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Reading: Pp. 10 ~ 19
Summary:
Lesson 2
explains the reason for Christian’s flight from the City of Destruction, Obstinate’s and Pliable’s pursuit of Christian, and the Slough of Despond.
The story starts out with a
man, Christian, looking away from his own home, despairing that he will be
destroyed along with the whole city (evidently, the City of Destruction). Yet,
in his despair, he is comforted by another man, Evangelist, who directs him in
the proper direction to go to reach the Celestial City, where he can be safe.
Sadly, however, Christian
cannot persuade his family or friends to go with him and give up their old
lives of deceit. Two of Christian’s neighbors, Obstinate and Pliable, actually
try to dissuade Christian from leaving, but they fail in the process. So
(finally) Christian sets out with Pliable in the direction of Wicket Gate.
Not long afterwards, Christian
and Pliable fall into the Slough of Despond. Pliable, who is very easily
discouraged, quickly turns back towards the City of Destruction and climbs out
of the Slough. Meanwhile, Christian, who is set on not returning to the City,
starts to despair about getting out of the pond. Luckily, he is rescued by
Help, who helps him by showing the stairs from which he can get of the Slough.
Christian didn’t see these stairs before since he was in despair.
In conclusion, the lesson
learned from this lesson is: Don’t give up. Vicki Shen
Main Subjects:
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What motivates Christian to leave his wife and children behind and set off on
his journey?
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What
do you think the Slough of Despond stands for?
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How do
Evangelist, Obstinate, Pliable, and Help enter the path, and what is the
significance of this?
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Verses
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Vocabulary
 Return
To
Pilgrim's Progress Main Page
1. What motivates
Christian to leave his wife and children behind and set off on his journey?
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Christian was a man who had a family; he had a wife and
children. Christian also had a very heavy burden, which was sin. This sin
was really pressuring him, so he wanted to get rid of it. A good man named
Evangelist told him that that even though neither he nor Christian could rid
of it, but there was someone who could. Evangelist knew this someone, who
was really God. Evangelist told Christian that God could help him with his
burden. Christian had to go to the city of Zion. He started his journey with
two of his neighbors, Obstinate and Pliable, but they eventually leaves him.
His wife and children doesn’t know about this burden. Christian than sets
off to leave his home and start his journey to the city of Zion.
(Jennifer Lee)
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Christian was motivated to leave his wife and
children because he had a burden of sins on his back. He wanted to free
himself from this burden so he went on his journey to the Celestial city. He
left his wife and children behind because when he told them of his burden
and guilt, they didn’t believe him and when he said more about it, they even
came to ignored him. Also, the city in which he resided in before leaving on
his journey was the City of Destruction. (Emily Lu)
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The burden of sin on Christian’s back makes
him leave the City of Destruction. Christian wanted his wife and children to
come along although they refused. So Christian set off on his journey to the
City of Zion. (Elaine Lee)
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Christian was motivated to leave his home and
family and set out on a journey because he had this awful guilt, he had a
burden of sins on his back that he wanted to get rid of. (Samuel Lu)
2.
What do you think the Slough of Despond stands
for?
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The Slough of Despond is a miry slough that
cannot be mended. It is the passage to where those who attend conviction of
sins and a place that continually runs. It is a deep and muddy place. It is
in this very place that a man’s heart and soul is filled with fears, doubts,
and apprehension. I personally think that the Slough of Despond stands for
the worldly things in life. That the world is filled with tempting things,
(like your own possessions that you simply can’t give up or share with
others), filled with fears and doubts, filled with sins that all people
commit. Christian had a burden of sins on his back when he had fallen into
the Slough of Despond and because of his burdens and fears; it makes it
impossible to find a way out. But he had the determination to keep going to
the yonder gate, and was therefore saved by a man named Help, who provided
his hand and helped Christian get out of the miry slough. Unlike Christian,
Pliable gave up at the first sight of an obstacle and didn’t have the will
or determination to keep fighting on. Those of us who had determination to
keep going and to fight on are the ones that will surely succeed in life.
(Emily Lu)
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It probably stands that when you get very
discouraged you get into a mood where you want to give up something almost
impossible. Example, Christian and Pliable were in the Slough of Despond and
Pliable asked Christian were they were. They had no idea and Pliable got
frustrated and angry. So Pliable got up, turned back, and left Christian in
the slough. Christian was in the slough and stayed there for the burden on his
back made him unable to get up and possibly a bit discouraged. (Elaine Lee)
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I think that the Slough of Despond stands for
the Worldly things. There are many things that tempt us, like for me, I always
want more and more toys, games, and whenever it comes to homework that I can’t
seem to accomplish, I just give up. I think that people who are like that
cannot escape from the Slough of Despond. (Samuel Lu)
3. How do
Evangelist, Obstinate, Pliable, and Help enter the path, and what is the
significance of this?
