There is a saying that says: There are lots of Einstein, but only there was a Newton.
Einstein and those physicists are wrong regarding time.
Time is an evolution parameter. This is clearly seen in Newtonian mechanics or in quantum mechanics.
The Coulomb potential is a function phi(R(t)) with time-implicit dependence, but Maxwell and others replaced it with a time-explicit function phi(r,t). Most modern textbooks call "Coulomb potential" to the phi(r,t), when it is not. Not only the history is rewritten, but the mathematics and the physics are abused. Coulomb phi(R(t)) is a 6D function, Maxwell phi(r,t) is a 4D function. The first function describes direct-particle action physics; the second describes contact-action physics of field theory with all the well-known deficiencies.
Further discussion of the incompatibilities of phi(R(t)) with phi(r,t) and the confusion between time-implicit and time-explicit evolutions can be found here
https://journals.aps.org/pre/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevE.53.5373
but their dual-potential model is not really needed. There is no two interaction mechanisms, only one. Field theory and its 4D potentials phi(r,t) and A(r,t) can be derived from N particle theory using the correct concept of time as evolution parameter
http://www.juanrga.com/2017/07/renormalized-field-theory-from-particle.html
Minskowski and Einstein derived the spacetime concept (x,t) from Maxwellian 4D functions. Time is no longer an evolution parameter but a dimension in Einstein theories. This is wrong and the cause for many difficulties (including the well-known incompatibility with quantum mechanics).
This spacetime view of the Universe is also incompatible with both irreversibility and randomness. Reason why Einstein always wanted to maintain reversibility and determinism as fundamental, and try statistical (ignorance-based) explanations for the second law of thermodynamics and for quantum phenomena. It didn't work.
Some modern physicists try to reintroduce Newtonian concept of time into relativistic physics
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relativistic_dynamics
They introduce two different concepts of times: A coordinate time "t" in the sense of Einstein and an invariant evolution parameter "tau" in the sense of Newton. In reality the theory introduces N+1 times, because there is a t_i per particle and a tau for the overall system.
The Coulomb potential phi(R(t)) is generalized to phi(rho(tau)) with rho a relativistic distance.
This novel approach is still incorrect, but at least those physicists understand that Newtonian concept of time is missing in Einstein theories.
The "evolving state" picture is fundamental; the "spacetime box" picture is only a local approximation.
