How are you saved according to Paul's gospel?
Salvation according to Paul's gospel comes by believing that Christ died for our sins on the cross according to the Scriptures. This gospel was delivered by Paul as he received it, and it must be believed, not in vain. John 3:16 must be used in conjunction with it.
Les teaches that Paul is now speaking of that which prepares us for the eternal glory awaiting the believer. By this Gospel that Paul preached, you are saved, but you've got to know what you believe. The next part of the verse says, if you remember what I've preached unto you, unless you've believed in vain, and then here comes the Gospel. This is the Gospel: that Christ died for our sins when He hung on that cross according to the Scriptures. It wasn't an accident; God had already planned it back in the eons of pre-eternal existence, that He would create mankind, man would sin, and He would bring about a plan of redemption. It was all in the foreknowledge and counsel of God according to Peter in Acts chapter 2. Les notes that John 3:16 doesn't have this part of the Gospel, so you have to use it in conjunction with John 3:16 to make sense today.