ABC:Ecclesiastes 9

Verse 7

American Atheists claims the Bible is wrong about the passage (and makes the following comments (italicized).

“ The Holy Lifestyle

Ecclesiastes 9:7 Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.

1 Corinthians 7:30 And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not; ”

The Apostle Paul was writing for a specific situation in 1 Corinthians 7:30, a "present distress" (v. 26) "concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me." (v. 1) The situation in 1 Corinthians 7 was whether divorced widows should be allowed to remarry (v. 27) to which Paul said that it was not sinful for them to remarry. (v. 28) Paul here is making a broader point that he wants Christians to pursue situations where they will avoid worry and concern, and that he thinks it better for divorced widows to not remarry that they may focus on God without concern for the cares of this life, although he concedes there is no sin involved either way. (vv. 29-35) Paul encourages marriage as a whole to avoid sexual immorality, even for those divorced or widowed if attempts at abstinence would lead to sexual immorality. (vv. 2, 8-9) Marriage in general is blessed by God Biblically. (Proverbs 18:22; Hebrews 13:4)

Paul is making a broader point about discouraging worries and concerns of this life. (vv. 32-35) He is not discouraging rejoicing in the Lord, but rejoicing over the things of this life which cause worry and distraction. Paul elsewhere encourages rejoicing in the Lord. (Philippians 4:4; 3:3; 2:16-18,28; 1:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:16; Romans 15:10) Note that verse 30 does not say that those who rejoice should not rejoice, but that they should act like they are not rejoicing, in other words not be consumed with 'distraction' (v. 35) related to rejoicing. The New Living Translation for example renders 1 Corinthians 7:30 as "Those who weep or who rejoice or who buy things should not be absorbed by their weeping or their joy or their possessions." It is not that Paul is saying that weeping, rejoicing, marriage, or purchasing goods is wrong, but that they should not be cause for distracting us from focusing on God.