Paul, not Jesus, founded Christianity—but the foundation Paul laid is Jesus Christ and His finished work.
Les Feldick teaches that the Apostle Paul is the one credited with introducing Christianity, while Jesus is the foundation and basis of it. Paul is the master builder who laid the foundation, and that foundation is Christ crucified, buried, and risen again. Jesus could not have preached Paul's gospel before His death and resurrection, since those events had not yet happened.
1 Corinthians 3:10 — Paul says he laid the foundation as a wise masterbuilder, showing his founding role.
1 Corinthians 3:11 — Paul identifies the only foundation as Jesus Christ, distinguishing Christ's role from Paul's.
In 1 Corinthians 3:10, Paul writes, 'According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.' In the very next verse the foundation is clearly identified: 'For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ' (1 Corinthians 3:11). Scripture therefore presents Paul as the one who laid the foundation and Jesus Christ as the foundation itself.
Les Feldick teaches that most people say Jesus started Christianity, but the biblical picture is that Jesus is the foundation while the Apostle Paul is the master builder who laid that foundation. Les points out that a national news magazine listed Paul among history's most influential men because Paul introduced Christianity, and he agrees with that assessment. Paul did not found Christianity on himself, but on Jesus Christ and His finished work of the cross. Les also emphasizes that Paul received his gospel by direct revelation from the ascended Lord after Christ's death, burial, and resurrection, meaning the church-age gospel could not have been preached before those events.
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3:10, 'According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation...' Les takes this to mean that Paul is the master builder who laid the foundation of Christianity. Yet the foundation itself, as Paul states in the next verse, is Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11). In other words, Paul founded Christianity as the one who laid the foundation, but he did not lay any other foundation than Christ Himself (Clips 3, 7).
Les explains that the gospel Paul proclaimed could not have been preached in the four Gospels or by Jesus during His earthly ministry, because it is based on Christ's death, burial, and resurrection—events that had not yet happened (Clip 6). Paul received his doctrine from the risen, ascended Lord Jesus Christ after the cross, so his gospel reaches the Gentiles on the basis of the finished work of Christ (Clip 4).
After quoting 1 Corinthians 3:11—'For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ'—Les warns about cults and religions that later claim further revelation from a prophet who came after Jesus. No later revelation can lay a different foundation. Everything for the church age was built on that original foundation laid by Paul upon Christ (Clips 0, 1).
The One Foundation
Les highlights 1 Corinthians 3:11, showing Jesus Christ is the only foundation that can be laid, and warns against religions claiming later revelation.
Building on Paul's Foundation
Les explains that the foundation is Jesus Christ, not Paul himself, and that Paul and others build upon that foundation for all church-age doctrine and practice.
Paul Credited With Introducing Christianity
Les shares that a national news magazine gave the Apostle Paul credit for introducing Christianity, while emphasizing that Jesus is the foundation and basis of it.
Paul as the Master Builder
Les teaches that while Jesus Christ is the foundation of everything we believe, Paul was the master builder who laid that foundation through the message of Christ's finished work.
Revelation From the Ascended Lord
Les explains that Paul received the gospel not from men but by revelation from the risen, ascended Lord Jesus Christ after His death, burial, and resurrection.
Jesus the Foundation, Paul the Builder
Les answers the common assumption that Jesus started Christianity by clarifying that Jesus is the foundation but the Apostle Paul is the one who built upon it.
Doctrines Not Yet Possible
Les points out that the four Gospels could not contain church-age doctrine because Christ's death, burial, and resurrection had not yet happened.
A Brand New Foundation
Les describes Paul as the master builder who comes in and starts a brand new foundation: Jesus Christ and Him crucified, buried, and risen again.
1 Corinthians 3:10: According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
Paul describes himself as the masterbuilder who laid the foundation, which Les uses to show Paul's founding role in Christianity.
1 Corinthians 3:11: For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
This verse establishes that the one and only foundation is Jesus Christ, while Paul is the builder who laid it.
Les Feldick says most people assume Jesus started Christianity, but the accurate biblical picture is that Jesus is the foundation of it. The Apostle Paul is the one who introduced and built Christianity upon that foundation (Clips 2, 5).
Paul identifies himself as the wise masterbuilder who laid the foundation. Les explains that Paul is the master builder who laid the foundation of Christianity, which is Jesus Christ and His finished work at the cross (Clips 3, 7).
Because Paul's gospel is based on Christ's death, burial, and resurrection, which had not yet occurred during Jesus' earthly ministry. The church-age doctrines were revealed to Paul by the ascended Lord after the cross (Clips 4, 6).
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