The gospel of the kingdom and the gospel of Christ are two distinct messages — the kingdom gospel proclaims Israel's King and coming kingdom, while the gospel of Christ proclaims Christ's death, burial, and resurrection for salvation.
In Scripture, Jesus proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom to Israel, and in Matthew 24 He still identified the end-time message as 'this gospel of the kingdom.' Les Feldick explains that the gospel of grace came later through the Apostle Paul after Christ's death and resurrection, so Paul's gospel was that Christ died, shed His blood, was buried, and rose again. These two messages are not the same; when Israel rejected the kingdom, God turned to the gospel of grace.
Matthew 24:14 — Jesus explicitly calls the end-time message 'this gospel of the kingdom' — the same kingdom message He and the Twelve had been preaching.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4 — Paul defines the gospel he preaches as Christ's death, burial, and resurrection — the gospel of Christ and grace.
The phrase 'the gospel of the kingdom' appears in Jesus' earthly ministry. Matthew records: 'And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people' (Matthew 4:23). In Matthew 24, Jesus points to the future and says, 'And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come' (Matthew 24:14). The same passage connects endurance in that context with survival: 'But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved' (Matthew 24:13). Paul defines another message, the gospel he preached: 'For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures' (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). This is the gospel of Christ — the proclamation of what Jesus accomplished in His death and resurrection.
Les Feldick says there is 'a vast difference' between the gospel of the kingdom and the gospel of the grace of God, and he calls the difference 'as much as night and day.' The gospel of the kingdom was the good news that the King was ready to set up His kingdom as it was being offered to Israel. It was proclaimed by Jesus and the Twelve. Paul, on the other hand, was not concerned with the gospel of the kingdom, because that message was Jewish; his message was the gospel of grace to the Gentiles and related to the Body of Christ. Les teaches that the gospel of grace came from the Apostle Paul and is Paul's gospel: that Christ died, shed His blood, was buried, and rose again from the dead. The gospel of grace was not known during Christ's earthly ministry because Christ had not yet died or been raised. When Israel rejected the kingdom, God turned with the gospel of grace, calling out the Body of Christ rather than a covenant people. Les also says that during the Tribulation, after the age of grace ends and the church is gone, the 144,000 Jewish witnesses will again go around the globe with the gospel of the kingdom, telling the world that the King is coming.
According to Les, the gospel of the kingdom was the good news that the King was ready to set up His kingdom as it was offered to Israel. In Matthew 24, Jesus used the kingdom gospel that He and the Twelve had been preaching as the backdrop for His prophecy that 'this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations' (Matthew 24:14). Les notes that the 144,000 Jews in the Tribulation will carry the same message once the age of grace has ended and the church is gone.
Paul's gospel, which Les identifies as the gospel of grace, is that Christ died, shed His blood, was buried, and rose again from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Les points out that when Peter confessed Jesus as the Christ, Peter did not say 'who died for me and rose from the dead' — that is our gospel, the gospel of grace, not the gospel of the kingdom. Paul never refers to the gospel of the kingdom, because his gospel of grace goes to Gentiles and builds the Body of Christ.
Les teaches that God never changes, but He can change His message. Israel rejected the kingdom when it was offered, and so God turned with the gospel of grace, calling out the Body of Christ rather than a covenant people. At the time Jesus preached, they did not know the gospel of grace because Christ had not yet died and been raised.
Is the Church the Bride of Christ? 2 Corinthians 11:2 Explained
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Peter's confession was not the gospel of grace
Les shows that Peter's confession 'Thou art the Christ' said nothing about dying for sin or rising from the dead, which is why it belonged to the gospel of the kingdom rather than the gospel of grace.
Tribulation 144,000 preach the kingdom gospel
Les explains that after the age of grace is over, the 144,000 Jewish witnesses will again proclaim the gospel of the kingdom, telling the world that the King is coming.
The kingdom was offered to Israel
Les defines the gospel of the kingdom as the good news that the King was ready to set up His kingdom as it was offered to Israel, and he connects that message to Matthew 24's future worldwide proclamation.
Night-and-day difference between the two gospels
Les emphasizes that the gospel of Christ/grace came from Paul and is the message that Christ died, shed His blood, was buried, and rose again — as different from the kingdom gospel as night and day.
Paul never preaches the kingdom gospel
Les says Paul never uses the term 'gospel of the kingdom' because that message was Jewish; Paul's message of grace goes to Gentiles and concerns the Body of Christ.
Matthew 24 cannot mean the gospel of grace
Les insists that in Matthew 24, 'this gospel of the kingdom' cannot be twisted into the gospel of grace, because when Jesus preached, Christ had not yet died or been raised.
From rejected kingdom to gospel of grace
Les teaches that the gospel of the kingdom was given to the Jew, and when it was rejected, God turned with the gospel of grace to call out the Body of Christ.
Matthew 4:23: And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
Shows that Jesus' earthly ministry message was called 'the gospel of the kingdom.'
Matthew 24:13: But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Jesus ties endurance to salvation in the context of the kingdom gospel.
Matthew 24:14: And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
Jesus names the end-time proclamation as the gospel of the kingdom, not the gospel of grace.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4: For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
Paul defines the gospel he preaches — the gospel of Christ — as Christ's death, burial, and resurrection.
No. Les Feldick teaches that there is as much difference between them as night and day. The gospel of the kingdom was Israel's message that the King was coming to set up His kingdom, while the gospel of Christ/grace is Paul's message that Christ died, was buried, and rose again for salvation.
According to Les, Jesus' earthly ministry message was the gospel of the kingdom. The gospel of grace could not be preached at that time because Christ had not yet died and been raised. It came afterward through the Apostle Paul.
Yes. Les says that during the Tribulation, after the age of grace has ended and the church is gone, the 144,000 Jewish witnesses will go around the globe with the gospel of the kingdom, telling the world that the King is coming.
Les teaches that Paul was not concerned with the gospel of the kingdom because it was Jewish. Paul's focus was the Body of Christ and the gospel of grace going to Gentiles.
Watch the Teaching: Is the Church the Bride of Christ? 2 Corinthians 11:2 Explained