Season 5 Podcast 52 John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, Episode 13 Chapter 3 E, “Piety.”

A New Voice of Freedom

Season 5 Podcast 52 John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, Episode 13 Chapter 3 E, “Piety.”

In last week’s episode, Christian, after a rigorous interview was invited into the Palace. We were introduced to Watchful, Discretion, Prudence, Piety, and Charity. This week we shall enter the Palace. His hosts, Piety, Prudence, and Charity invite Christian to recount his journey.

Then he bowed his head, and followed them into the house. So, when he was come in and sat down, they gave him something to drink, and agreed together, that, until supper was ready, some of them should talk with Christian, for the best use of the time; and they appointed Piety, Prudence, and Charity to talk with him; and thus, they began:

A very strange conversation follows. What at first appears to be simple banter before dinner in which Piety, Prudence, and Charity invite Christian to tell his adventures is really, upon examination, an interrogation. It is clear that the three virtues already know his full story. You do not get the expected sympathetic gasps of horror at his trials nor the complimentary praise at his successes. It is as if Christian is on trial. Piety is the first to interrogate Christian. Note that the tone is one of superiority. They are not there to learn from Christian. They are there to teach that which Christian has missed. In other words, to become a good Christian, Christian must learn about Piety, Prudence, and Charity. They do not play the role of students. They play the role of Evangelist and of The Interpreter. From Christian’s response we are given much more of the details that before were left out of the narrative. They want Christian to learn everything he can from his journey, suggesting that in Bunyan’s eyes, the journey is equal to the destination. The only way Christian can appreciate Zion is by taking the journey. That is the central theme of Pilgrim’s Progress. We shall first examine Piety’s interrogation.

Piety. Come, good Christian since we have been so loving to you to receive you into our house this night, let us, if perhaps we may better ourselves thereby, talk with you of all things that have happened to you in your pilgrimage.

Chris. With a very good will, and I am glad that you are so well disposed.

Piety. What moved you at first to betake yourself to a pilgrim's life.

Piety takes Christian through every step of his journey and makes him account for all of his actions.

CHRIS. I was driven out of my native country by a dreadful sound that was in mine ears; to wit, that certain destruction did await me, if I abode in that place where I was.

To Piety, the answer is not sufficient.

Piety. But how did it happen that you came out of your country this way?

Remember Worldly Wiseman, Legality, and Civility? They too originally had the same concerns as Christian; however, they chose a different path to deal with them. They chose the way of the world, not the way of Christian sacrifice. To Piety it is very important how Christian answers the above question. The Palace is no ordinary building. It is a temple. The purpose of the temple is to sanctify Christian and better prepare him for his journey to Zion, which is the Holy City. Let me remind you of the words of John the Revelator as found in Revelation 21.

“And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.