According to Paul — and Les Feldick's teaching — revelation is truth God unveiled directly to Paul, while instruction is truth passed on by human teachers.
Paul states in Galatians 1:12 that he did not receive his gospel from man, nor was he taught it, but received it by revelation of Jesus Christ. Les Feldick emphasizes that Paul never sat under the Twelve or any other teacher for his grace doctrines; instead, the ascended Lord revealed these truths to him directly.
Galatians 1:12 — Paul directly distinguishes not being taught from receiving by revelation.
Ephesians 3:3 — Paul says the mystery was made known to him by revelation.
The Apostle Paul draws a clear distinction between two ways of receiving truth. In Galatians 1:12 he says, "For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ." One path is receiving from man and being taught by a human teacher; the other is revelation, which comes directly from Christ. In Ephesians 3:3 Paul repeats the same idea: "How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery." Paul also explains that this mystery "in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit" (Ephesians 3:5). In 1 Corinthians 2:13 he describes his speaking as "not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth." The Bible's point is that Paul's gospel did not originate in human instruction; it was unveiled to him by divine revelation.
Les Feldick stresses that Paul's gospel was not taught to him by anyone — not the Twelve, not a scholar, not the rabbis (Clip1, Clip2). Everything Paul preached and wrote came "by revelation" from the ascended Lord in glory (Clip1, Clip2). Les defines revelation as "an unveiling" of something kept hidden, and he points to Ephesians 3 where Paul says the Lord made known to him the mystery that in other ages was not made known (Clip6). As a contrast, Les points to Apollos, who was "instructed" — he had been taught by someone else (Clip3, Clip7). In Galatians 1 and 2, Paul is deliberately separating himself from the Twelve to show that he was not their student (Clip1). Les also notes that the truths revealed to Paul were so new that even Peter and the Eleven could not comprehend them (Clip7).
Les Feldick teaches that the word revelation means "an unveiling." Something that has been kept under wraps is suddenly unveiled (Clip6). That is exactly what happened to Paul: by revelation the Lord made known to him the mystery, the secret, that had not been made known in other generations (Clip6; Ephesians 3:3,5). Revelation, therefore, is not a human explanation; it is a supernatural making-known by God.
Les points out that instruction is when a person has been taught by someone else. Paul's own claim is the opposite: "I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ" (Galatians 1:12). Apollos illustrates the instruction side: he was an eloquent speaker, but he had been instructed by others and only knew the baptism of John (Clip3, Clip7). Les says Paul, by contrast, never had anyone instruct him in the doctrines of grace; his understanding came by revelation (Clip3). The difference is the source: instruction comes from human teachers, revelation comes directly from God.
Les observes that the logical thing for a new convert to do would have been to go to Jerusalem and check with the Twelve, since they had spent three years with the Lord (Clip2). But Paul makes it clear that he did not do that; he conferred not with flesh and blood and did not go up to Jerusalem (Galatians 1:16-17; Clip4). Instead he went to Arabia, which Les associates with Mount Sinai in the Sinai Peninsula (Clip0). In Arabia, Paul received his doctrine directly from the ascended Lord rather than from human instruction. The contrast remains: Apollos was instructed by someone else, but Paul operated by revelation (Clip7).
Paul's Escape to Arabia
Les explains that after his conversion, God used supernatural means to get Saul out of Damascus and that Paul went down to Arabia, which Les associates with Mount Sinai — setting the stage for Paul receiving revelation away from human teachers.
Not Taught, But Revealed
Les stresses that Paul was not taught his gospel by the Twelve or any other scholar; everything he preached and wrote came by revelation.
Paul Did Not Check With the Twelve
Les emphasizes that Paul did not go to Jerusalem to get instruction from the Twelve; he received his doctrines of grace by supernatural revelation from the ascended Lord.
Apollos Was Instructed
Les contrasts Apollos, who had been instructed by someone else and knew only the baptism of John, with Paul, who had no teacher in the doctrines of grace and received them by revelation.
Revealed by Jesus Christ
Les points from Galatians 1 that Paul was not taught but received the gospel by the revelation of Jesus Christ, and that Paul did not immediately confer with flesh and blood or go up to Jerusalem.
Spiritual Words, Not Man's Wisdom
Les teaches that Paul spoke 'not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth' — a further contrast between human instruction and divine revelation.
Revelation Means Unveiling
Les explains that revelation means an unveiling of something previously hidden, and that by revelation the Lord made known to Paul the mystery that had not been made known in other ages.
Paul Operates by Revelation
Les contrasts Apollos' instruction with Paul's revelation, and notes that the truths Paul received were beyond what Peter and the Eleven could comprehend.
Galatians 1:12: For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Paul explicitly states that he did not receive his gospel by human instruction but by revelation from Christ.
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 God revealed His Son in him so he could preach to the Gentiles, and he immediately did not confer with flesh and blood.
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 Jerusalem to be taught by the earlier apostles, but went to Arabia.
Ephesians 3:3: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
Paul says the mystery was made known to him by revelation, not by human teachers.
Ephesians 3:5: Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
This mystery had not been made known in previous generations but was now revealed by the Spirit.
1 Corinthians 2:13: Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
Paul describes his speaking as taught by the Holy Spirit rather than by man's wisdom.
According to Paul, no. He says in Galatians 1:12, "For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ." Les Feldick adds that Paul was not taught by the Twelve, a scholar, or the rabbis; his doctrines of grace came by direct revelation from the ascended Lord (Clip1, Clip2).
Les explains that revelation means "an unveiling" — something hidden is suddenly made known. Paul says the Lord made known to him the mystery that in other ages was not made known to sons of men (Ephesians 3:3,5; Clip6).
No, Apollos was an example of instruction: he had been taught by someone else and knew only the baptism of John. Paul, by contrast, operated by revelation (Clip3, Clip7).
Watch the Teaching: Revelation vs. Instruction: How Paul Received the Gospel