RED DAVE

What is the source of Ecclesiastes? It certainly is amazing.

RED DAVE

Joan of Bark

(Reviving an old thread here)

What no-one here has mentioned is the incredibly obvious contradictions contained in this book. The author contradicts himself on the subjects of wisdom, happiness, and death. In fact, these contradictions are so blatant that in future I'm going to use this ONE book to argue against Biblical inerrancy when debating a believer.

Clouseau

'Then man goes to his eternal home, and mourners go about the streets. Remember him — before the silver cord is severed, or the golden bowl is broken; before the pitcher is shattered at the spring, or the wheel broken at the well, and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.' Eccl 12:5-7 NIV

'God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.' Eccl 12:14 NIV

Which is the precise truth, in the sense that everything that man is that is more than animal is entirely dependent on his animal nature. Civilization is always built on agricultural surplus. And of course, all man's achievements come to nothing, as mankind dies like the animals.

So theft, murder, violence and general anarchy make sense?

'What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.' Mic 6:8 NIV

hallq

It's worth realizing that some of the ideas that Ecclesiastes is skeptical of, like the afterlife, have never been as important for Judaism as for Christianity. Christians are forced to reinterpret the OT on many points; arguably this isn't the worst one.f

Clouseau

There is a myth abroad that Christianity and Judaism can both be true. Christians are of the view that Judaism has to more or less overturn the OT if it is to survive. It will come as news to them that any part of the OT is not an integral, organic part of the whole gospel message from the first word in Genesis to the last in Malachi.