Were the Apostles Christians Before the Crucifixion?

Albeit, all the biblical patriarchs were Christians because they knew of Jesus - they spoke with Him, his death on the cross, and the reason for it. They had great faith because they believed in what would happen before it ever came about. We know that they were Christians because Lazarus was put in Abraham's bosom which is heaven.

However, although Jesus hand-picked all the original apostles, they were anointed of God but were they born again? I use that expression in the same sense as Jesus used it with Nicodemus. Nicodemus was not yet born-again after he learned about the second birth.  He was, however, enlightened. He knew how to be converted from the old creature to the new. It is reasonable to assume that most of the apostles knew about the second birth, but because Jesus had not yet made the propitiation for sin, the second birth was not available. One must remember that the Holy Spirit had 400 years of silence until John the Baptist was conceived.

When John baptized, Jesus was the only one to get the Holy Spirit and keep Him. No one else received the Holy Spirit. Nicodemus didn't when he was enlightened, and there is a reason for this:

Romans 7:38  He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

This is essential doctrine, and the translators of the King James Version are the only ones who caught the difference between the Holy Spirit and the Holy Ghost. The Greek word is the same - pneuma but the context makes the difference.  Jesus's Ghost had yet to return because Jesus had yet to die.

David had the Holy Spirit, as did any of the prophets. Without going into detail, the Holy Spirit is God's omnipresence, omnipotence and omniscience. He is always present, all-powerful, and all-knowing. He does not come and go, just remains silent or acts, or not. The Holy Spirit was with Jesus on the cross because the Holy Spirit had remained on him.

John 1:32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. 33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.

Jesus had the Holy Spirit; the other's who were baptized had Him not. They were baptized for the remission of sins.  That is John's baptism. There was no Holy Ghost given, because the Spirit could not act as yet. Why? Because Jesus had yet to be glorified. After Jesus ascended in Acts 1, the Holy Ghost descended in Acts 2. It was at that time that the Holy Spirit could act on the others. All there, who were in one accord, and were believers in Jesus were filled with the Holy Ghost. Essentially, since a Man had died, his Ghost came back, not to haunt but to Comfort.

However, because the substance of the Holy Ghost is God's Holy Spirit, He took on new meaning. He could now provide the second birth whereas before, since Jesus had not yet died, that was impossible because of the silence of the Holy Spirit.

Because he believed, and because Jesus had made the sacrifice, Nicodemus could finally be born-again. He surely was because he had been enlightened. He understood what it took to be a Christian, and that was Jesus's death on the cross! The enlightenment is the conversion from old creature to new - the second birth:

Matthew 18:3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Converted is being transformed in the image of God. What does that entail?

Matthew 13:15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 

Conversion is being healed by Jesus. The convert has a change in attitude. They understand. What is it they come to understand? That they are not really gods, but Jesus Is God, and only Jesus can save! However, before the believer could be saved, it was necessary for Jesus to make the propitiation for sins with His own blood. Once the believer saw the Light (conversion), then after Jesus paid the price, the believer was in safety; being born-again. To be safe required the Comfort of Jesus's presence - the Holy Ghost!

None of the apostles were transformed until Jesus died. After he descended, the apostles were imbued with the Holy Ghost, Him remaining on them, and then the transformation was complete. They were finally converted.

Peter, had not been converted when he was sifted by Satan. Let's look at the story:

Luke 22:24 And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. 25  And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. 26  But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. 27  For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth. 28 Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. 29 And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; 30 That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 31  And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. 33 And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death. 34  And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me. 35 And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing. 36 Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one. 37 For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end. 

All who were there wanted to be greatest in the kingdom of God, not even fully knowing that it was a spiritual kingdom which was about to be formed - the Church. They each wanted power there, but none knew how the Kingdom would even come about. Ironically, it did according, to the sign on the cross - "King of the Jews".

Jesus ridded the Jews of the law of primogeniture - that the eldest was the most deserving. just as he had with Adam and Isaac. Status meant nothing to Jesus. Simon Peter was yet to be converted. He could have as easily been Satan's as God's! He could have been Judas but for God's grace!

Jesus prayed that Simon's faith would not fail him. Why because it could have! He had faith in Jesus because he followed him, but yet his faith had yet to transform him because of the silence of the Holy Spirit. Jesus prayed for Simon's safety because he had yet to receive the Comforter's safety. Why? Because Simon had yet to receive the Holy Ghost because Jesus had yet to do what he came to do! It takes the shedding of blood to save. (Hebrews 9:22).