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Evangelist enters the path when Christian was
walking in the fields, greatly distressed, Evangelist was the man that told
Christian to fly from the wrath and guided him in the direction to yonder
wicket-gate. Later on in Christian’s journey, Evangelist puts him back on
the correct path to yonder gate when he loses his way. Obstinate and Pliable
enter the path when Christian runs out of the city and they decide to
retrieve Christian and bring him back. Help enters the path when Christian
falls into the Slough of Despond; Help is the man that saves him. These
characters connect with their names because like Evangelist, his name means
a spiritual leader; in the book Evangelist leads Christian on the right path
to the Celestial City. Obstinate means very stubborn and it is just like
Obstinate because he wouldn’t agree to go along with Christian. Pliable
means very receptive to change and easily persuaded. He was easily persuaded
to go with Christian but also changed his mind because his didn’t want to
overcome the Slough of Despond. Lastly, Help means to provide assistance.
Help lent his hand to Christian and pulled him out of the slough of
Despond and saved Christian. (Emily Lu)
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Evangelist enters the path by directing
Christian to the wicket-gate, the start of the journey. The word evangelist
is a person who preaches the gospel. This fits his name for he is
"preaching" Christian to go to the gate. Obstinate tries to persuade
Christian to go back to the City of Destruction. Then Christian tells
Obstinate to go with him but Obstinate stubbornly refuses as his name means.
Pliable was with Obstinate to persuade Christian. Though Pliable easily
joined Christian, it was not long till he turned back after the Slough of
Despond. Pliable always is easily turning to others, it is clear that he is
bad. Help appears on the journey to help Christian get out of the Slough of
Despond. It is probably that Help appears on other pilgrims’ journeys to
help them. (Elaine Lee)
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Evangelist-
meaning a spiritual leader. In Christian’s journey, Evangelist is there to
keep Christian on the right path to the Celestial City. Obstinate- means
very stubborn. In the story, obstinate is the neighbor and is so stubborn
that he won’t listen to or agree with anybody but himself. Pliable- means
easily influenced and changed. In Christian’s journey, he is easily
convinced to go along with Christian but also gives up too easily when there
is trouble. Help- means giving assistance to others. In the story, Help is
the man who gives Christian a hand and gets him out of the Slough of
Despond. (Samuel Lu)
Verses For The Pilgrim’s Progress pgs 10-19
Michelle Lee
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Isaiah 64:6-All of us have
become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy
rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep away. Psalms 38:4-My guilt has
overwhelmed me like a burden heavy to bear.
Acts 16: 30-31-He then brought
them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" They replied,
"Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.
Isaiah 30:33-Topeth has long
being prepared; it has been made ready for the king. Its fire pit has been
made deep and wide, with an abundance of fire and wood; a stream of burning
sulfur, sets it ablaze.
Matthew 3:7-But when he saw
many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he
said to them:" You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming
wrath?
Matthew 7:13, 14-Enter through
the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad isn’t the road that leads to
destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the
road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Psalms
119:105-Your word is a lamp to feet and a light for my path.
2 Peter 1:19-And we have the
word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay
attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the dawns and
the morning star rises in your hearts.
Genesis 19:17-As soon as they
had brought them out, one of them said, "Flee for your lives! Don’t look
back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you
will be swept away!"
Isaiah 19:18-In that day five
cities in Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to
the Lord Almighty. One of them will be called the City of Destruction.
1 Peter 1:4-And into an
inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you.
Luke 9:62-Jesus replied, "No
one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the
kingdom of God.
Proverbs 26:16-The sluggard is
wiser in his own eyes, than seven men who answer discreetly.
Titus 1:2-A faith and knowledge
resting on the hope of eternal life which God who does not lie promised
before the beginning of time.
Revelation 21:4-He will wipe
every tear from their eyes there will be no more death or mourning or crying
or pain for the old order of things passed away.
Revelations 5:11-Then I looked
and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and
ten thousand times ten thousand.
Revelations 4:4-Surrounding the
throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated among them were
twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on
their heads. Revelations 14:1-5-Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb,
standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his
Father’s name written on their foreheads and I heard a sound from heaven
like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I
heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. And they sang a new
song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders.
No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from
the earth. These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for
they kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were
purchased from among men and offered as first fruits to God and the Lamb. No
lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.
Lesson 2 Vocabulary Angela Zhou
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- Lamentable - Something that will be regretted. Page 11
- Undefiled - To clean, purify. Page 14
- Firmament - Heavens, arch of the sky. Page 15
- Seraphim - An order of angels. Page 16
- Miry- wet spongy earth like a bog or marsh. Page 16
- Bedaubed- To decorate with too much. Page 16
- Deride- To laugh at with ugly hate. Page 18
- Beshrew- curse. Page 20
- Carnal- having a relation to the body. Page 24
- Sottish-Drunken. Page 25
- Countenance- Calm expression-Page 34
- Sepulchre-Tomb.Page 38
- Cogitations- Thoughts, meditations. Page 49
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