According to Les Feldick and 1 Corinthians 15, the gospel is the message Paul declared and preached — that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again.
The passage identifies this as the one gospel by which believers are saved. Les stresses that these first four verses contain the clearest definition of the gospel in all of Scripture, and that all of Paul's gospel references point back to this same message. Believing it is what unites a person to God and brings eternal salvation.
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 — This is the passage Les Feldick cites as the clearest and most complete definition of the gospel.
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 declares the gospel as the message Paul preached to the Corinthians, which they received and in which they stand, and by which they are saved. It emphasizes that this gospel is one single message, not several options. The passage defines the gospel as that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. It is the message by which salvation comes, and believers are told to keep it in memory and believe it, not in vain.
Les Feldick teaches that 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 is the clearest, most complete, and most simple definition of the gospel in the entire Bible. He often says it puts John 3:16 in the shade, not because he has anything against John 3:16, but because the passage lays everything out plainly without needing to read between the lines. He emphasizes that whenever Paul references 'the gospel' in any of his epistles, this is the gospel he is referring to. Les teaches that this is the one gospel, not one of several, and that it is by this gospel that people are saved and united to God by faith.
Les explains that among all the portions of Scripture, there is no clearer place where the gospel is laid out in full. He contrasts it with John 3:16, saying that while John 3:16 is a wonderful verse, it doesn't tell you everything — you have to read a lot in between the lines. But in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Paul tells you everything plainly: Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again according to the Scriptures. Les says this puts John 3:16 in the shade, and that there is no clearer place in the whole Bible where the gospel is laid out in full.
Les points out the definite article in Paul's wording: 'Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel, not a gospel, but the gospel, that means it's one and only.' He stresses that there is only one gospel, and that is the gospel that Paul preached and by which believers are saved. This gospel is the same one Paul refers to in Romans 1:16. There is no room for difference or variance on that central point, regardless of denominational or personal backgrounds — it is 'the' gospel, the one and only.
Les emphasizes that salvation is based upon the gospel, and that it is by the gospel that people are saved. He points to the text: 'by which also you are saved.' He also notes that those who reject or disobey the gospel face eternal separation from God, which Scripture calls the second death. The gospel is the freely available plan of salvation God has provided, and believing it is how a person is united to Him by faith, resulting in living eternally in God's presence.
Les explains that it was because of Paul's gospel that the Corinthians came out of their paganism. They heard Paul's preaching of the gospel, received it, and it was the power of God unto salvation for them. He also notes that Paul wrote to these Gentiles, that Corinth was a Gentile congregation, and the gospel message he delivered to them was the same message he had received.
The gospel is the one singular message by which people are saved. It is not merely something to repeat casually or accept without understanding. People must know what they believe, what God’s Word declares, and what God requires. Salvation is not presented as a glib or superficial matter. The heart of the gospel in 1 Corinthians 15 is that Christ died for human sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day. His death and resurrection were in keeping with the Scriptures, meaning these events had been foretold in the Old Testament. This message is the gospel that was preached, received, and in which believers stand. Understanding this gospel matters. The passage speaks of being saved by the gospel when people keep it in memory—that is, when they know and understand what was preached—rather than believing in vain. The gospel centers on Christ’s death for sins and His resurrection, not on anything people can do to repair their own invisible spiritual condition. The soul and spirit are beyond human ability to correct; only God can deal with that part of humanity. As people recognize that they are sinners, the Holy Spirit moves them toward believing this gospel, which is described as the power of God unto salvation.
The gospel is the definite message Paul preached, received, and in which believers stand. It is the gospel by which people are saved, rather than by something else. Believers are to hold fast to what was preached, rather than having believed in vain. This message is not founded on Judaistic law, nor simply on the fact that Christ was Israel’s Messiah. Its central content is that Christ, the Messiah of Israel and the Son of God, died for sins according to the Scriptures. His death on the Roman cross, including the shedding of His blood, was not an accidental martyrdom or a last-minute measure. It was in God’s pre-eternal purpose that these events would come together. The gospel also includes that Christ was buried, demonstrating that He was truly dead. Its third part is that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. His resurrection was supported by appearances to Peter and to more than 500 people. Paul also stated that he himself had seen the risen Christ, so he knew that Christ was alive.