Peter proclaimed that he would even make a sacrifice to God even unto death but since Jesus had not shed his blood yet, Peter's life was worthless. Once Jesus had sacrificed his, then Peter could make himself a "living sacrifice" without having to mortally die. (Roman 12:1).

Peter later denied Jesus three times as Jesus foretold. He lost his faith because he feared for his own life, let alone worry about Jesus's. However, with the loss of his faith, he did not lose his opportunity for Jesus prayed for his safety. After Jesus's death, he could be brought to safety because of his conversion - from untrusting to trusting in Jesus for eternal life. After Jesus's Ascension, Peter, as the others, were imbued with the Holy Ghost. Whereas, only Jesus had been before, now they all were.

Jesus acknowledged that Simon would be changed when He used the word converted. The prerequisite for this was, "They should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart." When Jesus died, was resurrected, ascended, and came back in Spirit - they finally were converted. They became new creatures as they were enlightened with that knowledge!

All the apostles were Jews. For them to be persuaded took a miracle. Jesus said that!

1 Corinthians 1:21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness...

The Holy Ghost came to satisfy the safety needs of those who were born again.  His role was to provide the power of God, the wisdom of God, and the presence of God - the omnipotence, omniscience, and the omnipresence of God. The sign of tongues came because the Jews needed signs and wonders. They had seen Jesus die, but remember, God said at the rich man's agony in hell:

Luke 16:31 And he (Jesus) said unto him (Abraham), If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

Jesus knew the Jews would deny him even after he was resurrected because a dead man returned to life wasn't enough for skeptical people. It had to be evidence to them personally!

When the Holy Ghost came on those we had been born-again, He came visually and perceptibly - as wind and as fire. (Acts 2). However, the sign in them was more than what was visible. They understood each other in their own tongue. That was apparently evidence to persuade the Jews there that day!

When mankind was apart from God and people sought wisdom, back at the Tower of Babel, God encrypted their languages to reduce their power because of strife they created. At Jerusalem, on the day of Pentecost, God decrypted what he had encrypted before. Each understood, not an unknown tongue, but an encrypted previously known tongue. Ironically, this satisfied the sign requirements of the Jews and the wisdom requirements of the Gentiles. (Incidentally the unknown is not part of the "unknown tongues" but was added by the translators for clarity, which ever since, as confused many!)

All that were in Jerusalem were of one accord with each other but also with Christ. We see throughout scripture that accordance is a pre-requisite for the appearance of the Holy Ghost. If we look back at Simon Peter arguing with the other apostles, they were not of one accord. There was discord sewn there by Satan himself with his sifter.

With Christ's death, Satan was defeated! He was no longer able to sift Simon as wheat: (Luke 22:31) because after his conversion - transformation, Simon was no longer just Simon, he was the new creature who Jesus called Peter! That conversion brought safety to Peter. Satan had to quit the agitating of the apostles. He could only tempt, and the apostles were left alone - them and God, who protected them until the known world knew about Jesus! (Evidence shows that from Asia to Britain the people in the apostolic age knew about Jesus!)

The apostles were assured of their safety and coming salvation with the speaking in tongues that they became that sacrifice which Peter promised when he was unable to make it of consequence. All the apostles, except the beloved John, were baptized with their own blood, and history tells of John being boiled in oil but came out alive. Jesus wasn't through with his beloved friend yet! He wrote Revelation so that Christians know who wins the spiritual war. That is the wisdom we who do not speak in tongues need for assurance.

Were the apostle's Christians? Indeed they followed Jesus because they believed in Him. They just didn't know what to believe until what Jesus told them came about. They all became Christians when Jesus died on the cross, saw the Light when the tomb was empty, were assured of the resurrection when Jesus displayed his scars, had joy when Jesus ascended, and came to one accord when His Holy Ghost came down! Finally, after the strife among them for what would never be, accord came to them in the hope of salvation as they felt the presence of the Holy Ghost - the Spirit of Jesus, dwelling in them! They became part of the kingdom of God of which they argued. That was the Universal (catholic in Latin) Church

Why do I say that Jesus's presence is now the Holy Ghost? "Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost." Jesus, after his resurrection, baptized them all during Pentecost with His Holy Ghost!

Not until the Holy Ghost came down were the disciples called "Christians" because until then they followed Jesus blindly. It took Paul, who was struck blind by the invisible God, before he could see He who had been visible. Paul was then accepted as an apostle by them all.

Side note: Judas wasn't a Christian even though he followed Christ. Why not? For the reasons stated above. Jesus had not died for him yet, and he had not been converted as the others were soon to be.