Yes—Paul's revelations are the decisive unveiling of truths that God had kept secret and committed to Paul for the Church, the Body of Christ.
According to Les Feldick, God saved Paul and revealed mysteries to him that had never been made known before, neither to Israel nor to the Twelve. These secrets form the basis of Paul's gospel of grace and his Gentile ministry. Scripture confirms they had been hid from ages and generations until God revealed them.
Ephesians 3:3 — Paul states that the mystery was made known to him by revelation, directly answering how Paul received these secrets.
Colossians 1:26 — Paul identifies the mystery that was hid from ages and generations but is now made manifest, summarizing the content of his revelation.
The apostle Paul repeatedly describes the truths committed to him as a secret or mystery that God had previously kept hidden. In Romans 16:25 he speaks of "the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began." In Ephesians 3:3-5 he writes, "How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery... 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." Paul goes on to explain the specific content: "That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel." Similarly, Colossians 1:25-26 describes Paul's ministry as fulfilling the word of God, "Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints." In 1 Corinthians 2:7 Paul calls it "the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory."
Les Feldick emphasizes that Paul's revelations are the moment when God brought truths out of His own mind that had never before been revealed. In Clip 1 he says, "All these Pauline truths were held in the mind of God. Israel never had a concept of them. The Twelve had no concept of them, but here comes this renegade, this Saul of Tarsus that God saves by grace, and to him God now reveals the secrets, the mysteries." Les connects these revelations to God's change in dealing with Israel. Because Israel had spent seven years rejecting Peter and the eleven, God set the nation aside and sent Saul on Gentile ground to Damascus. From then on, Paul becomes the central figure in the Book of Acts and the apostle to the Gentiles (Clip 0). Les also stresses that Paul operated by revelation (Clip 2). When Paul speaks of the Body of Christ in Colossians, Les emphasizes that this was the secret "hid from ages and from generations" that was now made manifest (Clip 1). These secret truths are basic to all Pauline doctrine (Clip 5). Paul was like one born before the due time because he received these revelations while Israel was still blind to them, and Les says Israel's day is still coming (Clip 6).
Paul's word "mystery" means a secret that had not been revealed before. Paul writes in Ephesians 3:4-5 that his knowledge is "in the mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men." Les explains that these were matters that no other person had ever had an inkling of and that had been hidden in the mind of God. He also notes that when Paul writes to the Colossians, he calls the Body of Christ "Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest."
Les teaches that the timing was tied to Israel's rejection. After the nation had rejected Peter and the eleven for about seven years, God set Israel aside and began bringing the Gentiles into the picture. Saul was saved on Gentile ground, and God immediately told him he would be sent to the Gentiles. Paul then became the one to whom the mysteries were given, and even Peter and the eleven could not comprehend what Paul was revealing (Clips 0 and 2).
According to Les, Paul's revelations reveal the Body of Christ, a truth that the Old Testament and the Gospels knew nothing about. In Colossians 1:25-26 Paul says he became a minister according to the dispensation of God "to fulfil the word of God; even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints." Les places these verses alongside Romans 16:25 and says these are not minor matters—they are "basic to all of the Pauline doctrines."
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:8, "And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time." Les explains Paul meant he came before the due time in relation to Israel—he received these revelations while the rest of Israel was blinded. Israel's understanding is still future, but believers today do not have to be blind.
Saul Saved on Gentile Ground
Les shows that before Paul's revelations began, God saved Saul on Gentile ground and immediately told him he would go to the Gentiles—the first hint in Acts that Gentiles were entering God's program.
Mystery Hidden from Ages
Les teaches that all Pauline truths were held in the mind of God, and that God revealed these secrets to Paul after saving him by grace. He applies this directly to the Body of Christ in Colossians.
Paul Operated by Revelation
Les emphasizes that Paul received his doctrine by revelation, not by being taught by men. Even Peter and the eleven could not comprehend what Paul was revealing.
Revealed to Paul as the Mystery
Les walks through Ephesians 3:3-6 to show that the mystery was not made known to the sons of men in earlier generations, but was now revealed—the Gentiles being fellow heirs of the same body.
A Secret No One Had Heard Before
Les stresses that Paul's revelation was a revealing of something that had never been revealed before—no one else had ever had an inkling of it.
Secrets Held Until Paul
Les uses Romans 16:25 to show that God held these secrets until He called Paul as the Apostle of the Gentiles, and he calls these truths basic to all Pauline doctrine.
Revealed Before Israel's Due Time
Les explains Paul's "born out of due time" comment as meaning he received these revelations before Israel's day, while Israel was still blind to them.
Hidden Wisdom Revealed
Les teaches that the Old Testament knew nothing of the gospel of grace and the Gospels knew nothing of Paul's gospel—Paul kept saying he was revealing a secret that had been kept hidden.
Romans 16:25: Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,
Paul directly connects his gospel with the revelation of a mystery that had been kept secret.
Ephesians 3:3: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
Paul states that he personally received the mystery by revelation.
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 verse confirms that these truths were not revealed in earlier generations.
Ephesians 3:6: That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
This is the content of the mystery—Gentiles are fellow heirs in one body.
Colossians 1:25: Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
Paul says he was made a minister to fulfill the word of God with this mystery.
Colossians 1:26: Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
Paul describes the mystery as having been hidden from ages and generations, now revealed to his saints.
1 Corinthians 2:7: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
Paul identifies the content of his teaching as hidden wisdom that God ordained before the world.
1 Corinthians 15:8: And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
Paul uses this phrase to describe being given the revelation before Israel's expected time.
Yes. Les emphasizes that these were things God had kept secret in His mind. Scripture says they were 'hid from ages and from generations' and 'not made known unto the sons of men' in earlier ages. Israel and the Twelve had no concept of them.
In this context, a mystery means a secret that had never been revealed before. Les says it is a revealing of something no one else had ever had an inkling of.
Paul says 'by revelation he made known unto me the mystery.' Les adds that it was not only on the Damascus road—the Lord revealed these things to Paul whenever He chose, in a way that even Peter and the eleven could not grasp.
Les says God began moving the Gentiles into the picture after Israel's rejection of Peter and the eleven. God saved Saul on Gentile ground and later made him the Apostle of the Gentiles, revealing the secrets that were basic to Pauline doctrine.
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