I realize there has been a several month hiatus in posts on this blog. My ministerial duties have rightfully occupied my time, with my available "online" time taken by my alternate (and highly active) site Ephemeros._______________________________
I have begun an independent research project on the life and theology of John Bunyan. I had the foresight a few years ago to purchase his complete works (Banner of Truth), but my only prior reading of Bunyan had been pilgrim's progress. Over this last year I sensed that I had ignored my reading of the Puritans. It was replaced by other great reading (particularly Calvin and Bavinck), but Puritans are my first love (other than Scripture), and hence I am the prodigal returned.
In my initial reading, I was drawn towards two specific documents within Bunyan's works. Particularly, The Reason for My Practice in Worship, and his subsequent piece entitled Differences in Water Baptism No Bar to Communion.
For Bunyan, the word "communion" is used in its wider sense of Christian fellowship within a local church (what we might refer to as "church membership"). While Bunyan's communion would have included the ordinance of the Lord's Table (what we now commonly refer to as "communion") it would also have been much broader than that.
Bunyan is important for my purposes for two reasons: first, he is pure puritan. In fact, he ranks very high within the Puritan world. While not possessing the intellectual capacity of a John Owen (who does?), or the golden tongue (or pen) of a Richard Sibbes, Bunyan nevertheless had an unequalled ability to speak the great truths of Scripture to the common man. He felt comfortable in a multitude of communication mediums, and was an incredible popularizer and generalist. In fact, John Owen once said of Bunyan that he "would gladly exchange all his learning for Bunyan's power of touching men's heart." The power of Bunyan was located in his determined and constant focus on the Word of God. Later, Spurgeon said of him, "He bleeds the Bible, prick him anywhere and his blood in bibline".
Second, Bunyan is Baptist. While many Puritans were Baptist (most were Presbyterian or Congregational), very few Baptists were notable among the Puritans. In fact, Bunyan was the first Baptist to achieve a level of prominence within the Christian world....something that wouldn't be repeated for almost 2 centuries.
Thus, as a modern day Baptist pastor, who is Reformed in his theology and a great admirer of Puritans, Bunyan is a natural draw.
Later this week, I will offer a synopsis of these two important works of Bunyan, and offer what I believe are implications for our modern-day Baptist churches.
