I was struck by someone else’s claim that the reference in John 12:31, that Jesus is claimed to have said, “I will draw all men / people to myself.”, indicates that John was a universalist; What follows is my response.

The first 3 chapters of Revelation make it really difficult for me to see that John was a Universalist. Not saying for sure now, but I am persuaded that while Paul was a convinced Universalist, Peter, James and John were those Paul described in Galatians as “Goddamned perverts preaching another gospel”.

As a Universalist myself, I falter at using the John 12:31 reference to say what almost all modern versions say it does as neither the word “man” OR the word “people” are even REMOTELY in the original text. This interpretation of this verse was not even a dream until at least 600AD, after the Holy Roman Empire had DE-sainted the last Universalist church father Origen. (Funny that – I thought that the pope was infallible in who he saints).

This whole passage is about Judgement; Judgement is the ONLY subject in discussion. So with due dilligence towards context, greek grammar rules and common sense, IF we are gonna add to what the original verse says in order to more correctly interpret it, then the only possible rendition of this verse would be as follows; “If I be lifted up, I will draw all judgement to my self.” Now I AGREE that by extension, that affects all people / men, but they most certainly are not drawn. According to other passages (1 Cor 15 for example) all people were forcibly constrained into the body of Christ according to the Eternal Council from before the foundations of the world. 😉