Do you think that Ecclesiastes 9:11 is about salvation

[TreeFivew]

When it says the race is not given to the swiftest, but he that endures.

[Alive]

11 minutes ago, TreeFivew said:

When it says the race is not given to the swiftest, but he that endures.

 It is a metaphor that points to the reality that we cannot rely on our own natural strength.

The overarching principle the writer expounds is a reliance on God for all things. For salvation, for strength and for wisdom.

As those 'In Christ' of the Father--our endurance comes from being sustained by God as we look to Him for everything.

We decrease and He increases.

2Cor. 12:10 (NAS20S) Therefore I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in distresses, in persecutions, in difficulties, in behalf of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

[Jayne]

1 hour ago, TreeFivew said:

When it says the race is not given to the swiftest, but he that endures.

What version of the Bible are your using?  My Bible doesn't say "but he that endures" in Ecclesiastes 9:11.  I just checked Biblehub.com that cites individual verses in a wide variety of versions and none of the Bibles say that.  Here is what they all say - 

Ecclesiastes 9:11-12

"I returned and saw under the sun that -

The race is not to the swift,
Nor the battle to the strong,
Nor bread to the wise,
Nor riches to men of understanding,
Nor favor to men of skill;
But time and chance happen to them all.
For man also does not know his time:
Like fish taken in a cruel net,
Like birds caught in a snare,
So the sons of men are snared in an evil time,
When it falls suddenly upon them."

This passage from Solomon is saying that "time" and "chance" pull the rug out from under the swift, the strong, the wise, the skilled, those with understanding sometimes.

This passage is not about "enduring" at all.  It does not say anything about enduring.  It's not about salvation.

 

Edited July 4, 2022 by Jayne

[TreeFivew]

4 minutes ago, Jayne said:

What version of the Bible are your using?  My Bible doesn't say "but he that endures" in Ecclesiastes 9:11.  I just checked Biblehub.com that cites individual verses in a wide variety of versions and none of the Bibles say that.  Here is what they all say - 

Ecclesiastes 9:11-12

"I returned and saw under the sun that -

The race is not to the swift,
Nor the battle to the strong,
Nor bread to the wise,
Nor riches to men of understanding,
Nor favor to men of skill;
But time and chance happen to them all.
For man also does not know his time:
Like fish taken in a cruel net,
Like birds caught in a snare,
So the sons of men are snared in an evil time,
When it falls suddenly upon them."

This passage from Solomon is saying that "time" and "chance" pull the rug out from under the swift, the strong, the wise, the skilled, those with understanding sometimes.

 

https://www.answers.com/Q/The_race_is_not_given_to_the_swift_nor_the_strong_but_he_who_endures_until_the_end

 

[TreeFivew]

Just now, TreeFivew said:

https://www.answers.com/Q/The_race_is_not_given_to_the_swift_nor_the_strong_but_he_who_endures_until_the_end

 

 

Just now, TreeFivew said:

https://www.answers.com/Q/The_race_is_not_given_to_the_swift_nor_the_strong_but_he_who_endures_until_the_end

 

There’s actually a quote where I have a habit of using the endure part, sorry, but someone quoted it on this site.

[Jayne]

2 minutes ago, TreeFivew said:

https://www.answers.com/Q/The_race_is_not_given_to_the_swift_nor_the_strong_but_he_who_endures_until_the_end

 

Thank you for your fast response.  I see that this is someone's incorrect theology taking a piece of a scripture from Ecclesiastes and a piece of a verse from the New Testament and creating a verse that does not exist.

Best to read the Bible straight from itself.

[Alive]

Just now, Jayne said:

Thank you for your fast response.  I see that this is someone's incorrect theology taking a piece of a scripture from Ecclesiastes and a piece of a verse from the New Testament and creating a verse that does not exist.

Best to read the Bible straight from itself.

Absolutely--and yet the OP gives an opportunity for some teaching that is profitable.

[TreeFivew]

6 minutes ago, Alive said:

Absolutely--and yet the OP gives an opportunity for some teaching that is profitable.

Sorry, yeah the wording is off.  The adage was always close to the Bible verse.

[Marathoner]

Ecclesiastes are lessons given to us, my friend. 

I said to myself, “Behold, I have magnified and increased wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge.” And I applied my mind to know wisdom and to know insanity and foolishness; I realized that this also is striving after wind. Because in much wisdom there is much grief; and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain. (Ecclesiastes 1:16-18 NASB)

There came a time when I realized that the more one knows, the more one suffers. Why? "Because in much wisdom there is much grief; and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain."

When my responsibilities were increased, I learned of things which brought sorrow and burdened my heart. When my fellow worker said, "I would like to know about those things, too!" what did I say to them? 

"The less you know, the better off you are, my friend. Trust me." 

[Alive]

1 minute ago, TreeFivew said:

Sorry, yeah the wording is off.  The adage was always close to the Bible verse.

No sweat. Again--what we find throughout all scripture is a clear picture that we should all continually rely on God in and for all things.

And all of scripture points to Christ as the solution. We can do nothing without Him.

John 15:5 (NAS20S) “I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him   bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

Does this say we can do somethings? Does it say that we can do some things partially? And then God helps out?

No---Jesus says apart from Himself, we can do NOTHING. No Thing.

Heb. 4:16 (NAS20S) Therefore let’s approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help at the time of our need.