Contradiction with Isaiah 43:18
This verse encourages forgetting the past, contradicting Ecclesiastes 3:15, which suggests that God seeks what is past.
Isaiah 43:18: Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.
Contradiction with Philippians 3:13
Paul advises to forget what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, opposing the notion of seeking the past.
Philippians 3:13: Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but [this] one thing [I do], forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
Contradiction with Luke 9:62
Jesus says no one who looks back is fit for the kingdom, contrasting with the idea of recalling the past.
Luke 9:62: And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
Contradiction with Isaiah 65:17
Describes a future where the former things will not be remembered, conflicting with the idea that God seeks the past.
Isaiah 65:17: For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. [come...: Heb. come upon the heart]
Contradiction with 2 Corinthians 5:17
Indicates that old things are passed away, contradicting the pursuit of past events suggested in Ecclesiastes.
2 Corinthians 5:17: Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. [he is: or, let him be]
Paradox #1
Ecclesiastes 3:15 might seem to suggest that everything is predetermined and repetitive. This could conflict with the belief in free will, where individuals have the ability to make choices independently. The tension is between a predetermined purpose for events and the idea that people can influence their own destinies.
Paradox #2
Ecclesiastes 3:15 discusses the idea that what has happened before will happen again, and God seeks what has passed. A potential contradiction could be the tension between this cyclical view of events and the belief in free will or personal responsibility, which suggests that individuals can change outcomes and are accountable for their actions. If everything is predetermined to repeat, it might challenge the idea of taking moral responsibility or seeing the purpose in striving for change.