"To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours" (1 Cor.1:2; NASB).

Here Paul is addressing those who have been "sanctified in Christ Jesus". The word "sanctified is translated from the Greek word hagiazo and it means " to separate from profane things and dedicate to God" (Thayer's Greek English Lexicon). The believer has been separated from the world by being placed "in Christ Jesus", the Body of Christ. According to Paul "all who in every place call on the name" of the Lord Jesus are "sanctified in Christ Jesus":

"...to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus...with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

The Jewish believers did indeed call on the name of Jesus Christ so therefore they too are "in Christ Jesus", the Body of Christ.

Cornelius Stam wrote the following commentary on 1 Corinthians 1:2:

"There are other evidences that the kingdom saints of Paul's day became members of the Body of Christ.

"In I Corinthians 1:2, Paul addresses his letter to the Corinthian church, 'with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs [those in every place] and ours [those with Paul].' And he says to 'all' these believers 'in every place': 'For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one Body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles' (I Cor. 12:13). How can this be made to exclude the Judean believers?" (Stam, Commentary on Galatians [Stevens Point, WI: Worzalla Publishing Co., 1998], p.198).

Here the Apostle Paul says that if anyone be "in Christ" then he is a new creation:

"So if any one be in Christ, there is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold all things have become new" (2 Cor.5:17; J. N. Darby Translation).

Cornelius Stam says, "The above rendering of II Cor. 5:17 by J.N.Darby, in his 'New Translation,' is doubtless more accurate than that of the 'Authorized Version'.' This 'new creation,' this 'one new man,' this 'joint body,' formed of Jews and Gentiles made one in Christ, is called 'His body, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all' (Eph. 1:23)" (Stam, True Spirituality [Berean Literature Foundation, 1984], p. 48,50).

Those who are said to be "in Christ" are members of the Church, which is His Body. If "any one be in Christ" he is a member of the Body of Christ. It is inconceivable that Paul would use the phrase "in Christ" indiscriminately, sometimes applying it to the Body of Christ and sometimes not. That would lead to nothing but confusion and our Lord is not a God of confusion. Therefore when the terms "in Christ Jesus" and "in Christ" are used in the following Jewish epistles they are referring to those in ther Body Of Christ:

"Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus" (1Pet.5:14).

"Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good manner of life in Christ" (1 Pet.3:16).

John also wrote, "And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son" (1 Jn.5:11).

This is similiar to what Paul said to those in the church at Colosse:

"For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, Who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory" (Col.3:3-4).

However, there are some Mid Acts believers who say that Paul's words here should be understood in its broadest sense of "redemption." However, the only verse which they can quote where the words "in Christ" are used to refer to redemption is this one:

"For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive" (1 Cor.15:22).

In this verse we find a definite article (the) before the word "Christ":

"For as in the Adam all die, thus also in the Christ all shall be made alive" (J.N. Darby Translation).

In all the times when Paul uses the term "in Christ" to refer to being a member of the Body of Christ he never uses the definite article before the word "Christ." Therefore there is no evidence from the Scriptures to support the idea that the phrase "in Christ" is used in any other way than to denote someone being a member of the Body of Christ.

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