ROMANS 16:7 IN CHRIST BEFORE PAUL

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Doug

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Romans 16:7 Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellow-prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.

Those in Christ before Paul had believed the preaching of Peter and the apostles. They were not in the body of Christ. They had the promise of the Davidic kingdom on earth (Exodus 19:5-6 Daniel 7:18 Psalm 22:28).

Paul addressed them in his epistles and admonished those in the body to receive those weak in the faith (Romans 15:1).
 

DNB

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Hi Doug, sorry if I've missed your point, but if i haven't, why do you think that Adronicus and Junia were not in the body of Christ? Paul says quite explicitly that they 'were in Christ'. Is it because their faith preceded Paul's, which means then that they were instructed by Peter or the other Apostles, which means that Peter did not preach to the Gentiles, which means that they did not receive the Gospel of Christ?
Peter was the first to convert the Gentiles, actually Philip was if we consider the Ethiopian eunuch. And, many Samaritans were saved before Paul arrived on the scene (I understand that Samaritans are not considered Jews).

But, either way, if you're affirming that no one was saved through Christ prior to Paul's conversion, and are considering the 'weak in faith' to be those with deficient instruction, I would profoundly disagree. The weak in the faith are those who are saved, but uncertain in their doctrinal comprehension, i.e. can I eat this or that, should I observe this day or that day, do i need to be circumcised, etc.. And on the day of Pentecost, the Bible states that 3,000 were saved, and that the Church population reached 5,000 just shortly afterwards, well before Paul's conversion.

But again, I may have completely missed your point, if so, sorry for any confusion?