(Romans 16:7 KJV) Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellowprisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.

What does Paul mean when he says the apostles were in Christ before him?

(Matthew 10:40-42 KJV) He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. {41} He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. {42} And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

The twelve are identified as representing the Lord Jesus Christ. If one does something to one of them, one does it as unto Christ. We see this same thing in Matthew 25, in the judgment of the nations. They represent the Lord Jesus Christ but they do more that just represent Him.

(John 14:16-17 KJV) And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; {17} Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

The prophetic program includes the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. People make the mistake and say that the Holy Spirit does not indwell anybody other the members of the body of Christ. This is not true. That is an old saying that is often made among dispensational fundamental camps but it is not a fact. When people think that and when they come to this passage in John 17 they think it is referring to the Body of Christ because of the indwelling of the Spirit. However, this verse has nothing to do with the Body of Christ. Jesus is speaking to the twelve in this passage.

(John 14:18-20 KJV) I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. {19} Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. {20} At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

They are in Christ and Christ is in them according to the prophetic program.

(Jeremiah 31:31-34 KJV) Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: {32} Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: {33} But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. {34} And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

(Ezekiel 36:24-28 KJV) For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. {25} Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. {26} A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. {27} And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. {28} And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.

The New Covenant includes the spiritual identification of the nation Israel with her Messiah, His Spirit dwelling in them and they in Him.

(John 17:19-23a KJV) And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. {20} Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; {21} That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. {22} And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: {23 } I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one;

This is the oneness that is seen in Acts 2, 3 and 4, the one accord that comes from the spiritual identification together with their Messiah according to prophecy.

There is an indwelling of the Spirit in prophecy. Understanding this may help you understand when you go to Acts 9 and read how when Saul was persecuting the church of God, the believing remnant of Israel, it was the same as persecuting Jesus. He was not persecuting members of the Body of Christ because the Body of Christ did not exist before Paul.

(Romans 16:7 KJV) Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellowprisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.

When Paul said, "...who were in Christ before me", he understood that the 12 were in Christ and had a spiritual identification with Christ.

Today, you and I are in Christ but not according to the prophetic program. We are in Christ according to the mystery program

Reference Used:
Matthew Series by Richard Jordan