To say that the love of God's general call in John 3:16 has to mean the same as in john 13 and elsewhere in the NT is the same as saying that a mother who says she loves her children and then later in referencing love to one in particular surely never loved the other children. 2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." Any means any and all means all.
NewsWeek....really? If Douglas Main had read any of the gospels he would never have written this piece. The editor's should have checked the gospels for accuracy. If this is the best NW can investigate than better to fold up house. The Sanhedrin was plotting to kill Jesus well before "Good Friday" . They wanted him dead because specifically he claimed to be God. They didn't find out Peter had a knife (not a sword...check the Greek word) until AFTER they came to arrest Jesus. Duh! The knife had nothing to do with anything. Then....when he was in trial before Caiphus and Ananias the high priests and then Pilate and then Herod and then back to Pilate....can you believe it? NOBODY mentions the knife... Peter was even sitting at the same fire wither the guards and the servants of the high priest...they recognized him but didn't arrest him or even try....why? Because the knife didn't mean squat! The Deitu of the Christ, Jesus was the issue. When they even had to make up charges to get Pilate interested... They said that he first: refused to pay taxes and second: that he was a king before Caeser. This article wasn't even clever in it's attempt to secularize the human life of Jesus.