17/9/21 Ecclesiastes Study 1: overview
We start our study of Ecclesiastes today! In this introductory session, we have asked ourselves: Am I an optimist or a pessimist? We generally felt that it was somewhat too simplistic to categorize ourselves as optimists or pessimists. We felt that we might have characteristics of both at different times in our lives, or at different times of our lives. T here is no doubt the writer of Ecclesiastes was a pessimist. Even his positive statements (e.g. 2:10, 24; 5:18-20) are enveloped in some sense of resignation that joy is not ultimate. He speaks as if to say. "Make the best out of a bad situation" rather than telling people to 'go out' and 'live life to the fullest'. I asked if it was possible to be a faithful Christian and a pessimist. I said that Ecclesiastes affirms that expectation of little in this life is fine. We know 2. Who wrote Ecclesiastes? What was his purpose? The book is named after the writer (Gk. Ekkleiastes ). This individual is ...