The Lost Character of Pilgrim’s Progress

John Bunyan’s classic story Pilgrim’s Progress follows Christian’s beautiful journey from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City. Characters with revealing names like Hopeful, Talkative, and Giant Despair, appear at every point along the way either helping him to persevere on the path or diverting him.

The story is an analogy of the Christian life from start to finish. Obviously, Bunyan couldn’t include every character in his story, so I’d like to add one you may have met along your journey. His name is Unevangelist.

Unevangelist lived in the City of Destruction pretty close to Christian and Christiana. Unevangelist actually knew the Great King and in some ways was on the Journey to the Celestial City himself. He regularly met with other pilgrims for encouragement and studying the Book.

Unevangelist loved the Great King. Living in the City of Destruction, however, had taken a toll on Unevangelist and his family. On a few occasions, they had been put to shame and one time he had been physically assaulted for talking openly about his trust in the King. Consequently, he was much more careful about his conversations.

Living close to each other, Unevangelist and Christian became friends. These were the easier days before Christian had read the Book himself and developed the great Burden on his back.

Their families occasionally got together for meals in each other’s homes. Their kids all played sports on the same teams. The men sometimes had coffee together on the way home from work. When a family crisis hit either home, the other family had always tried to help out.

Christian could see a difference in Unevangelist and his family. There was joy and a sense of purpose that Christian and Christiana knew they didn’t have. He was aware that Unevangelist would meet with pilgrims and that he trusted in the King, but he didn’t know much more.

Unevangelist was ready to give answers for the hope within, but then Christian never really came out with the questions. For all of the time they spent together building a relationship, Unevangelist never intentionally told Christian about the dangers of the City of Destruction or of his need to escape. The timing just didn’t seem quite right. He had been burned for his boldness before, and Unevangelist was concerned that it might happen again.

The months and years that the two men knew each other could have prepared Christian in some ways for the beginning of his real journey, but in fact, if it weren’t for the Book and Evangelist coming into Christian’s life, he may have died in the City of Destruction without ever taking one step on his journey.

Christian didn’t just need a reliable friend for his earthly trials; he needed someone to speak to his truest need—a right relationship with God. When Christian read the Book he experienced the crushing conviction of his sin. He needed clear direction. He needed to know the way to the Wicket-gate. He needed encouragement to run to the Cross and to believe in Jesus.

Evangelist spoke up and told him. As his Burden finally rolled down the hill of the cross into the open Grave, Christian was overcome with joy.

Even though Unevangelist didn’t make it into Bunyan’s famous book, he is all too familiar to me. I see him in myself and in many Christians I know. It is so tempting to just live the Christian life among our Christian friends and family without intentionally engaging the non-Christians all around us.

While Christian lifestyles and ready gospel answers are vitally important, they are not enough. They don’t adequately answer the reality of hell, the eternality of every person’s soul, the glory of the good news itself, obedience to the Lord Jesus’ Great Commission, the promise of the Holy Spirit’s help, or spreading the fame of the glory of God.

Paul from the Bible understood these things. From the day he met Jesus on the Damascus Road, Christ consumed his heart. Passion for a new set of priorities turned his heart upside down, inspiring him to be part of the group that turned the world upside down.

In his letter to the church at Rome Paul wrote, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek (Romans 1:16).

Every one of those passions that burned in Paul’s heart is still worth catching today. As we draw near to Paul’s heart through the inspired historical record, may the flames erupting from his heart ignite the dry embers of our own. May the Lord be pleased to use us to again turn the world upside down with the gospel of Jesus!