Eternal punishment vs eternal life

[Der Alte]

The converse of a proposition is not necessarily true. What would be true is that anyone who is not a new creation is not in Christ. But as I keep pointing out, Paul is not writing propositions in symbolic logic. He is using rhetoric. Rhetoric can include things like hyperbole and other non literal expressions. The 2 Cor passage says nothing about non-Christians. Paul sees enemies, power and authorities as entrapping us in sin. It is certainly possible that he sees Christ freeing us now through faith, but that in the end Christ will finally defeat the enemies and free everyone.

Is that the way Paul's first century audience would have understood it? "Rhetoric [which] can include things like hyperbole and other non literal expressions?" I wonder what truths Paul's audience would have understood from this passage? If a person is not "in Christ" will they be saved anyway? I did not say that the 2 Cor passage actually said anything about non-Christians. But it certainly implies something about them. Can you enlighten me with something from Paul which indicates he sees Christ freeing us now through faith, but that in the end Christ will finally defeat the enemies and free everyone?