Who was Jesus speaking to in His earthly ministry?
During His earthly ministry, Jesus spoke to the Jew under the law. That must always be taken into consideration. His words then were to the Jew under the law, while the same Jesus later revealed through Paul speaks from His glorified, ascended position as resurrected Lord and Savior.
Les teaches that what Jesus said in His earthly ministry, He said to the Jew under the law, and that must always be taken into consideration. Les explains that when you go to the epistles of Paul, Paul is revealing to us the very words of the same Jesus, but now from His glorified, ascended position as the resurrected Lord and Savior. That makes a big difference. Paul never mentions Bethlehem, never mentions the birth of Christ, and never makes reference to His earthly ministry or miracles. Paul's one message is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, the shed blood, the preaching of the cross. Les also recalls a conversation with a lady who said we have to go by what Jesus said, and he cautioned her to be careful, because Jesus' earthly words were directed to the Jew under the law.