Final answer:
In the book of Job, Elihu introduces a new perspective on suffering, which differs from Eliphaz. While both discuss the reasons behind Job's suffering, Elihu suggests a teaching and purifying purpose rather than punishment for past sins.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the book of Job from the Bible, the character Elihu, a young man, introduces a slightly different perspective from Eliphaz, one of Job's three friends. While Elihu's thoughts do coincide with Eliphaz on the premise that Job must be suffering for a reason, Elihu departs from Eliphaz's reasoning by proposing that suffering might be God's way of teaching and purifying rather than punishing for past sins, as Eliphaz suggests. In contrast to the direct accusation of sin from Eliphaz, Elihu suggests that Job's suffering could be preventive or corrective.
Thus, the answer to the student's question is 2) No, Elihu's thoughts are not very similar to Eliphaz's thoughts; they share some common ground but differ significantly in their interpretations of Job's suffering.