In Christ Before Me

We MAD BAD believers teach that when a person gets saved, he or she becomes a member of the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13). We also teach that the phrase in Christ encapsulates all the rich positional and spiritual blessings we have as members of the Body of Christ. What we have in Christ are distinctive blessings for believers today, which never existed before Paul.

So what did Paul mean when he wrote in Rom. 16:7, “Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellowprisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me”?

In Christ before Paul? How can that be possible? Doesn’t this undermine everything we believe as mid-Acts dispensationalists? Doesn’t this mean that there is only one gospel and everything in the Bible is to us, about us, for us, and we’re spiritual Israel?

Don’t make me laugh.

Consider what Paul says about a very special temple.

Eph 2:18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Eph 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; Eph 2:20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; Eph 2:21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: Eph 2:22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

I love this temple. This perfectly visualizes for us how we fit into the big picture of God’s eternal purpose.

Picture in your mind a breathtaking, glorious, holy temple in the Lord. Now picture the temple filled with the entire household of God – every saint who ever lived since the beginning of time.

This is a really big temple.

Now imagine that there’s a first floor for Israel because they have an earthly hope (Psa. 2:8), and there is a second floor for the Body of Christ because we have a heavenly hope (Eph. 2:6).

Yet, every person who ever got saved is inside the temple. They are all part of the same household. Why? Because the chief cornerstone of everything is Christ.

This is why Paul can write of those who were in Christ before him. Everyone in that temple is in Christ. Every person who ever got saved since the dawn of creation is part of that temple. Why? They are in Christ because the chief cornerstone of that temple, the heart of God’s eternal purpose, is Christ Himself.

Everyone in that temple, both the first floor and the second floor, Israel and the Body of Christ, are all part of the seed of Abraham. What? How? Why? Because, as Paul tells us, Abraham is the father of us all (Rom. 4:11,16). Why is he the father of us all? Because of faith.

Plus, everyone in that temple will be ministers for Christ in His kingdom, except Israel on the first floor will be ministers on the Earth and the Body of Christ on the second floor will be ministers from our heavenly seats.

The point that Paul makes is that we, as members of the Body of Christ, were designed to fitly perfectly into God’s temple, even though we are distinct from Israel. Whereas Israel in their resurrected bodies will glorify the Lord here on Earth (Zech. 8:23), God is going to put the Body of Christ on display in the heavens to showcase the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness to us through His Son (Eph. 2:7). Both programs, both prophecy and mystery, the Body of Christ and Israel, were designed to perfectly fit together to create this one grand holy temple in the Lord to fulfill God’s eternal purpose to glorify His Son.

I also like to picture that the second floor is made of glass. We can see them. They can see us. We all know we’re all part of the same family. And I like to picture that there are all these columns between the two floors that tie common aspects between Israel and the Body of Christ.

One column is labeled “Abraham”. He is the father of all who believe (Rom. 4:11,16). All the saints had God’s righteousness imputed to them because of faith just like father Abraham.

Another column is labeled “The Blood of Christ”. Israel’s Messiah is also our Savior, and the blood that lays the foundation for the new covenant with Israel (Heb. 9:13-18) is the same blood that washed away all our sins (Eph. 1:7) and made us heirs of God to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed (Rom. 4:16).

Another column is labeled “Children of Promise”. Just as Isaac was a child of the promise God made to Abraham, we are the children of the promise God made to Himself (Gal. 4:28-31). Paul writes in Gal. 4:28, “Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, ARE the children of promise.”

Another column is labeled “Grace”. Just as God showed grace to Abraham by blessing him because of his faith, so too, God has shown grace to us by blessing us because of our faith (Rom. 4:22-25). As J.C. O’Hair once taught, the Lord’s acts of grace in time past brought about His reign of grace today (Rom. 5:21).

And another column is labeled “Kingdom“. Just as Israel will be ministers of His kingdom on earth (Zech. 8:23), so too, we shall be ministers of His kingdom from our heavenly seats (1 Cor. 6:2-3).

Their kingdom is our kingdom, too.

And I like to picture that in the middle of this temple, there is a circular staircase that everyone can access. And this circular staircase leads up to Jerusalem, which is above, which is free, which is the mother of us all (Gal. 4:26).

Then the day will come when everyone in Christ, everyone on Earth and in Heaven, will be gathered together as one (Eph. 1:10).