There is a book called Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan that I believe every person should read at least once in their life. I am not going to say much about the book here but I will share with you some thoughts that I had over lunch break...
John Bunyan was an uneducated tinker.... even the name of his profession sounds insignificant. He was a tinker. But when this insignificant tinker was captured by the magnificence of the Gospel, God did some amazing things with this man. Bunyan became a preacher. The Word of God captivated Bunyan and he felt compelled to preach. There was a problem though... Church and state were very closely weaved and heavily legislated. Bunyan was committed to preaching the whole counsel of God and was imprisoned for it because he was a nonconformist. Meaning he would neither get a certificate for preaching nor change his message.
So, they threw him in prison. For nearly 12 years Bunyan sat in the confines of a cell. Imagine in school suspension but drag that out for months then years. Every day the same story, wake up in a cell, maybe exercise a little, eat drink, think, maybe do a few assigned chores. How did he spend all of his time? Surely there was a lot of down time and he didn't have the luxury of watcing dvds. What would preoccupy his thoughts as he clearly wasted away in a prison? I am sure of one thing. He poured himself over the bible. He became a master of one Book. The bible. He knew the nuances. He read it over and over again I am sure as he sat in prison removed from his family, friends, and church. He probably didn't consult very many commentaries to understand the bible. He probably just begged God to give the meaning. In a way I feel that Bunyan's theology is very pure. A simple man caught up in the majesty of God and wrestling with the mysteries of our faith. Out of that time in prison a book came into being. The Pilgrim's Progress which is an allegory of a Christian's faith journey.
Given the background of Bunyan's story I sat at my kitchen table and thought about how I handle the Word. I am only speculating but I don't know if Bunyan consulted many extra sources beyond the bible. I actually picture him so in love with the word that it falls out of him onto the pages as he penned Pilgrim's Progress. There are hundreds and hundreds of passages of scripture surgically implanted into the book. The only way that he could possible have written like that is if the bible was part of him. If it was ingrained in his thoughts. So, I want to know the bible like him. I am thankful for the DJ reading plan and how it helps us in the words of John Stott, 'to survey the rolling landscape of scripture.' I am thankful that our church is reading through the bible. I am thankful that there are people like Bunyan out there giving us a goal to be like. I want to know the bible like him. Because I want to know God like he did. So... read Pilgrim's Progress because it will inspire you to be a student of the Word.
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