Pilgrim's Progress is a work by John Bunyan considered one of the best-known allegories of a spiritual journey. In order to begin to understand this work, you must embark on your own personal spiritual journey. Biblical references and quotations are riddled even in the simplest moments of this work, to the point that it seems as if one is forced to open a Bible and find its hidden meaning. This essay will analyze three characters from Pilgrim's Progress and demonstrate how biblical references led to a greater understanding of said characters and how these references encouraged a personal spiritual journey. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Ostinato is introduced as Christian's neighbor in the City of Destruction. He refuses to join Christian in his quest, exclaiming, "What!...and leave our friends and our comforts behind us!" (Bunyan 13) From this exclamation alone it is possible to deduce that Ostinato is both worldly and stubborn. His first thought is to defy Christian's request, rather than consider the possibility of better options. This notion is supported by the explanatory note which refers the reader to 2 Corinthians 4:18. This verse says, “Whereas we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things that are not seen are eternal.” This verse explains that desiring the things that are seen is wrong, because the things that are not seen are the important things to seek. Stubborn demonstrates temporal perspective and refuses to waver from his ideas. He refuses to abandon his friends and his comforts, both of which fall into the category of temporal ideals. Christian tries to help him in his search for things of an eternal nature, but to no avail. Isaiah 48:4 helps to understand his character by using his name to explain another stubborn person in the Bible. He says, “For I knew that thou art obstinate, that thy neck is a sinew of iron, and thy forehead of brass” (KJV, Isaiah 48.4). This verse shows that to be stubborn is to have a neck of sinews of iron and a forehead of bronze. Having an iron neck means being unshakable in your beliefs and position. The attribute stubborn is also defined in the Bible as stubborn; the footnote in the Bible for stubbornness leads to 1 Samuel 15:23, which says, “stubbornness is like iniquity and idolatry.” This explanation accurately describes Ostinato; avoiding progress is considered a sin, and putting comfort and people before God is considered idolatry. Stubbornness, both as a character and as an attribute, is considered unfairness. With this understanding, it allows the reader to understand that Obstinate's character represents sloth and iniquity, one who regards temporal needs as the most important, and thus the reader can more fully understand Obstinate's role in the Christian's life . Worldy Wiseman is a practical man who Christian meets during the first part of his journey. He believes in living a secular life and attempts to convince Christian to move away from his pilgrimage. To fully understand his character, it is important to understand every part of his name. The worldly, both in the Bible and in The Pilgrim's Progress, is considered ungodly. In this case, the word world represents man's fleshly desires. As 1 John 2:15 states, “Do not love the world, nor the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." This verse states that one cannot have only one eye for the world and one eye for God; you need to have an eternal perspective. From the first word of the name ofWorldly Wiseman, you can tell that he is not a positive/helpful character for Christian to associate with. Wiseman is his middle name, and to aid the understanding of this name it is necessary to separate the name into two words. Those who are wise (in the Bible) are commonly those who seek worldly knowledge and not spiritual knowledge. They lean on the arm of man and not that of God. As Proverbs 3:5 states: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and do not lean on your own understanding.” The Lord instead encourages meekness, considered a Christian attitude. Christ spoke the Sermon on the Mount in the fifth chapter of Matthew, and in the seventh verse of this chapter he says: "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." (KJV, Matthew 5.7.) Meek has a different connotation in the Bible than worldly; Christ compares this attribute to himself in Matthew 11:29: He says, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am meek and humble of heart: and you will find rest for your souls.” Although Christ is the Son of the omniscient God, he calls himself meek and unwise. Meekness is having humility, while being wise is having a stiff neck. The Wise of the World considers his advice so wise that he rebukes the advice of the evangelist: he says: "I congratulate him on his advice... And why should a man so negligently reject himself, giving heed to a stranger?" (Bunyan 19) Not only does Worldly Wiseman despise the Evangelist for his advice, but he also states the ironic observation that the Christian should never “give heed to a stranger.” The evangelist and the world sage are both strangers to the Christian, yet the world sage finds it foolhardy to heed the evangelist's warnings but necessary to listen to himself. This example shows that Worldly Wiseman is not meek in the slightest; considers his advice the most valid, to the extent that it is considered the exception to the rule. The second part of his surname is "man". Man, in the biblical sense, is considered a lesser version of God. Although created in the image of God, man is mortal and has imperfections. Man is not perfect like the omniscient God; man struggles with pride and defects. Man lives in the world and is unaware of the beauty and knowledge of heavenly glory due to his imperfections. After analyzing Worldy Wiseman's name, the reader is able to see him for what he truly is; a son of man who is wise, but nothing compared to God. Faithful is an old friend of Christian who reunites with him before they enter the city of Vanity-Fair. The evangelist said to the two: "Be sure that one of you two will have to seal with blood the testimony you bear: but be faithful until death, and the King will give you the crown of life!" (Bunyan 85) This quote means that at least one of the two would perish because of their faith, but that if they remain faithful until death they will be crowned with heavenly glory. Despite this warning, Christian and Faithful continued to Vanity-Fair and were taken prisoner. They were persecuted because of their faith and it was decided that Faithful would be killed. To the end of her life, Faithful remained true to her beliefs. His last recorded words were: "That what Rule, or Laws, Custom, or People, were contrary to the Word of God, are diametrically opposed to Christianity." (92) The faithful listened to the evangelist's advice by being faithful until death and demonstrated true Christianity. After his death he was immediately "transported through the Clouds, to the sound of the trumpet, the closest route to the Celestial Gate" (95). Just as the evangelist had promised, he was given the crown of life. The story of Faithful is similar to the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the book of Daniel in the Bible. Nebuchadnezzar commanded them to.