What does Paul talk about in contrast to the Gospel-era ministry?
Paul talks about the crucified, buried, and risen Lord who is now ascended to glory, centering everything on the work of the cross. In contrast, the Gospel-era ministry was before the cross, under the Law, and contained nothing of the Gospel of Grace. Paul says, “We preach Christ crucified.”
Les explains that Paul made a big deal over having seen and heard these things from the resurrected Christ. The Gospels, though not wrong to read, were Christ before the work of the cross, before the atoning blood was shed, and under the Law; everything there was in accordance with the Judaic legal system and nothing of the Gospel of Grace. Peter carried that on in the early ministry of Acts. Paul, by contrast, talks only about the crucified, buried, and risen Lord now ascended to glory. Les notes the little Jewish epistles—James, 1 and 2 Peter, 1 and 2 John, Jude, and Revelation—do not even mention the word cross, because for them it was not the pinnacle of information as it was with Paul. Paul says, “we preach Christ crucified,” and that is all he knows—the work of the cross.