Bilblical Themes in The Pilgrim's Progress

Christians are pilgrims in a foreign and dangerous land. 1 Peter 2:11, Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. Peter addresses followers of Jesus as aliens and strangers. John Calvin comments, [Peter] so calls them [aliens], not because they were banished from their country, and scattered into various lands, but because the children of God, wherever they may be, are only guests in this world. No writer outside of the writers of Holy Scripture has captured this theme better than John Bunyan’s allegory The Pilgrim’s Progress.

An allegory is “a story in which the meaning or message is represented symbolically.” The plot, characters and events of Bunyan’s book represent our lives and God’s truth. Bunyan desired to paint a picture of the Christian life to communicate biblical truth. One particular truth that we encounter, even in the book’s title, is that the Christian life is often pictured as a long, difficult and dangerous journey through a hostile world. This truth does not deny the good gifts of God’s common and special graces, but it is helpful to remember that we are called aliens and strangers.

The Pilgrim’s Progress awakens us to many joys and dangers that often go unnoticed as we travel through this life. It has proven so helpful to the people of God that it has been translated into more than 100 languages and it may be the most widely read book in the English language. So, join us as we study the biblical themes as we watch Christian travel from The City of Destruction to The Celestial City.

The Christian Life as a Journey	1 Peter 2:11	09.17.2006
The Gospel	Galatians 1:6-10	09.24.2006
Enemies of the Gospel	Hebrews 3:12-19	10.08.2006
Sanctification	2 Thessalonians 2:13-17	10.15.2006
Enemies of Sanctification	Matthew 26:41	10.22.2006
Little Faith	1 John 3:19-24	11.12.2006
Journeying to the Celestial City	Romans 5:1-11	11.19.2006