Did The Body of Christ Begin With Paul?

Romans 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.

Question: Is ‘in Christ” the same as “in the body of Christ”?

There is a group of Christians who call themselves ‘Bereans’, ‘Grace Believers’, ‘Right Dividers’, (etc.) who teach the heresy that the Apostle Paul was the first person in the body of Christ. When confronted with Romans 16:7 (quoted above) which proves their belief to be false, they had to invent an additional, non-Biblical definition for “in Christ”. This is not surprising since heretics will do anything to prove that they are right once they have built their own system of belief by abusing the Scripture instead of believing it.

In case you are not already aware, I will here list the methods of building any heresy.

1. Subtract words from a Bible verse (or verses).
2. Add words to a Bible verse (or verses).
3. Private interpretation of a Bible verse.
4. Direct contradiction of a Bible verse.
5. Tell a half truth.
6. Tell a truth in order to deceive by misrepresenting the truth you are telling.

All six of these things take place in Genesis 3:1-6.

Now to begin at the beginning, we shall look at 1 Timothy 1:16, the foundational verse for the heresy that Paul was the first person in the body of Christ, and therefore the body of Christ began with Paul.

1 Timothy 1:16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

First, you should notice that nowhere in the verse is mentioned anybody or anything being “in Christ” or “in the body of Christ”. Notice that instead Paul does mention something being ‘in him’. Do you see that? Paul is speaking and he says “in me”. What is Paul speaking of being in him? It is “longsuffering” and it is “for a pattern to” believers.

Why would God pick Paul to be the first pattern of longsuffering thereafter for believers? Why not one of the other apostles who had been with Jesus and known him for 3 ½ years? If the disciples who had worked with Jesus and been his companions during his ministry did get baptized into Christ and became part of the body of Christ, why not pick one of them to be the pattern of longsuffering for Christians? The answer is in verses 13-15.

1 Timothy 1:13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

1 Timothy 1:15(b) Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

Some people teach that Paul is being humble and emphasize that we should all be humble and consider ourselves to be “the chief of sinners”. I don’t disagree with the humility, but I think the truth goes beyond that. Jesus Christ choose Paul to be the pattern of longsuffering for believers because first, the Lord had been quite longsuffering with Paul, and secondly, compare the testimony of Paul, the chief of sinners, the persecutor of the church turned into the vessel of honour, the pattern of suffering, the one who wrote more than ¼ of the New Testament which is (Paul’s epistles except for Hebrews) the primary doctrine for the body of Christ to the testimony of John the beloved apostle or Peter if one of them had been chosen instead. Jesus Christ purposely choose an unsaved Pharisee, a persecutor of the church to shew forth the pattern of longsuffering because he is a better, stronger, more powerful testimony than any of the others could have been.

Now I will requote 1 Timothy 1:16. But this time, I will give it as the ‘hyper-dispensationalists’ read it.

Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that me first in Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

When these so-called ‘right dividers’ read the verse, they must move the word “in”. They place it in a position to make the verse say what they want it to say; that Paul was the first in Christ or in the body of Christ.

Then when faced with Romans 16:7, as I stated before, they make up this ridiculous idea that ‘in Christ’ is just a term defined as if you are in Christ, that merely means that you are saved. And they say that being ‘in the body of Christ’ is a different thing. This private interpretation gives the explanation that Andronicus and Junia were saved before Paul, but not in the body of Christ before Paul. Now, let us become a man and put away childish things (1 Corinthians 13:11). We will compare scripture with scripture to get the Bible’s own interpretation.

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Is this “in Christ” in the body of Christ?

Romans 12:4-5 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

Well, we are “one body in Christ”.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

How about this one? Is the new creature in the body of Christ or not?

In the following verses, it will be seen that “in Christ” and “in the body of Christ” are not the same thing. And the conclusion of the matter will be that the teaching of the hyper-dispensationalists is heresy. I am not going to give you my opinion. This is comparing scripture with scripture. This is the Bible interpretation.

Galatians 3:27-28 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

If you are “baptized into Christ”, you are baptized into his body, where there is neither Jew nor Greek, neither male nor female. We will compare these verses with 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 in a few minutes.

Ephesians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:

Were these “faithful in Christ Jesus” in the body of Christ? Surely when Paul wrote this epistle, he had been in the body of Christ for quite some time. Were there others who were saved after the body of Christ began supposedly with Paul who were merely saved but not in the body of Christ?

The idea that “in Christ” is just a term meaning that a person is saved is not exclusive to hyper-dispensationalists. Most Christians do not grasp the full impact of Ephesians 1:12-13; 2:6; the baptism into his body; and the spiritual circumcision. But these things are real. They are not just theological jargon. When a person receives Jesus Christ as his saviour, his spirit, soul, and body are cut apart on the inside according to Colossians 2:9-14 and Hebrews 4:12. Then his spirit is taken out of his body, risen up to the right hand of God, and immersed into the body of Christ and sealed in Christ by the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 6:17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.

Ephesians 1:12-14 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Ephesians 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

Colossians 2:11-13 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

Now, finally, if you have not been baptized into the body of Christ, you are not in Christ. Being in Christ and in the body of Christ refer to the same thing. If for some reason, you are still not sure of this by now, the following verses confirm it beyond any shadow of a doubt.

1 Corinthians 12:12-13 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

Galatians 3:27-28 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

For ye are all one in Christ Jesus and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. We are one body in Christ; in the body of Christ, that is.