If I may, the OT believers were also in Christ before Paul, so that doesn't really mean anything in this discussion so far as I can tell. The OT believers were also in Christ. We know this because of the word of God:
1 Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
We were all in Adam when lost in sin, from Adam himself to the last person to be alive on this earth, but all who are in Christ, from Adam to that last person alive who is in Christ, we ALL shall live.
Also, being of note among the apostles, that too is a trumped up, blown out of proportion concept when they say that those others were also apostles. I am of not among the executives of the place where I work, but that doesn't make me an executive in the hierarchy.
MM