Do you need to know your Bible to understand what Paul means by 'received'?
Yes, grasping what Paul meant by 'received' requires Bible knowledge. Paul received these doctrines directly from God after being separated from the Twelve, not from Jerusalem apostles. Bible knowledge clarifies that his gospel came by divine revelation, not human instruction.
Les explains that you have to know your Bible to understand what Paul is talking about when he says he 'received' the gospel. After God saved Paul on the road to Damascus, He did not send him back to Jerusalem to join the Twelve. Instead, God separated Paul from them, sent him into the desert, and revealed these doctrines directly to him. Paul later visited Peter for 14 days, but he never saw the other apostles. His ministry then went to the Gentiles, westward across Asia Minor (present-day Turkey), over the Aegean Sea into Greece, including Corinth. There he delivered what he received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures—not only for Israel but for the Corinthians, America, Europe, and the Orient. This fulfilled God's design from day one that He would take upon Himself men's sin. Paul also states that Christ was buried.