Paul's Gospel is the message that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day, all according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
Paul wrote to the Corinthian believers, 'Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand' (1 Corinthians 15:1). Les Feldick points out that this is the gospel by which we are saved, and that the content is Christ's death, burial, and resurrection—with nothing added and nothing taken away.
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 — These verses contain Paul's own definition of the gospel he preached: Christ died, was buried, and rose again according to the Scriptures.
Paul answers this question in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. He reminds the Corinthian believers of 'the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand.' He tells them that by this gospel they are saved, 'if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.' He then states the core content: '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.' These verses do not present the gospel as a vague idea but as a specific sequence of events: Christ's death for sins, His burial, and His resurrection on the third day—all in accordance with the Scriptures. In 1 Corinthians 1:18 Paul also speaks of 'the preaching of the cross,' which is foolishness to those who perish but the power of God to those who are saved.
Les Feldick teaches that 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 is Paul's gospel, and he calls it 'the gospel'—not 'a gospel'—because it is the one and only gospel [Clip 1]. He emphasizes that this is the same gospel Paul preached to the predominantly Gentile congregation in Corinth, and it is the message by which believers are saved [Clip 1, Clip 5]. Les explains that when Paul says Christ died 'according to the Scriptures,' the Old Testament had foretold it in veiled language that its readers could not fully understand [Clip 1, Clip 2]. The burial and resurrection confirm that Christ was truly dead and that He rose again on the third day, and this three-pronged fact—death, burial, and resurrection—is the whole gospel; nothing can be added to it or taken from it [Clip 2]. Les also stresses that Paul uses several titles for this message—'my gospel,' 'the gospel of the grace of God,' 'the gospel of Christ,' and 'the gospel of God'—but they all refer to the same content [Clip 3, Clip 6]. He concludes that there is no other plan of salvation, no other gospel, and no other way [Clip 6].
Les Feldick observes that Paul writes, 'Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel, not a gospel, but the gospel'—emphasizing that it is one and only [Clip 1]. He repeats that there is 'no other plan of salvation. There is no other gospel. There is no other way' [Clip 6].
Les teaches that when Paul says Christ died 'according to the Scriptures,' the Old Testament had foretold it, but in such veiled language that people could not understand it at the time [Clip 1]. The phrase 'according to the Scriptures' also applies to the resurrection on the third day [Clip 2].
Les explains that Paul's inclusion of Christ's burial proves He was really dead—not in a coma and not in some unconscious state. The three days in the grave confirmed His death [Clip 2]. This is why the burial is an essential part of the gospel message.
Les Feldick points out that Paul uses several phrases for the same message: 'my gospel,' 'the gospel of the grace of God,' 'the gospel of Christ,' 'the gospel of God,' and 'the gospel of grace.' All of these titles refer to the same three-pronged fact—that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day [Clip 3, Clip 6].
Les teaches that Paul's phrase 'unless you have believed in vain' means a person must understand and know what he or she believes. 'A lot of people believe,' Les notes, but Paul's warning shows that genuine faith must rest on the actual content of the gospel [Clip 1, Clip 5, Clip 7].
What Paul Teaches That You Won't Find in the Gospels
of John next, and then go back and finish up what we have left off in Matthew, the post resurrection 40 days that's still left to be covered. But I wanted before we started the book of John to take you here in the studio as well as our television audience back to the letters of Paul, because I've probably shook a few people up. In fact I got a letter from one gentleman, and I appreciated that.
The One and Only Gospel
Les teaches that Paul declares 'the gospel'—not 'a gospel'—because there is only one gospel, and that this gospel is the message by which believers are saved. He explains that Paul delivered to the Gentile Corinthian believers that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, a truth the Old Testament had foretold in veiled language.
Death, Burial, and Resurrection Defined
Les teaches that the gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, and that the burial and three days in the grave prove He was truly dead—not in a coma or unconscious state.
Paul's Gospel in All His Epistles
Les teaches that this gospel—Christ died, was buried, and rose again—is all Paul knows throughout his epistles, under titles like 'my gospel,' 'the gospel of the grace of God,' 'the gospel of Christ,' and 'the gospel of God.' He also notes that the preaching of the cross is foolishness to the unsaved world.
1 Corinthians 15 as the Gospel
Les teaches that 1 Corinthians 15 is the resurrection chapter and that verses 1-4 give Paul's gospel in a nutshell—the message by which the Corinthians came out of paganism and were saved.
The Gospel Positionally Held
Les teaches that believers stand positionally in this gospel, and that Paul says there is only one plan of salvation for us today—by believing the gospel. He emphasizes Paul's warning that a person must know what they believe or they may have believed in vain.
No Other Gospel
Les teaches that Paul's gospel among the Gentiles is the same gospel we must adhere to today: the three-pronged fact that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day. There is no other plan of salvation, no other gospel, no other way.
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 Unique
Les teaches that 1 Corinthians 15, especially its first four verses, is the one portion of Scripture that lays out the gospel so completely, clearly, and simply. When Paul refers to the gospel, this is what he means.
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 he preached to the Corinthians, which they have received and in which they stand.
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 connects salvation to believing and keeping in memory the gospel Paul preached.
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 states the first element of the gospel: Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.
1 Corinthians 15:4: And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
Paul completes the gospel definition with Christ's burial and resurrection on the third day.
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.
Paul describes how the world views the gospel message, which Les says the unsaved world considers foolishness.
According to Paul, 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 (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Les Feldick teaches that this is the one and only gospel by which believers are saved today.
Paul declared 'the gospel, not a gospel,' because it is one and only [Clip 1]. Les Feldick teaches that there is no other plan of salvation, no other gospel, and no other way [Clip 6].
Les explains that the Old Testament foretold Christ's death and resurrection, but the language was veiled so people could not understand it fully at the time [Clip 1, Clip 2]. The phrase confirms that the gospel was not a new invention but the fulfillment of God's written plan.
Watch the Teaching: What Paul Teaches That You Won't Find in the Gospels