Paul received the gospel he preached directly by revelation from the risen, ascended Lord Jesus Christ — not from any man.
In Galatians 1, Paul states that the gospel he preached was not after man, that he neither received it of man nor was taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. Les Feldick emphasizes that Paul did not go to Jerusalem to learn from the Twelve. Instead, Christ in glory supernaturally revealed to Paul these doctrines of grace, truths that had been hidden in God's mind.
Galatians 1:11-12 — Paul explicitly answers this question by saying he did not receive or learn the gospel from man, but by revelation of Jesus Christ.
Galatians 1:15-17 — He confirms that after God revealed His Son in him, he did not go up to Jerusalem to the earlier apostles.
1 Corinthians 2:7 — Paul calls the message he proclaimed God's hidden wisdom, ordained before the world to our glory.
Paul states plainly in Galatians 1:11-12: “But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.” In the next verses, he explains what he did not do after his conversion: “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus” (Galatians 1:15-17). Scripture also shows this message was not an afterthought: Paul describes it as “the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory” (1 Corinthians 2:7). Thus the Bible's own account is that Paul's gospel came by divine revelation from the risen Christ, and not through human instruction.
Les Feldick points out in multiple lessons that Paul did not go back to Jerusalem and check with the Twelve, even though that would have been the logical thing to do. Instead, Paul says he received the gospel by revelation, and Les emphasizes that the word revelation means God revealed these truths directly to Paul. He describes it as Paul's “own private seminary training with the Ascended Lord from heaven out there on the desert.” Les stresses that everything Paul writes comes from the Ascended Lord after His death, burial, and resurrection — after the earthly ministry of Christ had ended — and that these were truths hidden in God's mind until God's time to reveal them. For Les, this is why Paul's writings are the primary source for our gospel, revealing doctrines of grace that had not been made known before.
Les Feldick says that the logical thing would have been for Paul, after his conversion, to go back to Jerusalem and let the men who had spent three years with Jesus teach him everything they knew. But Paul writes in Galatians 1 that immediately after God revealed His Son in him he conferred not with flesh and blood, and he did not go up to Jerusalem to the apostles before him. Les explains that instead of being instructed by the Twelve, Paul received the gospel by direct revelation from the Lord in glory. So when Paul says his gospel was not after man, part of that means it did not come through the Jerusalem apostles.
Les Feldick distinguishes revelation from instruction. Instruction would be a man teaching Paul what he knew about Jesus; revelation is God directly making known to Paul doctrines that had not been taught by men. Paul's phrase in Galatians 1:12, “by the revelation of Jesus Christ,” means God supernaturally revealed these truths to him. Les also connects this to the wisdom of God that was hidden and has now been revealed to Paul, truths that were kept secret in God's mind until His time to reveal them.
Les repeatedly points out that while Paul was receiving these revelations, Jesus Christ was in heaven, in glory, after His death, burial, and resurrection. The gospel Paul preached was not something he picked up from Christ's earthly ministry before the cross. Instead, it came from the risen Lord after the work of the cross was finished. This is why Les says our gospel has to come primarily from Paul's writings, because he is revealing things that were revealed to him from the Lord after His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension.
God's Hidden Wisdom
Les connects Paul's revealed gospel with 1 Corinthians 2:6-9, showing that these truths had been hidden in the mind of God until His appointed time to reveal them.
No Check with the Twelve
Les shows Paul did not go to Jerusalem for instruction from the Twelve; he received the gospel by supernatural revelation from the Ascended Lord in glory.
Revelation vs. Instruction
From Galatians 1:11-12, Les emphasizes the difference between receiving the gospel by divine revelation and being taught it by men.
From the Ascended Lord in Glory
Les stresses that throughout Paul's revelations, Christ was in glory after His death, burial, and resurrection, so Paul's gospel comes from the risen Lord, not the pre-cross earthly ministry.
Not from Flesh and Blood
Les points to Galatians 1:16 and says when Paul speaks of not conferring with flesh and blood, he is referring to the Twelve — Paul did not learn from them.
Private Seminary in the Desert
Les describes Paul's time with the risen Lord as “private seminary training” and says Paul did not receive his gospel from Christ's earthly ministry or the Jerusalem apostles.
The Gospel Is Not After Man
Les walks through Galatians 1:11 and shows the gospel Paul preached was not of human origin, but came by revelation of Jesus Christ while Christ was in heaven after His resurrection.
Called and Revealed in Paul
Les connects Galatians 1:15-16 to show God's eternal purpose: He set Paul apart before birth and revealed His Son in him to preach among the Gentiles — without Paul going to Jerusalem.
Galatians 1:11: But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.
Paul begins his answer by declaring the gospel he preached did not originate with any human being.
Galatians 1:12: For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
This is the core verse showing Paul received the gospel by direct revelation from Christ, not by human instruction.
Galatians 1:15: But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace,
Paul traces the origin of his ministry back to God's sovereign call and separation before he was even born.
Galatians 1:16: To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:
Paul says the revelation was for preaching Christ among the Gentiles, and immediately he did not consult any human being.
Galatians 1:17: Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.
Paul confirms he did not go to the Jerusalem apostles for his gospel; he went to Arabia instead.
1 Corinthians 2:7: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
Paul describes the truths he proclaimed as God's hidden wisdom, ordained before the world, not a message invented by men.
No. Paul says in Galatians 1 that he did not receive it of man, neither was he taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. Les Feldick points out that Paul did not go up to Jerusalem to check with the Twelve, even though that would have been the logical thing to do.
It means God directly revealed these truths to Paul rather than Paul learning them from a human teacher. Les Feldick describes this as a supernatural revealing and contrasts it with being instructed by men. For Paul, this was the divine source of the doctrines of grace he preached.
He was in heaven, in glory, after His death, burial, and resurrection. Les Feldick stresses that Paul's gospel comes from the Ascended Lord, not from Christ's pre-cross earthly ministry.
Yes. Paul calls it the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world unto our glory. Les teaches these truths were hidden in God's mind and revealed when it was God's time, through the apostle Paul.
Watch the Teaching: The Hidden Wisdom of God — 1 Corinthians 2:6-9 Explained