I and others have been having these discussions with Episkopos for a very long time. There are too many discussions and too many posts to go hunting for specific ones that address that specific thing. He has pointed many times to scriptures such as "For God so loved the world..." and "every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord", and the one that says "God is the saviour of all men especially of those who believe" to back up his belief in universalism.....and as well, I have seen him agree with other universalist forum members. But apparently now he is making an exception for unbelieving Jews. Apparently the gospel and accepting Christ is only necessary for the Jews. Maybe I'm forgetting but I don't remember hearing him interpret that passage that way before, saying that condemnation/damnation for unbelief only applies to the Jews, God's people. Which makes me wonder, whether Epi is making this up as he goes along? So far neither you nor he have offered an explanation for the contradiction.
I already said that God reveals Himself to whoever He wills......that is regardless of time/place. There are lots of examples in the bible of people with faith and a relationship with God before Jesus and the crucifixion. took place.....of them it is said that "they without us would not be made perfect".....they are saved because Jesus went and preached the gospel to them when He died.....He revealed Himself to them. And there are so many testimonies out there today of the Lord revealing Christ to many living souls without the agency of man and preachers.......not limited to, but especially in strict Muslim countries where the gospel is forced underground and not able to be preached freely. Everyone who is foreknown by the Lord and elect will be saved....not one who the Father gives to Jesus will be lost. His arm is not too short to save everyone He has chosen to save according to His foreknowledge.
And it is clear from scripture that He hasn't chosen and foreknown everyone. It is the height of arrogance really to think the Lord God Almighty needs anyone to make excuses or invent some kind of out for Him.....the apostle wrote that the Potter has every right to make for Himself some to be vessels of honour and some for ignoble purposes, and who are we o man to talk back to Him. "Man is like the beasts that perish"....the Lord doesn't "owe" eternal life to the human race. Especially since the human race largely rejects Him and lives in sin. That He has chosen to save any at all is the very great wonder we should be so grateful for, and we need to look at the glass as being half full, not half empty.
