Yes—the gospel according to 1 Corinthians 15 is that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.
Paul states this in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, and Les Feldick calls it the one and only gospel by which people are saved. He stresses that it cannot be added to or taken from, and that believers must understand and keep in memory what was preached.
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 — This is the direct passage in which Paul defines the gospel he preached, received, and by which believers are saved.
1 Corinthians 1:18 — This verse shows that the same cross-centered gospel is foolishness to the unsaved world.
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 says: "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 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." The gospel is therefore the message that saves, and it must be kept in memory. The death for sins, the burial, and the resurrection on the third day are all "according to the scriptures." In 1 Corinthians 1:18, Scripture also says that the preaching of the cross is foolishness to those who perish.
Les Feldick teaches that Paul's statement in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 is the gospel in its purest form. He repeats the definition: Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, He was buried, and He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. This is the one and only gospel, not one gospel among many, and it is by this gospel that believers are saved. The burial proves Jesus was truly dead, not merely in a coma or unconscious state. Les also emphasizes that nothing can be added to or taken from this gospel. He explains that "according to the Scriptures" means these events were prophesied in the Old Testament, and he insists that believers must know and understand what they believe rather than believing in vain. Since the soul and spirit are invisible and beyond human repair, only what God accomplished in Christ's death, burial, and resurrection can save.
Les Feldick explains that when Paul says Christ died and rose again "according to the Scriptures," it means these events were prophesied in the Old Testament. The Old Testament foretold the death and resurrection of Christ, though it did not reveal that salvation would be for Jew and Gentile alike.
Les says the three days in the grave proved that Jesus was really dead. He did not go into a coma or an unconscious state. The burial is part of the gospel because it confirms that no life was left in Him before He rose again.
No. Les Feldick says you cannot add anything to this gospel or take anything from it. This is why he calls 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 the purest form of the gospel found anywhere in Scripture. All of Paul's writings are filled with this same theme.
Les teaches from 1 Corinthians 15:1-2 that believers are saved by the gospel if they keep in memory what was preached, unless they have believed in vain. He says a person must understand and know what he or she believes. Salvation is not a glib or superficial matter.
Les explains that the soul and spirit are invisible, and man cannot correct something that is wrong in the invisible part of his being. Only God can deal with that part of humanity through the gospel of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection.
Man's Invisible Need
Man's soul and spirit are invisible and beyond human repair, so the gospel must deal with what only God can correct.
Gospel According to the Old Testament
Paul's phrase 'according to the Scriptures' means the Old Testament prophesied Christ's death and resurrection.
Paul's One Gospel
Les identifies the 1 Corinthians 15 message as Paul's gospel, called my gospel, the gospel of grace, the gospel of Christ, and the gospel of God.
The Gospel Defined
The gospel is that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day according to the Scriptures; it cannot be added to or taken from.
The Burial Proves Death
The three days in the grave prove Jesus was truly dead, and His resurrection completes the gospel Paul calls 'my gospel.'
The Purest Form of the Gospel
Les calls 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 the purest form of the gospel anywhere in Scripture, and says all of Paul's writings are full of this theme.
The One and Only Gospel
Paul declares the one and only gospel by which believers are saved, and believers must understand and know what they believe.
The Resurrection Chapter
1 Corinthians 15 is the resurrection chapter, and it was Paul's gospel that brought the Corinthians out of paganism.
1 Corinthians 15:1-2: Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
Paul directly names the gospel he preached and ties it to the Corinthians' salvation.
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:
This is the definition of the gospel: Christ died for sins, was buried, and rose again according to the Scriptures.
1 Corinthians 1:18: For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
Shows why the same cross-centered gospel is foolishness to the unsaved world.
The gospel is that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, was buried, and rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. Les Feldick calls this Paul's gospel, and it is the one and only gospel by which we are saved.
Because the three days in the grave proved Jesus was really dead and not merely in a coma or unconscious state. His full death had to be established before the resurrection could complete the gospel.
Les teaches that these events were prophesied in the Old Testament. The death and resurrection were foretold, though the Old Testament did not reveal the full scope of Jew and Gentile salvation.
No. Les says you cannot add anything to it or take anything from it. The soul and spirit are invisible and beyond human repair, so only God's work in Christ's death, burial, and resurrection can save.
According to Les, yes. Paul says believers are saved if they keep in memory what was preached, unless they have believed in vain. Understanding the message is essential to genuine faith.