moment or moments) or the Sovereignty of God. And if the cross is foolishness to them that are perishing, then what does that say about the free will of man?
Non-sequitur, I wrote this:
Nonetheless it is disingenuous. The right thing to do would be to make explicit that God excluded some men. It is telling that Paul and the apostles never did so.
Who does the "disposing"?
I'm a synergist.
I'm not a Greek scholar, but just the uses of tasso in the NT often seem pretty strongly predestinarian :
Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.
And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.
Matthew 28:16-17
(The fact that they were tassoed goes even more strongly to the action upon them being ordained since even though they were appointed, some still doubted -one is clearly the action of God, the other of man)
Since God is not mentioned in the Acts 13:48 as the one behind their belief then it is speculatory to do so.
For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
Luke 7:8
(He was a man set - passive - under authority. It's not him being disposed to authority but placed under it)
Again, same point - '...all those who were set for eternal life believed.'
When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.
Acts 15:2
This time it is the men 'deciding' or 'determining' - '...all those who were determined for eternal life believed.'
And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.
Acts 22:10
(Passive voice and clearly in the same sense as "ordained" by God)
Other translations have 'assigned', 'commanded' and 'arranged' so 'appointed' in the sense of 'what is expected of'. That is not predetermination.
And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening.
Acts 28:23
Or 'arranged' - '...all those who were arranged for eternal life believed.'
Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
Romans 13:1
(This certainly cannot mean disposed - for even ungodly authority is said to be ordained but may not be disposed to be godly)
'Established' or 'placed' - again, in the 13:48 scripture it does not say God is doing the 'placing'.
I would say it is impossible if not given by God.
Revelation 3:20.
Please would deal with the main thrust of the OP. Saying that the preacher does not know who the elect are is not an excuse - common decency demands that Paul must tell his audience that 'faith in His blood' is not for all men (possibly including some of those that, at that moment, he is preaching to) because Christ did not shed His blood for all.
Paul NEVER said this.