow tribesman to murder all the other sons of Gideon and make himself King of Israel. With the help of hired assassins he murders his seventy brothers. Only one brother escapes. It is Jotham. Jotham confronts Abimelech and his followers with the following allegory.“And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you. The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us. But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees? And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, and reign over us. But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees? Then said the trees unto the vine, Come thou, and reign over us. And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees? Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us. And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow: and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.”The richness of the allegory lies in understanding the importance of the Olive Tree, the Fig Tree and the Grape Vines to the House of Israel as well as the symbolism of the brambles. The first three symbols represent peace, prosperity, healing, security, law, and order. They symbolize the people of the covenant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The brambles symbolize just the opposite. They are to be cast into the fire and burned.  Jotham prophesied,“If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you: But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech. Pilgrim’s Progress is just one long allegory. Bunyan uses the Bible as the only standard of judgment, and all of his characters are inspired by stories from the Holy Bible.