The Gospel is the message by which people are saved: Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day, all according to the Scriptures. This is presented in 1 Corinthians 15, the first four verses, as the Gospel Paul preached, which believers received and in which they stand. Salvation does not come through church membership, baptism, or any human work. It is God’s gift and is received by faith. A person recognizes being a sinner and in need of salvation and believes that Christ died for them. God then accomplishes what the believer cannot do: He imputes righteousness, forgives, cleanses, and baptizes the believer into the body. These are not things a person necessarily feels or sees, but things known by faith because Scripture declares them. The Gospel must be understood and believed, rather than believed in vain. It is described as the power of God unto salvation. John 3:16 is not presented as the Gospel by itself, though it is part of the message once the Gospel is understood. The death, burial, and resurrection of Christ were part of God’s plan before creation, anticipating humanity’s sin and need for a Savior and Redeemer.
The gospel is presented as the one message Paul preached, which believers received and in which they stand. It is described as the gospel by which people are saved. Believing it is central: God’s controversy is not framed as a failure to repent in penitence or to be baptized, but as refusal to believe the gospel. This gospel is identified as being stated with particular clarity in 1 Corinthians 15, especially its first four verses. Paul’s references to “the gospel” in his epistles are tied to this same gospel. It applies universally, whether in Corinth, elsewhere in the world, in Paul’s day, or in the present. It is the gospel that saves lost people. Believers are also warned to hold in memory what was preached, so that they have not believed in vain. The emphasis is on believing the right message, since God is portrayed as exact and careful in this matter. Once someone believes the gospel, God brings that person toward enlightenment, and the Bible begins to open up and make sense.
Creation of Adam: Body, Soul, and Spirit Explained
glory to be King of kings and Lord of lords. You see this constant revealing? We get more and more and more of who He is as we come on up through the Word of God. Now then I think we're ready to move on from chapter 2 down to at least verse 7 of chapter 2, where again it's just a summarization in one verse of that which took place back in chapter 1.
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 as the clearest gospel definition
Les teaches that 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 is the clearest defining of the gospel anywhere in Scripture, putting John 3:16 in the shade because it tells you everything without reading between the lines.
Salvation is based upon the gospel
Les teaches that salvation is based upon the gospel and that 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 lays out the gospel completely, clearly, and simply — the same gospel Paul references throughout his epistles.
No clearer place in the whole Bible
Les reiterates that 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 has no clearer place in the whole Bible where the gospel is laid out in full, beating John 3:16 by a hundred miles.
The gospel to believe for eternal life
Les teaches that the gospel believers must believe for eternal life and entrance into God's heaven is 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, and that it is by this gospel that you are saved.
Clearest definition of the gospel of salvation
Les identifies 1 Corinthians 15:1 as the clearest definition of the gospel of salvation that can be found in Scripture, which he lays out for the television audience.
One and only gospel
Les emphasizes that Paul declares 'the gospel, not a gospel,' meaning it is one and only, and that it is by this gospel that we are saved.
Paul's gospel, the resurrection chapter
Les explains that 1 Corinthians 15 is the resurrection chapter, and that Paul's gospel in these verses is what brought the Corinthians out of paganism.
1 Corinthians 15:1: Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
Paul introduces the gospel as the message he preached and the Corinthians received and stood in.
1 Corinthians 15:2: By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
This verse shows that the gospel is the means of salvation.
1 Corinthians 15:3: For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
Paul relays the first core element of the gospel: Christ died for our sins as prophesied.
1 Corinthians 15:4: And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
The second and third elements: Christ was buried and rose on the third day, all according to Scripture.
Romans 1:16: For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Paul calls the gospel the power of God for salvation, and Les links it to the same gospel defined in 1 Corinthians 15.
Les says that 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 gives the clearest and most complete definition of the gospel, while John 3:16 doesn't tell you everything. You have to read a lot in between the lines with John 3:16, but in 1 Corinthians 15 Paul plainly states that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.
No. Les emphasizes that Paul declares 'the gospel' — not 'a gospel' — meaning there is only one. He teaches that whenever Paul references the gospel in any epistle, he is referring to this same message laid out in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4.
A person must believe the gospel as defined in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. Les stresses this is the gospel by which believers are saved, and that people must understand what they believe lest they believe in vain.
Watch the Teaching: Creation of Adam: Body, Soul, and Spirit Explained